Abstract: A device for directly applying thermotherapeutic liquid to an area upon the surface of an afflicted patient, and methods of use thereof, are described. In particular a device for applying water-based liquid at a therapeutic temperature directly to an afflicted area in order to create a localized hyperthermia, is presented. The afflicted area may be either on the skin of the patient, or subcutaneous. The device is also affective for disinfection, irrigation, lavage, and the like, when employing a suitable solution. The liquid may also have a mild oxidizing effect, which, if greater upon afflicted than upon non-afflicted cells, would enhance the therapeutic effect in conjunction with the therapy herein described.

Abstract: A medical device for triggering the inflation of a pulmonary artery catheter balloon. The device generally comprises a waveform analysis machine that monitors the pulmonary artery blood pressure waveform and triggers the inflation of the catheter balloon at such a time as to cause occlusion of the pulmonary artery during the systolic upstroke. The time of occlusion is then readily apparent in the resulting decaying blood pressure waveform, which may then be used as a basis for compartment model estimation of the pulmonary capillary pressure.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and a method for detecting and monitoring the distance between a patient and a reference point on an inflatable air mattress and for controlling the air supply to that mattress in relation to such distance. The patient distance sensing system includes a rigid support frame such as a bed frame, an inflatable air mattress positioned atop the bed frame with the upper surface of the inflatable air mattress forming a patient support surface, an air supply operable to provide controlled variations in air supply, and a series of patient distance sensing devices. Such devices including a heterodyning proximation detector, a force responsive distance sensing device, and a light responsive sensing device. Each device is operable to act separately or cooperatively in maintaining a therapeutically beneficial patient support surface through variable control of the delivery of inflation pressure to the air mattress.

Abstract: A medical device for estimation of pulmonary wedge pressure wherein a non-occluded pulmonary artery blood pressure measurement is utilized to directly estimate the pulmonary wedge pressure. A neural network is trained with occlusion-obtained data, whereafter the trained coefficients are utilized to implement the wedge pressure estimator. A flow-directed catheter is utilized to transduce the pressure waveform, which is then input to the processing computer through a analog-to-digital data acquisition board. The data is preprocessed in the computer in order to present the neural network with 11 samples of blood pressure data and 11 samples of time-correlated first derivatives of the blood pressure data as well as an indication of the length in time of the heartbeat. The trained neural network then directly outputs the estimated wedge pressure.

Abstract: A method and device for indirect, quantitative estimation of cardiac output utilizing invasive, indirect techniques.

Abstract: In a fishing boat short haul supporting device a pair of wheels are journalled by horizontal axles strut connected with the boat transom by pivotally connected plates to support the boat stern. A trailer hitch equipped tongue secured to the boat stem and braced with the gunwales by rod stabilizers, support the bow when connected with a self propelled vehicle.