Patents by Inventor Pai-Chi Li

Pai-Chi Li has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10881299
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device and an according method for hybrid optoacoustic and ultrasonographic imaging of an object (1), comprising an irradiation unit (2, 3) for irradiating the object (1) with electromagnetic radiation, in particular light, and a transducer unit (4) comprising a plurality of transducer elements (5), the transducer elements (5) being configured to emit ultrasound waves impinging on the object (1) and to detect ultrasound waves which are reflected and/or transmitted by the object (1) upon impinging on the object (1), and to detect ultrasound waves which are generated in the object (1) upon irradiation with electromagnetic radiation, wherein the transducer elements (1) are arranged along a curved line, in particular a concave line, or a curved surface, in particular a concave surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: Ithera Medical GmbH
    Inventors: Christian Wiest, Daniel Razansky, Elena Mercep, Pai-Chi Li, Geng-Shi Jeng
  • Patent number: 10184826
    Abstract: An imaging system is configured for generating vibration region caused by ultrasound wave thereby to obtain a plurality of optically-sectioned images. In the imaging system, a stage is operable to be moved along a plurality of scanning imaging positions, and applied to deposit an object with at least one scattering material. When the object receives an ultrasound wave, a shear wave is generated to displace the scattering material thereby to form a vibration region. A laser generating device is configured to transmit a laser beam, which penetrates the vibration region to form a speckle pattern and focused at a focusing position. An optical imaging device is set at the focusing position to receive the laser beam to generate a plurality of scanning optically-sectioned images with respect to the scanning imaging positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: NATIONAL TAIWAN UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Pai-Chi Li, Pei-Yu Chao
  • Publication number: 20180235474
    Abstract: An imaging system is configured for generating vibration region caused by ultrasound wave thereby to obtain a plurality of optically-sectioned images. In the imaging system, a stage is operable to be moved along a plurality of scanning imaging positions, and applied to deposit an object with at least one scattering material. When the object receives an ultrasound wave, a shear wave is generated to displace the scattering material thereby to form a vibration region. A laser generating device is configured to transmit a laser beam, which penetrates the vibration region to form a speckle pattern and focused at a focusing position. An optical imaging device is set at the focusing position to receive the laser beam to generate a plurality of scanning optically-sectioned images with respect to the scanning imaging positions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2017
    Publication date: August 23, 2018
    Inventors: Pai-Chi LI, Pei-Yu CHAO
  • Patent number: 10004405
    Abstract: A system and an imaging method for using photoacoustic effect are provided in the present invention. The system includes a light source for generating a light beam, a wave-guide probe and an ultrasound receiving device. The wave-guide probe further has a reception portion and at least one transmission portion. The reception portion receives the light beam and then triggers a photoacoustic effect inside the reception portion so as thereby to generate at least one sound wave thereinside to be further transmitted to the at least one transmission portion. The transmission portion is merged into the organic medium. When the sound wave is transmitted to the transmission portion, an ultrasound area is generated inside the organic medium. The ultrasound receiving device is located adjacent to the organic medium, receives the ultrasound generated in the ultrasound area to form an ultrasound image of the organic medium, so as to achieve the imaging method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: National Taiwan University
    Inventors: Pai-Chi Li, Pei-Yu Chao, Kai-Wen Wu
  • Publication number: 20180098754
    Abstract: An image compensation system and method which provided to compensate echo signals acquired from an ultrasound probe which are provided in the present invention. M channels of the ultrasound probe are divided into m groups where each group consists of n channels. For each group, image compensation system takes the average value from n channel data to achieve an average-signal strength echo signal and then computes n error values according to the average-signal strength echo signal and n echo signals within a group. The image compensation system determines n plus and minus sign operators according to the positivity or negativity of the n error values. The image compensation system then calculates a mean absolute error value according to the n error values. Thereafter, n compensated echo signals of the m groups according to the average-signal echo strength, plus and minus sign operators, and the mean absolute error value are digitized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Publication date: April 12, 2018
    Inventors: Pai-Chi LI, U-Wai LOK
