Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system according to the present disclosure may include an ultrasound transducer assembly comprising a plurality of apertures that are configured to transmit signals toward and receive signals from a region of interest (ROI) of a subject, a tracking sensor disposed within the subject and configured to move within the ROI, the sensor being responsive to signals transmitted by the apertures, and at least one processor in communication with the ultrasound transducer assembly and the tracking sensor.

Abstract: An instrument for internal mapping includes a flexible elongated portion (702) and an expandable portion (710) coupled distally to the elongated portion, the expandable portion having one or more expandable loops. An array of sensors (706) and electrodes (708) is distributed on the expandable portion and is configured to concurrently register the instrument to real-time images of an anatomy using the sensors and measure electrical characteristics of the anatomy with the electrodes to generate an electro-physiology (EP) map having the anatomy and intensities of the electrical characteristics mapped together in the real-time images.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system (10) for providing an object (2) in a body (1), a processor (18) arranged to be used in the system (10) for providing an object (2) in a body (1), an instrument (12) for providing an object (2) into a body (1), a method for detecting a providing of an object (2) in a body (1) and a software product for detecting a providing of an object (2) in a body (1). In order to allow for a providing of an object (2) in a body (1) and a detecting hereof while avoiding the drawbacks on the known approaches, e.g. giving an opportunity for reliable localization in ultrasound images used for real-time monitoring of a medical procedure with reduced error proneness to electromagnetic interference, the invention utilizes the finding that the characteristics of a reception or transmission of an ultrasound transducer (24, 26) are influenced by the surrounding environment of the ultrasound transducer (24, 26).

Abstract: The invention relates to location determination apparatus for determining a location of a first object (2) like a catheter within a second object (3) being, for example, the heart of a person. The first object comprises a first ultrasound unit, and a second ultrasound unit (5) is located outside the second object. A location determination unit determines the location of the first object within the second object based on ultrasound signals transmitted 5 between the first ultrasound unit and the second ultrasound unit. This allows determining the location of the first object within the second object reliably in a way which is an alternative to using a transmission of electrical signals for determining the location and which may lead to an improved accuracy of determining the location.

Abstract: An interventional system employing an interventional tool (20) having a tracking point, and an imaging system (30) operable for generating at least one image of at least a portion of the interventional tool (20) relative to an anatomical region of a body. The system further employs a tracking system (40) operable for tracking any movements of the interventional tool (20) and the imaging system (30) within a spatial reference frame relative to the anatomical region of the body, wherein the tracking system (40) is calibrated to the interventional tool (20) and the imaging system (30) and a tracking quality monitor (52) operable for monitoring a tracking quality of the tracking system (40) as a function of a calibrated location error for each image between a calibrated tracking location of the tracking point within the spatial reference frame and an image coordinate location of the tracking point in the image.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an ultrasonic imaging apparatus (20) for imaging a specular object (such as a biopsy needle) and a target anatomy in a tissue, whereby the specular object remains visible even when its location deviates from a target plane (21) including the target anatomy.

Abstract: A system employs an interventional tool (30), ultrasound imaging system and a multi-planar reformatting module (40). The interventional tool (30) has one or more image tracking points (31). The ultrasound imaging system includes an ultrasound probe (20) operable for generating an ultrasound volume image (22) of a portion or an entirety of the interventional tool (30) within an anatomical region. The multi-planar reformatting imaging module (40) generates two or more multi- planar reformatting images (41) of the interventional tool (30) within the anatomical region. A generation of the two multi-planar reformatting images (41) includes an identification of each image tracking point (31) within the ultrasound volume image (22), and a utilization of each identified image tracking point (31) as an origin of the multi-planar reformatting images (41).

Abstract: An adaptor device includes a first connector (106) configured to interface with an ultrasound probe and a second connector (108) configured to interface with an ultrasound console. An array of lines (120) connects the first connector to the second connector. A pulse generator or generators (110, 112) are configured to output trigger signals responsive to a signal on one or more of the array of lines. An external output (114, 116) is configured to output the trigger signals.

