A system for estimating a position in an x-ray projection image that corresponds to a projected probe position of an intravascular probe at a time of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging. A marker detector identifies in the x-ray projection image a plurality of projected positions of markers that are located at predetermined distances along an acquisition trajectory of the intravascular probe. The projected positions are interpolated to obtain the projected probe position on the trajectory. The projected probe position corresponds to a location of the intravascular probe at a time of the IVUS imaging and is based on a distance along the acquisition trajectory between the intravascular probe at the time of the IVUS imaging and at least one of the markers.

The present application describes a musculoskeletal diagnosis system that receives, in real-time or substantially real-time, various objects from a musculoskeletal ultrasound probe. Once the objects are received, the musculoskeletal diagnosis system analyzes the various objects to detect various pathologies and direct additional movement of the ultrasound probe as subsequent objects are taken.

A method and a system for producing images of a subject, such as the heart of a human being. The method may comprise acquiring ultrasound images of the subject with a catheter comprising a position sensor. The method may also comprise capturing a plurality of 4D surface registration points in the acquired ultrasound images corresponding to points on the subject. The method may also comprise registering, in space and time, a high-resolution 4D model of the subject with the plurality of 4D surface registration points. The method may also comprise displaying high resolution, real-time images of the subject during a medical procedure based on the registration of the high resolution 4D model to the 4D surface registration points. Embodiments of the present invention are especially useful in left atrium ablation procedures.

An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry generates a first image based on an echo signal obtained by transmission and reception of ultrasound waves. The processing circuitry acquires a second image that is an image generated by a medical image diagnostic apparatus. The processing circuitry performs a registration of the first image and the second image, by discretely setting a plurality of relative positions of the first image and the second image within a specified range, calculating the similarity between the first image and the second image corresponding to the plurality of relative positions respectively, updating the plurality of the relative positions based on the calculation result of the similarity, and recalculating the similarity corresponding to the plurality of the updated relative positions respectively. The processing circuitry causes a display to display the images obtained after the registration.

In an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus according to an embodiment, processing circuitry obtains volume data corresponding to at least one cardiac cycle and being taken of a region including the right ventricle of a patient. The processing circuitry estimates motion information of a tissue in the region by using the volume data. The processing circuitry calculates information including at least one selected from between wall motion information and volume information related to the right ventricle, on the basis of the motion information of the tissue. The processing circuitry outputs the calculated information. The processing circuitry corrects first motion information of the right ventricular outflow tract, which is an outflow tract of the right ventricle, by using second motion information of a site that is positioned in the vicinity of the right ventricular outflow tract and exhibits motion similar to that of the right ventricular outflow tract.

A method for diagnosing a joint condition includes in one embodiment: creating a 3d model of the patient specific bone; registering the patient's bone with the bone model; tracking the motion of the patient specific bone through a range of motion; selecting a database including empirical mathematical descriptions of the motion of a plurality actual bones through ranges of motion; and comparing the motion of the patient specific bone to the database.

An image processing apparatus according to an embodiment includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to perform a speckle noise reducing process on each of a plurality of images that were acquired by using an ultrasound wave and are in a time series. The processing circuitry is configured to calculate an index value indicating fluttering of image signal intensities in each of multiple positions within a region of interest, on the basis of the plurality of images resulting from the speckle noise reducing process.

A hierarchical workflow is configured to associate examination information captured using an imaging platform with contextual metadata. The examination information may include ultrasound image data, which may be associated with annotations, measurements, pathology, body markers, and/or the like. The hierarchical workflow may comprise templates associated with respective anatomical regions, locations, volumes, and/or surfaces. A template may define configuration data to automatically adapt the imaging platform to capture imaging data in the corresponding anatomical region. The template may further include guidance information for the operator, including processing steps for capturing relevant examination information. Additional examination information may be captured and included in the hierarchical workflow.

A method for processing angiography image data by using an imaging catheter path that is directly detected from the angiography data as a co-registration path or using detected marker locations from the angiography data to generate a co-registration path. If the acquired angiography data includes synchronized cardiac phase signals and a predetermined quantity of angiography image frames not including contrast media, then a directly detected imaging catheter path is used as the co-registration path. Otherwise the co-registration path is determined based upon detected marker locations from the angiography image data.

An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system produces spatially compounded trapezoidal sector images by combining component frames acquired from different look directions. A virtual apex scan format is used such that each scanline of a component frame emanates from a different point on the face of an array transducer and is steered at a different scanning angle. For different component frames the scanlines are steered at respectively different angles. In an illustrated example, the scanlines of each component frame are incremented by five degrees relative to the corresponding scanlines in a reference component frame. When the component frames are combined for spatial compounding, the maximum number of component frames are combined over virtually the entire image field.