| Patent application number | Description | Published |
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| 20080228053 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CEREBRAL OXYGENATION LEVEL MONITORING - Methods, systems, and related computer program products are provided for the reliable measurement of absolute chromophore concentrations in biological tissue, such as those indicative of blood oxygenation levels in the brain, based on infrared optical scanning. A plurality of probe patches is positioned at a respective plurality of locations around the patient's head, each probe patch being positioned against the skin of the head, wherein at least one of the probe patches is positioned where the skin includes active hair follicles. Each probe patch comprises a first infrared source-detector pair having a relatively short source-detector spacing and a second infrared source-detector pair having a relatively long source-detector spacing. Phase-only measurements are acquired for each of a plurality of infrared radiation wavelengths and modulation frequencies for each source-detector pair. Absolute regional chromophore concentrations in the brain are computed based on the phase-only measurements. | 09-18-2008 |
| 20080269613 | Versatile Breast Ultrasound Scanning - Versatile ultrasound scanning of a breast is described using an apparatus ( | 10-30-2008 |
| 20090024039 | HANDHELD VOLUMETRIC ULTRASOUND SCANNING DEVICE - An apparatus and related methods for ultrasonically scanning a tissue volume are described, the apparatus being particularly advantageous in the context of freehand ultrasound assisted biopsy of the breast although readily applied to non-biopsy contexts and other body parts. The apparatus comprises a casing configured and dimensioned for single-handed manipulation relative to a surface of the tissue, and a texturably couplant-porous material sheet extending across an opening of the casing. The texturably couplant-porous material sheet has an outer side and an inner side relative to the casing, the outer side for compressively contacting the tissue surface. The apparatus further comprises an ultrasound transducer positioned against the inner side of the texturably couplant-porous material sheet and being mechanically translatable thereacross for volumetrically scanning the tissue volume therethrough. | 01-22-2009 |
| 20090240150 | BREAST CANCER SCREENING WITH ADJUNCTIVE ULTRASOUND MAMMOGRAPHY - An adjunctive ultrasound mammography system and associated methods are described, comprising a scanning apparatus for facilitating standardized, repeatable breast ultrasound scans, and further comprising an adjunctive ultrasound display apparatus configured for fast, intuitive viewing of adjunctive ultrasound data concurrently with x-ray mammogram information. In one preferred embodiment, thick-slice ultrasound images are displayed near an x-ray mammogram such that a screening radiologist can quickly view the thick-slice images for assistance in interpreting the x-ray mammogram. Methods for concurrently acquiring and displaying vibrational resonance image (VDI) data are described. Computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) algorithms that incorporate acoustically-based feature vectors are described, the feature vectors including lateral shadow metrics, vertical shadow metrics, posterior enhancement metrics, and VDI-based metrics. Algorithms are also described that combine x-ray mammogram CAD results with adjunctive ultrasound CAD results without requiring complex image registrations therebetween. Many of the practical, economic, and political barriers to acceptance and integration of ultrasound mammography into existing mass breast cancer screening environments are mitigated. | 09-24-2009 |
| 20090312640 | ADJUNCTIVE ULTRASOUND PROCESSING AND DISPLAY FOR BREAST CANCER SCREENING - An adjunctive ultrasound mammography system and associated methods are described comprising an adjunctive ultrasound display configured for quick, intuitive, interactive viewing of data derived from volumetric ultrasound scans, the data being displayed near a conventional x-ray mammogram display. Preferred embodiments for navigating among a thick-slice image array, a selected enlarged thick-slice image, and planar ultrasound views are described, including a preferred embodiment in which the planar ultrasound views are updated in real time as a cursor is moved across an active thick-slice image. In one preferred embodiment the thick-slice images are inverted prior to display, with non-breast areas of the image preferably segmented out and reset to dark. The inverted thick-slice images are of more familiar significance to radiologists having years of expertise in analyzing conventional x-ray mammograms. For example, the inverted thick-slice images allow benign features to be more easily dismissed as compared to non-inverted thick-slice images. Preferred embodiments for computing thick-slice image values from the volumetric scan data are also described that emphasize larger mass lesions in the resulting thick-slice images, and that compensate for mass lesions that straddle thick-slice region borders. | 12-17-2009 |
