4016 results about "Computer-aided" patented technology

Digital x-ray images taken before a surgical procedure by a fluoroscopic C-arm imager are displayed by a computer and overlaid with graphical representations of instruments be used in the operating room. The graphical representations are updated in real-time to correspond to movement of the instruments in the operating room. A number of different techniques are described that aid the physician in planning and carrying out the surgical procedure.

A number of improvements are provided relating to computer aided surgery utilizing an on tool tracking system. The various improvements relate generally to both the methods used during computer aided surgery and the devices used during such procedures. Other improvements relate to the structure of the tools used during a procedure and how the tools can be controlled using the OTT device. Still other improvements relate to methods of providing feedback during a procedure to improve either the efficiency or quality, or both, for a procedure including the rate of and type of data processed depending upon a CAS mode.

A medical tool comprising an electromechanical driver and a surgical instrument attachment for use in invasive surgery, including a handle coupled to a flexible sheath which is in turn coupled to a surgical attachment. The handle of the driver includes the electromechanical driver and at least one processor element which controls the actions of the electromechanical driver, and therefore the application elements of the surgical attachment, based on information relayed between the processor element and remotely activatable sensor assemblies in the surgical instrument attachment.

A method of document management utilizing document corpora including gathering a source corpus of documents in electronic form, modeling the source corpus in terms of document and domain structure information to identify corpus enhancement parameters, using a metalanguage to electronically tag the source corpus, programming the corpus enhancement parameters into an intelligent agent, and using the intelligent agent to search external repositories to find similar terms and structures, and return them to the source corpora, whereby the source corpus is enhanced to form a unicorpus.

This invention relates to a system and method for interactive, adaptive, and individualized computer assisted instruction. This invention includes an agent (108) for each student (101) which adapts to its student, and provides individualized guidance to the student and controls to the augmented computer assisted instructional materials. The instructional materials of this invention are augmented to communicate the student's performance and the material's pedagogical characteristics to the agent, and to receive control from the agent. In a preferred embodiment, the agent maintains data reflecting the student's pedagogic or cognitive characteristics in a protected and portable media in the personal control of the student. Preferably, the content of the communication between the agent and the materials conforms to specified interface standards, so that the agent acts independently of the content of the particular materials. Also preferably, the agent can project using various I / O modalities integrated engaging, lifelike display personna(e).

A computer assisted method of detecting and classifying lung nodules within a set of CT images includes performing body contour, airway, lung and esophagus segmentation to identify the regions of the CT images in which to search for potential lung nodules. The lungs are processed to identify the left and right sides of the lungs and each side of the lung is divided into subregions including upper, middle and lower subregions and central, intermediate and peripheral subregions. The computer analyzes each of the lung regions to detect and identify a three-dimensional vessel tree representing the blood vessels at or near the mediastinum. The computer then detects objects that are attached to the lung wall or to the vessel tree to assure that these objects are not eliminated from consideration as potential nodules. Thereafter, the computer performs a pixel similarity analysis on the appropriate regions within the CT images to detect potential nodules and performs one or more expert analysis techniques using the features of the potential nodules to determine whether each of the potential nodules is or is not a lung nodule. Thereafter, the computer uses further features, such as speculation features, growth features, etc. in one or more expert analysis techniques to classify each detected nodule as being either benign or malignant. The computer then displays the detection and classification results to the radiologist to assist the radiologist in interpreting the CT exam for the patient.

A computer program product, system or process administer or assist in the administration of resources of a customer for the benefit of a beneficiary. The process includes receiving a request from the customer to administer the resources in accordance with predetermined criteria, and storing customer related data associated with the customer. A network of service providers is formed to assist in the administration of the resources for the customer and provide a variety of economic and / or administrative features and benefits, using a computer.

A computer-assisted method includes hardware, software and telecommunications components that cooperatively achieve the technical effect of an improved electronic purchasing transaction system. In various embodiments of the invention, at least one master account is established for a client. A pool of limited use account identifiers or secondary account identifiers, that are separate and distinct from the master account, is associated with the master account by a purchasing system or account management system. Each of the limited use account identifiers may be used by the client to purchase items from merchants.

A technique is provided for enhancing performance of computer-assisted data operating algorithms in a medical context. Datasets are compiled and accessed, which may include data from a wide range of resources, including controllable and prescribable resources, such as imaging systems. The datasets are analyzed by a human expert or medical professional, and the algorithms are modified based upon feedback from the human expert or professional. Modifications may be made to a wide range of algorithms and based upon a wide range of data, such as available from an integrated knowledge base. Modifications may be made in sub-modules of the algorithms providing enhanced functionality. Modifications may also be made on various bases, including patient-specific changes, population-specific changes, feature-specific changes, and so forth.

