3940results about "Organ movement/changes detection" patented technology

An ultrasonic system useful for providing imaging, therapy and temperature monitoring generally comprises an acoustic transducer assembly configured to enable the ultrasound system to perform the imaging, therapy and temperature monitoring functions. The acoustic transducer assembly comprises a single transducer that is operatively connected to an imaging subsystem, a therapy subsystem and a temperature monitoring subsystem. The ultrasound systems may also include a display for imaging and temperature monitoring functions. An exemplary single transducer is configured such that when connected to the subsystems, the imaging subsystem can generate all image of a treatment region on the display, the therapy subsystem can generate high power acoustic energy to heat the treatment region, and the temperature monitoring subsystem can map and monitor the temperature of the treatment region and display the temperature on the display, an through the use of the single transducer. Moreover, the acoustic transducer assembly is configured such that the imaging, therapeutic heating and temperature monitoring of the treatment region can be conducted substantially simultaneously.

A system for medical ultrasound in which the ultrasound probe is positioned by a robot arm under the shared control of the ultrasound operator and the computer is proposed. The system comprises a robot arm design suitable for diagnostic ultrasound, a passive or active hand-controller, and a computer system to co-ordinate the motion and forces of the robot and hand-controller as a function of operator input, sensed parameters and ultrasound images.

Systems and methods for registering, verifying, dynamically referencing, and navigating an anatomical region of interest of a patient are provided. In one embodiment, the anatomical region of interest is imaged using an imaging device such as, for example, an x-ray device. A tracked registration device may then be removably inserted in a conduit within the anatomical region and the position of the registration device may be sampled by a tracking device as the registration device is moved within the anatomical region through the catheter. The sampled position data is registered to the image data to register the path of the conduit to the anatomical region of interest. The same or a similar device may be used to dynamically reference the movements affecting the anatomical region and modify the registration in real time. The registration may also be verified.

Systems and methods for assessment of tissue properties, noninvasively, by acquiring data relating to at least one aspect of intrinsic and/or induced tissue displacement, or associated biological responses, are provided. Data relating to tissue displacement and associated biological changes may be acquired by detecting acoustic properties of tissue using ultrasound interrogation pulses, preferably in a scatter or Doppler detection mode. Based on this data, tissue properties are assessed, characterized and monitored. Specific applications for systems and methods of the present invention include non-invasive assessment and monitoring of intracranial pressure (ICP), arterial blood pressure (ABP), CNS autoregulation status, vasospasm, stroke, local edema, infection and vasculitus, as well as diagnosis and monitoring of diseases and conditions that are characterized by physical changes in tissue properties. Methods and systems for localizing physiological condition(s) and/or biological response(s), such as pain, by targeting and selectively probing tissues using the application of focused ultrasound are also provided.

A method and apparatus for controlling the safe delivery of thermosensitive liposomes containing medicant to a targeted tissue region using ultrasound. Thermosensitive liposomes containing medicants are delivered to a region of interest, the region of interest is located using ultrasound imaging, ultrasound therapy is applied to heat the region of interest, and the temperature of the region is monitored to determine whether a designated threshold temperature has been reached which allows for the release of medicants from the liposomes. If the threshold temperature is reached, and the liposomes are melted, the treatment stops. If the threshold temperature has not been reached, the application of ultrasound therapy and ultrasound imaging are alternated until the threshold temperature is reached. The ultrasound imaging, temperature monitoring and ultrasound therapy are preferably performed with a single transducer.

A method for indirectly assessing the gesture, posture or movement of a body part of a person includes transmitting an ultrasound signal into the soft tissue, particularly the muscle, of body part and manipulating the reflected ultrasound signal to obtain parameter data. The parameter data is compared to reference information to obtain gesture, posture or movement information for the body part. Apparatus includes an ultrasound transmitter and receiver for transmitting, a signal processor, and a processor for storing reference information and determining gesture, posture or movement information for the body part.

