Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba

Tokyo Shibaura Denki Kabushiki Kaisha

Tokyo Shibaura Electric Co., Ltd.

Nihon Kohden Corporation

Ichiro Ogura

Hiroshi Asahina

Ayao Itoh

Kazuhiro Iinuma

Michitaka Honda

Kinya Takamizawa

Makoto Kaneko

Kaoru Machida

Muneshige Kurahashi

Hiroshi Yasuhara

Senzo Fujii

Motomu Suzuki

An apparatus for disintegrating calculuses of the type found in a human body, transmits a shockwave through a container filled with a liquid medium, into the body. The apparatus comprises a tank which stores the liquid, a sensor for detecting pressure in the container, and a liquid control system. When pressure exceeds a preset value, the control system transports liquid from the container to the tank until the pressure falls below the preset value.

Apparatus for disintegrating calculuses

X-ray mask images of a subject are acquired by a TV camera before a contrast media injected by a injector reaches a region of interest of the subject, the acquired X-ray mask images are stored in a mask image memory in accordance with a frame counter and a memory controller. X-ray contrast images of the subject are acquired by the TV camera after the contrast media reaches the region of interest of the subject, the acquired X-ray contrast images are stored in a contrast image memory in accordance with a frame counter and a memory controller. The mask images and contrast images are subtracted by a subtraction processor, and X-ray subtraction images are obtained. The X-ray images of the subject acquired by the TV camera and the X-ray subtraction images are superimposed by a superimposition processor, and then are displayed on a TV monitor.

Method and system for displaying X-ray images of blood-vessel structure

In an X-ray cinecamera apparatus with a TV camera, an X-ray tube for radiating X-rays to subject and cinecamera are operated by a controller in a desired timing differing from TV synchronous signals. After video signals output from a TV camera during an odd field period (or even field period) are written into field memory, both the video signals stored in field memory and the video signals output from TV camera during a continued even field period (or continued odd field period) are processed by the adder to a desired brightness level. As a result, flickerless X-ray dynamic images can be displayed on TV monitor.

Method and system for displaying flickerless X-ray dynamic images

An ultrasound therapy apparatus having an applicator. The applicator comprises at least one ultrasonic beam emitter, at least two ultrasonic transducers, and a support member. The beam emitter emits an ultrasonic beam onto an object within a patient, for the purpose of treating the object. The transducers apply ultrasonic beams to the patient and detect ultrasonic echoes coming from the patient, thereby to form two tomograms, each of a selected plane of the patient, one plane intersecting with the other on a line passing through a region in which the beam emitted by the beam emitter is focused. The support member supports the beam emitter and the transducers in a specific positional relationship. Receivers receive echo signals corresponding to the ultrasonic echoes. Two displays display tomograms formed from these echo signals. They also display a first marker, which indicates a region in which the ultrasonic beam emitted from the beam emitter is focused, and also a second marker, which represents an intersection line of the two planes. By referring to these markers, an operator can set the applicator in a position whereby the beam emitted from the beam emitter is focused onto the object.

Ultrasound therapy apparatus

An image processing apparatus includes frame memories for storing information of an image to be displayed; a block memory for dividing the information stored in the frame memories into a given number of information blocks and storing the divided information blocks; a microcomputer circuit for automatically determining a desired value of each of LEVEL and WIDTH according to given contents of the divided information blocks; and an image emphasis circuit for window-processing information of the image to be displayed according to the determined value of each of the LEVEL and WIDTH.

Image processor with automatic setting of window width and level for

An X-ray photographing device of a digital fluorographic apparatus for use in X-ray diagnosis includes an image intensifier for converting X-rays transmitted through an object to an optical image, and a TV camera for converting the optical image to a television video signal. An effective video level range of the TV camera is narrower than that of the image intensifier. In order to perform a proper X-ray transmittance correction for the object, an X-ray television video signal is converted, at levels out of the effective video level range of the TV camera, to a maximum allowable input video level. In a TV monitor, the levels of the television signal which are out of the effective video signal level range of the TV camera are displayed at the maximum signal level to permit a ready transmittance correction operation. The subtraction image is displayed in accordance with the proper corrected levels.

