Abstract: A system and method for tracking the position of a region in a subject using an ultrasound system is provided. Training data that indicates the position of the region is acquired from the subject while ultrasound data is acquired from the subject using the ultrasound system. A position mapping table is formed using the training data and ultrasound data; this table relates position information contained in the training data to the acquired ultrasound data. The position of the region is tracked by acquiring additional ultrasound data from the subject using the ultrasound system. This additional ultrasound data is compared to the ultrasound data contained in the position mapping table to identify the position of the region based on a unique relationship between the position of the region and ultrasound echo signatures of the ultrasound data acquired in both the training and motion tracking stages.

Abstract: A system and method for tracking the position of a region in a subject using an ultrasound system is provided. Training data that indicates the position of the region is acquired from the subject while ultrasound data is acquired from the subject using the ultrasound system. A position mapping table is formed using the training data and ultrasound data; this table relates position information contained in the training data to the acquired ultrasound data. The position of the region is tracked by acquiring additional ultrasound data from the subject using the ultrasound system. This additional ultrasound data is compared to the ultrasound data contained in the position mapping table to identify the position of the region based on a unique relationship between the position of the region and ultrasound echo signatures of the ultrasound data acquired in both the training and motion tracking stages.

Abstract: A system and method for tracking the position of a region in a subject using an ultrasound system is provided. Training data that indicates the position of the region is acquired from the subject while ultrasound data is acquired from the subject using the ultrasound system. A position mapping table is formed using the training data and ultrasound data; this table relates position information contained in the training data to the acquired ultrasound data. The position of the region is tracked by acquiring additional ultrasound data from the subject using the ultrasound system. This additional ultrasound data is compared to the ultrasound data contained in the position mapping table to identify the position of the region based on a unique relationship between the position of the region and ultrasound echo signatures of the ultrasound data acquired in both the training and motion tracking stages.

Abstract: A method of opening a blood-organ barrier of a subject includes providing an exogenous agent configured to facilitate opening of the blood-organ barrier, administering the exogenous agent to a desired region of the subject, and applying energy to the desired region of the subject while the exogenous agent is present in the desired region, the energy being in a blood-organ-barrier-opening amount sufficient to induce opening of the blood-organ barrier of the subject with the exogenous agent present and below a damage amount sufficient to induce thermal damage to tissue in the absence of the exogenous agent.

Abstract: A method of opening a blood-organ barrier of a subject includes providing an exogenous agent configured to facilitate opening of the blood-organ barrier, administering the exogenous agent to a desired region of the subject, and applying energy to the desired region of the subject while the exogenous agent is present in the desired region, the energy being in a blood-organ-barrier-opening amount sufficient to induce opening of the blood-organ barrier of the subject with the exogenous agent present and below a damage amount sufficient to induce thermal damage to tissue in the absence of the exogenous agent.