Abstract: The present invention relates to a colposcopy apparatus (10) for performing a colposcopy procedure. The colposcopy apparatus (10) comprises an imaging unit (11) comprising an optics unit (12) having an optical axis (22) and an image acquiring unit (13) for acquiring an image (21) of a cervix (23) through the optics unit, and at least three light beam emitting units (14, 15, 16, 17) spaced apart from the optical axis, wherein the at least three light beam emitting units are adapted to emit light beams that are coplanar with the optical axis and that intersect on the optical axis at a predefined distance (d10) in front of the colposcopy apparatus, wherein not all of the emitted light beams lie in a same plane. The colposcopy apparatus allows better supporting a user, for instance, a gynecologist, in positioning and/or configuring the colposcopy apparatus for performing the colposcopy procedure.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for cervical image analysis, wherein a transformation zone is identified in an acetic acid image by registering with its Lugol's iodine counterpart. Then, regions in the transformation zone which show significant changes in whiteness are identified as aceto-white regions and registered with the corresponding Lugol's iodine image, and it is determined if the identified regions in the Lugol's iodine image are iodine negative or positive. Based thereon, the aceto-white region can be categorized as one of metaplasia, inflammation or premalignant lesion region.

Abstract: A system (100) is provided for imaging a patient's interior. The system comprises an imaging sensor (120) for acquiring a series of images of a region of interest (020) in the patient's interior, and a plurality of light sources (140) for illuminating the region of interest in the patient's interior from different light source directions (152-156). A light controller (160) is provided for controlling individual ones (142-146) of the plurality of light sources (140) to dynamically vary the light source directions (152-156) during said acquiring. Moreover, a processor (180) is provided for obtaining lighting data (164) indicative of the dynamically varying light source directions. The processor (180) is further arranged for using the lighting data to apply a photometric stereo technique to the image data so as to establish a three-dimensional [3D] surface profile of the region of interest.

Abstract: An automatic, stand-alone, hand-held ultrasound blood-vessel examination device includes a reduced number of transducer elements and presents a simplified user interface, without the need for displaying an image of any of the vessels. The probe, in one embodiment, acquires and examines a volume of interest, searches for a target vessel, tests the vessel for normality of blood flow, and reports the diagnosis, all automatically and without need for user intervention. In another embodiment, the probe finds a body vessel in a volume, and extracts a clinical Doppler parameter, all automatically and without need for user intervention.

Abstract: A system (100) is provided for imaging a patient's interior. The system comprises an imaging sensor (120) for acquiring a series of images of a region of interest (020) in the patient's interior, and a plurality of light sources (140) for illuminating the region of interest in the patient's interior from different light source directions (152-156). A light controller (160) is provided for controlling individual ones (142-146) of the plurality of light sources (140) to dynamically vary the light source directions (152-156) during said acquiring. Moreover, a processor (180) is provided for obtaining lighting data (164) indicative of the dynamically varying light source directions. The processor (180) is further arranged for using the lighting data to apply a photometric stereo technique to the image data so as to establish a three-dimensional [3D] surface profile of the region of interest.

Abstract: The invention provides a system (100) for acquiring cervical images which comprises an image acquisition subsystem (120) for acquiring cervical images (122) of a cervical region of a patient during a colposcopy procedure, and a display subsystem (160) for displaying the cervical images on a display (060) by providing image data (162) of the cervical images to the display. According to the invention, the image acquisition subsystem (120) is arranged for, when operating in an interval mode, acquiring the cervical images (122) at predetermined time intervals to obtain a time-series of cervical images showing changes in the cervical region over time, and reporting a progress of said acquiring to the display subsystem. Moreover, the display subsystem (160) is arranged for establishing a progress indicator (400-416) on the display by generating indicator data (164) and providing the indicator data to the display (060), the progress indicator providing visual feedback on the progress of said acquiring to a user.

Abstract: The invention provides for a medical instrument for examining the cervix comprising an optical examination system, a processor for controlling the medical instrument, and a memory containing machine executable instructions. Execution of the instructions causes the processor to: acquire a cervical image using the optical examination system; calculate a set of interest point locations using a digital filter; calculate a filtered set of interest point locations using the set of interest point locations and a morphological filter; calculate a reduced set of interest points locations using the filtered set of interest point locations and a neighborhood based filter; calculate a classified set of interest point locations reduced set of interest points and a trained classification module; calculate a set of punctation locations using the classified set of interest point locations and a second neighborhood based filter; and calculate punctation mark regions using the punctation point locations.

