Ultrasonic Patents (Class 600/437)
  • Patent number: 11129592
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus for diagnosis is disclosed, which has a motor drive unit (MDU) configured to be connected to a catheter, and which generates a vascular optical coherence tomographic image and an ultrasound tomographic image of a subject, based on a signal output from the catheter. The apparatus includes a first inspection unit that inspects the presence or absence of the ultrasound transceiver, based on intensity distribution of the electric signal of the reflected wave which is obtained by a first drive unit, and a second inspection unit that generates line image data in a radial direction, regarding a position of the imaging core as an origin, based on the electric signal of the interference light which is obtained by a second drive unit, and that inspects the presence or absence of the optical transceiver, based on pixel data distribution within a predetermined range from a position of the origin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: TERUMO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toyokazu Horiike, Kenji Maeda
  • Patent number: 11131650
    Abstract: A method of facilitating ultrasonic analysis of a subject is provided. The method involves producing signals for causing a set of outgoing ultrasonic signals to be transmitted to the subject, wherein the set of outgoing ultrasonic signals is defined at least in part by a variable imaging parameter that varies over time in accordance with a variable imaging parameter function, the variable imaging parameter function represented or representable at least in part by a function characteristic, receiving signals representing a time dependent representation of the subject generated from a set of received ultrasonic signals scattered by the subject, determining at least one property representation of the subject based on the function characteristic and the time dependent representation of the subject, and producing signals representing the at least one property representation of the subject to facilitate analysis of the subject. Systems, non-transitory computer readable media, and other methods are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignees: The University of British Columbia, Queen's University at Kingston
    Inventors: Purang Abolmaesumi, Parvin Mousavi
  • Patent number: 11123041
    Abstract: An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus and method enabling general users to easily acquire ultrasound images even when the users are unskilled at using ultrasound diagnosis apparatuses, including a probe comprising an analog front-end controller, an analog-to-digital converter, a field-programmable gate array, and a communication module, the probe being configured to acquire ultrasound data of an object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jae-young Ryu, Dong-ki Kim, Young-hwan Kim, Min-woo Seo, Jei-young Lee
  • Patent number: 11116405
    Abstract: The invention provides for a medical instrument (200) comprising a magnetic resonance imaging system (202) and a high-intensity focused ultrasound system (204) with an electronically controllable and a mechanically controllable focus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Inventors: Ari Ilkka Mikael Partanen, Matthew Robert Dreher, Pavel Sergeyevich Yarmolenko, Bradford Johns Wood, Elma Natalia Carvajal Gallardo
  • Patent number: 11116475
    Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes: an ultrasound probe; an imaging unit that transmits and receives an ultrasound beam to and from a subject using the ultrasound probe and converts a received signal output from the ultrasound probe into an image to generate an ultrasound image of the subject for each frame; a part determination unit that determines an imaging part of the subject using the ultrasound image generated by the imaging unit; a probe state determination unit that determines whether the ultrasound probe is in an aerial emission state or a contact state with the subject; and an apparatus control unit that controls the part determination unit such that part determination is not performed in a case in which the probe state determination unit determines that the ultrasound probe is in the aerial emission state and the part determination is performed in a case in which the probe state determination unit determines that the ultrasound probe has been changed from the aerial emission state to the c
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: FUJTFIT.M Corporation
    Inventor: Tetsurou Ebata
  • Patent number: 11120564
    Abstract: A medical imaging apparatus (10) for inspecting a volume of a subject (12) is disclosed. The medical imaging apparatus comprises an ultrasound acquisition unit (14) including an ultrasound probe for acquiring ultrasound image data of the subject, an image interface (20) for receiving medical image data of the subject, a position determining unit (30) for determining a position of the ultrasound probe. An alignment unit is provided for aligning the ultrasound image data and the medical image data based on anatomical features (32) of the subject and the detected position of the ultrasound probe and for adapting the alignment of the ultrasound image data and the medical image data based on a motion model. An image processing unit (18) is provided for processing the ultrasound image data and the medical image data to fuse the ultrasound image data and the medical image data based on the alignment to combined image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Cecile Dufour, Stephane Allaire, Thomas Tang, Gary Cheng-How Ng
  • Patent number: 11114199
    Abstract: A surgical workflow system for performing a surgical procedure. The surgical workflow system comprises one or more locators arrangeable to determine locations of a plurality of surgical objects. Information conveyor devices are coupled to the one or more locators and are assigned to different participants in the surgical procedure. A workflow controller accesses a pre-scripted workflow having a plurality of workflow steps associated with the surgical procedure, identifies a change event that indicates a deviation from the pre-scripted workflow, determines event information tailored to the different participants based on the change event, and transmits the event information to the participants through the plurality of information conveyor devices so that different event information can be conveyed to the different participants, wherein the event information is provided in the context of the surgical objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: MAKO Surgical Corp.
