Abstract: Fluid lens system includes a container enclosing a fluid arranged to refract incoming waves. A pressure release mechanism is in contact with the fluid so as to compensate changes in its volume due to thermal variations. The pressure release mechanism is positioned within a pathway of incoming waves. The fluid container may be connected via a tube to the fluid as a reservoir which is arranged within or outside the container, such as beyond an image sensor. Alternatively, an easily compressible body such as a small closed metal bellows enclosing a gas, is positioned inside the fluid to absorb volume changes by compression. The container may have an inner container part that fits inside an outer container part, where the pressure release mechanism is positioned within the outer container part. A fluid filled cavity including a compressible body may be formed between the inner and outer container parts.

Abstract: An acoustic probe includes an acoustic transducer having acoustic transducer elements arranged in a one-dimensional array; and a variably-refracting acoustic lens coupled to the acoustic transducer. The variably-refracting acoustic lens has a pair of electrodes configured to adjust the focus of the variably-refracting acoustic lens in response to a selected voltage applied across the electrodes. In one embodiment, the variably-refracting acoustic lens includes a cavity, first and second fluid media disposed within the cavity, and the pair of electrodes. The speed of sound of an acoustic wave in the first fluid medium is different than the speed of sound of the acoustic wave in the second fluid medium. The first and second fluid media are immiscible with respect to each other, and the first fluid medium has a substantially different electrical conductivity than the second fluid medium.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a system for variably refracting, and is transparent for, ultrasound as well as for light. By choosing liquids with the right optical and acoustical properties, it is possible to variably refract (including focusing and deflecting or steering) ultrasound while not affecting the refraction of light, or vice versa. Two lenses in series, or preferably one lens, allow for variably refracting ultrasound and light.

Abstract: A catheter apparatus (100, 2000, 3000, 4000, 540) includes an elongated body (110) having proximal (112) and distal (114) ends, an acoustic transducer (130, 2300, 5 3300, 4300, 544), disposed proximate the distal end (114) of the elongated body (110), and a variably-refracting acoustic lens (140, 2200, 3200, 4200, 542) adapted to dynamically adjust a direction associated with an acoustic wave coupled to the acoustic transducer in response to one or more control signals provided thereto.

Abstract: Fluid lens system, e.g. for medical imaging or medical treatment, with a container enclosing a fluid arranged to refract incoming waves. A pressure release mechanism is in contact with the fluid so as to compensate changes in its volume due to thermal variations, e.g. during high temperature medical cleaning. This pressure release mechanism is positioned within a pathway of incoming waves. In preferred embodiments a fluid container connected via a tube to the fluid as a reservoir, is arranged within or outside the container, e.g. beyond an image sensor. Alternatively, an easily compressible body, e.g. a small closed metal bellows enclosing a gas, is positioned inside the fluid to absorb volume changes by compression. In both embodiments, the pressure release elements are preferably positioned in a peripheral part of the pathway of incoming waves to not affect performance of the lens.

Abstract: An adjustable fluid type lens system is provided that allows e.g. ultrasound imaging through the lens during adjustment of the lens. The lens includes a container enclosing two immiscible fluids, e.g. water and oil, being in contact with each other at an interface. Incoming waves are then refracted at this interface. The shape of the interface, and thereby the refraction property, is adjustable by adjusting a voltage applied to the lens. The two fluids are selected such that they together exhibit a mechanical damping which is critical or near critical. A control circuit generates the electric voltage for adjusting the refraction from one value to another, the control circuit being arranged to change the electric voltage such that a rate of voltage change is limited to avoid oscillation of the interface, thereby adjusting refraction of incoming waves at the interface in a continuous manner.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides advantageous systems and methods for significantly increasing the sensitivity and selectivity for diagnostic procedures, e.g., optical biopsy. The disclosed systems and methods use a highly non-linear effect, the so-called photon avalanche. In the regime close to the avalanche threshold, small differences in density of the probe-ion under investigation or the excitation power can result in very large changes in up-conversion emission intensity. Through this effect, it becomes possible to accurately measure the signal of an optical biopsy probe-ion only in the location(s) where its concentration is highest, while at the same time significantly reducing or eliminating measurement of background signal from probe-ions distributed with a somewhat lower concentration throughout the measurement volume. Also background auto-fluorescence of the surrounding healthy tissue is essentially absent with this technique.

Abstract: An acoustic device is disclosed having a variably refracting acoustic fluid interface including the boundary between two separate fluid media, means for directing acoustic waves onto the interface, and an acoustic generator or transducer located in one of the fluid media with the acoustic generator having an impedance that is substantially equal to the one said fluid media to minimize signal loss and reflection.

Abstract: A device or support, system and method are provided for precisely targeted and/or highly controlled interaction with a targeted cell or tissue in a body, with the support providing an ergonomic connecting interface for selectively connecting the support to a cell or tissue with at least minimal adverse affect to such cell or tissue, the system providing a remote facility that may be operatively associated with the support, and the method providing steps for employing the support and/or system so as to, inter alia, improve treatment, diagnostic and/or monitoring techniques and increase sensitivity and specificity with respect to interacting with, for example, diseased or abnormal cells or tissue without adversely effecting surrounding healthy cells or tissue, and/or the body in general.

Abstract: Touch screen capabilities are added to a color display (10), such as an LCD display with backlighting. Thereto, the wavelength is varied in two color channels along the horizontal (x) and vertical (z) directions. A pen (30) having spectroscopic capabilities incorporated in it for the two relevant colors determines its position by measuring the wavelengths of the two channels.