Abstract: An interventional instrument (30) having ultrasound sensors (S1, S2, S3, S4, . . . ) is tracked using an ultrasound imaging device (10) that acquires and displays a 2D ultrasound image of a visualization plane (18), and performs 2D ultrasound sweeps for a range of plane angles (?) obtained by rotating the ultrasound probe (12) and encompassing the visualization plane angle. For each ultrasound sensor, an optimal plane is found based on its emitted signal strength over the range of plane angles, and the ultrasound sensor is located in its optimal plane by analyzing the sensor signal as a function of the timing of the beams fired by the ultrasound probe. These locations in their respective optimal planes are transformed to a 3D reference space using a transform (42) parameterized by plane angle, and a visual indicator is displayed of spatial information (T, L) for the interventional instrument generated from the locations of the one or more ultrasound sensors in the 3D reference space.

Abstract: A radiation therapy delivery system (10) includes an ultrasound imaging unit (26), a radiation therapy delivery mechanism (12, 56, 70, 88), a plurality of fiducials (22, 90) located internal to the subject, an image fusion unit (40), and a delivery evaluation unit (38). The ultrasound imaging unit (26) includes a transducer (30) that emits ultrasonic sound waves to image in real-time an anatomic portion of a subject (16) in a first coordinate system. The radiation therapy delivery mechanism (12, 56, 70, 88) delivers amounts of therapeutic radiation in the anatomic portion of the subject in a second coordinate system. The fiducials (22, 90) include implants or a trans-rectal ultrasound probe (80). The image fusion unit (40) registers locations of the plurality of fiducials to at least one of the first and the second coordinate system and tracks the locations of the fiducials in real-time.

Abstract: The invention relates to a HDR brachytherapy system comprising an ultrasound sensor for being arranged at the location of a brachytherapy catheter (12), wherein the ultrasound sensor is adapted to generate an ultrasound signal based on ultrasound radiation, which has been sent by an ultrasound imaging device preferentially comprising a TRUS probe (40) and which has been received by the ultrasound sensor. The position of the ultrasound sensor is determined based on the generated ultrasound signal, and based on this position of the ultrasound sensor the pose and shape of the brachytherapy catheter and/or the position of a HDR radiation source are determined. This allows for a very accurate determination of the pose and shape of the brachytherapy catheter and/or of the position of the HDR radiation source, which in turn can lead to an improved HDR brachytherapy.

Abstract: An acoustically registerable probe includes a transducer (212) to generate acoustic pulses, and a beamformer (222) coupled to the transducer to adjust a field of view of the acoustic pulses. The transducer is configured to iteratively send and receive acoustic energy with a decremented field of view angles to identify a position of the transducer (216) to other transducers and to reveal positions of the other transducers to the transducer through a medium carrying the acoustic pulses to register the transducer to the other transducers coupled to the medium.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus (10) for tracking a position of an interventional device (11) respective an image plane (12) of an ultrasound field. The position includes an out-of-plane distance (Dop). A geometry-providing unit (GPU) includes a plurality of transducer-to-distal-end lengths (Ltde1 . . . n), each length corresponding to a predetermined distance (Ltde) between a distal end (17, 47) of an interventional device (11, 41) and an ultrasound detector (16, 46) attached to the interventional device, for each of a plurality of interventional device types (T1 . . . N).

Abstract: In one aspect, an ultrasound receive beamformer is configured for one-way only beamforming of transmissive ultrasound using one-way delays. The receive beamforming in some embodiments is used to track, in real time, a catheter, needle or other surgical tool within an image of a region of interest. The tool can have embedded at its tip a small ultrasound transmitter or receiver for transmitting or receiving the transmissive ultrasound. Optionally, additional transducers are fixed along the tool to provide the orientation of the tool.

