331 results about "Contrast imaging" patented technology

The present invention provides extended depth of field or focus to conventional Amplitude Contrast imaging systems. This is accomplished by including a Wavefront Coding mask in the system to apply phase variations to the wavefront transmitted by the Phase Object being imaged. The phase variations induced by the Wavefront Coding mask code the wavefront and cause the optical transfer function to remain essentially constant within some range away from the in-focus position. This provides a coded image at the detector. Post processing decodes this coded image, resulting in an in-focus image over an increased depth of field.

Tissue contrast imaging systems are described which detect differences in tissue contrasts to obtain images of the tissue region. The systems may be used to obtain images of the cardiac tissues particularly in a blood-filled environment.

Contrast Imaging apparatus and methods with Wavefront Coding aspheric optics and post processing increase depth of field and reduce misfocus effects in imaging Phase Objects. The general Interference Contrast imaging system is modified with a special purpose optical element and image processing of the detected image to form the final image. The Wavefront Coding optical element can be fabricated as a separate component, can be constructed as an integral component of the imaging objective, tube lens, beam splitter, polarizer or any combination of such.

A transmit sequence for contrast agent imaging that improves sensitivity and minimizes image artifacts. The number of pulses and the interleaving of spatially distinct pulses between spatially co-linear pulses are selected such that a substantially similar pulse sequence for substantially each line in a scanned region is generated. A collateral pulse from a different scan line is interleaved between at least two imaging pulses along a scan line of interest. Such pulse sequences provide sensitive contrast agent imaging with minimized spatial variation. In another aspect, responsive signals representing the first and second scan lines are obtained. Intensities associated with the signals are determined. The intensities associated with the first scan line are compared to a value. The signals associated with the first scan line are replaced by the signals associated with the second scan line, signals associated with the first and second scan lines, or neighboring signals in time or space as a function of the comparison. Thus, signals associated with an image artifact may be replaced by signals along other scan lines so good spatial resolution is maintained.

This invention pertains to a method of low-cost intraoperative all field simultaneous parallel microbeam single fraction few seconds duration 100 to 1,000 Gy and higher dose radiosurgery with micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS)-carbon nanotube based microaccelerators. It ablates cancer cells including the mesenchymal epithelial transformation associated cancer stem cells. Microbeam brachy-therapeutic radiosurgery is performed. Microaccelerators are configured for simultaneous parallel microbeam emission from varying angels to an isocentric tumor. Their additive dose rate at the isocentric tumor is in the range of 10,000 to 20,000 Gy / s. It eliminates most tumor recurrence and metastasis which enhances cancer cure rates. It also exposes cancer antigens which induces cancer immunity. Stereotactic breast core biopsy is combined with, positron emission tomography and computerized tomography and phase-contrast imaging. Parallel microbeam brachytherapy preserves normal breast appearance. Migration of normal stem cells from unirradiated valley regions heals the radiation damage to the normal tissue.

A device and method are provided for storing a prefilled liquid beverage, receiving an oral contrast imaging agent that is mixed with the prefilled liquid beverage, and dispensing a resulting beverage / oral contrast imaging agent mixture. The device has a body defining a chamber for storing the prefilled liquid beverage. A closure is movable between a closed position for sealing the prefilled liquid in the chamber, and an open position for (i) introducing the oral contrast imaging agent into the chamber for mixture with the prefilled liquid beverage, and (ii) dispensing the beverage / oral contrast imaging agent mixture. The device may include first graduations, a time scale and second graduations. The body defines a substantially smooth, axially extending patient information surface including thereon a plurality of marking spaces and respective patient information indicia associated with each marking space for marking thereon information relating to a respective patient.

Systems and methods are provided for imaging a patient. Target imaging parameters for imaging a region of interest of a patient are determined based on desired attributes of images to be generated for the region of interest. Administration parameters for administering a contrast agent are determined based on the target imaging parameters using a computational model of blood flow and contrast agent circulation. A trigger time for imaging the region of interest is determined based on the administration parameters using the computational model of blood flow and contrast agent circulation. The region of interest of the patient is caused to be imaged based on the administration parameters and the trigger time.

