Patents by Inventor Yoko Okamura

Yoko Okamura 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).

  • Publication number: 20130006108
    Abstract: An ultrasound apparatus according to the present embodiments includes a receiving unit and a probe controlling unit. The receiving unit receives settings in relation to the aperture of the ultrasound probe and the region of interest of the subject with a contrast agent injected. The probe controlling unit controls the ultrasound probe based on the settings received by the receiving unit in such a manner as to transmit an ultrasound wave from the vibrator arranged in the aperture to the region of interest.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicants: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation, Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hiroki YOSHIARA, Naohisa KAMIYAMA, Tetsuya YOSHIDA, Yoko OKAMURA, Yuko KANAYAMA
  • Publication number: 20120253181
    Abstract: An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus includes: a scan controlling unit that exercises control to perform a first scanning process by transmitting an ultrasound wave in a first direction and a second scanning process by transmitting an ultrasound wave in each of a plurality of directions; an image generating unit that generates a first ultrasound image and second ultrasound images from the first and the second scanning processes, respectively; an image generation controlling unit that has a needle image generated, based on an analysis result on the brightness distribution of each member of a group of images based on the first ultrasound image and the second ultrasound images or an analysis result on the brightness distribution of each of the second ultrasound images; an image synthesizing unit that generates a synthesized image from the first ultrasound image and the needle image; and a display controlling unit that displays the synthesized image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicants: TOSHIBA MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION, KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Yoko OKAMURA, Naohisa KAMIYAMA
  • Patent number: 8105240
    Abstract: The ultrasonic imaging apparatus comprises an ultrasonic probe, a detecting part, a position analyzing part, a display control part, a display part, and a storage part. The detecting part is mounted on the ultrasonic probe operable to detect a part of a prescribed pattern formed on an ultrasonic low attenuation medium. In the storage part, the prescribed pattern formed on the ultrasonic low attenuation medium has been preliminarily stored. Upon receipt of detection results from the detecting part, the position analyzing part specifies the position of a part of the detected pattern on the prescribed pattern by referring to the prescribed pattern stored in the storage part. The display control part controls the display part to display the positional relation between the ultrasonic probe and the subject to be examined regarding the position of a part of the prescribed pattern that has been detected as the position of the ultrasonic probe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Naohisa Kamiyama, Yoko Okamura
  • Publication number: 20110295118
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus includes an image memory, an output-information creating unit, and a control unit. The image memory associates and stores an ultrasound image and a first image that is set in accordance with a schematic image representing a portion imaged onto the ultrasound image and a positional image indicating a scanning position with ultrasound when creating the ultrasound image. The output-information creating unit creates a second image based on a shape of the first image stored by the image memory. The output-information creating unit then creates an image that image information extracted from the ultrasound image associated with the first image is superimposed onto the created second image, as output information. The control unit performs control of outputting the output information created by the output-information creating unit to an external device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2011
    Publication date: December 1, 2011
    Applicants: TOSHIBA MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION, KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventor: Yoko OKAMURA
  • Publication number: 20110270087
    Abstract: An apparatus for ultrasonic diagnosis including a probe configured to transmit ultrasonic waves and to receive reflected ultrasonic waves, an image generator configured to generate an ultrasonic image based on the reflected waves, an image synthesizing unit configured to generate a synthetic image in which a puncture guideline, which indicates a passing line of a puncture needle inserted from a puncture adapter attached to the probe, is superposed on the ultrasonic image, a display area adjusting unit configured to adjust a display area of the synthetic image based on the passing line of the puncture needle, and a display controller configured to display the synthetic image on a monitor based on the display area adjusted by the display area adjusting unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2011
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Applicants: TOSHIBA MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION, KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Tetsuya Yoshida, Yoko Okamura
  • Publication number: 20110184291
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprises a data acquisition unit configured to ultrasonically scan a three-dimensional area including a predetermined region of an object and acquire volume data associated with the three-dimensional area, a calculation unit configured to cut the volume data at at least one plane and calculate a full-scale contour of a slice of the predetermined region and a full-scale planned surgical line used for surgical operation of the predetermined region, and an output unit configured to output at least one of the full-scale contour of the slice of the predetermined region and the full-scale planned surgical line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2011
    Publication date: July 28, 2011
    Inventors: Yoko OKAMURA, Naohisa KAMIYAMA
  • Publication number: 20110172531
