Abstract: A method generates images based on context-aware imaging. The method includes acquiring a first image of a patient using first image acquisition parameters. The method includes determining, within the first image, an area as a function of first data associated with the patient. The method includes determining modification data as a function of at least one of (a) second data corresponding to the determined area and (b) the first data. The method includes determining second image acquisition parameters as a function of the modification data and the first image acquisition parameters. The method includes acquiring a second image of the patient using the second image acquisition parameters.

Abstract: A method includes generating a hyperthermia heat plan for tissue of interest, generating a hyperthermia adapted radiation therapy plan for the tissue of interest, controlling a heat source (126) to deliver heat to the tissue of interest according to the hyperthermia heat plan, and controlling a radiation source of a radiation therapy system (100) to deliver radiation to the tissue of interest according to the hyperthermia adapted radiation therapy plan. A system includes a radiation treatment planner (124) configured to generate a hyperthermia adapted radiation therapy plan for the tissue of interest, a radiation therapy system (100) configured to deliver radiation in accordance with the hyperthermia adapted radiation therapy plan, and a hyperthermia heat delivery system (126) configured to deliver heat in accordance with a hyperthermia plan.

Abstract: A registration apparatus registers an elongated introduction element (18), like a catheter or a needle, during an interventional procedure, for instance, a brachytherapy or a biopsy. A guide element (13) includes at least one opening which guides the introduction element when being introduced into a living being (2) through the opening. A temperature profile generation element (14) associated with the opening generates a characteristic temperature profile at the opening for being transferred to the introduction element when being present in the opening. A temperature determination unit (15) determines a temperature along the introduction element, and a registration unit (16) registers the introduction element. The registering includes identifying the transferred characteristic temperature profile on the introduction element based on the determined temperature. This allows the registration unit to register the introduction element during the introduction process in a simple and efficient manner.

Abstract: A controller for determining shape of an interventional device includes a memory that stores instructions, and a processor that executes the instructions. When executed by the processor, the instructions cause the controller to execute a process that includes controlling an imaging probe to emit at least one tracking beam to an interventional medical device over a period of time comprising multiple different points of time. The process also includes determining a shape of the interventional medical device, based on a response to the tracking beams received over the period of time from a first sensor that moves along the interventional medical device during the period of time relative to a fixed location on the interventional medical device for the period of time.

Abstract: A controller includes a memory that stores instructions, and a processor that executes the instructions. When executed by the processor, the instructions cause the controller to execute a process that includes controlling an imaging probe. The imaging probe is controlled to activate imaging elements to emit imaging signals to generate three or more imaging planes, to simultaneously capture an interventional device and anatomy targeted by the interventional device. The imaging probe is also controlled to simultaneously capture both the interventional device and the anatomy targeted by the interventional device. The imaging probe is controlled to capture at least one of the interventional device and the anatomy targeted by the interventional device in at least two of the three or more imaging planes, and to capture the other of the interventional device and the anatomy targeted by the interventional device in at least one of the three or more imaging planes.

Abstract: A steerable medical catheter includes a tubular body having a longitudinal axis and a distal portion for insertion into a subject, a first pull wire, a second pull wire, and a piezoelectric transducer. The piezoelectric transducer includes a first electrode and a second electrode. At the distal portion of the catheter the first pull wire and the second pull wire are each mechanically coupled to the tubular body at respective first and second offset positions with respect to the longitudinal axis for imparting a curvature on the distal portion of the catheter. At the distal portion of the catheter the first pull wire is electrically connected to the first electrode of the piezoelectric transducer and the second pull wire is electrically connected to the second electrode of the piezoelectric transducer.

Abstract: A determination apparatus determines the pose and shape of an introduction element like a catheter within a living being, wherein the introduction element is adapted to be used by a brachytherapy apparatus for introducing a radiation source close to a target object to be treated. A position determination element like a guidewire with an electromagnetic tracking element is introduced into the introduction element such that it is arranged at different locations within the introduction element, wherein the positions of the position determination element within the introduction element are determined. The determined positions are then acquired depending on the determined positions for determining the pose and shape of the introduction element within the living being. This can lead to a determination procedure with reduced user interaction, thereby simplifying the determination procedure for the user.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a tester to detect a biological signature of a biological sample, a processor, and a memory operably coupled to the processor. The memory stores instructions to cause the processor to receive an indication of the biological signature from the tester, and to generate, using a smart contract and through communication with a distributed ledger, a cryptographic token including a digital identifier based on the biological signature. The cryptographic token is transmitted to a remote processor for verification of the biological sample, in response to receiving the cryptographic token. The tester can detect the biological signature within a predetermined test duration that is less than a DNA sequencing duration associated with the biological sample, and the biological signature has a data precision sufficient to uniquely identify the biological sample from a plurality of biological samples.

Abstract: An electromagnetic field quality assurance system employing an electromagnetic field generator (10) for emitting an electromagnetic field (12), and one or more quality assurance electromagnetic sensors (11, 21, 31, 41, 50) for sensing the emission of the electromagnetic field (12). The system further employs a quality assurance controller (74) for assessing a tracking quality of the electromagnetic field (12) derived from a monitoring of a sensed position of each quality assurance electromagnetic sensor (11, 21, 31, 41, 50) within a field-of-view of the electromagnetic field (12). The electromagnetic field generator (10), an ultrasound probe (20), an ultrasound stepper (30) and/or a patient table (40) may be equipped with the quality assurance electromagnetic sensor(s) (11, 21, 31, 41, 50).

