Abstract: In a special mode for imaging an oxygen saturation level of blood, an internal body portion is imaged under irradiation with special illumination light. A light amount evaluation section judges based on an obtained image whether or not a reflected light amount of the special illumination light is adequate for calculating the oxygen saturation level. When the reflected light amount is judged to be adequate, a normal image sensor captures an image under irradiation with the special illumination light. When the reflected light amount is judged to be low, a high-sensitivity image sensor is used. In using the high-sensitivity image sensor, a binning process is applied to an image signal in accordance with the reflected light amount of the special illumination light, in order to further sensitize the image signal.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for tracking the position of one or more connected rigid bodies using markers attached to the rigid bodies by laterally compliant connectors. Systems based on this method are comprised of laterally compliant connectors, a position tracking system and a data processing algorithm to determine the positions and orientations of the rigid bodies. Variations in the methods of attachment of the laterally compliant connectors, the means by which lateral compliance in the connector is produced, and in the layout of the markers are presented.

Abstract: An image guided navigation system for navigating a region of a patient which is gated using ECG signals to confirm diastole. The navigation system includes an imaging device, a tracking device, a controller, and a display. The imaging device generates images of the region of a patient. The tracking device tracks the location of the instrument in a region of the patient. The controller superimposes an icon representative of the instrument onto the images generated from the imaging device based upon the location of the instrument. The display displays the image with the superimposed instrument. The images and a registration process may be synchronized to a physiological event.

Abstract: An endorectal coil (1) includes a tube (40), a spreader (44), and one or more electrically conductive elements (64). The tube (40) is configured for insertion into the rectum (42). The spreader (44) is configured to be positioned at a distal end of the tube (40) and mechanically spread to compress surrounding tissue after the tube (40) is inserted. The one or more electrically conductive elements (64) are tuned to receive magnetic resonance data disposed on at least one of the tube (40), the spreader (44), and adjacent the tube and spreader.

Abstract: A compact, on-airway, respiratory gas analyzer for performing pulmonary function tests incorporates an IR spectroscopy light guide having a curved, rather than linear, sample chamber that lies transverse to a direction of respiratory gas flow. Cooperating with the sample chamber is an impact plate that functions to steer respiratory and test gases impinging on the impact plate into the curved sample chamber. A source of IR energy is at one end of the sample chamber and an electro-optical sensor responsive to IR energy is disposed at an opposite end of the chamber. The respiratory gas analyzer also includes gas flow paths and valving for carrying out lung capacity and lung diffusion tests.

Abstract: An apparatus (500, 600) comprising an ultrasound transducer element (300) for generating an ultrasonic beam (302) through a target zone (308, 538). The ultrasonic beam has an ultrasound frequency. The apparatus comprises a magnetic resonance system (502) with a resonant frequency modulator (542, 544, 516) for modulating a magnetic resonance frequency relative to a magnetic resonance of molecules in the target zone at the ultrasound frequency. Instructions cause a processor to repeatedly generate (100, 204) first gradient commands (562) which cause a magnetic field gradient coil to generate a first gradient magnetic field (710, 810) through the target zone. The gradient magnetic field has field lines directed in a first direction (304). The processor repeatedly modulates (102, 206) the magnetic resonance frequency at the ultrasound frequency, generates (104, 208) ultrasound commands (566), acquires (106, 210) magnetic resonance data from the target zone, and generates (108, 212) second gradient commands (564).

Abstract: The wound assessing method and system provide a convenient, quantitative mechanism for diabetic foot ulcer assessment.

Abstract: A compact, on-airway, respiratory gas analyzer for performing pulmonary function tests incorporates an IR spectroscopy light guide having a curved, rather than linear, sample chamber that lies transverse to a direction of respiratory gas flow. Cooperating with the sample chamber is an impact plate that functions to steer respiratory and test gases impinging on the impact plate into the curved sample chamber. A source of IR energy is at one end of the sample chamber and an electro-optical sensor responsive to IR energy is disposed at an opposite end of the chamber. The respiratory gas analyzer also includes gas flow paths and valving for carrying out lung capacity and lung diffusion tests.

Abstract: A method for automatically determining the 3D position and orientation of a radio-opaque medical object in a living body using single-plane fluoroscopy comprising capturing a stream of digitized 2D images from a single-plane fluoroscope (10), detecting the image of the medical object in a subset of the digital 2D images, applying pixel-level geometric calculations to measure the medical-object image, applying conical projection and radial elongation corrections (31) to the image measurements, and calculating the 3D position and orientation of the medical object from the corrected 2D image measurements.

Abstract: A method for high spatial and temporal resolution dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging using a random subsampled Cartesian k-space using a Poisson-disk random pattern acquisition strategy and a compressed sensing reconstruction algorithm incorporating magnitude image subtraction is presented. One reconstruction uses a split-Bregman minimization of the sum of the L1 norm of the pixel-wise magnitude difference between two successive temporal frames, a fidelity term and a total variation (TV) sparsity term.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for deactivating renal nerves extending along a renal artery of a mammalian subject to treat hypertension and related conditions. An ultrasonic transducer (30) is inserted into the renal artery (10) as, for example, by advancing the distal end of a catheter (18) bearing the transducer into the renal artery. The ultrasonic transducer emits unfocused ultrasound so as to heat tissues throughout a relatively large impact volume (11) as, for example, at least about 0.5 cm3 encompassing the renal artery to a temperature sufficient to inactivate nerve conduction but insufficient to cause rapid ablation or necrosis of the tissues. The treatment can be performed without locating or focusing on individual renal nerves.

