2020 results about "Tomography" patented technology

A method for tomographic imaging comprises the steps of providing a source of at least partially coherent radiation and a frequency-swept laser source through an interferometer; phase modulating the radiation in the interferometer at a modulation frequency for elimination of DC and autocorrelation noises as well as the mirror image; detecting interference fringes of the radiation backscattered from the sample into the interferometer to obtain a spectral signal; transforming the spectral signal of the detected backscattered interference fringes to obtain a time and location dependent signal, including the Doppler shift and variance, at each pixel location in a data window; and generating a tomographic image of the fluid flow in the data window and of the structure of the scanned fluid flow sample in the data window from the time and location dependent signal. The apparatus comprises a system for tomographic imaging operating according to the above method.

In one aspect, the invention relates to a method of acquiring optical coherence tomographic data from a sample. The method includes the steps of scanning a first location on the sample to obtain a first set of optical coherence tomographic data, scanning a second location on the sample to obtain a second set of optical coherence tomographic data, and defining a fiducial position relative to a location on the sample using one of the two sets of optical coherence tomographic data. In one embodiment, the first set of optical coherence tomographic data is survey data. However, in another embodiment the first set of optical coherence tomographic data is sample measurement data.

Spatial information, such as concentration and displacement, about a specific molecular contrast agent, may be determined by stimulating a sample containing the agent, thereby altering an optical property of the agent. A plurality of optical coherence tomography (OCT) images may be acquired, at least some of which are acquired at different stimulus intensities. The acquired images are used to profile the molecular contrast agent concentration distribution of the sample.

A radiation therapy system that includes a radiation source that moves about a path and directs a beam of radiation towards an object and a cone-beam computer tomography system. The cone-beam computer tomography system includes an x-ray source that emits an x-ray beam in a cone-beam form towards an object to be imaged and an amorphous silicon flat-panel imager receiving x-rays after they pass through the object, the imager providing an image of the object. A computer is connected to the radiation source and the cone beam computerized tomography system, wherein the computer receives the image of the object and based on the image sends a signal to the radiation source that controls the path of the radiation source.

Methods and apparatuses for positioning medical devices onto (or close to) a desired portion of the interior wall of an internal channel, such as for scan imaging, for photodynamic therapy and/or for optical temperature measurement. In one embodiment, a catheter assembly has a distal portion that can be changed from a configuration suitable for traversing the internal channel to another configuration suitable for scan at least a spiral section of the interior wall of an internal channel, such as an artery. In one example, the distal portion spirals into gentle contact with (or close to) a spiral section of the artery wall for Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) scanning. The spiral radius may be changed through the use of a guidewire, a tendon, a spiral balloon, a tube, or other ways.

Arrangement for the intra-operative determination of the spatial position and angular position of a joint replacement implant, especially a hip socket or shoulder socket or an associated stem implant, or a vertebral replacement implant, especially a lumbar or cervical vertebral implant, using a computer tomography method, having: a computer tomography modeling device for generating and storing a three-dimensional image of a joint region or vertebral region to be provided with the joint replacement implant, an optical coordinate-measuring arrangement for providing real position coordinates of defined real or virtual points of the joint region or vertebral region and/or position reference vectors between such points within the joint region or vertebral region or from those points to joint-function-relevant points on an extremity outside the joint region or vertebral region, the coordinate-measuring arrangement comprising a stereocamera or stereocamera arrangement for the spatial recording of transducer signals, at least one multipoint transducer, which comprises a group of measurement points rigidly connected to one another, and an evaluation unit for evaluating sets of measurement point coordinates supplied by the multipoint transducer(s) and recorded by the stereocamera, and a matching-processing unit for real position matching of the image to the actual current spatial position of the joint region or vertebral region with reference to the real position coordinates of the defined points, the matching-processing unit being configured for calculating transformation parameters with minimalization of the normal spacings.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is used to map the surface elevation and thickness of the cornea. The OCT maps are used to plan laser procedures for the treatment of an irregular, opacified or weakened cornea, and in the treatment of refractive errors. In the excimer laser phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) procedure, the OCT data is used to plan a map of ablation depth needed to restore a smooth optical surface. In the excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy procedure, OCT mapping of epithelial thickness is used to achieve clean laser epithelial removal. In femtosecond laser anterior keratoplasty procedure, OCT data is used to plan the depth of femtosecond laser dissection to remove an anterior layer of the cornea, leaving a smooth recipient bed of uniform thickness to receive a disk of donated corneal tissue. The linkage of an OCT system to a precise laser surgical system enables the performance of new procedures that are safer, less invasive and produce faster visual recovery than conventional surgical procedures.

