Acuson Corporation

University of Virginia Patent Foundation

Siemens Medical Solutions Usa, Inc.

Sensant Corporation

John Alexander Hossack

Christopher R Cole

Samuel H Maslak

Gregory L Holley

Jian-Hua Mo

Thilaka S Sumanaweera

Linyong Pang

David J Napolitano

Travis N Blalock

William F Walker

John W Sliwa, Jr

Edward A Gardner

John W Eaton

Kutay F Ustuner

Charles E Bradley

Alexander L Klibanov

F William Mauldin, Jr

John W Allison

John I Jackson

Pai-Chi Li

Brian R Wamhoff

Donald R Langdon

Thomas G Cooper

Ismayil M Guracar

Patrick J Phillips

Bhaskar S Ramamurthy

Paul E Chandler

Sevig Ayter

Ching-Hua Chou

Kevin Owen

Michael G Curley

Jeffrey S Hastings

Adam Dixon

John S Wang

Brent A French

Mirsaid Seyed-Bolorforosh

Johnny Chen

David Joseph Rosa

Matthew N O'Donnell

Albert Gee

Randall L Schlesinger

Igal Ladabaum

Paul Anthony Wagner

James W Arenson

Vaughn R Marian

Sandy A Napel

Amin M Hanafy

Stuart L Carp

Anming He Cai

David J Hedberg

Mirsaid Seyed Bolorforosh

Worth B Walters

Jing Liu

John P Mohr, Iii

Joan Carol Main

Arvind Jain

Mark D Okusa

Jeffrey M Greenberg

Shiying Wang

Michael I Fuller

Christopher M Kramer

Daniel E Need

Joseph J Molinari

Samuel M Howard

Stirling S Dodd

Karthik Ranganathan

Christopher M W Daft

Matthew T Spigelmyer

Douglas J Gallinat

Michael H Ikeda

Kenneth M Fowkes

Kutay F &Uuml;st&uuml;ner

Samual H Maslak

Sean C Little

Abhay V Patil

Timothy E Petersen

Timothy Norman Showalter

David R Brenin

Brett Bymaster

Kathy J Jackson

Nishaki Mehta

Patricia Fiorella Rodriguez Lozano

Austin A Robinson

Gregory L Woicik

Song Hu

Rui Cao

Joseph P Kilroy

David Paik

Elizabeth Bronwyn Herbst

Brooke Jeffrey, Jr

Rick L Edmiston

Joseph C Gigliotti

Jr F William Mauldin

Methods, systems, and computer readable media for utilizing a therapeutic ultrasound device to perform mitral valve decalcification are disclosed. One method includes acquiring, via an ultrasound imaging component, imaging data of a mitral valve in real-time, defining a therapeutic region of interest corresponding to the mitral valve, and utilizing, by a system controller engine, imaging data from the ultrasound imaging component to determine an interval period of minimal mitral annular movement. The method further includes defining a sequence of therapeutic targets within the region of interest of the mitral valve, utilizing the imaging data acquired in real-time by the ultrasound imaging component to provide a therapeutic ultrasound transducer array with a location and depth of an intra-annular focal zone within the mitral valve, and emitting a high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) pulse wave from the therapeutic ultrasound transducer array to each of the therapeutic targets of the mitral valve during the determined interval period and in accordance with the defined sequence.

Methods, systems, and computer readable media for utilizing a therapeutic ultrasound device to perform mitral valve decalcification

A surgical incision apparatus and method for puncturing a cutaneous layer of a subject for providing guided access to a subcutaneous organ or subcutaneous cavity (or specified target region) of the subject. The apparatus may include a retention body configured for securing a cutting tool therein and a housing configured for receiving the retention body. The apparatus includes a guidewire holder member configured for receiving a guidewire therein and aligning with the guidewire to allow the cutting tool to travel along the guidewire. The retention body is configured to be movably attached relative to the housing to allow the retention body and cutting tool to advance toward the subject to a deployed position, and subsequently withdraw to a retracted position.

Surgical incision apparatus and related methods thereof

Apparatus or techniques can include an applicator that can include an expandable element and an ultrasonic transducer. The applicator can be inserted into a cavity of a tissue region of a patient and images of the cavity and the applicator can be generated based on signals obtained from the ultrasonic transducer. Dosing of radiation can be determined based on the images and a dose of radiation can be delivered to the tissue region by a radiation source located in the applicator.

Application of radiation using imaging guidance

An apparatus can be used to generate acoustic imaging pulse sequences and receive corresponding echoes elicited by the acoustic imaging pulse sequences. An acoustic radiation force (ARF) pulse sequence can be generated to agitate a contrast medium in a tissue region between the acoustic imaging pulse sequences. A decorrelation between images corresponding to the received echoes can be determined. A weighting map can be applied to an image to weight a region of the image corresponding to a spatial location of the contrast medium using the determined decorrelation. In an example, the receiving of corresponding echoes elicited by the acoustic imaging pulse sequences can include receiving acoustic energy having a range of frequencies offset from a fundamental frequency associated with the acoustic imaging pulse sequences. An acoustic imaging pulse sequence can include a pulse having an inverted amplitude envelope with respect to another pulse included in the sequence.

Ultrasound contrast agent decorrelation-based signal separation

Systems and methods for treating a blood clot include a catheter to be inserted into a patient. The catheter is used to deliver low stability microbubbles toward the blood clot in the patient. A thrombolytic agent is delivered toward the blood clot, and ultrasonic energy is applied to the microbubbles to vibrate the microbubbles.

