131 results about "Breath holds" patented technology

A system and method for tracking a tumor includes a regression module for selecting, using a motion signal and a regression function, a feature signal from a set of feature signals, each feature signal in the set of feature signals represents a medical image of the body of the patient, wherein the motion signal represents a motion of a surface of a skin of the patient caused by the respiration, and wherein the regression function is trained based on a set of observations of the motion signal synchronized with the set of feature signals; and a registration module for determining the location of the target object using the feature signal and a registration function, wherein the registration function registers each feature signal to a breath-hold location of the target object identified.

One or more techniques are provided for gating the acquisition or selection of image data based upon the respiration of a patient. The technique provides for the acquisition of respiratory motion data from the image system or from one or more sensor-based motion determination systems. Various attributes of respiratory motion may be derived from the respiratory motion data and motion thresholds determined from the attributes. Based upon the respiratory motion of the patient and the determined thresholds, image data may be acquired or selected which corresponds to one or more breath-holds by the patient or low respiratory motion quiet periods within the breath-holds. The technique may be implemented in a fully automated or operator assisted or supervised manner.

A nuclear medical diagnostic equipment wherein radiation which is emitted by a nuclide administered into the body of a patient is detected as projection data by a gamma camera, and an image which indicates the distribution of the nuclide within the body of the patient is obtained on the basis of the projection data. The equipment comprises a rotation unit which rotates the radiation detector round the patient, a respiration identification unit which identifies breathing of the patient and non-breathing thereof based on breath holding, a data storage unit in which the radiation detection data acquired by the radiation detector are stored in an identifiable manner on the basis of a result of the identification by the respiration identification unit, and an image generation unit which generates the image from the radiation detection data stored in the data storage unit on the basis of the result of the identification by the respiration identification unit.

An apparatus and method to characterize NO gas exchange dynamics in human lungs comprising the steps of: (1) performing a series of breath hold maneuvers of progressively increasingly breath hold times, each breath hold maneuver comprising a) inhaling a gas, b) holding a breath for a selected time duration, and c) exhaling at a flow rate which is uncontrolled but which is effective to ensure evacuation of the airway space and (2) measuring airway NO parameters during consecutive breath hold maneuvers. As a result disease states of the lungs are diagnosed using the measured airway NO parameters.

Methods and assembly for delivering a particle beam dose to a moving target are provided. The assembly comprises breath holding means for holding a patients breath during the delivery of the particle beam dose. With the assembly and method of invention, visualization means are provided to the patient to visualize the moving target such that the patient can actively contribute to the target positioning before actuating the breath holding means and starting the delivery of the particle beam.

An apparatus and method to characterize NO gas exchange dynamics in human lungs comprising the steps of: (1) performing a series of breath hold maneuvers of progressively increasingly breath hold times, each breath hold maneuver comprising a) inhaling a gas, b) holding a breath for a selected time duration, and c) exhaling at a flow rate which is uncontrolled but which is effective to ensure evacuation of the airway space and (2) measuring airway NO parameters during consecutive breath hold maneuvers. As a result disease states of the lungs are diagnosed using the measured airway NO parameters.

A bellows-based patient breath-hold monitoring and feedback system for use in intermittent mode CT fluoroscopy-guided biopsies of the lung or upper abdomen where respiratory motion is a problem. Breath-hold monitoring and feedback with the bellows system allows a patient to perform consistent breath-holds at a preselected level, which in turn, optimizes intermittent mode CT fluoroscopy-guided biopsies of the lung or upper abdomen by allowing target lesions to be reliably visualized.

A bellows-based patient breath-hold monitoring and feedback system for use in intermittent mode CT fluoroscopy-guided biopsies of the lung or upper abdomen where respiratory motion is a problem. Breath-hold monitoring and feedback with the bellows system allows a patient to perform consistent breath-holds at a preselected level, which in turn, optimizes intermittent mode CT fluoroscopy-guided biopsies of the lung or upper abdomen by allowing target lesions to be reliably visualized.

A method and apparatus are presented for acquiring MR cardiac images in a time equivalent to a single breath-hold. MR data acquisition is segmented across multiple cardiac cycles. MR data acquisition is interleaved from each phase of a first cardiac cycle with MR data from each phase of a subsequent cardiac cycle. Preferably, low spatial frequency data are interleaved between multiple cardiac cycles, and the subsequent cardiac cycle acquisition includes sequential acquisition of high spatial frequency data towards the end of the acquisition window. An MR image can then be reconstructed with data acquired from each of the acquisitions that reduce ghosting and artifacts. Volume images of the heart can be produced within a single breath-hold. Images can be acquired throughout the cardiac cycle to measure ventricular volumes and ejection fractions. Single phase volume acquisitions can also be performed to assess myocardial infarction.