Assembly comprising a gas-filled microvesicle and a structural entity which is capable to associate through an electrostatic interaction to the outer surface of said microvesicle (microvesicle associated component—MAC), thereby modifying the physico-chemical properties thereof. Said MAC may optionally comprise a targeting ligand, a bioactive agent, a diagnostic agent or any combination thereof. The assembly of the invention can be formed from gasfilled microbubbles or microballoons and a MAC having a diameter of less than 100 pm, in particular a micelle and is used as an active component in diagnostically and / or therapeutically active formulations, in particular for enhancing the imaging in the field of ultrasound contrast imaging, including targeted ultrasound imaging, ultrasound-mediated drug delivery and other imaging techniques such as molecular resonance imaging (MRI) or nuclear imaging.

The invention discloses a gain optimization method for ultrasound images. The gain optimization method comprises the following steps: acquiring a tissue image and data of a noise image under the same condition; performing de-noising processing on the tissue image by utilizing the noise image; identifying a tissue area in the tissue image; judging whether the proportion of the tissue area in the tissue image exceeds a set threshold condition or not; calculating the master gain and a TGC (time gain compensation) curve of the tissue image by selecting a corresponding method; enabling the TGC curve and the master gain to act on the tissue image. The gain optimization method for the ultrasound images provided by the invention is also suitable for various types of ultrasound images under conventional B-mode imaging and coherent contrast imaging, and not only is capable of guaranteeing the lossless display of information in the image but also meets the requirement that the optimized images are uniform and consistent in brightness. The invention also provides an ultrasound coherent contrast imaging gain optimization method and an ultrasound imaging automatic optimization device; compared with the prior art, the ultrasound coherent contrast imaging gain optimization method and the ultrasound imaging automatic optimization device are capable of enabling the different individual contrastographic images after subjected to gain optimization to be basically consistent in brightness, and therefore, the scanning efficiency of a doctor is greatly improved.

The present invention relates to phase-contrast imaging which visualizes the phase information of coherent radiation passing a scanned object. Focused gratings are used which reduce the creation of trapezoid profile in a projection with a particular angle to the optical axis. A laser supported method is used in combination with a dedicating etching process for creating such focused grating structures.

A microbeam intraoperative, 10-50 kilovoltage radiation therapy system with multiple simultaneous microfocus X-ray sources and method for image guided, microsecond duration, 100 to 1,000 Gy microbeam radiation therapies with dose rate ranging from 1,000 to 20,000 Gy per second and RBE closer to high LET with minimal toxicity to normal tissue is provided. Dismountable coronal, sagital and transverse half-circle gantry sections are assembled on to a surgical table for mounting the microfocus X-ray sources for intraoperative radiosurgery. A stereotactic breast core biopsy system is adapted for combined breast biopsy, positron emission tomography and computerized tomography with phase-contrast imaging. Cosmetic whole breast preserving electronic brachytherapy is combined with stereotactic core biopsy. The low dose valley regions of the intersecting microbeams at the tumor site are filled with scattered and characteristic radiation from high Z-element that is bound or implanted into the tumor.

The invention relates to a visualized grouting test device and a visualized grouting test method of a fractured rock mass. Due to the arrangement of a CT (Computerized Tomography) scanning device, a whole-course visualized grouting test on a true fractured rock mass can be realized; by adding a specific proportion of barium sulfate into cement slurry, the problem of contrast imaging of grouting slurry in the true fractured rock mass under CT scanning is solved; a test box and a grouting anchor rod are made of transparent materials, thereby further improving the accuracy of a scanning result; the test box is set to be of an inner cavity size-adjustable structure, test pieces with different sizes can be tested, and the influence of grouting pressure size on a movement diffusion rule of the slurry in a rock mass fracture is obtained by comparing visualized grouting test results of all groups of test pieces under the same grouting time; by remotely controlling the starting and stopping of a CT machine and the opening and closing of a grouting valve through an integrated control panel, non-intermittent matching between test piece grouting and CT scanning is realized, the influence on slurry diffusion caused by CT scanning intervals is reduced to the greatest extent, and the whole grouting test process can be visualized.