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus includes an ultrasonic probe, an ultrasonic transmission/reception unit, a volume data generating unit, a projected image generating unit, a two dimensional region-of-interest setting unit, a specifying unit, a calculation unit and a three-dimensional region-of-interest determination unit. The specifying unit specifies cells on rays which pass through the respective pixels in the 2D-ROI and are used to acquire a VR image. The calculation unit calculates the contribution degree of each cell based on the voxel value and opacity of each cell specified and calculates the average value of the contribution degrees of cells equal in distance from the screen of the VR image along the line-of-sight direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Publication date: July 14, 2011
    Inventors: Yuko KANAYAMA, Naohisa Kamiyama, Yoko OKAMURA
  • Publication number: 20100331691
    Abstract: Certain embodiments provide an ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus includes acquiring ultrasonic image data corresponding to each time phase in a first interval including at least one contraction and one stretching by scanning a diagnosis region of an object which repeats a contracting motion and a stretching motion, with an ultrasonic wave, accompanying application of a dynamic load including repetitive contraction and relaxation, over the first interval, generating velocity information of the diagnosis region associated with the contracting motion and the stretching motion by using the ultrasonic image data corresponding to each time phase in the first interval, deciding reference information as a reference for a period of the dynamic load by using the velocity information, and generating support information for supporting operation of applying the dynamic load by using the reference period and outputting the information in a predetermined form.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2010
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Inventors: Yoko OKAMURA, Naohisa Kamiyama
  • Publication number: 20100286526
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is disclosed. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprises an image data acquisition unit which transmits and receives an ultrasonic wave on a plurality of cross sections by selected one of ultrasonic scanning while swinging a one-dimensional array probe and ultrasonic scanning using a two-dimensional array probe thereby to acquire image data for each cross section, a reconstruction unit which reconstructs volume data using a plurality of image data acquired by the ultrasonic scanning, an image generating unit which generates at least one first image using the volume data and a plurality of second images corresponding to the cross section scanned by the ultrasonic wave using the plurality of image data acquired by the ultrasonic scanning, and a display unit which displays the first image or the second image selectively, or displays the first image and the second image simultaneously.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2010
    Publication date: November 11, 2010
    Inventors: Yoko OKAMURA, Naohisa KAMIYAMA, Tetsuya YOSHIDA
  • Patent number: 7766832
    Abstract: A means to which at least two ROIs are input, a calculating means that calculates strain values of tissue with respect to the at least two ROIs by applying a pressure onto an object, and a display means that displays the strain values of the at least two ROIs so as to be compared with each other are comprised.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Yoko Okamura, Masatoshi Nishino, Jiro Higuchi, Tetsuya Higashi
  • Publication number: 20100185092
    Abstract: The analysis image generating unit generates section images from volume analysis data that is collected by sending an ultrasound wave down to a region under the ribs. The right/left identifying unit identifies the right or left breast from cyclic motion components in the section images. The extending direction detecting unit analyzes plane-A images or plane-B images generated from the same volume analysis data, or a plane-C thickness-added MIP image, and detects the rib extending direction. The extending direction detecting unit also determines the position of the ultrasound probe based on the relative displacement of the extending direction. The body mark generating unit generates a body mark from the analysis results obtained by the right/left identifying unit and the extending direction detecting unit. The image synthesizing unit integrates the display image generated by the display image generating unit and the body mark, and displays it on the monitor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2010
    Publication date: July 22, 2010
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Cong YAO, Naohisa Kamiyama, Yoko Okamura
  • Publication number: 20090318809
    Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprises an ultrasonic probe configured to transmit ultrasound to a test body and receive an echo signal, an image generation unit configured to generate a plurality of tomograms with respect to the test body based on the echo signal, an image memory configured to record the generated tomograms, and a control processor. The control processor performs control such that image processing of extracting a microstructure is performed, using correlation between a tomogram stored in the image memory and a tomogram corresponding to a position of the ultrasonic probe at that point in time. The microstructure-extracted image is displayed on the display part in a predetermined form.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2009
    Publication date: December 24, 2009
    Inventors: Yoko OKAMURA, Naohisa Kamiyama
  • Publication number: 20090306508
    Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus disclosed herein comprises an ultrasonic probe which generates an ultrasonic beam, a volume data set collecting unit which collects a plurality of volume data sets corresponding to a plurality of three-dimensional scan ranges via the ultrasonic probe, the plurality of three-dimensional scan ranges partly overlapping one another, a region of interest setting unit which sets, in accordance with a user instruction, a region of interest on a first tomogram generated from particular one of the plurality of volume data sets, a tomogram generating unit which generates the first tomogram from the particular volume data set and also generates a second tomogram associated with a section including the region of interest from another volume data set corresponding to the three-dimensional scan range including the region of interest, and a display unit which displays the first tomogram and the second tomogram.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2009