A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system includes an ECG detector for the patient object being imaged and an element for performing an MRI pulse sequence. An imaging unit defined by the pulse sequence is longer in temporal length than one heart beat represented by the ECG signal. An MR signal is acquired from the object in response to the pulse sequence and an MR image based on the acquired MR signal is produced. A plurality of divided MT pulses can be applied instead of the conventional single MT pulse. In this case, an SE-system pulse sequence having a shorter echo train spacing is used, to generate sounds by applying gradient pulses incorporated in an imaging pulse sequence so as to automatically instruct a patient to perform an intermittent breath hold during three-dimensional scanning.

The present invention includes a method and apparatus to perform rapid multi-slice MR imaging without ECG gating or requiring breath-holding that is capable of renal profusion analysis and angiographic screening. An ungated interleaved pulse sequence is applied in rapid succession, followed by a delay interval. The ungated interleaved pulse sequence is repeatedly played out with the predefined delay interval between each application of the pulse sequence. The resulting images provide not only a series of temporal phases of contrast-enhanced blood uptake for renal profusion analysis, but also provide enough dynamic range to include angiographic screening of the renal arteries.

The present invention provides a system and method of MR scan prescription to achieve in a fast, simple, and effective manner the optimal peak excitation field strength for a given pulse shape and flip angle such that the minimum TR for the MR scan can be optimized and based on SAR constraints. The present invention provides a technique to obtain optimal B1 parameters for an arbitrary shape and flip angle of an excitation pulse in real-time while satisfying SAR and / or RF hardware limits to determine the minimum achievable repetition time for a pulse sequence. The present invention is particularly applicable with breath-hold and cardiac imaging techniques that are carried out at relatively high field strengths.

The present invention provides a system and method of MR scan prescription to achieve in a fast, simple, and effective manner the optimal peak excitation field strength for a given pulse shape and flip angle such that the minimum TR for the MR scan can be optimized and based on SAR constraints. The present invention provides a technique to obtain optimal B1 parameters for an arbitrary shape and flip angle of an excitation pulse in real-time while satisfying SAR and / or RF hardware limits to determine the minimum achievable repetition time for a pulse sequence. The present invention is particularly applicable with breath-hold and cardiac imaging techniques that are carried out at relatively high field strengths.

In order to make it possible to set the optimal breath-holding imaging conditions according to the subject without extension of an imaging time or the sacrifice of image quality, one scan is divided into one or more breath-holding measurements and free-breathing measurements on the basis of the imaging conditions of a breath-holding measurement, which are input and set according to the subject, and a region of the k space measured in the breath-holding measurement is controlled. Preferably, in the breath-holding measurement, low-frequency data of the k space is measured. Moreover, preferably, imaging conditions of the breath-holding measurement include the number of times of breath holding or a breath-holding time, and the operator can set any of these values.

The invention provides an estimation of key flow-independent parameters characteristic of NO exchange in the lungs, namely: 1) the steady state alveolar concentration, Calv,ss; 2) the maximum flux of NO from the airways, JNO,max; and 3) the diffusing capacity of NO in the airways, DNO,air. The parameters were estimated from a single exhalation maneuver comprised of a pre-expiratory breathhold, followed by an exhalation in which the flow rate progressively decreased. The mean values for JNO,max, DNO,air, and Calv,ss do not depend on breathhold time for breathhold times greater than approximately 10 seconds. A priori estimates of the parameter confidence intervals demonstrates that a breathhold no longer than 20 seconds may be adequate, and that JNO,max be can estimated with the smallest uncertainty, and DNO,air the largest.

The invention designs the segmented short-arc VMAT plan, modified from the original long-arc VMAT, to fit the breath-hold interval. The modified VMAT of the invention has the advantages of its applicability to different planning systems for variously long arcs and its preprogrammed arc segmentation for summated dose consistency. Using segmented short-arc modification from the original long-arc VMAT plan is accurate for dose planning and delivery, as well as tolerable for breath-hold VMAT.

