Tissue Attenuation Or Impedance Measurement Or Compensation Patents (Class 600/442)
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Patent number: 9265481Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for providing an equalized ultrasound echo signal for the rendering intravascular images. The system includes an ultrasound catheter including an ultrasound transducer probe. An intravascular ultrasound console receives an ultrasound echo signal corresponding to reflections of an ultrasound signal by backscatterers. An ultrasound echo signal time-gain compensation equalizer compensates the ultrasound echo signal according to sub-bands within a frequency response spectrum of the ultrasound echo signal. After applying selective amplifier gains on the sub-bands, the sub-band signals are combined to create an equalized ultrasound echo signal.Type: GrantFiled: May 4, 2012Date of Patent: February 23, 2016Assignee: Volcano CorporationInventors: Andrew Hancock, Dale Gene Dorando
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Patent number: 9207321Abstract: Disclosed is an ultrasound system including a variable lookup table. The ultrasound system includes the variable lookup table, a data acquiring unit to acquire ultrasound data, a lookup table generating unit to generate a variable lookup table according to the acquired ultrasound data, a three-dimensional (3D) rendering unit to perform 3D rendering with reference to the generated variable lookup table, and a display unit to display the 3D rendering result.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2010Date of Patent: December 8, 2015Assignee: SAMSUNG MEDISON CO., LTD.Inventor: Sung Yoon Kim
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Patent number: 9078593Abstract: An ultrasound probe device including an array of transducers, at least one of which is movable relative to at least one of the other transducers. Each movable transducer may be movable relative to at least one of the other transducers along one axis of movement only, preferably parallel with an initial direction of travel of emitted ultrasound waves relative to the device.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 2009Date of Patent: July 14, 2015Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITEDInventor: James Alastair Southern
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Patent number: 9028414Abstract: An ultrasonic observation apparatus is provided with a signal amplifier which amplifies a signal of an ultrasonic wave received from a sample with an amplification factor according to a receiving depth in order to use the signal in generating a B-mode image, a B-mode image data generator which generates B-mode image data in which the amplitude of the signal of the ultrasonic wave amplified by the signal amplifier is converted into brightness for display, an amplification corrector which performs correction to cancel the influence of the amplification by the signal amplifier in order to make the amplification factor constant with respect to the signal of the ultrasonic wave amplified by the signal amplifier regardless of the receiving depth, a frequency analyzer which calculates a frequency spectrum by analyzing the frequency of the signal of the ultrasonic wave corrected by the amplification corrector, and a feature data extractor which extracts feature data of the sample by performing an approximation procesType: GrantFiled: July 30, 2012Date of Patent: May 12, 2015Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.Inventor: Hironaka Miyaki
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Patent number: 9005126Abstract: Tissue Pulsatility Imaging (TPI) is an ultrasonic technique developed to measure tissue displacement or strain in the brain due to blood flow over the cardiac and respiratory cycles. Such measurements can be used to facilitate the mapping of brain function as well as to monitor cerebral vasoreactivity. Significantly, because tissue scatters ultrasound to a greater extend than does blood, using ultrasound to measure tissue displacement or strain in the brain is easier to implement than using ultrasound to measure blood flow in the brain. Significantly, transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD) has been used to measure blood flow in the brain to map brain function and monitor cerebral vasoreactivity; however, TCD can only acquire data through the three acoustic windows in the skull, limiting the usefulness of TCD. TPI is not so limited.Type: GrantFiled: May 2, 2008Date of Patent: April 14, 2015Assignee: University of WashingtonInventors: Kirk Beach, John C. Kucewicz, Barbrina Dunmire
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Publication number: 20150065880Abstract: An estimated value of sound velocity of a subject interior is derived more stably and with higher accuracy. A phasing processing section provides, to each of received signals that were generated by piezoelectric elements respectively, respective delay times that were computed on the basis of each of plural set sound velocities, and phases the received signals per set sound velocity. A degree of similarity deriving section derives, for each of the set sound velocities, a degree of mutual similarity among received signals that were phased by the phasing processing section. An optimal set sound velocity deriving section derives, as an optimal set sound velocity, an estimated value of sound velocity of the subject interior on the basis of the degree of mutual similarity among the received signals of each of the set sound velocities.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 6, 2014Publication date: March 5, 2015Inventor: Kimito KATSUYAMA
