Abstract: A lateral double-diffused metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect (LDMOS) transistor includes a silicon semiconductor structure, a dielectric layer at least partially disposed in a trench of the silicon semiconductor structure in a thickness direction, and a gate conductor embedded in the dielectric layer and extending into the trench in the thickness direction. The dielectric layer and the gate conductor are at least substantially symmetric with respect to a center axis of the trench extending in the thickness direction, as seen when the LDMOS transistor is viewed cross-sectionally in a direction orthogonal to the lateral and thickness directions.

Abstract: Described is a system (100) and medical device (200) for the electromagnetic tracking of a medical instrument transported through a medical device, the medical device having a central axis (210), a channel (206) that receives and transports a medical instrument through the medical device, the channel extending to a distal portion (202) of the medical device and being in communication with an opening (216) in the medical device that is not aligned with the central axis, the device having a tracking component (220, 224) that is a plurality of coordinated electromagnetic sensors for generating a virtual axis (222) of travel for the medical instrument, with the virtual axis passing through the opening of the device and being aligned with tool insertion axis (206).

Abstract: An instrument driving mechanism includes an instrument drive assembly (140) including a first set of wheels (136) coupled to a first end portion and a second set (138) of wheels coupled to a second end portion opposite the first end portion. The first set of wheels is configured to engage an elongated instrument (104) therein such that a rotation plane of the first set of wheels is coplanar with a longitudinal axis of the instrument. The second set of wheels is configured to engage the elongated instrument therein such that a rotation plane of the second set of wheels is obliquely oriented with the longitudinal axis of the instrument wherein motion of the instrument is controlled by controlling rotations of the wheels. The instrument drive assembly mounts to a mounting position (149) of a medical device that permits the instrument to pass therethrough and is configured to fix a position of the instrument drive assembly to enable positioning of the instrument.

Abstract: A method and system track a location of an object while the object is disposed within a region of interest within biological tissue, the location of the object being determined with respect to a tracking coordinate frame; generate acoustic images of the region of interest, the acoustic images being generated with respect to an acoustic image coordinate frame which is different from the tracking coordinate frame; transform the location of the object from the tracking coordinate frame to the acoustic image coordinate frame; and automatically adjust at least one image resolution parameter of the acoustic images in response to the location of the object with respect to the acoustic image coordinate frame.

Abstract: A biopsy device with a hollow shaft is suggested, the shaft having a wall and a distal end portion, wherein a sidewardly facing notch is formed in the distal end portion. At least two optical fibers are arranged in the wall of the shaft so that end surfaces of the fibers are arranged in a longitudinal direction at opposite positions with respect to the notch.

Abstract: A method includes defining, on a surface of a material, a plurality of discrete portions of a surface as surface elements having at least one of a laterally-varying size, a laterally-varying shape, and a laterally-varying spacing. A plurality of portions of the material beneath the surface elements are doped with a single quantity of dopant material per element area. The dopant material within the material beneath the surface elements expands to provide a lateral gradient of dopant material in the material beneath the surface elements.

Abstract: An instrument positioning mechanism includes a mounting position (125) on a medical device having a channel configured to permit an instrument (104) to pass therethrough. An instrument support (146) is configured to support a length of the instrument. A pivotal connection (150) is configured to rotatably adjust an angle between the support and the mounting position.

Abstract: A method and system track a location of an object while the object is disposed within a region of interest within biological tissue, the location of the object being determined with respect to a tracking coordinate frame; generate acoustic images of the region of interest, the acoustic images being generated with respect to an acoustic image coordinate frame which is different from the tracking coordinate frame; transform the location of the object from the tracking coordinate frame to the acoustic image coordinate frame; and automatically adjust at least one image resolution parameter of the acoustic images in response to the location of the object with respect to the acoustic image coordinate frame.

Abstract: A system for providing navigational guidance to a sonographer acquiring images is disclosed. The system may providehaptic feedback to the sonographer. The haptic feedback may be provided through an ultrasonic probe or a separate device. Haptic feedback may include vibrations or other sensations provided to the sonographer. The system may analyze acquired images and determine the location of acquisition and compare it to a desired image and a location for obtaining the desired image. The system may calculate the location for obtaining the desired image based, at least in part, on the acquired image. The system may then provide the haptic feedback to guide the sonographer to move the ultrasonic probe to the location to acquire the desired image.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a high-voltage field-effect transistor includes forming a body region, a source region, and a drain region in a semiconductor substrate. The drain region is separated from the source region by the body region. Forming the drain region includes forming an oxide layer on a surface of the semiconductor substrate over the drain region and performing a plurality of ion implantation operations through the oxide layer while tilting the semiconductor substrate such that ion beams impinge on the oxide layer at an angle that is offset from perpendicular. The plurality of ion implantation operations form a corresponding plurality of separate implanted layers within the drain region. Each of the implanted layers is formed at a different depth within the drain region.

