Ultrasonic Patents (Class 600/437)
  • Patent number: 11609326
    Abstract: A transparent ultrasound transducer device for multi-mode optical imaging on a target is provided. The device includes a transparent piezoelectric transducer, one or more wires, and an optical lens. The transparent piezoelectric transducer of a first acoustic impedance is configured to receive acoustic waves from the target. The transparent piezoelectric transducer has a first surface and a second surface. The first surface and the second surface are coated with transparent electrically conductive coatings. The optical lens is contacted with and optically coupled to the first surface of the transparent piezoelectric transducer. The optical lens is made of a material with a second acoustic impedance, and the first and second acoustic impedances are substantially similar to minimize an acoustic impedance mismatch such that sensitivity of the device is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Kwok Ho Lam, Riqiang Lin, Dongliang Shi
  • Patent number: 11607191
    Abstract: An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus includes a two-dimensional (2D) array ultrasound probe configured to emit focused beams onto focusing points and detect echo signals; and a processor configured to determine the focusing points on a cross-section of interest and acquire shear wave elasticity data with respect to the cross-section of interest based on the detected echo signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: SAMSUNG MEDISON CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Gil-ju Jin, Deok-gon Kim, Sun-mo Yang, Hyoung-ki Lee
  • Patent number: 11602330
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides for ultrasound systems and methods to pre-process ultrasound data to distinguish abnormal tissue from normal tissue. An exemplary method can include receiving a set of ultrasound data and partitioning the set into a set of windows. The method can then provide for processing the set of windows to determine a power spectrum for each window. The power spectrum for each window can be processed to determine a normalized power spectrum for each window. This normalized power spectrum can be processed for each window with a machine learning model. The method can then provide for displaying an image where each window of the set of windows is displayed using a unique identifier based on the output of the machine learning model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: ONCOUSTICS INC.
    Inventor: Ahmed El Kaffas
  • Patent number: 11602260
    Abstract: Devices and methods for treating rhinitis are provided. An integrated therapy and imaging device is provided for single handheld use. The device may have a hollow elongated cannula, a therapeutic element coupled to a distal portion of the cannula, an imaging assembly coupled to the cannula to provide visualization of the therapeutic element, and an articulating region operably coupled to the imaging assembly to articulate the imaging assembly. The imaging assembly may be articulated so as to translate vertically, laterally, axially, and/or rotationally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Arrinex, Inc.
    Inventors: Vahid Saadat, Mojgan Saadat, William Jason Fox
  • Patent number: 11596382
    Abstract: Aspects of the technology described herein relate to methods and apparatuses for enable a user to manually modify an input to a calculation performed based at least in part on an ultrasound image. In some embodiments, manually modifying the input comprises manually modifying a trace on the image. In some embodiments, manually modifying the input comprises manually selecting an ultrasound image from a series of ultrasound images on which a calculation is to be performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: BFLY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Nathan Silberman, Vineet Shah, David Elgena, David Cairns, Elizabeth Lauer, Cristina Shin
  • Patent number: 11596379
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an ultrasound treatment device for HIFU and an ultrasound image, and to a control method therefor. The ultrasound treatment device comprises: a plurality of image converters disposed on one surface of a probe assembly to transmit ultrasound signals to a target and receive signals reflected by the target to create an ultrasound image; a plurality of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) converters disposed on the surface of the probe assembly so as to be located in different positions from the image converters, wherein the HIFU converters transmit ultrasound signals to a target to generate heat energy, thereby treating a tissue within a focusing area; and a control unit performing control such that the difference between apertures of converter arrays constituted by the image converters and the HIFU converters, respectively, is less than a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: SOGANG UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Tai-Kyong Song, Hyungil Kang, Sua Bae, Ji Won Park
  • Patent number: 11598677
    Abstract: A tracking system for tracking a marker device for being attached to a medical device is provided, whereby the marker device includes a sensing unit comprising a magnetic object which may be excited by an external magnetic or electromagnetic excitation field into a mechanical oscillation of the magnetic object, and the tracking system comprises a field generator for generating a predetermined magnetic or electromagnetic excitation field for inducing mechanical oscillations of the magnetic object, a transducer for transducing a magnetic or electromagnetic field generated by the induced mechanical oscillations of the magnetic object into one or more electrical response signals, and a position determination unit for determining the position of the marker device on the basis of the one or more electrical response signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Bernhard Gleich, Juergen Erwin Rahmer, Michael Grass
