Patents by Inventor Aaron Fenster

Aaron Fenster has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20230346345
    Abstract: A whole breast 3D ultrasound imaging system involves a wearable adapter subassembly, a compression plate subassembly releasably mountable on the wearable adapter subassembly and a motor plate subassembly releasably mountable on the compression plate subassembly so that the compression plate subassembly is between the wearable adapter subassembly and the motor plate subassembly. The wearable adapter subassembly acts as a dam to contain ultrasound fluid around a subject’s breast. The compression plate subassembly has an ultrasound compression plate in a frame, whereby the ultrasound compression plate is height adjustable. The motor plate subassembly has an ultrasound transducer and an actuator operatively coupled to the ultrasound transducer to translate the ultrasound transducer in a plane parallel to the ultrasound compression plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2023
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Inventor: Aaron FENSTER
  • Publication number: 20220287677
    Abstract: An actuator for moving an ultrasound transducer has a main body configured to be positioned adjacent to a target region of interest to be examined; and, a motor mounted on the main body. The motor is configured to have an ultrasound transducer connected thereto to simultaneously translate and rotate the ultrasound transducer to perform a compound scan of the target region of interest when the ultrasound transducer is connected to the motor. An ultrasound device has an ultrasound transducer movably mounted on the actuator. The actuator requires only single motor to effect both translation and rotation of the transducer thereby simplifying operation and providing a more compact device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2022
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Applicant: Centre for Imaging Technology Commercialization (CIMTEC)
    Inventors: Aaron FENSTER, Kevin BARKER
  • Patent number: 11426198
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided for assisting breast biopsy. The apparatus includes a biopsy guide, a support system that effects three-dimensional movement of the biopsy guide and a system for registering coordinates of a remote center of motion (RCM) of the biopsy guide with a coordinate system on an image of a breast obtained from a parallel plate radiology imager. The biopsy guide has a mounting plate and a needle gun mount and ultrasound transducer mount on the mounting plate in a common plane. A biopsy needle of a needle gun mounted on the needle gun mount and an image plane of an ultrasound transducer mounted on the ultrasound transducer mount have longitudinal axes in or parallel to the common plane, which intersect at the RCM. The position of the RCM with respect to the biopsy guide is unchanged when the needle gun and/or ultrasound transducer moves on the biopsy guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Inventor: Aaron Fenster
  • Publication number: 20210270411
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a resilient member aided counterbalancing and stabilizing device that includes a quick release mechanism, which in preferred embodiments is used to aid in the precise positioning of a stabilizer which in turn supports a load (e.g., a medical device). The quick release assembly preferably includes a central housing containing at least one ball joint(s) which is preferably connected to the counterbalancing linkage that supports the load. To unlock the mechanism, the user preferably squeezes a trigger mechanism which directly loosens the locks responsible for holding the load in place.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2020
    Publication date: September 2, 2021
    Inventor: Aaron FENSTER
  • Publication number: 20210000499
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided for assisting breast biopsy. The apparatus includes a biopsy guide, a support system that effects three-dimensional movement of the biopsy guide and a system for registering coordinates of a remote center of motion (RCM) of the biopsy guide with a coordinate system on an image of a breast obtained from a parallel plate radiology imager. The biopsy guide has a mounting plate and a needle gun mount and ultrasound transducer mount on the mounting plate in a common plane. A biopsy needle of a needle gun mounted on the needle gun mount and an image plane of an ultrasound transducer mounted on the ultrasound transducer mount have longitudinal axes in or parallel to the common plane, which intersect at the RCM. The position of the RCM with respect to the biopsy guide is unchanged when the needle gun and/or ultrasound transducer moves on the biopsy guide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2020
    Publication date: January 7, 2021
    Inventor: Aaron FENSTER
  • Publication number: 20200367845
    Abstract: According to an example aspect is an imaging system for tomographic imaging of a body portion of a patient after administration of a radiopharmaceutical, the system comprising: a surface for supporting the body portion of the patient. The system further comprises a detector assembly positioned proximate the body portion. The detector assembly comprises at least one solid-state detecting unit, which itself comprises a nuclear detector and a collimator defining a solid collection angle. The system further comprises a processor for receiving collected data from the detector assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2018
    Publication date: November 26, 2020
    Inventors: Alex DOLGONOS, Karen SAFARYAN, Aaron FENSTER
  • Patent number: 10837597
    Abstract: Disclosed is a counterbalance apparatus, and a method for counterbalancing using an apparatus, having a center of motion that is internal or external to the apparatus. The apparatus and method are adapted to support a payload, having a load vector applied in a direction of the vector or gravity, that is positioned distal to the center of motion. The apparatus includes a gimbal adapted to support the payload and allow for its rotational movement about the center of motion generating a load torque therefrom, and a resilient member adapted to engage the gimbal and supply a support torque to counterbalance the load torque. The method includes a step of supporting the payload with a gimbal adapted to allow rotational movement of the payload about the center of motion to generate a load torque therefrom, and a step of configuring a resilient member to engage the gimbal and supply a support torque to counterbalance the load torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Inventor: Aaron Fenster
