Abstract: An ultrasound probe (“probe”) for use with an ultrasound imaging system is disclosed. In particular, the probe is sized and configured so as to be supported and readily used with as little as one finger on a single hand of a user of the imaging system. This configuration enables remaining fingers on the hand of the user to be employed for other purposes, such as skin traction and patient contact. In one embodiment, therefore, an ultrasound probe is disclosed, comprising a body, a lens included on head portion of the body, a stabilizing portion extending from the body and configured to stabilize the body on a skin surface of a patient without user assistance, and a finger grip portion configured to enable a user of the probe to grasp and maneuver the probe during use thereof with no more than two fingers on a single hand of the user.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure describe techniques and configurations to reduce transistor gate short defects. In one embodiment, a method includes forming a plurality of lines, wherein individual lines of the plurality of lines comprise a gate electrode material, depositing an electrically insulative material to fill regions between the individual lines and subsequent to depositing the electrically insulative material, removing a portion of at least one of the individual lines to isolate gate electrode material of a first transistor device from gate electrode material of a second transistor device. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are devices, systems, and methods thereof for minimizing or preventing contamination of sterile medical devices during magnetization thereof. For example, a magnetizer cover is disclosed for maintaining sterility of a medical device while magnetizing the medical device. The magnetizer cover includes a base, a funnel extending from the base, and a grip tab extending from the base. The base includes a medical-device interface and a magnetizer interface opposite the medical-device interface. The funnel includes a funnel stem configured to protect an elongate medical device from contacting a magnetizer when the medical device is inserted into the funnel. The grip tab is configured for manipulating the magnetizer cover.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a system, apparatus and method directed to a magnetizer comprising at least one magnet; and a housing, the housing comprising: a top face; a bottom face positioned on an opposite side of the housing from the top face; a plurality of faces adjoining the top face and the bottom face; an interior comprising an interior surface formed at least in part by the top face, the bottom face and the plurality of faces; wherein the top face includes a first opening configured to receive a medical device; and wherein the at least one magnet is positioned within the interior of the housing. A face of the plurality of faces may include a second opening to expose at least a portion of the interior surface through the second opening. The second opening may be larger than the first opening.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system includes an ultrasound probe designed to produce an ultrasound image including one or more blood vessels below a skin surface of a patient, and a console with a display. The console is operably coupled to the ultrasound probe. The console includes a memory including instructions capable of causing a processor to determine a depth of the user selected blood vessel and a selection of medical devices based on a user selection including one or both of a minimum dwell length and an angle of insertion. The processor can be configured to determine these parameters prior to insertion of a user selected medical device into a user selected blood vessel from the one or more blood vessels below the skin surface of the patient. The display depicts the ultrasound image, the user selected blood vessel, and the user selected medical device.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a system and method for detecting the proximity of a needle to an ultrasound probe. The system can include an ultrasound system having a probe, including a body and a magnetic sensor, the magnetic sensor capable of detecting a magnetic field generated by or associated with the needle. The system can also include logic stored on non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by one or more processors, causes performance of operations which can include: receiving an indication that the magnetic field has been detected including a strength of the magnetic field, determining a distance between a distal tip of the needle and the probe based on the strength of the magnetic field, and in response to the distance being within a first threshold, generating a first alert. The ultrasound system can further include a console apparatus communicatively coupled to the probe that includes the non-transitory computer-readable medium.

Abstract: Needle-guidance systems, components, and methods thereof are disclosed. A needle-guidance system can include a console, a needle magnetizer incorporated into the console, an RFID-tag reader incorporated into the console, and an ultrasound probe. The console can be configured to instantiate a needle-guidance process for guiding insertion of a magnetized needle into a blood vessel of a patient using a combination of ultrasound-imaging data, magnetic-field data, and RFID-tag information for the needle received by the console. The ultrasound probe can be configured to provide to the console electrical signals corresponding to both the ultrasound-imaging data and the magnetic-field data.

Abstract: Systems and methods for assisting the placement of a catheter within a vessel of a patient via an ultrasound imaging system are disclosed. The systems and methods described herein relate to an automatic size comparison tool to enable a clinician to determine, prior to insertion of the catheter, whether a particularly sized catheter will fit within a designated vessel of the patient without violating a user-defined rule setting a maximum percentage of the vessel that may be occupied by the catheter. This in turn ensures that the catheter is properly sized for the vessel in which it is placed, according to user-defined preferences. Though described herein as implemented in connection with an ultrasound imaging system, in other embodiments the system and methods described herein can be included with other devices as well.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an ultrasound system for accessing a vasculature of a patient. The ultrasound system is configured to depict an enhanced ultrasound image of a subcutaneous portion of the patient including an icon surrounding a target vessel depicted on the display. The icon indicates to a clinician the target vessel is within range of a percentage vessel occupancy or vessel purchase length depending on a size of cannula or angle of insertion. The icon can also indicate blood flow strength, vessel type, or vessel deformation. The enhanced image can further include cannula trajectory guidelines and visual alerts for the clinician if the cannula tip can potentially backwall the vessel. Additional icons can indicate obstructions disposed on the cannula trajectory.

