Patents Examined by Tse Chen
  • Patent number: 9380997
    Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnosis device wherein, in order to reliably stop the movement of a display unit by a simple mechanism during transportation of the device, a display unit restraint mechanism is provided with: a fixed portion which has a receiving groove for receiving a handle main unit provided on the display unit; and a rotation portion which moves rotationally in relation to the fixed portion. When the rotation portion is rotated with the handle main unit received in the receiving groove, the upper side of the handle main unit becomes covered with a cover portion. In this state, a hook member protrudes outward from the rotation portion and is engaged with an upper end portion to serve as a strut.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: HITACHI ALOKA MEDICAL, LTD.
    Inventor: Shinji Nakajima
  • Patent number: 9380968
    Abstract: A light absorption coefficient distribution estimation device includes a detection section and a light absorption coefficient distribution estimation section. The detection section detects the received light intensity of scattered light from a subject at a plurality of light-receiving positions that differ in distance from an irradiation position at which measurement light is applied to the subject. The light absorption coefficient distribution estimation section estimates the light absorption coefficient distribution of the subject using the received light intensity, a propagation optical path length model that specifies a propagation optical path length on a basis of the distance, and a first model that specifies the received light intensity on a basis of the distance when absorption of light is at a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Nishida, Koichi Shimizu, Yuji Kato
  • Patent number: 9380993
    Abstract: A transmit/receive isolation for an ultrasound system to block a high voltage transmit signal from being propagated to a receiving unit during a transmission period of an ultrasound signal is disclosed. An ultrasound system includes a switching unit coupled to a transmitting unit, a ultrasound probe and a receiving unit. The switching unit includes diode bridges and a switching module having pairs of switches connected to the respective diode bridges, wherein each pair of switches is configured to perform switching between a plus voltage and a minus voltage to forward-bias a corresponding diode bridge to allow a respective receive signal to be propagated to the receiving unit in a first state and to reverse-bias the corresponding diode bridge to block a respective transmit signal to be propagated to the receiving unit in a second state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: SAMSUNG MEDISON CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hong Gyo Lee
  • Patent number: 9375187
    Abstract: A patient table mounts to a patient imaging apparatus support base. When attached to first and second support ends of an imaging apparatus, the patient table has a generally planar patient support adapted for spanning the imaging apparatus field of view (FOV), and is analogous to a beam spanning the FOV. The beam-like patient support has sufficient rigidity for supporting and imaging a patient placed thereupon without any additional external support columns affixed to the imaging room floor, as was utilized in previously existing imaging apparatus. Elimination of external patient table supports reduces imaging apparatus installation complexity and costs, frees up floor space, and facilitates easier patient transfer to the imaging apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
    Inventor: Bradley Etters
  • Patent number: 9370307
    Abstract: A subject information acquisition device includes a first holding member that holds a subject of a patient, a first probe that detects an acoustic wave having propagated through the first holding member and that performs a scanning operation, a first holding-member support located on a patient side from a scanning range of the first probe and that reduces bending of the first holding member, and a second probe located on the patient side from the scanning range of the first probe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshiko Wada, Masakazu Toi, Toshiyuki Kitai
  • Patent number: 9370323
    Abstract: A concentration determination apparatus may include: an irradiation unit that irradiates short-pulsed light to an observed object; a light receiving unit that receives light backscattered from the observed object; a light intensity acquisition unit that acquires an intensity distribution of the light; an optical path length distribution storage unit that stores a model of an optical path length distribution in each layer of the plurality of layers of the short-pulsed light; an optical path length acquisition unit that acquires the optical path length distribution of each layer; a time-resolved waveform storage unit that stores a model of a time-resolved waveform; a light intensity model acquisition unit that acquires a light intensity model; an integral interval calculation unit that calculates a time range of an area; an optical absorption coefficient calculation and acquisition unit that calculates and acquires an optical absorption coefficient; and a concentration calculation unit that calculates the conce
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignees: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION HOKKAIDO UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Amano, Koichi Shimizu
