Abstract: A head-coupled holder the optical measurement of a living body that securely brings a light irradiation module and a light detection module in close contact with the scalp of a person to be examined, and gives the person no excessive pressure feeling. Each light irradiation module and light detection module includes a contactor having a contact portion that comes in contact with the scalp at a leading end thereof, and exposes a leading end of a light guide to the contact portion to form the light guide, and a package having a lower portion to which the contactor is attached. The contactor is fixed to the lower portion of the package through an elastic body, and the package is fixed to an inner upper wall of the insertion hole with a series structure of the elastic body and the viscoelastic body.

Abstract: The possibility for receiving and processing data from an analytical chip (“lab-on-a-chip”) is integrated into a medical device, such as for example an X-ray imaging system. This means quite simply that it is possible at the medical device to make a diagnosis which could otherwise only be made by a laboratory. There is a separate processor unit, a separate memory a separate input/output unit, adapted to the analytical chip, and a display unit displays both image data from the X-ray imaging system and also analytical data.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for marking a lesion in a body part is provided. The method includes the steps of obtaining a first nuclear-emission image of the body part; determining a position of the lesion from the first image; percutaneously introducing a cannula to the determined position; inserting a wire into the cannula, the wire including radioactive material; retracting the cannula while holding the wire in place; and obtaining a second nuclear-emission image of the body part. The second image includes data relating to a position of the lesion and data relating to a position of the wire.

Abstract: An imaging system divides image pixels intensities by exposure time to generate image data in units of intensity per time. The imaging system divides a fluorescent light image in intensity per time units by an excitation light image in intensity per time units to provide a quantitative corrected fluorescent light image that is generally invariant to position of an imaging instrument relative to a biological tissue being imaged.

Abstract: Ultrasound medical systems and related methods are described.

Abstract: Apparatus for performing a transgastric procedure includes an elongated tubular main access device having the first lumen with open proximal end and a side opening distal end, and a second lumen with open ends. A balloon having a wall on the outside of the device surrounds the distal end and a fluid conduit extends along the device for inflating the balloon so that when the device is inserted into a patient's esophagus and the balloon is inflated, the portion of the esophagus opposite the distal end is isolated from the remainder of the esophagus. The apparatus may also include a side access unit having an elongated flexible coaxial inner and outer tubes having proximal and distal ends and being movable relatively in the axial direction. First seals are mounted to the distal end of the outer tube, and second seals are mounted to the distal end of the inner tube, an actuator adjacent to the proxable ends of the tubes move the tubes relatively so as to vary the axial spacing the first and second seals.

Abstract: A method for combined computed tomography (CT) imaging and positron emission tomography (PET) imaging uses respiration-gated CT imaging in which the optimal criteria for CT scan gating are determined after the PET scan has been performed. After acquisition of first CT scan image data and PET scan image data with strain gauge levels being recorded, optimal gating criteria are calculated based on the strain gauge levels, and a second CT scan is then performed with triggering in accordance with the optimal gating criteria.

Abstract: An invention for coherent array image formation and restoration is taught. The invention is applicable for both 2D and 3D imaging using either 1D or 2D arrays, respectively. A transducer array is subdivided into subarrays, each subarray having a number of adjacent array elements. All elements of each subarray transmit and receive in parallel. The signals received from each subarray are delayed and summed to form scan lines, or beams. The low-beam-rate beams formed from each subarray are upsampled and interpolated prior to forming high-beam-rate images. Depending on the subarray geometry, a subarray-dependent restoration filter is also applied to the subarray beams. The restored beams from each subarray are combined to form the final high-beam-rate image. The invention significantly reduces the front-end hardware complexity compared to conventional methods such as full phased array imaging with comparable image quality.

Abstract: A non-invasive positioning system for determining the focus location of a HIFU device comprises a diagnostic ultrasound and the HIFU for ablating and removing tumor tissue. The imaging plane of the diagnostic ultrasound probe and the geometrical axis of a probe of the HIFU define an inclining angle during operation. When the imaging plane of the diagnostic ultrasound intersected to the focus of the HIFU transducer, a maximal convergent interference signals was obtained, so as to position the HIFU focus within tumors for precise ablation.

Abstract: The flexible ultrasound wire delivered through an endoscope can bend through multiple radii and deliver ultrasonic energy to the business end of the working channel of an endoscope without requiring percutaneous incisions. The flexible ultrasonic wire is wire or fiber that can be flexed in any direction and is connected at one end to an ultrasonic transducer which is connected to an energy delivering device. An insulating layer between the flexible ultrasonic wire and a metallic working channel is non-metallic and resilient and operates to prevent unwanted fragmentation of the device and possible collateral soft tissue injuries.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting the presence of substances, compositions, constituents, proportionalities, of examined objects, and abnormalities and diseases associated with human tissue responsive to detected amplitudes and/or frequencies, such as resonant frequencies from the object/body being examined. Data in a database is utilized to identify the unbalanced condition, the foreign, toxic or harmful substance. The identified condition/substance may be used as an aid to select an appropriate treatment or corrective action.