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Inventors: Tetsuya YOSHIDA, Tetsuya Kawagishi, Naohisa Kamiyama, Yoko Okamura, Yasuhiko Abe
  • Publication number: 20090204000
    Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes an image creating unit configured to create an image of an affected area and an image of a puncture needle inserted into a subject by means of an ultrasonic scanning operation, and a monitor configured to display the image of the affected area and the image of the puncture needle created by the image creating unit, wherein the image creating unit displays a tissue expected to be extracted from the affected area as an image on the monitor before the puncture needle is inserted into the affected area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2009
    Publication date: August 13, 2009
    Inventors: Yoko Okamura, Naohisa Kamiyama, Tetsuya Yoshida, Yasuhiko Abe, Tetsuya Kawagishi
  • Publication number: 20090163806
    Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprises a condition defining/stress data acquiring section for defining a predetermined strain processing condition, radiating an ultrasonic wave to a tissue of a subject to be examined and acquiring stress image data according to the reception signal obtained from the reflected ultrasonic wave in the state of the tissue before bearing a load put thereon, a processing condition storing/defining section for storing the strain processing conditions, an automatically defining/stress data acquiring section for automatically defining the strain processing condition stored in the processing condition storing/defining section and acquiring stress image data on the tissue in a loaded state of the tissue after bearing a load put thereon, a tissue strain data acquiring section for executing a tissue strain imaging process on the stress image data and acquiring tissue strain image data and an image display section for displaying a stress image according to the tissue strain data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2008
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazutoshi Sadamitsu, Yasuhiko Abe, Osamu Nakajima, Yutaka Kobayashi, Yoko Okamura
  • Publication number: 20080319317
    Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus removes a speckle pattern using information on a direction (depth direction) that is substantially orthogonal to a plurality of ultrasonic images included in three-dimensional image data. For example, three-dimensional CFAR processing, two-dimensional CFAR processing, and a depth-direction arithmetic process are performed to discriminate a continuous structure that is three-dimensionally arranged from a local microstructure, thereby generating a microstructure extracted image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2008
    Publication date: December 25, 2008
    Inventors: Naohisa KAMIYAMA, Yoko OKAMURA
  • Publication number: 20080249415
    Abstract: A compression paddle of a mammographic diagnosis apparatus is provided with an opening portion which allows an ultrasonic probe to be fitted therein and slide. This apparatus performs ultrasonic scanning on a breast compressed/fixed to the compression paddle, and reconstructs a compressed breast image by using the obtained ultrasonic image as a virtual image, thereby acquiring an ultrasonic image and volume data of the compressed/fixed breast.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2008
    Publication date: October 9, 2008
    Inventors: Yoko Okamura, Naohisa Kamiyama, Atsuko Sugiyama, Hitoshi Yamagata, Masayuki Nishiki, Naoko Kuratomi, Yasutsugu Seo
  • Publication number: 20080249413
    Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, that generates image data of a C-mode image of an examination-target portion based on volume data generated through an ultrasonic scan of an object and for displaying the C-mode image, has a curved C-mode surface generating unit and a curved C-mode image generating unit. The curved C-mode surface generating unit generates, based on the volume data, a curved C-mode surface formed by a curved surface that curves without including a non-visualized portion. The curved C-mode image generating unit generates image data of a curved C-mode image based on data of the curved C-mode surface generated by the curved C-mode surface generating unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2008
    Publication date: October 9, 2008
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoko OKAMURA, Naohisa Kamiyama
  • Publication number: 20070239006
    Abstract: The ultrasonic imaging apparatus comprises an ultrasonic probe, a detecting part, a position analyzing part, a display control part, a display part, and a storage part. The detecting part is mounted on the ultrasonic probe operable to detect a part of a prescribed pattern formed on an ultrasonic low attenuation medium. In the storage part, the prescribed pattern formed on the ultrasonic low attenuation medium has been preliminarily stored. Upon receipt of detection results from the detecting part, the position analyzing part specifies the position of a part of the detected pattern on the prescribed pattern by referring to the prescribed pattern stored in the storage part. The display control part controls the display part to display the positional relation between the ultrasonic probe and the subject to be examined regarding the position of a part of the prescribed pattern that has been detected as the position of the ultrasonic probe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2007
    Publication date: October 11, 2007
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naohisa Kamiyama, Yoko Okamura
  • Publication number: 20070100237
    Abstract: A means to which at least two ROIs are input, a calculating means that calculates strain values of tissue with respect to the at least two ROIs by applying a pressure onto an object, and a display means that displays the strain values of the at least two ROIs so as to be compared with each other are comprised.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2006
    Publication date: May 3, 2007
    Inventors: Yoko Okamura, Masatoshi Mishino, Jiro Higuchi, Tetsuya Higashi