Siemens Medical Systems, Inc.

Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Kona Medical, Inc.

Therus Corporation

Rosetta Inpharmatics, Inc.

Therus Corpoation

Microsoft Corporation

Lee Weng

Jimin Zhang

David M Perozek

Arun Palligaranai Tirumalai

Brandon T Hunt

Levin F Nock

Ernst S Henle

Tat-Jin Teo

Barry H Friemel

Andrey Y Bondarenko

Alexander Alexandrovich Spiridonov

Silvia C Vega

Barry Friemel

HongYue Dai

Steven Bartz

Jian-Feng Chen

Hongyue Dai

Patrick L Sutcliffe

William H Phillips

Wayne Gueck

Katherine G Brown

Andrey Bondarenko

Brandon Hunt

Alexander Spiridonov

An ultrasound system used for both imaging and delivery high intensity ultrasound energy therapy to treatment sites and a method for treating tumors and other undesired tissue within a patient's body with an ultrasound device. The ultrasound device has an ultrasound transducer array disposed on a distal end of an elongate, relatively thin shaft. In one form of the invention, the transducer array is disposed within a liquid-filled elastomeric material that more effectively couples ultrasound energy into the tumor, that is directly contacted with the device. Using the device in a continuous wave mode, a necrotic zone of tissue having a desired size and shape (e.g., a necrotic volume selected to interrupt a blood supply to a tumor) can be created by controlling at least one of the f-number, duration, intensity, and direction of the ultrasound energy administered. This method speeds the therapy and avoids continuously pausing to enable intervening normal tissue to cool.

Controlled high efficiency lesion formation using high intensity ultrasound

The present invention provides methods and computer programs for detecting variations in measurements of a biological variable, e.g., variations in cell viability, under different conditions, e.g., with or without treatment of a drug, under the treatments of different drugs, or under different environmental conditions. The methods and programs of the invention determine a metric of difference between measurements under different condition, and make use of predetermined errors of the measurements, e.g., errors determined from an error model, to estimate the errors in the metric of difference. Such an approach provides a more accurate estimate of the errors of measurements, which, in turn, provides a more accurate estimate of the error of the difference metric.

Methods and computer systems for analyzing high-throughput assays

An ultrasonic applicator unit () is used diagnostically to locate a puncture wound () in an artery and then therapeutically to seal the puncture wound with high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU). A control unit () coupled to the applicator unit includes a processor () that automates the procedure, controlling various parameters of the diagnostic and therapeutic modes, including the intensity and duration of the ultrasonic energy emitted by the applicator unit. A protective, sterile acoustic shell (), which is intended to be used with a single patient and then discarded, is slipped over the applicator unit to protect against direct contact between the applicator unit and the patient and to maintain a sterile field at the site of the puncture. The apparatus and method are particularly applicable to sealing a puncture made when inserting a catheter into an artery or other vessel. Several different procedures are described for locating the puncture wound, including imaging the vessel in which the puncture is disposed and use of a locator rod to determine the disposition of the puncture along the longitudinal axis of the artery.

Methods and apparatus for focused ultrasound application

Methods and devices to target vascular targets with high intensity focused ultrasound

An image processing system extracts parts or characteristics of interest from prepared biological samples One suitable use of the image processing system is to find biomarkers. But many other suitable uses are possible. Some components of the system include image preprocessing (data interpolation, retention time alignment, image noise filtering, background estimation, and formation of a composite image); image feature extraction (peaks, isotope groups, and charge groups); and computation of feature characteristics and expression statistics, differential expression, and non-differential expression. Outputs of the system include a candidate list of parts or characteristic of interest for aiding further discovery.

Discover biological features using composite images

Methods for applying heat to a region proximate a blood vessel are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method can include generating an imaging ultrasound beam adapted to image a blood vessel target and receiving a reflection of the imaging ultrasound beam. The method can also include producing an output signal in response to the reflection of the imaging ultrasonic beam and processing the output signal to identify a location of a treatment zone proximate an outer wall of the blood vessel. Therapeutic energy can be applied to the treatment zone. In some embodiments, the therapeutic ultrasound energy beam can be moved to over-scan the treatment zone. Other methods are also disclosed.

Methods to deliver high intensity focused ultrasound to target regions proximate blood vessels

The present invention provides improved ANOVA methods for analyzing measured data and transformed data. The improved ANOVA method takes two data types as its input, one is the measurements, the other is a predetermined error associated with the measurements. The latter can come from a technology/platform-specific error model. Because of the additional input information, the statistical power is increased. The methods of the invention is particularly useful for analyzing gene or protein expression data.

ANOVA method for data analysis

The present invention provides methods for analyzing multi-channel profiles. In the method of the invention, systematic cross-profile (cross-experiment) errors among a plurality of multi-channel profiles having a common reference channel are estimated using profiles of the common reference channel. The cross-profile errors are then removed from profiles of the experiment channels, e.g., by subtracting the error from the experiment profile. The obtained error-corrected experiment channel data can then be used in comparison with each other, e.g., in generating virtual differential profiles between pairs of experiment channels. The method of the invention is particularly useful in analyzing multi-channel expression profiles obtained in microarray measurements.

Methods of analyzing multi-channel profiles

The present invention provides methods for analyzing measurement errors in measured signals obtained in an experiment, e.g., measured intensity signals obtained in a microarray gene expression experiment. In particular, the invention provides a method for transforming measured signals into a domain in which the measurement errors in the transformed signals are normalized by errors as determined from an error model. The methods of the invention are particularly useful for analyzing measurement errors in signals in which at least portion of the error is dependent on the magnitudes of the signals. Such transformed signals permit analysis of data using traditional statistical methods, e.g., ANOVA and regression analysis. Magnitude-independent errors can also be used for comparing level of measurement errors in signals of different magnitudes.

Methods for analysis of measurement errors in measured signals

Ultrasound applicators able to both image a treatment site and administer ultrasound therapy include an array of transducer elements that can be focused. In several embodiments, an electronically phased array is used for controlling the focal point of an ultrasound beam. The ultrasound beam produced thereby can also be electronically steered. To reduce the quality factor or Q of the array when the array is used for imaging, an electronic switch is selectively closed, placing a resistance in parallel with each of the array elements. A flexible array is employed in several embodiments and is selectively bent or flexed to vary its radius of curvature and thus control the focal point and/or a direction of focus of the array. In another embodiment, each of the transducer elements comprising the array are individually mechanically pivotable to steer the ultrasonic beam produced by the transducer elements.

Ultrasound transducers for imaging and therapy

The invention provides methods for generating differential profiles having been subject to condition A vs. condition B (A vs. B) from data obtained in separately performed experimental measurements A vs. C and B vs. D. When C and D are the same, the invention provides methods for determination of systematic measurement errors or biases between different measurements carried out in different experimental reactions, i.e., cross-experiment errors or biases, using data measured for samples under the common condition and for removal or reduction of such cross-experiment errors. The invention further provides methods for generating differential profiles A vs. B from data obtained in single-channel measurements A and B.

Methods for generating differential profiles by combining data obtained in separate measurements

A method and system for locating a vascular opening and therapeutically sealing the wound with high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is disclosed. A control unit ( ) coupled to an applicator unit includes a processor ( ) that automates the disclosed procedure, controlling various parameters of the diagnostic and therapeutic modes, including the intensity and duration of the ultrasonic energy emitted by the applicator unit. The disclosed method and system is and then discarded, is slipped over the particularly applicable to sealing a puncture made inserting a catheter during an interventional cardiovascular procedure.

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Bellevue, WA, United States of America

Lee Weng