Abstract: A catheter for administering a substance into body tissues includes an elongated catheter body that has at least one portion of the length of the catheter body that expands after the catheter is inserted in the patient's body. The portion that expands provides a seal against backflow of the substance along the outer surface of the catheter body and away from the intended treatment area.

Abstract: A catheter for administering a substance into a patient's tissue includes an elongated catheter body surrounding a lumen. At least one part of the length of the catheter body includes a material that changes its stiffness due to changes in the ambient conditions in the administering environment.

Abstract: A method for determining a backflow of a substance along a track of a delivery device includes: a) obtaining parameters that influence the flow of the fluid or substance; b) acquiring information about delivery data; and c) computing the backflow along the delivery device using the information in steps a) and b).

Abstract: A method of adjusting infusion parameters that provide coverage of a selected target volume for direct infusions of a fluid includes using an algorithm for calculation of optimal packing of spheres or cylinders in a selected volume to determine the coverage of the selected target volume.

Abstract: A method for planning the placement of a device in a body includes analyzing information of at least part of the internal structure of the body of a patient to determine if at least one specific or critical region or structure lies within a region of interest, said region of interest within a predetermined distance of the planned trajectory of the device in the body. Then, a level of risk is assessed to the at least one specific or critical region or structure that is within the region of interest.

Abstract: A system and method for creating, generating, saving and/or exporting medical data is provided. The medical data includes image data, and the medical data conforms to an external standard, wherein additional data, not part of the external standard, is added to the image data. The additional data may be added by rendering the additional data into the image data to create new data including at least part of the original image data and at least a part of the additional data, wherein the new data conforms to the external standard.

Abstract: The present invention relates to: a method for planning an infusion, wherein patient data are captured and the infusion to be carried out is planned using the captured patient data; and to a computer program which may be loaded in the memory of a computer and which includes sections of software code with which the method is performed when the program is running on a computer; and to a device for planning an infusion, comprising a patient data capturing system and a computer system for carrying out planning based on the captured patient data; to a method for carrying out an infusion, wherein the infusion is planned and then carried out; and to a device for carrying out an infusion, comprising a verification device for comparing planned infusion data with actual infusion data.

Abstract: A medical imaging processing method includes: using an imaging method to acquire at least first and second data sets of a region of interest of a patient's body, with at least one image acquisition parameter being changed so that first and second data sets yield different contrast levels relating to different substance and/or tissue types, and wherein the at least one acquisition parameter used to obtain the first data set is selected to enhance the contrast between one of the substance and/or tissue types relative to other substance and/or tissue types, and the at least one acquisition parameter used to obtain the second data set is selected to enhance the contrast between a different one of the substance and/or tissue types relative other substance and/or tissue types, thereby to optimize the contrast between at least three different substance and/or tissue types: and processing the two data sets to identify the different tissue types and/or boundaries therebetween.

Abstract: An anthropomorphic medical robot arm includes a base end, a first arm element, a base joint coupling the base end to the first arm element, a second arm element, a middle joint coupling the second arm element to the first arm element, a distal functional end, a distal joint coupling the distal functional end to the second arm element, and at least one selectively operable movement inhibitor operable on the base joint, middle joint and/or distal joint so as to restrict the functionally possible range of movement of the robot arm to the range of movement of a human arm.

Abstract: A method for planning an infusion into hepatic tissue into a patient includes: obtaining anatomical and/or physiological patient data of the patient's liver or a region of the liver; determining at least one patient parameter from the patient data; planning the infusion using the anatomical patient data, physiological patient data, and/or at least one patient parameter, wherein planning includes determining how an administered substance is distributed in the tissue and/or how the administered substance influences physiological properties of the tissue; and determining a distribution and/or effectiveness of a therapeutic agent administered with the substance or after the substance.

