Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging system (100, 300) for acquiring magnetic resonance data (142) from a subject (118) within an imaging zone (108) includes a magnetic resonance imaging antenna (113, 113?) comprising having multiple loop antenna elements (114, 114?) with multiple infrared thermometry sensors (115, 115?). The magnetic resonance imaging antenna is configured for being positioned adjacent to an external surface (119) of the subject and at least a portion of the multiple infrared thermometry sensors are directed towards the external surface. The magnetic resonance imaging system further includes a memory (134, 136) containing machine executable instructions (150, 152) and pulse sequence instructions (140).

Abstract: A system and method for measuring a functional lateralization of a subject brain is provided. The method includes providing a set of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data acquired during a resting state of a subject, and selecting a plurality of seed voxels associated with locations in hemispheres of a brain of the subject. The method also includes determining a degree of within-hemisphere connectivity for each seed voxel using the fMRI data, determining a degree of cross-hemisphere connectivity for each seed voxel using the fMRI data, and computing an autonomy index for each seed voxel using the degree of within-hemisphere connectivity and the degree of cross-hemisphere connectivity, wherein the autonomy index is indicative of a connectivity asymmetry between the hemispheres. The method further includes generating a report indicative of a specialization profile determined for a region of interest in the brain of the subject.

Abstract: A method for characterizing an anisotropic soft medium (C) including fibers and having an outer surface (1), by observing in different propagation directions, the propagation of a divergent shear wave from a central area (10) in the anisotropic soft medium. A propagation parameter of the shear wave is inferred therefrom in each of the propagation directions, and then a direction of the fibers of the anisotropic soft medium, a rheological elasticity parameter are determined in a direction perpendicular to the fibers and a rheological elasticity parameter in the direction of the fibers.

Abstract: Measuring local speed of sound for ultrasound by inducing ultrasound waves in a subject by focusing an ultrasound beam, using an ultrasound Tx transducer to propagate waves from a focal point to the surface, measuring a time of arrival of the waves using at least three single Rx transducer surface elements, signal traces recorded on individual Rx transducers are evenly sampled in time, an average speed of sound equals an arithmetic mean of local sound-speed values sampled along a wave path, each Rx transducer outputs a separate arrival time of the waves, computing a local speed of sound (ci) of waves from an average speed of sound (cavg) using a computer that receives arrival times, where c avg = 1 N ? ? i = 1 N ? c i , where ci=di/Ts, di is the length a tissue traveled during one sampling period Ts, and using ci to differentiate human disease, or with ultrasound measurements to differentiate degrees of human disease.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods of detecting a tissue property during a laparoscopic surgical procedure with a tissue property sensing device. The method may include positioning a sensing assembly disposed along a distal portion of a tissue property sensing device about target tissue in a body cavity, inflating a bladder to compress and occlude blood flow of the target tissue, sensing a pressure measurement of pressure in the bladder and a light amplitude measurement of light projected through the target tissue, and determining a systolic blood pressure of the target tissue based on the pressure measurement and the light amplitude measurement.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for determining a stiffness information of a medical instrument used during a minimally invasive interventional procedure in a vascular system of a patient by recording a three-dimensional volume image of the vascular system at least in the intervention region.

Abstract: A system and method for monitoring one or more physiological parameters of a subject under free-living conditions is provided. The system includes a camera configured to capture and record a video sequence including at least one image frame of at least one region of interest (ROI) of the subject's body. A computer in signal communication with the camera to receive signals transmitted by the camera representative of the video sequence includes a processor configured to process the signals associated with the video sequence recorded by the camera and a display configured to display data associated with the signals.

Abstract: Provided is a biopsy apparatus including an ultrasound probe; a biopsy needle located at a side of the ultrasound probe and including an electromagnetic (EM) sensor; a tracker configured to obtain position and movement direction information of the biopsy needle; and a controller configured to receive, from the tracker, the position and movement direction information of the biopsy needle, and to determine an operation mode, based on the position and movement direction information.

Abstract: A method and an ultrasound system are provided for generating transmission signals of an ultrasound probe used in a contrast-enhanced ultrasound image mode. The ultrasound system generates a pair of pulse control signals n and n+1 and a damping compensation pulse control signal, generates a pair of pulses n and n+1 having polarities opposite to each other and a damping compensation pulse having a polarity opposite to that of the n+1-th pulse based on the pair of pulse control signals and the damping compensation pulse control signal, transmits transmission signals including the pair of pulses and the damping compensation pulse, generates an ultrasound signal based on the transmission signals, transmits the ultrasound signal to a target object, and acquires echo signals for forming a contrast-enhanced ultrasound image of the target object. The damping compensation pulse is successively generated after generating the pair of pulses.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a surgical microscope (1) with a field of view (9) and comprising an optical imaging system (3) which images an inspection area (11) which is at least partially located in the field of view (9), and to a method for a gesture control of a surgical microscope (1) having an optical imaging system (3). Surgical microscopes (1) of the art have the disadvantage that an adjustment of the microscope parameters, for instance the working distance, field of view (9) or illumination mode, requires the surgeon to put down his or her surgical tools, look up from the microscope's eyepiece (5) and perform the adjustment by operating the microscope handles. Also foot switches and mouth switches where proposed, whereas those are not intuitively operated, require training and are less accurate than hand control of the microscope handles. Thus, the surgeon may lose his or her focus, is confronted with inconveniences and delays and bears an increased risk of contamination.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for automatically identifying subjects at risk of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) includes acquiring a plurality of images of a subject's brain using a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner. A contrast enhancement process is applied to each image to generate a plurality of contrast-enhanced images. An automated lesion detection algorithm is applied to detect one or more lesions present in the contrast-enhanced images. An automated central vein detection algorithm is applied to detect one or more central veins present in the contrast-enhanced images. An automated paramagnetic rim detection algorithm is applied to detect one or more paramagnetic rims present in the contrast-enhanced images. The patient's risk for MS may then be determined based on the one or more of the lesions, central veins, and paramagnetic rims present in the contrast-enhanced images.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, including a transceiver for sequentially generating multiple received signals, a color flow mapping signal processing unit that generates blood flow velocity data based on the multiple received signals, and a residual image processing unit that includes an aliasing determination unit and a persistence calculation unit and performs residual image processing on blood flow velocity data, an aliasing determination unit that adds the blood flow velocity data Vcurrent for the most recent frame and the blood flow velocity data Vout-1 for the frame preceding the most recent frame, performs aliasing determination on the frame that was determined by a frame before the most recent frame based on the aliasing determination results of the blood flow velocity data, and a persistence calculation unit that performs a persistence calculation after performing a correction to the blood flow velocity data in which aliasing has occurred.