  • Patent number: 9370321
    Abstract: Embodiments provided here generally relate to combinations of ultrasound aspects and antibodies. In some embodiments, antibodies are immobilized on a surface and binding of the antibodies to antigens can be detected by detecting changes in the vibrational properties of the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: EMPIRE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT LLC
    Inventors: Deniz Ozdil, Michael Keoni Manion, George Charles Peppou
  • Patent number: 9370326
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present disclosure seeks to select characteristics of incoming intensity data that cause comparisons of selected characteristics to produce defined probe off space having reduced crossover with defined probe on space. Once defined, the present disclosure compares characteristics of incoming intensity data with the now defined probe off space, and in some embodiments, defined probe on space, to determine whether a probe off condition exists. When a processor determines a probe off condition exists, the processor may output or trigger an output signal that audibly and/or visually indicates to a user that the optical sensor should be adjusted for a proper application to a measurement site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: MASIMO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryan Timothy McHale, Walter M. Weber
  • Patent number: 9351649
    Abstract: What is disclosed is a system and method for determining a subject of interest's arterial pulse transit time from time-varying source signals generated from video images. In one embodiment, a video imaging system is used to capture a time-varying source signal of a proximal and distal region of a subject of interest. The image frames are processed to isolate localized areas of a proximal and distal region of exposed skin of the subject. A time-series signal for each of the proximal and distal regions is extracted from the source video images. A phase angle is computed with respect to frequency for each of the time-series signals to produce respective phase v/s frequency curves for each region. Slopes within a selected cardiac frequency range are extracted from each of the phase curves and a difference is computed between the two slopes to obtain an arterial pulse transit time for the subject.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Lalit Keshav Mestha, Survi Kyal
  • Patent number: 9351706
    Abstract: Ultrasound devices and methods are described, including a repeatable ultrasound transducer probe having ultrasonic transducers and corresponding circuitry. The repeatable ultrasound transducer probe may be used individually or coupled with other instances of the repeatable ultrasound transducer probe to create a desired ultrasound device. The ultrasound devices may optionally be connected to various types of external devices to provide additional processing and image rendering functionality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Butterfly Network, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan M. Rothberg, Keith G. Fife, Nevada J. Sanchez, Tyler S. Ralston, Gregory L. Charvat, Gregory Corteville
  • Patent number: 9354300
    Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes a region-of-interest setting unit for setting a region of interest in a given region of a B mode image, a controller for controlling a transmission circuit and a reception circuit to transmit ultrasonic beams composed of fundamental waves having a first frequency with forming transmission focuses at a plurality of points set in and near the region of interest and receive ultrasonic echoes having a second frequency, which is a harmonic component of the fundamental waves, thereby to obtain reception data for measuring a sound speed, and a sound speed calculator for calculating ambient sound speeds at the points based on the obtained reception data for measuring a sound speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Yukiya Miyachi
  • Patent number: 9345420
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to an embodiment is a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus that performs a contrast medium imaging, comprising a time management part that measures and manages a lapse time after injection of a contrast medium, a setting part that sets a start time of a second-half imaging in the form of a lapse time after injection of contrast medium, the second-half imaging being performed a predetermined idle time after a first-half imaging and the first-half imaging being performed after injection of the contrast medium, and a display part that displays at least the lapse time measured by the time management part and the start time set by the setting part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinichi Kitane, Isao Tatebayashi
  • Patent number: 9333377
    Abstract: Described is an applicator for RF, ultrasound, and light skin treatment. The applicator allows a protrusion of skin to be formed within a cavity and maintained for a desired time, enables good coupling of the treatment energy with the skin and avoids negative pressure adversely affecting the skin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: SYNERON MEDICAL LTD
    Inventor: Avner Rosenberg
  • Patent number: 9332886
