Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Sabine Mollus

Juergen Weese

Sheng-Wen Huang

Irina Waechter-Stehle

Ivan Salgo

Christian Buerger

Emil George Radulescu

Joerg Bredno

Ramon Quido Erkamp

Kai Eck

Shougang Wang

Alexandra Groth

Lyubomir Georgiev Zagorchev

Jens Wiegert

Jürgen Weese

Raoul Florent

Jochen Peters

Pierre Henri Lelong

Robert Johannes Frederik Homan

Drazenko Babic

Axel Saalbach

Peter Maria Johannes Rongen

Nicole Schadewaldt

Thomas Heiko Stehle

Christoph Neukirchen

Matthias Bertram

Scott Holland Settlemier

Georg Rose

Henning Braess

Lucile Nosjean

Irina Wachter-Stehle

Geert Gijsbers

Salvatore Saporito

Irina Wächter-Stehle

Michael Cardinale

Giulio Valenti

Kevin CamHong Quan

Alex Saalbach

A method for monitoring the loneliness state of a subject includes receiving proximity information for a plurality of user devices and then generating a loneliness decision for subjects who use the devices based on the proximity information. In one case, the proximity information may be projected onto a lower dimensional space, distance values corresponding to the proximity information may be compared, and the user devices may be ranked based on the comparison. A user may then be determined to be lonely based on the ranking of the user devices. In other cases, clustering techniques may be applied relative to one or more centroids. Distances may then be calculated and compared for purposes of generating a loneliness decision. In other cases, resource information may be taken into consideration with distance information for generating a loneliness decision.

System and method for determining and managing socially isolated individuals

An apparatus includes an imaging probe and is configured for dynamically arranging presentation of visual feedback for guiding manual adjustment, via the probe, of a location, and orientation, associated with the probe. The arranging is selectively based on comparisons between fields of view of the probe and respective results of segmenting image data acquired via the probe. In an embodiment, the apparatus includes a sensor which guides a decision that acoustic coupling quality is insufficient, the apparatus issuing a user alert upon the decision.

Anatomically intelligent echochardiography for point-of-care

An imaging steering apparatus includes sensors and an imaging processor configured for: acquiring, via multiple ones of the sensors and from a current position (), and current orientation (), an image of an object of interest; based on a model, segmenting the acquired image; and determining, based on a result of the segmenting, a target position (), and target orientation (), with the target position and/or target orientation differing correspondingly from the current position and/or current orientation. An electronic steering parameter effective toward improving the current field of view may be computed, and a user may be provided instructional feedback () in navigating an imaging probe toward the improving. A robot can be configured for, automatically and without need for user intervention, imparting force () to the probe to move it responsive to the determination.

Imaging view steering using model-based segmentation

An apparatus includes an imaging probe and is configured for dynamically arranging presentation of visual feedback for guiding manual adjustment, via the probe, of a location, and orientation, associated with the probe. The arranging is selectively based on comparisons between fields of view of the probe and respective results of segmenting image data acquired via the probe. In an embodiment, the feedback does not include a grayscale depiction of the image data. Coordinate system transformations corresponding to respective comparisons may be computed. The selecting may be based upon and dynamically responsive to content of imaging being dynamically acquired via the probe.

Anatomically intelligent echocardiography for point-of-care

A method of analyzing a tube system in particular by image processing of images of the tube system is provided by the present invention. In order to achieve a simulation of a medium flow through a calculated tube model, the present invention gathers a tube model from a specific tube data set. By defining the necessary parameters of a virtual injection of the medium by the user, the medium flows through the model. Using this displayed simulation for generating at least two images leads to an artificial image sequence that might support a person, which wants to examine a real structure, that corresponds to the calculated model. This might be seen in.

Method for analyzing a tube system

An ultrasound system for planning a surgical implantation of a prosthetic aortic valve produces three dimensional images of the aortic root region of a patient. An electronic model of an aortic root is accessed and fitted to the aortic root in a three dimensional ultrasound image. Preferably the aortic root model exhibits closed contour cross-sections which are fitted to the endothelial lining of the aortic root in the ultrasound image. A medial axis of the fitted model is identified and radii measured from the medical axis to the border of the fitted model. The radii are joined to identify a surface forming a mesh model fitted to the aortic root anatomy of the patient. The shape and dimensions of the fitted model may be used to fabricate a custom prosthetic valve for aortic valve replacement.

Automated three dimensional aortic root measurement and modeling

An apparatus includes an imaging probe and is configured for dynamically arranging presentation of visual feedback () for guiding manual adjustment, via the probe, of a location, and orientation, associated with the probe. The arranging is selectively based on comparisons () between fields of view of the probe and respective results of segmenting image data acquired via the probe. In an embodiment, the feedback does not include () a grayscale depiction of the image data. Coordinate system trans formations corresponding to respective comparisons may be computed. The selecting may be based upon and dynamically responsive to content of imaging being dynamically acquired via the probe.