Abstract: A system includes a handpiece configured to generate vibratory energy and a generator coupled to the handpiece. The generator includes a processing device and a memory device having encoded thereon computer-readable instructions that are executable by the processing device to perform functions including applying a first tuning signal to the handpiece. The first tuning signal has a first variable frequency within a predetermined frequency range. The functions further include detecting a first parameter and a second parameter of the ultrasonic handpiece in response to the first tuning signal, comparing the first parameter to the second parameter, and applying a second tuning signal to the ultrasonic handpiece. The second tuning signal has a second variable frequency within the predetermined frequency range.

Abstract: An artery visualization device for irradiating skin on the wrist back side with near-infrared light and forming near-infrared image of the wrist includes a placement table on which the wrist is placed, an irradiation unit including a light source emitting near-infrared light, imaging unit receiving light and forming wrist near-infrared image, the light incidents on the skin on the wrist back side and exiting from skin on the front, optical filter, and monitor. The artery visualization device includes a protrusion protruding from a placement table wrist placement surface. The protrusion compresses the back side skin on the wrist placed on the placement table from the back side, and irradiates the near-infrared light emitted from the light source to the skin on the back. The placement table includes a center placement portion and back of hand contact portion. The back of hand contact surface intersects obliquely with a wrist placement surface.

Abstract: A medical apparatus (300, 400, 500, 600) comprising a magnetic resonance imaging system (302). The medical apparatus further comprises a memory (332) storing machine readable instructions (352, 354, 356, 358, 470, 472, 474) for execution by a processor (326). Execution of the instructions causes the processor to acquire (100, 202) spectroscopic magnetic resonance data (334). Execution of the instructions further cause the processor to calculate (102, 204) a calibration thermal map (336) using the spectroscopic magnetic resonance data. Execution of the instructions further causes the processor to acquire (104, 206) baseline magnetic resonance thermometry data (338). Execution of the instructions further causes the processor to repeatedly acquire (106, 212) magnetic resonance thermometry data (340).

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for detecting the depth, flow rate, and other properties of regions of blood flow in biological tissue by illuminating the biological tissue with beams of coherent light and detecting responsively emitted light. This includes detecting lights emitted from the tissue having a plurality of respective different exposure times. The relationship between the intensity of the received light and the exposure times is determined and used to determine the depth, flow velocity, or other properties of regions of flow within the biological tissue. This can include determining a spatial and/or temporal contrast of the received light intensity. Determining the depth of a region of flow can include comparing determined properties of light received from the tissue at two different polarizations. Determining the depth of a region of flow can include comparing determined properties of light received from the tissue at two different locations.

Abstract: The embodiments relate to generating a 2D projection image of a vascular system of a body region of interest, including: (1) acquiring a 3D dataset of the body region of interest, (2) acquiring at least one 2D projection image of the body region of interest (S3), (3) generating a modified 3D dataset by eliminating vessels whose size exceeds a predetermined limit value, (4) normalizing the 2D projection image using projection data of the modified 3D dataset, (5) eliminating vessel projections in the normalized 2D projection image whose size exceeds a predetermined limit value, (6) interpolating the areas of the 2D projection image in which the vessel projections have been eliminated, and (7) denormalizing the normalized and interpolated 2D projection image using projection data of the modified 3D dataset.

Abstract: Provided are a photoacoustic probe and photoacoustic diagnostic apparatus. The photoacoustic probe includes a light irradiation unit for irradiating first light that is used for photoacoustic imaging on an object and an indicator for providing information about whether the first light is irradiated by using the first light.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system, a method for ultrasound imaging and a non-transitory computer readable medium that stores instructions executable by one or more processors to perform the method for ultrasound imaging are presented. The method includes convolving one or more base ultrasound pulses corresponding to a particular frequency with a desired code to generate an extended excitation wave. Further, the extended excitation wave is transmitted to a broadband ultrasound transducer to be transmitted towards the target. Subsequently, echo signals reflected back from the target in response to the extended excitation wave are received and de-convolved. One or more ultrasound images of the target corresponding to multiple frequencies are generated based on the de-convolved echo signals.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging sequence is defined by an imaging protocol and parameter values for a set of parameters of the imaging protocol. A contrast signal score is computed for the magnetic resonance imaging sequence respective to a contrast type to be scored using a scoring equation. A contrast type is determined for the magnetic resonance imaging sequence based on the computed contrast signal score. In one approach, the computing is repeated for a plurality of different contrast types to be scored, and the determining is based on the computed contrast signal scores.

Abstract: A photoelectric type pulse signal measuring method includes, obtaining a main-path light signal transmitted by a photoelectric transmitter and reflected back from a surface of skin having an artery underneath, obtaining at least one auxiliary-path light signal receiving an ambient light signal, and based on the at least one auxiliary-path light signal, adaptively filtering an ambient light interference from the main-path light signal and obtaining an adaptive filtration result; or obtaining at least one auxiliary-path light signal transmitted by the same photoelectric transmitter and reflected back from a surface of skin without any artery underneath, and based on the auxiliary-path light signal, adaptively filtering a motion interference from the main-path light signal; then extracting a pulse signal from the adaptive filtration result. The present invention can simply and effectively eliminate the ambient light interference or motion interference upon photoelectric pulse signal measurement.