  • Patent number: 10816132
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a resilient member aided counterbalancing and stabilizing device and method for resilient member aided counterbalancing and stabilizing loads in the direction of gravity. The device preferably includes a quick release mechanism in each design and a counterbalance assembly which in preferred embodiments is used to aid in the precise positioning of a stabilizer which in turn supports a load (e.g., a medical device). The quick release assembly in each stabilizer design preferably includes a central housing containing at least one ball joint(s) which is preferably connected to the counterbalancing linkage that supports the load. To unlock the mechanism, the user preferably squeezes a trigger mechanism which directly loosens the locks responsible for holding the load in place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Inventor: Aaron Fenster
  • Patent number: 10400944
    Abstract: Disclosed is a counterbalance system for moving a payload and a method for counterbalancing the payload. The system and method comprise a resilient member that is in communication with the payload to be moved and two resilient members that are in communication with either end of the first resilient member. An actuator is in communication with the first and third resilient members and a payload arm, attached to the payload, is in communication with the first and second resilient members. The resilient members may be compressed and relaxed during movement of the actuator and the payload arm so that energy may be transferred between the system and the payload to counterbalance the weight of the payload.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignees: Centre for Imaging Technology Commercialization, The University of Western Ontario
    Inventors: Jeffrey Bax, Christopher Waring, Aaron Fenster
  • Patent number: 10398412
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for combining two 3-dimensional ultrasound images of a patient's body part containing blood vessels into a single 3-dimensional ultrasound image of that body part with a greater field of view. Blood vessels within the body part are used for registration. The two ultrasound images are preprocessed using a vessel enhancement algorithm to derive two corresponding enhanced images. The enhanced images can undergo a registration process based upon minimizing a mean-square-difference metric to derive an enhanced rigid transform, which represents a transform that maps the first enhanced image onto the second enhanced image. The two enhanced images are seamlessly combined via a blending process (via the use of a distance transform based weighting of the voxel values) to derive an output image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignees: CENTRE FOR IMAGING TECHNOLOGY COMMERCIALIZATION
    Inventors: Eliezer Azi Ben-Lavi, Aaron Fenster
  • Publication number: 20190076115
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a resilient member aided counterbalancing and stabilizing device and method for resilient member aided counterbalancing and stabilizing loads in the direction of gravity. The device preferably includes a quick release mechanism in each design and a counterbalance assembly which in preferred embodiments is used to aid in the precise positioning of a stabilizer which in turn supports a load (e.g., a medical device). The quick release assembly in each stabilizer design preferably includes a central housing containing at least one ball joint(s) which is preferably connected to the counterbalancing linkage that supports the load. To unlock the mechanism, the user preferably squeezes a trigger mechanism which directly loosens the locks responsible for holding the load in place.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2018
    Publication date: March 14, 2019
    Inventor: Aaron Fenster
  • Patent number: 10066782
    Abstract: A counterbalance apparatus for supporting a load includes a base, a load bearing arm, a toggle linkage, and first and second resilient members for applying a force to the load bearing arm. The load bearing arm has pivot points forming a parallelogram linkage, and is adapted to support the load at a distal end. The toggle linkage can include an adjustment member positioned to define a distance relative to the attachment point. The first resilient member is adapted to apply a force to the load bearing arm and may have a first end connected to a first portion of the parallelogram linkage and a second end connected to the adjustment member. Movement of the toggle linkage to the load bearing position engages the forces of the resilient members and movement of the adjustment member varies the distance to adjust a support vector adapted to counterbalance the load vector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignees: Centre for Imaging Technology Commercialization (CIMTEC)
    Inventors: Jeffrey Bax, Dandan Shan, Christopher Waring, Aaron Fenster
  • Patent number: 10052083
    Abstract: An actuator for an ultrasound probe comprises a housing assembly configured to accommodate an ultrasound probe and to be positioned adjacent to a target region of interest to be examined, and a motor assembly coupled to the housing assembly, the motor assembly configured to move the housing assembly in a manner to allow an ultrasound probe when accommodated by the housing assembly to perform a compound scan of the target region of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN ONTARIO
    Inventors: Kevin Barker, Aaron Fenster, Hamid Neshat, Nirmal Kakani
  • Publication number: 20180161114
    Abstract: There is provided a guide apparatus for orienting a medical tool relative to and through a remote fulcrum or remote center of motion. The guide apparatus may comprise: at least one crank arm comprising at least a portion of a first hinged coupling for hinged coupling to a stabilizer; at least one link arm comprising at least a portion of a second hinged coupling for hinged coupling to the crank arm at a location spaced from the first hinged coupling; a tool holder for supporting a medical tool on the link arm at a location spaced from the first hinged coupling; wherein the rotational axes of the first and second hinged couplings intersect to define a remote fulcrum. The guide apparatus may be configured to be an open-loop spherical chain or a closed-loop spherical chain.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Publication date: June 14, 2018