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Publication number: 20150005635Abstract: A method for categorizing whole-breast density is disclosed. The method includes the steps of exposing breast tissue to an acoustic signal; measuring a distribution of an acoustic parameter by analyzing the acoustic signal; and obtaining a measure of whole-breast density from said measuring step. An apparatus is also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 15, 2014Publication date: January 1, 2015Inventors: Carri Glide-Hurst, Nebjosa Duric, Peter Littrup
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Patent number: 8915851Abstract: An ultrasound imaging apparatus and ultrasound image display method simultaneously obtain photo-acoustic information and elasticity information of a subject, and generate and display a single image having the photo-acoustic information and the elasticity information, thereby enhancing accuracy and efficiency of a diagnosis. The ultrasound imaging apparatus includes a probe to radiate light when stress is applied and when stress is not applied to the subject, and to receive a corresponding first acoustic wave signal and a second acoustic wave signal, a data acquisition unit to acquire first acoustic wave data and second acoustic wave data that each represent optical absorption rate information about the subject, an elasticity information generating unit to calculate elasticity information about the subject, an image generating unit to generate a single image having both of the optical absorption rate information and the calculated elasticity information, and a display unit to display the generated image.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2012Date of Patent: December 23, 2014Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Inventor: Kang Sik Kim
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Patent number: 8917268Abstract: A method for automatically displaying an organ of interest includes accessing a series of medical images acquired from a first imaging modality, receiving an input that indicates an organ of interest, automatically detecting the organ of interest within at least one image in the series of medical images, automatically placing a visual indicator in the region of interest, and automatically propagating the visual indicator to at least one image that is acquired using a second different imaging modality. A medical imaging system and a non-transitory computer readable medium are also described herein.Type: GrantFiled: November 11, 2011Date of Patent: December 23, 2014Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Robert John Johnsen, Istvan Ubelhart, Ferenc Kovacs, Andras Kriston, Tamas Blaskovics
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Publication number: 20140371589Abstract: A subject information obtaining apparatus includes a shape detector configured to detect the shape of a holding member holding a subject and a shape controlling unit configured to control the shape of the holding member based on result of a detection by the shape detector.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 10, 2014Publication date: December 18, 2014Inventor: Takaaki Nakabayashi
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Publication number: 20140350403Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging method includes emitting ultrasonic pulses in different directions and acquiring ultrasonic echo signals from an object, calculating an attenuation rate of the ultrasonic echo signals, correcting the acquired ultrasonic echo signals based on the attenuation rate, and outputting the corrected ultrasonic echo signals as an ultrasonic image.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 21, 2014Publication date: November 27, 2014Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.Inventors: Young Ihn KHO, Sun Kwon KIM, Sung Chan PARK, Hee Sae LEE
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Patent number: 8897855Abstract: In an imaging procedure, sound pressure is generated by applying ultrasound to the region to be imaged in order to cause a deformation of tissue therein from at least one acquired ultrasound image data set, first data are determined that represent, with spatial resolution, the deformation of the tissue as a reaction to the sound pressure. At least one magnetic resonance image data set is acquired, from which second data are determined that represent, with spatial resolution, the deformation of the tissue as a reaction to the sound pressure. The at least one ultrasound image data set and the at least one magnetic resonance image data set are brought into registration with each other by a comparison of the first data and the second data.Type: GrantFiled: November 8, 2012Date of Patent: November 25, 2014Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventor: Patrick Gross
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Patent number: 8886291Abstract: A dual imaging probe 300 for obtaining both ultrasound and electrical impedance data is disclosed along with methods of using the dual imaging probe 300 to interrogate tissue. An electrical impedance imaging overlay 330 is adapted to be positioned on a transducer window 304 of an ultrasound probe 320, and may be integrally formed as part of the ultrasound probe 320 or as a modular adapter for coupling with, and optionally uncoupling from, an ultrasound probe 320 to form the dual imaging probe 300. A method (FIG. 6) of reconstructing composite images using both ultrasound and electrical impedance data is described. Applications for medical diagnosis are described. A particular use for prostate imaging is described.Type: GrantFiled: January 7, 2009Date of Patent: November 11, 2014Assignee: The Trustees of Dartmouth CollegeInventors: Alex Hartov, Keith D. Paulsen