Abstract: A device (308) is configured for examining pulsatile flow, for deriving, based on the examined flow, spectral characteristics and for, based on the derived characteristics, determining which one or more pulse cycles are to be selected as representative of the flow. The cycles selected can be consecutive and amount to a predetermined number of cycles, such as five. The cycles (200) subject to selection may initially be filtered out based on waveform anomalies, with the surviving cycles in a consecutive group of sufficient number being judged based on parameters such as waveform caliper measurements and other types of the characteristics. Good cycles are detected (202) by their lack of variation, with respect to the measured parameters, from each respective, parameter median over the spectrogram cycles not initially filtered. The technique may, according to user selection, take into account additional parameters suited to particular medical application. Uses include correctly identifying an artery by name.

Abstract: Method, system and software product for identifying high risk pregnancies comprising the step of generating a spectrogram from ultrasound Doppler signals reflected from the uterine artery and determining the maximum frequency envelope of said spectrogram, and of defining a systolic part and a diastolic part of the maximum frequency envelope and calculating an area ratio under said systolic and diastolic part (AR). This area ratio relates to the blood volume in the uterine artery.

Abstract: A device is configured for interrogating a blood vessel to derive flow characteristics (S628) and for, responsive to the deriving and based on the derived characteristics, anatomically identifying the vessel. A spatial map of the vessels may be generated based on the interrogating, and specifically the Doppler power computed from data acquired in the interrogating. Subsequent interrogating (S668) may occur, based on the map and on a user-selected set of vessels and/or vessel categories, to derive clinical Doppler indices. The device can be designed to automatically set a sample volume (509) for the subsequent interrogating, and to operate automatically from the user selection to display of the indices. The display may further include an image (524) of the vessels summoned by the set, annotated by their individual anatomical names, and optionally a diagnosis relating to blood flow. The displayed image may be enlarged to zoom in on the user's onscreen selection.

Abstract: A device images time-wise in parallel using transducer elements of a group (428, 432, 436, 440). In some embodiments, the elements are of a current group and imaging is time-wise sequential by group. The groups may be spatially disposed (408, 412) with respect to each other so as to mutually intermesh element-wise. The imaging may include volumetric imaging. The device can be configured for not collectively using any of the elements to focus, nor to steer, a beam used in the imaging. The device might be operable to transition between spacing states (404, 408, 412) at least one of which is characterized by a respective minimum, nonzero, degree of intra-group, element-to-element non-adjacency (470), or may be fixed at one spacing state. The transitioning may be automatic, in response to input indicative of blood vessel size and/or depth.

Abstract: Disclosed is an ultrasound device for measuring blood flow velocity in a blood vessel of a subject without imaging functionality in the device. The measurement depends upon reflections of a collimated beam of ultrasound from a subject's body part. Received electrical signals representative of the reflected ultrasound energy is used for generating a representation of blood flow at a plurality of predetermined locations in the volume and calculating a first blood flow velocity at each of the locations. The representation of flow is used for delineating the blood flow in the blood vessel in the volume. An angle calculating unit calculates the Doppler angle between the direction of the radiated collimated beam in the delineated blood flow at each point. A velocity calculator calculates a second blood flow velocity at the plurality of points based on the calculated first velocities and the calculated angle at the point.

Abstract: The invention provides for a medical instrument for examining the cervix comprising an optical examination system, a processor for controlling the medical instrument, and a memory containing machine executable instructions. Execution of the instructions causes the processor to: acquire a cervical image using the optical examination system; calculate a set of interest point locations using a digital filter; calculate a filtered set of interest point locations using the set of interest point locations and a morphological filter; calculate a reduced set of interest points locations using the filtered set of interest point locations and a neighborhood based filter; calculate a classified set of interest point locations reduced set of interest points and a trained classification module; calculate a set of punctation locations using the classified set of interest point locations and a second neighborhood based filter; and calculate punctation mark regions using the punctation point locations.

Abstract: An automatic, stand-alone, hand-held ultrasound blood-vessel examination device (100) requires a reduced number of transducer elements (126) and presents a simplified user interface (136-140), without the need for displaying an image of any of the vessels. The probe, in one embodiment, acquires and examines a volume of interest (106), searches for a target vessel, tests the vessel for normality of blood flow, and reports the diagnosis, all automatically and without need for user intervention. In another embodiment, the probe finds a body vessel (108-112) in a volume, and extracts a clinical Doppler parameter, all automatically and without need for user intervention.