Abstract: An apparatus and method for making an apparatus for skin testing includes a housing with an opening which defines a field of view of a skin testing region, an image sensing apparatus, an illumination apparatus, a binding apparatus, and an image processing controller. The image sensing apparatus is positioned with respect to the housing to capture images in the field of view provided by the opening. The illumination apparatus is positioned within the housing to direct light towards a portion of the field of view provided by the opening. The binding apparatus detachably secures the housing over the skin testing region and maintains a fixed distance between the image sensing apparatus and the skin testing region. The controller is configured to analyze test samples sites in each of the captured images from the image sensing apparatus and provide a skin test result for each of the test sample sites.

Abstract: A method of determining a prothrombin time is disclosed. A mediator is applied to a stratum corneum. The stratum corneum is penetrated to allow the mediator to enter a region containing interstitial fluid and interact with at least one capillary, causing blood and/or blood components to leak from the at least one capillary into the region containing interstitial fluid. A characteristic affected by the blood and/or blood components is measured in the region containing interstitial fluid which correlates to the prothrombin time. A system for measuring prothrombin time is also disclosed. The system has a mediator, one or more microneedles, and a processor directly or indirectly coupled to the one or more microneedles and configured to determine a coagulation change in blood or blood components in a region around the one or more microneedles after the one or more microneedles penetrate a stratum corneum.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for making an apparatus for skin testing includes a housing with an opening which defines a field of view of a skin testing region, an image sensing apparatus, an illumination apparatus, a binding apparatus, and an image processing controller. The image sensing apparatus is positioned with respect to the housing to capture images in the field of view provided by the opening. The illumination apparatus is positioned within the housing to direct light towards a portion of the field of view provided by the opening. The binding apparatus detachably secures the housing over the skin testing region and maintains a fixed distance between the image sensing apparatus and the skin testing region. The controller is configured to analyze test samples sites in each of the captured images from the image sensing apparatus and provide a skin test result for each of the test sample sites.

Abstract: A blood monitoring system is capable of monitoring the blood of a subject in vivo. The blood monitoring system comprises: 1) an array of movable microneedle micromachined within associated wells; 2) array of motion actuators able to move each needle in and out of their associated wells; 3) array of microvalves associated with each microneedle able to control the flow of air around the microneedle; 4) an array of chemical sensors inserted into patient by movable microneedles; 5) an array of inductors able to measure chemical concentration in the vicinity of inserted chemical sensors; 6) conducting vias that provide timed actuating signal signals from a control system to each motion actuator; 7) conducting vias that transmit signal produced by array of chemical sensors to the control system for processing, although the blood monitoring system can comprise other numbers and types of elements in other configurations.

Abstract: A method for monitoring at least one biomedical characteristic is disclosed. A first microneedle coated with one or more regions of a chemical sensing material is illuminated. One or more digital images are captured of the first microneedle, wherein at least one of the one or more digital images is captured after the first coated microneedle has been actuated to penetrate a subject's skin. Pixel information is spatially extracted from the captured one or more images to define one or more pixel sample areas corresponding to the one or more regions of a chemical sensing material. One or more spectral characteristics are determined for each of the one or more pixel sample areas. The at least one biomedical characteristic is determined for each of the one or more pixel sample areas based on the determined one or more spectral characteristics for each of the one or more pixel sample areas.

Abstract: An allergy testing system includes encapsulated allergens, a microneedle array, and an activation system coupled to the microneedle array and the encapsulated allergens such that the encapsulated allergens are moved into contact with a subject as the microneedle array is moved from a resting position to a penetrating position. A method for determining a degree of reaction to one or more allergens by a patient in a minimally invasive manner is also disclosed. Penetration of one or more microneedles into a skin of the patient is caused. Each of the penetrations into the skin is exposed with an allergen from each of the one or more microneedles. One or more images are captured of each of the penetrations into the skin. Each of the captured images are analyzed to assess the degree of reaction to the specific allergen. Allergic reactivity data is output for at least one of the allergens.

