Abstract: A method for use in medical imaging of a patient including, with the patient immobilized with respect to an imaging reference frame, acquiring first digital imaging information including a first region of interest using a first imaging modality; processing the first digital imaging information to identify a feature for analysis; and using a second imaging modality to acquire targeted second imaging information for a second region of interest, the second region of interest corresponding to a subset of the first region of interest, wherein the second region of interest includes the feature for analysis.

Abstract: A method for use in medical imaging of a patient including, with the patient immobilized with respect to an imaging reference frame, acquiring first digital imaging information including a first region of interest using a first imaging modality; processing the first digital imaging information to identify a feature for analysis; and using a second imaging modality to acquire targeted second imaging information for a second region of interest, the second region of interest corresponding to a subset of the first region of interest, wherein the second region of interest includes the feature for analysis.

Abstract: A method for use in medical imaging of a patient including, with the patient immobilized with respect to an imaging reference frame, acquiring first digital imaging information including a first region of interest using a first imaging modality; processing the first digital imaging information to identify a feature for analysis; and using a second imaging modality to acquire targeted second imaging information for a second region of interest, the second region of interest corresponding to a subset of the first region of interest, wherein the second region of interest includes the feature for analysis.

Abstract: A method for use in medical imaging of a patient including, with the patient immobilized with respect to an imaging reference frame, acquiring first digital imaging information including a first region of interest using a first imaging modality; processing the first digital imaging information to identify a feature for analysis; and using a second imaging modality to acquire targeted second imaging information for a second region of interest, the second region of interest corresponding to a subset of the first region of interest, wherein the second region of interest includes the feature for analysis.

Abstract: The invention presents tools to improve a 3-D image aided biopsy or treatment procedure for prostate gland by providing additional functionality and additional visual cues on an output image of the prostate, which may be generated substantially in real-time. The tools include i) the identification of various parts of prostate to classify as per regular classification in pathological reports, ii) Computing and displaying the insertion depth of needle with respect to a selected target point during the procedure, iii) Computing and displaying the distance from needle tip to prostate surface following a procedure and, iv) Calibration for misalignment of a 2-D imaging transducer when used under tracked motion for a procedure.

Abstract: A computer-based system for creating and using intelligent databases for assisting in intima-media thickness (IMT) measurements. Various embodiments utilize clinical data (images) to design intelligent clinical data sets, including geometric markers like blood vessel centerline, which can then be used with conventional image processing to compute the intima-media thickness of the carotid walls. The intelligent clinical image data utilizes the demographics (ethnity/race, gender and age) to classify the data. Finally, the intelligent database is used to collect intelligent parameters which are then applied to the incoming patients to estimate their intima-media thickness.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for intima-media thickness (IMT) measurements using a validation embedded segmentation method. Various embodiments include receiving biomedical imaging data and patient demographic data corresponding to a current scan of a patient; checking the biomedical imaging data in real-time to determine if an artery of the patient has a calcium deposit in a proximal wall of the artery; acquiring arterial data of the patient as a combination of longitudinal B-mode and transverse B-mode data; using a data processor to automatically recognize the artery by embedding anatomic information; using the data processor to calibrate a region of interest around the automatically recognized artery; automatically computing the weak or missing edges of intima-media and media-adventitia walls using edge flow, labeling and connectivity; and determining the intima-media thickness (IMT) of an arterial wall of the automatically recognized artery.

Abstract: Three tier architecture for image-based diagnosis and monitoring application using Cloud is described. The presentation layer is run on the tablet (mobile device), while the business and persistence layer runs on a single cloud or distributed on different Clouds in a multi-tenancy and multi-user application. Such architecture is used for automated data mining application for computing (a) cardiovascular risk, stroke risk using IMT measurement, plaque characterization, (b) computing diagnostic index for benign vs. malignant tissue for ovarian cancer classification (c) benign vs. malignant tissue characterization for prostate cancer and (d) classification of fatty liver disease vs. normal cases. The Architecture is for data mining application.

Abstract: Presented are systems and methods that allow for interpolation of a 3-D volume from arbitrarily oriented 2-D medical images. The interpolation of 3-D volume from arbitrarily oriented 2-D images reduces or eliminates most constraints on image acquisition thereby allowing for, inter alia, freehand manipulation of an image acquisition device (e.g. an ultrasound transducer). Related utilities involve the use of prior information about a specific object of interest to interpolate a surface (e.g., 3-D surface) of the object from limited information obtained from very few 2-D images.

Abstract: A method for use in medical imaging of a patient including, with the patient immobilized with respect to an imaging reference frame, acquiring first digital imaging information including a first region of interest using a first imaging modality; processing the first digital imaging information to identify a feature for analysis; and using a second imaging modality to acquire targeted second imaging information for a second region of interest, the second region of interest corresponding to a subset of the first region of interest, wherein the second region of interest includes the feature for analysis.