Method and apparatus for accelerated disintegration of blood clot

A catheter system including an elongate tubular member having a proximal end portion, a distal end portion and a lumen extending through at least a portion of a length of the elongate tubular member. The distal end portion of the elongate member is dimensioned and adapted to advance to or in proximity to a treatment site of a subject. A microbubble device is in fluid communication with the lumen. The microbubble device includes at least one input port for receiving a flow of material into the device and an output port configured to output microbubbles from the microbubble device. A second tubular member is in fluid communication with one of the at least one input ports. A pressure fitting arrangement is adapted to maintain a seal between the second tubular member and the input port.

Systems and methods for ultrasound imaging and insonation of microbubbles

A reflection-mode multispectral photoacoustic microscopy (PAM) system and related method is disclosed, based on an optical-acoustic objective in communication with an ultrasonic transducer. In some embodiments of the disclosed technology, when aligned and positioned in a predetermined manner, little to no chromatic aberration is provided, and with convenient confocal alignment of the optical excitation and acoustic detection.

Systems and methods for multispectral photoacoustic microscopy

An ultrasonic transducer element can configured to generate ultrasonic energy directed into tissue of a subject and configured to receive a portion of the ultrasonic energy reflected by a target located within the tissue. The ultrasonic transducer can include a surface configured to provide or receive the ultrasonic energy, the surface including an area of greater than or equal to about 4&#x3bb;, or the ultrasonic transducer element can be included in an array having a spacing between at least two adjacent ultrasound elements of less than or equal to about &#xbd;&#x3bb;, and the array comprising an aperture that is at least approximately symmetrical in two axes. A three-dimensional representation of one or more of a location, shape, or orientation of at least a portion of the target can be presented via the display.

Bone surface image reconstruction using ultrasound

Pulse-echo imaging systems and methods are provided, including a transmit code sequencer and a pulse generation circuit, The transmit code sequencer is configured to input a transmit code sequence to the pulse generation circuit. A transducer is configured to receive electrical signals provided as pulses using coded excitation according to the transmit code sequence, and to transduce the electrical signals to pulses of energy other than electrical signals. The transducer is further configured to receive echoes of the pulses of energy other than electrical signals and convert the echoes to received electrical signals generate using coded excitation. A receive circuit is configured to receive the received electrical signals generate using coded excitation, perform analog sampling of the received electrical signals generate using coded excitation, and provide a weighted, summed digital signal by processing the analog samples. At least one example of a pulse imaging system described is configured for ultrasonic pulse-echoes. At least one example of a pulse imaging system described is a medical diagnostic imaging system.

Front end circuitry with analog sampling and decoding for ultrasound imaging systems and methods of use

An ultrasound system and method that can include: a receive beamformer configured to receive signals from a transducer; a processor coupled to the receive beamformer, the processor configured to: analyze echo data reflected from a region of interest, the echo data elicited by a transmitted pulse sequence; using the echo data, determine a central tendency of a signal magnitude from regions of adherent microbubbles over time within the region of interest; determine a time series of the signal magnitude; using the time series, determine an initial signal magnitude parameter; obtain a saturated signal parameter and a residual signal parameter using the time series; and determine a relative indication of information indicative of the residual signal magnitude versus the saturated signal magnitude.

System and method for binding dynamics of targeted microbubbles

Ultrasound apparatus or techniques can include obtaining reflected ultrasound echo information, which can be used to construct a two-dimensional or three-dimensional representation of an at least approximately specular reflected target, such as bone. In an example, echo information can be obtained from spatially-overlapping tissue regions, such as using one or more of an array of ultrasonic transducers, or mechanically-scanning one or more ultrasonic transducers. In an example, one or more of a deformable housing or a deformable coupling pad can be used, such as to couple ultrasonic energy between one or more transducers and a tissue region.

Ultrasound imaging of specular-reflecting target

A method and related system for providing therapy to a treatment site, such as stenosis or other vasculature disease, at one or more locations of a subject, such as the vasculature. The method includes: advancing an ultrasound catheter to or in proximity to the subject's treatment site; infusing microbubbles into or proximal to the treatment site; and delivering ultrasonic energy from the ultrasound catheter. The ultrasonic energy may be adapted for: imaging the treatment site, translating the microbubbles into or in the vicinity of the treatment site and/or rupturing the microbubbles.

System for treatment and imaging using ultrasonic energy and microbubbles and related method thereof

A medical imaging apparatus, such as including a processor circuit, can be used to construct a first image of a plane parallel to the surface of an ultrasonic imaging transducer, the plane corresponding to a locus at a specified depth within a first region of tissue. The apparatus can obtain information about a location of a vessel in the first image, then obtain, from a second region of tissue, imaging information corresponding to loci in planes parallel to the surface of the transducer, the planes at depths automatically determined at least in part using the obtained information about the location of the vessel in the first image. In an example, the apparatus can automatically determine an adjusted depth corresponding to the location of the vessel in the second region, and construct a second image of a plane corresponding to the adjusted depth within the tissue.

Tracked ultrasound vessel imaging

In some illustrative embodiments, an incoming signal from a transducer in an ultrasound imaging beam-former apparatus is applied to an in-phase sample-and-hold and a quadrature sample-and-hold. The quadrature sample-and-hold may be clocked a quarter period behind the in-phase sample-and-hold. The output of the sample-and-holds are applied to in-phase and quadrature analog-to-digital converters. A magnitude calculator receives the in-phase and quadrature digital values, and outputs a magnitude. A phase calculator receives the in-phase and quadrature digital values, and outputs a phase. An apodizer applies a difference between an amplitude of the outgoing signal and the magnitude and applies a first illumination to a image point in substantial proportion to the difference, and a phase rotator applies a second illumination to the image point in substantial proportion to the phase.

Ultrasound imaging beam-former apparatus and method

Growing community of inventors

Charlottesville, VA, United States of America

John Alexander Hossack