  • Publication number: 20170164835
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device and an according method for hybrid optoacoustic and ultrasonographic imaging of an object (1), comprising an irradiation unit (2, 3) for irradiating the object (1) with electromagnetic radiation, in particular light, and a transducer unit (4) comprising a plurality of transducer elements (5), the transducer elements (5) being configured to emit ultrasound waves impinging on the object (1) and to detect ultrasound waves which are reflected and/or transmitted by the object (1) upon impinging on the object (1), and to detect ultrasound waves which are generated in the object (1) upon irradiation with electromagnetic radiation, wherein the transducer elements (1) are arranged along a curved line, in particular a concave line, or a curved surface, in particular a concave surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2015
    Publication date: June 15, 2017
    Applicant: ITHERA MEDICAL GMBH
    Inventors: Christian WIEST, Daniel RAZANSKY, Elena NASONOVA, Pai-Chi LI, Geng-Shi JENG
  • Publication number: 20160327525
    Abstract: A system for generating elasticity image is disclosed in the present invention. The system is provided to generate the elasticity image of an organic medium. In the system, a transmission device of a transmission-reception system is provided to transmit an ultrasound wave at a transmission location of the organic medium to generate a shear wave in the organic medium. The shear wave is transmitted to a reception location of the organic medium to generate a displacement signal. A reception device of the transmission-reception system is received the displacement signal to generate a trigger signal. A processing module is received the trigger signal to calculate a traveling speed according to a transmitting time, a receiving time, the transmission location and the reception location. The transmission-reception system is triggered to process the above mentioned steps at other location of the organic medium to generate the elasticity image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2015
    Publication date: November 10, 2016
    Inventor: Pai-Chi LI
  • Patent number: 9470663
    Abstract: A method of calibrating ultrasound velocity is provided, including receiving an ultrasound non-delayed data set; performing a beam-forming process on the ultrasound non-delayed data set with a plurality of velocities to generate a plurality of aperture images; performing a Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) process to obtain a velocity and two sub-aperture images corresponding to an MAPE value located within an MAPE range; finding a first sub-aperture and a second sub-aperture corresponding to the two sub-aperture images, generating a first aperture image and a second aperture image with corresponding velocity; performing the MAPE process on the first aperture image and the second aperture image to generate an image error corresponding figure having an error curve; finding a trend curve according to the error curve; and finding a lowest point of MAPE value on the trend curve and finding a velocity correspondingly to obtain the calibrated ultrasound velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: National Taiwan University
    Inventors: Pai-Chi Li, Yu-Ming Wei
  • Publication number: 20160213256
    Abstract: A system and an imaging method for using photoacoustic effect are provided in the present invention. The system includes a light source for generating a light beam, a wave-guide probe and an ultrasound receiving device. The wave-guide probe further has a reception portion and at least one transmission portion. The reception portion receives the light beam and then triggers a photoacoustic effect inside the reception portion so as thereby to generate at least one sound wave thereinside to be further transmitted to the at least one transmission portion. The transmission portion is merged into the organic medium. When the sound wave is transmitted to the transmission portion, an ultrasound area is generated inside the organic medium. The ultrasound receiving device is located adjacent to the organic medium, receives the ultrasound generated in the ultrasound area to form an ultrasound image of the organic medium, so as to achieve the imaging method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2015
    Publication date: July 28, 2016
    Inventors: PAI-CHI LI, PEI-YU CHAO, KAI-WEN WU
  • Publication number: 20150229236
    Abstract: The present invention provides a zero-bias capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer element, comprising: a substrate having a lower electrode formed therein; a membrane structure that structurally supports an upper electrode over the lower electrode, wherein the upper electrode has at least one protruding part thereunder; a cavity between the substrate and the membrane structure; and a polymeric material coated on an inner surface of the cavity. The fabrication method of the zero-bias capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer element is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2014
    Publication date: August 13, 2015
    Inventors: Wei-Cheng Tian, Yu-Shan Tien, Fang-Yu Lin, Pai-Chi Li
  • Patent number: 9039622