| 20100040274 | PROCESSING AND DISPLAYING BREAST ULTRASOUND INFORMATION - Displaying breast ultrasound information on an interactive user interface is described, the user interface being useful in adjunctive ultrasound mammography environments and/or ultrasound-only mammography environments. Bilateral comparison is facilitated by a pairwise display of thick-slice images corresponding to analogous slab-like subvolumes in the left and right breasts. Coronal thick-slice imaging and convenient navigation on and among coronal thick-slice images is described. In one preferred embodiment, a nipple marker is displayed the coronal thick-slice image representing a projection of a nipple location thereupon. A convenient breast icon is also displayed including a cursor position indicator variably disposed thereon in a manner that reflects a relative position between the cursor and the nipple marker. Preferably, the breast icon is configured to at least roughly resemble a clock face, the center of the clock face representing the nipple marker location. Bookmark-centric and CAD-marker-centric navigation within and among thick-slice images is also described. | 02-18-2010 |
| 20100063396 | COMPRESSIVE SURFACES FOR ULTRASONIC SCANNING - An apparatus and related methods for ultrasonically scanning a tissue sample are described, the apparatus comprising an ultrasound transducer and a taut fabric sheet compressing the tissue sample, the ultrasound transducer contacting the taut fabric sheet and ultrasonically scanning the tissue sample therethrough. Preferably, the taut fabric sheet is substantially porous with respect to an acoustic couplant. In another embodiment, an ultrasound transducer and a vented membrane are provided, the vented membrane having a first surface contacting the tissue surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the ultrasound transducer contacting the second surface and being translated across the second surface for ultrasonically scanning the tissue volume. An acoustic couplant is applied to one of the tissue surface, the first surface, and the second surface, the vented membrane being provided with a void pattern such that it is substantially porous with respect to the acoustic coupling agent. | 03-11-2010 |
| 20100076311 | THICK-SLICE PROCESSING AND DISPLAY OF INFORMATION FROM A VOLUMETRIC ULTRASOUND SCAN OF A CHESTWARDLY COMPRESSED BREAST - Systems, methods, and related computer program products for acquiring, processing, and displaying breast ultrasound information are described. In one preferred embodiment, a three-dimensional data volume of a sonographic property of a chestwardly compressed breast is acquired, and the data volume is processed to generate a plurality of two-dimensional coronal thick-slice images. Each coronal thick-slice image is representative of the sonographic property within a thick-slice subvolume of the breast substantially parallel to a coronal plane. The thick-slice subvolume has a thickness selected for optimal viewing of terminal ductal lobular unit (TDLU) patterns in a display of the thick-slice images. | 03-25-2010 |
| 20100174185 | ULTRASOUND SCANNING AND ULTRASOUND-ASSISTED BIOPSY - An apparatus and related methods for ultrasonically scanning a tissue sample are described, the apparatus comprising an ultrasound transducer and a membranous sheet, the membranous sheet compressing the tissue sample, the ultrasound transducer contacting the membranous sheet and ultrasonically scanning the tissue sample therethrough, wherein the membranous sheet has a generally arcuate shape and the ultrasound transducer is movable in a generally arcuate trajectory therealong during the ultrasonic scan. Also described is an apparatus for facilitating a medical procedure, comprising a membranous sheet compressing a tissue sample, an ultrasound transducer contacting the membranous sheet to ultrasonically scan the tissue sample therethrough, and a biopsy guide operably coupled to the ultrasound transducer for maintaining a biopsy instrument in a scan plane of the ultrasound transducer to facilitate a percutaneous biopsy of a lesion located in the scan plane. | 07-08-2010 |
| 20100179429 | HANDHELD VOLUMETRIC ULTRASOUND SCANNING - Systems, methods, and related computer program products for ultrasonic examination of a tissue volume, such as a human breast, are described. A handheld volumetric ultrasound scanning probe, which is characterized by a two-dimensional scan area with a substantially rigid cap extending across the two-dimensional scan area, is provided with a texturably couplant-porous material sheet covering the substantially rigid cap over at least a portion of the two-dimensional scan area. The texturably couplant-porous material sheet facilitates positional stability of the handheld volumetric ultrasound scanning probe while positioned against a skin surface of the tissue volume. Advantageously, while the texturably couplant-porous material sheet brings about a more stable physical interface at the skin surface, the texturably couplant-porous material sheet brings about little or no degradation in acquired image quality. Also described are systems and related methods for elastography imaging using the handheld volumetric ultrasound scanning probe. | 07-15-2010 |