A Graphical User Interface (GUI) for an ultrasound system. The ultrasound system has operational modes and the GUI has corresponding icons, tabs, and menu items image and information fields. The User Interface (UI) provides several types of graphical elements with intelligent behavior, such as being context sensitive and adaptive, called active objects, for example, tabs, menus, icons, windows of user interaction and data display and an alphanumeric keyboard. In addition the UI may also be voice activated. The UI further provides for a touchscreen for direct selection of displayed active objects. In an embodiment, the UI is for a medical ultrasound handheld imaging instrument. The UI provides a limited set of hard and soft keys with adaptive functionality that can be used with only one hand and potentially with only one thumb.

Therapy methods using pulsed cavitational ultrasound therapy can include the subprocesses of initiation, maintenance, therapy, and feedback of the histotripsy process, which involves the creation and maintenance of ensembles of microbubbles and the use of feedback in order to optimize the process based on observed spatial-temporal bubble cloud dynamics. The methods provide for the subdivision or erosion of tissue, liquification of tissue, and/or the enhanced delivery of therapeutic agents. Various feedback mechanisms allow variation of ultrasound parameters and provide control over the pulsed cavitational process, permitting the process to be tuned for a number of applications. Such applications can include specific tissue erosion, bulk tissue homogenization, and delivery of therapeutic agents across barriers.

A portable, integrated physiological monitoring system is described for use in clinical outpatient environments. This systems consists of a plethora of sensors and auxiliary devices, an electronics unit (100) that interfaces to the sensors and devices, and a portable personal computer (102). Electrodes (106) are provided to acquisition electrocardiographic, electroencephalographic, and neuromuscular signals. Electrodes (108) are provided to stimulate neural and muscular tissue. A finger pulse oximeter (110), an M-mode ultrasonic transducer (112), an airflow sensor (114), a temperature probe (120), a patient event switch (116), and an electronic stethoscope (118) are provided. A portable personal computer (102) interfaces to the electronics unit (100) via a standard parallel printer port interface (258) to allow communication of commands and information to/from the electronics unit (100). Control and display of the information gathered from the electronics unit (100) is accomplished via an application program executing on the portable personal computer (102). Sharing of common data acquisition hardware along with preliminary processing of information gathered is accomplished within the electronics unit (100). The entire system is battery operated and portable. This system, because of its architecture, offers significant cost advantages as well as unique modes of operation that cannot be achieved from the individual physiological parameter measurement devices alone. The system allows for the integration of acquisitioned information from the sensors into a patient's database stored on the portable personal computer.

An apparatus includes an optical transmission unit which irradiates a subject to be examined with light containing a specific wavelength component, an electroacoustic conversion unit which receives acoustic waves generated inside the subject by the light radiated by the optical transmission unit and converts them into electrical signals, an image data generating unit which generates first image data on the basis of the reception signals obtained by the electroacoustic conversion unit, an electroacoustic conversion unit which receives ultrasonic reflection signals obtained by transmitting ultrasonic waves to the subject and converts them into electrical signals, an image data generating unit which generates second image data on the basis of the reception signals obtained by the electroacoustic conversion unit, and a display unit which combines the first and second image data and displays the resultant data.

A shared-housing ultrasound transducer and machine-vision camera system is disclosed for registering the transducer's x, y, z position in space and pitch, yaw, and roll orientation with respect to an object, such as a patient's body. The position and orientation are correlated with transducer scan data, and scans of the same region of the object are compared in order to reduce ultrasound artifacts and speckles. The system can be extended to interoperative gamma probes or other non-contact sensor probes and medical instruments. Methods are disclosed for computer or remote guiding of a sensor probe or instrument with respect to saved positions and orientations of the sensor probe.