    Abstract: An image generation system is provided, the system generating an ultrasound image and a photo-acoustic image of an object and including a dual-wavelength laser source, an optical filter, and an optical-based ultrasound sensor. The laser source generates a first laser pulse with a first wavelength or a second laser pulse with a second wavelength. The optical filter almost completely absorbs the energy of the first laser pulse and by the photo-acoustic effect, generates and transmits an ultrasound to the object so the object scatters and reflects the ultrasound. The second laser pulse almost completely penetrates the optical filter and is transmitted to the object so the object absorbs the energy of the second laser pulse, generates and sends a photo-acoustic signal. The optical-based ultrasound sensor receives the ultrasound and the photo-acoustic signal to generate the ultrasound image and the photo-acoustic image of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: National Taiwan University
    Inventors: Pai-Chi Li, Bao-Yu Hsieh
  • Publication number: 20150140659
    Abstract: A three-dimensional cell culture system for an imaging system to observe a cell image includes at least two cell culture layers formed by a solution having a photo-polymerizable monomer, a bio-molecule, an acoustic scattering medium solution and a cell culture medium. After placing a cell into the two cell culture layers, the two cell culture layers are laminated to form a three-dimensional culture laminating layer for culturing the cell. After forming the three-dimensional culture laminating layer, at least one cell-locating layer having a polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) solution, the acoustic scattering medium solution, a plurality of photoacoustic markers and the cell culture medium is positioned into the three-dimensional culture laminating layer so as to form the three-dimensional cell culture system. The imaging system is constructed according to a theory selected from one of optics, acoustics, optoacoutics and acousto-optics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Applicant: NATIONAL TAIWAN UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: PAI-CHI LI, PO-LING KUO, CHIN-HSIUNG TSAI
  • Publication number: 20150101390
    Abstract: A method of calibrating ultrasound velocity is provided, including receiving an ultrasound non-delayed data set; performing a beam-forming process on the ultrasound non-delayed data set with a plurality of velocities to generate a plurality of aperture images; performing an MAE (Mean Absolute Error) process to obtain a velocity and two sub-aperture images corresponding to an MAE value located within an MAE range; finding a first sub-aperture and a second sub-aperture corresponding to the two sub-aperture images, generating a first aperture image and a second aperture image with corresponding velocity; performing the MAE process on the first aperture image and the second aperture image to generate an image error corresponding figure having an error curve; finding a trend curve according to the error curve; and finding a lowest point of MAE value on the trend curve and finding a velocity correspondingly to obtain the calibrated ultrasound velocity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2014
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Applicant: NATIONAL TAIWAN UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: PAI-CHI LI, YU-MING WEI
  • Patent number: 9007869
    Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging system for generating an ultrasonic image of a motion status of an object according to at least an ultrasonic motion signal generated by detecting the motion of the object is provided. The ultrasonic imaging system includes a demodulation module, an analog sub-array beamformer, a filter, an analog-to-digital converter and an image processing module. The demodulation module receives and demodulates the ultrasonic motion signal so as to generate and send at least a demodulated signal. The analog sub-array beamformer receives the demodulated signal, generates and sends an analog sub-array beam signal according to the demodulated signal. The filter receives and filtering the analog sub-array beam signal. The analog-to-digital converter converts the analog sub-array beam signal filtered by the filter into a digital sub-array beam signal. The image processing module receives the digital sub-array beam signal so as to generate an ultrasonic image of the motion of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: National Taiwan University
    Inventors: Pai-Chi Li, Yen-Feng Li
  • Patent number: 9008403
    Abstract: A method of compensating ultrasound image comprising demarcating a plurality of a main material regions of an ultrasound image; executing a full compensation process to generate a full compensation image according to a first attenuation curve of the main material region; generating a brightness comparison table including a plurality of brightness zones which are correspond to a plurality of brightness compensation values according to a plurality of first pixel brightness values of the ultrasound image and a plurality of second pixel brightness values of the full compensation image; executing a linear sum process to generate a compensation image including a second attenuation curve according to the brightness compensation values; generating a compensation curve according to the first and second attenuation curve; and executing space comparison process to the compensation image to generate a better compensation image according to the compensation curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: National Taiwan University