Abstract: A method for determining and representing possible entry and/or target areas for positioning catheters in an area on the basis of functional data and/or structural and/or anatomical data of the area, includes: indicating at least one entry area of the catheter or at least one target area of the catheter; determining at least one target area of the catheter based on the at least one indicated entry area of the catheter and taking into consideration specified catheter positioning guidelines and the functional data and/or structural and/or anatomical data of the area, or at least one entry area of the catheter based on the at least one indicated target area of the catheter and taking into consideration specified catheter positioning guidelines and the functional data and/or structural and/or anatomical data of the area; and representing the functional data and/or structural and/or anatomical data with the at least one indicated entry area and the at least one determined target area, or representing the functiona

Abstract: A multi-layered representation and/or simulation of disease dissemination that may be complemented with consideration of therapy dissemination includes the creation of a multi-layered representation system that includes two or more of the following layers: a) a disease dissemination layer; b) a therapy dissemination layer; c) an interface layer; d) a dynamization layer; e) a solution layer; and f) a display layer.

Abstract: A catheter having an outer profile which is formed such that a path length along an outer surface of the catheter is greater than the corresponding length of the catheter, and to a method for determining the shape of a catheter, and wherein the elasticity and/or conductivity of the tissue into which the catheter is to be introduced is taken into account in order to determine the outer profile of the catheter.

Abstract: A phantom for use with diffusion tensor imaging includes a container and a plurality of structures within the container. The structures have anisotropic properties, wherein when the phantom is subjected to diffusion tensor imaging, the structures provide data that is recognized as fiber bundles. The structures can be formed, for example, from cloth tape, silk, wood, glass fibers cord (synthetic and viscose) and/or microfibers.

Abstract: A method for determining the location of electrical activity or hyperactivity of nerve cells in an anatomical structure of a body, wherein an electrical conductivity model of the anatomical structure is generated and electrical impulses are detected by at least one electrode. Using the model and the detected electrical impulses, the location or locations of the electrical activity in the anatomical structure are determined.

Abstract: A system and method for treating Alzheimer's disease by delivery of an agent within the brain. At least one image of a target region is acquired, and at least one magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging (MR-DTI) scan of the target region is acquired. A diffusion tensor is calculated from the at least one MR-DTI scan, and at least one of an agent distribution and an agent concentration from the images and the calculated diffusion tensor is calculated. Using at least one of the calculated diffusion tensor, the images, the calculated agent distribution, and the calculated agent concentration, the placement of a delivery instrument is planned to deliver the agent to the target region to achieve a desired agent concentration and/or agent distribution within the target region.

Abstract: A system and method for treating Parkinson's disease by delivery of an agent within the brain. At least one image of a target region is acquired, and at least one magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging (MR-DTI) scan of the target region is acquired. A diffusion tensor is calculated from the at least one MR-DTI scan, and at least one of an agent distribution and an agent concentration from the images and the calculated diffusion tensor is calculated. Using at least one of the calculated diffusion tensor, the images, the calculated agent distribution, and the calculated agent concentration, the placement of a delivery instrument is planned to deliver the agent to the target region to achieve a desired agent concentration and/or agent distribution within the target region. Delivery of the agent can be coordinated with an applied electrical stimulation.

Abstract: A system and method for treating Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) by delivery of an agent within the brain. At least one image of a target region is acquired, and at least one magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging (MR-DTI) scan of the target region is acquired. A diffusion tensor is calculated from the at least one MR-DTI scan, and at least one of an agent distribution and an agent concentration from the images and the calculated diffusion tensor is calculated. Using at least one of the calculated diffusion tensor, the images, the calculated agent distribution, and the calculated agent concentration, the placement of a delivery instrument is planned to deliver the agent to the target region to achieve a desired agent concentration and/or agent distribution within the target region.

Abstract: A method for planning to treat tissue by administering a substance which emits energy or can interact with administered energy to a body, such as body tissue, wherein a dispersion of the substance in the body is simulated, and to a system or device for planning administering a substance and administering energy to a body or in body tissue.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for stimulating specific areas of a brain using an induction device, comprising the following steps: recording the spatial structure of the head, in particular the brain; generating a simulation model of the induction device; and arranging the induction device relative to the head such that a specific area of the brain determined by means of the simulation model of the induction device is stimulated by a current flowing in the induction device, as well as to a method for stimulating specific areas of a brain using an induction device, comprising the following steps: recording the spatial structure of the head, in particular the brain; generating a simulation model of the head; and arranging the induction device relative to the head such that a specific area of the brain determined by means of the simulation model of the head is stimulated by a current flowing in the induction device, as well as to a device for stimulating specific areas of a brain using an induction device co