Recent Patents on Medical Imaging (Discontinued) - Volume 4, Issue 1, 2014

Imaging of the coronary circulation is a critical clinical topic, as only the best knowledge of coronary anatomy allows efficacious and safe coronary interventions [1]. However this is a fast moving field, with new techniques continuously added to the inventory of the cardiologists and with new evidence supporting such techniques continuously accumulating in literature [2]. Such needs largely justify the present monothematic is Read More

In patients with coronary artery disease, quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) has proved to be a good method for quantification of atherosclerotic plaques since 80’ years. It is used for diagnosis and management in catheterization laboratory of a lot of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. QCA allows us to assess with dedicated computer software the impact of atherosclerosis on the lu Read More

Despite the great innovations of non-invasive coronary imaging, coronary angiography still remains the gold standard for the assessment of coronary artery disease (CAD), even if with several limitations. In fact visual assessment of coronary stenosis is convenient and rapid, but often associated with large inter and intra-observer variability, above all in the setting of unstable CAD with complex lesions. Coronary intrava Read More

Angiography has been the cornerstone tool to assess coronary anatomy, leading to a rapid development of percutaneous revascularization techniques. Despite the widespread dissemination and high reproducibility, angiography alone can only provide a limited analysis of the lumen profile, without the possibility to disclose vessel wall characteristics and the composition of coronary lesions. Intracoronary imaging tech Read More

Computed tomography (CT) is important for the management of many medical illnesses, including coronary artery disease (CAD). However this technique is not free from disadvantages like the exposure to ionizing radiations and to iodinated contrast agents. To overcome these problems, imaging technologies are changing rapidly. New- generation computed tomography scanners (NGCCT) may bring substantial advantage Read More

Coronary obstruction by thrombus, triggered by rupture-prone atherosclerotic plaques, is the leading cause of myocardial infarction and accounts for millions of deaths and invasive coronary revascularization procedures. Coronary plaques become vulnerable far before any hemodynamic effect, thus conventional diagnostic techniques based on the angiographic assessment of the coronary vessels or the induction of myoc Read More

Several cardiac diseases, like supra-ventricular arrhythmias, myocardial infarction, left ventricular remodelling with aneurysms and heart valve diseases like mitral valve stenosis, infective endocarditis and prosthetic heart valves predispose to intracavitary thrombus generation, which is the main source for peripheral embolism. Often the main unifying risk factor for cardio-embolism is atrial fibrillation (AF) and many of these Read More

Recent investigations have shown that diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DT-MRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) provide useful information in diagnosis brain tumor glioma. Therefore, various software have been developed and patented which enable users to overlay multimodal MRI such as DTI-MRI and MRSI for more accurate localization of abnormal lesions. The purpose of this work Read More

The application of tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) has shown remarkable growth in clinical practice during the past years, especially, in risk stratification of patients with coronary heart disease or heart failure (systolic and diastolic). TDI systolic velocities have been used to detect impaired systolic function in patient with coronary artery disease and heart failure. Important patents were reported in the last years. M Read More