    Inventor: Jose Luis Moctezuma de la Barrera
  • Patent number: 11109839
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for displaying a 3D ultrasound image volume in a desired view orientation. A 3D ultrasound image can be acquired of an anatomical feature in a patient. The actual orientation of the anatomical feature can be determined in space. The 3D ultrasound image including the anatomical feature can be displayed such that the anatomical feature is positioned in a selected orientation that is different than the actual orientation, and in relation to a lighting model for generating lighting and shadowing on the anatomical feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventor: David Nigel Roundhill
  • Patent number: 11103212
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes system, application, and/or methods for enabling operation of a transducer probe with a medical imaging device. An example method includes the steps of retrieving a user identification code assigned to a user associated with an imaging device, retrieving a transducer identification code of a transducer probe from a memory of the transducer probe responsive to connecting the transducer probe to the imaging device, generating a temporary digital key based on the user identification code and the transducer identification code, retrieving a stored digital key from the memory of the transducer probe, verifying an association of the transducer probe including comparing the stored digital key with the temporary digital key, enabling operation of the transducer probe with the imaging device if the stored digital key matches the temporary digital key.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventor: Dale Allen Chermak
  • Patent number: 11107455
    Abstract: A method for providing a broadband constant beam pattern acoustic array includes providing an array of transducers in a known three dimensional axisymmetric spherical configuration with each transducer element having an associated signal. A user can specify a far field beam pattern for the array. Weightings are calculated for each transducer in the array as being proportional to the voltage that gives the beam pattern power level associated with the bearing for each transducer. Signal power levels for each transducer are modified in accordance with the weightings. The array can be operated for receiving and transmitting signals with a constant beam pattern over a broad range of frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Inventor: Dehua Huang
  • Patent number: 11106199
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes systems and methods for interpreting data from a plurality of input sensors, wherein each of the plurality of input sensors is operationally coupled to a component of an industrial environment. Methods including operating a self-organizing network on the data from the plurality of input sensors, thereby determining a structure in the data, determining a reduced dimensionality view of the data in response to the determined structure in the data, wherein the reduced dimensionality view includes fewer dimensions than the data from the plurality of input sensors, and providing the reduced dimensionality view to a user interface are disclosed together with systems therefore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Strong Force IoT Portfolio 2016, LLC
    Inventors: Charles Howard Cella, Gerald William Duffy, Jr., Jeffrey P. McGuckin, Mehul Desai
  • Patent number: 11096622
    Abstract: Concepts and technologies are disclosed herein for measuring user exertion via bone conduction. According to one aspect, a device can generate a measurement signal. The device can cause a transducer to transmit the measurement signal through a body of a user. The device can receive, via the transducer, a modified measurement signal. The modified measurement signal can include the measurement signal as modified by the body of the user. The device can compare the modified measurement signal to a modified baseline signal. The device can determine, based on a result of comparing the modified measurement signal to the modified baseline signal, a level of exertion experienced by the user while the measurement signal was transmitted through the body of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Christopher Baldwin, Brian S. Amento
  • Patent number: 11096670
    Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic device including: a transmitter which outputs a driving signal for a C-mode image to an ultrasound probe sending and receiving ultrasound; a receiver which obtains a reception signal from the ultrasound probe; and a controller which: calculates an inner product value of packet data of the reception signal and a first orthonormal basis for each degree; sets a conversion function to convert the inner product value into a removal rate to remove a clutter component; converts the calculated inner product value into the removal rate for each degree by using the set conversion function; and generates image data from which a signal component of the C-mode image is removed according to the removal rate for each degree.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Takeda
  • Patent number: 11094049
    Abstract: A target object identification method includes acquiring an image to be identified, identifying at least one target area in the image and marking the target area to obtain at least one marked area, performing binarization processing on the marked area, identifying the boundary pixels and effective pixels of the target area in the marked area, and determining a center and a size of the target area according to a position of the boundary pixels and the effective pixels. An area of the marked area is greater than or equal to an area of the target area. The target area is located within the marked area. A color of pixels of the target area after the binarization process is different from a color of pixels outside the target area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: TRIPLE WIN TECHNOLOGY(SHENZHEN) CO. LTD.