  • Patent number: 11596812
    Abstract: An ultrasound transducer array is incorporated in a light-weight, conformable, and wearable patch that may be used to deliver, monitor, and control localized transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS). The patch may include full-duplex transmit-receive circuitry that may be used for continuous monitoring of transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) application. The circuitry may include a circulator. The ultrasound transducer array may be coupled to an aperture interface having irregularly sized or shaped channel conductors to provide a coarse aperture for the array. The coarse aperture may be designed using a method that provides a reduced channel count.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
    Inventor: Emad S. Ebbini
  • Patent number: 11593933
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for assessing image quality of ultrasound images. In one example, a method includes determining a probe position quality parameter of an ultrasound image, the probe position quality parameter representative of a level of quality of the ultrasound image with respect to a position of an ultrasound probe used to acquire the ultrasound image, determining one or more acquisition settings quality parameters of the ultrasound image, each acquisition settings quality parameter representative of a respective level of quality of the ultrasound image with respect to a respective acquisition setting used to acquire the ultrasound image, and providing feedback to a user of the ultrasound system based on the probe position quality parameter and/or the one or more acquisition settings quality parameters, the probe position quality parameter and each acquisition settings quality parameter determined based on output from separate image quality assessment models.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: GE Precision Healthcare LLC
    Inventors: Krishna Seetharam Shriram, Rahul Venkataramani, Aditi Garg, Chandan Kumar Mallappa Aladahalli
  • Patent number: 11595570
    Abstract: An image capture apparatus having a customizing function of assigning a predetermined shooting function to a predetermined operation member, comprises a memory and at least one processor which function as an acquisition unit configured to acquire shot image information obtained by a shooting operation of a user, and an estimation unit configured to estimate an operation member suitable for a customizing function to be recommended to a user as a result of executing an estimation processing based on the shot image information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Daiyu Ueno
  • Patent number: 11583259
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed herein for a thermally conductive layer for transducer face temperature reduction in an ultrasound transducer assembly. In one embodiment, the ultrasound transducer assembly comprises: a transducer layer configured to emit ultrasound energy; one or more matching layers overlaying the transducer layer; a thermally conductive layer overlaying the one or more matching layers; and a lens overlaying the thermally conductive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM SONOSITE, INC.
    Inventors: Wei Li, Keith Williams
  • Patent number: 11576655
    Abstract: Systems and methods for harmonic shear wave detection using low frame rate ultrasound, or a three-dimensional (3D) volumetric scan, are provided. As one example, spurious motion sources, such as intrinsic tissue motion and waves that are not at the incident wave harmonic frequency, are removed based on a scanning sequence in which repeated acquisitions from a given subvolume occur closely in time so as to render effects of the spurious motions negligible. As another example, sampling frequency and center frequency are selected such that the spurious motion signal spectra do not overlap with aliased shear wave motion spectra, such that the spurious motions can be filtered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
    Inventors: Pengfei Song, Shigao Chen
  • Patent number: 11574485
    Abstract: Various implementations disclosed herein include devices, systems, and methods that obtain a three-dimensional (3D) representation of a physical environment that was generated based on depth data and light intensity image data, generate a 3D bounding box corresponding to an object in the physical environment based on the 3D representation, classify the object based on the 3D bounding box and the 3D semantic data, and display a measurement of the object, where the measurement of the object is determined using one of a plurality of class-specific neural networks selected based on the classifying of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Amit Jain, Aditya Sankar, Qi Shan, Alexandre Da Veiga, Shreyas V. Joshi
  • Patent number: 11571350
    Abstract: Provided are a medical diagnosis apparatus and a medical diagnosis method using the same. According to an embodiment, the medical diagnosis apparatus may include: a main body; a chair unit movably supported by the main body and on which an object is positioned; a diagnosis part that is movably connected to the main body and is spaced apart from the chair unit by a preset first distance in one plane; a controller configured to generate a control signal for moving the diagnosis part according to preset information; and a first driving device configured to generate a driving force for moving the diagnosis part according to the control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: SAMSUNG MEDISON CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Dai-un Park, Kyeong-gu Woo, Jun-pil Moon
  • Patent number: 11564659
    Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment includes transmission circuitry, receiving circuitry and extracting circuitry. The transmission circuitry cause an ultrasonic probe to perform three or more times of ultrasonic wave transmissions, an ultrasonic wave to be transmitted including a center frequency component, a phase of the center frequency component being different in each transmission. The receiving circuitry generates three or more reception signals corresponding to a common reception scanning line based on a plurality of reflected wave signals, the plurality of reflected wave signals being obtained through the three or more times of ultrasonic wave transmissions. The extracting circuitry extracts a nonlinear component included in the three or more reception signals by adding up the three or more reception signals after performing a processing including phase rotation processing on two or more reception signals among the three or more reception signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: CANON MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroki Yoshiara, Tetsuya Kawagishi, Tomohisa Imamura, Yasunori Honjo, Akihiro Kakee, Yuko Takada
  • Patent number: 11559691
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for improving pacing settings of a pace maker, comprising: receiving a set of pacing settings for the pace maker; receiving measurements or fluid mechanics data relating to the heart of a subject for all or part of the pacing settings of the set; estimating hemodynamic forces parameters by elaborating such measurements or inputting hemodynamic forces parameters as received; estimating hemodynamic forces parameters in the heart of the subject by elaborating such hemodynamic forces; selecting an optimal pacing setting of the set, or calculating further pace settings, based on the hemodynamic forces parameters as estimated A corresponding device and computer program are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Amid srl
    Inventors: Gianni Pedrizzetti, Giovanni Tonti
  • Patent number: 11559280
    Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system and method includes acquiring ultrasound image data of an object while translating the ultrasound probe, where the ultrasound probe includes a scanning surface. The ultrasound imaging system and method includes displaying an acquisition view during the process of acquiring the panoramic ultrasound data. The ultrasound imaging system and method includes automatically determining acoustic contact of the scanning surface with the object while acquiring the panoramic ultrasound data and displaying a color-coded indicator at the same time as the acquisition view, where the color-coded indicator represents the acoustic contact of the scanning surface in real-time during the process of acquiring the panoramic ultrasound data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: GE Precision Healthcare LLC
    Inventors: Menachem Halmann, Cynthia A Owen
  • Patent number: 11557079
    Abstract: This invention relates generally to ionogram image processing, autoscaling and inversion systems and methods for ionospheric monitoring, modeling, and estimation of the same. One advantage of the present invention is to provide a system, e.g., a lightweight, low-power, and fully-autonomous ionospheric monitoring system that is able to provide fully processed and highly accurate ionosphere characterization in near real-time over a low data-rate satellite link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: Atmospheric and Space Technology Research Associates, LLC
    Inventors: Geoffrey Crowley, Timothy M. Duly, Clive Winkler, Syed Irfan Azeem
  • Patent number: 11553895
    Abstract: A highly portable ultrasound system is configured using a wireless ultrasound probe (10), a processor dongle (30) containing a radio and a digital processor running an operating system and an ultrasound control program, and any conveniently available television receiver or display monitor. The sonographer only needs to carry the small wireless probe and the thumbdrive-like dongle in order to turn any available display device, together with the two components carried by the sonographer, into a completely functional ultrasound system. The sonographer can enter a patient's hospital room, plug the processor dongle into the patient monitor in the room, and conduct an ultrasound exam using the patient monitor as the system display, for instance. The system can be controlled by a touchscreen tablet computer, a wireless mouse, or by distinct gestures made by the probe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventor: McKee Dunn Poland
  • Patent number: 11540811
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes ultrasound imaging systems and methods, which may enable the automatic identification of an image plane in a pre-operative volume corresponding to a real-time image of a moving region of interest. An example method includes receiving real-time ultrasound image data from a probe associated with a position-tracking sensor, generating real-time images based on the real-time ultrasound data and deriving a motion model from the real-time ultrasound image data. The method may further include automatically identifying an image plane in a pre-operative data set to correspond to the real-time ultrasound image by correcting for motion-induced misalignment between the real-time data and the pre-operative data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Cecile Dufour, Thomas Shu Yin Tang, Gary Cheng-How Ng
  • Patent number: 11544846
    Abstract: Computer-implemented method and system automatically detects an out-of-view CT scan by receiving a voxel density file, determining a threshold iso-value of density between air density and a material density of one or more scanned objects in the voxel density file, and evaluating, using the threshold iso-value of density, one or more horizontal slices of the voxel density file to determine whether at least a portion of the one or more scanned objects is out of view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: James R. Glidewell Dental Ceramics, Inc.