An ultrasonic system useful for providing imaging, therapy and temperature monitoring generally comprises an acoustic transducer assembly configured to enable the ultrasound system to perform the imaging, therapy and temperature monitoring functions. The acoustic transducer assembly comprises a single transducer that is operatively connected to an imaging subsystem, a therapy subsystem and a temperature monitoring subsystem. The ultrasound system may also include a display for imaging and temperature monitoring functions. An exemplary single transducer is configured such that when connected to the subsystems, the imaging subsystem can generate an image of a treatment region on the display, the therapy subsystem can generate high power acoustic energy to heat the treatment region, and the temperature monitoring subsystem can map and monitor the temperature of the treatment region and display the temperature on the display, all through the use of the single transducer. Additionally, the acoustic transducer assembly can be configured to provide three-dimensional imaging, temperature monitoring or therapeutic heating through the use of adaptive algorithms and/or rotational or translational movement. Moreover, a plurality of the exemplary single transducers can be provided to facilitate enhanced treatment capabilities.

A method and system for determining fractional flow reserve (FFR) for a coronary artery stenosis of a patient is disclosed. In one embodiment, medical image data of the patient including the stenosis is received, a set of features for the stenosis is extracted from the medical image data of the patient, and an FFR value for the stenosis is determined based on the extracted set of features using a trained machine-learning based mapping. In another embodiment, a medical image of the patient including the stenosis of interest is received, image patches corresponding to the stenosis of interest and a coronary tree of the patient are detected, an FFR value for the stenosis of interest is determined using a trained deep neural network regressor applied directly to the detected image patches.

This invention discloses a method and apparatus to deliver medical devices to targeted locations within human tissues using imaging data. The method enables the target location to be obtained from one imaging system, followed by the use of a second imaging system to verify the final position of the device. In particular, the invention discloses a method based on the initial identification of tissue targets using MR imaging, followed by the use of ultrasound imaging to verify and monitor accurate needle positioning. The invention can be used for acquiring biopsy samples to determine the grade and stage of cancer in various tissues including the brain, breast, abdomen, spine, liver, and kidney. The method is also useful for delivery of markers to a specific site to facilitate surgical removal of diseased tissue, or for the targeted delivery of applicators that destroy diseased tissues in-situ.

A handheld diagnostic ultrasound device is disclosed which is pocket sized, lightweight and is designed for clear imaging under adverse lighting conditions by utilizing a custom Head Mounted Display (HMD). The handheld diagnostic ultrasound device comprises a removable probe and a removable HMD that connects to the personal digital assistant (PDA) style control unit. The handheld diagnostic ultrasound device may be viewed on the VGA LCD Display on the diagnostic ultrasound device or on the HMD. Images obtained may be stored to a secure digital flash or transferred via USB (Universal Serial Bus) or wireless link to a remote computer system for further processing or archiving. The handheld diagnostic ultrasound device is based on a dual-core processor that achieves a level of integration not previously attainable in a handheld diagnostic ultrasound device.

An image display system is provided comprised of a virtual window system that creates a visual coherency between the patient's anatomical images and the actual patient by aligning the image on the display to the patient and then presenting the image to the user in a way that feels as if the user is looking directly into the patient through the display. The image shown within the image display system is dependent upon the position of the image display apparatus and the position of the user so that the display orientation of the image may be biased slightly toward the user to improve ergonomics and usability.

Systems and methods for determining ICP based on parameters that can be measured using non-invasive or minimally invasive techniques are provided, wherein a non-linear relationship is used to determine ICP based on one or more variable inputs. The first variable input relates to one or more properties of a cranial blood vessel and/or blood flow, such as acoustic backscatter from an acoustic transducer having a focus trained on a cranial blood vessel, flow velocity in a cranial blood vessel, and the like. Additional variables, such as arterial blood pressure (ABP), may be used in combination with a first variable input relating to one or more properties of a cranial blood vessel, such as flow velocity of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) to derive ICP using a non-linear relationship. Methods and systems for locating target areas based on their acoustic properties and for acoustic scanning of an area, identification of a target area of interest based on acoustic properties, and automated focusing of an acoustic source and/or detector on a desired target area are also provided. Acoustic transducer assemblies are described.