An optical fiber scanner is used for multiphoton excitation imaging, optical coherence tomography, or for confocal imaging in which transverse scans are carried out at a plurality of successively different depths within tissue. The optical fiber scanner is implemented as a scanning endoscope using a cantilevered optical fiber that is driven into resonance or near resonance by an actuator. The actuator is energized with drive signals that cause the optical fiber to scan in a desired pattern at successively different depths as the depth of the focal point is changed. Various techniques can be employed for depth focus tracking at a rate that is much slower than the transverse scanning carried out by the vibrating optical fiber. The optical fiber scanner can be used for confocal imaging, multiphoton fluorescence imaging, nonlinear harmonic generation imaging, or in an OCT system that includes a phase or frequency modulator and delay line.

An optical coherence tomography (OCT) system including a polarizing splitter disposed to direct light in an interferometer such that the OCT detector operates in a noise-optimized regime. When scanning an eye, the system detector simultaneously produces a low-frequency component representing a scanning laser ophthalmoscope-like (SLO-like) image pixel and a high frequency component representing a two-dimensional (2D) OCT en face image pixel of each point. The SLO-like image is unchanging with depth, so that the pixels in each SLO-like image may be quickly realigned with the previous SLO-like image by consulting prominent image features (e.g., vessels) should lateral eye motion shift an OCT en face image during recording. Because of the pixel-to-pixel correspondence between the simultaneous OCT and SLO-like images, the OCT image pixels may be remapped on the fly according to the corresponding SLO-like image pixel remapping to create an undistorted 3D image data set for the scanned region.

A method for manufacturing a registration template for use in medical navigation system-guided surgery, comprising: producing a registration template having a surface, which precisely surface-bonds to a surface of a bone at a surgical target site of a patient, and having three or more registration points, from stereoscopic surface data ensuring precise surface bonding to the surface of the bone at the surgical target site of the patient, based on stereoscopic surface data created from tomography information on the bone of the surgical target site of the patient; and providing a pedestal (4) for mounting optical tracking balls (7), which are used for three-dimensional position detection for a medical navigation system, at the center of the registration points. By using the template having curves surfaces which three-dimensionally precisely and intimately contact the bone surface of the patient, high-precision registration can be performed, and an operator's man-hours immediately before surgery in an operating room can be reduced to shorten the surgery time.

An apparatus for computed tomography (CT) imaging of a cyclically moving organ includes a positional state monitor (24, 40) that monitors a positional state of the cyclically moving organ such as the heart. A cone-beam CT scanner (10) acquires image data at least within a plurality of time windows. Each time window is centered about an occurrence of a selected positional state of the organ. A window analyzer (38) selects a data segment within each time window such that the data segments combine to form a complete data set covering a selected angular range. A reconstruction processor (44) reconstructs the selected data segments into an image representation.