Abstract: A replaceable microneedle array for a biomedical monitor is disclosed. The microneedle array includes a plurality of moveable microneedles coated with at least one chemical sensing material coupled with a porous material. The microneedle array also includes a substrate defining wells to house the microneedles. The microneedle array further includes at least one restoring spring element coupled between each microneedle and the substrate such that each of the plurality of microneedles is held at least partially in an associated well.

Abstract: An allergy testing system includes encapsulated allergens, a microneedle array, and an activation system coupled to the microneedle array and the encapsulated allergens such that the encapsulated allergens are moved into contact with a subject as the microneedle array is moved from a resting position to a penetrating position. A method for determining a degree of reaction to one or more allergens by a patient in a minimally invasive manner is also disclosed. Penetration of one or more microneedles into a skin of the patient is caused. Each of the penetrations into the skin is exposed with an allergen from each of the one or more microneedles. One or more images are captured of each of the penetrations into the skin. Each of the captured images are analyzed to assess the degree of reaction to the specific allergen. Allergic reactivity data is output for at least one of the allergens.

Abstract: An allergy testing system has a microneedle array. The allergy testing system also has at least one coated allergen. The allergy testing system further has an activation system coupled to the microneedle array such that the at least one coated allergen is moved into contact with a subject as the microneedle array is moved from a resting position to a penetrating position. A method for determining a degree of reaction to one or more allergens by a patient in a minimally invasive manner is disclosed. One or more allergen coated microneedles is caused to penetrate into a skin of the patient. One or more images of at least one of the penetrations into the skin are captured. At least one of the captured images are analyzed to assess the degree of reaction to a specific allergen. Allergic reactivity data is output for at least one of the allergens.

Abstract: A hyperspectral imaging system and methods thereof especially useful in fields such as medicine, food safety, chemical sensing, and agriculture, for example. In one embodiment, the hyperspectral imaging module contains a light source (1) for illuminating the object (6) in a light-tight housing (17). The light is spectrally filtered (4) prior to illuminating the object. The light leaving the object is then directed through imaging optics (T) to an imaging array (9). In another embodiment, the object of interest is illuminated by ambient light which is then compensated by a light modulation system. In this embodiment, the light emitted from the object is spectrally filtered prior to reaching the imaging array.

Abstract: A method of determining a prothrombin time is disclosed. A mediator is applied to a stratum corneum. The stratum corneum is penetrated to allow the mediator to enter a region containing interstitial fluid and interact with at least one capillary, causing blood and/or blood components to leak from the at least one capillary into the region containing interstitial fluid. A characteristic affected by the blood and/or blood components is measured in the region containing interstitial fluid which correlates to the prothrombin time. A system for measuring prothrombin time is also disclosed. The system has a mediator, one or more microneedles, and a processor directly or indirectly coupled to the one or more microneedles and configured to determine a coagulation change in blood or blood components in a region around the one or more microneedles after the one or more microneedles penetrate a stratum corneum.

Abstract: An allergy testing system includes encapsulated allergens, a microneedle array, and an activation system coupled to the microneedle array and the encapsulated allergens such that the encapsulated allergens are moved into contact with a subject as the microneedle array is moved from a resting position to a penetrating position. A method for determining a degree of reaction to one or more allergens by a patient in a minimally invasive manner is also disclosed. Penetration of one or more microneedles into a skin of the patient is caused. Each of the penetrations into the skin is exposed with an allergen from each of the one or more microneedles. One or more images are captured of each of the penetrations into the skin. Each of the captured images are analyzed to assess the degree of reaction to the specific allergen. Allergic reactivity data is output for at least one of the allergens.

