A method is described for performing a percutaneous operation on a patient to remove an object from a cavity within the patient. The method includes advancing a first alignment sensor into the cavity through a patient lumen. The first alignment sensor provides its position and orientation in free space in real time. The alignment sensor is manipulated until it is located in proximity to the object. A percutaneous opening is made in the patient with a surgical tool, where the surgical tool includes a second alignment sensor that provides the position and orientation of the surgical tool in free space in real time. The surgical tool is directed towards the object using data provided by both the first and the second alignment sensors.

For three-dimensional segmentation from two-dimensional intracardiac echocardiography imaging, the three-dimension segmentation is output by a machine-learnt multi-task generator. The machine-learnt multi-task generator is trained from 3D information, such as a sparse ICE volume assembled from the 2D ICE images. The machine-learnt multi-task generator is trained to output both the 3D segmentation and a complete volume. The 3D segmentation may be used to project to 2D as an input with an ICE image to another network trained to output a 2D segmentation for the ICE image. Display of the 3D segmentation and/or 2D segmentation may guide ablation of tissue in the patient.

For particularly quick and error-reduced navigation in vessel branches, a method is provided for visual support during navigation of a medical catheter introduced into a hollow organ system of a patient in a hollow organ branch, comprising the following steps: providing an, in particular pre-segmented, volume image of the hollow organ system and the hollow organ branch, which has been captured by means of an X-ray device; providing information relating to the geometric shape of the catheter tip; receiving a current projection image of the catheter tip, in particular by means of a cone beam X-ray device; registering the volume image and the projection image in the event that there is no pre-registration; determining the current position and current orientation of the catheter tip on the projection image based on the projection image; determining the relative position and relative orientation of the catheter tip in relation to the hollow organ branch; and displaying information relating to the determined relative position and/or relative orientation of the catheter tip in relation to the hollow organ branch.

For particularly quick and error-reduced navigation in vessel branches, a method is provided for visual support during navigation of a medical catheter introduced into a hollow organ system of a patient in a hollow organ branch, comprising the following steps: providing an, in particular pre-segmented, volume image of the hollow organ system and the hollow organ branch, which has been captured by means of an X-ray device; providing information relating to the geometric shape of the catheter tip; receiving a current projection image of the catheter tip, in particular by means of a cone beam X-ray device; registering the volume image and the projection image in the event that there is no pre-registration; determining the current position and current orientation of the catheter tip on the projection image based on the projection image; determining the relative position and relative orientation of the catheter tip in relation to the hollow organ branch; and displaying information relating to the determined relative position and/or relative orientation of the catheter tip in relation to the hollow organ branch.

A cerebral infarction treatment support system (100) includes a detection device (10), a display (30), and an image controller (20), and the image controller (20) includes a receiver (21) configured to receive at least one of first information (41) generated by the detection device (10) or second information (42) related to a susceptibility gene generated based on the first information (41), and a video output (22) configured to output at least one of the received first information (41) or second information (42) to the display (30).

A medical image processing apparatus and a medical image processing method are provided which are capable of clearly presenting a distal end of a medical device in a tomosynthesis image of an object under examination into which the medical device is inserted. The medical image processing apparatus handles a tomosynthesis image generated using a plurality of projection images obtained by imaging an object under examination in an angle range of less than 180 degrees, and includes: a storage section for pre-storing blur data at individual imaging space coordinates; and a correction section for correcting the tomosynthesis image using the blur data.

A radiographic phantom comprises: a body comprising a wax material or a wax-like material, wherein the body has an x-ray attenuation value that is approximately the same as that of a human tissue; and a plurality of crystalline test objects positioned on or within the body. A method comprises: obtaining a radiographic phantom comprising a body and a plurality of crystalline test objects positioned on or within the body, wherein the body comprises a wax material or a wax-like material, and wherein the body has an x-ray attenuation value that is approximately the same as that of a human breast tissue; performing an operation of the radiographic phantom and using a device; and assessing a performance of the device based on the operation.

Provided herein is a catheter assembly including an imaging device for identifying an anatomical structure. The catheter assembly includes a patient cannula configured to be drawn along a catheter or guide wire; a transseptal puncture catheter at least partially enclosed within the patient cannula; and an imaging catheter. The imaging catheter includes a transducer configured to emit an energy beam capable of reflecting from an anatomical structure and to detect energy reflected from the structure. The catheter assembly also includes a transmitter for conveying a signal representative of the detected energy from the transducer to a signal processor for obtaining information about the structure. An imagining system and a method for identifying a predetermined transseptal puncture location on an atrial septum are also provided herein.

Provided herein is a catheter assembly including an imaging device for identifying an anatomical structure. The catheter assembly includes a patient cannula configured to be drawn along a catheter or guide wire; a transseptal puncture catheter at least partially enclosed within the patient cannula; and an imaging catheter. The imaging catheter includes a transducer configured to emit an energy beam capable of reflecting from an anatomical structure and to detect energy reflected from the structure. The catheter assembly also includes a transmitter for conveying a signal representative of the detected energy from the transducer to a signal processor for obtaining information about the structure. An imagining system and a method for identifying a predetermined transseptal puncture location on an atrial septum are also provided herein.

Certain aspects relate to biopsy apparatuses, systems and techniques for biopsy using a biopsy pattern. Some aspects relate to moving a distal portion of a medical instrument to one or more sample locations of the biopsy pattern and guiding the instrument to obtain tissue samples from the sample locations within the biopsy pattern. Some aspects relate to obtaining the biopsy pattern and adjusting the sample locations within the biopsy pattern based on various factors such as anatomical features.