An acoustic-wave measuring apparatus includes a holding unit configured to hold a subject and an irradiation unit configured to irradiate the subject with light. An acoustic-wave detecting unit detects acoustic waves generated in the subject due to irradiation with the light; an image pickup unit acquires an image of the subject; and a measurement position on the image acquired by the image pickup unit is designated. A coordinate transforming unit transforms the coordinates of the measurement position on the image to coordinates of a corresponding position on the holding unit; and a position control unit moves at least one of the irradiation unit and the acoustic-wave detecting unit to the corresponding position on the holding unit.

A system for providing scanning medium for scanning a volume of tissue comprising: an inner chamber that contains the scanning medium; a transducer mounted to the inner chamber and configured to move along a motion path, with the inner chamber, in scanning the volume of tissue; an outer chamber concentrically aligned about the inner chamber to guide the inner chamber along the motion path; a piston module defining a base surface within the inner chamber, the piston module comprising a medium inlet and a medium outlet for adjusting an amount of the scanning medium within the inner chamber; a detection subsystem coupled to the base surface of the piston module; and an actuator comprising a stationary portion mounted to the piston module and a moving portion coupled to the inner chamber and configured to produce motion of the inner chamber along the motion path.

A device for fixing the outer boundaries of a region of body tissue in a secondary plane (and optionally in a tertiary plane) during medical imaging, examination, and/or intervention. The caliper device includes a caliper bar with two sliding caliper arms that provide fixation of the region of tissue in the secondary plane. One embodiment provides tertiary fixation with a center plate fixator that extends from a center plate positioner. The caliper device is positioned around the region of body tissue within the primary plane fixation instrumentation. The caliper arms (and optionally, the center plate fixator) move together to thicken the region of tissue between them. The device is preferably constructed of radiotransparent material and for single-use applications.

With a detector in which detection elements are placed in a spherical shape, a uniform resolution area is narrow. An acoustic-wave acquisition apparatus of the present invention is equipped with a detector including a plurality of detection elements that receive acoustic waves from a subject, the receiving surfaces of at least some of the detection elements being at different angles. The apparatus includes a scanning unit configured to move at least one of the subject and the detector to change the relative position of the subject and a highest-resolution area determined depending on the placement of the detection elements.

A system and method for capturing ultrasound signals from a hemispheric imaging region (e.g., by a stationary array of transducer elements arranged in the shape of a faceted hemisphere) and estimating scattering measurements that would be made by a virtual array in the opposite hemisphere (e.g., by a network of processors that receive and process the transmitted ultrasound signals in parallel) by forming an initial estimate of a medium variation for each of a plurality of subvolumes in the scattering object to form an estimated object, calculating residual scattering by using a difference between a scattering response calculated for the estimated object and measured ultrasound signals received from the scattering object, forming an initial three-dimensional image of the scattering object, and extrapolating a difference between the scattering response calculated for the estimated object and the measured ultrasound signals received from the scattering object.

An information processing apparatus according to the present invention acquires first to fourth volume data, generates a first tomographic image corresponding to a cross section set based on a command of a user from the first volume data, generates a second tomographic image corresponding to the first tomographic image from the second volume data, identifies a third tomographic image resembling the second tomographic image from the fourth volume data, acquires information indicating a position of the third tomographic image, generates a fourth tomographic image corresponding to the third tomographic image from the third volume data based on the information indicating the position of the third tomographic image, and causes display means to display an image including the fourth tomographic image.

A device is provided for ultrasound-based reflection and transmission tomography. A plurality of ultrasonic transducers are held around an imaging volume to be filled with an ultrasonic coupling medium, the transducer holder having an opening for inserting, into the imaging volume, at least one part of a body to be imaged. During imaging, the body to be imaged is supported, where a support-member-opening allows access to the transducer holder by at least one part of the body. A diaphragm is arranged across the support-member-opening such that a center of a diaphragm-opening is placed substantially at a predetermined position. The ultrasonic coupling medium flows out of the imaging volume when at least one part of the body to be imaged is inserted into the imaging volume filled with the ultrasonic coupling medium and/or during imaging.

The present invention provides improved methods and systems for generating enhanced images of a volume of tissue. In an aspect, the method comprises receiving from a transducer, a plurality of acoustic signals derived from acoustic waveforms transmitted through the volume of tissue; generating from the acoustic signals, a first reflection rendering that characterizes sound reflection, the first reflection rendering comprising a first distribution of reflection values across a region of the volume of tissue; generating from the acoustic signals, a sound speed rendering that characterizes sound speed, the sound speed rendering comprising a distribution of sound speed values across the region; generating from the sound speed rendering, a second reflection rendering that characterizes sound reflection, the second reflection rendering comprising a second distribution of reflection values across the region; and rendering one or more combined images, based on the first reflection rendering and the second reflection rendering.

A method and system for generating an enhanced image of a volume of tissue, comprising: emitting acoustic waveforms toward the volume of tissue; detecting acoustic signals derived from acoustic waveforms interacting with the volume of tissue; generating a reflection rendering of a region of the volume of tissue; generating at least one of a sound speed map and an attenuation map of the region of the volume of tissue; generating a transfer map derived from a set of sound speed parameter values of the sound speed map and/or a set of acoustic attenuation parameter values of the acoustic attenuation map, the set of sound speed parameter values and the set of acoustic attenuation parameters associated with the set of elements of the region of the volume of tissue; and rendering an enhanced image of the volume of tissue, derived from processing of the reflection rendering with the transfer map.

A method of characterizing the pathological response of tissue to a treatment plan, including: obtaining a set of sequential morphology renderings of the tissue, wherein each rendering corresponds to a particular point in time during the treatment plan; generating a set of representative values of a biomechanical property of the tissue for the set of renderings, wherein each representative value is based on a corresponding rendering; determining a trend of the biomechanical property based on the set of representative values; and predicting response of the tissue to the treatment plan based on the trend of the biomechanical property.