An upper coil assembly for use with a lower RF coil assembly mounted to provide an RF probe arranged to be engaged with a head of a patient in MRI includes a plurality of coil loops arranged in a row defining a phase shift coil array with each coil loop including an independent output conductor for communicating signals to a respective preamplifier for independent amplification and each coil loop including a plurality of capacitors at spaced positions therearound. To decouple the loops each coil loop partly overlaps a next coil loop with a first decoupling capacitor shared on a common portion of each coil loop and each next coil loop. The first and third coil loops are also decoupled by using third decoupling capacitor in a connecting conductor between the first and third coil loops.

The present disclosure provides a body-insertion device for a body, which comprises a first moving unit for moving an image acquisition unit; an insertion unit; and a second moving unit for moving the insertion unit. The first moving unit comprises at least one of a 1-1 module for moving the image acquisition unit in a 1-1 direction, a 1-2 module for moving the image acquisition unit in a 1-2 direction, and a 1-3 module for moving the image acquisition unit in a 1-3 direction. The second moving unit comprises at least one of a 2-1 module for moving the insertion unit in a 2-1 direction, a 2-2 module for moving the insertion unit in a 2-2 direction, and a 2-3 module for moving the insertion unit in a 2-3 direction.

An imaging compatible device for applying a plurality of different loads to a foot for evaluating the Lisfranc joint of a patient is configured to move the ball of the foot in an axial direction, a lateral direction, and a torsional direction to assess a state of the Lisfranc joint.

The present invention relates to an apparatus comprising: a seat for a patient; a support platform for the feet of the patient, positioned anteriorly to the seat; an alignment system allowing a patient's leg and its corresponding foot to be aligned in the three space planes in order to determine the tibia correct verticality; a system for properly positioning the foot on the platform including at least turrets able to allow pads to be applied in contact with the talus and/or scaphoid inside the foot and in contact with the calcaneus and/or cuboid outside the foot; a foot measurement system in a neutral position; an automatic real time driving system for properly positioning the leg and foot with numerical indication and direction of the movements to be carried out; a central unit capable for receiving and processing the data detected by the measurement system for footprint digitalization.

A radio frequency head coil for a magnetic resonance imaging system is provided. The radio frequency head coil includes a body operative to be disposed on a head of a patient, and an extended lip disposed on the body and operative to receive a magnetic resonance signal. At least some of the magnetic resonance signal is emitted by a region of the patient disposed between a brain stem of the patient up to and including a vertebra of the patient.

A patient support apparatus for supporting a patient in a prone position during a surgical procedure is provided, including an open fixed frame suspended above a floor and a pair of spaced opposed radially sliding joints cooperating with the frame, each joint including a virtual pivot point and an arc of motion spaced from the virtual pivot point, the joints being movable along the arc providing a pivot ship mechanism for a pair of pelvic pads attached to the joints. A base for supporting and suspending a patient support structure above the floor, for supporting a patient during a surgical procedure, the base including a pair of spaced opposed vertical translation subassemblies reversibly attachable to a patient support structure, a cross-bar, and a rotation subassembly having two degrees of rotational freedom; wherein a location of each vertical translation subassembly is substantially constant during operation of the patient support structure.

Systems, kits and methods are provided, which analyze the large intestine content and utilize acoustic signals detected during delivery of water into the large intestine and drained large intestine contents to derive large intestine characteristics such as microbiotal analysis. Systems may include a water delivery unit including a water supply and a nozzle connected thereto, configured to introduce water controllably into a patient's large intestine, and an analysis unit that provides information about the drained contents using optical examination or biological assays. The information may be related to acoustic analysis of signals from acoustic sensors that are attachable to a patient's abdomen. A variety of sensor configurations, positioning options, analysis strategies and large intestine characteristics are presented.

An imaging apparatus and methodologies image a subject using an MRI, wherein the imaging apparatus contains only a single sided device for the purposes of imaging structures in the subject.

A system that includes: a force sensor assembly adapted to monitor a load as applied on a subject's knee joint when the force sensor assembly remains in direct contact with the subject's lower extremity and the load is monitored from inside a main magnet of an MRI scanner; a mobile unit comprising tracks configured to adjust a position of the force sensor assembly; a stationary base on which the mobile unit and the force sensor assembly are located, the mobile unit translatable solely axially on the stationary base; and a processor coupled to the force sensor assembly and programmed to read information encoding the load being monitored by the force sensor assembly, wherein an MRI scan of the knee joint is initiated only when a pre-determined load has been applied to the subject's knee joint for a pre-determined period of time.

A knee examination method includes the steps of situating a patient on a patient support adjacent a robotic knee testing apparatus, setting up the robotic knee testing apparatus, further setting up the leg of the patient relative to the robotic knee testing apparatus, and, after the steps of setting up and further setting up, examining knee laxity of a knee of the patient. The step of examining includes operating the robotic knee testing apparatus to manipulate the tibia positioning assembly.