Vasculature or parenchyma is imaged using upright MRI techniques, on patients who may have conditions such as congestive heart failure, or otherwise be healthy. When an individual is horizontal, venous drainage is minimized, causing the vessels to remain engorged, also referred to herein as vascular congestion. Vascular congestion results in an enlarging of the vessels and surrounding tissue causing the vessels to be more visible on MRIs. The decrease in vascular visibility in upright subjects is in part, due to an increase in venous drainage. Patients suffering from coronary and/or pulmonary deficiencies (e.g. CHF) experience decreased rates and degrees of venous drainage. In one embodiment, the present invention uses upright imaging to visualize these enlarged vessels.

Stimulation of neural activity in a nerve supplying the spleen, wherein the nerve is associated with a neurovascular bundle, can re-programme immune cells in the spleen, modulate pro- and anti-inflammatory molecules levels, and induce disease-resolution pathways system-ically thereby reducing inflammation and providing ways of treating inflammatory disorders. The invention provides improved ways of treating inflammatory disorders which minimize off-target effects.

A device and method of using the device to detect the presence and composition of clots and other target objects in a circulatory vessel of a living subject is described. In particular, devices and methods of detecting the presence and composition of clots and other target objects in a circulatory vessel of a living subject using in vivo photoacoustic flow cytometry techniques is described.

Systems and methods are provided for ultrasound stimulation for immunomodulation treatment. Ultrasound stimulation of the spleen may be used to alter immune and thereby inflammatory responses of a subject by modulating specific biomarkers or cytokines associated with inflammation. A closed-loop or responsive ultrasound stimulation of the spleen may be implemented by tracking biomarkers in the blood that indicate when the stimulation is working. Modulation of specific cytokines and/or erythrocyte sedimentation rate may be performed in response to ultrasound stimulation in a diseased state.

The present invention relates to methods for assessing or obtaining an indication of vascular pressure associated with organs or visceral tissues of the body by using MRI imaging methods. The invention particularly relates to methods for assessing or obtaining an indication of portal hypertension using Magnetic Resonance T1, or T1 and T2* relaxometry, and T1, T2, and/or T2* mapping of the liver or spleen.

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to techniques for inducing physiological perturbations in a subject via neuromodulation, e.g., peripheral neuromodulation of a region of interest of an organ. The nature and degree of the perturbations may be related to the subject's clinical condition. Accordingly, an assessment of one or more characteristics of the perturbations may be used to determine a clinical condition of the subject.

A photoacoustic flow cytometry (PAFC) device for the in vivo detection of cells circulating in blood or lymphatic vessels is described. Ultrasound transducers attached to the skin of an organism detect the photoacoustic ultrasound waves emitted by target objects in response to their illumination by at least one pulse of laser energy delivered using at least one wavelength. The wavelengths of the laser light pulse may be varied to optimize the absorption of the laser energy by the target object. Target objects detected by the device may be unlabelled biological cells or cell products, contrast agents, or biological cells labeled with one or more contrast agents.

Apparatus and methods for hyperspectral imaging analysis that assists in real and near-real time assessment of biological tissue condition, viability, and type, and monitoring the above overtime. Embodiments of the invention are particularly useful in surgery, clinical procedures, tissue assessment, diagnostic procedures, health monitoring, and medical evaluations, especially in the detection and treatment of cancer.

Diagnostic apparatus (24) includes a sealed case (40), including a biocompatible material and configured for implantation within a body of a human subject (22). At least one antenna (42) is configured to be implanted in the body in proximity to a target tissue (28) and to receive radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic waves propagated through the target tissue and to output a signal in response to the received waves. Processing circuitry (44,46), which is contained within the case, us coupled to receive and process the signal from the antenna so as to derive and output an indication of a characteristic of the target tissue.

Apparatus and systems are described that include physical media related to accepting at least one attribute associated with an individual from a licensed health care provider and/or presenting an output of an artificial sensory experience associated with a request to measure at least one effect of a bioactive agent on the attribute associated with individual.