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Patent number: 8876716Abstract: A method for characterizing tissue of a patient, including receiving acoustic data derived from the interaction between the tissue and the acoustic waves irradiating the tissue; generating a morphology rendering of the tissue from the acoustic data, in which the rendering represents at least one biomechanical property of the tissue; determining a prognostic parameter for a region of interest in the rendering, in which the prognostic parameter incorporates the biomechanical property; and analyzing the prognostic parameter to characterize the region of interest. In some embodiment, the method further includes introducing a contrast agent into the tissue; generating a set of enhanced morphology renderings of the tissue after introducing the contrast agent; determining an enhanced prognostic parameter from the enhanced morphology renderings; and analyzing the enhanced prognostic parameter.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 2011Date of Patent: November 4, 2014Assignee: Delphinus Medical Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Nebojsa Duric, Peter John Littrup
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Publication number: 20140276058Abstract: Fat fraction is estimated from shear wave propagation. Acoustic radiation force is used to generate a shear wave in tissue of interest. The attenuation, center frequency, bandwidth or other non-velocity characteristic of the shear wave is calculated and used to estimate the fat fraction.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 6, 2013Publication date: September 18, 2014Applicant: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.Inventors: Liexiang Fan, John Benson
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Publication number: 20140249415Abstract: A method for determining, in real time, the probability that target biological tissue is opposite an ultrasonic transducer, the method including: transmitting, via an ultrasonic transducer, an ultrasonic signal into biological tissue; the ultrasonic transducer receiving the transmitted ultrasonic signal which has been backscattered by the biological tissue; calculating at least two instantaneous parameters of the backscattered ultrasonic signal; calculating a predictive value of the presence of an acoustic signature of target biological tissue, the predictive value being calculated via a statistical law using the at least two calculated instantaneous parameters; estimating the probability that the target biological tissue is opposite the ultrasonic transducer, the estimation depending on the calculated predictive value and/or on at least one strength condition based on at least one of the two calculated instantaneous parameters.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 26, 2012Publication date: September 4, 2014Applicant: ECHOSENSInventors: Laurent Sandrin, Véronique Miette, Jennifer Oudry, Stéphane Audiere, Yassine Mofid
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Patent number: 8808183Abstract: A system and method is provided for using ultrasound data backscattered from vascular tissue to estimate the transfer function of a catheter (including components attached thereto—e.g., IVUS console, transducer, etc.). Specifically, in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, a computing device is electrically connected to a catheter and used to acquire RF backscattered data from a vascular structure (e.g., a blood vessel, etc.). The backscattered ultrasound data is then used, together with an algorithm, to estimate the transfer function. The transfer function can then be used (at least in a preferred embodiment) to calculate response data for the vascular tissue (i.e., the tissue component of the backscattered ultrasound data). In a second embodiment of the present invention, an IVUS console is electrically connected to a catheter and a computing device and is used to acquire RF backscattered data from a vascular structure.Type: GrantFiled: September 9, 2010Date of Patent: August 19, 2014Assignee: The Cleveland Clinic FoundationInventors: Anuja Nair, David Geoffrey Vince, Jon D. Klingensmith, Barry D. Kuban
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Publication number: 20140228686Abstract: An integrated device of a patch and sensor assembly detects extravasation or infiltration. A transmitter is positioned to direct power into a body portion. A sensor is positioned to receive the power transmitted through the body portion. A substrate is attachable to an outer surface of the body portion and supports the transmitter and the sensor. A signal processor is coupled to the transmitter and the sensor for detecting a change in a fluid level in the body portion from extravasation or infiltration based on the power received by the sensor. A power supply is coupled to the transmitter and the sensor. An indicator is responsive to the signal processor to indicate a detected change in a fluid level in the body portion from extravasation or infiltration.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 29, 2012Publication date: August 14, 2014Inventor: Chad E. Bouton
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Patent number: 8784317Abstract: A signal processing apparatus scans a beam of elastic waves into an object to be examined, acquires received waveform data of a plurality of scan lines, and performs signal processing to form a tomographic image of said object to be examined from the received waveform data of the plurality of scan lines. The signal processing apparatus includes a scan line correlation calculation part (009) that calculates a correlation value of received waveform data between a first scan line and a second scan line that has a prescribed correlation with the first scan line, for a plurality of positions on the scan lines, and a correlation change position extraction part (010) that extracts, from among the plurality of positions on said scan lines, a position at which the correlation value becomes a value different from a prescribed value as a position at which a unique region can exist.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 2009Date of Patent: July 22, 2014Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hirofumi Taki, Kenichi Nagae, Toru Sato
