公开(公告)号：US06558337B2

公开(公告)日：2003-05-06

申请号：US09836025

申请日：2001-04-17

申请人： Eric Maitland Dvorak ,  Justin Edward Kolterman ,  William Christopher Andrae ,  Frederick Kelcz ,  Frank J. Fronczak

发明人： Eric Maitland Dvorak ,  Justin Edward Kolterman ,  William Christopher Andrae ,  Frederick Kelcz ,  Frank J. Fronczak

IPC分类号： A61B1900

CPC分类号： A61B90/17 ,  A61B34/70 ,  A61B90/11 ,  A61B90/50 ,  A61B2017/3405 ,  A61B2090/374

摘要： A positioner for centering or otherwise situating medical devices such as biopsy needles with respect to a human body includes a clamp for receiving a portion of the human body (e.g., a breast), a carriage which moves along a carriage path next to the clamp, and a positioning arm pivotally mounted to the carriage and having a mount for a medical device thereon. The carriage may therefore carry the positioning arm along the carriage path to a desired location adjacent to the clamp, at which point the positioning arm may be pivoted to situate a medical device within the device mount at a desired location adjacent the portion of the body within the clamp. The components of the positioner are preferably made of materials that do not interfere with medical imaging instrumentation (e.g., MRI scanners), though the positioner may include markers at desired locations (e.g., on the positioning arm adjacent the device mount) which are visible by the imaging instrumentation so that the location of the medical device may be ascertained during imaging.

公开(公告)号：US3974386A

公开(公告)日：1976-08-10

申请号：US562668

申请日：1975-03-27

申请人： Charles A. Mistretta ,  Frederick Kelcz

发明人： Charles A. Mistretta ,  Frederick Kelcz

IPC分类号： A61B6/00 ,  A61B6/03 ,  G06T5/50 ,  G21K4/00 ,  H04N5/32 ,  H04N7/18 ,  H05G1/64 ,  G03B41/16

CPC分类号： A61B6/482 ,  A61B6/405 ,  G06T5/50 ,  H04N5/3205 ,  H05G1/64 ,  A61B6/583

摘要： Differential X-ray images are produced in order to improve the visibility of a contrast medium, such as iodine or xenon, having a K absorption edge at a predetermined X-ray energy. Such differential images are produced by combining first, second and third X-ray images which are individually produced by using first, second and third X-ray spectra at first, second and third X-ray energy levels. The first energy level is below the K edge energy, while the second energy level is above the K edge energy. The third energy level is above the second energy level. The second X-ray image is combined subtractively with the average of the first and third X-ray images to produce a differential X-ray image in which any image elements due to soft tissue and bone are largely cancelled out, while image elements due to the contrast medium are enhanced. In one preferred method, two versions of the second image are combined additively, and the first and third images are combined subtractively therewith. The first, second and third X-ray spectra may be produced by using a single X-ray source with first, second and third X-ray filters. When the contrast medium is iodine, such filters may contain iodine, cerium and lead, respectively. The X-ray source is preferably operated with first, second and third anode voltages when the first, second and third filters are used. The intensity level of the X-ray source may also be changed to provide three different intensity levels for the three different filters. The three X-ray images are preferably converted into television images which are combined electronically to produce the differential X-ray images. Three different gain levels may be employed in the television system for the three filters. The television system may include first and second image storage tubes to provide two stages of image subtraction. The first storage tube may be arranged to produce the differences between successive images in a four image system, in which two versions of the second X-ray image are used alternately with the first and third images. The difference signals produced by the first tube are then selectively written positively or negatively on the second tube in such a manner as to enhance and integrate the image elements due to the contrast medium, while largely cancelling out the image elements due to the soft tissue and bone.In the television system, it is highly advantageous to provide logarithmic video amplification, so that except for constant terms the video images will be proportional to the absorption coefficients. With such logarithmic amplification, the greatest degree of cancellation of the image elements due to bone and soft tissue is achieved.

公开(公告)号：US06512943B1

公开(公告)日：2003-01-28

申请号：US09576274

申请日：2000-05-22

申请人： Frederick Kelcz

发明人： Frederick Kelcz

IPC分类号： A61B600

CPC分类号： A61B17/3403 ,  A61B6/4258 ,  A61B10/0233 ,  A61B90/10 ,  A61B2017/3413 ,  A61B2090/364 ,  A61B2090/378 ,  A61B2090/392

摘要： A system and apparatus is disclosed for providing percutaneous images to assist in performing an accurate tissue biopsy and to locate nuclear medicine tracer uptake within a living being. The invention provides superimposed, simultaneous ultrasound and nuclear activity images to assist in performing accurate tissue biopsy for any procedure in which nuclear activity is used to localize possible pathological tissue. The apparatus includes a medical instrument having at least a pair of radionuclide detectors capable of detecting the depth of tracer uptake within a region of interest, which can include locating the sentinel lymph node in a breast cancer patient. The radionuclide detector is coupled to, and in operable association with, an ultrasound probe for percutaneous detection of anatomical structure about the area of maximum tracer uptake. The radionuclide detectors and the ultrasound probe are pivotally connected. The depth of the maximum tracer uptake can be determined by pivotally moving the radionuclide detectors to vary a focal point which is formed by the intersection of a line of sight from each radionuclide detector. The focal point is adjusted to the area of maximum tracer uptake by use of a visual display of radioactivity count rate or an auditory output of the radioactivity count rate. After the depth is determined and mapped, an ultrasound image is produced of the localized area. The system produces an image in which the ultrasound image is superimposed with a color representation of the tracer uptake to assist a radiologist or a surgeon in performing a tissue biopsy while avoiding vital structure.

摘要翻译： 公开了一种用于提供经皮图像以帮助执行精确的组织活组织检查和定位生物体内的核医学示踪剂摄取的系统和装置。 本发明提供叠加的，同时的超声和核活动图像，以有助于对其中使用核活性来定位可能的病理组织的任何程序进行准确的组织活检。 所述装置包括具有至少一对放射性核素检测器的医疗器械，所述放射性核素检测器能够检测感兴趣区域内的示踪剂摄取的深度，其可以包括将前哨淋巴结定位在乳腺癌患者体内。 放射性核素检测器与超声探头耦合并且与其可操作地相关联，用于经皮检测关于最大示踪剂吸收面积的解剖结构。 放射性核素检测器和超声波探头枢轴连接。 可以通过枢转地移动放射性核素检测器来改变由来自每个放射性核素检测器的视线的交点形成的焦点来确定最大示踪剂摄取的深度。 通过使用放射性计数率的视觉显示或放射性计数率的听觉输出，将焦点调整到最大示踪剂摄取的面积。 在确定和映射深度之后，产生局部区域的超声图像。 系统产生图像，其中超声图像与示踪剂摄取的颜色表示叠加，以帮助放射科医师或外科医生进行组织活检，同时避免重要结构。