The present disclosure is directed to methods and apparatus for monitoring bone characteristics for various conditions such as osteoporosis and/or periodontitis. In various embodiments, a dental hygiene appliance (100) may include: a handle (102) adapted to be held by a user; a tool (106) secured to the handle to perform a dental hygiene-related task; emitter(s) (114A, 116, 360A) mounted on the dental hygiene appliance to emit wave(s) (252, 362) towards a mandible (250, 350) of the user; sensor(s) (114B, 116, 360B) mounted on the dental hygiene appliance to detect wave(s) (254, 364) propagating away from the mandible, wherein the detected wave(s) originate from or are caused by the emitted wave(s); and a controller (108) communicatively coupled with the emitter(s) and the sensor(s). The controller may: receive, from the sensor(s), signal(s) indicative of the detected waves; and determine, based on the signal(s), bone characteristic(s) of the user.

An extra-oral dental imaging apparatus can obtain a radiographic image of a portion of a head of a patient. Exemplary dental apparatus and/or method embodiments can position a subject for dental radiographic imaging by providing a bitable dental arch mounting apparatus to offset the antero-posterior plane of the dental imaging apparatus and the plane of symmetry of the dental arch mounting apparatus. In one embodiment, the offset can be provided by a tilted dental arch mounting apparatus (e.g., relative to the horizontal).

An acoustic sensing apparatus and method are disclosed for acoustically surveying the chest area of a subject, and in particular the rib cage. In use the apparatus is placed on the chest, and it includes an arrangement of one or more sound sensors for sensing acoustic signals received from inside the chest. Based on the signal intensities picked up at a plurality of different locations across the chest, the different locations are each classified by a controller as either rib-aligned or intercostal space-aligned. The controller is further adapted to identify one or more sound intensity hotspots (42) within the signal intensity distribution to locate one or more anatomical objects or regions of interest within the chest, such as the heart mitral valve, the heart tricuspid valve, heart aortic valve, and the pulmonary artery as key areas for an auscultation procedure.

Systems and methods of predicting future medical events are based on the processing of medical image. The prediction of premature birth and estimation of gestational age based on ultrasound images are presented as illustrative examples. The new abilities to estimate the probability of future medical events, before they otherwise could be predicted, provides new avenues for the development of preventative treatments.

A method and an osseointegrated prosthesis system having an osseointegrated prosthesis member are provided having a monitoring system operably coupled to the osseointegrated prosthesis member configured to quantitatively assess the osseointegration of the osseointegrated prosthesis member, a wave-generating element coupled to the osseointegrated prosthesis member and configured to output guided waves along the osseointegrated prosthesis member interrogating an interface between bone and the osseointegrated prosthesis member, and a sensing system configured to sense a condition of the interface between bone and the prosthesis.

A method for automatic identification of a measurement item is provided. The method comprises acquiring, via an image acquisition module, gray values of pixels of a specified section image corresponding to ultrasonic echoes generated by reflection of ultrasound waves by a tissue under examination; identifying, via an identification module, at least one measurement item corresponding to the specified section image based on the gray values of the pixels; and measuring, via a measuring module, a measurement item parameter of the specified section image based on the measurement item identified. Because the measurement item of a specified section image can be automatically identified based on the content thereof, the user does not need to move a trackball to select measurement items, and therefore efficiency is increased.

A system and related methods for performing nerve detection during surgical access using ultrasound testing during surgery.

A spinal image generation system based on the ultrasonic rubbing technique, comprises an acquisition unit and a processing unit. The system generates the ultrasonic rubbing based on two-dimensional spinal ultrasonic images. The image needs to include surface characteristic contour of the vertebra structure. The ultrasonic rubbing matches with a digital medical image through characteristic contour. After matching, a personalized spinal surface topographical map is established, which keeps real-time updating consistently with the intraoperative posture of the patient under surgical condition. A positioning and navigation system for spinal surgery based on the spinal image generation system, comprising a navigation module and the image generation system above. The navigation system can acquire a personalized spinal surface topographical map, which keeps real-time updating consistently with the intraoperative posture of the patient under surgical condition.

Systems and methods for calibrating ultrasound imaging directed towards a bone region. An ultrasound imaging device generates a first steered frame and a second steered frame, wherein the first steered frame and the second steered frame are directed towards the bone region at different angles from one another and are superimposed with one another. Parameters of each of the first steered frame and the second steered frame are applied to a cost function that outputs an estimated propagation speed of ultrasound waves to the bone region for optimizing an appearance of the first steered frame and the second steered frame. The ultrasound imaging device is calibrated based on the estimated propagation speed.

A system and computer-implemented method for analysing or monitoring a subject, the method comprising: identifying one or more objects of interest that have been segmented from a first image comprising any of a baseline scan, a follow-up scan or a reference image of the subject; identifying predefined landmarks of the objects; determining reference morphometries pertaining to the objects by performing morphometrics on the objects by reference to the landmarks; selecting one or more regions of interest (ROIs) from the objects according to the reference morphometries, comprising identifying respective locations of the ROIs relative to the reference morphometries; performing a first analysis of the one or more ROIs; performing at least one corresponding second analysis of the one or more ROIs in respectively at least one second image comprising any other of a baseline scan, a follow-up scan or a reference image; and generating a comparison of one or more results of the first analysis and one or more corresponding results of the second analysis.