A treatment method and a treatment system capable of treating a tumor while checking a degree of destruction of tumor cells due to emission of light and improving a treatment effect. A treatment system configured to irradiate a photosensitive substance accumulated in a tumor cell of breast cancer with excitation light, and includes: an optical device including an optical fiber configured to propagate light between a proximal portion and a distal portion of the optical device, and including, at the distal portion, an irradiation unit configured to emit light outward, and a detection unit configured to detect external light. The distal portion of the optical device is configured to be inserted into a lactiferous duct from a lactiferous duct orifice.

A system and method for locating magnetic material. In one embodiment the system includes a magnetic probe; a power module in electrical communication with the magnetic probe to supply current to the magnetic probe; a sense module in electrical communication with the magnetic probe to receive signals from the magnetic probe; and a computer in electrical communication with the power module and the sense module. The computer generates a waveform that controls the supply of current from the power module and receives a signal from the sense module that indicates the presence of magnetic material. The magnetic probe is constructed from a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion of substantially 10.sup.−6/° C. or less and a Young's modulus of substantially 50 GPa or greater. In one embodiment magnetic nanoparticles are injected into a breast and the lymph nodes collecting the particles are detected with the probe and deemed sentinel nodes.

A system and method for tracking completeness of co-registered medical image data is disclosed herein. The system and method tracks the position of an anatomical reference marker positionable on a patient and an ultrasound probe during an imaging session and co-registers medical images based on positional data received from the anatomical reference marker and the ultrasound probe. Using the co-registered image data, the system and method generates a surface contour of a region of interest (ROI) of the patient, such as a breast. The surface contour is defined to represent an interface between a chest wall structure and tissue of the ROI in a plurality of co-registered medical images. A completeness map of the image data within the defined surface contour during the imaging session is generated and overlaid on a graphic representation of the ROI.

Disclosed herein is a medical instrument (100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 900) comprising a subject support (102) configured for supporting a subject (110) in a Fowler's position during a magnetic resonance imaging examination. The subject support comprises a leg support region (104) configured for supporting a leg region of the subject horizontally. The subject support further comprises a thoracic support (106) configured for supporting an upper body region of the subject. The subject support is configured such that the thoracic support is inclined (108) with respect to the leg support region to hold the subject in the Fowler's position. The medical instrument further comprises a breast support (114). The breast support comprises a planar support surface (116) configured for supporting breasts of the subject. The breast support is connected to the subject support. The support surface is configured for being horizontal during the magnetic resonance imaging examination.

A system for detecting changes in breast comprises a garment and a user device. The garment comprises a plurality of layers of fabric, one or more fabric-based sensors configured to detect the changes to at least one layer of fabric, a plurality of conductive nodes electrically coupled to one or more locations on a fabric-based sensor among the one or more fabric-based sensors, and a processor electrically connected to the plurality of nodes. The changes in the fabric-based sensor is detected by measuring signals between at least two nodes among the plurality of nodes. The processor is configured to obtain data measured from the at least two nodes among the plurality of nodes and transmit the data to the user device. The user device is configured to receive data from the processor and process the data.

A method and breast imaging system for processing breast tissue image data includes feeding image data of breast images to an image processor, identifying image portions depicting breast tissue and high density elements and executing different processing methods on input images. A first image processing method involves breast tissue enhancement and high density element suppression, whereas the second image processing method involves enhancing high density elements. Respective three-dimensional sets of image slices may be generated by respective image processing methods, and respective two-dimensional synthesized images are generated and combined to form a two-dimensional composite synthesized image which is presented through a display of the breast imaging system. First and second image processing may be executed on generated three-dimensional image sets or two-dimensional projection images acquired by an image acquisition component at respective angles relative to the patient's breast.

Devices and methods for simultaneously measuring, in real time: 1) volumetric changes of a mammalian breast due to milk production and output, and 2) breast temperature, are provided. The devices are generally sensors which can be disposed within a wearable garment such as a bra.

An image processing device disclosed in the present specification includes a display control unit configured to display, on a display unit, an image obtained by visualizing functional information related to optical characteristics of a subject based on a photoacoustic signal obtained by receiving a photoacoustic wave generated in the subject by irradiating the subject with light, and a correction unit configured to correct the functional information of the image displayed on the display unit based on a first image value of the functional information of the image displayed on the display unit and a second image value of the functional information.

In one aspect, a device for measuring breast volume is disclosed, which comprises a housing comprising an enclosure having an opening, a flexible membrane sealingly covering said opening so as to provide an enclosed space within said enclosure, a gas disposed within said enclosed space, and at least one pressure sensor coupled to said enclosure so as to measure pressure of said gas within said enclosed space. The flexible membrane is configured to reversibly flex into said enclosed space in response to pressure of a breast against the membrane. The flexure of the membrane causes a change in the pressure and volume of the gas within said enclosed space.

The present invention provides an image display method with which a structure of an imaging object can be easily understood on the basis of volume data. An image display method according to an aspect of the present invention includes obtaining photoacoustic image data, generating a first photoacoustic image corresponding to a first spatial region on the basis of photoacoustic image data and a second photoacoustic image corresponding to a second spatial region having a different thickness in a viewing direction of rendering from a thickness of the first spatial region and having a spatial region overlapped with the first spatial region on the basis of the photoacoustic image data, and generating and displaying a parallel image in which the first photoacoustic image and the second photoacoustic image are arranged side by side.