Abstract: The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for measuring an analyte in a host. More particularly, the present invention relates to systems and methods for transcutaneous and subcutaneous measurement of glucose in a host.

Abstract: The invention relates to the field of integrated systems which comprise a test element and a lancet which can be firstly used to make a wound in a skin opening in order to collect a sample. The sample is subsequently directly taken up by the test element in the process of which it comes into contact with a reagent contained in the test element and results in an optically detectable change in a test field. The change in the test field is detected by means of an analytical unit which is optically contacted with the test field via at least one light-conducting element.

Abstract: A blood pressure cuff includes an alignment tab, a sleeve, and an inflatable bladder disposed within the sleeve. The inflatable bladder includes a first rectangular section having a first width, a second rectangular section having a second width, wherein the second width is larger than the first width, and a tapered section extending between the first rectangular section and the second rectangular section. The tapered section may be linearly tapered or a curved taper. A length from an edge of the alignment tab to the second end of the first rectangular section adjacent the tapered section is approximately equal to a minimum arm circumference for the blood pressure cuff.

Abstract: An arterial-wall stiffness evaluation system of the present invention includes: a cuff to be attached to a part of a living body; a pressure sensor for detecting pressure in the cuff; a cuff-pressure control section for controlling the pressure in the cuff to be increased or decreased up to a predetermined value, based on a value detected by the pressure sensor; and a data processing section for calculating, based on pulse waves detected by the pressure sensor, pulse-wave amplitudes of cuff-pressure pulse waves and blood-pressure pulse waves, and for evaluating arterial-wall stiffness based on the pulse-wave amplitudes. The arterial-wall stiffness is evaluated by a pressure-diameter characteristic curve, which represents a relationship between vascular diameter and transmural pressure applied to a vascular wall, or by estimation from shapes and amplitudes of the detected pulse waves.

Abstract: In a method for intermittently occluding the coronary sinus, in which the coronary sinus is occluded using an occlusion device, the fluid pressure in the occluded coronary sinus is continuously measured and stored, the fluid pressure curve is determined as a function of time, and the occlusion of the coronary sinus is triggered and/or released as a function of at least one characteristic value derived from the measured pressure values. The pressure increase and/or pressure decrease per time unit each occurring at a heart beat are used as characteristic values.

Abstract: Methods of automatically evaluating a patient for positive and expiratory pressure (PEEP) therapy include providing respiratory assistance to the patient with a mechanical ventilator. The patient is provided PEEP therapy at a first PEEP. A first end expiratory lung volume (EELV) is measured from the patient. PEEP therapy is provided to the patient at a second PEEP. A second EELV is measured from the patient. A difference from the first EELV and the second EELV is calculated. A value indicative of the patient's response to PEEP therapy is calculated from the difference between the first EELV and the second EELV.

Abstract: There is provided herein methods, apparatus and systems for evaluating carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration in a subject's breath, for example in subjects ventilated with High Frequency Ventilation (HFV), the method includes inserting to a trachea of a subject an endotrachial tube (ETT), sampling breath from an area in the trachea located in proximity to a distal end of the endotrachial tube (ETT) and evaluating one or more CO2 related parameters of the sampled breath.

Abstract: A non-contact, passive method for measurement of arterial pulse from areas such as the major superficial arteries of the body through analysis of thermal IR images acquired by passive thermal IR imaging sensors, and through the modeling of the pulsatile nature of the blood flow and arterial pulse propagation in the circulatory system. The method is automatic and does not need operator input. The output waveform readily contains the information on heart rate, cardiac interbeat intervals, heart-rate variability and other features inherent in arterial pulse.

Abstract: Contact lenses having embedded polymer layers, and methods for forming the same are provided. In some aspects, the contact lens can include: a substrate; a metal portion coupled to the substrate; and a polymer layer attached to the substrate and the metal portion, wherein the polymer layer has one or more indentations. The metal portion can be associated with or a part of a power supply, antenna and/or circuit in various aspects. In some aspects, the substrate can encapsulate the metal portion and the polymer layer. In some aspects, a method can include: forming a metal ring; fabricating one or more components on the metal ring; forming a polymer layer ring having indentations; providing the metal ring and the polymer layer ring in a contact lens mold; and encapsulating the contact lens mold with conventional hydrogel, silicone hydrogel, silicone elastomer, polyacrylamide, siloxane-based hydrogel or fluorosiloxane-based hydrogel.

Abstract: The invention relates to a medical sensor system (10) for detecting a feature (12), such as an analyte, in a human or animal body. The system (10) includes at least one sensor (14; 34) having a reservoir (18) with a cap (16) designed as a controllable organic membrane (20), wherein (for example) application of a voltage of a particular magnitude, or application of a voltage for a particular time, effects a change in the permeability of the membrane (20).