Abstract: A method for mapping coordinates between images and tracking systems includes providing a calibration tool having a fixed geometric shape. The calibration tool includes first sensors associated with an imaging mode and second sensors associated with a tracking mode. The first and second sensors are distributed and mounted at known locations on the fixed geometric shape. The first sensors are located in a field of view of an imaging system to determine a position of the calibration tool in image space. The second sensors are tracked to determine a same position of the calibration tool in tracking space. The image space and the tracking space are mapped in a common coordinate system based on artifacts of the calibration tool.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a transistor includes a pillar of semiconductor material arranged in a racetrack-shaped layout having a substantially linear section that extends in a first lateral direction and rounded sections at each end of the substantially linear section. First and second dielectric regions are disposed on opposite sides of the pillar. First and second field plates are respectively disposed in the first and second dielectric regions. First and second gate members respectively disposed in the first and second dielectric regions are separated from the pillar by a gate oxide having a first thickness in the substantially linear section. The gate oxide being substantially thicker at the rounded sections. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure.

Abstract: A system and method to support exploring the interior of an object. The system 100, 200 includes a graphical user interface generator (GG) to generate a graphical user interface (GUI). The graphical user interface (GUI) includes an indicator (NC) of a current position of an interventional tool (IT) inside an object (OB). There is also an exploratory indictor (PC) to indicate material composition and/or type that surrounds the tool's tip (TP) at a current position in the object (OB). The exploratory indicator (PC) includes a pointer element for a current reading against a dial element for a range of possible values.

Abstract: A classification-based medical image segmentation apparatus includes an ultrasound image acquisition device configured for acquiring, from ultrasound, an image depicting a medical instrument such as needle; and machine-learning-based-classification circuitry configured for using machine-learning-based-classification to, dynamically responsive to the acquiring, segment the instrument by operating on information (212) derived from the image. The segmenting can be accomplished via statistical boosting (220) of parameters of wavelet features. Each pixel (216) of the image is identified as “needle” or “background.” The whole process of acquiring an image, segmenting the needle, and displaying an image with a visually enhanced and artifact-free needle-only overlay may be performed automatically and without the need for user intervention.

Abstract: Systems and methods for image registration includes an image feature detection module (116) configured to identify internal landmarks of a first image (110). An image registration and transformation module (118) is configured to compute a registration transformation, using a processor, to register a second image (112) with the first image based on surface landmarks to result in a registered image. A landmark identification module (120) is configured to overlay the internal landmarks onto the second image using the registration transformation, encompass each of the overlaid landmarks within a virtual object to identify corresponding landmark pairs in the registered image, and register the second image with the first image using the registered image with the identified landmarks.

Abstract: A process for fabricating a tapered field plate dielectric for high-voltage semiconductor devices is disclosed. The process may include depositing a thin layer of oxide, depositing a polysilicon hard mask, depositing a resist layer and etching a trench area, performing deep silicon trench etch, and stripping the resist layer. The process may further include repeated steps of depositing a layer of oxide and anisotropic etching of the oxide to form a tapered wall within the trench. The process may further include depositing poly and performing further processing to form the semiconductor device.

Abstract: Systems and methods for image guidance include an imaging system (124) configured to generate images, the imaging system including a display (126) to permit user selection of areas of interest in the images. One or more objects (134, 138) are visible in the images. A computation engine (116) is configured to combine coordinate systems of the imaging system, the areas of interest, and the one or more objects to provide measurement and/or location information. A bidirectional communication channel (122) is configured to couple the imaging system and the computation engine to permit transmission of the images and the areas of interest to the computation engine and transmission of the measurement and/or location information to the imaging system.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an ultrasound elastography system (10) for providing a shear wave elastography measurement result of an anatomical site (32), wherein the ultrasound signal and image processing assembly (16) is further configured to determine a location (94, 95, 96) of a shear wave elastography measurement result within the three-dimensional image (98) of the anatomical site (32) and to display the location (94, 95, 96) of a shear wave elastography measurement result to the user. Further, a corresponding method is provided.

Abstract: Guidance in acquiring ultrasound imaging of a subject to achieve a target view, such as a standard view, entails emitting ultrasound to the subject and receiving, in response, a current ultrasound view (502);matching the received image to a pre-existing image, such as a three-dimensional reference image (503); and, for user assistance, generating, based on the matching, feedback (514-528) for the guidance. The reference image may be a statistical atlas or it may be derived from patient-specific CT or MR scans. The pre-existing image may instead stead be a database image corresponding to a state in a state space. The feedback can be an image derived from the reference image;a graphic indication (508) of a plane of the target view; the received view fused (512) to an image derived from the reference image; or the received view and an image derived from said reference image, the derived image appearing concurrently and enhanced to spatially indicate where the received view registers to the reference image.

Abstract: A method includes defining, on a surface of a material, a plurality of discrete portions of a surface as surface elements having at least one of a laterally-varying size, a laterally-varying shape, and a laterally-varying spacing. A plurality of portions of the material beneath the surface elements are doped with a single quantity of dopant material per element area. The dopant material within the material beneath the surface elements expands to provide a lateral gradient of dopant material in the material beneath the surface elements.