Abstract: A system and method of speech modification may include: receiving a recorded speech, comprising one or more phonemes uttered by a speaker; segmenting the recorded speech to one or more phoneme segments (PS), each representing an uttered phoneme; selecting a phoneme segment (PSk) of the one or more phoneme segments (PS); extracting a portion of the recorded speech, said portion corresponding to a first timeframe ({tilde over (T)}) that comprises the selected phoneme segment; receiving a representation () of a phoneme of interest P*; and applying a machine learning (ML) model on (a) the extracted portion of the recorded speech and (b) on the representation () of the phoneme of interest P*, to generate a modified version of the extracted portion of recorded speech, wherein the phoneme of interest (P*) substitutes the selected phoneme segment (PSk).

Abstract: An emergency telephone includes a speaker, microphone, activation mechanism configured to be placed in at least a first state and a second state, and memory storing a programmed telephone number. When the activation mechanism is in the first state, the emergency telephone is inactive, and when the activation mechanism is in the second state, the emergency telephone is activated and automatically places a call to the programmed telephone number. A method of placing an emergency call with an emergency telephone having a speaker, a microphone, an activation mechanism, and a memory storing a programmed telephone number includes causing the activation mechanism to change from a first state in which the emergency telephone is inactive to a second state in which the emergency telephone is activated. The method further includes placing a call to the programmed telephone number automatically upon the activation mechanism being placed in the second state.

Abstract: A tissue suturing system includes: a first roller, a second roller, a first power unit, a second power unit and a suture needle. The suture needle is inserted and clamped between the first and second rollers, having parallel axes, at least one of the two rollers offering active rotation and the two rollers applying a force to the suture needle at the position where it is clamped. The first power unit is configured to provide a position where the first and second rollers are relatively close to each other so that their axes are parallel and the suture needle is clamped. The second power unit provides rotation power for the active rotation, and the suture needle is in form of a curved structure and driven by the active rotation to enter and exit the tissue following a curved direction, having an external exposed position for clamping by the two rollers.

Abstract: A system and method of eliciting a swallowing reflex in a human subject. Stimulation signals are generated for eliciting a full swallowing reflex when applied to skin overlying a region of thyroid cartilage in the neck. The stimulation signals delivered via surface electrodes to the skin overlying at least the region of thyroid cartilage in the neck to elicit the full swallowing reflex in the human subject.

Abstract: A balloon device for treating a calcified structure of a body tissue, including an elongated body extending between a proximal end and a distal end and having at least one lumen extending along at least a portion thereof and defining a fluid path, and at least one inflatable balloon secured to the elongated body and fluidly connected to the at least one lumen, with the at least one lumen being fluidly connectable to a fluid source for selectively inflating and deflating the at least one inflatable balloon, and with the at least one inflatable balloon, when being inflated, is positioned in close proximity to the calcified structure and vibrating, mechanical vibrations of the at least one inflatable balloon causes destructuration of the calcified structure.

Abstract: A sublingual phentermine spray composition for daytime use comprises phentermine in a pharmaceutically-acceptable carrier and a sublingual phentermine spray composition for nighttime use comprises phentermine and a sleep aid in a pharmaceutically-acceptable carrier. Sublingual administration of sublingual phentermine spray compositions in accordance with the present disclosure provides an alternative to oral administration, avoiding such side effects as daytime drowsiness and intestinal disturbances. Nighttime use compositions comprising a sleep aid such as melatonin help manage the usual insomnia experienced when using phentermine. These compositions find use in suppressing appetite, for losing weight, and for maintaining a desired personal appearance.

Abstract: A sublingual phentermine spray composition for daytime use comprises phentermine in a pharmaceutically-acceptable carrier and a sublingual phentermine spray composition for nighttime use comprises phentermine and a sleep aid in a pharmaceutically-acceptable carrier. Sublingual administration of sublingual phentermine spray compositions in accordance with the present disclosure provides an alternative to oral administration, avoiding such side effects as daytime drowsiness and intestinal disturbances. Nighttime use compositions comprising a sleep aid such as melatonin help manage the usual insomnia experienced when using phentermine. These compositions find use in suppressing appetite, for losing weight, and for maintaining a desired personal appearance.

Abstract: A magnet arrangement for an implantable medical device is described. An implantable coil case contains a communications coil and is made of biocompatible resilient material with a top lateral surface. A magnet receptacle is located within the coil case and has a receptacle opening in the top lateral surface. An implant magnet fits within the magnet receptacle and has opposing end surfaces, and a center body region located between the end surfaces. An elastic opening clamp is located radially around the receptacle opening and is configured to normally be closed around the receptacle opening to maintain the implant magnet within the magnet receptacle. The elastic opening clamp also is configured to cooperate with a surgical handling tool to expand the receptacle opening to permit the implant magnet to be removed from the magnet receptacle through the receptacle opening without needing to move the coil case.

Abstract: Compounds and compositions are provided which are useful in additive printing, particularly additive printing techniques such as stereolithography (SLA) wherein a macromer is photopolymerized to form a manufactured article. Representative compounds comprise a polyaxial central core (CC) and 2-4 arms of the formula (A)-(B) or (B)-(A) extending from the central core, where at least one of the arms comprise a light-reactive functional group (Q) and (A) is the free-radical polymerization product from monomers selected from trimethylene carbonate (T) and ?-caprolactone (C), while (B) is the free-radical polymerization product from monomers selected from glycolide, lactide and ?-dioxanone.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an optical fiber emitting plasma light includes a coating removal step of removing a coating of an optical fiber; a photocatalyst application step of applying a photocatalyst to an end surface of a core layer of the optical fiber from which the coating has been removed through the coating removal step; and a molding step of molding the end surface of the core layer into a curved surface by applying a laser to the core layer of the optical fiber applied with the photocatalyst through the photocatalyst application step. The method for manufacturing an optical fiber including the above processes may be effectively used for therapy such as plasma disc coagulation therapy (PDCT) by converting the applied laser light into plasma light.