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Patent number: 8758249Abstract: A method for Tissue Doppler Imaging is provided. The method for Tissue, Doppler Imaging comprises steps of: a) transmitting ultrasound signals to a target area including the tissue to be imaged, and receiving the echo signals returned from the target area; b) performing Doppler estimation on Doppler signals extracted from the echo signals, to acquire Doppler parameters of stationary tissue or nonstationary tissue or blood flow within the target area, wherein the Doppler parameters comprise at least velocity and power; c) processing the acquired power of the Doppler parameters to obtain the power related to the nonstationary tissue within the target area, so as to display the tissue motion.Type: GrantFiled: December 27, 2006Date of Patent: June 24, 2014Assignee: Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yu Zhang, Xin Li
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Patent number: 8747317Abstract: A modular, flexible architecture for offering full-field breast ultrasound (FFBU) functionality and general-purpose ultrasound functionality in a single system is described. A conventional, general-purpose ultrasound system is modified with an FFBU toolkit to create a dual-capability ultrasound system, the dual-capability ultrasound system being able to accommodate both general-purpose ultrasound functionality and FFBU functionality, using a single ultrasound engine. Among other advantages, real-world clinical environments may enjoy cost savings for initial system procurement, space savings on clinic floors, easier and less expensive system upgrades, and the ability to use a single system and user interface for both FFBU screening and for follow-up diagnosis, biopsy, etc.Type: GrantFiled: November 26, 2012Date of Patent: June 10, 2014Assignee: U-Systems, Inc.Inventors: Zengpin Yu, Danhua Zhao, Thomas P. Neff, Wei Zhang, Shih-Ping Wang
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Patent number: 8734352Abstract: Shear wave dispersion ultrasound vibrometry (SDUV) is implemented in some embodiments to form, from a single tracking pulse, in-parallel-directed receive lines (411-426) for making measurements of a monochromatic shear wave. In some embodiments, sampling is performed, over spatial locations by means of passes over the locations, in an interlaced pattern (600) for making measurements of the wave. In some embodiments, measurements are made of the wave and to the measurements are applied a bank of filters (S724) that are tuned to respective candidate wave speeds, all without the need to determine a difference between wave phases at different spatial locations (451-454).Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2010Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.Inventors: Michael R. Burcher, Hua Xie, Anna Teresa Fernandez, Jean-Luc Robert
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Patent number: 8734351Abstract: A method of displaying an elastic image according to the present invention includes the steps of measuring ultrasound cross-section data of a cross-section region of a subject while applying compression to the subject 1 (2, 3, 4), determining distortion of tissue in the cross-section region on the basis of the ultrasound cross-section data, generating an elastic image of the cross-section region on the basis of the distortion, displaying the elastic image on a display device (7), setting a plurality of ROIs on the elastic image displayed on the display device, converting the distortion of each ROI into an index value (12), and displays the index value on the display device (8). In this way, the method enables quantitative evaluation of the hardness of body tissue of a region to be diagnosed.Type: GrantFiled: August 4, 2005Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Hitachi Medical CorporationInventors: Koji Waki, Tsuyoshi Shiina, Makoto Yamakawa, Masaru Maeda
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Patent number: 8708912Abstract: Ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes an unit 7 for forming time series tomographic images on the basis of a reflection echo signals received by ultrasound probe 2, an unit 8 for obtaining the elasticities of body tissue on the basis of the reflection echo signals and forming elasticity images on times series, an unit 9 for forming a superimposition image on time series by superposing the tomographic image on the elasticity image, an unit 43 for inputting an instruction for controlling superimposition image formation, and an unit 10 for displaying the superimposition image. The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus further includes a freezing control portion (7, 8) for outputting an image, as a frozen image, selected in response to a freezing instruction for freezing the display operation on time series of any of the tomographic image or the elasticity image input into the input unit to the superimposition image forming unit.Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 2005Date of Patent: April 29, 2014Assignee: Hitachi Medical CorporationInventors: Takashi Osaka, Takeshi Matsumura
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Patent number: 8700133Abstract: A method and apparatus for inserting and monitoring the placement of a cannula tip within a peripheral vein of a human body where the cannula includes a sensor located at predetermined location and mounted on the cannula for sensing the biological material of the body to guide the insertion of the cannula tip into the vein and alerts to the withdrawal of the cannula tip from the vein in the body.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2012Date of Patent: April 15, 2014Assignee: Smart IV LLCInventor: Lenn R. Hann