    Inventor: Kuo-Hung Lin
  • Patent number: 11083438
    Abstract: First transmission information in which an optimum transmitting voltage and a transmitting waveform are associated with each other for each display mode, and second transmission information in which a plurality of transmitting voltage candidates and pulse-width modulation transmitting waveforms that are pulse-width-modulation controlled to respectively correspond to the plurality of transmitting voltage candidates are associated with each other for each display mode are used to extract a maximum transmitting voltage candidate that does not exceed an optimum transmitting voltage of a first display mode from a plurality of transmitting voltage candidates included in the second transmission information of a second display mode so as to determine a common transmitting voltage used in common for the first display mode and the second display mode based on the optimum transmitting voltage of the first display mode and/or the maximum transmitting voltage candidate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Kazushi Ota, Akihiro Kawabata, Tomohito Sakai, Takashi Sakai
  • Patent number: 11086453
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an ultrasonic transmitter, an ultrasonic receiver, and an acoustic delay gradient layer disposed in an acoustic path between the ultrasonic transmitter and the ultrasonic receiver. The acoustic delay gradient layer is configured to cause a reflection from a platen interface of the transmitted ultrasonic signal to reach the first receiver region at a first time and the reflection from the platen interface of the transmitted ultrasonic signal to reach the second receiver region at a second time that is different from the first time. The apparatus can further include a controller configured to set for a first region or portion of the receiver, a first range gate window (RGW). The controller is also configured to set, for a second region or portion of the receiver, a second RGW, and to establish a first temporal delay between the first RGW and the second RGW.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: James Anthony Miranto, Jack Conway Kitchens, Stephen Michael Gojevic, Todd Campbell, Stephen James Potter, Steven Pezanoski
  • Patent number: 11083436
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provides an ultrasonic image analysis system which includes an image collection unit which receives and transmits an ultrasonic waveform and obtains two sets of three-dimensional ultrasonic image data; an image analysis unit which registers the two sets of three-dimensional ultrasonic image data to obtain a registration mapping relationship between the two sets of three-dimensional ultrasonic image data; a user interface unit which responds to a treatment done on the two sets of three-dimensional ultrasonic image data by a user through an external hardware device; an image display unit which displays the two sets of three-dimensional ultrasonic image data according to the registration mapping relationship and a result of the treatment of the user interface unit; and an image store unit for storing the two sets of three-dimensional ultrasonic image data and the registration mapping relationship.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: SHENZHEN MINDRAY BIO-MEDICAL ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Longfei Cong, Yong Li, Long Xu, Lei Zhu
  • Patent number: 11078381
    Abstract: A hydrogel that adheres to the surface of materials is provided by using as constituent elements a water-soluble main chain monomer, crosslinking agent, polymerization initiator, and adhesive monomer having at least a catechol group in a side chain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: Japan Science and Technology Agency
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yabu, Matsuhiko Nishizawa, Kuniaki Nagamine, Yuta Saito, Jun Kamei, Tatsuaki Shimazaki, Shun Chihara
  • Patent number: 11071523
    Abstract: An ultrasound observation device includes a controller. The controller is configured to: generate data on an ultrasound image based on an ultrasound signal; automatically set a second region of interest that is relatively stiff in a first region of interest preset within the ultrasound image; and generate data on first and second elastic images each having a display mode according to stiffness of the corresponding first and second regions of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tatsuya Miyake
  • Patent number: 11073613
    Abstract: A method is provided for the optimization of the process decoding coded ultrasound signals that comprises: defining/selecting a coding function for ultrasound pulses transmitted to a body under examination by means of a predetermined probe; defining the coefficients of a filter decoding the received signal depending on the selected coding function; using said filter coefficients as the setting of the decoding filter corresponding to said predetermined probe for all the ultrasound systems provided in combination with said probe; and wherein the coefficients of the decoding filters are determined by the minimization, by a heuristic iterative process, of the difference between the characteristics of a receive signal, obtained in a real transmit/receive sequence and filtered with a decoding filter, and the characteristics of an ideal receive signal, that is a nominal one, by using as the coefficients of the decoding filter those obtained in the last iterative step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: Esaote S.p.A.