Methods and apparatus for the remote coagulation of blood using high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) are provided. A remote hemostasis method comprises identifying a site of internal bleeding and focusing therapeutic ultrasound energy on the site, the energy being focused through an intervening tissue. An apparatus for producing remote hemostasis comprises a focused therapeutic ultrasound radiating surface and a sensor for identifying a site of internal bleeding, with a registration means coupled to the radiating surface and the sensor to bring a focal target and the bleeding site into alignment. The sensor generally comprises a Doppler imaging display. Hemostasis enhancing agents may be introduced to the site for actuation by the ultrasound energy.

A catheter, including: a housing having a transverse inner dimension of at most about two millimeters; and a coil arrangement including five coils and five solid cores. Each of the coils is wound around one of the solid cores. The coils are non-coaxial. The coil arrangement is mounted inside the housing.

Systems and methods for non-thermal ablation of tissue are provided. A non-implantable minimally invasive system for treatment of tissue in a body via direct current ablation is provided including a catheter, a plurality of electrodes for deployment through the catheter, a power source for applying power to the electrodes, and a fixation element for maintaining the catheter in a treatment position during treatment of the tissue. A minimally invasive method for treating tissue in a body via direct current ablation is provided including inserting a catheter into the body such that a portion of the catheter remains outside of the body, deploying a fixation element to fix the catheter in a treatment position, deploying a plurality of electrodes through the catheter, applying power to the plurality of electrodes, using the electrodes to apply a current to the tissue, and removing the catheter from the body.

An endovascular access and guidance system has an elongate body with a proximal end and a distal end; a non-imaging ultrasound transducer on the elongate body configured to provide in vivo non-image based ultrasound information of the vasculature of the patient; an endovascular electrogram lead on the elongate body in a position that, when the elongate body is in the vasculature, the endovascular electrogram lead electrical sensing segment provides an in vivo electrogram signal of the patient; a processor configured to receive and process a signal from the non-imaging ultrasound transducer and a signal from the endovascular electrogram lead; and an output device configured to display a result of information processed by the processor. An endovascular device has an elongate body with a proximal end and a distal end; a non-imaging ultrasound transducer on the elongate body; and an endovascular electrogram lead on the elongate body in a position that, when the endovascular device is in the vasculature, the endovascular electrogram lead is in contact with blood. The method of positioning an endovascular device in the vasculature of a body is performed by advancing the endovascular device into the vasculature; transmitting a non-imaging ultrasound signal into the vasculature using a non-imaging ultrasound transducer on the endovascular device; receiving a reflected ultrasound signal with the non-imaging ultrasound transducer; detecting an endovascular electrogram signal with a sensor on the endovascular device; processing the reflected ultrasound signal received by the non-imaging ultrasound transducer and the endovascular electrogram signal detected by the sensor; and positioning the endovascular device based on the processing step.

A method and kit for the evaluation of wounds or ulcers (14) using ultrasound that allows an examiner to measure a wound (14) along with adjacent soft tissue structures (16) and bone (22) including tendon, ligaments, and muscle. This same method and kit contains gel (30) and an adhesive flexible film (32) which has a duo function and serves as a protective barrier preventing cross contamination between transducer (10) and ulcer (14), while allowing unimpeded conduction of ultrasound transmission to tissues (16) and subsequent echoes received from tissues (16) to be evaluated and recorded by a health care practitioner.

An augmentation device for an imaging system has a bracket structured to be attachable to an imaging component, and a projector attached to the bracket. The projector is arranged and configured to project an image onto a surface in conjunction with imaging by the imaging system. A system for image-guided surgery has an imaging system, and a projector configured to project an image or pattern onto a region of interest during imaging by the imaging system. A capsule imaging device has an imaging system, and a local sensor system. The local sensor system provides information to reconstruct positions of the capsule endoscope free from external monitoring equipment.

A dual mode handheld ultrasonic device is provided for guiding a venous access catheter into a patient's peripheral vein. It provides B-mode imaging with a predetermined aperture and operating frequency which locates and displays a gray scale cross-sectional image of the target blood vessel. A single doppler beam in a separate mode detects the same blood vessel and creates a single scanline image superimposed to such B-mode cross-sectional image. Simultaneously, the intensity of the positive doppler shift detected by the single doppler beam as it hits the target blood vessel activates a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) indicator lights with varying voltage requirements mounted in the scanhead. Activated LED indicator lights forms an arrow pointing inferiorly perpendicular to the target vessel which guides a physician or a paramedical professional to the precise catheter insertion spot on a patient's extremity while simultaneously viewing the target blood vessel's cross-section on the display screen.