Abstract: An electromagnetic (“EM”) tracking configuration system employs an EM quality assurance (“EMQA”) (30) and EM data coordination (“DC”) system (70). For the EMQA system (30), an EM sensor block (40) includes EM sensor(s) (22) positioned and oriented to represent a simulated electromagnetic tracking of interventional tool(s) inserted through electromagnetic sensor block (40) into an anatomical region. As an EM field generator (20) generates an EM field (21) encircling EM sensor(s) (22), an EMQA workstation (50) tests an EM tracking accuracy of an insertion of the interventional tool(s) through the EM sensor block (40) into the anatomical region.

Abstract: When reducing radiation dose to healthy tissue near a target volume, a 4D motion model (52) of a target volume is generated during CT scan data acquisition. The target volume is tracked, and tracked target volume position information (43) is provided to a motion estimation tool (48). Motion parameter information (60) output from the motion estimation tool is linked to motion phases of the target volume indicated by CT scan data. A dynamic planned target volume (PTV) (64) that covers the target volume in each motion phase is generated and linked to tracked motion parameters for each respective motion phase. A radiation dose is delivered to the PTV for each motion phase using the linked motion parameters and real-time tracking information.

Abstract: The invention relates to an imaging apparatus (24) for imaging an introduction element (17) like a needle or a catheter for performing a brachytherapy or a biopsy. A tracking unit (3, 4) tracks the location of the introduction element within a living being (2), an imaging unit (6) like an ultrasound imaging unit generates an image showing an inner part of the living being, which includes the tracked location of the introduction element, based on the tracked location, and a display (7) displays the image. During the brachytherapy or biopsy the display can always show the introduction element, without requiring a manual control. For instance, it is not necessary that a physician manually controls the position and image plane of the imaging unit. This allows for an accurate and fast insertion of the introduction element into the living being such that a target region is reliably reached.

Abstract: An apparatus (10) for calibrating electromagnetic (EM) tracking of an associated ultrasound probe (12) includes a calibration needle (16), an EM tracking device including a field generator (14) and a reference EM sensor (24), an EM sensor (18, 26) on the ultrasound probe and on the calibration needle; at least one processor (50); and a non-transitory storage medium storing instructions to perform a EM tracking calibration method including: determining a location of the calibration needle in an ultrasound imaging space at a measurement time using the ultrasound probe; determining an EM-tracked location of the calibration needle at the measurement time; and generating a registration relating the location of the calibration needle in the ultrasound imaging space and the EM-tracked location of the calibration needle at the measurement time.

Abstract: The invention relates to an assisting apparatus for assisting in performing brachytherapy. The position of an introduction element (17) like a catheter is tracked particularly by using electromagnetic tracking, while a group of seeds is introduced into a living object (2). This provides a rough knowledge about the position of the seeds within the object. An ultrasound image showing the group is generated depending on the tracked position of the introduction element and, thus, depending on the rough knowledge about the position of the seeds, in order to optimize the ultrasound visualization with respect to showing the introduced seeds. Based on this optimized ultrasound visualization the position of a seed of the group is determined, thereby allowing for an improved determination of seed positions and correspondingly for an improved brachytherapy performed based on the determined positions.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system (1) comprises an ultrasound transducer array (100) comprising a plurality of ultrasound transducer tiles (101a-d), each of said tiles having an independently adjustable orientation such as to conform an ultrasound transmitting surface to a region of a body (50) including a foreign object such as a pacemaker, a stent, or an interventional tool (200). Using a known spatial arrangement of a plurality of features (201-204) of the foreign object (200), the respective ultrasound images generated by the ultrasound transducer tiles are registered in order to generate a composite image, in which the position and orientation of the foreign object in the individual images is superimposed. The position and orientation of an interventional tool may be determined for each image using object recognition algorithms or using acoustic feedback information provided by at least three ultrasound sensors (201-204) arranged in a known spatial arrangement on the interventional tool.

Abstract: A system (200) performs a medical procedure in a region of interest of a patient. The system includes an interventional medical device (214) insertable into the region of interest, and a sensor (215) attached to a portion of the interventional device, the sensor being configured to convert an ultrasonic wave from an ultrasound imaging probe (211) to a corresponding electrical radio frequency (RF) signal. The corresponding RF signal is received by a wireless receiver (209) outside the region of interest, enabling determination of a location of the sensor within the region of interest.

Abstract: An apparatus for performing a medical procedure is disclosed. The apparatus includes a sensor adapted to convert an ultrasonic signal incident thereon into an electrical signal; and a wireless transceiver configured to receive the electrical signal from the sensor, and to transmit the electrical signal to a wireless receiver remotely located from the apparatus.

Abstract: A therapy planning system (10) includes at least one processor (74, 72) programmed to receive an initial elasticity image of the target generated prior to execution of a fraction of a treatment plan for the target. The target is delineated in the initial elasticity image to segment the initial elasticity image. One or more elasticity images of the target generated during and/or after execution of the fraction are received and delineated to segment the elasticity images. The segmentation of the initial elasticity image is compared against the segmentations of the additional elasticity images to identify motion of the target and/or changes of the target. Based on the comparison, the treatment plan is updated and/or execution of the fraction is controlled.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system according to the present disclosure may include an ultrasound transducer assembly comprising a plurality of apertures that are configured to transmit signals toward and receive signals from a region of interest (ROI) of a subject, a tracking sensor disposed within the subject and configured to move within the ROI, the sensor being responsive to signals transmitted by the apertures, and at least one processor in communication with the ultrasound transducer assembly and the tracking sensor.

Abstract: A system for selecting a calibration includes a data structure (138) including non-transitory computer readable storage media having a plurality of calibration entries stored therein and indexed to position and/or orientation criteria for a field generator. The field generator is configured for placement in an environment for sensor tracking. A calibration selection module (140) is configured to determine a position and/or orientation of the field generator and, based on the position and/or orientation, determine, using the data structure, corresponding calibration information stored in the data structure. The calibration information is optimized based upon the position and/or orientation of the field generator.