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Patent number: 8679019Abstract: The invention relates to a method for measuring thicknesses of materials of multilayered structure. This method includes transmitting one or more ultrasound signals including different frequencies into a multilayered structure consisting of two or more materials with one or more ultrasound transducers, measuring materials, acoustic properties for which are different at the frequencies in use, measuring ultrasound signals reflected from the front surface and back surface of the multilayered structure with one or more ultrasound transducer and determining thicknesses of the materials within multilayered structure from the reflected ultrasound signals.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2007Date of Patent: March 25, 2014Assignee: Bone Index Finland OyInventors: Jukka Jurvelin, Ossi Riekkinen, Mikko Hakulinen
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Patent number: 8672847Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus comprises: a detector for detecting a direction of radial expansion/contraction of a vascular wall associated with a heartbeat in a long-axis image of the vascular wall based on amplitude information of reception signals outputted from an ultrasound probe when a first ultrasonic beam is transmitted and received to and from a blood vessel of a subject through the ultrasound probe by a transmitter/receiver; a controller for controlling the transmitter/receiver so as to transmit and receive a second ultrasonic beam parallel to the detected vascular wall expansion/contraction direction through the ultrasound probe; a tracker for tracking a movement of the vascular wall using amplitude information and phase information of the reception signals outputted from the ultrasound probe when the second ultrasonic beam is transmitted and received; and a calculator for calculating elastic characteristics of the vascular wall based on the tracked vascular wall movement.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 2011Date of Patent: March 18, 2014Assignee: FUJIFILM CorporationInventor: Yukiya Miyachi
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Patent number: 8672846Abstract: In one embodiment, an ultrasound imaging method comprises: providing a probe that includes one or more transducer elements for transmitting and receiving ultrasound waves; generating a sequence of spatially distinct transmit beams which differ in one or more of origin and angle; determining a transmit beam spacing substantially based upon a combination of actual and desired transmit beam characteristics, thereby achieving a faster echo acquisition rate compared to a transmit beam spacing based upon round-trip transmit-receive beam sampling requirements; storing coherent receive echo data, from two or more transmit beams of the spatially distinct transmit beams; combining coherent receive echo data from at least two or more transmit beams to achieve a substantially spatially invariant synthesized transmit focus at each echo location; and combining coherent receive echo data from each transmit firing to achieve dynamic receive focusing at each echo location.Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 2011Date of Patent: March 18, 2014Assignee: Zonare Medical Systems, Inc.Inventors: David J. Napolitano, Brian Derek DeBusschere, Glen W. McLaughlin, Larry Y. L. Mo, Ching-Hua Chou, Ting-Lan Ji, Robert W. Steins
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Publication number: 20140073922Abstract: Embodiments provided herein generally relate to improved ultrasound visualization. In some embodiments, interoperative ultrasound displays may be enhanced for more accurate identification of cancerous and non-cancerous tissues.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 7, 2012Publication date: March 13, 2014Applicant: EMPIRE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT LLCInventor: Richard J. Mammone
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Publication number: 20140066767Abstract: A system and method of processing an ultrasound signal may include, in response to receiving a set of complex frequency samples of the ultrasound signal inclusive of content data and noise at a first noise level and being used to image an anatomical region of a body, resampling multiple subsets of complex frequency samples from the set of complex frequency samples. The resampled subsets of complex frequency samples may be resampled from a first domain into a second domain. The transformed resampled subsets of complex frequency samples may be combined in the second domain to produce a result signal with a second noise level reduced from the first noise level. An image derived from the result signal may be displayed.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 31, 2013Publication date: March 6, 2014Applicants: Clearview Diagnostics, Inc., Rutgers, The State University of New JerseyInventors: Richard Mammone, Christine Podilchuk, Lev Barinov, Ajit Jaoraj, William Hulbert
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Patent number: 8663113Abstract: A method for imaging a volume of tissue in a scan region, including: emitting, from transmitting transducers, acoustic waveforms toward the volume of tissue; detecting, with detecting transducers, a plurality acoustic signals derived from acoustic waveforms interacting with the volume of tissue; generating from the detected acoustic signals a plurality of variable attenuation maps, in which each variable attenuation map corresponds to acoustic signals detected by a respective detecting transducer and includes a plurality of variable attenuation coefficients mapped to the scan region; modifying at least a portion of the detected acoustic signals based on one or more variable attenuation maps; and generating a reflection rendering of the volume of tissue based on the modified acoustic signals.Type: GrantFiled: August 11, 2011Date of Patent: March 4, 2014Assignee: Delphinus Medical Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Steven P Schmidt, Cuiping Li, Olivier Roy, Ivana Jovanovic