    Inventor: Antonio Questa
  • Patent number: 11064942
    Abstract: Embodiments include methods and systems for automated eating detection. Systems comprise a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), accelerometer, and processing unit. During a first time period, the processing unit receives glucose readings and a first set of acceleration readings. The processing unit identifies an eating episode if the glucose readings satisfy one or more criteria. Using the identified eating episode and first set of acceleration readings, the processing unit generates an individual model that identifies eating episodes using acceleration readings without using glucose readings. During a second time period, a processing unit uses the individual model and a second set of acceleration readings to identify a second eating episode. Some embodiments may use additional sensor types (for example, PPG or heart rate) to identify eating episodes in the first or second time period, generate the individual model, or any combination thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: OPTUM LABS, LLC
    Inventors: Steven Catani, Jed Ludlow, Tyler Stigen, Joseph A. Roxas, Nino Paul D. Batanay
  • Patent number: 11064970
    Abstract: Systems and methods of facilitating the viewing of interventional instruments (e.g., needles, catheters, guidewires, vascular filters, biopsy probes) are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a portable, handheld or cart-based ultrasound imaging machine is connected to an external laser light source that transmits laser light to a tip of an interventional instrument via one or more optical fibers. The laser light is absorbed at the distal tip of the instrument and generates a photoacoustic signal. The ultrasound imaging machine creates an image by combining data from the received photoacoustic signals with ultrasound echo data to show both tissue in a region of interest and the tip of the interventional instrument.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: FUJIFILM SONOSITE, INC.
    Inventors: Qinglin Ma, Kerem Karadayi
  • Patent number: 11058398
    Abstract: Systems and methods for performing shear wave elastography using push and/or detection ultrasound beams that are generated by subsets of the available number of transducer elements in an ultrasound transducer. These techniques provide several advantages over currently available approaches to shear wave elastography, including the ability to use a standard, low frame rate ultrasound imaging system and the ability to measure shear wave speed throughout the entire field-of-view rather than only those regions where the push beams are not generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
    Inventors: James F. Greenleaf, Shigao Chen, Pengfei Song, Armando Manduca
  • Patent number: 11062138
    Abstract: Systems and methods for object recognition with limited input are disclosed herein. An example method includes updating a neural network trained to perform object recognition on a first rendition of an object, so that the neural network performs object recognition on a second rendition of the object, using a limited set of input images. The method includes receiving a limited set of model images of the second rendition of the object, accessing a corresponding image mapping, and generating a large number of training images from the limited set, where image mappings include geometric, illumination, and/or obscuration transformations. The neural network is then trained, from this initial small set, to classify the second rendition of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Duanfeng He, Miroslav Trajkovic
  • Patent number: 11058400
    Abstract: An apparatus for evaluating performance of an ultrasonic transducer includes a transducer assembly having an ultrasonic transducer and an acoustic medium and configured to transmit and receive an ultrasonic wave, a storage unit configured to store a reference signal value which represents the performance of the ultrasonic transducer, and a processing unit configured to control the transducer assembly to emit ultrasonic wave and receive a response (echo) signal thereto to measure a magnitude or energy amount of the response signal, the processing unit comparing a measured value with the reference signal value stored in the storage unit to evaluate the performance of the ultrasonic transducer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: SOGANG UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Jin Ho Chang, Jihun Jang