    Inventors: Sergey Nikolskiy, Fedor Chelnokov, Grant Karapetyan
  • Patent number: 11534144
    Abstract: An ultrasonic probe includes: a plurality of transducers that perform electro-acoustic conversion on transmission pulses applied thereto to generate a transmission beam of ultrasonic waves; and transmission/reception circuits that are provided so as to correspond to each of the plurality of transducers. The transmission/reception circuits set transmission/reception switching timings at which the ultrasonic waves are switched from transmission to reception independently for each of the plurality of transducers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM HEALTHCARE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinya Kajiyama, Shinta Takano
  • Patent number: 11536817
    Abstract: A system and method from improving the image quality achievable with an ultrasound transducer by using a composite aperture for receiving ultrasound echoes. By using two receive cycles per vector, twice as many transducers may be used for receiving ultrasound imaging data than there are physical channels available in the ultrasound probe. An ultrasound probe utilizing a composite aperture can achieve high image quality from a system have reduced power, size, cost and complexity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: INTERSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Roman Solek, Patrice Richard, Albert Lee
  • Patent number: 11534138
    Abstract: A method of determining a three-dimensional motion of a movable ultrasound probe (10) is described. The method is carried out during acquisition of an ultrasound image of a volume portion (2) by the ultrasound probe. The method comprises receiving a stream of ultrasound image data (20) from the ultrasound probe (10) while the ultrasound probe is moved along the volume portion (2); inputting at least a sub-set of the ultrasound image data (20, 40) representing a plurality of ultrasound image frames (22) into a machine-learning module (50), wherein the machine learning module (50) has been trained to determine the relative three-dimensional motion between ultrasound image frames (22); and determining, by the machine-learning module (50), a three-dimensional motion indicator (60) indicating the relative three-dimensional motion between the ultrasound image frames.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignees: piur imaging GmbH, ImFusion GmbH
    Inventors: Julian Sprung, Robert Bauer, Raphael Prevost, Wolfgang Wein
  • Patent number: 11529122
    Abstract: A method of evaluating tissue stiffness of a target area includes positioning an ultrasound elasticity imaging apparatus adjacent a surface of an area of tissue where the target area is located and applying a dynamic range of force to the tissue. A plurality of ultrasound beams can be directed at the tissue and a plurality of ultrasound echoes can be acquired from the strained tissue in the target area to calculate an amount of developed strain within the target area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignees: University of Pittsburgh—Of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education, The Regents of the University of Michigan
    Inventors: Kang Kim, Jingping Xu, Jonathan M Rubin
  • Patent number: 11529125
    Abstract: The invention provides methods and systems for generating an ultrasound image. In a method, the generation of an ultrasound image comprises: obtaining channel data, the channel data defining a set of imaged points; for each imaged point: isolating the channel data; performing a spatial spectral estimation on the isolated channel data; and selectively attenuating the spatial spectral estimation channel data, thereby generating filtered channel data; and summing the filtered channel data, thereby forming a filtered ultrasound image. In some examples, the method comprises aperture extrapolation. The aperture extrapolation improves the lateral resolution of the ultrasound image. In other examples, the method comprises transmit extrapolation. The transmit extrapolation improves the contrast of the image. In addition, the transmit extrapolation improves the frame rate and reduces the motion artifacts in the ultrasound image. In further examples, the aperture and transmit extrapolations may be combined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Francois Guy Gerard Marie Vignon, Jun Seob Shin, Sheng-Wen Huang, Jean-Luc Francois-Marie Robert
  • Patent number: 11529124
