80 results about "Critical structure" patented technology

A system for determining proximity of a surgical device relative to an anatomical structure includes at least one surgical device having a sensor assembly operably coupled to a processing unit and configured to transmit at least one electrical signal generated by the processing unit through a target anatomical structure to elicit a measurable response from the target anatomical structure. The processing unit is configured to calculate a signature property value of the target anatomical structure based on the measurable response. The processing unit is configured to identify the target anatomical structure based on a comparison between the signature property value and at least one other signature property.

A system for determining proximity of a surgical device relative to an anatomical structure includes at least one surgical device having a sensor assembly operably coupled to a processing unit. The sensor assembly is configured to transmit at least one electrical signal through the target anatomical structure to elicit a measurable response from the target anatomical structure. The processing unit is configured to calculate a signature property value of the target anatomical structure based on the measurable response and to determine proximity of the at least one surgical device relative to the target anatomical structure based on a comparison between the signature property value and at least one other signature property. An indicator is operably coupled to the processing unit and is configured to alert a user of the identified target anatomical structure based on the determined proximity.

A radiation therapy system optimized for treating extremities such as the breast has unique geometrical features that enable the system to deliver an accurately located prescribed dose to a target volume while eliminating or reducing the collateral dose delivered to the rest of the patient. An optional integral imaging system provides accurate target volume localization for each treatment session. Utilizing the effects of gravity on a prone patient maximizes the separation of a target volume within the breast to adjacent critical structures such as the chest wall, heart and lungs, thereby reducing long term complications not associated with the primary disease. A shielded interface surface between the radiation source and the patient reduces patient dose due to scattered or stray radiation. A shielded enclosure for the radiation sources combined with the shielded interface surface eliminates the need for primary shielding in the room and allows the therapy system to be used in a transportable, mobile facility.

A system and method of ultrasound imaging, the system including a laparoscopic surgical instrument including at least one ultrasound transducer, and a processor adapted to receive acoustic data from the ultrasound transducer and process the acoustic data from the ultrasound transducer to produce a graphical representation of the acoustic data, the graphical representation depicting echoic attributes of tissue substantially axially aligned with a transmission path of the at least one ultrasound transducer, and the distance of at least one tissue type having different echoic attributes from surrounding tissue form a distal tip of the laparoscopic surgical instrument.

An apparatus, method and system for measurement of radiation during or directly following hadron therapy treatment for dose and range verification purposes accomplished through measurement of prompt gamma and other beam-induced radiation. One example includes the measurement of secondary prompt gamma radiation during proton and carbon ion beam irradiation. The measurement can also be made of other beam-induced radiation results. The measurement of gamma radiation or other beam-induced radiation allows for optimization of radiation dose disposition to the target tissue, with improved sparing of surrounding critical structures and normal tissue. Adjustments to a radiation treatment may be made as needed based on actual and measured applied dosages.

Systems, methods, and devices are provided for assisting or performing guided interventional procedures using custom templates. The system uses pre-procedure scans of a patient's anatomy to identify targets and critical structures. A template is then manufactured containing guide elements. During a procedure, the template may be aligned to the patient and instruments passed though the guide elements and into various targets. The template may be aligned using one or more of, for example, a position sensing system or a live imaging modality to register the patient to the template. The system makes optional use of devices designed to immobilize or track an organ during therapy.

A method and device for image guided dynamic radiation treatment of prostate cancer and other pelvic lesions including: 1) a unique fan geometry of radiation sources; 2) a special collimation method and apparatus to sculpt the radiation borders; 3) an integrated three-dimensional imager and a special tissue interface imaging system to locate and track critical boundaries in real-time; 4) a dynamic patient support system, which is shared by the said imager and the irradiation system; and 5) motorized custom shielding filters to further protect neighboring normal tissues such as the kidneys and femoral heads. The fan geometry utilizes a plural number of radiation sources arranged specifically for irradiating tumors in the human pelvis while not harming critical structures, and the collimation sculpts the radiation borders using motorized shields for different sensitive structures. This allows high doses of radiation to be delivered to lesions within the human pelvis, such as the prostate, while sparing its surrounding structures, such as the rectum and bladder, as well as the urethra that is contained inside the prostate.

Systems, methods, and devices are provided for assisting or performing guided interventional procedures using custom templates. The system uses pre-procedure scans of a patient's anatomy to identify targets and critical structures. A template is then manufactured containing guide elements. During a procedure, the template may be aligned to the patient and instruments passed though the guide elements and into various targets. The template may be aligned using one or more of, for example, a position sensing system or a live imaging modality to register the patient to the template. The system makes optional use of devices designed to immobilize or track an organ during therapy.

Brachytherapy dose attributable to a brachytherapy source is computed for portions of a patient treatment volume corresponding to a pathological target volume and critical structures. Patient image data is accessed to derive a material voxel array. Multiple computation grids are derived. Primary particle fluence is computed for each first grid element using a ray tracing process from which a primary dose and a first scattered particle source are derived. Scattered particle fluence of the first scattered particle source is derived for each second grid element from which a secondary dose is derived. Each first grid element corresponds to a plurality of second grid elements. Primary dose and scattered dose combine to provide total dose at specific volumes. Brachytherapy source models and non-anatomical body surface models may be applied as applicable.

