Abstract: Method and related apparatuses are described for performing automated ultrasound mammography with reduced nipple shadow effects. The breast is compressed in a direction generally toward the chest wall of the patient with one side of a compressive member which is preferably a membrane. The breast is scanned with an ultrasonic transducer array positioned in acoustic communication with the other side of the membrane. Beamsteering is used. The signals from the beamsteered energy are combined to generate one or more compound images having a reduced nipple shadow effect. An acoustic couplant is preferably applied between the breast and the membrane. The images of the sub-nipple region are also preferably enhanced by making comparisons with reference areas of the breast in areas away from the nipple shadow effected area. The images are preferably displayed to a user, either automatically or upon receiving a preference from the user.

Abstract: The invention in one aspect relates to a method for discriminating soft biological tissues. The method includes illuminating soft biological tissues at at least one first spot with light; collecting Raman scattering light scattered from the soft biological tissues at at least second spot in response to illumination by the light, wherein the at least second spot is away from the at least one first spot so as to define a source-detection (S-D) offset distance therebetween; obtaining a spatially offset Raman spectrum from the collected light, wherein the spatially offset Raman spectrum is associated with a depth of the soft biological tissues at which the Raman light is scattered; identifying tissue signatures from the spatially offset Raman spectrum; and determining whether the soft biological tissues have a layered structure from the tissue signatures from the spectrum.

Abstract: A probe includes a connector having a connection end surface, a first cover covering the connection end surface of the connector and defined by a surface perpendicular to a first direction corresponding to the direction toward which the probe is inserted, and a second cover configured to move in a second direction corresponding to a direction opposite to the first direction and which covers the connector by being stretched from the outer circumference of the first cover toward the second direction. The second cover moves in the second direction by receiving a press force directed toward the second direction from a wall surface formed by an opening of the adapter unit at the time of insertion of the connector into the adapter unit. The first cover is configured to be broken by the connector's press force directed in the first direction when the second cover moves in the second direction.

Abstract: A method of creating an ultrasound image includes receiving a return signal from a time delayed signal emitted from a plurality of transducer elements at a target the return signal comprising a measurement at each of the plurality of transducer elements formed from a plurality of reflections off of a plurality of volume elements forming a two dimensional slice of a target, computing a Van-Cittert Zernike (VCZ) curve for each of the plurality of volume elements based upon the measured return signals and creating an short-lag spatial coherence (SLSC) image comprising a plurality of pixels each associated with one of the plurality of volume elements wherein each of the plurality of pixels comprises a value computed from a metric of the VCZ curve computed for each of the associated plurality of volume elements.

Abstract: Devices and systems for ultrasonically imaging anatomical structures and performing ablation therapy within the body are disclosed. A combined ablation and ultrasound imaging probe includes an ablation electrode tip including an ablation electrode configured for delivering ablation energy, and a number of ultrasonic imaging sensors configured for imaging the tissue surrounding the probe. The ultrasonic imaging sensors are supported within the interior of the tip via a tip insert, and deliver ultrasonic waves through acoustic openings formed through the tip. The tip insert separates an interior lumen within the tip into a proximal fluid chamber and a distal fluid chamber. During an ablation procedure, the ultrasonic imaging sensors can be tasked to generate a number of ultrasonic images that can be displayed on a user interface.

Abstract: A device for use in an image-guided procedure on a patient is disclosed. The device includes an EM sensor assembly, a frame assembly (e.g., a base portion from which a plurality of legs project upward to a common point) and a plurality of attachment members. Each attachment member is arranged to be releasably (e.g., adhesively) secured to the skin of a patient and to be coupled to the frame assembly to secure the frame assembly on the skin of the patient. The EM sensor assembly is arranged to be releasably secured to the frame assembly (e.g., pivotably snap-fit into a socket in the frame assembly). The device additionally includes plural visualizable elements (e.g., metal balls) that are adapted to be readily imaged to establish imaging reference points and a plurality of asymmetrically disposed apertures to enable tattooing indicia on the skin of the patient through the apertures.

Abstract: A system and method for producing MR images in which bone and soft tissue are identified. The method includes applying a pulse sequence that includes a first stage configured to acquire a radially-encoded FID and radially-encoded echoes performed after a non-selective RF excitation pulse and before a second stage, which is configured to acquire additional echoes. The radially-encoded MR data acquired during the first stage is substantially representative of bone, while the MR data acquired during the second stage is substantially representative of soft tissues. MR images in which bone and soft tissue are identified are reconstructed from these MR data sets.

Abstract: A medical examination device used for the detection of pre-cancerous and cancerous tissue has an illumination source, a visualization unit, a contacting optical probe, a detector and a process unit. One embodiment of the apparatus includes both a non-contacting macroscopic viewing device (the visualization unit) for visualizing an interior surface of the cervix, as well as a fiber optic wand (contacting optical probe) for spectrally analyzing a microscopic view of the tissue.

Abstract: Kits and methods for the treatment of certain types of cancers, specifically various primary brain cancers. In some embodiments, treatment is directed toward the known areas of cancer cell infiltration and along pathways of likely migration ahead of established areas of cancer cell infiltration. In some embodiments, cancer cells are targeted where they have likely spread, but yet remain undetected. Some embodiments relate to a means of automatically directing radiological analysis along likely pathways of cancer cell migration to precisely determine the extent of detectable cancer spread. In some embodiments, treatments are directed to a predetermined distance along such pathways.

Abstract: A filter for detecting changes in skin color. The filter includes a filter material capable of filtering a frequency range and configured to orthogonalize an overall red response and an overall blue response in response to a spectral power distribution of a given light condition. The overall red response is based on a first plurality of spectral responses for a first human perceived chromatic channel used primarily for detecting blood oxygenation in a human. The overall blue response is based on a second plurality of spectral responses for a second human perceived chromatic channel used primarily for detecting blood volume.