    Abstract: An ultrasound imaging apparatus includes an ultrasound transceiver configured to transmit an ultrasound signal to an object and receive an ultrasound echo signal reflected from the object, based on a beamforming parameter of the ultrasound imaging apparatus; and an image processor configured to generate scanning lines forming a frame based on the received ultrasound echo signal, generate sub-frames by sorting the scanning lines into respective groups having the scanning lines with similar properties, based on the beamforming parameter, perform image-processing of the generated sub-frames, and recombine the scanning lines from the image-processed sub-frames to generate an ultrasound medical image corresponding to the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kang-won Jeon, Hyun-taek Lee, Mun-kyeong Hwang
  • Patent number: 11529200
    Abstract: A remote control apparatus according to one or more embodiments may include a display, an operation handle, an armrest, and a supporting mechanism. The supporting mechanism includes a supporting section that supports the display, the operation handle, and the armrest and a driver configured to move the supporting section in an up-and-down direction. The supporting mechanism is configured, upon transitioning between a first mode and a second mode, to move the supporting section by the driver in the up-and-down direction to move the display, the operation handle, and the armrest in an integrated manner in the up-and-down direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: MEDICARON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuki Ishihara, Tetsuya Nakanishi, Shiro Horita
  • Patent number: 11531132
    Abstract: A method and downhole tool is provided that uses beamforming to localize acoustic energy at a desired zone-of-interest within a wellbore traversing a subterranean formation. The tool has an array of transmitter elements configured to emit guided mode acoustic signals at variable amplitude and variable time delay, which are individually controlled by an amplitude factor and time delay assigned to respective transmitter elements. A set of amplitude factors and time delays can be assigned to the transmitter elements of the transmitter array such that the transmitter elements produce a focused acoustic beam at the desired zone-of-interest by combination of guided mode acoustic signals transmitted by the transmitter elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yang Liu, Ralph D'Angelo, Smaine Zeroug, Sandip Bose
  • Patent number: 11526708
    Abstract: An information processing device includes a processor. The processor obtains an input image, inputs the input image to a machine learning model that executes classification likelihood calculation processing to obtain, for each of candidate objects in the input image, likelihoods of belonging to the plurality of classes, executes first determination on whether or not each of the candidate objects is classified as a first class of the plurality of classes using a likelihood of belonging to the first class that is a likelihood having a negative correlation with likelihoods of belonging to other classes, executes second determination on whether or not each of the candidate objects that have been determined in the first determination as a non-first class is classified as the other classes, and outputting a result of classifying the candidate objects included in the input image using a result of the second determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventor: Yohei Nakata
  • Patent number: 11527329
    Abstract: Automatically determining a medical recommendation for a patient based on multiple medical images from multiple different medical imaging modalities. In some embodiments, a method may include receiving a first and second medical images of a patient from first and second medical imaging modalities, mapping a first region of interest (ROI) on the first medical image to a second ROI on the second medical image, generating first annotation data related to the first ROI and second annotation data related to the second ROI, generating first medical clinical data related to the first ROI and second medical clinical data related to the second ROI, inputting, into a machine learning classifier, the first and second annotation data and the first and second medical clinical data, and automatically determining, by the machine learning classifier, a medical recommendation for the patient related to a medical condition of the patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: XIFIN, Inc.