The present invention relates to an electrode catheter for defibrillation, mapping or ablation of cardiac tissue. Said catheter comprises a terminal (40) on the proximal end of the electrode catheter and one or more sensing and/or treatment electrodes (14, 16) that are situated on or in the vicinity of the distal end of the electrode catheter, in addition to at least one electric conductor (44, 62), which is used to electrically connect a respective sensing or treatment electrode to the terminal. The electric conductor (44, 62) is composed of carbon and the electrode catheter is configured to be suitable for us as part of magnetic resonance tomography and for connection to electrophysiotherapy equipment. Said catheter comprises at least one defibrillation electrode, or at least one sensing electrode (14, 16) for the recording and evaluation of cardiac tissue potentials, or at least one treatment electrode (14) for delivering high-frequency currents for ablation purposes.

A method of and system for performing intravenous tomographic digital angiography imaging which combines the principles of intravenous digital angiography with those of cone-beam volume tomography for generating a direct, unambiguous and accurate 3-D reconstruction of stenosis and other irregularities and malformations from 2-D cone-beam tomography projections is disclosed in which several different data acquisition geometries, such as a circle-plus-arc data acquisition geometry, may be utilized to provide a complete set of data so that an exact 3-D reconstruction is obtained. Only a single IV contrast injection with a short breathhold by the patient is needed for use with a volume CT scanner which uses a cone-beam x-ray source and a 2-D detector for fast volume scanning in order to provide true 3-D descriptions of vascular anatomy with more than 0.5 lp/mm isotropic resolution in the x, y and z directions is utilized in which one set of cone-beam projections is acquired while rotating the x-ray tube and detector on the CT gantry and then another set of projections is acquired while tilting the gantry by a small angle. The projection data is preweighted and the partial derivatives of the preweighted projection data are calculated. Those calculated partial derivatives are rebinned to the first derivative of the Radon transform, for both the circular orbit data and the arc orbit data. The second partial derivative of the Radon transform is then calculated and then the reconstructed 3-D images are obtained by backprojecting using the inverse Radon transform.

A method/system preserves annotations of different pathological conditions or changes that are recognized on cross-sections within a three dimensional volume of a patient's eye so that the annotations are maintained in a visible state in an en face projection produced with a SVP technique. It is thus possible to coregister the annotated conditions or changes with other types of two dimensional en face images such as images from other ophthalmic devices (e.g., angiography device, microperimetry device, autofluorescence device, fundal photography device.). The annotations are also maintained in a visible state in the coregistered image.

An imaging probe for a biological sample includes an OCT probe and an ultrasound probe combined with the OCT probe in an integral probe package capable of providing by a single scanning operation images from the OCT probe and ultrasound probe to simultaneously provide integrated optical coherence tomography (OCT) and ultrasound imaging of the same biological sample. A method to provide high resolution imaging of biomedical tissue includes the steps of finding an area of interest using the guidance of ultrasound imaging, and obtaining an OCT image and once the area of interest is identified where the combination of the two imaging modalities yields high resolution OCT and deep penetration depth ultrasound imaging.

A method for reconstructing an ear canal from optical coherence tomography (OCT) scan data of an ear comprises extracting frame numbers and line numbers of interference intensities corresponding to one or more markers on an OCT scan guide, receiving reference frame numbers and lines numbers for one or more markers, determining a starting position and direction for the OCT ear scan from the ear scan marker frame and line numbers and the reference marker frame and line numbers, for each scan line, finding a pixel number of a maximum interference intensity value, and determining an offset distance of said pixel from said scan guide, and reconstructing a surface of the ear canal from the distance offset data.

Provided herein are the systems, methods, components for a three-dimensional tomography system. The system is a dual-modality imaging system incorporates a laser ultrasonic system and a laser optoacoustic system. The dual-modality imaging system has means for generate tomographic images of a volume of interest in a subject body based on speed of sound, ultrasound attenuation and/or ultrasound backscattering and for generating optoacoustic tomographic images of distribution of the optical absorption coefficient in the subject body based on absorbed optical energy density or various quantitative parameters derivable therefrom. Also provided is a method for increasing contrast, resolution and accuracy of quantitative information obtained within a subject utilizing the dual-modality imaging system. The method comprises producing an image of an outline boundary of a volume of interest and generating spatially or temporally coregistered images based on speed of sound and/or ultrasonic attenuation and on absorbed optical energy within the outlined volume.