Abstract: A transperinealprostate intervention device comprises a prostate intervention instrument (10), a transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) probe (12), and a mechanical or optical coordinate measurement machine (CMM) (20) attached to the TRUS probe and configured to track the prostate intervention instrument. The CMM may include an articulated arm with a plurality of encoding joints (24), an anchor end (30) attached to the TRUS probe, and a movable end (32) attached to the prostate intervention instrument. The prostate intervention instrument may, for example, be a biopsy needle, a brachytherapy seed delivery instrument, a tissue ablation instrument, or a hollow cannula. An electronic processor (40) computes a predicted trajectory (54) of the prostate intervention instrument in a frame of reference of the TRUS probe using the CMM attached to the TRUS probe. A representation (56) of the predicted trajectory is superimposed on a prostate ultrasound image (50) generated from ultrasound data collected by the TRUS probe.

Abstract: A connector includes an inner conductive body for connecting to a sensor contact on a medical device. An insulator is formed on the inner conductive body. An outer conductive body is formed over the insulator and surrounds the inner conductive body but is electrically isolated from the inner conductive body. The outer conductive body is for making contact at two places on a medical needle on opposite sides of the inner conductive body.

Abstract: A radiation therapy system (1) includes an ultrasound (US) imaging unit (2), a registration unit (30), an US motion unit (44), and a real-time dose computation engine (46). The ultrasound (US) imaging unit (2) generates a baseline and real-time US images (3) of a subject body (4) region including a target and one or more Organs At Risk (OARs). The registration unit (30) deformably registers a planning image (32) and the baseline US image (36), and maps (66) radiation absorptive properties of tissue in the planning image (32) to the baseline US image (36). The US motion unit (44) measures motion of the target volume and OARs during radiation therapy treatment based on the real-time US images. The real-time dose computation engine (46) computes a real-time radiation dose delivered to the tissues based on the tissue radiation absorptive properties mapped from the baseline or planning images to the real-time 3D US images (3).

Abstract: An image-guided system includes an X-ray imaging device for generating one or more X-ray images illustrating a tool within an anatomical region, and an ultrasound imaging device for generating an ultrasound image illustrating the tool within the anatomical region. The image-guided system further includes a tool tracking device for visually tracking the tool within the anatomical region. In operation, the tool tracking device localizes a portion of the tool as located within the ultrasound image responsive to an identification of the portion of the tool as located within the X-ray image(s), and executes an image segmentation of an entirety of the tool as located within the ultrasound image relative to a localization of the portion of the tool as located within the ultrasound image.

Abstract: A target biopsy system employing an ultrasound probe (20), a target biopsy needle (30) and a ultrasound guide controller (44). In operation, the ultrasound probe (20) projects an ultrasound plane intersecting an anatomical region (e.g. a liver). The target biopsy needle (30) include two or more ultrasound receivers (31) for sensing the ultrasound plane as the target biopsy needle (30) is inserted into the anatomical region. In response to the ultrasound receiver(s) (31) sensing the ultrasound plane, the ultrasound guide controller (44) predicts a biopsy trajectory of the target biopsy needle (30) within the anatomical region relative to the ultrasound plane. The prediction indicates the biopsy trajectory is either within the ultrasound plane (i.e., an in-plane biopsy trajectory) or outside of the ultrasound plane (i.e., an out-of-plane biopsy trajectory).

Abstract: A system for providing a remote center of motion for robotic control includes a marker device (104) configured to include one or more shapes (105) to indicate position and orientation of the marker device in an image collected by an imaging system (110). The marker device is configured to receive or partially receive an instrument (102) therein, the instrument being robotically guided. A registration module (117) is configured to register a coordinate system of the image with that of the robotically guided instrument using the marker device to define a position in a robot coordinate system (132) where a virtual remote center of motion (140) exists. Control software (136) is configured to control a motion of the robotically guided instrument wherein the virtual remote center of motion constrains the motion of a robot (130).