Patent application number | Description | Published |
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 |
20100246913 | COMPUTER-AIDED DETECTION OF ANATOMICAL ABNORMALITIES IN X-RAY TOMOSYNTHESIS IMAGES - Methods, systems, and related computer program products for computer-aided detection (CAD) of anatomical abnormalities in a breast volume based on a plurality of two-dimensional x-ray tomosynthesis projection images thereof is described. Each projection image is processed according to at least one predetermined feature extraction algorithm to generate at least one projection feature array corresponding thereto. For each of the at least one predetermined features extracted, the plurality of corresponding projection feature arrays is backprojected according to a predetermined tomosynthesis reconstruction algorithm to form a plurality of two-dimensional tomosynthesis reconstructed feature arrays. Each pixel in the three-dimensional breast geometry is then individually classified as being either a pixel of interest, or not a pixel of interest, based upon the at least one tomosynthesis reconstructed feature array value corresponding to that pixel. CAD detections for the breast volume are then generated based on the identified pixels of interest. | 09-30-2010 |
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 |
20120014578 | Computer Aided Detection Of Abnormalities In Volumetric Breast Ultrasound Scans And User Interface - Methods and related systems are described for detection of breast cancer in 3D ultrasound imaging data. Volumetric ultrasound images are obtained by an automated breast ultrasound scanning (ABUS) device. In ABUS images breast cancers appear as dark lesions. When viewed in transversal and sagittal planes, lesions and normal tissue appear similar as in traditional 2D ultrasound. However, architectural distortion and spiculation are frequently seen in the coronal views, and these are strong indicators of the presence of cancer. The described computerized detection (CAD) system combines a dark lesion detector operating in 3D with a detector for spiculation and architectural distortion operating on 2D coronal slices. In this way a sensitive detection method is obtained. Techniques are also described for correlating regions of interest in ultrasound images from different scans such in different scans of the same breast, scans of a patient's right versus left breast, and scans taken at different times. Techniques are also described for correlating regions of interest in ultrasound images and mammography images. Interactive user interfaces are also described for displaying CAD results and for displaying corresponding locations on different images. | 01-19-2012 |
20120095305 | Spectrophotometric Monitoring Of Multiple Layer Tissue Structures - Methods, systems, and related computer program products for the non-invasive spectrophotometric monitoring of a biological volume having multiple tissue layers are described. Aggregate absorption and scattering properties are measured for each of a plurality of predetermined source-detector separation distances along a surface of the biological volume, the measurement being based on a model of the biological volume as a single-layer, semi-infinite, homogeneous volume. A predetermined multi-layer tissue model is retrieved that characterizes a mathematical relationship among (a) absorption and scattering properties of each layer of a multi-layer tissue structure, and (b) aggregate absorption and scattering properties of the multi-layer tissue structure as would be measured at selected source-detector separation distances along a surface thereof. The measured aggregate absorption and scattering properties are processed in conjunction with the predetermined multi-layer tissue model to compute therefrom a deep-layer-specific absorption property corresponding to the relatively deep tissue layer. | 04-19-2012 |
20130174412 | FULL-FIELD BREAST ULTRASOUND SYSTEM AND ARCHITECHTURE - 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 ( | 07-11-2013 |
20140081139 | SELECTABLY COMPOUNDING AND DISPLAYING BREAST ULTRASOUND IMAGES - Acquiring, processing and presenting breast ultrasound information to a user is described. Breast tissue is scanned with an ultrasonic transducer array to generate sonographic image information of the tissue in multiple angles using beamsteering techniques. Sonographic image information is stored in a storage system. One or more image selection buttons are provided that allow the viewer to select which angle or compound image should be displayed. In response to user input, sonographic images are displayed in the desired views, thereby facilitating analysis of the patient's breast tissue by the user. The sonographic image information can be processed real-time, in response to and according to user input. Image selection buttons are described which can soft buttons displayed to the user. The appearance of the soft button can change to indicate the type of image being displayed. | 03-20-2014 |