A system and a method are provided for analyzing an image of an aortic valve structure to enable assessment of aortic valve calcifications. The system comprises an image interface for obtaining an image of an aortic valve structure, the aortic valve structure comprising aortic valve leaflets and an aortic bulbus. The system further comprises a segmentation subsystem for segmenting the aortic valve structure in the image to obtain a segmentation of the aortic valve structure. The system further comprises an identification subsystem for identifying a calcification on the aortic valve leaflets by analyzing the image of the aortic valve structure. The system further comprises an analysis subsystem configured for determining a centerline of the aortic bulbus by analyzing the segmentation of the aortic valve structure, and for projecting the calcification from the centerline of the aortic bulbus onto the aortic bulbus, thereby obtaining a projection indicating a location of the calcification as projected onto the aortic bulbus. The system further comprises an output unit for generating data representing the projection. Provided information on the accurate location of calcifications after a valve replacement may be advantageously used, for example, to effectively analyze the risk of paravalvular leakages of Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) interventions for assessing the suitability of a patient for TAVI procedure.

Analyzing aortic valve calcification

A system and method is provided which obtains different medical images () showing an anatomical structure of a patient and having been acquired by different medical imaging modalities and/or different medical imaging protocols. The system is configured for fitting a first deformable model to the anatomical structure in the first medical image (A), fitting a second deformable model to the anatomical structure in the second medical image (B), mutually aligning the first fitted model and the second fitted model (), and subsequently fusing the first fitted model and the second fitted model to obtain a fused model () by augmenting the first fitted model with a part of the second fitted model which is missing in the first fitted model; or adjusting or replacing a part of the first fitted model based on a corresponding part of the second fitted model having obtained a better fit. The fused model represents a multimodal/multi-protocol segmentation of the anatomical structure, and provides a user with a more comprehensive understanding of the anatomical structure than known models.

Model-based segmentation of an anatomical structure

An imaging apparatus for imaging an object includes a geometric relation determination unit configured to determine a geometric relation between first and second images of the object. A marker determination unit configured to determine corresponding marker locations in the first and second images and marker appearances based on the geometric relation such that the marker appearances of a first marker to be located at a first location in the first image and of a second marker to be located at a second corresponding location in the second image are indicative of the geometric relation. The images with the markers at the respective corresponding locations are shown on a display unit. Since the marker appearances are indicative of the geometric relation between the images, a comparative reviewing of the images can be facilitated, in particular, if they correspond to different viewing geometries.

Imaging apparatus for imaging an object

A method and an image processing system for the evaluation of projection images generated by an X-ray imaging system, wherein the images may show different instruments of a given set of interventional instruments like catheters or guide wires. The instruments are equipped with markers such that their configuration is characteristic of the corresponding instrument. Preferably three markers are arranged on a straight line, the ratio of the distances between them being characteristic for the corresponding instrument. The image processing system may then identify the instruments present in a given projection and provide functionalities for a user that correspond to said instruments. Moreover, the system may be used to locate an instrument of interest in a projection image if the marker configuration of that instrument is known a priori.

Processing of images of interventional instruments with markers

Adaptively controlling an imaging system () includes constructing model feature characteristics () of a process over time, determining parameters and commands () for controlling the imaging system for each state of the process, performing data acquisition () for the process, extracting current features () of the process from the acquired data, matching () the current features () with the model feature characteristics () to determine a state of the process (), and controlling the data acquisition based on the state of the process to produce optimized data.

Utilizing physiological models to control functional acquisitions

In three-dimensional X-ray imaging, with C-arm systems, scan setup has to be performed manually under fluoroscopic control. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a scan planning system for planning a data acquisition process is provided, which is adapted to predict a field of view to be reconstructed and an image quality in the field of view with respect to the actual three-dimensional scan parameter set and previously acquired images or other information. The scan planning system may be accomplished by a stand control unit.

Rotational X-ray scan planning system

In a system and a method for the guidance of a catheter with an electrode in an electrophysiological procedure, sequence of images of the catheter and of a resting reference catheter is generated with an X-ray device and stored together with the associated electrographic recordings from the electrodes. A reference image may then be selected from said sequence that corresponds to a desired electrographic pattern. In a next step, the positions of the catheters are localized on the reference image. The position of the reference catheter can be identified with the position of this catheter on an actual image. Thus it is possible to determine on the actual image also a target position for the catheter that corresponds to the position of this catheter on the reference image. The target position may finally be indicated on a monitor to assist the guidance of the catheter to a desired location.

System and method for the guidance of a catheter in electrophysiologic interventions

The invention relates to a device for adjusting imaging parameters of an X-ray apparatus (), whereby a user pre-defines on a preliminary image an image region of interest (ROI) and a value of the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) desired for this image region. Based on the current contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), new imaging parameters (I, V, L, f, Q) are then calculated for a generator-control module () to control the X-ray apparatus () during an image. By means of the method, the X-ray dose may be reduced to a minimum, while at the same time the desired visibility of a region of interest is ensured.

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Aachen, Germany

Sabine Mollus