Category: Patents

The invention is a method of automatically adjusting an electrode array to the neural characteristics of an individual subject. The response to electrical neural stimulation varies from subject to subject. Measure of impedance may be used to predict the electrode height from the neural tissue and, thereby, predict the threshold of perception. Alternatively, electrode height may be measured directly to predict the threshold of perception. Also, impedance measurement may be used to quickly identify defective electrodes and proper electrode placement.

Embodiments of the present invention include but are not limited to methods and systems for optical coherence imaging. A method for optical coherence imaging may comprise scanning a sample with an incident beam from a light source; detecting one or more spectral interference signals from the sample; modulating the one or more spectral interference signals by a linear translation of a reference mirror while scanning the sample in a cross-sectional direction; and obtaining at least one image of the sample from the modulated one or more spectral interference signals, the at least one image including a selected one of a ...

Methods, systems and computer program products are provided for acquiring an image set using optical coherence tomography (OCT). A first portion of a defined volume is scanned at a low-density sampling rate to obtain a plurality of low-density frames. A second portion of the defined volume is scanned at a high-density sampling rate, higher than the low-density sampling rate, to obtain at least one high-density frame. The low-density frames and the at least one high-density frame are combined to provide a complete mixed-density image set.

There is provided a method of identifying a region of interest in sample. The method comprises obtaining one or more optical coherence tomography (OCT) axial scans at one or more locations over the sample surface; for each axial scan, determining an integrated total of OCT intensity over the depth of the scan, and determining an attenuation depth into the sample at which a predetermined fraction of the integrated total is reached; and determining from the one or more attenuation depths a region of interest in the sample. Generally, the method does not rely the accuracy (or inaccuracy) of any particular ...

The systems and methods described herein provide for fast and accurate image segmentation through the application of a multi-stage classifier to an image data set. An image processing system is provided having a processor configured to apply a multi-stage classifier to the image data set to identify a distinctive region. The multi-stage classifier can include two or more component classifiers. The first component classifier can have a sensitivity level configured to identify one or more target regions in the image data set and the second component classifier can have a specificity level configured to confirm the presence of the distinctive ...

Provided is an optical imaging system based on a coherence frequency domain reflectometry, including: a light source generating an electromagnetic wave; a splitting unit splitting the electromagnetic wave into first and second beams; a reflecting unit reflecting the first beam and re-transmitting the reflected first beam to the splitter; an objective lens projecting the second beam onto an object to be recorded; a photodetector transforming an interference pattern into a current signal, wherein the first beam reflected from the reflector interferes with the second beam reflected from the object to generate the interference pattern; and an electronic processing unit processing ...

The optical tomographic imaging system includes a main body for acquiring an optical tomographic image, an optical probe having a rotary optical fiber for guiding the measuring and returning light, a measuring unit, and a sheath rotatably holding the rotary optical fiber and the measuring unit, a rotary drive unit for rotatably coupling the rotary optical fiber to a stationary optical fiber connected with the main body, an extra length handling mechanism for winding the optical probe into a loop having at least a minimum diameter and an attaching unit removably attaching the optical probe. The extra length handling mechanism ...

Forward-looking ultrasound transducers are positioned at the tip of a transseptal catheter to facilitate transseptal puncture and interventions within the left atrium, pulmonary veins and mitral valve. Catheter devices and systems are guided by forward-looking ultrasound or optical coherence tomography imaging for penetrating from one location within a mammalian patient's body to another location, and/or performing diagnostic or therapeutic interventions. A penetrator, diagnostic, or interventional device (eg. probe, biopsy apparatus, electrode, needle) is positioned at the catheter tip and is advanceable from the catheter to a target location outside of the lumen in which the catheter is positioned ...

In an embodiment of the present invention, an OCT probe is configured by including: a thin and long substantially cylindrical sheath whose distal end is closed; an n-reflecting surface body, as an irradiating device, which has n reflecting surfaces (with n being an integer of three or more) and which is provided in a distal end portion of the sheath; a torque transmitting coil, as a rotating device, which is provided along the longitudinal axis of the sheath and which transmits rotational torque for rotating each of the reflection surfaces of the n-reflecting surface body about the longitudinal axis of ...

The invention relates to a catheter device for treating a blockage of a vessel, with the catheter device featuring a treatment catheter for treating the vessel blockage which is embodied as an integrated unit with front-mounted stent.

A novel contrast mechanism for diagnosing diseased tissue using Ultrasound, Doppler Ultrasonography, Optical Coherence Tomography, or optical Doppler tomography coupled with an externally applied temporally oscillating high-strength magnetic field.

A spectrometer is presented that includes s spectrally dispersive optical element (120) to spectrally disperse a received light, a leveraged-optics adjustable deflector (142-1, 142-2, 142-3) to adjustably deflect the spectrally dispersed light, and a detector array (160) to receive the spectrally dispersed and adjustably deflected light. The received light can inlcude an interference beam combined from a returned image beam and a reference beam in a Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomograph. The detector array can include a linear sensor array. The leveraged-optics adjustable deflector can include an optical element with an adjustable transmissive property or an adjustable reflective property, wherein ...

Variants of an interferometric device are developed for examining internal structures of objects by means of optical coherence tomography, which allow for controlling a boundary location of the observation range. The device also allows for correcting a distortion of the tomographic image of the object under study, caused by lateral scanning, due to aberrations of the optical path length for the low-coherence optical radiation directed towards the object. Embodiments of the device include either one, or two fiber-optic controlled scanners, which in different combinations perform a function of in-depth scanning of the coherence window of low-coherence optical radiation within the ...

An image diagnostic system controls a probe to perform rotational and axially-moving scanning within a body cavity and to acquire reflected signals through the probe. Based on the acquired reflected signals, the system forms and outputs tomographic image of the body cavity and biotissue surrounding the body cavity. The system is provided with a detection unit which detects a direction of movement of the probe in the axially-moving scanning and a control unit which controls the rotational speed of the probe in the rotational scanning. The control unit includes a determination unit which determines whether or not the rotational speed ...

Apparatus for irradiating a sample, comprising an interferometer forwarding an electromagnetic radiation and a sample arm receiving the electromagnetic radiation, wherein the sample arm includes an arrangement which is configured to produce at least two radiations from the electromagnetic radiation so as to irradiate the sample, and to delay a first radiation of the at least two radiations with respect to a second radiation of the at least two radiations.