Abstract: A monitoring system includes a light source that illuminates at least a portion of a subject's eye with an incident light beam, and a contact lens with a coupler. The coupler couples the incident light beam into an aqueous humor of the eye, creating an aqueous light beam. The coupler also couples the aqueous light beam out of the aqueous humor of the eye, creating an output light beam. The monitoring system also includes a sensor that measures at least one spectral characteristic of the output light beam. The monitoring system further includes a processing system that determines at least one measurable characteristic of the subject based on the at least one spectral characteristic of the output light beam. A method for monitoring is provided, as well as a contact lens for use with a monitoring systems, and a method of manufacturing a contact lens.

Abstract: A replaceable cartridge for use in a minimally invasive allergy testing system includes a microneedle array; encapsulated allergens, and packaging to hold the array in alignment with the allergens. A method of manufacturing a replaceable cartridge is disclosed. A formable layer is placed on a mold having cavities and vacuum lines coupled to the cavities. Heat is applied to the formable layer and a negative pressure is applied to the vacuum lines to wrap the cavities with the formable layer. The wrapped cavities are filled with allergens. The filled cavities are covered with a plastic cover to form an encapsulated allergen assembly. A removable seal is applied over the plastic cover. A microneedle array having a substrate and at least one microneedle is formed. An energy storage device is coupled to the substrate to form a microneedle array assembly. The encapsulated allergen assembly is coupled with the microneedle array assembly.

Abstract: High speed, optically-multiplexed, hyperspectral imagers and methods for producing multiple, spectrally-filtered image information of a scene. In a preferred embodiment, an array of imaging lenslets project multiple images of a scene along parallel optical paths which are then collimated, filtered into distinct wavelengths, and focused onto an array of image sensors. A digital image formatter converts output data from the image sensors into hyperspectral image information of the scene.

Abstract: A biomedical monitor is disclosed. The biomedical monitor has an array of moveable microneedles coated with a first chemical sensing media. The biomedical monitor also has an actuator configured to move at least one microneedle in the array of microneedles from a retracted position to an engaged position whereby the at least one microneedle enters a subject's skin. The biomedical monitor further has an optical system configured to illuminate the at least one microneedle during or after entering the subject's skin and monitor the first chemical sensing media from the at least one microneedle, whereby at least one biomedical characteristic is determined based on at least one spectral property of the monitored first chemical sensing media. A method of monitoring at least one biomedical characteristic is also disclosed.

Abstract: A blood monitoring system is capable of monitoring the blood of a subject in vivo. The blood monitoring system comprises: 1) an array of movable microneedle micromachined within associated wells; 2) array of motion actuators able to move each needle in and out of their associated wells; 3) array of microvalves associated with each microneedle able to control the flow of air around the microneedle; 4) an array of chemical sensors inserted into patient by movable microneedles; 5) an array of inductors able to measure chemical concentration in the vicinity of inserted chemical sensors; 6) conducting vias that provide timed actuating signal signals from a control system to each motion actuator; 7) conducting vias that transmit signal produced by array of chemical sensors to the control system for processing, although the blood monitoring system can comprise other numbers and types of elements in other configurations.

Abstract: Image-based products are obtained from a digital motion picture source by utilizing a content playing and display system for (a) displaying a sequence of motion picture image frames from a digital motion picture image source containing motion picture contents, and (b) selecting one or more of the image frames for an image-based product and obtaining a unique frame identification for said one or more selected frames; a content management system that (a) utilizes the unique frame identification and determines whether at least one permissible image-based product can be made from said one or more selected frames, and (b), if a permissible image-based product may be made as determined, obtains file data corresponding to said one or more selected frames from a digital source file containg source information corresponding to the motion picture contents; an order management system for preparing order information for the permissible image-based product from the file data; and an order fulfillment system for generating

Abstract: The systems consists of an intrinsic collaboration among a message concentrator unit, a center operating unit, several visual displays, printers, information storage devices including operating and management software, insuring that modular telephones and both validation and identification units and access units control together with regional billing centers and a validation and billing center, as well as terminals of collecting entities by interchanging diverse specific operating messages within the public modular telephone management system-the whole context and operation arisen from their performance.