X-ray devices for Phase Contrast Imaging (PCI) are often built up with the help of gratings. For large field-of-views (FOV), production cost and complexity of these gratings could increase significantly as they need to have a focused geometry. Instead of a pure PCI with a large FOV, this invention suggests to combine a traditional absorption X-ray-imaging system with large-FOV with an insertable low-cost PCI system with small-FOV, The invention supports the user to direct the PCI system with reduced FOV to a region that he regards as most interesting for performing a PCI scan thus eliminating X-ray dose exposure for scanning regions not interesting for a radiologist. The PCI scan may be generated on the basis of local tomography.

Embodiments of methods and apparatus are disclosed for obtaining differential phase contrast imaging system and methods for same. Method and apparatus embodiments can provide regularized phase contrast retrieval that can address noise reduction and / or edge enhancement. Certain exemplary embodiments can suppress stripe artifacts occurring in the process of integration of noisy differential phase data. Further, certain exemplary embodiments can use transmission images and / or dark-field images to improve or restore phase contrast images affected by noise edges.

Systems and methods for producing circular extinction (CE) contrast images of anisotropic samples. Microscope systems for determining circular extinction (CE), the differential transmission of left and right circularly polarized light resulting from circular dichroism (CD) of an anisotropic sample, include mechanically driven optical components and an image detector such as a monochromatic CCD camera to detect light intensities. In one aspect, optical components include a tunable filter, a rotatable linear polarizer and a variable retarder. The tunable filter is adjustable to provide light at a specific desired wavelength. The linear polarizer is adjustable to provide linearly polarized light with a specific wave vector, and the variable retarder is adjustable to produce near perfect circular polarized light at every selected wavelength. For example, in one aspect, the variable retarder includes a linear birefringent plate tiltable around one of its eigenmodes perpendicular to the wave vector of polarized light. The plate may be controllably tilted so that it functions as a perfect λ / 4 plate at each wavelength.

The invention relates to a formulation comprising a dry material (e.g. lyophilised or spray dried) comprising at least one film forming surfactant and a gas or a gas mixture usable in diagnostic imaging, to a process for the preparation thereof and to a suspension obtainable by reconstituting said formulation with an aqueous carrier for use in contrast imaging. The invention also relates to a container comprising the dry material in contact with a gas. The gas associated with the dry material is at a pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure.

Provided are a laser speckle contrast imaging method, a laser speckle contrast imaging system, and an apparatus which includes the laser speckle contrast imaging system. The laser speckle contrast imaging system includes a laser light source configured to irradiate laser beams toward a subject, the laser beams having a plurality of wavelength bands and different surface transmittances with respect to the subject. An imaging unit is configured to acquire speckle images by capturing images of speckles by using an image sensor, the speckles being formed when the irradiated laser beams are scattered from the subject. A signal processor is configured to convert the acquired speckle images into speckle contrast images and to acquire a compensated speckle contrast image by compensating for a change caused by a movement of the subject.

Provided are signal modifying compositions for medical imaging comprising a carrier and two or more signal modifying agents specific for two or more imaging modalities. The compositions are characterized by retention efficiency, with respect to the signal modifying agents, which enables prolonged contrast imaging without significant depletion of the signal modifying agents from the carrier. The carriers of the present invention are lipid based or polymer based, the physico-chemical properties of which can be modified to entrap or chelate different signal modifying agents and mixtures thereof and to target specific organs or tumors or tissues within a mammal.

