Patent application number | Description | Published |
20130168532 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ADJUSTING THE LIGHT OUTPUT OF AN OPTOACOUSTIC IMAGING SYSTEM - A system and method for adjusting the light output of an optoacoustic imaging system. An optoacoustic imaging system includes a light source having a light output control, a probe for delivering light to a volume, the probe being associated with one or more sensors, a light path operatively connected to the first light source, the light path providing light from the first light source to the probe. To avoid unsafe fluence levels incident upon the volume of interest in a clinical setting, the light output control may be set to an initial, relatively low value. After the light source is pulsed, the light output may be measured at or near the probe at the distal end of the light path. The measured light output can used to determine whether, and how much, to change the setting of the light output control. | 07-04-2013 |
20130276542 | LIGHT OUTPUT CALIBRATION IN AN OPTOACOUSTIC SYSTEM - An optoacoustic system includes first and second light sources capable of generating pulse of light at first and second wavelengths, first and second electrically controlled optical attenuators, first and second light sync detectors, and a combiner. A power meter that is calibrated to determine power at the first and second predominant wavelength measures power at the first wavelength after the first light sync is detected and measures power at the second wavelength after the second light sync is detected. The system includes a calibration mode wherein it electrically attenuates the first optical attenuator when the power measured by the power meter at the first wavelength after the first light sync is detected is above a first level, and electrically attenuated the second optical attenuator when the power measured by the power meter at the second wavelength after the second light sync is detected is above a second level. | 10-24-2013 |
20130289381 | DUAL MODALITY IMAGING SYSTEM FOR COREGISTERED FUNCTIONAL AND ANATOMICAL MAPPING - A real-time imaging system that provides ultrasonic imaging and optoacoustic imaging coregistered through application of the same hand-held probe to generate and detect ultrasonic and optoacoustic signals. These signals are digitized, processed and used to reconstruct anatomical maps superimposed with maps of two functional parameters of blood hemoglobin index and blood oxygenation index. The blood hemoglobin index represents blood hemoglobin concentration changes in the areas of diagnostic interest relative to the background blood concentration. The blood oxygenation index represents blood oxygenation changes in the areas of diagnostic interest relative to the background level of blood oxygenation. These coregistered maps can be used to noninvasively differentiate malignant tumors from benign lumps and cysts. | 10-31-2013 |
20130296701 | PLAYBACK MODE IN AN OPTOACOUSTIC IMAGING SYSTEM - An optoacoustic imaging system includes a handheld probe and a computing subsystem. The probe includes an ultrasound transducer array, the array being capable of receiving an acoustic return signal. The system further includes a light source capable of generating pulses of light and delivering the pulses to the handheld probe. The computing subsystem generates images from the acoustic return signal, and the subsystem is configured to store raw data frames in a buffer. Upon actuation of a playback mode via the user input device, the computing subsystem is caused to switch from a live mode wherein images from the acoustic return signal are displayed substantially in real time to the playback mode wherein images are generated from the frames stored in the buffer. One or more parameters affecting processing of the frames into an output image displayed upon the display can be enabled during the playback mode such that the output image varies from an image generated from the frame when the system is not in the playback mode. In this manner, the user can play back an area of interest using alternative filters that highlight different physiological features of the region of interest, alternative modes of display, and other alternative parameters. | 11-07-2013 |
20130301380 | METHOD FOR DUAL MODALITY OPTOACOUSTIC IMAGING - A real-time imaging method that provides ultrasonic imaging and optoacoustic imaging coregistered through application of the same hand-held probe to generate and detect ultrasonic and optoacoustic signals. These signals are digitized, processed and used to reconstruct anatomical maps superimposed with maps of two functional parameters of blood hemoglobin index and blood oxygenation index. The blood hemoglobin index represents blood hemoglobin concentration changes in the areas of diagnostic interest relative to the background blood concentration. The blood oxygenation index represents blood oxygenation changes in the areas of diagnostic interest relative to the background level of blood oxygenation. These coregistered maps can be used to noninvasively differentiate malignant tumors from benign lumps and cysts. | 11-14-2013 |