  • Patent number: 11047784
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a sensor for continuous detection of minute changes of density in fluids and biological fluids, solids and semisolid bodies by use of a transducer. The invention also relates to a method for continuous detection of changes of density of fluids or solids as well as use of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: MECSENSE AS
    Inventors: Olav Ellingsen, Bjarte Sorebo Ellingsen
  • Patent number: 11039815
    Abstract: There is provided a signal processing apparatus including a signal processor for processing a signal to be received from or to be transmitted to a vibrator constituting a probe, and a controller for controlling a signal processing parameter of the signal processor to lower a performance of the signal processor when a motion parameter showing a characteristic of a motion of the probe is large.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tatsumi Sakaguchi, Noboru Shibuya
  • Patent number: 11033247
    Abstract: Provided is an ultrasound system configured to detect a flow noise signal at a phantom gate and display a visual indictor representing the detected flow noise signal. The ultrasound system transmits ultrasound signals to an object including a sample volume and receives echo signals from the sample volume and at least one phantom gate. The ultrasound system also generates an ultrasound image based on the received echo signals and displays the generated ultrasound image. Furthermore, the ultrasound system detects a flow noise signal at the at least one phantom gate by using the echo signals and displays a visual indicator representing the detected flow noise signal together with the ultrasound image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: SAMSUNG MEDISON CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sandstrom Kurt, Dae-young Kim, Tae-yun Kim
  • Patent number: 11026584
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a handheld device and an according method for optoacoustic imaging of an object, comprising an irradiation unit for irradiating the object with electromagnetic radiation, for example, light, and a detector unit for detecting acoustic, for example, ultrasonic, waves generated in the object upon irradiation with electromagnetic radiation, wherein the detector unit comprises an array of detector elements. In order to facilitate an acquisition of high-quality tomographic optoacoustic images from different depths within the object at a simple overall design, the handheld device may be provided with a recess, in which the irradiation unit and the array of detector elements are provided, wherein the detector elements are arranged in the recess such that the surface normals of at least a part of the detector elements are directed to a region of interest on or within the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: iThera Medical GMBH
    Inventor: Marcin Kacprowicz
  • Patent number: 11027154
    Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for thermal therapy in a male prostate patient. The apparatus includes a long tubular element that is to be inserted into a patient's urethra so that a first tip end of it reaches up into the patient's diseased prostate. The elongated portion includes a narrow cylindrical tube within which an ultrasonic array is disposed along the long axis of the cylinder. Fluid is pumped into and out of a treatment zone of said patient as needed to control a temperature of a region in said treatment zone. A motorized driver is used to controllably rotate said elongated portion and the ultrasound array therein about the long axis of the apparatus so as to deliver acoustic energy to said diseased tissue. Various control and monitoring components may be used in conjunction with the present apparatus to design, control, and terminate the therapy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: Profound Medical Inc.