Abstract: A system and method for time-frequency analysis in which acquired signals are modeled as frictionally damped harmonic oscillators having a friction factor that is not a free parameter are provided. The friction factor is selected as a function of the frequency value of the associated oscillator, such that an increase in both temporal and spectral resolution are provided over existing time-frequency analysis methods. The friction factor is also selected to define a spectral band, within which the given oscillator can detect data oscillations. The properly selected friction factor thereby provides the analysis over a broad spectral range that can span many orders of magnitude.

Abstract: In general, this disclosure describes techniques for placing a capsule for sensing one or more parameters of a patient. In particular, the techniques provide for anchoring of the capsule to a tissue at a specific site and releasing the capsule from the device using a single actuator. As an example, a delivery device may anchor the capsule to the tissue site during a first motion of the actuator and release the capsule from the delivery device during a second motion of the actuator. This allows a user to place the capsule by interacting with only a single actuator, thus making delivery of the capsule easier and more reliable.

Abstract: There is provided an airway tube for breath sampling, comprising a breath sampling port comprising two or more inlets adapted to sample breath from the airway tube. The inlets are connected to each other through a junction located outside of the air passageway of the airway tube.

Abstract: An implantable medical device that includes an elongated lead body having an outer surface and a first opening along the outer surface, a first sensor positioned along the lead body and configured to receive first acoustic signals through the first opening of the lead body and generate an electrical signal representative of sounds produced at a first targeted location along a patient's cardiovascular system, and a processor configured to determine an intensity of the first acoustic signals, and determine changes in blood pressure in response to the determined intensity.

Abstract: A system for automatically predicting acute airway events in patients, comprising: a device for measuring the respiratory impedance of a human subject during a plurality of respiratory cycles of said human subject; said respiratory impedance comprising a real part and an imaginary part; said device measuring said respiratory impedance two times per day to provide a plurality of measurements; means for calculating the relative variation of said plurality of measurements; means for evaluating the probability of respiratory pathology presence in the subject under examination when the value of the imaginary part of said impedance is greater than 35%; means for predicting a relapse in the patent under examination within an established future time window, once the presence of the pathology has been ascertained, if the variation coefficient of the real part of said impedance is greater than 0.4.

Abstract: A respiratory waveform analyzer, operable to analyze a respiratory waveform, which is generated based on a temporal change of a concentration of a component in respiratory gas of a subject, includes: a respiratory gas concentration generator which generates a concentration signal based on an output signal from a sensor that is placed to measure the concentration of the component; a flatness calculator which calculates a flatness indicative of flat degree of the respiratory waveform based on a temporal change of the concentration signal; and a reliability calculator which calculates a reliability of the respiratory waveform based on the flatness and the concentration signal.

Abstract: Improved apparatus and methods for non-invasively assessing one or more physiologic (e.g., hemodynamic) parameters associated with a living organism. In one embodiment, the invention comprises an apparatus adapted to automatically and accurately place and maintain a sensor (e.g., tonometric pressure sensor) with respect to the anatomy of the subject. The apparatus is comprised of a sensor device removably coupled to a host device which is used to position the sensor during measurements. Methods for positioning the alignment apparatus and sensor, and operating the apparatus, are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for analyzing the respiratory activity of a patient includes steps for acquiring at least one respiratory activity signal including at least one elementary signal corresponding to a respiratory cycle, the general form of which may be expressed by x(t)=x0+x1 cos(?(t)), wherein ?(t) is the phase of the elementary signal, and for analyzing the respiratory activity signal.

Abstract: The acoustic impedance of the respiratory system can be inferred from oscillations that are generated in an airway of a subject. The impedance describes the frequency-dependent relation between the resulting oscillations in flow and pressure. When the impedance varies from inspiration to expiration, it has to be estimated with a high time resolution. A method is provided that reliably estimates the impedance in time intervals that are short enough for physiological purposes. A simple version of the uncertainty principle has been derived for discrete time and frequency. A discrete time-frequency transform has been developed that gives an optimal time-frequency resolution according to this principle. The transform is orthonormal, which permits an analysis of variance in the discrete time-frequency domain. The impedance follows from bivariate least-squares analysis in the time-frequency domain, under the assumption that noise is present in both flow and pressure.

Abstract: Media-exposed interconnects for transducer modules are disclosed. The transducers may be sensing transducers, actuating transducers, IC-only transducers, or combinations thereof, or other suitable transducers. The transducers may be used in connection with implantable medical devices and may be exposed to various media, such as body fluids. The media-exposed interconnects for transducer modules may allow transducers to communicate electrically with other components, such as implantable medical devices.