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: The invention relates to a filtering apparatus (15) for filtering an ultrasound signal, which is influenced by an electrical unit and comprises a first part including information about an object (4) from which the ultrasound signal has been received and a second part not comprising information about the object. A correction signal determination unit (17) determines a correction signal being indicative of the influence of the electrical unit on the ultrasound signal from the second part of the ultrasound signal and a correction unit (18) corrects the first part of the ultrasound signal based on the determined correction signal for filtering the influence of the electrical unit out of the ultrasound signal. Since the correction signal is indicative of the influence of the electrical unit, wherein the correction signal is used for correcting the ultrasound signal, unwanted interference visible in the unfiltered ultrasound signal can be filtered out.

Abstract: The invention relates to a visualization apparatus for visualizing a quality of applying energy to an object. The quality of applying energy at a location on the object (3) is visualized based on a) a provided image of the object and b) a provided quality value which is a depth value indicative of the depth to which the applied energy has altered the object, representing the quality of applying energy to the object at the location on the object (3), wherein a visual property assigning unit (9) assigns a visual property to the location depending on the quality value and a display (10) displays the provided image and the assigned visual property at the location on the object shown in the image as a transmural region calculated using depth value(s) with respect to a wall of the object. In general a person who applies energy to the object is focused on the location at which energy is applied.

Abstract: The invention relates to a visualization apparatus for visualizing a quality of applying energy to an object. The quality of applying energy at a location on the object (3) is visualized based on a) a provided image of the object and b) a provided quality value which is a depth value indicative of the depth to which the applied energy has altered the object, representing the quality of applying energy to the object at the location on the object (3), wherein a visual property assigning unit (9) assigns a visual property to the location depending on the quality value and a display (10) displays the provided image and the assigned visual property at the location on the object shown in the image as a transmural region calculated using depth value(s) with respect to a wall of the object. In general a person who applies energy to the object is focused on the location at which energy is applied.

Abstract: The invention relates to a property determination apparatus (1) for determining a property of an object (3). Optical sensing data being indicative of an optical property of the object and ultrasound sensing data being indicative of an ultrasound property of the object are generated, and a property determination unit (75) determines a property of the object based on at least one of the optical sensing data and the ultrasound sensing data. Since light and ultrasound have generally different penetration depths and scattering properties with respect to the object, a property of the object can be determined with good quality, even if the quality of one of the optical sensing data and the ultrasound sensing data is reduced by, for example, a relatively small penetration depth, or if one of the optical sensing data and the ultrasound sensing data is less suitable for determining a desired property of the object.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for being used for detecting a property of an object. An ultrasound signal providing unit (2) provides an ultrasound signal, which is indicative of a property of the object (9) at one or several depths within the object (9) and which depends on time, and a periodicity value determination unit (5) determines a periodicity value being indicative of a degree of temporal periodicity of the ultrasound signal for a constant depth. The temporal periodicity of the ultrasound signal at the respective constant depth, i.e. the periodicity value, depends on the property of the object at this depth and can therefore be used for detecting a property of the object.

Abstract: The invention relates to a filtering apparatus (15) for filtering an ultrasound signal, which is influenced by an electrical unit and comprises a first part including information about an object (4) from which the ultrasound signal has been received and a second part not comprising information about the object. A correction signal determination unit (17) determines a correction signal being indicative of the influence of the electrical unit on the ultrasound signal from the second part of the ultrasound signal and a correction unit (18) corrects the first part of the ultrasound signal based on the determined correction signal for filtering the influence of the electrical unit out of the ultrasound signal. Since the correction signal is indicative of the influence of the electrical unit, wherein the correction signal is used for correcting the ultrasound signal, unwanted interference visible in the unfiltered ultrasound signal can be filtered out.

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 ultra-sound 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: The invention relates to an apparatus for being used for detecting a property of an object. An ultrasound signal providing unit (2) provides an ultrasound signal, which is indicative of a property of the object (9) at one or several depths within the object (9) and which depends on time, and a periodicity value determination unit (5) determines a periodicity value being indicative of a degree of temporal periodicity of the ultrasound signal for a constant depth. The temporal periodicity of the ultrasound signal at the respective constant depth, i.e. the periodicity value, depends on the property of the object at this depth and can therefore be used for detecting a property of the object.

Abstract: The invention relates to a property determination apparatus (1) for determining a property of an object (3). Optical sensing data being indicative of an optical property of the object and ultrasound sensing data being indicative of an ultrasound property of the object are generated, and a property determination unit (75) determines a property of the object based on at least one of the optical sensing data and the ultrasound sensing data. Since light and ultrasound have generally different penetration depths and scattering properties with respect to the object, a property of the object can be determined with good quality, even if the quality of one of the optical sensing data and the ultrasound sensing data is reduced by, for example, a relatively small penetration depth, or if one of the optical sensing data and the ultrasound sensing data is less suitable for determining a desired property of the object.