Eigen, Inc.

Dinesh Kumar

Jasjit S Suri

Animesh Khemka

Dinggang Shen

Guangyao Xu

Kanwar Suri

Liyang Wei

The invention presents tools to improve a 3-D image aided biopsy or treatment procedure for prostate gland by providing additional functionality and additional visual cues on an output image of the prostate, which may be generated substantially in real-time. The tools include i) the identification of various parts of prostate to classify as per regular classification in pathological reports, ii) Computing and displaying the insertion depth of needle with respect to a selected target point during the procedure, iii) Computing and displaying the distance from needle tip to prostate surface following a procedure and, iv) Calibration for misalignment of a 2-D imaging transducer when used under tracked motion for a procedure.

System and method for prostate biopsy

Presented are systems and methods that allow for interpolation of a 3-D volume from arbitrarily oriented 2-D medical images. The interpolation of 3-D volume from arbitrarily oriented 2-D images reduces or eliminates most constraints on image acquisition thereby allowing for, inter alia, freehand manipulation of an image acquisition device (e.g. an ultrasound transducer). Related utilities involve the use of prior information about a specific object of interest to interpolate a surface (e.g., 3-D surface) of the object from limited information obtained from very few 2-D images.

Image interpolation for medical imaging

An improved apparatus and method for position sensing of a medical tracker device are presented. The apparatus and method are designed to constrain, rotate, and track the position of a medical tool. To improve the position sensing of the tracker, a joint that provides two degrees of freedom may use a revolute gear pair together with a rotary sensor for angular motion sensing and a sliding/prismatic assembly together with a linear magnetic sensor for linear position sensing. Thus, the linear motion sensing and the angular motion sensing are decoupled.

Apparatus and method for position sensing

An image guidance system is provided for improving tissue culture extraction where the tissue is extracted under the guidance of first and second knowledge-based systems. The first knowledge-based system provides initial suggested regions of interest for tissue biopsy in an internal organ. These regions of interest are then confirmed as being of interest of being benign by the second knowledge-based system. Information from two different sources may provide a more accurate, intelligent and robust method that helps in selecting biopsy sites accurately, such that suspicious regions are not overlooked and the benign regions are not unnecessarily operated upon. This not only helps in better diagnosis and treatment, but also helps reduce pain to the patient, in addition to reducing wastage of resources and invaluable time.

Method for tissue culture extraction

Systems and method are provided for registering medical images to reduce movement between the images. In one arrangement, a hierarchical image registration is performed where regions of the largest differences between images are identified and utilized to drive the deformation of one of the images. Such regions are identified in one arrangement by determining intensities and gradient magnitudes for corresponding regions of the images. In another arrangement, a multi-resolution registration strategy is applied.

Alignment method for registering medical images

Provided herein are devices and methods for mounting variously configured medical imaging probes for imaging applications. In one aspect, a holding device allows for interfacing/holding most conventional ultrasound probes such that the probes may be attached to a positioning device using a common interface. As ultrasound probes come in various sizes and lengths, the device may adjust to different lengths, widths and shapes of different probes. Hence, the device may work in a substantially universal manner while securely holding probes with little wobble or other problems.

Universal ultrasound holder and rotation device

Provided herein are devices and methods for mounting variously configured medical imaging probes to a tracker assembly for imaging applications. In one aspect, a tracker assembly provides multiple degrees of freedom for positioning a probe relative to a patient and/or maintaining a probe in a desired location for imaging purposes. The tracker generates location information that may be utilized as frame of reference information for acquired images. In another aspect a holding device allows for interfacing/holding differently configured probes in a common orientation to a predetermined frame of reference.

Growing community of inventors

Grass Valley, CA, United States of America

Dinesh Kumar