20130303875 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DYNAMICALLY VARYING THE ANGLE OF LIGHT TRANSMISSION IN AN OPTOACOUSTIC IMAGING SYSTEM - An optoacoustic probe includes an optical window, a light path, an acoustic lens and an ultrasound transducer array. The light path operatively connects a light source to the probe, and is adapted to transmit light through the optical window at an angle of light transmission. The ultrasound transducer array includes ultrasound transducer elements, and has the inner surface of the acoustic lens at its active end. The probe is enabled to vary the angle of light transmission responsive to at least one command. In an embodiment, the light source generates a light pulse at at least one predominant wavelength. The light path may comprise at least first plurality of optical fibers. A control and processing system may be provided that is capable of pulsing the light source, causing the probe to transmit ultrasound, receiving and processing optoacoustic and ultrasound data, and controlling the operation of the system. An electrical path operatively connecting the control and processing system to the probe transmits and receives ultrasound data, and receives optoacoustic data. The control and processing system may be capable of transmitting at least one command to the probe via a control line such that the probe is caused to vary an angle of light transmission of the first plurality of optical fibers responsive to a first one of the at least one commands. | 11-14-2013 |
20130304405 | OPTOACOUSTIC COMPONENT UTILIZATION TRACKING - A serialized probe component for an optoacoustic device has a unique identifier associated therewith and includes, in an embodiment, an operative connection between a read-write memory and the optoacoustic device. Software adapted to generate and store logs in a read-write memory is executed on the optoacoustic device and stores logs concerning utilization of the serialized probe component on the read-write memory. A method for logging operational information concerning an optoacoustic device is further disclosed. | 11-14-2013 |
20130335441 | System and method for procucing parametric maps of optoacoustic data - A method is disclosed for creating and outputting a masked parametric map that reflects parameters in a first parametric map and second parametric map. First and second parametric maps are generated, and then a masked parametric map that reflects parameters in the first and second parametric maps is generated. The first parametric map may be based upon portions of two optoacoustic images created using differing wavelengths of light. The first parametric map is reflective of areas within the volume of tissue that have a differing response to the longer wavelength light event compared to the shorter one. The second parametric map is reflective of areas within the volume of tissue that have a stronger response to the longer and shorter wavelength light events than the surrounding areas. A masked parametric map is output which is reflective of a combination of information in the first and second parametric maps. | 12-19-2013 |
20130336551 | System and method for acquiring optoacoustic data and producing parametric maps thereof - A method is disclosed for generating sinograms by sampling a plurality of transducers acoustically coupled with the surface of a volume of tissue over a period of time after a light pulse at one wavelength, and after another light pulse at a different wavelength, and for processing those sinograms, reconstructing at least two optoacoustic images from the two sinograms, processing the two optoacoustic images to generate two envelope images and generating a parametric map from information in the two envelope images. In an embodiment, motion and tracking are determined to align the envelope images. In an embodiment, at least a second parametric map is produced from information in the same two envelope images. In an embodiment an ultrasound image is also acquired, and the parametric map is coregistered with and overlayed upon the ultrasound image, and then displayed. | 12-19-2013 |
20130338501 | System and method for storing data associated with the operation of a dual modality optoacoustic/ultrasound system - A method of recording data in a file, the data being associated with the operation of a combined ultrasound and optoacoustic imaging system. The method generates a sinograms each reflective an of an optoacoustic return signal responsive to a light event, and associates each sinogram with a value that can be used to determine its temporal order. The method also generates ultrasound images each reflective an of an ultrasound return signal responsive to generated ultrasound, and associates each ultrasound image with a value that can be used to determine its temporal order. The sinogram and ultrasound data are stored in frames without concern for the precise order of the frames in the file, the frames including the values associating the sinograms and ultrasound images with their temporal order, so that the order and timing of the data underlying the frames can be reconstructed from the information in the file. | 12-19-2013 |
20140005544 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING SELECTIVE CHANNEL SENSITIVITY IN AN OPTOACOUSTIC IMAGING SYSTEM | 01-02-2014 |