A method, system, and computer program device manages group collaboration on projects, where the projects incorporate associatively filed electronic information. A team of users associated with the project is optionally dynamic and re-definable. A plurality of items are associated with a project; the present invention provides for automatic integration with different native applications supporting the items. Items and / or projects can be associated with more than one project. One or more embodiments of the present invention provide, for example, that a team member can send messages automatically addressed to other team members on the project. Optionally, team members can also attach items in the project to emails to be sent to individuals not on the team.

A safety critical, time sensitive data system for projecting safety / mission critical data onto a display pair of Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) light weight projection glasses or monocular creating a virtual 360° HUD (Heads Up Display) with 6 degrees of freedom movement. The system includes the display, the workstation, the application software, and inputs containing the safety / mission critical information (Current User Position, Total Collision Avoidance System—TCAS, Global Positioning System—GPS, Magnetic Resonance Imaging—MRI Images, CAT scan images, Weather data, Military troop data, real-time space type markings etc.). The workstation software processes the incoming safety / mission critical data and converts it into a three dimensional space for the user to view. Selecting any of the images may display available information about the selected item or may enhance the image. Predicted position vectors may be displayed as well as 3D terrain.

The invention provides a system and method for computer-aided detection (“CAD”). The invention relates to computer-aided automatic detection of abnormalities in and analysis of medical images. Medical images are analyzed, to extract and identify a set of features in the image relevant to a diagnosis. The system computes an initial diagnosis based on the set of identified features and a diagnosis model, which are provided to a user for review and modification. A computed diagnosis is dynamically re-computed upon user modification of the set of identified features. Upon a user selecting a diagnosis based on system recommendation, a diagnosis report is generated reflecting features present in the medical image as validated by the user and the user selected diagnosis.

Non-Subjective Valuing ©& is a computer-assisted valuing system for discovering both an entity's actual current societal monetary value and its contemporary monetary worth specifically to the inquiring individual person, group or corporation, providing a user with such target entity's retail and wholesale prices along with its true worth and specific value to the explorer, employing as yardstick the NORM, which is the hypothetical unit in any group that is accurately calculated to be both precisely average in every one of its collectively discoverable characteristics and its price, to which NORM yardstick the present invention compares any test unit in that group on a natural, quantified point basis to obtain such precise current monetary worth of any such test unit, employing a specially conceived, designed and explained organic application of inductive statistics, accurate sampling, central tendency, and statistical inference, for calculating; drawing scientifically valid conclusions about surveying a constantly and factually representative community (such as the United States, 1999, for example), combined with certain new discoveries and unique, novel processes, as set forth herein, enabling Non-Subjective Valuing ©& instantly and conclusively to empower a prospective trader objectively to compare the contemporary monetary values of any and all competing units in or out of any probed group, regardless of such competing units' respective current prices.

Digitized image data are input into a processor where a detection component identifies the areas (objects) of particular interest in the image and, by segmentation, separates those objects from the background. A feature extraction component formulates numerical values relevant to the classification task from the segmented objects. Results of the preceding analysis steps are input into a trained learning machine classifier which produces an output which may consist of an index discriminating between two possible diagnoses, or some other output in the desired output format. In one embodiment, digitized image data are input into a plurality of subsystems, each subsystem having one or more support vector machines. Pre-processing may include the use of known transformations which facilitate extraction of the useful data. Each subsystem analyzes the data relevant to a different feature or characteristic found within the image. Once each subsystem completes its analysis and classification, the output for all subsystems is input into an overall support vector machine analyzer which combines the data to make a diagnosis, decision or other action which utilizes the knowledge obtained from the image.

A computer-aided communication and navigation system that uses a computer or other processor in wireless communication with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags to aid a blind person. A communication module worn by the user receives information from one or more RFID tags readers and provides audio and, optionally, stimulatory information to the blind person. In one embodiment, a tag reader is provided in a walking cane. In one embodiment, tag readers are provided in one or more ankle bracelets or shoes. In one embodiment, a wireless (or wired) earpiece is provided to provide audio information to one or both ears. In one embodiment, audio information is provided through one or more transducers that couple sound through bones. The use of bone coupling allows the blind person to hear the sound information from the communication module in concert with normal hearing. The tag readers provided to the ankles or shoes communicate with the communication module to allow the blind user to navigate by following a “trail” of RFID tags.