Abstract: A system and method for recording and depicting ultrasound images of a moving object are disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, ultrasound images are acquired as the field of view of an ultrasound probe is advanced across the tissues of interest during a resting period between periods of relatively large-scale heart cycle motion. A series of images acquired during a particular resting period may be represented as a three-dimensional volume image, and the comparison of volume images from adjacent cardiac resting periods enables three-dimensional volume image modulation analysis which may be presented for a user as a moving volume image of the objects of interest within the field of view.

Abstract: A time-resolved fluorescence device is described for the detection and diagnosis of various metabolic diseases in a noninvasive or minimally invasive manner. The device uses an ultra-short excitation pulse that comprises of a repetition of nanosecond pulses. The excitation pulse is directed incident onto a strategically selected area of the patient body such as the forearm, the feet, and the palm. This light interacts with the different layers of the skin. The absorbed light excites conditions of interest in the skin, which in turn generate a fluorescence signal, which is collected by a detector. A processor is coupled to the detector to measure the transient fluorescence intensity decay of the skin in terms of lifetimes, and the contribution of individual fluorophores to the overall fluorescence signal.

Abstract: A system for acquiring an ultrasound signal comprises a signal processing unit adapted for acquiring a received ultrasound signal from an ultrasound transducer having a plurality of elements. The system is adapted to receive ultrasound signals having a frequency of at least 20 megahertz (MHz) with a transducer having a field of view of at least 5.0 millimeters (mm) at a frame rate of at least 20 frames per second (fps). The signal processing can further produce an ultrasound image from the acquired ultrasound signal. The transducer can be a linear array transducer, a phased array transducer, a two-dimensional (2-D) array transducer, or a curved array transducer.

Abstract: A method of in vitro or in vivo nuclear magnetic resonance and/or magnetic resonance imaging, to determine bone properties by measuring the effects of molecular diffusion inside the bone specimen to derive parameters that are related to the structure of the trabecular bones. The method is a non-invasive probe that provides topological information on trabecular bone without requiring a full high-resolution image of its structure, and is compatible with clinical use.

Abstract: A registration pointer includes a camera located in an elongated shaft having a distal end configured to be contacted to a bone of a patient to register the bone to a computer assisted orthopaedic surgery system. The camera may be a hemispherical camera and may include a panoramic camera and a wide-angle camera equipped with a fish-eye lens. The registration pointer is configured to transmit images received by the cameras to the computer assisted orthopaedic surgery system for display thereon. The computer assisted orthopaedic surgery system may be configured to generate an image, such as a hemispherical image, based on the images received from the registration pointer.

Abstract: A display mode switching unit is provided to input a display mode switching signal for selecting a dynamic image display mode and a freeze image display mode. A display format setting unit is provided to set a first display format for displaying image data and time-series data by Left/Right. The display format setting unit sets a second display format for displaying the image data and time-series data by Up/Down or for displaying the time-series data. A display data generation unit generates display data including the first display format when the dynamic image display mode is selected. The display data generation unit generates display data including the second display format when the freeze image display mode is selected.

Abstract: An echogenic medical device, such as a needle catheter, which produces an improved ultrasonic image of the device, and a method of performing a medical procedure using a device of the invention. One aspect is directed to a catheter which reduces artifacts in the ultrasound image of the catheter. In one embodiment, the catheter has a spherical distal tip. Another aspect of the invention is directed to an echogenic catheter with echogenic portions arranged in an array to facilitate determination by ultrasonic imaging of the rotational orientation of the catheter relative to a desired location within the patient.

Abstract: The present invention provides an electromagnetic tracking system that includes a field generator and a field sensor arranged to generate and detect, respectively, an electromagnetic field. Both the transmitter and receiver coils are connected to signal conditioning and processing circuitry to provide outputs indicative of the coil signals. A processor operates on the signals to determine the coordinates of the sensing assembly relative to the generator assembly. The signal processor produces ratiometric outputs, and applies a mutual inductance model to solve for position/orientation coordinates. In some embodiments, a disturber in the form of a conductive ring or a sheath is disposed about an interfering piece of equipment to moderate and standardize disturbances due to eddy currents.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system for percutaneously steering a surgical needle. Needle steering is accomplished by taking advantage of a deflection force imparted on the bevel tip of the needle by the tissue medium as the needle is pushed through the tissue. By controlling the translation speed and rotation angle of the bevel, a flexible needle may be steered substantially without deflecting or distorting the tissue. The control inputs (translation speed and rotation angle) are computed based on a “bicycle” non-holonomic kinematic model that is a function of mechanical properties of the tissue medium. The system may be used with image-based feedback, which may provide for feedback-based refinement of the model as the needle propagates through the tissue.