A method as a workflow for imaging for a heart valve implant procedure includes positioning the patient and an articulated imaging apparatus relative to one another, inducing rapid ventricular pacing in the patient, and imaging a region of the patient's heart to obtain image date for a three-dimensional image. The three-dimensional data is used to construct a three-dimensional image of the region of the patient's heart an the three-dimensional image is displayed for use in the implanting of the replacement heart valve. Optional steps may include obtaining a real time two-dimensional image of the patient's heart and superimposing the real time two-dimensional image with the constructed three dimensional image. The replacement valve is moved into position in the patient's heart during rapid ventricular pacing and breath hold using the superimposed two-dimensional and three-dimensional image information.

Exemplary embodiments of system, method and computer-accessible medium can be provided in accordance with the present disclosure can be provided for generating a plurality of images associated with at least one anatomical structure using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. For example, using such exemplary embodiments, it is possible to obtain at least one multi-echo fast spin-echo (FSE) pulse sequence based on the MRI data, which can include, e.g., hardware specifications of the MRI system. Further, it is possible to generate each of the images based on a particular arrangement of multiple echoes produced by the multi-echo FSE pulse sequence(s).

A method for enhanced exercise training or performance utilizing intentional controlled tachypnea and somatic sensory alkalosis biofeedback training to maintain an essentially non-acidic state during exercise. A trainee is instructed to decrease measured transcutaneous CO2 levels by increased ventilation and to correlate measured transcutaneous CO2 levels with subjective somatic symptoms. Studies under exercise conditions measure the intensity of exercise correlating to an onset in blood acid accumulation in the trainee and such level of intensity is in turn correlated with a predetermined heart rate. The trainee is then instructed to use heart rate and somatic sensory changes as a guide to the need for increased ventilation to lower blood CO2. In another embodiment, the method of the instant invention utilizes intentional controlled tachypnea to increase maximum breath holding time.

Embodiments of the invention disclose a magnetic resonance imaging method and system. The method comprises the following steps: applying non-layering inverse pulses to a detected object; simultaneously stimulating multiple layers of a heart by using a preset imaging sequence in a set heart movement phase in a first heartbeat period, and acquiring a multilayer aliasing T1 weighted image of the heart; acquiring a reference image by using a preset imaging sequence stimulated by a preset overturning angle in a set heart movement phase in a second heartbeat period, wherein the first heartbeat period and the second heartbeat period correspond to a same breath-holding and are two adjacent heartbeat periods, and the reference image corresponds to one layer of the multiple layers; and performing the interlayer de-aliasing and phase-sensitive reverse restoration re-establishment for the multilayer aliasing T1 weighted image by using the reference image to obtain a target T1 weighted image of each layer of the heart. By virtue of the technical scheme, on the premise of ensuring the image quality, the magnetic resonance data acquisition efficiency can be improved.

The invention discloses a rapid auto-navigation magnetic resonance hydrography imaging method and device. Clinical application models of the invention include a breath-holding navigation mode and a free breath navigation mode. Adult patients with good breath control ability can adopt the breath-holding navigation mode, and infant patients with poor breath control ability can adopt the free breath navigation mode. The method and the device can obviously improve the acquisition efficiency, the control accuracy and the signal to noise ratio of magnetic resonance signals, can avoid an interference effect between an imaging sequence and a navigation wave sequence, and can enhance respiratory movement artifact inhibition effect; and the method and the device is simple in clinic operation, can obviously decrease coordination difficulties of patients, is conductive to clinical application of the magnetic resonance hydrography imaging technique, and can achieve unique diagnosis determining value in clinical diagnosis of a biliary system and a urinary system.

When two or more run of breath holding imaging with breathing interval therebetween is conducted, the present invention allows the slice position to follow the positional displacement of organ in each run. The present invention comprises an image capturing step for the navigator for imaging an MR image having the imaging area including the diaphragm during breath holding, a diaphragm position obtaining step for obtaining the diaphragm position by analyzing the navigator image, an image capturing step for the actual imaging for capturing an MR image of a desired slice during breath holding, and a breathing interval step for releasing respiration, in which these steps are iteratively repeated for twice or more. The slice position of second session or later is made to be a position which is set such that the slice position of first run is compensated for by the difference between the diaphragm position of the first run and the diaphragm position of the second run or later.

A method for acquiring image data from a subject during a scan with a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) system comprising the steps of acquiring a reference data set of a region of interest, acquiring a plurality of free-breathing data sets, and, selectively processing the plurality of free-breathing data sets in comparison with the reference data set to be used in creating an image of the region of interest. The reference data set comprises breath-held data set or, alternatively, free-breathing data.