    Inventors: Ron Kurtz, Cameron Mahon, Sean Donaldson
  • Patent number: 11030747
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for automatic thoracic organ segmentation. The method includes: receiving three-dimensional (3D) images obtained by a computed tomography (CT) system; processing the 3D images to have the same spatial resolution and matrix size; building a two-stage deep learning framework using convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for organ segmentation; adapting the deep learning framework to be compatible with incomplete training data; improving the CNNs upon arrival of new training data; post-processing the output from the deep learning framework to obtain final organ segmentation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Inventors: Xue Feng, Quan Chen
  • Patent number: 11030780
    Abstract: Ultrasound B-mode images are reconstructed directly from transducer channel signals using a convolutional neural network (CNN). The CNN is trained with a dataset including, as inputs, simulated transducer array channel signals containing simulated speckle and, as outputs, corresponding simulated speckle-free B-mode ground truth images. After training, measured real-time RF signals taken directly from an ultrasound transducer array elements prior to summation are input to the CNN and processed by the CNN to generate as output an estimated real-time B-mode image with reduced speckle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
    Inventors: Dongwoon Hyun, Jeremy J. Dahl, Kevin T. Looby, Leandra L. Brickson
  • Patent number: 11020563
    Abstract: Systems and methods for assisting the placement of a catheter within a vessel of a patient via an ultrasound imaging system are disclosed. The systems and methods described herein relate to an automatic size comparison tool to enable a clinician to determine, prior to insertion of the catheter, whether a particularly sized catheter will fit within a designated vessel of the patient without violating a user-defined rule setting a maximum percentage of the vessel that may be occupied by the catheter. This in turn ensures that the catheter is properly sized for the vessel in which it is placed, according to user-defined preferences. Though described herein as implemented in connection with an ultrasound imaging system, in other embodiments the system and methods described herein can be included with other devices as well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: C. R. Bard, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeanette E. Southard, Matthew J. Prince, Arthur E. Jaquez, Carr A. Harvey
  • Patent number: 11020092
    Abstract: A Doppler ultrasound instrument (10) includes ultrasound pulse control and data acquisition electronics (12, 24, 26) for acquiring Doppler ultrasound data, an N-channel connector port (14) for simultaneously operatively connecting up to N ultrasound transducer patches (16) where N is an integer equal to or greater than two, and an electronic processor (30) programmed to concurrently determine up to N blood flow velocities corresponding to up to N patches operatively connected to the N channel connector port. The blood flow velocity for each patch may be determined by: determining transducer blood flow velocities for ultrasound transducers (60) of a transducer array of the patch; and determining the blood flow velocity for the patch as a highest determined transducer blood flow velocity or as an aggregation of highest determined transducer blood flow velocities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Minnan Xu, Balasundar Iyyavu Raju, Ajay Anand
  • Patent number: 11013500
    Abstract: A biopsy assembly for collecting tissue samples by means of a biopsy needle when introduced in a body cavity. The biopsy assembly comprises an elongated member (101), with a longitudinal axis (102), configured with: a first needle guide (203), arranged to guide a needle in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis (102), and a second needle guide (204, 303) arranged to guide a needle in a direction along the elongated member (101).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: B-K Medical ApS
    Inventors: Per Ehrenreich Nygaard, Gert Karlsson, Bjorn Fortling, Tommy Bjorn Olsen
  • Patent number: 11013489
    Abstract: The pumping of arterial blood into the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) of a patient's brain creates cycle pressure undulations in the CSF and the brain itself. Brain injuries can create abnormal changes in this pressure waveform. Accordingly, the disclosed technology includes an ultrasound based device for monitoring this brain movement in the CSF (“pulsatility”) to diagnose and monitor brain injury.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Inventor: Axel Rosengart
  • Patent number: 11006932
    Abstract: A method of diagnosing the occurrence or non-occurrence of a blood vessel blockage or hemorrhage comprises non-invasively applying ultrasound to a location on a patient's body, where the ultrasound is applied in an alternating and pulsed fashion, administering acoustic amplifiers to the patient, monitoring a feedback acoustic response signal of the acoustic amplifiers triggered by the ultrasound, and determining a diagnosis based at least in part on a relationship between an acoustic response signature of the acoustic response signal and a baseline acoustic response signature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Thilo Hoelscher, Arne Voie
  • Patent number: 11000206
    Abstract: A system for cardiac treatment includes a monitoring probe having a probe distal end, a magnetic field generator coupled to the probe distal end, a catheter having a catheter distal end, a magnetic sensor coupled to the catheter distal end, and a console. The monitoring probe is configured for insertion into an esophagus of a patient. The catheter is configured for insertion into a heart of a patient. The console is configured to drive the magnetic field generator to emit magnetic fields, to receive signals from the magnetic sensor in response to the magnetic fields, and to estimate respective distances between the catheter distal end and the probe distal end based on the signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: BIOSENSE WEBSTER (ISRAEL) LTD.