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Patent number: 8663112Abstract: A method can include targeting a region of interest below a surface of skin, which contains fat lobuli and delivering ultrasound energy to the region of interest. The ultrasound energy generates a conformal lesion with said ultrasound energy on a surface of a fat lobuli. The lesion creates an opening in the surface of the fat lobuli, which allows the draining of a fluid out of the fat lobuli and through the opening. In addition, by applying ultrasound energy to fat cells to increase the temperature to between 43 degrees and 49 degrees, cell apoptosis can be realized, thereby resulting in reduction of fat.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2009Date of Patent: March 4, 2014Assignee: Guided Therapy Systems, LLCInventors: Michael H. Slayton, Peter G. Barthe
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Patent number: 8652047Abstract: The method of accurately measuring the volume of urine in a bladder includes generating a plurality of ultrasound scan planes using the received ultrasound signals; detecting distances between the front and back walls of the bladder for each scan line in the ultrasound scan planes; determining an area of the bladder using the detected distances of the scan lines for each ultrasound scan plane; generating a virtual radius of the bladder using the determined area of the bladder for each ultrasound scan plane; determining a calibration coefficient for each ultrasound scan plane using the detected distances of the scan lines; calibrating the virtual radius of the bladder for each ultrasound scan plane using the calibration coefficient; determining the volume of urine in the bladder by calculating the volume of a sphere of which the radius is the average of the calibrated virtual radii for the ultrasound scan planes.Type: GrantFiled: September 9, 2010Date of Patent: February 18, 2014Assignee: Mcube Technology Co., Ltd.Inventors: Jung-Hoe Kim, Seung-Tai Kim
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Patent number: 8617073Abstract: Systems and methods for focusing ultrasound through the skull into the brain for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes may be improved by utilizing both longitudinal and shear waves. The relative contribution of the two modes may be determined based on the angle of incidence.Type: GrantFiled: April 17, 2009Date of Patent: December 31, 2013Assignee: Insightec Ltd.Inventors: Oleg Prus, Shuki Vitek
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Publication number: 20130345565Abstract: Acoustic absorption or attenuation of ultrasound is measured. To estimate acoustic absorption or attenuation, the displacement of tissue caused by stress at different frequencies is measured. The absorption or attenuation is calculated from the displacements. The incorporation of different frequencies provides another variable for solving for attenuation or absorption despite unknown tissue stiffness.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 25, 2012Publication date: December 26, 2013Applicant: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.Inventors: Liexiang Fan, Paul Donald Freiburger
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Patent number: 8600140Abstract: An image reconstruction apparatus includes: a transmission signal generation unit configured to generate a transmission signal in an image reconstruction region, in order to acquire an image reconstruction value; an electromagnetic wave measurement unit configured to measure electromagnetic waves by receiving the transmission signal; an image reconstruction unit configured to update a parameter by using a matrix of matched system of a Sinc-Gauss-shaped basis function which is allocated to each node of a reconstruction mesh in the image reconstruction region, and generate an image reconstruction value; and an optimization determination unit configured to determine whether the parameter of the image reconstruction unit is optimized or not, and output the image reconstruction value or cause the image reconstruction unit to repetitively perform the calculation, wherein the reconstruction mesh has a grid structure of which the size is larger than that of a forward mesh and equal to the image spatial resolution.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2011Date of Patent: December 3, 2013Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research InstituteInventors: Soon-Ik Jeon, Simonov Nikolai, Seong-Ho Son, Hyuk-Je Kim, Jong-Moon Lee, Jae-Ick Choi, Chang-Joo Kim
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Publication number: 20130317364Abstract: An e-bra and a method of using the said e-bra for early detection of breast cancer are disclosed. The method requires women wear the e-bra once a week for ten minutes. The e-bra uses a high frequency electromagnetic wave or a low power laser to scan the breasts and the bounced echo strength is measured for identifying any size tumor in the breast tissue. When a tumor is detected, the e-bra sounds a warning signal to the woman and she needs to go to a doctor for further examination and evaluation.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 25, 2012Publication date: November 28, 2013Inventors: Hansen Qi Yong Weng, Shaam Periyapatna Sundhar
