Abstract: A non-invasive visual imaging system is provided, wherein the imaging system procures an image of a transducer position during diagnostic or therapeutic treatment. In addition, the system suitably provides for the transducer to capture patient information, such as acoustic, temperature, or ultrasonic images. For example, an ultrasonic image captured by the transducer can be correlated, fused or otherwise combined with the corresponding positional transducer image, such that the corresponding images represent not only the location of the transducer with respect to the patient, but also the ultrasonic image of the region of interest being scanned. Further, a system is provided wherein the information relating to the transducer position on a single patient may be used to capture similar imaging planes on the same patient, or with subsequent patients. Moreover, the imaging information can be effectively utilized as a training tool for medical practitioners.

Abstract: A device and method for monitoring intracranial pressure during magnetic resonance (MR) image-guided neurosurgical procedures, such as intracranial drug delivery procedures, wherein an MR-compatible microsensor pressure transducer coupled to a pressure sensing diaphragm located a) at the tip, b) on a lateral side, and/or c) in multiple locations of an MR-compatible catheter is inserted into a lateral cerebral ventricle, cerebral cistern, subarachnoid space, subdural or extradural spaces, venous sinuses, or intraparenchymal tissue locations under MR imaging guidance, and is used to record intracranial pressures over hours to days in patients undergoing diagnostic or therapeutic neurologic interventions.

Abstract: A set of reference moisture value of the plurality of sample skin is measured with conventional skin moisture measuring device. Then a set of standard calibration equation is provided from calculating a set of measured reflectance spectra of calibration and the set of reference moisture value by using the multivariate regression, and it is stored at a memory. The next steps are to measure skin moisture of test skin with reference to the set of standard calibration equation stored at the memory. By radiating near infrared on the test skin and sensing a set of reflectance spectra with the portable skin moisture measuring apparatus by using near infrared reflectance spectroscopy system, the skin moisture is measured at a repeatable and stable way, regardless of the variation of temperature or humidity of the external circumstance.

Abstract: A method of navigating a magnet-tipped distal end of an elongate medical device through the body includes providing an image display of the part of the body through which the medical device is being navigated and using the display to input the desired path of the medical device by identifying points on the desired path on the display. The magnetic field needed to orient the end of the medical device in the direction of the desired path as indicated on the display is then determined. In one embodiment where only points on the desired path are identified, the field direction is the direction indicated by the points on the desired path.

Abstract: MR lymphography depicts lymph liquid that flows through lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes, such liquids can easily be depicted with no contrast agent. An effective echo time (TEeff) of a pulse sequence is selected to depict the desired lymph liquid. The effective echo time is determined to be relatively long as compared to the T1 relaxation time of blood. For example, an effective echo time may be in the range of 120 to 800 msec when a pulse sequence is based on the FAST method. In this case, it is preferred that an echo train spacing (ETS) is relatively short, for example, ETS=3 to 10 msec. The pulse sequence is performed and an MR signal generated in response to the pulse sequence is acquired. From the MR signal, an image is produced wherein the lymph is highlighted while vessels providing a background are also depicted, although the contrast of the background vessel is kept lower than that of the highlighted lymph liquid.

Abstract: A focused ultrasound system includes a plurality of transducer elements disposed about and having an angular position with a central axis. Drive signals drive respective transducer elements that include phase shift values based upon the angular position of each respective transducer element. The phase shift values are based upon an oscillation function that oscillates about the central axis between minimal and maximal phase shift values such that a first on-axis focal zone and a second off-axis focal zone are created. An amplitude and frequency of the oscillation function are controlled to adjust relative acoustic energy levels of the first and second focal zones, and to adjust a radius of the second focal zone, respectively. In addition, the drive signals include an additional predetermined phase shift based upon a radial position of each respective transducer element to adjust a focal distance of the focal zones.