Abstract: A needle-guidance system is disclosed including single-patient equipment, multi-patient equipment, and an RFID reader-writer. The single-patient equipment can include a vascular access device (“VAD”) having a needle and an RFID tag. The RFID tag can be incorporated into the VAD or packaging for the VAD. The console can be configured to automatically start needle tracking for a clinician on an integrated display screen of the console after receiving RFID-tag data from the RFID tag and processing with a processor of the console instructions of needle-tracking software provided by memory of the console for the needle tracking. The RFID reader-writer can be configured to read the RFID-tag data from the RFID tag and write additional RFID-tag data to the RFID tag. The RFID reader-writer can be provided with the packaging for the VAD or the multi-patient equipment. A method of the needle-guidance system is also disclosed.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure describe techniques and configurations to reduce transistor gate short defects. In one embodiment, a method includes forming a plurality of lines, wherein individual lines of the plurality of lines comprise a gate electrode material, depositing an electrically insulative material to fill regions between the individual lines and subsequent to depositing the electrically insulative material, removing a portion of at least one of the individual lines to isolate gate electrode material of a first transistor device from gate electrode material of a second transistor device. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure describe techniques and configurations to reduce transistor gate short defects. In one embodiment, a method includes forming a plurality of lines, wherein individual lines of the plurality of lines comprise a gate electrode material, depositing an electrically insulative material to fill regions between the individual lines and subsequent to depositing the electrically insulative material, removing a portion of at least one of the individual lines to isolate gate electrode material of a first transistor device from gate electrode material of a second transistor device. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for tracking medical devices such as needles and catheters. For example, an ultrasound-imaging system is configured to perform a set of operations for accessing a blood vessel, recommending a proper approach angle for approaching the blood vessel with the medical device, recommending a proper insertion angle for inserting the medical device in the blood vessel, ensuring a final placement of a sufficient length of the medical device within the blood vessel, and following, or tracking, a procedure for placing the medical device in the blood vessel. In addition, the ultrasound-imaging system is configured to perform a set of operations for optimizing an ultrasound image about the blood vessel or a targeted location of the blood vessel.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure describe techniques and configurations to reduce transistor gate short defects. In one embodiment, a method includes forming a plurality of lines, wherein individual lines of the plurality of lines comprise a gate electrode material, depositing an electrically insulative material to fill regions between the individual lines and subsequent to depositing the electrically insulative material, removing a portion of at least one of the individual lines to isolate gate electrode material of a first transistor device from gate electrode material of a second transistor device. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure describe techniques and configurations to reduce transistor gate short defects. In one embodiment, a method includes forming a plurality of lines, wherein individual lines of the plurality of lines comprise a gate electrode material, depositing an electrically insulative material to fill regions between the individual lines and subsequent to depositing the electrically insulative material, removing a portion of at least one of the individual lines to isolate gate electrode material of a first transistor device from gate electrode material of a second transistor device. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Abstract: An ultrasound probe (“probe”) for use with an ultrasound imaging system is disclosed. In particular, the probe is sized and configured so as to be supported and readily used with as little as one finger on a single hand of a user of the imaging system. This configuration enables remaining fingers on the hand of the user to be employed for other purposes, such as skin traction and patient contact. In one embodiment, therefore, an ultrasound probe is disclosed, comprising a body, a lens included on head portion of the body, a stabilizing portion extending from the body and configured to stabilize the body on a skin surface of a patient without user assistance, and a finger grip portion configured to enable a user of the probe to grasp and maneuver the probe during use thereof with no more than two fingers on a single hand of the user.

Abstract: A magnetizing system for use in selectively magnetizing a needle of a medical device is disclosed. Once magnetized, the needle can be tracked by a needle guidance system, which assists the clinician placing the needle by visualizing on a display the position and orientation of the needle after its insertion into a body of a patient. An orientation key system is included with the magnetizing system to ensure the needle is positioned correctly in the magnetizing system. This in turn ensures that the needle is properly magnetized so as to be accurately tracked by the needle guidance system. In one embodiment a first key is included with the magnetizing system and configured to cooperatively mate with a second key included with the needle of the medical device. Various types of keys are disclosed herein.

Abstract: Systems and methods for assisting the placement of a catheter within a vessel of a patient via an ultrasound imaging system are disclosed. The systems and methods described herein relate to an automatic size comparison tool to enable a clinician to determine, prior to insertion of the catheter, whether a particularly sized catheter will fit within a designated vessel of the patient without violating a user-defined rule setting a maximum percentage of the vessel that may be occupied by the catheter. This in turn ensures that the catheter is properly sized for the vessel in which it is placed, according to user-defined preferences. Though described herein as implemented in connection with an ultrasound imaging system, in other embodiments the system and methods described herein can be included with other devices as well.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure describe techniques and configurations to reduce transistor gate short defects. In one embodiment, a method includes forming a plurality of lines, wherein individual lines of the plurality of lines comprise a gate electrode material, depositing an electrically insulative material to fill regions between the individual lines and subsequent to depositing the electrically insulative material, removing a portion of at least one of the individual lines to isolate gate electrode material of a first transistor device from gate electrode material of a second transistor device. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure describe techniques and configurations to reduce transistor gate short defects. In one embodiment, a method includes forming a plurality of lines, wherein individual lines of the plurality of lines comprise a gate electrode material, depositing an electrically insulative material to fill regions between the individual lines and subsequent to depositing the electrically insulative material, removing a portion of at least one of the individual lines to isolate gate electrode material of a first transistor device from gate electrode material of a second transistor device. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.