    Inventors: Patricia Anne Goede, Martin Jonathan Barrack
  • Patent number: 11517290
    Abstract: A system and method for acquiring standard ultrasound scan plane views is provided. The method includes acquiring a scan plane by an ultrasound probe positioned at a scan position over a region of interest. The method includes identifying the scan plane as a first standard view. The method includes automatically adjusting a scan acquisition angle until a second standard view is determined. The adjusting the scan acquisition angle includes rotating and/or tilting the scan acquisition angle. The method includes acquiring, by the ultrasound probe positioned at the scan position, an additional scan plane at the adjusted scan acquisition angle until the second standard view is determined. The method includes automatically determining whether the additional scan plane is the second standard view. The method includes presenting the additional scan plane having the second standard view at a display system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: GE PRECISION HEALTHCARE LLC
    Inventors: Svein Arne Aase, Kristin McLeod, Anders Sornes
  • Patent number: 11517284
    Abstract: The medical imaging apparatus of the present invention includes a bath tank for accommodating a test subject, the test subject being at least a portion of a body of a human subject; a measurement device movable in a predetermined direction, the measurement device including ab group of elements to emit a radiation wave into the bath tank and receive a scattered radiation wave; and a control unit for measuring by the measurement device when at least one of a location of the test subject within a plane orthogonal to the predetermined direction, a location of the test subject in the predetermined direction, and continuity of data measured by the measurement device satisfies a predetermined condition. Because of this configuration, the medical imaging apparatus is able to acquire data covering the entire measurement target site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Lily MedTech Inc.
    Inventors: Mika Seki, Kazuo Yuge, Yu Takamura
  • Patent number: 11520874
    Abstract: A method of authorizing a limited use intravascular device can include determining if the intravascular device is in communication with a clinical system; determining if the intravascular device is authorized for clinical operation without providing the clinical system access to intravascular device data stored on the intravascular device; and providing an authorization signal to the clinical system. An intravascular device can include a flexible elongate member including a sensing component at a distal portion and a connector at a proximal portion, the connector including: a memory component configured to store a parameter value; a processing component; and a charge storage component configured to power the memory component and/or the processing component; wherein the processing component is configured to determine if the flexible elongate member is authorized for clinical operation using the parameter value without providing the parameter value to a clinical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: PHILIPS IMAGE GUIDED THERAPY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Timothy J. Kennedy, David Sprague, Jason Y. Sproul, Andreas Johansson, Francis Harrington, Derek Bruce Eldridge, Todd Bitner
  • Patent number: 11510655
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for motion corrected wide-band pulse inversion ultrasonic imaging. A first pulse is transmitted, a second pulse is then transmitted after a delay, with the second pulse having different polarity. Echoes of the first pulse and the second pulse are received, using a reception bandwidth that enables capturing at least a portion of a fundamental portion of each pulse. The echoes are processed, and corresponding ultrasound images are generated based on processing. The processing includes determining displacement data between the first pulse echo and the echo of the second pulse for at least one structure in an imaged area; determining one or more displacement corrections based on the displacement data; applying at least one displacement correction to at least one of the first pulse echo and the echo of the second pulse; and combining the first pulse echo and the echo of the second pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: GE PRECISION HEALTHCARE LLC
    Inventor: Anders R. Sornes
  • Patent number: 11504097
    Abstract: The present embodiments relate generally to systems and methods for acquiring raw ultrasound data from an ultrasound machine using a wirelessly connected device. The systems can be configured to display ultrasound images on a display device and receive input to select the ultrasound images for which to retrieve corresponding raw ultrasound data from the ultrasound machine. A raw data buffer provided at the ultrasound machine may be capable of storing a first time duration of raw ultrasound data. An image display buffer provided at the wireless device may store: processed ultrasound image data corresponding to the raw ultrasound data stored in the raw data buffer; and previously-received processed ultrasound image data that has no corresponding raw ultrasound data stored in the raw data buffer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Clarius Mobile Health Corp.