20140036053 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR NORMALIZING RANGE IN AN OPTOACOUSTIC IMAGING SYSTEM - A system and method are provided for normalizing range in an optoacoustic imaging system. In an embodiment, the system includes adjustable amplifiers and a probe having an array of transducer elements, each of the adjustable amplifiers being associated with one or more of the transducer elements. The transducer elements are acoustically coupled with a surface of a volume. The gain on the adjustable amplifiers is changed as a function of the passage of time during a predetermined period of time after a pulse of light. A sinogram is recorded by sampling the adjustably amplified plurality of transducer elements for the predetermined period of time. The sinogram is processed by substantially reversing the changing step mathematically, and storing the results in an expanded dynamic range sinogram. The expanded dynamic range sinogram provides sufficient numeric precision to permit the reversal of the changing step without materially decreasing the dynamic range of the information in the sinogram. An optoacoustic image is generated based upon the information contained in the expanded dynamic range sinogram. | 02-06-2014 |
20140036091 | INTERFRAME ENERGY NORMALIZATION IN AN OPTOACOUSTIC IMAGING SYSTEM - An optoacoustic imaging system includes a handheld probe and first and second pulsed light sources having a common output. The first and second light sources generate pulses of light at first and second predominant wavelengths, respectively. The handheld probe includes an ultrasound transducer array having an active end located at the distal end of the handheld probe for receiving an optoacoustic return signal. A sensor measures a portion of the light transmitted along the light path. A data acquisition samples the ultrasound transducer array during a predetermined period of time after a pulse of light from the first light source and during a predetermined period of time after a pulse of light from the second light source. The sampled data is stored. An image processing unit reconstructs a first optoacoustic image based on the sampled data corresponding to a pulse of light from the first light source and reconstructs a second optoacoustic image based on the sampled data corresponding to a pulse of light from the second light source. An energy normalizing unit computes a normalization factor based on a measurement from each sensor in the array and applies the normalization factor to data corresponding to the pulse of light. | 02-06-2014 |
20140093150 | STATISTICAL MAPPING IN AN OPTOACOUSTIC IMAGING SYSTEM - Electromagnetic energy is deposited into a volume, an acoustic return signal from energy deposited in the volume is measured, and a parametric map that estimates values of at least one parameter as spatially represented in the volume is computed. A reference level of a region of interest is determined, and upper and lower color map limits are specified, with at least one of them being determined in relation to the reference level. The parametric map is then rendered in the palette of a color map by mapping the estimated values of the parametric map onto the color map according to the color map limits. Two wavelengths of energy can be applied to the volume, and the parametric map computation can be adapted by applying an implicit or explicit model of, or theoretical basis for, distribution of electromagnetic energy fluence within the volume pertaining to the two wavelengths. The actual electromagnetic energy fluence caused by each wavelength has a propensity, due to variability within the volume, to differ from the modeled or theoretical electromagnetic energy fluence. | 04-03-2014 |
20140185899 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ACQUIRING OPTOACOUSTIC DATA AND PRODUCING PARAMETRIC MAPS USING INTERFRAME PERSISTENT ARTIFACT REMOVAL - The quality of a parametric map is improved based upon information contained in optoacoustic images. Frames are acquired by a multi-wavelength optoacoustic imaging system. A first sub-set including uncorrelated frames from a first wavelength is generated. A first interframe artifact estimate is generated. The first artifact estimate is applied to a frame from a first wavelength to mitigate the interframe persistent artifact in the frame, creating a first processed frame. A second sub-set including uncorrelated frames from a second wavelength is generated. A second interframe artifact estimate is generated. The second artifact estimate is applied to a frame from the second wavelength to mitigate the artifact in the frame from the second wavelength, creating a second processed frame. A parametric map is generated from information in the first processed frame and information in the second processed frame. | 07-03-2014 |
20140249414 | System and Method for Mixed Modality Acoustic Sampling - Systems and methods for relaying electrical signals representing acoustic response of a volume of tissue to light and ultrasound stimulation. In an embodiment, a plurality of ultrasound transducers receive acoustic energy from the volume and generate electrical energy, which is transmitted via an electrical path to a relay system. The ultrasound transducers are operated at a wide band frequency of at least 1 MHz to 5 MHz to receive acoustic energy from the volume of tissue responsive to light stimulation and at a narrower band frequency to receive acoustic energy from the volume of tissue responsive to acoustic stimulation. The relay system relays the electrical signals to an optoacoustic system or an ultrasound instrument for further processing depending on whether the electrical signals resulted from ultrasound or light stimulation. In an embodiment, optoacoustic, ultrasound, or other images are generated from the electrical signals and may be coregistered, overlayed, or displayed. | 09-04-2014 |