An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is provided for displaying a color map on which a difference in blood flow dynamics is reflected. Setting a test subject who is administered a contrast agent is assumed as an imaging target, and a probe transmits and receives ultrasonic waves to and from the target for contrast imaging. Image data is constructed based on signals received by the probe and a time-intensity curve is generated from intensity values of the image data. According to the time-intensity curve, a value of a predetermined parameter is calculated for producing a distribution image of blood flow dynamics. The distribution image (color map) of the blood flow dynamics is produced from the parameter value. The color map is a two-dimensional or a three-dimensional image being color-coded according to the parameter value. At least one of the followings may be used as the parameter; a contrast agent inflow start time, a balanced intensity arrival time, a contrast agent disappearance start time, a contrast agent duration, a preset threshold arrival time, an intensity increase rate, an intensity decrease rate, intensity of balanced state, and a total flow amount.

A non-invasive method for measuring blood flow in principal vessels of a heart of a subject is provided. The method includes illuminating a region of interest in the heart with a coherent light source, wherein the coherent light source has a wavelength of from about 600 nm to about 1100 nm; sequentially acquiring at least two speckle images of the region of interest in the heart during a fixed time period, wherein sequentially acquiring the at least two speckle images comprises acquiring the at least two speckle images in synchronization with motion of the heart of the subject; and electronically processing the at least two acquired speckle images based on the temporal variation of the pixel intensities in the at least two acquired speckle images to generate a laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) image and determine spatial distribution of blood flow rate in the principal vessels and quantify perfusion distribution in tissue in the region of interest in the heart from the LSCI image.

A method and apparatus in an ultrasound imaging system is disclosed that enhances the contrast-to-tissue ratio and signal-to-noise ratio of contrast imaging using stepped-chirp waveforms. The first waveform component is employed with a first frequency optimized to initiate the bubble dynamics and the second waveform component is employed with a second frequency optimized to produce an enhanced bubble nonlinear response. The first waveform component and the at least a second waveform component are transmitted as a single stepped-chirp transmit pulse. At least one of a center frequency, an amplitude, a starting phase, and a bandwidth of the waveform components are adjusted to generate the single stepped-chirp transmit pulse. A relative phase, a switch time, and a time delay between the waveform components are also adjusted for maximal enhancement of bubble nonlinear response.

A phase-contrast imaging apparatus for imaging an object, comprising a radiation source, a first diffracting optical element located to receive radiation from the source, a second diffracting optical element located after the first optical element, a spatially resolving detector for detecting radiation from the source that has propagated through the object and been diffracted sequentially by the first optical element and the second optical element and an actuator for providing a relative translation of the first and second optical elements with respect to and across a propagation direction of radiation transmitted from the source to the detector. The actuator provides the relative translations of the first and second optical element at respectively a first speed and a second speed that is the first speed times a magnification factor of the apparatus.

Systems and methods for X-ray phase-contrast imaging (PCI) are provided. A quasi-periodic phase grating can be positioned between an object being imaged and a detector. An analyzer grating can be disposed between the phase grating and the detector. Second-order approximation models for X-ray phase retrieval using paraxial Fresnel-Kirchhoff diffraction theory are also provided. An iterative method can be used to reconstruct a phase-contrast image or a dark-field image.

The invention relates to an ultrasonic contrast imaging method and system. The system comprises a probe 1, a transmission circuit 2, a reception circuit 4 and a signal processing module, wherein the transmission circuit is used for respectively transmitting a first pulse sequence and a second pulse sequence to a target area through the probe; the reception circuit is used for respectively receiving ultrasonic echoes of the first pulse sequence and the second pulse sequence through the probe so as to obtain a first group of ultrasonic echo signals and a second group of ultrasonic echo signals; and the signal processing module is used for extracting echo signal components according to the first group of ultrasonic echo signals and the second group of ultrasonic echo signals. The invention furthermore discloses a new ultrasonic contrast image transmission control method, so that the registering success rate of a software analysis tool is improved.