    Inventors: Kris Dickie, Nishant Uniyal, Benjamin Eric Kerby
  • Patent number: 11497478
    Abstract: Machine learning trains to tune settings. For training, the user interactions with the image parameters (i.e., settings) as part of ongoing examination of patients are used to establish the ground truth positive and negative examples of settings instead of relying on an expert review of collected samples. Patient information, location information, and/or user information may also be included in the training data so that the network is trained to provide settings for different situations based on the included information. During application, the patient is imaged. The initial or subsequent image is input with other information (e.g., patient, user, and/or location information) to the machine-trained network to output settings to be used for improved imaging in the situation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Miroslav Gajdos, Bimba Rao
  • Patent number: 11491351
    Abstract: Methods of treating the skin and in particular removing pigment from a tattoo are provided. In preferred embodiments, a piezoelectric transducer is placed at a plurality of locations above the skin and focused acoustic waves at 7 MHz or more are transmitted into the skin. The focal point of the focused acoustic waves is between 0.1 mm and 5 mm below the surface of the skin. The design of the piezoelectric transducer along with the frequency of operation are carefully chosen to create points of treatment with a desired size and shape. The correct amount of energy is supplied to the points of treatment to produce a lesion of a desired size and shape. The lesions are spaced and located to effect the treatment of the skin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: TOOSONIX A/S
    Inventors: Tomasz Zawada, Torsten Bove
  • Patent number: 11490876
    Abstract: Provided is a technique for evaluating properties of a membranous tissue or a surface of the tissue in a biological body by ultrasonic waves. A method of the invention includes setting one or more measurement points on a surface of the biological tissue to be inspected; measuring, in a state in which an elastic wave propagates to the biological tissue, at least a surface wave of the elastic wave by measuring a displacement of the biological tissue at the measurement point by using an ultrasonic wave; and calculating an index value indicating physical properties of the biological tissue by using the measured displacement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM HEALTHCARE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hideki Yoshikawa
  • Patent number: 11493616
    Abstract: The method includes excitation during which an internal mechanical stress is generated in an excitation zone, and imaging by acquiring signals during movements generated by the mechanical stress in the visco-elastic medium in response to the internal mechanical stress in an. imaging zone that includes the excitation zone. The method further includes calculating a quantitative index associated with the rheological properties of the visco-elastic medium at least at one point of the imaging zone situated at a given depth outside the excitation zone. The quantitative index is representative of a comparison between signals acquired during the movements generated in response to the mechanical stress at least at one point of the excitation zone situated at the given depth, and signals acquired during the movements generated in response to the mechanical stress at at least the point of the imaging zone situated outside the excitation zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: SuperSonic Imagine
    Inventors: Jeremy Bercoff, David Savery, Claude Cohen-Bacrie, Jacques Souquet
  • Patent number: 11484219
    Abstract: Markers and related systems and methods are provided for localizing lesions within a patient's body, e.g., within a breast. The marker includes one or more photosensitive diodes for transforming light pulses striking the marker into electrical energy, one or more antennas, and a switch coupled to the photodiodes and antennas such that the light pulses cause the switch to open and close and modulate radar signals reflected by the marker back to a source of the signals. The antenna(s) may include one or more wire elements extending from a housing, one or more antenna elements printed on a substrate, or one or more chip antennas. Optionally, the marker may include a processor coupled to the photodiodes for identifying signals in the light pulses or one or more coatings or filters to allow selective activation of the marker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Cianna Medical, Inc.
    Inventors: John E. Greene, Nikolai Rulkov, Jonathan White
  • Patent number: 11484290
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for remotely controlling a main processing console of an ultrasound system. In various embodiments, an ultrasound remote controller can be used to remotely control a main processing console of an ultrasound system. The ultrasound remote controller can include a user interface controller configured to provide one or more ultrasound control functions to a user remote from the main processing console. The control functions can be used to remotely control operation of the main console. Further, the user interface controller can be configured to receive input for the one or more ultrasound control functions from the user. The ultrasound remote controller can include a communication interface configured to transmit operational instructions to the main processing console for remotely controlling the operation of the main processing console through the ultrasound remote controller based on the user input for the one or more ultrasound control functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Glen W. McLaughlin
  • Patent number: 11484248
    Abstract: Parametric model based computer implemented methods for determining the stiffness of a bone and systems for estimating the stiffness of a bone in vivo. The computer implemented methods include determining a complex compliance frequency response function Y(f) and an associated complex stiffness frequency response function H(f) and independently fitting a parametric mathematical model to Y(f) and to H(f). The systems include a device for measuring the stiffness of the bone in vivo and a data analyzer to determine a complex compliance frequency response function Y(f) and an associated complex stiffness frequency response function H(f).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Ohio University
    Inventors: Lyn Bowman, Joseph Oberhauser
  • Patent number: 11481894
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and system for calculating stress parameters is provided. The method comprises establishing a first image pyramid according to an image of a sample before deformation, and establishing a second image pyramid corresponding to the first image pyramid according to an image of the sample after deformation; starting from a top level in the first image pyramid, iteratively calculating displacement information on each level in the first image pyramid relative to a corresponding level in the second image pyramid based on a center point of each sub-region at each level in the first image pyramid and other positions in the sub-region; calculating strain information on the sample according to displacement information on a bottom level of the first image pyramid; and calculating stress parameters of the sample based on the strain information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: CHINA UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM-BEIJING
    Inventors: Linlin Wang, Zhilei Luo, Kaikai Jia, Yanchang Deng
  • Patent number: 11478218
    Abstract: Aspects of the technology described herein relate to instructing an operator to move an ultrasound device along a predetermined path relative to an anatomical area in order to collect first ultrasound data and second ultrasound data, the first ultrasound data capable of being transformed into an ultrasound image of a target anatomical view, and the second ultrasound data not capable of being transformed into the ultrasound image of the target anatomical view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: BFLY Operations, Inc.