A teleconferencing system is disclosed that enables patient and physician teleconferencing stations (100) to communicate over a global network (104), wherein the teleconferencing stations include access to a database of electronic medical records (110). The system includes means for instant text messaging (130), audio/video conferencing (142), and secure e-mail exchange (146). The patient and physician have differential access to the electronic medical records, such that the electronic medical records can be updated. The physician station includes means for capturing image data received from the patient station and storing the captured image data into a medical record. In the preferred embodiment the system is able to teleconference more than two stations at a time. In the preferred embodiment, the physician station includes means for entering a prescription (310) and for entering hospital orders (304).

A system for imaging and providing therapy to one or more regions of interest is presented. The system includes an imaging and therapy catheter configured to image an anatomical region to facilitate assessing need for therapy in one or more regions within the anatomical region and delivering therapy to the one or more regions of interest within the anatomical region. In addition, the system includes a medical imaging system operationally coupled to the catheter and having a display area and a user interface area, wherein the medical imaging system is configured to facilitate defining a therapy pathway to facilitate delivering therapy to the one or more regions of interest.

Systems and methods for noninvasive assessment of cardiac tissue properties and cardiac parameters using ultrasound techniques are disclosed. Determinations of myocardial tissue stiffness, tension, strain, strain rate, and the like, may be used to assess myocardial contractility, myocardial ischemia and infarction, ventricular filling and atrial pressures, and diastolic functions. Non-invasive systems in which acoustic techniques, such as ultrasound, are employed to acquire data relating to intrinsic tissue displacements are disclosed. Non-invasive systems in which ultrasound techniques are used to acoustically stimulate or palpate target cardiac tissue, or induce a response at a cardiac tissue site that relates to cardiac tissue properties and/or cardiac parameters are also disclosed.

A method and system for controlled thermal injury of human superficial tissue based on the ability to controllably create thermal lesions of variable shape, size, and depth via precise spatial and temporal control of acoustic energy deposition. The apparatus includes a control system and probes that facilitate treatment planning, control and delivery of energy, and monitoring of treatment conditions.

The method of presenting concurrent information about the electrical and mechanical activity of the heart using non-invasively obtained electrical and mechanical cardiac activity data from the chest or thorax of a patient comprises the steps of: placing at least three active Laplacian ECG sensors at locations on the chest or thorax of the patient; where each sensor has at least one outer ring element and an inner solid circle element, placing at least one ultrasonic sensor on the thorax where there is no underlying bone structure, only tissue, and utilizing available ultrasound technology to produce two or three-dimensional displays of the moving surface of the heart and making direct measurements of the exact sites of the sensors on the chest surface to determine the position and distance from the center of each sensor to the heart along a line orthogonal to the plane of the sensor and create a virtual heart surface; updating the measurements at a rate to show the movement of the heart's surface; monitoring at each ultrasonic sensor site and each Laplacian ECG sensor site the position and movement of the heart and the passage of depolarization wave-fronts in the vicinity; treating those depolarization wave-fronts as moving dipoles at those sites to create images of their movement on the image of the beating heart's surface; and, displaying the heart's electrical activity on the dynamically changing image of the heart's surface with the goal to display an approximation of the activation sequence on the beating virtual surface of the heart

A system (10) for determining electrical potentials on an endocardial surface of a heart is provided. The system includes a non-contact, non-expandable, miniature, multi-electrode catheter probe (12), a plurality of electrodes (32) disposed on an end portion (30) thereof, means for determining endocardial potentials (14) based on electrical potentials measured by the catheter probe, a matrix of coefficients that is generated based on a geometric relationship between the probe surface, and the endocardial surface. A method is also provided.