Abstract: A catheter (10) comprising a catheter tip (14) that is adapted to have deflection of an associated spring (22) detected by imaging techniques and to have that deflection be translated into an estimation of the tip (14) contact force.

Abstract: A catheter (10) comprising a catheter tip (14) that is adapted to have deflection of an associated spring (22) detected by imaging techniques and to have that deflection be translated into an estimation of the tip (14) contact force.

Abstract: A method for assessing a tumor's response to therapy, includes providing images of a first study of a patient and images of a second study of the patient, the second study occurring after the first study and after the patient undergoes therapy to treat a tumor, each study comprising first and second types of functional magnetic resonance (fMR) images, performing a first registration in which the images within each study are registered, performing a second registration in which reference images from both studies are co-registered, segmenting the tumor in an image of each of the second registered studies; and determining that first and second fMR measure differences exist between the segmented tumor's of the first and second studies, the first fMR measure difference being obtained from the first type of fMR images, the second fMR measure difference being obtained from the second type of fMR images.

Abstract: A method for selecting the b-values for diffusion weighted magnetic resonance scans. The method includes: identifying a single reference slice within a volume of interest (VOI); progressively changing b-values over a plurality of scans of the reference slice wherein each one of the scans has a different b-value to obtain a plurality of diffusion weighted images; calculating ADC maps for combinations of b-values from the obtained plurality of diffusion weighted images; evaluating the calculated ADC maps; selecting from the evaluation optimal b-values; and using the selected b-values for subsequent scans.

Abstract: A method for selecting the b-values for diffusion weighted magnetic resonance scans. The method includes: identifying a single reference slice within a volume of interest (VOI); progressively changing b-values over a plurality of scans of the reference slice wherein each one of the scans has a different b-value to obtain a plurality of diffusion weighted images; calculating ADC maps for combinations of b-values from the obtained plurality of diffusion weighted images; evaluating the calculated ADC maps; selecting from the evaluation optimal b-values; and using the selected b-values for subsequent scans.

Abstract: A computer system takes as input an initial fault hierarchy KB.sub.0 and a set of annotated session transcripts C={<.pi..sub.j,r.sub.j >} and is given a specified set of revision operators T={.theta..sub.i } where each .theta..sub.i .epsilon. T maps a fault hierarchy KB to a slightly different hierarchy .theta..sub.i (KB). The computer system uses T to hill climb from the initial fault hierarchy KB.sub.0, through successive hierarchies, KB.sub.1 . . . KB.sub.m, with successively higher empirical accuracies over C. At each stage, to go from a fault hierarchy KB.sub.k to its neighbor KB.sub.k+1, the computer system must evaluate KB.sub.k 's accuracy over C, as well as the accuracy of each KB' .epsilon. N(KB.sub.k). The computer system provides an efficient way of evaluating the accuracy of KB.sub.k, and each .theta..sub.i (KB.sub.k), towards determining which, if any, .theta..sub.i (KB.sub.k) is more accurate than KB.sub.k. It exploits a few key observations.