Abstract: An ultrasonic system useful for providing imaging, therapy and temperature monitoring generally comprises an acoustic transducer assembly configured to enable the ultrasound system to perform the imaging, therapy and temperature monitoring functions. The acoustic transducer assembly comprises a single transducer that is operatively connected to an imaging subsystem, a therapy subsystem and a temperature monitoring subsystem. The ultrasound system may also include a display for imaging and temperature monitoring functions. An exemplary single transducer is configured such that when connected to the subsystems, the imaging subsystem can generate an image of a treatment region on the display, the therapy subsystem can generate high power acoustic energy to heat the treatment region, and the temperature monitoring subsystem can map and monitor the temperature of the treatment region and display the temperature on the display, all through the use of the single transducer.

Abstract: In a method for operating a magnetic resonance tomography device having a gradient system, which contains at least one gradient coil arrangement for generating a gradient field in a spatial direction and which also contains an energy supply device that is connected to the gradient coil arrangement, and wherein the gradient coil arrangement has at least one first sub-coil and one second sub-coil, and wherein the energy supply device is fashioned such that currents can be adjusted independently of one another in the sub-coils for the continuous adjustment of at least one property of the gradient field, the current in at least one of the sub-coils is determined and adjusted by solving an optimization task containing a target function and at least one secondary condition so that stimulations of a living examination subject are avoided.

Abstract: An imaging modality, in particular a mobile CT system, comprises an imaging system for imaging an object to be examined. The imaging modality is also provided with an image guided surgery system which includes a position measuring system for measuring positions within the object and a data processor for deriving a transformation between positions within the object and the corresponding positions in the image. The position measuring device is also arranged to measure the position of the imaging system and the data processor is arranged to derive the transformation from the position and/or orientation of the imaging system. The position measuring system is notably an optical position measuring system which is arranged to measure the position of the gantry of the CT system. The data processor is arranged to derive the transformation from the measured position of the gantry.

Abstract: The method and device of the present invention for ultrasound wound treatment includes a transducer to produce ultrasonic waves. The ultrasonic transducer has tip with the distal end (radiation surface). A liquid is directed to the radiation surface through central orifice or separate tube wherein an directed atomized particle spray of the liquid is created upon contact of the liquid with the radiation surface. The spray directed to the wound from at least 0.1 inches transmits ultrasound waves trough particles and has an irrigation, mechanical cleansing, liquid energizing and bactericide effect.

Abstract: A customized positioning fixture is fabricated specifically for a patient the purpose of positioning a portion, or all, of the patient's body relative to a medical apparatus. The customized positioning fixture is fabricated such that the relative position of the patent to the medical apparatus is predetermined before a procedure is performed on the patient using the apparatus. The positioning fixture is fabricated using a computer-aided or an automated computer-controlled process according to data determined for that patient, for example, using a rapid prototyping and tooling (RPT) technique. In some embodiments, the positioning fixture is designed to be repeatedly removed and reattached to the patient, thereby allowing the patient to be repeatedly precisely re-positioned in the medical device is separated sessions.

Abstract: The present invention provides for x-ray imaging and ultrasound imaging of a body region of interest in a spatially correlatable manner. The resultant x-ray and ultrasound images may be combinatively employed to provide three-dimensional information regarding a location of interest within the body, and is particularly apt for use in the analysis/biopsy of potential lesions and suspicious masses in a female breast. The invention provides for direct body contact by an ultrasound imaging head, as well as targeted ultrasound imaging of a selected portion of the region from which x-ray images are obtained. A user interface system facilitates various procedures including ultrasound guided needle biopsy procedures.

