In one aspect, the present invention relates to a process for intra-operatively providing anatomical guidance in endocrine surgery. In one embodiment, the process includes the steps of illuminating tissues in the neck area of a living subject with a beam of light having a predetermined wavelength, obtaining Raman data from light scattered from the illuminated tissues, finding Raman signatures corresponding to thyroid or parathyroid tissues from the obtained Raman data, and identifying the thyroid or parathyroid tissues from the corresponding Raman signatures.

Systems and methods are disclosed for locating the parathyroid. In one aspect, temporal variation among a plurality of images is evaluated and at least one image is enhanced according to the temporal variation. The image may be enhanced to one or both of reduce conspicuity of the thyroid gland and enhance conspicuity of the parathyroid gland. Some of the plurality of images may be adjusted in order to align representations of a target portions. Adjustments may be based locations of one or more organs or one or more artificial markers affixed to a living body in the plurality of images. A local positioning system (LPS), GPS, or other locating system may be used to position a living body, align the plurality of images, or to guide the positioning of objects relative to the living body. An elastomeric gel marker for imaging applications is also disclosed.

The present invention aims at providing a novel indocyanine compound solving problems of conventionally used indocyanine green, such as solubility in water or physiological saline, a synthesis method and a purification method thereof, and a diagnostic composition including the novel indocyanine compound. Further, provided are a method for evaluating biokinetics of the novel indocyanine compound and a device for measuring biokinetics, and a method and a device for visualizing circulation of fluid such as blood in a living body, which utilize the diagnostic composition. Also, found are a novel indocyanine compound in which a hydrophobic moiety in a near-infrared fluorescent indocyanine molecule is included in a cavity of a cyclic sugar chain cyclodextrin to cover the hydrophobic moiety in the indocyanine molecule with the glucose, and a synthesis method and a purification method thereof. Furthermore, found are a method for fluorescence-imaging an organ other than liver by intravenous administration, a method for evaluating biokinetics of the novel indocyanine compound, a device for measuring biokinetics, and a method and a device for visualizing circulation of fluid such as blood in a living body, utilizing the diagnostic composition including the novel indocyanine compound.

The present invention relates to methods for use in the selective disruption of lipid-rich cells by controlled cooling. The present invention further relates to a device for use in carrying out the methods for selective disruption of lipid-rich cells by controlled cooling.

The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for delivering and/or receiving a substance or substances such as blood, from subjects, e.g., from the skin and/or from other tissues of the body. In some cases, the device may contain a substance transfer component such as needles or microneedles, which can be inserted into the skin or another organ to deliver and/or receiving fluid or other substances from the subject. In some embodiments, the device may include an activator constructed and arranged to insert one or more substance transfer components into the skin or other organ. In certain cases, the device may also include a storage chamber for receiving a fluid received from the subject.

In one aspect, the present invention relates to a process for intra-operatively providing anatomical guidance in endocrine surgery. In one embodiment, the process includes the steps of illuminating tissues in the neck area of a living subject with a beam of light having a predetermined wavelength, obtaining Raman data from light scattered from the illuminated tissues, finding Raman signatures corresponding to thyroid or parathyroid tissues from the obtained Raman data, and identifying the thyroid or parathyroid tissues from the corresponding Raman signatures.

Methods, computer program products, and systems are described that include measuring at least one effect of a combined bioactive agent and artificial sensory experience on an individual and/or modifying at least one of the bioactive agent or the artificial sensory experience at least partially based on the at least one effect.

Disclosed is a method of treating small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) or a SIBO-caused condition in a human subject. SIBO-caused conditions include irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, chronic pelvic pain syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, impaired mentation, impaired memory, halitosis, tinnitus, sugar craving, autism, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, drug sensitivity, an autoimmune disease, and Crohn's disease. Also disclosed are a method of screening for the abnormally likely presence of SIBO in a human subject and a method of detecting SIBO in a human subject. A method of determining the relative severity of SIBO or a SIBO-caused condition in a human subject, in whom small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) has been detected, is also disclosed.

A phantom calibration body (12) for calibrating diffusion MRI device (16) that mimics a material such as a mammalian tissue is disclosed. The phantom calibration body (12) includes a homogeneous aqueous solution (30) that contains a mixture of low molecular-weight and high molecular-weight polymers housed in a container (14) that is placed in the diffusion MRI device (16) for obtaining one or more diffusion MRI images of the phantom calibration body (12). A measure of diffusivity is calculated for each of the one or more diffusion MRI images in order to calibrate the diffusion MRI device. Methods of using the phantom calibration body (12) to calibrate diffusion MRI device (16) are also disclosed.

Disclosed is a method of generating a diagnostic image by using a photoacoustic material. The method includes determining a wavelength band of light maximally absorbed by a photoacoustic material, based on at least one or more photoacoustic materials injected into an object, irradiating light, which corresponds to the determined wavelength band, onto an internal region of interest (ROI) of the object to acquire a photoacoustic signal corresponding to the irradiated light, generating a photoacoustic image indicating the ROI by using the photoacoustic signal, and combining and displaying the generated photoacoustic image and an image expressing that the light is being irradiated onto the ROI.