An eye examination system is presented that obtains several parameters of the eye. A system according to some embodiments of the present invention include a keratometry system, a low coherence reflectometry system, and a low coherence interferometry system co-coupled to the eye. In some embodiments, the low coherence interferometry system can provide interferometric tomography data. A processor can be coupled to receive data from the keratometry system, the low coherence reflectometry system, and the low coherence interferometry system and calculate at least one parameter of the eye from that data.

Apparatus and method for increasing the sensitivity in the detection of optical coherence tomography and low coherence interferometry (“LCI”) signals by detecting a parallel set of spectral bands, each band being a unique combination of optical frequencies. The LCI broad bandwidth source is split into N spectral bands. The N spectral bands are individually detected and processed to provide an increase in the signal-to-noise ratio by a factor of N. Each spectral band is detected by a separate photo detector and amplified. For each spectral band the signal is band pass filtered around the signal band by analog electronics and digitized, or, alternatively, the signal may be digitized and band pass filtered in software. As a consequence, the shot noise contribution to the signal is reduced by a factor equal to the number of spectral bands. The signal remains the same. The reduction of the shot noise increases the dynamic range and sensitivity of the system.

The invention is related to nuclear physics, medicine and oil industry, namely to the measurement of x-ray, gamma and alpha radiation; control for trans uranium nuclides in the habitat of a man; non destructive control for the structure of heavy bodies; three dimensional positron-electron computer tomography, etc.The essence of the invention is in additional ingredients in a chemical composition of a scintillating material based on crystals of oxyorthosilicates, including cerium Ce and crystallized in a structural type Lu2SiO5.The result of the invention is the increase of the light output of the luminescence, decrease of the time of luminescence of the ions Ce3+, increase of the reproducibility of grown crystals properties, decrease of the cost of the source melting stock for growing scintillator crystals, containing a large amount of Lu2O3, the raise of the effectiveness of the introduction of SCintillating crystal luminescent radiation into a glass waveguide fibre, prevention of cracking of crystals during the production of elements, creation of waveguide properties in scintillating elements, exclusion of expensive mechanical polishing of their lateral surface.

A system, method and apparatus for anatomical mapping utilizing optical coherence tomography. In the present invention, 3-dimensional fundus intensity imagery can be acquired from a scanning of light back-reflected from an eye. The scanning can include spectral domain scanning, as an example. A fundus intensity image can be acquired in real-time. The 3-dimensional data set can be reduced to generate an anatomical mapping, such as an edema mapping and a thickness mapping. Optionally, a partial fundus intensity image can be produced from the scanning of the eye to generate an en face view of the retinal structure of the eye without first requiring a full segmentation of the 3-D data set. Advantageously, the system, method and apparatus of the present invention can provide quantitative three-dimensional information about the spatial location and extent of macular edema and other pathologies. This three-dimensional information can be used to determine the need for treatment, monitor the effectiveness of treatment and identify the return of fluid that may signal the need for re-treatment.

The invention provides a method of optical imaging comprising providing a sample to be imaged, measuring and correcting aberrations associated with the sample using adaptive optics, and imaging the sample by optical coherence tomography. The method can be used to image the fundus of a human eye to provide diagnostic information about retinal pathologies such as macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, glaucoma, or diabetic retinopathy. The invention further provides an apparatus comprising an adaptive optics subsystem and a two-dimensional optical coherence tomography subsystem.

Methods for evaluating motion of a tissue, such as of a cardiac location, e.g., heart wall, via continuous field tomography are provided. In the subject methods, a continuous field (e.g., an electrical, mechanical, electro-mechanical, or other field) sensing element is stably associated with the tissue location. A property of the applied continuous field is detected with the sensing element to evaluate movement of the tissue location. Also provided are systems, devices and related compositions for practicing the subject methods. The subject methods and devices find use in a variety of different applications, including cardiac resynchronization therapy.

