Abstract: A histotripsy therapy system configured for the treatment of tissue is provided, which may include any number of features. Provided herein are systems and methods that provide efficacious non-invasive and minimally invasive therapeutic, diagnostic and research procedures. In particular, provided herein are optimized systems and methods that provide targeted, efficacious histotripsy in a variety of different regions and under a variety of different conditions without causing undesired tissue damage to intervening/non-target tissues or structures.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for transvascular ablation of target tissue. The devices and methods may, in some examples, be used for splanchnic nerve ablation to increase splanchnic venous blood capacitance to treat at least one of heart failure and hypertension. For example, the devices disclosed herein may be advanced endovascularly to a target vessel in the region of a thoracic splanchnic nerve (TSN), such as a greater splanchnic nerve (GSN) or a TSN nerve root. Also disclosed are methods of treating heart failure, such as HFpEF, by endovascularly ablating a thoracic splanchnic nerve to increase venous capacitance and reduce pulmonary blood pressure.

Abstract: An endoscope conduit switching device includes: an attachment to be attached to an endoscope; a movable spring bearing that is movably held by the attachment and that has a rib that is cylindrical; a movable piston that has a rib receiver groove into which the rib is inserted and that is movable to be inserted into and removed from a conduit of the endoscope; and a shaft that is movably held by the movable spring bearing; a cap that is fixed to one end of the shaft; and a first coil spring configured to bias the movable spring bearing and the cap in directions away from each other, wherein a side surface of the rib of the movable spring bearing and a side surface of the rib receiver groove of the movable piston are at least partly joined with each other.

Abstract: A non-pressure continuous blood pressure measuring device, comprises: a radar sensing module, an electro-cardiac sensing module and a microprocessor. The radar sensing module includes at least a transmitter and a receiver, the transmitter continuously provides a pulse wave signal to an artery, the receiver receives a reflected pulse wave signal. The electro-cardiac sensing module includes at least an electrode; the electro-cardiac sensing module receives an electro-cardiac signal through the electrode. The microprocessor is in signal transmittable connection with the radar sensing module and the electro-cardiac sensing module. The microprocessor controls the radar sensing module and the electro-cardiac sensing module, and simultaneously receives the reflected pulse wave signal and the electro-cardiac signal. The microprocessor determines a blood pressure parameter of the artery according to the reflected pulse wave signal and the electrocardiography signal.

Abstract: An ultrasound endoscope includes an insertion part including a distal end part having an ultrasound transducer array, a cable inserted into the insertion part, and a substrate, including electrode pads connected to the ultrasound transducers, respectively, that electrically connects the ultrasound transducers and the cable, and is disposed in the distal end part. The cable has a non-coaxial cable including a first cable bundle consisting of signal wires and ground wires, a first shield layer coating the first cable bundle, and an outer coat coating a second cable bundle consisting of the non-coaxial cables. Each first cable bundle is individually led out from the cable, and each signal wire is electrically connected to the corresponding electrode pad. The ultrasound transducers are configured in drive units and driven simultaneously. A signal wire group includes at least two kinds of signal wires different in length from a distal end of the first cable bundle.

Abstract: Multi-mode capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducer (CMUT) and associated devices systems, and methods are provided. In an embodiment, an intravascular device includes a flexible elongate member having a proximal portion, a distal portion, and a first sensor assembly disposed at the distal portion of the flexible elongate member. The first sensor assembly comprising comprises a first array of capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs). The first sensor assembly comprises at least two of a pressure sensor, a flow sensor, or an imaging sensor. In some embodiments, the intravascular device further includes a second sensor assembly comprising a second array of CMUTs.

Abstract: A control unit cyclically sets a first transmission/reception condition for a close range and a second transmission/reception condition for a long range. A synthesizing unit generates an added frame sequence and an edge-enhanced frame sequence from a reception frame sequence, and generates a synthesized frame sequence from the added frame sequence and the edge-enhanced frame sequence. The first transmission/reception condition includes a first transmission frequency and a first transmission depth of focus. The second transmission/reception condition includes a second transmission frequency that is lower than the first transmission frequency and a second transmission depth of focus that is greater than the first transmission depth of focus.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a handle, a catheter, extending distally from the handle, an end effector extending distally from the catheter, a deflection assembly, and a load limiting assembly. The deflection assembly is configured to deflect the end effector away from a longitudinal axis of the catheter. The deflection assembly includes an input member and a translating assembly. The input member is configured to drive the translating assembly to deflect the end effector away from the longitudinal axis. The load limiting assembly is configured to decouple the input member from the translating assembly at a predetermined load such that the input member is inhibited from driving the translating assembly when the input member is decoupled by the load limiting assembly.

Abstract: A magnetic field generator assembly is configured to be associated with a table supporting a body. The magnetic field generator comprises a plurality of magnetic field transmitters, each comprising interlacing layers of conductive material, configured to provide increased magnetic strength and minimal fluoroscopic occlusion. The interlacing layers of conductive material can be arranged in rectangular spiral formations.

Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging method and an ultrasonic imaging system are provided herein. The ultrasonic imaging system includes: a scanning assembly having an ultrasonic transducer to send ultrasonic signals to a tissue to be scanned and acquire a plurality of ultrasonic echo signals at a plurality of positions; a processor to receive the plurality of ultrasonic echo signals acquired at the plurality of positions, and generate an ultrasonic image corresponding to each of the plurality of positions; a display to display the ultrasonic images; and a user input unit to select the ultrasonic image corresponding to any specific position and send an input signal that is configured to control movement of the ultrasonic transducer, driven by a driving device, to the specific position. Also provided in the present invention is an ultrasonic imaging method using the system.

Abstract: Preferred embodiments of the present invention provide an apparatus and method for providing dementia diagnosis assistance information. In the present invention, an MRI brain image and a PET brain image of a subject for diagnosis are received, the MRI brain image is divided into a plurality of regions and registered with the PET brain image. Then, a standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) of each divided region is obtained from the registered image, and for each divided region, a standard value indicating the degree of proximity of a SUVR of the subject to the average value of the SUVR of Alzheimer's group and the average value of the SUVR of the normal group is obtained. Then, the standard value of the SUVR of the subject is displayed together with the average value and the range of the standard deviation of each control group for each of the divided regions as a graph.

Abstract: Embodiments provide an ultrasound treatment system. In some embodiments, the system includes a removable transducer module having an ultrasound transducer. In some embodiments, the system can include a hand wand and a control module that is coupled to the hand wand and has a graphical user interface for controlling the removable transducer module, and an interface coupling the hand wand to the control module. The interface may provide power to the hand wand or may transfer a signal from the hand wand to the control module. In some embodiments, the treatment system may be used in cosmetic procedures on at least a portion of a face, head, neck, and/or other part of a patient.

Abstract: A method for quantifying viscoelasticity of a medium includes: obtaining a position-time graph of vibration propagation after the medium is subjected to a vibration excitation, determining an angle with maximum signal energy in the position-time graph by using angle projection, where the angle with the maximum signal energy corresponds to a slope of the position-time graph and the slope of the position-time graph is the propagation velocity of the vibration in the medium. Since the propagation velocity of the vibration in the medium is related to the viscoelasticity of the medium, a viscoelasticity parameter of the medium can be quantitatively calculated after the slope of the position-time graph is obtained. The method does not need to select a feature point from the position-time graph to calculate the slope of the position-time graph, and can efficiently and accurately quantifies viscoelasticity of the medium.

Abstract: Various methods and systems are provided for a deployable invasive device. In one example, the deployable invasive device has a transducer with a plurality of transducer arrays linked by at least one shape memory material, the at least one shape memory material configured to transition the transducer between a first, folded shape and a second, unfolded shape in response to one or more stimuli. When in the second, unfolded shape, an active area of the transducer is increased relative to the first, folded shape.

Abstract: A method of mapping includes receiving inputs measured by a probe at respective locations inside a body cavity of a subject. At each of the respective locations, a respective contact quality between the probe and a tissue in the body cavity is measured. The inputs for which the respective contact quality is outside a defined range are rejected, and a map of the body cavity is created using the inputs that are not rejected.

Abstract: A system and method for tracking completeness of co-registered medical image data is disclosed herein. The system and method tracks the position of an anatomical reference marker positionable on a patient and an ultrasound probe during an imaging session and co-registers medical images based on positional data received from the anatomical reference marker and the ultrasound probe. Using the co-registered image data, the system and method generates a surface contour of a region of interest (ROI) of the patient, such as a breast. The surface contour is defined to represent an interface between a chest wall structure and tissue of the ROI in a plurality of co-registered medical images. A completeness map of the image data within the defined surface contour during the imaging session is generated and overlaid on a graphic representation of the ROI.

Abstract: A surgical instrument system (1) for treatment of an anatomical structure (3, 5) comprises an instrument (8) and/or a patient specific instrument (2, 4) for performing the treatment on the anatomical structure. The instrument (8) and/or the patient specific instrument (2, 4) comprises an integrated measurement system (20, 40, 80) for tracking the instrument (8) and/or the patient specific instrument (2, 4) relative to the anatomical structure (3, 5), whereby the integrated measurement system comprises a tracking system (6, 10), which comprises a shadow imaging tracking system.

Abstract: The present invention provides a carotid blood pressure detection device, comprising: a first sensing unit, a second sensing unit, and a controller connected or coupled to the first sensing unit and the second sensing unit. The first sensing unit is disposed on a subject's neck and adjacent to a first position of the subject's carotid arteries. The second sensing unit is disposed on the subject's neck and adjacent to a second position of the subject's carotid arteries. The controller derives a mean arterial pressure of a section of the subject's carotid arteries that lies between the first position and the second position of the subject's carotid arteries from pulse wave data measured and obtained by the first sensing unit and pulse wave data measured and obtained by the second sensing unit.

Abstract: Methods for quantifying fluorescence and optical properties in a turbid medium such as tissue. Devices and systems suitable for the methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention makes it possible to provide a radiation therapy system capable of not only inhibiting treatment time from increasing more effectively than before but also reducing the loads of fluoroscopic radiation photographing apparatuses.