Abstract: An ultrasonic assembly suited for attachment to a catheter, e.g. for medical treatment. The ultrasonic assembly includes an adjustable ultrasonic focus mechanism arranged in connection with the ultrasonic transducer to adjust focus of ultrasonic waves generated by the transducer. The ultrasonic focus mechanism includes a fluid focus lens with at least two fluids separated by an interface such that ultrasonic waves are substantially reflected at the interface. At least two electrodes are arranged in connection with the fluid focus lens so as to allow adjustment of the interface shape, e.g. a curvature of the interface, when a voltage is applied to the electrodes. In preferred embodiments the electrodes are arranged so as to allow adjustment of the fluid focus lens in an elevation direction as well as in a radial direction. In simple embodiments with rotational symmetric geometry with the transducer positioned in the centre of the fluid focus lens, ultrasonic waves can be focused in an annular ring. This is e.

Abstract: The invention relates to a light-emitting apparatus (100) comprising an optical waveguide, particularly an optical fiber (1), for guiding a primary light beam (Bprim) into a light-splitting unit (101) which splits it into two or more partial light beams (B1, B3, B4) which are emitted in different directions and have different optical qualities, e.g. different spectral compositions or polarizations. The apparatus may optionally comprise a detector (4) for determining a Doppler shift (??i) in reflected light reentering the light-splitting unit (101). This renders it possible to measure simultaneously two or more spatially independent vector components of the flow velocity of a fluid, particularly of blood, surrounding the light-splitting unit (101).

Abstract: The invention relates to a sensor probe (100,110,120,130,140,150) for detecting an environmental state within a bodily lumen. The sensor probe (100,110,120,130,140,150) having an elongated body (9) comprises an optical guide (1) having an outcoupling surface (11), which is part of an end surface (3) of the elongated body (9), facing a reflective surface of an overhanging part (22,42,52,62), a photodetector which detects a property of light which is composed of light (32) in the optical guide (1) that is reflected from the outcoupling surface (11) of the optical guide (1) and of light (33) in the optical guide (1) that is reflected from the overhanging part (22,42,52,62), and a hydrogel material (2) of which a property changes when getting into contact with an environmental material and/or when detecting an environmental change, and which is provided between the end surface (3) of the elongated body (9) and the overhanging part (22,42,52,62).

Abstract: An acoustic probe (100, 300) includes an acoustic transducer (15, 444), and a plurality of variably-refracting acoustic lens elements (10, 210a, 210b, 442) coupled to the acoustic transducer. Each variably-refracting acoustic lens element has at least a pair of electrodes (150, 160) adapted to adjust at least one characteristic of the variably-refracting acoustic lens element in response to a selected voltage applied across the electrodes. In one embodiment, each variably-refracting acoustic lens element includes a cavity, first and second fluid media (141, 142) disposed within the cavity, and the pair of electrodes. The speed of sound of an acoustic wave in the first fluid medium is different than the speed of sound of the acoustic wave in the second fluid medium. The first and second fluid media are immiscible with respect to each other, and the first fluid medium has a substantially different electrical conductivity than the second fluid medium.

Abstract: A catheter having ultrasound capability and a distal end extending along a longitudinal axis, the end being situated adjacent to a tissue of interest inside of a patient; at least one ultrasound transducer located in the end to direct ultrasound waves along the axis in a generally forward direction relative to the end; a variable-focus lens system located in the end, downstream of the transducer in the generally forward direction, the lens system being capable of variably focusing the ultrasound waves emitted by the transducer at various positions downstream of the lens and catheter end; optionally, a mirror located in the end, downstream of the transducer and the lens system in the generally forward direction, whereby the emitted ultrasound waves from the lens system are either reflected from the mirror and focused at a position substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis; or the emitted ultrasound waves from the lens system substantially bypass the mirror in unreflected form and are focused at a po

Abstract: In a medical therapy or diagnostic system, magnetic resonance (MR) techniques are used in order to determine the position of the focal point of an ultrasound wave with respect to a patient's body. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an ultrasound waveguide which could be used within a magnetic resonance environment. To better address these concerns, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide an ultrasound waveguide comprising an electrically conducting section and an electrically isolating section. A reduction of the length of an electrically isolating section possibly decreases the electromagnetic coupling of the high frequency electromagnetic field in the MR environment to the electrically conducting section.

Abstract: The invention relates to a contrast agent for optical imaging. The inventive contrast agent comprises a luminescent substance, wherein the luminescent substance comprises Tm2+. Furthermore, the present invention refers to the use of a Tm2+ containing material as a luminescent substance in a contrast agent for optical imaging. The invention also relates to a method of optical imaging of tissue, the method comprises the steps (a) contacting an effective amount of the Tm2+ containing contrast agent with the tissue, (b) exposing the tissue to electromagnetic radiation in the wave-length range between 200 nm and 800 nm, (c) detecting any luminescence signal emitted by the tissue exposed to the electromagnetic radiation, and (d) processing the detected luminescence signal(s) into an image.

Abstract: An acoustic probe (100) includes an acoustic transducer (20) including a plurality of acoustic transducer elements arranged in a one-dimensional array; and a variably- refracting acoustic lens (10) coupled to the acoustic transducer. The variably-refracting acoustic lens has at least a pair of electrodes (150, 160) adapted to adjust the focus of the variably-refracting acoustic lens in response to a selected voltage applied across the electrodes. In one embodiment, the variably-refracting acoustic lens includes a cavity, first and second fluid media (141, 142) disposed within the cavity, and the pair of electrodes. The speed of sound of an acoustic wave in the first fluid medium is different than the speed of sound of the acoustic wave in the second fluid medium. The first and second fluid media are immiscible with respect to each other, and the first fluid medium has a substantially different electrical conductivity than the second fluid medium.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system for reading data from a holographic storage medium (HSM), said system comprising an optical ring cavity defining a closed optical path so as to recycle the light of a reference beam that is used to read out the holographic storage medium, in view of increasing the light path efficiency by lengthening its path.