An object information obtaining apparatus is used which includes: an irradiator; a transmitting element transmitting an ultrasound wave; a receiving element receiving an acoustic wave; a signal processor; an information processor; and a controller, wherein the signal processor generates a photoacoustic signal and an ultrasound echo signal, the information processor obtains photoacoustic characteristic information and ultrasound characteristic information including information related to blood flow, and the controller controls, in accordance with the blood flow, at least one of light irradiation, generation of the photoacoustic signal, and obtaining of the photoacoustic characteristic information.

A method and system are disclosed for radiosurgical treatment of moving tissues of the heart, including acquiring at least one volume of the tissue and acquiring at least one ultrasound data set, image or volume of the tissue using an ultrasound transducer disposed at a position. A similarity measure is computed between the ultrasound image or volume and the acquired volume or a simulated ultrasound data set, image or volume. A robot is configured in response to the similarity measure and the position of the transducer, and a radiation beam is fired from the configured robot.

A system for ablating or monitoring a zone of the heart, includes a system to measure the heart electrical activity; a phased array for generating a beam of focussed ultrasound signals on a targeted zone of the heart; an imaging system determining an image of a transcostal wall projected in an image plane of the phased array by taking into consideration a position and direction of the phased array and making it possible to deactivate elements of the phased array in accordance with the position of the elements with regard to the position of the projected image of the transcostal wall; a positioning system to control the position of a focussed zone of a beam of focussed ultrasound signals on the targeted zone, a monitoring system to measure a temperature and tissue deformation in the targeted zone; and a device for measuring a level of cavitation in the targeted zone.

A system and method for providing a vascular image are disclosed wherein a single composite display simultaneously provides a first view of a patient including an angiogram image and a second view including an intravascular image rendered from information provided by an imaging probe mounted on a distal end of a flexible elongate member. A cursor, having a position derived from image information provided by a radiopaque marker proximate the imaging probe, is displayed within the angiogram image to correlate the position of the imaging probe to a presently displayed intravascular image and thus provide an easily discernable identification of a position within a patient corresponding to a currently displayed intravascular image. The resulting composite display simultaneously provides: an intravascular image that includes information about a vessel that is not available from an angiogram and a current location within a vessel of a source of intravascular image data from which the intravascular image is rendered.

In some preferred embodiments, a medical imaging system with an integrated body monitoring device is disclosed which includes: a movable platform for supporting a patient during image acquisition; an image acquisition device for the acquisition of images of the patient upon the platform; a body monitoring device for the monitoring of a body function of the patient during image acquisition; the body monitoring device being adapted to transmit body function signals to the image acquisition device and the image acquisition device being adapted to effect image acquisition based on the signals received from the body monitoring device; wherein the body monitoring device is integrated with the image acquisition system. In the preferred embodiments, the medical imaging system is a nuclear medical imaging system and the body monitoring device is an ECG device.

The present invention provides an imaging probe for imaging mammalian tissues and structures using high resolution imaging, including high frequency ultrasound and optical coherence tomography. The imaging probes structures using high resolution imaging use combined high frequency ultrasound (IVUS) and optical imaging methods such as optical coherence tomography (OCT) and to accurate co-registering of images obtained from ultrasound image signals and optical image signals during scanning a region of interest.

To correctly trace a target component even when a folded component is included in a Doppler waveform. The Doppler waveform is configured by a plurality of luminance distributions 54 arranged on a time axis. In each luminance distribution 54, a minimum luminance value located in the trough portion 54c between the target portion 54a and the folded portion 54b is specified. A search start point Pn is set based on the minimum luminance value. A trace point 60 is specified by searching from the search start point Pn to a base line 61 side.

An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of an embodiment includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to acquire an image of a subject based on a reflected echo signal obtained from reflection of an ultrasonic signal, which is transmitted from an ultrasonic probe, from the subject, identify an acquisition position in the subject at which the image has been acquired, identify a time phase in which the image has been acquired, and cause a display to display an acquisition range of the image on the subject in at least one specific time phase area based on the identified acquisition position and time phase.

Operation of a patient's heart or lungs may be analyzed by transmitting ultrasound energy into the patient's lung, and detecting Doppler shifts of reflected ultrasound induced by moving borders between blood vessels in the lung and air filled alveoli that surround the blood vessels. Movement of the border is caused by pressure waves in the blood vessels that result in changes in diameter of those blood vessels. The detected Doppler shifts are processed with an algorithm designed to increase signal from the moving border with respect to other reflected ultrasound signals and the results are then displayed.

A percutaneously delivered medical device and its method of use includes a catheter, at least two electromagnetic sensing coils located within the distal tip of the catheter, and at least one within the proximal handle, and a multi-element planar ultrasound transducer array located within the distal tip of the catheter and configured to transmit and receive ultrasonic energy in at least two imaging modes. The device also includes an imaging system coupled to the ultrasound transducer and is used for creating an image of tissue in a first target plane that extends orthogonally from the catheter body. The medical device also includes a backscatter evaluation system for use in receiving and evaluating the acoustic spectral characteristics of tissues within a second target area within the first target plane.