    Inventor: Alex Rothberg
  • Patent number: 11482327
    Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and apparatuses for estimating the status of a bladder, especially with respect to the likelihood of an imminent voiding of the bladder. The apparatuses carry out computer-implemented methods of estimating a bladder status employing a bladder monitor which collects bladder data (e.g. using ultrasound) and transmits the bladder data to a data processor for algorithmic conversion to a bladder status. Such algorithms may be trained and tuned to a particular person's bladder. Having established a bladder status based on otherwise esoteric bladder data, the data processor may then trigger an alert signal where the bladder status meets particular criteria indicating an imminent voiding event. Such a trigger signal may be used to alert a nocturnal enuresis patient to an impending void so that they can be awoken before any bedwetting occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL LANCASHIRE
    Inventors: Darren William Ansell, Caroline Sanders, Peter Leather, Mahdi Amina, Kaya Kuru
  • Patent number: 11464486
    Abstract: A wireless handheld ultrasound system an ultrasound front end to transmit ultrasonic waves into a subject and convert received ultrasonic echoes into digital data; an image processor coupled to the ultrasound front end to convert the digital data into an image; and a power section coupled to the ultrasound front end and the image processor. The power section may include a battery; a charging circuit to charge the battery; and a wireless power transducer coupled to the charging circuit to convert wireless power received from an external source into electrical energy for the charging circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Glen W. McLaughlin
  • Patent number: 11464488
    Abstract: Various methods and systems are provided for graphical grading of medical findings during a diagnostic imaging exam. In one example, a method includes displaying an acquired medical image on a display area of a display device, displaying a virtual anatomical diagram on the display area adjacent to the ultrasound medical image, responsive to selection of an anatomical region from the anatomical diagram, displaying a plurality of icons representing graded diagnostic findings associated with the anatomical region, and responsive to selection of an icon of the plurality of icons, storing the ultrasound medical image in permanent memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Carmit Shiran, Mor Vardi
  • Patent number: 11464482
    Abstract: A system and method for efficiently transmitting and receiving focused ultrasound through a medium, such as bone, is provided. The focal region of the focused ultrasound is iteratively updated to provide an improved focus through the medium. This method may be carried out using a transducer assembly that includes two or more transmit arrays each operating at a different frequency. An initial focus is set and updated by delivering focused ultrasound with a lower frequency transmit array. The phase corrections determined in the first iteration are applied to subsequently higher frequency transmit arrays and received signals, and the process repeated until a desired focus or image resolution is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Sunnybrook Research Institute
    Inventors: Kullervo Henrik Hynynen, Meaghan Anne O'Reilly
  • Patent number: 11461900
    Abstract: A dynamic image analysis system includes a modality and a hardware processor. The modality generates first and second dynamic images each composed of frame images indicating dynamics of a subject. The processor detects a first signal value of a pixel in a first region in each of the frame images of the first dynamic image. The hardware processor detects a second signal value of a pixel in a second region in which an identical site to that of the first region is imaged, the second region being in each of the frame images of the second dynamic image. The processor determines an image processing condition for making the first signal value close to the second signal value based on the first and second signal values detected. The hardware processor performs image processing on the first dynamic image under the determined image processing condition to generate a processed dynamic image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Sumiya Nagatsuka, Naoki Hayashi