摘要:
A system and method for the treatment of mitral valve regurgitation by reshaping the mitral valve annulus using one or more plications of annular or adjacent tissue each fixed by a retainer is described. The system includes four devices to achieve such percutaneous direct plication annuloplasty. The first is a crossing catheter having a prolapseable or curved tip. Second, a deflecting guide catheter is used to provide a means for guiding the plication device into proper position at the subvalvular region of the mitral valve annulus. Third, the plication device is then used to make plications in the subvalvular region of the mitral valve annulus. Fourth, a “C” shaped retainer with deformable ends is deployed by the plication device in order to retain the plicated tissue in the plicated form. A transseptal approach may be used to plicate and retain tissue on the atrial side of the mitral valve to achieve a reduction in mitral valve regurgitation.
摘要:
A system and method for the treatment of mitral valve regurgitation by reshaping the mitral valve annulus using one or more plications of annular or adjacent tissue each fixed by a retainer is described. The system includes four devices to achieve such percutaneous direct plication annuloplasty. The first is a crossing catheter having a prolapseable or curved tip. Second, a deflecting guide catheter is used to provide a means for guiding the plication device into proper position at the subvalvular region of the mitral valve annulus. Third, the plication device is then used to make plications in the subvalvular region of the mitral valve annulus. Fourth, a “C” shaped retainer with deformable ends is deployed by the plication device in order to retain the plicated tissue in the plicated form.
摘要:
A system and method for the treatment of mitral valve regurgitation by reshaping the mitral valve annulus using one or more plications of annular or adjacent tissue each fixed by a retainer is described. The system includes four devices to achieve such percutaneous direct plication annuloplasty. The first is a crossing catheter having a prolapseable or curved tip. Second, a deflecting guide catheter is used to provide a means for guiding the plication device into proper position at the subvalvular region of the mitral valve annulus. Third, the plication device is then used to make plications in the subvalvular region of the mitral valve annulus. Fourth, a “C” shaped retainer with deformable ends is deployed by the plication device in order to retain the plicated tissue in the plicated form. A transseptal approach may be used to plicate and retain tissue on the atrial side of the mitral valve to achieve a reduction in mitral valve regurgitation.
摘要:
This invention relates to bifunctional detection agents useful for providing high-resolution, in vivo imaging of biochemical activity in a living organism. Methods of using these bifunctional detection agents may comprise administering them into a living organism, and then estimating the localization of the detection agent using one modality (i.e., MRI), while concurrently estimating the level of biological activity using a second modality (i.e., optical imaging). One of the bifunctional detection agents comprises a magnetic resonance component and an optical imaging component. The magnetic resonance component comprises a contrast agent that is always activated or “on”. The optical imaging component comprises an activatable contrast agent or dye that is activated or turned “on” only in the presence of a particular event. For example, the optical imaging component may be activated by a certain wavelength of light and (1) by the presence of a particular biochemical marker, (2) by enzyme cleavage, or (3) by a change in the temperature or pH of the surrounding medium. These bifunctional detection agents allow both anatomical and functional/metabolic information to be obtained simultaneously.
摘要:
Magnetic resonance imaging (“MRI”) systems and methods for acquiring multi-slice gradient echo images having a substantially constant T1-weighting including selecting a first scan having a desired contrast associated with T1-weighting and, given a first repetition time, TR1, and a first flip angle, flip1, associated with the first scan, selecting an effective repetition time, TReff, that provides the desired contrast. The MRI systems and methods also including holding the effective repetition time, TReff, substantially constant in relation to a second scan. The MRI systems and methods further including, given a second repetition time, TR2, determining a second flip angle, flip2, and, given the second flip angle, flip2, determining the second repetition time, TR2. The MRI systems and methods still further including performing the second scan using the second repetition time, TR2, and the second flip angle, flip2, and maximizing a signal-to-noise ratio, S/N, of the second scan.
摘要:
This invention relates to multifunctional detection agents useful for providing high-resolution, in vivo imaging of biochemical activity in a living organism. Methods of using these multifunctional detection agents may comprise administering them into a living organism, and then estimating the localization of the detection agent using one modality (i.e., MRI), while concurrently estimating the level of biological activity using a second modality (i.e., optical imaging). One of the multifunctional detection agents comprises a magnetic resonance component and an optical imaging component. The magnetic resonance component comprises a contrast agent that is always activated or “on”. The optical imaging component comprises a plurality of activatable contrast agents or dyes, at least two of which are different from one another, wherein at least one of the activatable contrast agents can be activated or turned “on” only in the presence of a particular event.
摘要:
Systems and methods for identifying the relative contribution of fat and water signals in a magnetic resonance (“MR”) image including an algorithm operable for selecting an image signal model, selecting a scan parameter, forming a bias field estimate, applying a bias correction to a phase image, estimating the signal fraction of fat and water at each of a plurality of voxels, and forming a fat-suppressed image, a water-suppressed image, or a combination of a fat-based image and a water-based image. The (“MRI”) fat suppression systems and methods requiring only a single image acquisition including an algorithm operable for selecting a relative phase of approximately θ=π/2 or another suitable relative phase, employing an expectation maximization algorithm to classify the phase of the complex image, and projecting complex vectors into fat and water components to obtain fat and water images.
摘要翻译:用于识别在包括可用于选择图像信号模型的算法的磁共振(“MR”)图像中的脂肪和水信号的相对贡献的系统和方法,选择扫描参数,形成偏置场估计,将偏置校正应用于 相位图像,估计多个体素中的每一个的脂肪和水的信号分数,以及形成脂肪抑制图像,水分抑制图像或基于脂肪的图像和水基图像的组合。 (“MRI”)脂肪抑制系统和方法仅需要单个图像采集,包括可用于选择大约θ= pi / 2的相对相位的算法或另一合适的相对相位,采用期望最大化算法来分类 复杂的图像,并将复杂矢量投影到脂肪和水分中,以获得肥胖和水分图像。