    Inventors: Assaf Govari, Andres Claudio Altmann
  • Patent number: 11004562
    Abstract: A patient data capture and processing system that comprises general programmable medical device (GPMD) and a patient medical device controller (PPS). The patient server is configured to program the function data store of the GPMD, and obtain the data acquired by the GPMD, via the communications connection, wherein the data is stored in patient data records, and wherein the patient server is further configured to extract and output clinically significant events.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: X-CardioCorp. KK
    Inventor: Ehud Baron
  • Patent number: 11000261
    Abstract: An ultrasound apparatus includes: a display unit configured to display, on an ultrasound image, a measuring device image including a plurality of measuring points which indicate points on the ultrasound image that are to be measured, and an adjusting portion for adjusting the plurality of measuring points; an input unit configured to receive a touch input for changing a position of the adjusting portion; and a controller configured to adjust a position of at least one of the plurality of measuring points based on the changed position of the adjusting portion, and to obtain a measurement value based on positions of the plurality of measuring points including the at least one measuring point, the position of which is adjusted, wherein the plurality of measuring points are disposed apart from the adjusting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: SAMSUNG MEDISON CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seung-ju Lee, Yoon-woo Jun
  • Patent number: 10993701
    Abstract: A clutter reduction effect using adaptive beam forming is uniformly obtained with respect to the entire image even in an imaging condition in which the number of bundled signals is greatly distributed in an ultrasonic image. A received signal processing unit includes a summing unit that bundles the plurality of received signals for a predetermined imaging point or a plurality of signals obtained by processing the received signals, and a weighting unit that obtains a coherence value among the plurality of signals summed in the summing unit, and weights the plurality of signals before being summed in the summing unit or a signal obtained through summing in the summing unit, with a weight corresponding to the coherence value. The weighting unit weights the coherence value nonlinearly in a predetermined direction in the subject, and weights the plurality of signals before being summed in the summing unit or the signal obtained through summing in the summing unit by using the nonlinearly weighted coherence value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Teiichiro Ikeda, Masanori Hisatsu, Chizue Ishihara, Mayumi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 10993676
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for estimating the frequency of a dominant periodic component in an input signal by modelling the input signal using auto-regressive models of several different orders to generate candidate frequencies for the periodic component, generating synthetic sinusoidal signals of each of the candidate frequencies, and calculating the cross-correlation of the synthetic signals with the original signal. The frequency of whichever of the synthetic signals has the highest cross-correlation with the original signal is taken as the estimate of the frequency for the dominant periodic component of the input signal. The method may be applied to any noisy signal which has a suspected periodic component, for example physiological signals such as photoplethysmogram signals, and in the estimation of heart rate and breathing rate from such physiological signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: OXFORD UNIVERSITY INNOVATION LIMITED
    Inventors: Alessandro Guazzi, Syed Ahmar Shah, Lionel Tarassenko
  • Patent number: 10989810
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods for ultrasound imaging using a modified variable sampling beamforming technique. Unlike conventional methods of variable sampling beamforming, in which in-phase and quadrature samples are obtained for each pixel location, in various example embodiments of the present disclosure, the pixel locations are quadrature-spaced such that for each 5 sample point, an adjacent sample point along an A-line is employed as the quadrature sample. The samples at each array element may be triggered according to the time of flight between a first pixel location and the location of the array element, such that successive samples, corresponding to successive pixel locations along the selected A-line, are obtained such that adjacent samples are spaced by a 10 time interval corresponding to a quarter of an odd number of wavelenghths of the beamformed transmit pulse, and such that only one sample is acquired per pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Jeremy Brown, Christopher Samson, Jeff Leadbetter
  • Patent number: 10987083