    Inventors: Jeffrey Bax, Derek Cool, Lori Gardi, Aaron Fenster
  • Publication number: 20180112817
    Abstract: Disclosed is a counterbalance system for moving a payload and a method for counterbalancing the payload. The system and method comprise a resilient member that is in communication with the payload to be moved and two resilient members that are in communication with either end of the first resilient member. An actuator is in communication with the first and third resilient members and a payload arm, attached to the payload, is in communication with the first and second resilient members. The resilient members may be compressed and relaxed during movement of the actuator and the payload arm so that energy may be transferred between the system and the payload to counterbalance the weight of the payload.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Publication date: April 26, 2018
    Inventors: Jeffrey BAX, Christopher WARING, Aaron FENSTER
  • Publication number: 20180082433
    Abstract: A method for registering ultrasound (US) and computed tomography (CT) images, comprising: receiving US and CT images representative of a body portion comprising blood vessels and an initial approximate transform; enhancing the blood vessels in the US and CT images, thereby obtaining an enhanced US and CT images; creating a point-set for a given one of the enhanced US and CT images; determining a final transform between the point-set and the other one of the enhanced US and CT images using the initial transform; applying the final transform to a given one of the US and CT images to align together a coordinate system of the US image and a coordinate system of the CT image, thereby obtaining a transformed image; and outputting the transformed image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Publication date: March 22, 2018
    Inventors: Eliezer Azi Ben-Lavi, Aaron Fenster
  • Publication number: 20180058529
    Abstract: A self-locking brake mechanism, which utilises a cantilever to engage a brake drum to prevent the brake drum from rotating, thereby resulting in braking behaviour. Further, locking mechanisms are provided that are useful for applications involving multiple brakes. The locking mechanism, through suitable use of indexing via Geneva mechanisms, allows multiple brakes to be engaged and/or disengaged from a single point of adjustment. The multiple brakes may be engaged or disengaged in a variety of combinations to achieve a particular desired braking configuration. The user can turn a single knob to engage or disengage varying combinations of brakes so as to achieve the desired braking configuration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Inventors: Jeffrey BAX, Christopher WARING, Aaron FENSTER, Jeremy CEPEK
  • Publication number: 20180049721
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for combining two 3-dimensional ultrasound images of a patient's body part containing blood vessels into a single 3-dimensional ultrasound image of that body part with a greater field of view. Blood vessels within the body part are used for registration. The two ultrasound images are preprocessed using a vessel enhancement algorithm to derive two corresponding enhanced images. The enhanced images can undergo a registration process based upon minimizing a mean-square-difference metric to derive an enhanced rigid transform, which represents a transform that maps the first enhanced image onto the second enhanced image. The two enhanced images are seamlessly combined via a blending process (via the use of a distance transform based weighting of the voxel values) to derive an output image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Publication date: February 22, 2018
    Inventors: Eliezer Azi BEN-LAVI, Aaron FENSTER
  • Publication number: 20180051850
    Abstract: Disclosed is a counterbalance apparatus, and a method for counterbalancing using an apparatus, having a center of motion that is internal or external to the apparatus. The apparatus and method are adapted to support a payload, having a load vector applied in a direction of the vector or gravity, that is positioned distal to the center of motion. The apparatus includes a gimbal adapted to support the payload and allow for its rotational movement about the center of motion generating a load torque therefrom, and a resilient member adapted to engage the gimbal and supply a support torque to counterbalance the load torque. The method includes a step of supporting the payload with a gimbal adapted to allow rotational movement of the payload about the center of motion to generate a load torque therefrom, and a step of configuring a resilient member to engage the gimbal and supply a support torque to counterbalance the load torque.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Publication date: February 22, 2018
    Inventors: Jeffrey BAX, Kevin BARKER, Dandan SHAN, Christopher WARING, Aaron FENSTER
  • Publication number: 20180023758
    Abstract: A counterbalance apparatus for supporting a load includes a base, a load bearing arm, a toggle linkage, and first and second resilient members for applying a force to the load bearing arm. The load bearing arm has pivot points forming a parallelogram linkage, and is adapted to support the load at a distal end. The toggle linkage can include an adjustment member positioned to define a distance relative to the attachment point. The first resilient member is adapted to apply a force to the load bearing arm and may have a first end connected to a first portion of the parallelogram linkage and a second end connected to the adjustment member. Movement of the toggle linkage to the load bearing position engages the forces of the resilient members and movement of the adjustment member varies the distance to adjust a support vector adapted to counterbalance the load vector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2015
    Publication date: January 25, 2018
    Inventors: Jeffrey BAX, Dandan SHAN, Christopher WARING, Aaron FENSTER