The present invention includes an apparatus and method for external magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy of a prostate comprising: one or more radio frequency (RF) coils adapted to externally image the prostate, wherein the one or more RF coils are sized and shaped to fit within the perineum area of a subject allowing the placement of the one or more RF coils on the perineum, wherein the one or more RF coils are positioned perpendicular to the prostate; and a processor connected to the radio frequency (RF) coils adapted to measure at a resonance frequency of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner or a spectrophotometer, wherein a signal received by the one or more RF coils is used to generate an image of the prostate during magnetic imaging.

A rectal near infrared (NIR) scanning polarization imaging system uses NIR Photonic Prostatoscopy Analyzer (NIRPPA) for prostate cancer detection using light. The NIRPPA consists of a portable rectal NIR scanning polarization imaging unit and an optical fiber-based rectal probe capable of recording sets of 2D images of a prostate through rectum at different wavelengths and depths and obtaining a three dimensional (3D) image of the prostate and 3D locations of abnormal tissue inside the prostate. Diode lasers/light emission diodes (LEDs) with selected emitting wavelengths are used in the NIR spectral range from 650 nm to 2,400 nm corresponding to the four tissue optical windows (#I, 650 nm-950 nm; #II, 1,100 nm-1,350 nm; #III, 1,600 nm-1,870 nm; and #IV, 2,100 nm-2,300 nm). The fingerprint absorptions of water (H.sub.2O), Oxyhemoglobin (HbO.sub.2) and deoxyhemoglobin (Hb) in the prostate are used as native biomarkers for prostate cancer detection.

An anatomical sensing system-guided prostate procedure device that includes a housing having a proximal end and a distal end. The housing may be divided into a distal housing section, a mid housing section, and a proximal housing section, wherein the distal housing section is configured for insertion into the anus and retention in the rectum of a subject. The device further includes an instrument convergence point disposed between the proximal end and the distal end, the convergence point configured to allow an instrument pass though the instrument convergence point at a variable angle; and an instrument angle orienting system at the proximal end of the housing, the angle orienting system directing an orientation of the variable angle about the convergence point. Methods of the using an anatomical sensing system-guided prostate procedure device and system including the same.

An automatic classification method for distinguishing between indolent and clinically significant carcinoma using multiparametric MRI (mp-MRI) imaging is provided. By utilizing a convolutional neural network (CNN), which automatically extracts deep features, the hierarchical classification framework avoids deficiencies in current schemes in the art such as the need to provide handcrafted features predefined by a domain expert and the precise delineation of lesion boundaries by a human or computerized algorithm. This hierarchical classification framework is trained using previously acquired mp-MRI data with known cancer classification characteristics and the framework is applied to mp-MRI images of new patients to provide identification and computerized cancer classification results of a suspicious lesion.

A method for providing artifact detection and visualization during ultrasound image collection is performed by a processor in an ultrasound system. The method includes receiving ultrasound image data from an ultrasound probe, detecting areas with artifacts in the ultrasound image data, classifying the areas with artifacts into one of a plurality of available artifact classes, generating an indication of the areas with artifact for an ultrasound-based image, wherein the indications include a designation of the artifact class, and presenting to an operator the ultrasound-based image and the indication of the areas with artifacts.

An interventional therapy system may include at least one controller which may obtain a reference image dataset of an object of interest (OOI); segment the reference image dataset to determine peripheral outlines of the OOI in the plurality image slices; acquire a current image of the OOI using an ultrasound probe; select a peripheral outline of a selected image slice of the plurality of slices of the reference image dataset which is determined to correspond to the current image; and/or modify the selected peripheral outline of the image slice of the plurality of slices of the reference image dataset in accordance with at least one deformation vector.

Temperature uncertainty maps are calculated based on a rolling window of temperature maps, which is updated as new temperature maps are generated. The rolling window mitigates the effect of transient motion during a thermal therapy procedure. A clinician or an automated control system can then update a portion of an anatomical boundary or the thermal therapy applicator center based on the temperature uncertainty map.

Methods and apparatus associated with producing a quantification of differences associated with biochemical recurrence (BcR) in a region of tissue demonstrating prostate cancer (PCa) are described. One example apparatus includes a set of logics, and a data store that stores a set of magnetic resonance (MR) images acquired from a population of subjects. The set of logics includes an image acquisition logic that acquires a diagnostic image of a region of tissue in a patient demonstrating PCa, a morphology logic that extracts a shape feature, a volume feature, or an intensity feature from the diagnostic image or from a member of the set of MR images, a differential atlas construction logic that constructs a statistical shape differential atlas from the set of MR images, and a quantification logic that produces a quantification of differences based on the shape feature, the volume feature, or the intensity feature, and the differential atlas.

A magnetic resonance imaging system can include a basic field magnetic arrangement for generating a main magnetic field and a number of spatially separated imaging regions, the basic field magnetic arrangement including several spatially separated magnet segments, in order to generate segment magnetic fields with a defined segment field direction, at least two of the spatially separated magnet segments being configured in a way that their defined segment field directions are running in an angular fashion to each other so that the segment magnetic fields result in a main magnetic field which has the form of toroid, where the magnetic resonance imaging system is designed to be adapted to MR imaging of dedicated body or organ parts of a patient.

A system, method, and computer program product for detecting lesions on a multiparametric prostate using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device generated a plurality of MRI images of a prostate for a patient, and at least one computing device in operable communication with the MRI device segments a plurality of MRI images to define zones of anatomical data relating to the prostate. The plurality of MRI images are collapsed into a single, combined image that is rewindowed into zones of intensity thresholds, then divided into a plurality of distinct regions that are each associated a zone of the prostate, with each region concatenated to identify individual region image intensity values. Each region image intensity value for each of the plurality of regions is compared one or more image intensity thresholds. A lesion can be detected on a portion of the prostate based on the comparison.