Abstract: Characterization of carotid atherosclerosis and classification of plaque into symptomatic or asymptomatic and risk score estimation are of clinical value. A statistical system is described for symptomatic versus asymptomatic plaque automated classification of carotid ultrasound images and cardiovascular risk score computation. The technique is applicable for the following types of modalities for carotids: 2D Ultrasound, 3D Ultrasound, CT, MR. Wall region is segmented and features are extracted consisting of type 1 combination consisting of: (a) Higher Order Spectra; (b) Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT); (c) Texture and (d) Wall Variability; type 2 combination consisting of: (a) Local Binary Pattern; (b) Law's Mask Energy and (c) Wall Variability and type 3 combination: (a) Trace Transform; (b) Fuzzy Grayscale Level Co-occurrence Matrix and (c) Wall Variability. These features are trained using a training classifier on training images and the coefficients are applied to on-line test patient images.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for fast, reliable, and automated embodiments for using a multi-resolution edge flow approach to vascular ultrasound for intima-media thickness (IMT) measurement. Various embodiments include receiving biomedical imaging data and patient demographic data corresponding to a current scan of a patient; checking the biomedical imaging data in real-time to determine if an artery of the patient has a calcium deposit in a proximal wall of the artery; acquiring arterial data of the patient as a combination of longitudinal B-mode and transverse B-mode data; using a data processor to automatically recognize the artery; using the data processor to calibrate a region of interest around the automatically recognized artery; automatically computing the weak or missing edges of intima-media and media-adventitia walls using edge flow, labeling and connectivity; and determining the intima-media thickness (IMT) of an arterial wall of the automatically recognized artery.

Abstract: A system and method (i.e, utility) are disclosed for positioning a needle in three-dimensions based on patient related statistics for extracting tissue during biopsy procedures. Aspects of the utility can be applied independently or serve as an aid to the urologist when regions of interest are hard to discern in an ultrasound image. Regions of interest that correspond to high cancer risk regions (e.g., statistically) are automatically superimposed on an ultrasound image of a patient in real time. Additionally a statistical map based on one or more demographic parameters of a patient and containing cancer probability locations are also automatically mapped on the ultrasound image in real time displaying potential cancer locations. Aspects of the system are also capable of displaying optimal needle placement positions based on statistical priors and will be able to accurately navigate the needle to that position for biopsy extraction and/or treatment.

Abstract: Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (HT) is the most common type of inflammation of the thyroid gland and accurate diagnosis of HT would be advantageous in predicting thyroid failure. The application presents a three tier architecture for image-based diagnosis and a monitoring application using a network cloud. The presentation layer is run on the tablet (e.g., a mobile device), while the business and persistence layers run on a single network cloud or distributed on different network clouds in a multi-tenancy and multi-user application. Such three tier architecture is used for automated data mining application for diagnosis of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (HT) Disease using ultrasound.

Abstract: Automated IMT system hypothesize that far wall of the common carotid artery has the highest intensity. In this current application, we verify that this hypothesis holds true for B-mode or RF-mode longitudinal ultrasound images of the carotid wall. The methodology consists of generating the composite image (arithmetic sum of images) from the database by first registering the carotid image frames with respect to a nearly straight carotid artery frame from the same database using (a) B-spline based non-rigid registration and (b) affine registration. Prior to registration, we segment the carotid artery lumen using a level set based algorithm followed by morphological image processing. The binary lumen images are registered and the transformations are applied to the original grayscale CCA images. These B-mode or RF-mode ultrasound images are then used for IMT computation using automated methods which hypothesize that far wall has the brightest intensity distribution.

Abstract: A method for use in medical imaging of a patient including, with the patient immobilized with respect to an imaging reference frame, acquiring first digital imaging information including a first region of interest using a first imaging modality; processing the first digital imaging information to identify a feature for analysis; and using a second imaging modality to acquire targeted second imaging information for a second region of interest, the second region of interest corresponding to a subset of the first region of interest, wherein the second region of interest includes the feature for analysis.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for fast, reliable and automated processing for intima-media thickness (IMT) measurements. Various embodiments include receiving biomedical imaging data and patient demographic data corresponding to a current scan of a patient; checking the biomedical imaging data in real-time to determine if an artery of the patient has a calcium deposit in a proximal wall of the artery; acquiring arterial data of the patient as a combination of longitudinal B-mode and transverse B-mode data; using a data processor to automatically recognize the artery; using the data processor to calibrate a region of interest around the automatically recognized artery; and determining the intima-media thickness (IMT) of an arterial wall of the automatically recognized artery.

Abstract: An improved apparatus and method for position sensing of a medical tracker device are presented. The apparatus and method are designed to constrain, rotate, and track the position of a medical tool. To improve the position sensing of the tracker, a joint that provides two degrees of freedom may use a revolute gear pair together with a rotary sensor for angular motion sensing and a sliding/prismatic assembly together with a linear magnetic sensor for linear position sensing. Thus, the linear motion sensing and the angular motion sensing are decoupled.

Abstract: Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (HT) is the most common type of inflammation of the thyroid gland and accurate diagnosis of HT would be advantageous in predicting thyroid failure. The application presents three tier architecture for image-based diagnosis and monitoring application using Cloud is described. The presentation layer is run on the tablet (mobile device), while the business and persistence layer runs on a single cloud or distributed on different Clouds in a multi-tenancy and multi-user application. Such architecture is used for automated data mining application for diagnosis of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (HT) Disease using ultrasound.

Abstract: Three tier architecture for image-based diagnosis and monitoring application using Cloud is described. The presentation layer is run on the tablet (mobile device), while the business and persistence layer runs on a single cloud or distributed on different Clouds in a multi-tenancy and multi-user application. Such architecture is used for automated data mining application for computing (a) cardiovascular risk, stroke risk using IMT measurement, plaque characterization, (b) computing diagnostic index for benign vs. malignant tissue for ovarian cancer classification (c) benign vs. malignant tissue characterization for prostate cancer and (d) classification of fatty liver disease vs. normal cases. The Architecture is for data mining application.