Methods and systems are provided for protecting a critical structure during the administration of radiation treatment to a patient. A register receives proposed positions for one or more radiation beams with respect to a critical structure. A processor predicts a cumulative dose volume for the critical structure based on the dose distribution, and determines if the cumulative dose volume exceeds a tolerance value. If the cumulative dose volume exceeds the tolerance value, the dose distribution may be translated at least in part based on a relationship between the cumulative dose volume and the dose distribution position.

An inventive approach is disclosed to integrate Digital Image Correlation (DIC) with the Acoustic Emission method that may be used for structural health monitoring and assessment of critical structural components in civil, mechanical, and aerospace industries. The inventive approach relies on passively recording acoustic emission across the specimen being tested and activating the DIC cameras automatically to measure deformation on the specimen's surface. The resulting acousto-optic system can be used to determine damage initiation, progressive damage development, identify critical regions and make lifetime predictions of the tested specimen.

A device for visualizing structure located on the interior of a biological substance. The device includes a marker member that may be a solid cylinder or lumen having an interior volume having a distal end removably insertable in the biological substance relative to the interior structure to be visualized. An image-enhancing material is contained relative to the marker member in a manner such that the imaging material does not directly contact the biological substance. The imaging material of choice is one capable of producing an emission or signal detectable external to the biological substance by suitable imaging instrumentation. Also disclosed is a method for visualizing critical structures or radiation therapy targets in imaging processes such as positron emission tomography and/or single photon emission computerized tomography, MRI, or ultrasound either used alone or in combination or in registration with anatomical imaging processes such as computed tomography or mammography.

A marine propulsion device is made of first and second portions which are removably attachable to each other. The second portion is the leading edge portion of the nose cone and the drive shaft housing. It can also comprise a portion of the skeg. The second portion is configured to crush more easily in response to an impact force than the first portion. This can be accomplished by making the second portion from a different material than the first portion, which can be aluminum, or by providing one or more crush boxes within the structure of the second portion to cause it to yield more quickly to an impact force and thus protect the first portion which is the more critical structure of the marine device.

In planning an ablation procedure, a planned target volume (PTV) (70, 102) is imported, which is typically selected by a doctor but may be computer identified. An initial set of candidate ablation regions (112) that covers the PTV (40, 70, 102) is computed. Ablation probe trajectories that avoid critical structures (136) are computed to provide surgical 5 options for safe entry points and angles.An optimization component (14) determines a minimum number of ablation regions, which fully covers the PTV (40, 70, 102), and generates locations and orientations for each ablation (108). A tracking system can be given these ablation targets, enabling the surgeon to control the probe more precisely to the desired location.

The invention discloses A method for predicting that detail life of a structure under high-low cycle fatigue load which includes such steps as determining the low cycle fatigue stress level of the structure material, obtain the S-N curve, and one of the low cycle fatigue stress levels is selected as the low cycle fatigue stress level sigma L; determining Then the high and low cycle fatigue test conditions, and the S-N curve, acquiring the relationship curve between high cycle fatigue life and amplitude. Then, setting up the fatigue life prediction model of the modified parameters to be determined, and obtaining the modified parameters in the model are determined and the fatigue life prediction model. Finally, determining the fatigue life under the load conditions that need to be evaluated.The present application is independent of the specific form of the structure and the loading condition, and can be used for fatigue life prediction of key structural details in aircraft structures, shortening model development cycles, and reducing development costs.

An electromagnetic surgical ablation system having a generator adapted to selectively provide surgical ablation energy to an ablation probe, and methods of operating same, are disclosed. The system includes a controller operatively coupled to the generator, and at least one tissue sensor probe operatively coupled to the controller. The at least one tissue sensor provides a tissue impedance measurement to the controller. A sensor probe may be designated a threshold probe adapted to sense when tissue is sufficiently ablated, or, a critical structure probe adapted to protect an adjacent anatomical structure from undesired ablation. During an electromagnetic tissue ablation procedure, the controller monitors tissue impedance to determine tissue status, to activate an indicator associated therewith, and, additionally or alternatively, to activate and deactivate the generator accordingly.

The invention discloses a head wave inhibition blasting construction method based on an electronic digital detonator, and relates to the technical field of tunnel blasting construction. By applying the digital electronic detonator precise delaying hole-by-hole detonating and inter-hole phase dislocation vibration absorption technologies, the vibration speed peak value of a protection object can bereduced by 60%, moreover, the vibration peak value occurs to a first grooving hole, through destructive interference of vibration waves of vibration absorption holes and vibration waves of the firstgrooving hole, the vibration speed peak value of the protection object is further reduced by 30%, accordingly, the vibration speed of a critical structure object is greatly decreased, the supercritical structure object or ultra-shallow buried tunnel blasting construction technology is achieved, and the head wave inhibition blasting construction method has remarkable social benefits and economic value.

A radiation therapy system includes a diagnostic image scanner (12) which acquires a multidimensional dataset of a subject that is reconstructed into at least one image representation of an object of interest. An image processing apparatus (72), of radiation therapy system, includes a segmentation unit (74) which identifies a surface contour of the object of interest, or other critical structures. A masking unit (82) determines a non-constant margin, based on the identified surface contour and appends the determined non-constant margin to the identified surface contour. The non-constant margin is based on at least one of anisotropic motion, surface morphology, positional uncertainty, proximity to other organs, and probability of dose distribution. A planning processor (70) generates a radiation therapy plan which limits the delivery of therapeutic radiation to anatomy associated with the surface contour and appended non-constant margin. A radiation delivery system (40) delivers therapeutic radiation according to the generated plan.