    Abstract: Described herein are devices and methods useful in automating ultrasound imaging. The device include a base coupled with soft robotics, which may be attached to an ultrasound transducer probe in order to robotically manipulate the probe to perform an ultrasound scan. The device has an adjustable structure configured to hold the probe on a walking soft robot. The device can be configured to be attached to, or worn by, the patient. With soft robotic actuation and locomotion, the holder can move and position the probe during a real time ultrasound scanning procedure. Furthermore, the holder may be equipped with sensors to sense and map pressure and location. The position of the holder can be robotically monitored and controlled so as to achieve consistency and reproducibility between ultrasound scans. Due to the wearable nature of the holder, the scans may be conducted while the patient is in motion, thereby providing a portable solution for ultrasonic imaging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Inventor: Serena Beri
  • Patent number: 10980508
    Abstract: A system and method for integrating diagnosis and treatment for internal tissues includes imaging (202) at least a portion of an internal organ of a subject using a first technology capable of differentiating tissue types, and targeting (205) and accessing biopsy sites using images of the first technology fused with images of a second technology capable of real-time image updates. Treatment of a biopsy site is planned (207) using the images of the first technology. Instruments for treating the biopsy site are guided (210) by fusing (208) the images of the first technology with the images of the second technology.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignees: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Sheng Xu, Jochen Kruecker, Bradford Johns Wood
  • Patent number: 10984907
    Abstract: If a lesion included in a specification target image is a texture lesion, a probability image calculation unit calculates a probability value indicating a probability that each of a plurality of pixels of the specification target image is included in a lesion area. An output unit calculates, as a candidate area, an area including pixels whose probability values are equal to or larger than a first threshold in a probability image obtained from the probability image calculation unit and, as a modification area, an area including pixels whose probability values are within a certain probability range including the first threshold. An input unit detects an input from a user on a pixel in the modification area. A lesion area specification unit specifies a lesion area on the basis of the probability image, the candidate area, the modification area, and user operation information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kensuke Wakasugi, Kenji Kondo, Kazutoyo Takata, Hirohiko Kimura, Toyohiko Sakai
  • Patent number: 10980516
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprises plurality of processing circuitry and control circuitry. The control circuitry comprises a plurality of processing circuitry interfaces, a plurality of internal memories, and a control information interface. The plurality of processing circuitry interfaces respectively connected to the plurality of processing circuitry. The plurality of internal memory respectively connected to the plurality of processing circuitry interfaces. The control information interface configured to transfer control information associated with at least reception of the ultrasonic wave to at least one of the plurality of internal memories.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventor: Jaeho Choi
  • Patent number: 10976433
    Abstract: The invention relates to an ultrasound system for imaging a volumetric region comprising a region of interest comprising: a probe having an array of CMUT transducers adapted to steer ultrasound beams in a variable frequency range over the volumetric region; a beamformer coupled to the array and adapted to control the ultrasound beam steering and provide ultrasound image data of the volumetric region; a transducer frequency controller coupled to the beamformer and adapted to vary operation frequencies of the CMUT transducers within the frequency range, which frequency controller is arranged to set the operation frequency to a first frequency for the ultrasound beam steered in the volumetric region; an image processor responsive to the ultrasound image data, based on which it is adapted to produce an ultrasound image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Wendy Uyen Dittmer, Antonia Cornelia (Jeannet) Van Rens
  • Patent number: 10973493
    Abstract: Disclosed is an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes a holder implemented to hold a probe; an object sensor for detecting physical changes around the holder; an electromagnetic wave sensor for detecting electromagnetic waves around the holder; and a controller for determining a port name for a probe held in the holder, based on sensing values from the object sensor and electromagnetic wave sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: SAMSUNG MEDISON CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Chil Su Kim
  • Patent number: 10974073
    Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system has a thin two dimensional array transducer probe which is taped or belted to a patient to image a target region during radiotherapy. The radiotherapy procedure is conducted based upon planning done based on images of the target region acquired prior to the procedure. The array transducer is operated by an ultrasound system to produce three dimensional images of the target region by electronic beam steering, either during or between fractions of the treatment procedure. The ultrasound images are used to adjust the treatment plan in response to any movement or displacement of the target anatomy during the treatment procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventor: Davide Fontanarosa