| 20100198029 | Patient Monitoring Using Combination of Continuous Wave Spectrophotometry and Phase Modulation Spectrophotometry - Non-invasive spectrophotometric monitoring of oxygen saturation levels based on a combination of continuous wave spectrophotometry (CWS) and phase modulation spectrophotometry (PMS) is described. First information representative of absolute oxygen saturation levels in relatively shallow regions of a patient tissue volume are acquired from PMS-based monitoring thereof during a reference interval. Second information representative of non-absolute oxygen saturation levels in relatively deep regions of the tissue volume are acquired from CWS-based monitoring thereof during the reference interval. Based on the first and second information acquired during the reference interval, a mapping is automatically determined between the second information and estimated absolute oxygen saturation metrics for the relatively deep regions. On a continuing basis during a monitoring interval subsequent to the reference interval, the second information continuously acquired from CWS-based monitoring of the tissue volume are continuously mapped into estimated absolute oxygen saturation metrics, which are continuously displayed on a display output. | 08-05-2010 |
| 20100280375 | Breast Ultrasound Examination Including Scanning Through Chestwardly Compressing Membrane And Processing And Displaying Acquired Ultrasound Image Information - Navigation among breast ultrasound volumes derived from different volumetric ultrasonic scans of a same breast is described. On a display of a breast ultrasound workstation, a first image derived from a first ultrasonic volume is displayed. A user election of a source region of interest (ROI) in the first image is received. A destination ROI within a second ultrasonic volume is identified that at least roughly corresponds to a same locality of tissue in the breast as the source ROI. A second image derived from the second ultrasonic volume and including the destination ROI is displayed, the destination ROI being highlighted. | 11-04-2010 |
| 20100331699 | Full-field breast ultrasound system and architecture - A modular, flexible architecture for offering full-field breast ultrasound (FFBU) functionality and general-purpose ultrasound functionality in a single system is described. A conventional, general-purpose ultrasound system ( | 12-30-2010 |
| 20110046459 | Non-Invasive Patient Monitoring Using Near Infrared Spectrophotometry - Methods, systems, and related computer program products for non-invasive spectrophotometric monitoring of an optical property of a medium are described. Respective light portions are propagated through respective at least partially non-overlapping subregions of the medium during each of a calibration interval and a subsequent monitoring interval. Detections of the light portions acquired during the calibration interval are processed to compute at least one algorithm compensation that causes a first result related to the optical property for the first subregion to be substantially equal to a second result related to the optical property for the second subregion. Subsequently, detections of respective light portions acquired during the monitoring interval are processed in conjunction with the at least one algorithm compensation to compute a monitoring result for the optical property. Advantages can include a reduction in the number of sources/detectors required and/or an obviation of symmetry requirements in source/detector layout. | 02-24-2011 |
| 20110060197 | NEAR INFRARED SPECTROPHOTOMETRY WITH ENHANCED SIGNAL TO NOISE PERFORMANCE - Methods, systems, and related computer program products for the non-invasive spectrophotometric monitoring of an optical property of a tissue volume are described. Multiple optical signals having different modulation frequencies are introduced into the tissue volume simultaneously and on a continuous basis throughout the monitoring session. Multiple optical signal portions incident upon each of a plurality of optical detectors are detected and separated based on their modulation frequency. Amplitude and phase signals corresponding to each optical signal portion are extracted and processed to determine the optical property of the tissue volume. In one preferred embodiment, a first optical detector includes an aperture having a central area, a first edge positioned nearer to a first optical source than the central area, and a second edge positioned farther from the first optical source than the central area. The first and second edges are each curved concavely toward the first optical source. | 03-10-2011 |
| 20110098566 | THICK-SLICE ULTRASOUND IMAGES DERIVED FROM ULTRASONIC SCANS OF A CHESTWARDLY-COMPRESSED BREAST OF A SUPINE PATIENT - Displaying breast ultrasound information on an interactive user interface is described, the user interface being useful in adjunctive ultrasound mammography environments and/or ultrasound-only mammography environments. Bilateral comparison is facilitated by a pairwise display of thick-slice images corresponding to analogous slab-like subvolumes in the left and right breasts. Coronal thick-slice imaging and convenient navigation on and among coronal thick-slice images is described. In one preferred embodiment, a nipple marker is displayed the coronal thick-slice image representing a projection of a nipple location thereupon. A convenient breast icon is also displayed including a cursor position indicator variably disposed thereon in a manner that reflects a relative position between the cursor and the nipple marker. Preferably, the breast icon is configured to at least roughly resemble a clock face, the center of the clock face representing the nipple marker location. Bookmark-centric and CAD-marker-centric navigation within and among thick-slice images is also described. | 04-28-2011 |