    Abstract: A fiducial deployment system may include one or more of a needle including a dimpled retention structure configured to releasably retain a plurality of fiducials, each of which includes a central aperture (which may be embodied as a groove or similar opening); a retention/deployment stylet that traverses through each fiducial's central aperture and releasably engages a distalmost fiducial of the plurality of fiducials with a splayed distal stylet end; a pusher cannula member; and echogenic dimpling and/or other echogenic-enhancing features on at least a distal portion of the needle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Cook Medical Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Michael S. Clancy, John Neilan
  • Patent number: 9332926
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) probe includes a coil section having an imaging coil, and a handle section connected to the coil section. The handle section has a phase shifter circuit with inductors, capacitors, and coax line electrically connected and is configured to provide appropriate phase shift. The handle section further has a coaxial cable winding electrically connected to the imaging coil, and wound cylindrically, and has a slot therethrough between the ends of the cylindrical winding. The handle section further has a pre-amp circuit mounted on a substrate and electrically connected to the cylindrical coax winding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Invivo Corporation
    Inventors: Axel Krieger, Daniel Wayers, Kenneth Bradshaw, Stephen Abellera, Christine Iris Elliott, Cameron Piron, Chris Luglnbuhl, Alex Wang
  • Patent number: 9326731
    Abstract: A method of measuring an artifact removed photoplethysmographic (PPG) signal and a measurement system for measuring an artifact removed photoplethysmographic (PPG) signal are provided. The method comprises obtaining a first set of PPG signals from a plurality of detectors at respective measurement sites using a first illumination; obtaining a second set of PPG signals from the plurality of detectors using a second illumination; obtaining at least two pairs of PPG signals, each pair comprising one PPG signal from the first set and one PPG signal from the second set, and for each pair, computing an artifact reference signal to obtain a candidate PPG signal; and choosing one of the candidate PPG signals as the artifact removed PPG signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: NITTO DENKO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nyan Myo Naing, Md Irwan Bin Md Kassim, Mohamad Sulhede Bin Samsudin, Visit Thaveeprungsriporn
  • Patent number: 9320496
    Abstract: Volumetric quantification is provided in medical diagnostic ultrasound. By acquiring both B-mode and color flow data without stitching or acquiring in real-time at tens of volumes a second, more reliable quantification may be provided. Using multiple regions of interest in a volume may allow for more accurate and/or complete flow information, such as averaging flow from different locations in the same structure (e.g., use preservation of mass to acquire multiple measures of the same flow).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Saurabh Datta, Seshadri Srinivasan, Christophe Duong
  • Patent number: 9320454
    Abstract: In a magnetic resonance (MR) method and system to generate a series of MR images to monitor the position of an interventional device located in an examination region, radial scanning of k-space is combined with other scans, in particular for the k-space center. The measurement time until the entirety of k-space corresponding to the imaging region is scanned is thereby markedly shortened in total. The short echo times that are possible with this reduce susceptibility artifacts in the reconstructed image data and enable a depiction of tissue or substances with very short T2 values, for example plastics. Due to the rapidly repeated excitation and acquisition of measurement data and the reconstruction of image data, it is possible to monitor a position of the intervention device in the examination region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: David Grodzki, Bjoern Heismann, Sebastian Schmidt
  • Patent number: 9314222
    Abstract: A method of operating a remote medical navigation system using ultrasound, employs ultrasound imaging from a medical device to supplement or to replace conventional x-ray imaging of the operating region during navigation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: STEREOTAXIS, INC.
    Inventors: Francis M. Creighton, IV, Rogers C. Ritter, Raju R. Viswanathan, Nathan Kastelein, Jeffrey M. Garibaldi, William Flickinger
  • Patent number: 9307984
    Abstract: A tissue clip for adjoining tissues including a body portion, a biasing mechanism interconnecting the body portion to a tissue grasping mechanism, the grasping mechanism having a first condition wherein the grasping mechanism is extending against and away from the body portion and a second condition wherein the grasping mechanism is biased against the body portion. A tissue clip and deployer combination. A method of interconnecting tissue by deploying the tissue clip, puncturing tissue to be interconnected with the tissue clip, and interconnecting the tissue. A method of treating an aneurism by deploying the tissue clip at an aneurism site, closing off the aneurism site with the tissue clip, and treating the aneurism. A method of imaging a surgical procedure with ultrasound by modifying a surface of a metal surgical instrument, and imaging the metal surgical instrument with ultrasound during a surgical procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: Children's Medical Center Corporation
    Inventors: Pedro J. del Nido, Nikolay Vasilyev, Franz Freudenthal