The invention relates to a method and device for placing implants (1) using a surgical template (11) which is made from tomographic cuts in the patient's jawbone (7). According to the invention, step drills (4) and calibrating drills (5), having a single standard diameter for each type of implant (1), are guided through drill bushings (18) which are inserted into bores (15) in the template (11) in order to produce any drilling sequence corresponding to an implant plan. The penetration depth of the drills (4, 5) is controlled by the height of the bores (15) or by the drill rings (21). The aforementioned template (11) bores (15) serve as a guide for the precise placement of the implants (1) owing to the adapted implant supports (3). Moreover, washers (23), which are mounted around the implant supports (3), limit compression in relation to the implants (1) while said implants are being placed (20). The above-mentioned characteristics serve to limit the required number of drills (4, 5) and implant supports (3) to the longest models only. The inventive method and device are particularly suitable for computer-assisted implantology systems.

Methods, devices and systems for digitizing a patient's arch and manipulating the digital dental arch model. In one variation the methods includes producing a physical arch model for the patient's arch, separating the physical arch model into a plurality of arch model components, mounting the arch model components on a scan plate, capturing one or more images of the arch model components, and developing digital representations of the arch model components using the captured one or more images.

A safety critical, time sensitive data system for projecting safety / mission critical data onto a display pair of Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) light weight projection glasses or monocular creating a virtual 360° HUD (Heads Up Display) with 6 degrees of freedom movement. The system includes the display, the workstation, the application software, and inputs containing the safety / mission critical information (Current User Position, Total Collision Avoidance System—TCAS, Global Positioning System—GPS, Magnetic Resonance Imaging—MRI Images, CAT scan images, Weather data, Military troop data, real-time space type markings etc.). The workstation software processes the incoming safety / mission critical data and converts it into a three dimensional space for the user to view. Selecting any of the images may display available information about the selected item or may enhance the image. Predicted position vectors may be displayed as well as 3D terrain.

A technique is provided for offering feedback, including feedback for patient care and for training purposes for medical professionals and human operators. The technique includes accessing data, such as image data, for evaluation by a human operator. The data is then analyzed via a computer-assisted data operating algorithm, and the analysis may further include analysis of supplemental data accessed from an integrated knowledge base. Based upon the analysis feedback is provided to the operator, such as for completing or complementing the evaluation, correcting analysis by the human operator, or otherwise informing the human operator of similarities or differences between the analyses.

A system for automating transcription services for one or more users. This system receives a voice dictation file from a current user, which is automatically converted into a first written text based on a set of conversion variables. The same voice dictation file is automatically converted into a second written text based on a second set of conversion variables. The first and second sets of conversion variables have at least one difference, such as different speech recognition programs, different vocabularies, and the like. The system further includes a program for manually editing a copy of the first and second written text to create a verbatim text of the voice dictation file. This verbatim text can be delivered to the current user as transcribed text. The verbatim text can also be fed back into each speech recognition instance to improve the accuracy of each instance with respect to the human voice in the file.

The present invention provides computer-assisted methods and apparatus for identifying, selecting and characterizing biomolecules in a biological sample. A two-dimensional array is generated by separating biomolecules present in a complex mixture. A computer-readable profile is constructed representing the identity and relative abundance of a plurality of biomolecules detected by imaging the two dimensional array. Computer-mediated comparison of profiles from multiple samples permits automated identification of subsets of biomolecules that satisfy pre-ordained criteria. Identified biomolecules can be automatically isolated from the two dimensional array by a robotic device in accordance with computer-generated instructions. A supported gel suitable for electrophoresis is provided that is bonded to a solid support such that the gel has two-dimensional spatial stability and the solid support is substantially non-interfering with respect to detection of a label, such as a fluorescent label, associated with one or more biomolecules in the gel.

A graphical user interface for a computer-assisted motion video editing system directs a user through the process of editing a video program. The graphical user interface may also enables a user to plan a video program. Alternatively selectable interfaces within a single window interface, each of which provide a group of planning, capturing, editing, and recording functions can provide such an interface for producing a video program. Other simplifications to the user interface can be provided to assist in editing, such as by maintaining a video display window for displaying the edited video program at a fixed position for all available editing operations. Additionally, video information can be captured directly into a timeline representation of a video program, rather than a bin. Using a storyboard tied to the capturing process, a user is directed through the process of collecting and capturing the video clips to be used in the video program.

A computer based system and method of visualizing a region using multiple image data sets is provided. The method includes acquiring first volumetric image data of a region and acquiring at least second volumetric image data of the region. The first image data is generally selected such that the structural features of the region are readily visualized. At least one control point is determined in the region using an identifiable structural characteristic discernable in the first volumetric image data. The at least one control point is also located in the at least second image data of the region such that the first image data and the at least second image data can be registered to one another using the at least one control point. Once the image data sets are registered, the registered first image data and at least second image data can be fused into a common display data set. The multiple image data sets have different and complimentary information to differentiate the structures and the functions in the region such that image segmentation algorithms and user interactive editing tools can be applied to obtain 3d spatial relations of the components in the region. Methods to correct spatial inhomogeneity in MR image data is also provided.