Abstract: A device to estimate mechanical properties of brain and abdomen organs undergoing magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) includes electromagnetic actuators, mechanical wave generation mechanisms, and a control unit to generate oscillatory motion signals in synchronization with the MR scanner. Preserving only the shear wave component, a local fitting algorithm is used to estimate the viscoelastic properties of soft tissues. The device is portable and easy to implement in clinical diagnostics, and can be modified to measure other soft materials.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are described for use with an endoluminal device that includes one or more radiopaque portions and that moves through a lumen of a subject. A sequence of radiographic images of a portion of the subject's body, in which the lumen is disposed, is acquired, during movement of the endoluminal device through the lumen. Locations at which the one or more radiopaque portions of the endoluminal device were imaged during the movement of the endoluminal device through the lumen are identified, by analyzing the sequence of radiographic images. A set of locations at which the one or more radiopaque portions were disposed during the movement of the endoluminal device through the lumen is defined, and an endoluminal path of the device through the lumen is estimated based upon the set of locations. Other applications are also described.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for scoring in real time neural signals of a subject with respect to a reference state characterized by k=1 . . . K reference covariance matrices, the method including the following steps: (i) obtaining neural signals from the subject; (ii) computing a covariance matrix of the neural signals; (iii) computing the Riemannian distances between the covariance matrix and k=1 . . . K reference covariance matrices; (iv) computing a continuous score s in real time based on at least one of the distances computed in step (iii). Also disclosed is a system and method for self-paced modulation or external modulation of neural activity of a subject.

Abstract: Various examples are provided for non-contact vital sign acquisition. Information can be provided regarding vibrations of a target using a radar signal such as, e.g., non-contact vital sign measurement. Examples include estimation of heart rate, change in heart rate, respiration rate, and/or change in respiration rate, for a human or other animal. Implementations can produce one or both rates of vibration and/or change in one or both rates of vibration for a target other than an animal or human experiencing two vibrations at the same time, such as a motor, a vehicle incorporating a motor, or another physical object. Some implementations can estimate the respiration movement in the radar baseband output signal. The estimated respiration signal can then be subtracted from radar signals in the time domain and, optionally, can be further enhanced using digital signal processing techniques, to produce an estimate of the heartbeat pulses.

Abstract: There are included a data processing step of selecting two or more pieces of data from among a plurality of pieces of first element data or a plurality of pieces of first reception data generated by subjecting the pieces of first element data to phasing addition processing, and performing superimposition processing on the two or more pieces of data, a region-of-interest setting step of setting a region of interest in an imaging area, and a processing condition changing step of changing a processing condition in the data processing step, in a case where the region of interest is set in the region-of-interest setting step, on the basis of information on the set region of interest.

Abstract: Described herein are exemplary methods for estimating a nonparametric joint radius-length (R-L) distribution of an ensemble of porous elements represented generally by finite cylinders. Some described methods comprise estimating an eccentricity distribution of a group of anisotropic porous elements. For example, disclosed methods can be applied to estimate a nonparametric joint R-L distribution of injured axons in nervous tissue, muscle tissue, plant elements, or other porous materials. Employing a novel three dimensional (3-D) double pulsed-field gradient (d-PFG) magnetic resonance (MR) acquisition scheme, both the marginal radius and length distributions of a population of generally cylindrical porous elements can be obtained. The marginal radius and length distributions can then b e used to constrain and stabilize the estimate of the joint radius-length distribution. Using the marginal distributions as constraints allows the joint R-L distribution to be reconstructed from an underdetermined system (i.e.

Abstract: Provided is a guide device for injection needle puncture. The guide device for needle puncture according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a body; a guide part which has a guide hole provided therein so as to be tilted at a certain angle along the height direction, the guide hole allowing an injection needle to pass therethrough so that during injection needle puncture, the insertion angle of the injection needle can be constantly maintained; and a sliding member which is coupled to the body so as to be slidingly movable, wherein the spaced distance between the guide hole and a medical ultrasound apparatus is adjusted through relative movement of the body or the sliding member so that a target location into which the distal end of the injection needle is inserted can be located on entrance path of the injection needle.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having a movement unit movably connected to a body, and a control method thereof. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes a body, a movement unit movably connected at the body, at least one connecting unit having a first end unit rotatably coupled to the body and a second end unit rotatably coupled to the movement unit, and at least one rail installed at least at the one of the body or the movement unit such that at least the one of the first end unit or the second end unit may be slidingly moved. The movement unit may be conveniently moved to a desired position by a user.