Abstract: A navigation apparatus comprises a navigation-related information generating section and a display section. The navigation-related information generating section measures the position and orientation of an object and a target in a three-dimensional space and generate navigation-related information to be used for navigating the object toward the target. The display section displays the navigation-related information generated by the navigation-related information generating section in any of different modes depending on the relationship of the position and orientation of the object and that of the target. A surgical operation image acquisition/display apparatus comprises an observation section, an image display section and a specifying section. The observation section includes a plurality of observation sections whose position and orientation is modifiable.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for applying an ultrasound treatment to a portion of a human body. The method includes the steps of determining a temperature rise which the body portion will experience when a dosage limit of the ultrasound treatment has been reached. The method further includes the steps of disposing on the body portion an indicator adapted to provide a visual change at the determined temperature and applying ultrasound to the body portion until the indicator provides the visual change at the determined temperature.

Abstract: An MRI apparatus having an ability of displaying images of flow in different directions in distinguishable manner. When this MRI apparatus performs multi-slice acquisition with a predetermined repetition time TR by selecting a plurality of slices approximately perpendicular to the flow direction of an object to be examined, it performs a first measurement of exciting the plurality of slices in a first order and a second measurement of exciting the same slices in the opposite order to obtain two kinds of data whose signal intensity differs depending on the flow direction. The two kinds of data obtained by two measurements are subjected to subtraction operation to obtain data with different signs depending on the flow direction. These signs combined with the signal intensity are made into images where flow in opposite directions are distinctively depicted. In the multi-slice acquisition, slices are selected so that adjacent slices partially overlap in the direction of the thickness of the slice.

Abstract: An imaging system in which a patient monitoring device, that monitors physiological parameters of a patient and outputs a signal indicating values for the parameters, is in communication with a patient imaging system. The patient imaging system includes an imaging probe that directs energy into and receives energy from a patient; and a signal analyzer, in communication with the patient monitoring device, that analyzes the signal from the patient monitoring device and outputs a signal indicating irregularities in parameters monitored. A control unit monitors the signal from the signal analyzer and, when a predetermined signal is output, issues an alarm to the operator of the patient imaging system. The control unit can also be programed to reduce the output power of the imaging probe and/or alert a central monitoring facility in response to the output of the signal analyzer.

Abstract: A placement plan is developed for the placement of radioactive seeds in a prostrate for brachytherapy. The placement plan is made available to an intraoperative tracking interface which also shows a live ultrasound image of the needle or catheter placement in the prostate. The difference in the x-y plane between the planned and actual locations of the needle or catheter is calculated, and from that difference, the error in position of each seed is calculated. The seeds are moved, or the operator changes the number of seeds, and the dose is recalculated. A small column of ultrasound images is taken, and each seed located in the column of images is given a confidence level. If the confidence level exceeds a threshold set by the operator, the dosimetry is recalculated. Periodically throughout the seed placement, fluoroscopic x-rays are taken, and the seed coordinates are matched to the x-ray image.

Abstract: In a method and a device for suppressing stimulations in a living examination subject as a result of switched gradients during data scans for producing magnetic resonance images, at least two electrodes, which are connected to one another by at least one electrically conductive connection, are attached to the skin of the examination subject for bridging at least one region of the examination subject that is of lower electrical conductivity than the regions surrounding it.

Abstract: A method and a system is provided for discriminating between healthy cervical tissue and pathologic cervical tissue based on the fluorescence response of the tissue to laser excitation (LIF) and the backscatter response to illumination by white light (in the spectral range of 360 to 750 nm). Combining LIF and white light responses, as well as evaluating a spatial correlation between proximate cervical tissue sites in conjunction with a statistically significant “distance” algorithm, such as the Mahalanobis distance between data sets, can improve the discrimination between normal and abnormal tissue. The results may be displayed in the form of a map of the cervix representing the suspected pathology.

Abstract: A medical diagnostic imaging device has a support device, which, for positioning a fixable area of an examination subject to be imaged in an imaging volume of the device, is fashioned for moving the examination subject thereon in at least one moving direction, a control device for controlling the movement of the support device, a pointer device, which, for prescribing the area to be imaged, is fashioned for pointing to the area to be imaged, and an detection device, acquires the spatial position of the pointer device at least in the moving direction and which is connected to the control device for positioning the area to be imaged that is prescribed by the pointer device.