Abstract: Systems and methods described herein determine an objective metric for analyzing health of a patient's liver. In some embodiments, the system may include a scanner that can detect radiation counts responsive to administration of radioactive compound to a patient. Further, the system may include an image detection module that can access image data responsive to the detected radiation counts by the scanner. The image detection module can programmatically identify a first region of interest corresponding to a liver of the patient from the image data. A parameter calculator module can programmatically determine a first attribute associated with the first region of interest and calculate a first parameter indicating health of the liver of the patient based at least in part on the first attribute associated with the first region of interest.

Abstract: The present application discloses a technique for targeting therapeutic thermal energy to human tissue that is subject to displacement during a respiratory cycle using ARMA modeling. It discloses using an ARMA treatment of MRI tracking data of salient features of the tissue of interest to predict the spacial position of the portion of the tissue to be treated and using this prediction to guide the application of the thermal energy. It also discloses that this technique is particularly useful when the tissue of interest undergoes elastic deformation in a respiratory cycle and high energy focused ultrasound (HIFU) is used to ablate diseased tissue such as a cancerous tumor.

Abstract: In a method and magnetic resonance system to determine a flow coding for a flow measurement with the magnetic resonance system, in order to determine the optimal flow coding, a flow pre-measurement with multiple different flow codings is conducted within a slice within a body to be examined, each of these codings allowing flow velocities to be detected with a sensitivity dependent on the respective coding. A velocity distribution of the non-slice-location-specific flow velocity values is generated from all of the results of this flow pre-measurement by a common Fourier transformation. The optimal flow coding for the flow measurement is then determined based on this velocity distribution.

Abstract: In a method to excite a magnetization in the generation of MR angiography images with the TOF technique, a slice plane is determined in which the magnetization for the generation of the MR angiography images should be excited, a position of a vessel in the slice plane is determined, and the magnetization is excited in the slice plane such that the magnetization in the vessel has a flip angle gradient in the direction of the vessel.

Abstract: The present invention in one aspect relates to a method for surgical margin evaluation of tissues during breast conserving therapy at a surgical site of interest. In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of acquiring a plurality of spatially offset Raman spectra from the surgical site of interest, identifying tissue signatures from the plurality of spatially offset Raman spectra, and determining surgical margins of the surgical site from the identified tissue signatures.

Abstract: Provided among other things is a thermal noise imaging device with (a) thermal noise source; (b) amplifier of thermal noise; (c) antennas adapted to transmit the amplified noise to a perfused body and receive perfused body noise; (d) reference circuit adapted to receive the amplified thermal noise and produce a reference signal; (e) perfused body docking interface adapted to interface with one or more surfaces of the perfused body and (i) support a reflection set of one or more antennas in close proximity with a surface of the perfused body or (ii) support separate transmission sets of one or more antennas on opposing surfaces of the perfused body; and (f) analytical module for the perfused body noise and the reference signal and determining a reflected power from the reflection set or a transmitted power from the transmission sets.

Abstract: The invention facilitates transport of an immobilized, anesthetized small animal across multiple single-modality or multiple-modality imaging workstations at the same or different physical locations without loss of subject positional information. The animal holder is compatible with preclinical animal imaging stations such as micro-CT, micro-MR, micro-PET, micro-SPECT, and FMT. The animal holder is configured to be accommodated by (for example, fit within) individual imaging chambers of such instruments and is fabricated from materials that are compliant with all of the imaging modalities used. In certain embodiments, an integrated set of fiducial marker wells accommodates the dispensing of markers that are picked up by several modalities simultaneously in multiple planes. The fiducial markers then are aligned in standard image processing or image analysis software with simple image translation and rotation operations, without the need for more advanced scaling, distortion or other operations.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for radially compressing bodily tissue and performing medical procedures from a selected one of a plurality of circumferential positions and angles, a selected one of a plurality of different elevations and elevational angles. Some embodiments include a tissue-compression fixture having members that are configured to be moved to radially compress bodily tissue such that each of a plurality of areas of biological tissue are exposed between the plurality of members, and wherein the fixture is compatible with use in an MRI machine in operation; an actuator having a receiver for a medical-procedure probe; and a computer system operatively coupled to the actuator to move the probe. The computer receives user commands, and based on the commands, moves the actuator to a selected one of a plurality of different positions around the tissue-compression fixture and then extends the probe into the patient.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for designing and fabricating a pantomesh. The pantomesh includes a plurality of pantomesh elements each including a pairs of links connected to one another by a revolute joint at points between their ends. Each of a plurality of the pantomesh elements is connected using spherical joints to a plurality of neighboring pantomesh elements, wherein a first line that extends along one side of a first pantomesh element forms a first variable angle with a second line that extends along an opposite side of the first pantomesh element. In some embodiments, at least some of the pantomesh elements of the pantomesh are not isosceles trapezoidal elements. In some embodiments, the pantomesh is used to compress breast tissue during an MRI procedure. In some embodiments, the pantomesh is connected to one or more actuators that facilitate remote control of the amount of compression provided.

Abstract: Investigation of in vivo models of disease requires imaging studies involving single subjects in single imaging sessions, serial imaging of individuals or groups of subjects, and integration of data across diverse and heterogeneous experimental methodologies. Each type of experiment is preferably supported by various feature sets that can be rigorously applied to produce quantitative, reproducible results. Current imaging scanners are not equipped with standardized capability that supports an automated and scientifically rigorous workflow suited to hypothesis testing. An imaging system includes a research workstation at which a user can design, execute, study, and report imaging plans. Flexibility that comes along with a modular design of the system allows the user to customize workflow parameters for more robust hypothesis testing.