The present invention allows a subject to hold breathing at any position, and it is confirmed whether or not the breath holding is really performed in the middle of imaging to reflect its result to the imaging sequence. An image 411 showing a temporal change of respiratory displacement of the subject is generated from nuclear magnetic resonance signals acquired by executing the navigator sequence 231 repeatedly on the subject. Upon accepting from an operator a confirming operation that the operator viewing the image confirms a state of breath holding, the navigator sequence 231 is switched to the real imaging sequence 211 and the real imaging sequence is executed for a predetermined period of time. Those operations are repeated more than once. It is also possible to determine whether or not the breath holding during the imaging sequence is successfully performed, based on a difference in respiratory displacement between immediately before and immediately after the real imaging sequence.

The invention relates to the technical field of ultrasonic imaging, in particular to ultrasonic diagnosis and an imaging method thereof. The method comprises the following steps of 1 image collecting, 2 image postprocessing, 3 three-dimensional reconstructing, 4 three-dimensional image displaying and 5 three-dimensional quantitative measuring. The method has the advantages that the sampling time is short, sampling can be completed within one breath-holding period of a patient, and an error caused by viscera organ moving is avoided; the vascular structure can be displayed without needing an intravenous injection contrast agent, and ionizing radiation and wounds do not exist; the method is economical and convenient, the reliance on the technical level of an operator is reduced, and the repeatability is enhanced.

The invention provides a respiration parameter setting method and device of respiratory support equipment and the respiratory support equipment. The method comprises the steps of acquiring basic information of a patient; determining values of respiration parameters of the respiratory support equipment according to the basic information to set the respiration parameters, wherein the respiration parameters include at least one of the ventilation mode, the tidal volume, the inspiration pressure level, the inhaled oxygen concentration, the positive end-expiratory pressure, the inspiration time, the breath holding time, the rise time, the support pressure and the trigger sensitivity. The initial parameters of the respiratory support equipment can be automatically set so that the respiratory support equipment can be quickly matched with conditions of a patient, correspondingly the probability of patient-ventilator asynchrony is decreased, and the patient can quickly synchronize with the respiratory support equipment and start to receive respiratory therapy.

The invention provides a medicinal composition for treating infant asthma, which is a preparation prepared from the following raw materials in part by weight: 52.5 to 97.5 parts of ephedra herb, 58.45 to 108.55 parts of rhizoma belamcandae, 11.55 to 21.45 parts of manchurian wildginger, 52.5 to 97.5 parts of pepperweed seed, 58.45 to 108.55 parts of radix scutellariae, 58.45 to 108.55 parts of common coltsfoot flower, and 58.45 to 108.55 parts of tatarian aster root. The invention also provides a preparation method and use of the medicinal composition. The medicinal composition has the effects of relieving exterior syndrome and promoting expectoration, removing phlegm and curing asthma, mainly treats young child cough, sputum obstruction on throat, asthmatic and breath holding symptom, and the like, and is applied to infant asthma, capillary bronchitis, asthma, and the like. The medicinal composition for treating the infant asthma has the advantages of clinical revealing rate of 73.3 percent, clinical total effective rate of 96.6 percent, and obvious improvement on relieving asthma symptoms after treatment.

A method for synchronizing an MR imaging process with a breathing rest state of a patient during an examination using held breath is provided. In the method, an instruction is output to the patient to hold his breath. In addition, the respiratory behavior of the patient is identified in real time. An MR imaging process is started according to the identified respiratory behavior. A breathing synchronization device and a magnetic resonance imaging system are also provided.

3D cine MR angiography systems and methods are disclosed for use during the steady state intravascular distribution phase of ferumoxytol. The 3D cine MRA technique enables improved delineation of cardiac anatomy in pediatric patients undergoing cardiovascular MRI.

The invention provides a dynamic physical examination method and an automatic corporeity evaluation system. The dynamic physical examination method includes two modes: 1) measuring blood oxygen, blood pressure and heart rhythm by enabling a person to hold breath; 2) measuring the blood oxygen, the blood pressure and the heart rhythm by enabling the person to continuously squat. Normal value of a static examination is used as a reference base line of a dynamic physical examination performed by using the dynamic physical examination method, and therefore heart and lung functions and a circulatory system of the person under pressure are evaluated. A breath holding examination aims at examining high value of the blood pressure and heart rhythm changes under the circumstance of organ tissue ischemia, and a continuous squatting examination aims at examining high value of the heart rhythm and blood pressure changes under the circumstance of exercise. The automatic corporeity evaluation system analyzes corporeity and potential disease risk of the person by combining dynamic physical sign measurement value with static physical examination normal value and using front end embedded software and background big data cloud computing. Then, corresponding health advice and corresponding medical service recommendation are provided.