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Patent number: 8545410Abstract: A method and system of strain gain compensation in elasticity imaging is provided. The system can include a probe (120) for transmitting ultrasonic energy into a physiology (150) of a patient (50) and receiving echoes, a display device (170), and a processor (100) operably coupled to the probe and the display device. The processor can process ultrasound imaging data associated with an applied stress of the physiology of the patient. The processor can generate a strain compensation function associated with the applied stress based on at least one of (i) user inputs based on expected results associated with a portion of the physiology, (ii) a strain compensation model generated prior to processing the ultrasound imaging data, and (iii) at least a portion of the imaging data. The processor can apply the strain compensation function to the imaging data to generate a compensated strain image.Type: GrantFiled: December 16, 2008Date of Patent: October 1, 2013Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.Inventors: David Hope Simpson, Unmin Bae
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Publication number: 20130225998Abstract: Described herein is the use of ultrasound pulses at different frequencies to track the dispersion properties of intracranial tissues which may have been altered due to traumatic or other neurological brain injury. Dispersive ultrasound does not provide imaging, but it can provide data of significant diagnostic value by using decision support systems that can be trained as a medical diagnostic system for traumatic brain injuries applications to detect specific patterns of dispersion that are associated with specific intracranial injuries.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2012Publication date: August 29, 2013Inventors: Stergios Stergiopoulos, Andreas Freibert, Jason Zhang
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Publication number: 20130123627Abstract: Disclosed is an object information acquiring apparatus for acquiring object information, including: a probe including a plurality of elements arranged along at least a first direction and configured to sequentially perform transmitting of acoustic wave beams and receiving of reflected waves along the first direction by the plurality of elements; a scanning unit configured to set a second direction intersecting the first direction as a main scanning direction and move the probe at a predetermined speed; and a adjusting unit configured to acquire information on a measurement depth for acquiring object information in a transmitting direction of the acoustic wave beams and determine the number of times of transmitting of acoustic wave beams and receiving of reflected waves along the first direction based on the depth, resolution of the object information in the main scanning direction, and a moving speed of the probe.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 1, 2012Publication date: May 16, 2013Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
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Publication number: 20130123628Abstract: The present invention provides an ultrasound diagnostic device including an ultrasound probe including a plurality of ultrasound transducers transmitting ultrasound waves to an object and receiving ultrasound waves reflected from the specimen to output an ultrasound detection signal, a region-of-interest setting unit setting a region of interest within the specimen, and a variation measuring unit measuring a sonic variation or an attenuation variation of ultrasound waves in the region of interest.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 28, 2012Publication date: May 16, 2013Applicant: FUJIFILM CORPORATIONInventor: FUJIFILM Corporation
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Publication number: 20130123629Abstract: Provided are body fat measuring techniques employed to date, usually applying a certain level of force to the tissue causing narrowing of the adipose tissue layer at the time of measuring. This creates a bias in the adipose layer thickness measurement results that is not accounted for when employing these methods. Provided is a current apparatus and method offering a solution for accounting for this bias thus improving the accuracy of body fat measurements.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 13, 2011Publication date: May 16, 2013Inventors: Avner Rosenberg, Genady Nahshon, Edward Kantarovich
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Publication number: 20130116564Abstract: A microscopic change in structure of sound velocity or attenuation due to a pathological change can be grasped, the change being difficult to grasp with conventional measurement of an absolute value of sound velocity or attenuation.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 28, 2012Publication date: May 9, 2013Applicant: FUJIFILM CORPORATIONInventor: FUJIFILM CORPORATION
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Patent number: 8414493Abstract: Gain is adjusted automatically in ultrasound imaging. The average of signals regardless of type of reflector (e.g., tissue or fluid) is determined, such as from all data in a frame of data representing a scanned region. The gain is set based on the difference between the average and the target. The gain offset is used with or without other gain limitations for analog, digital, or both analog and digital amplifiers. Given less computational expense, a same processor performing image processing functions may be used to also determine gain. A handheld ultrasound scanner with less computation bandwidth may implement the automatic gain adjustment. Given limited space for input devices, a depth gain may be provided without sliders or other depth based gain input.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2007Date of Patent: April 9, 2013Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.Inventor: William M. Derby, Jr.