Digital X-ray medical diagnostic apparatus

A diagnostic X-ray apparatus emitting pulsed X-ray radiation includes a processor for performing digital X-ray subtraction of a previous mask image from current images. The apparatus includes circuitry for digitization of the video signals from an image intensifier-TV chain, digital subtraction to obtain digital difference signals, and subsequent reconversion of the resultant digital difference video signals to analog signals. Pulsed X-ray exposures are performed during the blanking periods of the TV camera following which the television fields immediately following the pulsed X-ray exposure are scanned and read out, and are supplied to the processor for performing the digital X-ray subtraction.

Diagnostic X-ray apparatus

A measuring conduit adapted for flow rate and concentration of a fluid for use in a measuring apparatus which measures both the flow rate of the fluid such as a respiratory gas containing a particular gas component, for example, carbon dioxide, using an ultrasonic wave and the concentration of the particular gas component in an optical manner. In order to simultaneously measure the flow rate and concentration and also to reduce the dead space of the measuring conduit, this measuring conduit comprises a single conduit member through which the fluid flows; a pair of ultrasonic transducers attached to the conduit member so as to face each other along a line slanted with respect to a flow direction of the fluid; and a pair of light transmitting windows airtightly provided in the wall of the conduit member between the ultrasonic transducers so as to face each other. One of the light transmitting windows introduces a light beam from an external light source into the conduit member. The other light transmitting window introduces the light penetrating the fluid flowing through the conduit member into a photo detecting element of the measuring apparatus.

Measuring conduit for flow rate and concentration of fluid

An ultrasonic flowmeter for measuring a flow rate in a conduit. A pair of ultrasonic transducers are disposed in a conduit so as to oppose each other such that a line connecting the pair of transducers is inclined by a predetermined angle with respect to a fluid flowing direction. The ultrasonic flowmeter includes: driving means for simultaneously driving the pair of ultrasonic transducers; means for measuring the primary time difference between a time when one ultrasonic transducer receives an ultrasonic wave which is radiated from the other ultrasonic transducer and a time when the other transducer receives an ultrasonic wave which is radiated from the first ultrasonic transducer. Additionally, a time difference between the time measured when one ultrasonic transducer receives an ultrasonic wave radiated from one ultrasonic transducer and reflected by the other ultrasonic transducer and a time measured when the other ultrasonic transducer receives an ultrasonic wave radiated from the other ultrasonic transducer and reflected by one ultrasonic transducer. Primary and secondary time difference data is produced by adding signs in accordance with the arrival order of the ultrasonic waves. Time difference data is used to calculate an actual flow rate of the fluid using data of the propagation time difference data.

Ultrasonic flowmeter

At a pair of recesses formed on an inner wall of a conduit along a line slanted with respect to the flow direction of a respiration gas flowing through the measuring conduit, a pair of ultrasonic transducers are provided with their ultrasonic transmitting and receiving surfaces oppositely facing each other along the above line. A propagating time T1 from the time when one of said ultrasonic transducers is driven to produce ultrasonic wave until the other transducer receives the ultrasonic wave, and a propagating time difference .DELTA.T are measured. A digital processor calculates a flow velocity of the respiration gas using the measured values in accordance with the following equation ##EQU1## where d is a distance between the pair of transducers free from an effect by the flow velocity of the gas; L a distance influenced by the flow velocity of the same; .theta. an angle of the direction of the respiration flow with respect to a line coupling the pair of transducers; .DELTA.T the propagating time difference; and Ta a value obtained by substituting the propagating time difference .DELTA.T from the double (2 T1) of the ultrasonic propagating time T1.

Respiration flowmeter

A probe for an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is provided which has a supporting plate and a plurality of electro-acoustic transducers arranged in a line on the supporting plate. A thin film with flexibility and watertightness is attached to the electro-acoustic transducers so that the spaces between the adjacent electro-acoustic transducers are hermetically sealed. The result is a reduction in the acoustic coupling between the adjacent transducers.

Growing community of inventors

Yokohama, Japan

Ichiro Ogura