    Inventors: Pai-Chi Li, Yu-Ming Wei
  • Publication number: 20150093002
    Abstract: A method of compensating ultrasound image comprising demarcating a plurality of a main material regions of an ultrasound image; executing a full compensation process to generate a full compensation image according to a first attenuation curve of the main material region; generating a brightness comparison table including a plurality of brightness zones which are correspond to a plurality of brightness compensation values according to a plurality of first pixel brightness values of the ultrasound image and a plurality of second pixel brightness values of the full compensation image; executing a linear sum process to generate a compensation image including a second attenuation curve according to the brightness compensation values; generating a compensation curve according to the first and second attenuation curve; and executing space comparison process to the compensation image to generate a better compensation image according to the compensation curve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Applicant: NATIONAL TAIWAN UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: PAI-CHI LI, YU-MING WEI
  • Patent number: 8963767
    Abstract: A method for detecting the motion of object by ultra-wideband radar imaging and system thereof to be used to present the motion of object in a reference gray-level image by using the delay time to analyze the distance between the detected position of object and the detecting position to compare the time-varying distance variation between the reference distance and the detecting distance. The system includes a transmitter module, a receiver module and a signal processing module. The transmitter module is used to transmit a first ultra-wideband signal from a detecting position to the object. The receiver module is used to receive a second ultra-wideband signal reflected from the object in the detecting position. The signal processing module is used to analyze the signal delay time of the second ultra-wideband signal received in the detecting position to analyze the detecting distance between the second ultra-wideband signal and the detecting position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: National Taiwan University
    Inventors: Pai-Chi Li, Tsung-Chuan Chen
  • Publication number: 20140323853
    Abstract: A microstructure applied to an invasive device which is set in an organism. The microstructure comprises at least two steps which is used to reflect an ultrasound signal to generate an echo signal to produce a location result according to the echo signal as an ultrasound probe transmits the ultrasound signal to the organism wherein the echo signal includes a wave that specific spectral characteristics can be achieved and utilized for effective detection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2013
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: NATIONAL TAIWAN UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Pai-Chi LI, I-Chin WU
  • Publication number: 20140293736
    Abstract: A low complexity motion compensating beamforming system utilizes a probe array to fire for beamforming by synthetic apertures. The beamforming range of each firing is a region of interest (ROI), and the common area of adjacent ROI's forms the common ROI. The central image beam of the common ROI is used to generate image beam vectors, in order to analyze the cross-correlation for the corresponding low resolution images (LRI's). The analysis result is used to compute an offset for sequentially compensating and combining the LRI's to form a high resolution image (HRI). The mechanism helps improve the quality of ultrasonic beamforming and the frame rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2013
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: NATIONAL TAIWAN UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Kuan Yu HO, An Yeu WU, Pai Chi LI, Cheng Zhou ZHAN, Yu Hao CHEN
  • Publication number: 20140200454
    Abstract: An image generation system is provided, the system generating an ultrasound image and a photo-acoustic image of an object and including a dual-wavelength laser source, an optical filter, and an optical-based ultrasound sensor. The laser source generates a first laser pulse with a first wavelength or a second laser pulse with a second wavelength. The optical filter almost completely absorbs the energy of the first laser pulse and by the photo-acoustic effect, generates and transmits an ultrasound to the object so the object scatters and reflects the ultrasound. The second laser pulse almost completely penetrates the optical filter and is transmitted to the object so the object absorbs the energy of the second laser pulse, generates and sends a photo-acoustic signal. The optical-based ultrasound sensor receives the ultrasound and the photo-acoustic signal to generate the ultrasound image and the photo-acoustic image of the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Applicant: NATIONAL TAIWAN UNIVERSITY
    Inventor: PAI-CHI LI