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Publication number: 20130085389Abstract: An anorectal probe system comprising; an anorectal probe assembly having an insertion end for insertion into a patient's rectum, said probe assembly including a transducer at or adjacent to the insertion end for collecting ultrasound data; a mounting in rotational engagement with said probe assembly at a point distal from the insertion end; said mounting pivotally coupled to the probe assembly at a point intermediate the insertion end and rotational engagement point; wherein on application of a moment about said pivotal coupling, said mounting and probe assembly are arranged to permit selective pivotal movement of the probe assembly about the coupling.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 17, 2008Publication date: April 4, 2013Inventors: Charles Bih Shiou Tsang, Feng Liu, Di Xiao, Shiow Yunn Lim
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Patent number: 8398558Abstract: The invention relates to a Doppler radar heart sensor comprising a radar signal emitter (102); a radar signal receiver (103); a signal pattern matcher (106); and a transmission power adjuster (108). The signal pattern matcher (106) is connected to the radar signal receiver (102) and arranged to analyze a received radar signal (105), to compare the received radar signal with signal patterns, and to issue a corresponding indication signal upon detection of a sufficiently high similarity between the received radar signal and at least one of the signal patterns. A transmission power adjuster (109) is connected to the radar signal emitter (102) and the signal pattern matcher (106), the transmission power adjuster being arranged to gradually modify a transmission power delivered to the radar signal emitter (102) until the signal pattern matcher issues the indication signal. The invention also relates to a corresponding method and a computer program product.Type: GrantFiled: July 3, 2009Date of Patent: March 19, 2013Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.Inventors: Jeroen A. J. Thijs, Robert Pinter, Jens Muehlsteff
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Patent number: 8382670Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnosis system and strain distribution display method utilizing an ultrasonic probe for performing transmission/reception of ultrasonic signals to/from a subject, a storage arrangement for storing the properties of signals detected with the ultrasonic probe, a correlation computer for calculating a correlation coefficient between the properties with and without pressure applied to the subject, and a phase difference between the received signals with and without application of pressure, based upon the properties stored in the storage arrangement with and without pressure applied to the subject, a computer for calculating a displacement of each measurement point, and a strain distribution of tissue of the subject due to application of pressure, based upon the correlation coefficient and phase difference calculated by the correlation computer, and a display for displaying the strain distribution.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2010Date of Patent: February 26, 2013Assignees: Tsuyoshi Shiina, Hitachi Medical CorporationInventors: Tsuyoshi Shiina, Makoto Yamakawa, Naotaka Nitta
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Publication number: 20130046181Abstract: In one embodiment, airway occlusion detection is performed by applying ultrasonic pulses into the neck of a patient, receiving the ultrasonic pulses after they have passed through the neck, and analyzing the pulses to determine whether or not an airway of the patient is partially or fully occluded.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 17, 2012Publication date: February 21, 2013Applicant: Board of Regents, The University of Texas SystemInventors: Mohammad Al-Abed, Khosrow Behbehani, Pietro Antich, Donald Watenpaugh, John Burk
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Publication number: 20130046175Abstract: A displacement measurement method for achieving, at each position of interest, high accuracy measurement of a displacement, a velocity and a strain in an actually generated beam direction by measuring the beam direction angle from ultrasound echo data. The method includes the steps of: generating an ultrasound echo data frame through scanning an object in a lateral direction with an ultrasound steered beam having one steering angle; calculating both a beam direction and a frequency in the beam direction based on an azimuth angle ?=tan?1(fy/fx), a polar angle ?=cos?1[fz/(fx2+fy2+fz2)1/2], and a frequency (fx2+fy2+fz2)1/2 in the case where first spectral moments calculated from local ultrasound echo data at plural different temporal phases are expressed by a three-dimensional frequency vector (fx, fy, fz); and calculating a displacement component in the beam direction at each position of interest generated between plural different temporal phases.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 20, 2012Publication date: February 21, 2013Inventor: Chikayoshi SUMI
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Publication number: 20130041260Abstract: A method for imaging a volume of tissue in a scan region, including: emitting, from transmitting transducers, acoustic waveforms toward the volume of tissue; detecting, with detecting transducers, a plurality acoustic signals derived from acoustic waveforms interacting with the volume of tissue; generating from the detected acoustic signals a plurality of variable attenuation maps, in which each variable attenuation map corresponds to acoustic signals detected by a respective detecting transducer and includes a plurality of variable attenuation coefficients mapped to the scan region; modifying at least a portion of the detected acoustic signals based on one or more variable attenuation maps; and generating a reflection rendering of the volume of tissue based on the modified acoustic signals.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 11, 2011Publication date: February 14, 2013Inventors: Steven Schmidt, Cuiping Li, Olivier Roy, Ivana Jovanovic