An interferometer for X-rays, in particular hard X-rays, for obtaining quantitative phase contrast images, includes a standard polychromatic X-ray source, a diffractive optical beam splitter other than a Bragg crystal in transmission geometry, and a position-sensitive detector with spatially modulated detection sensitivity.

A method of determination of fluid pressures in a subsurface region of the earth uses seismic velocities and calibrations relating the seismic velocities to the effective stress on the subsurface sediments. The seismic velocities may be keyed to defined seismic horizons and may be obtained from many methods, including velocity spectra, post-stack inversion, pre-stack inversion, VSP or tomography. Overburden stresses may be obtained from density logs, relations between density and velocity, or from inversion of potential fields data. The seismic data may be P-P, P-S, or S-S data. The calibrations may be predetermined or may be derived from well information including well logs and well pressure measurements. The calibrations may also include the effect of unloading. The determined pressures may be used in the analysis of fluid flow in reservoirs, basin and prospect modeling and in fault integrity analysis.

A method of installing a dental implant includes positioning a drill guide tube adjacent to a jawbone and taking a tomographical scan of the two. Based on the scan, a computer-generated image is created and analyzed to confirm whether the drill guide tube is properly aligned. If the drill guide tube is in the correct position, that same tube to used to guide a drill bit into the jawbone. In some cases, the tube also helps guide a biopsy punch in cutting just a small, round opening into the gum tissue, which minimizes the time needed for healing.

Optical mapping apparatus for imaging an object, comprising an optical coherence tomography (OCT) system including an OCT source, an OCT reference path leading from the OCT source to an OCT receiver, an OCT object path leading from the object to the OCT coupler, an OCT depth scanner adapted to alter at least one of the OCT reference path and the OCT receiver path. A confocal system is provided including a confocal optical receiver a confocal path leading from the object to the confocal optical receiver via a confocal input aperture. An adaptive optics (AO) system is provided to correct optical aberrations in the OCT object path and the confocal path.

A stent is formed by encasing or encapsulating metallic rings in an inner polymeric layer and an outer polymeric layer. At least one polymer link connects adjacent metallic rings. The stent is drug loaded with one or more therapeutic agent or drug, for example, to reduce the likelihood of the development of restenosis in the coronary arteries. The inner and outer polymeric materials can be of the same polymer or different polymer to achieve different results, such as enhancing flexibility and providing a stent that is visible under MRI, computer tomography and x-ray fluoroscopy.

This invention provides a better apparatus and method for the generation of Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and Confocal Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscope (CSLO) images, using a dual-waveguiding module. A dual-waveguiding structure consists of a single-mode and a multi-mode waveguide each with optimum size and numerical aperture for highly efficient collection of the OCT and CSLO optical signals. Separation of the two signals is achieved by channeling most of the multi-mode guided optical power to a CSLO detector. The non-tapped single-mode guided optical wave is further sent to a pure single-mode fiber of a standard OCT system for OCT image generation. The present invention achieves highly efficient optical power usage and hence high signal to noise ratio, together with inherent pixel-to-pixel registration of the OCT and CSLO images, and a cost reduction of the OCT/CSLO combo system.

A targeting system for administering radiation to a patient and methods therefor are provided. The targeting system includes a stereotactic frame system for immobilizing the patient; an imaging scanner for acquiring images of a patient's anatomy, wherein at least one image is acquired during a planning phase, and at least one image is acquired during a pretreatment phase; a processor for fusing the planning image to the pretreatment image and for determining a shift, for example, translation and rotation, between the images to locate a predetermined portion of the patient's anatomy; and a radiation source for delivery of radiation to the predetermined portion of the patient's anatomy.