Abstract: A system for generating cold plasma is presented, suitable for use in in-vivo treatment of biological tissue. The system comprising: a control unit connectable to an elongated member at a first proximal end of the elongated member. The elongated member comprises a plasma generating unit at a second distal end thereof and gas and electricity transmission channels extending from said first proximal end towards said plasma generating unit. The control unit comprises a gas supply unit configured to provide predetermined flow rate of selected gas composition through said gas transmission channel and a power supply unit configured to generate selected sequence of high-frequency electrical pulses, typically in mega Hertz range, directed through said electricity transmission channel, thereby providing power and gas of said selected composition to the plasma generating unit for generating cold plasma.

Abstract: A fetal head direction measuring device includes a medical ultrasonic probe for scanning and acquiring a preset ultrasonic image, an angle sensor fixed to the medical ultrasonic probe for sensing an angular change of a scanning direction of the medical ultrasonic probe, and a data processing unit for calculating a fetal head direction. A fetal head direction measuring method includes: obtaining an angle value sensed by the angle sensor at an initial position; acquiring a preset ultrasonic image and recording an angle value sensed by an angle sensor at this time; marking preset fetal head feature points and calculating a directional angle of the preset fetal head feature points in the preset ultrasonic image; and determining the fetal head direction. A fetal head orientation can be measured and calculated more conveniently and flexibly, and the user operation is simpler and more flexible.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to an implantable hearing implant, such as cochlear implants. The implantable hearing implant includes an implant device containing signal processing circuitry configured to receive an implant communications signal transmitted from an external transmitting coil. The implantable hearing implant further includes an implant magnet configured to cooperate with a corresponding external holding magnet in an external device located over the overlying skin to magnetically hold the external device against the overlying skin. The implant magnet has a north magnetic pole, a south magnetic pole, and as a whole has an overall magnetic dipole moment that is parallel to or at an angle of 30° or less with respect to the outermost surface. The implant magnet has a north end portion and a south end portion, each having an individual magnetic dipole moment that is inclined with respect to the overall magnetic dipole moment.

Abstract: A system (1) is configured to deliver a liquid substance in the form of dry steam in the context of respiratory therapy. The system (1) comprises: —a reservoir (2) for containing the substance; —dispensing means (6) of the substance in fluid connection with said reservoir (2); —first vibration type electromechanical vaporization means (3), configured to apply vibrations to the substance contained within said reservoir (2) in such a way as to bring the substance into a dry steam state; —second heating vaporization means (4) configured to release thermal energy to the substance contained in said reservoir (2), in such a way as to bring the substance into a dry steam state; —a control unit (7) configured to control the actuation of said first mechanical vaporization means (3) and/or said second heating vaporization means (4) according to a predetermined delivery program.

Abstract: A method for predictive diagnosis of a disease in a person, the method includes (i) obtaining, by a machine learning process hosted by a first processing circuit, a health related data of the person that is stored in a first data structure; (ii) applying by the first processing circuit, the machine learning process, on the health related data to convert the health related data into a vector that provides a compact representation of the health related data, the vector comprises disease predicting information of the health related data; (iii) storing the vector in a second data structure; (iii) obtaining the vector by a classifier model hosted by a second processing circuit; (iv) applying, by the second processing circuit, the classifier model to the vector to identify whether there is a likelihood of the person having or developing the disease; and (v) storing an outcome of the applying of the classifier model in a third data structure; wherein the storing of the outcome makes available the outcome to one or m

Abstract: A method for reducing dependency of non-discrete laboratory measurements results on personal parameters, the method includes (i) storing, in a storage unit, health related events (HREs) count variables that represent an occurrence of HREs of different types in relation to a group of patients; (ii) granting, to a plurality of users, a remote access; (iii) converting the HREs count variables to normalized HRE information items; wherein a normalized HRE information item related to the HRE count variable is normalized to the patients of the group and is normalized to the HREs of the different types that are related to the patient; wherein the converting comprises applying a term frequency and inverse document frequency (TF-IDF) process; and (iv) storing the normalized HRE information items in the storage unit; wherein the storing of the normalized HRE information items make available to at least one user of the plurality of users the normalized HRE information items.

Abstract: A method for normalizing health related events (HREs) count variables, the method includes (i) storing, in a storage unit, the HREs count variables, the HRE count variables represent an occurrence of HREs of different types in relation to a group of patients; (ii) granting, to a plurality of users, a remote access to the storage unit via one or more man machine interfaces, thereby facilitating an update of the HREs count variables by one or more users of the plurality of users; (iii) converting the HREs count variables to normalized HRE information items; wherein a HRE count variable represents a number of occurrences of a HER of a given type of the different types during a defined period in relation to a patient of the group; wherein a normalized HRE information item related to the HRE count variable is normalized to the patients of the group and is normalized to the HREs of the different types that are related to the patient; wherein the converting comprises applying a term frequency and inverse document fr

Abstract: Exemplary head stabilization devices or head fixation devices (HFDs) include a central head support for supporting a patient's head from beneath. The HFDs are connectable to a patient support device such as an operating table. The HFDs can include a cushion associated with the central head support or base assembly and pads extending from adjustable extension bars that provide lateral support. The cushion and/or pads comprise a fluid chamber and a shape-conforming material chamber. The chambers work together such that the cushion and/or pads conform to the patient's head and can be adjusted in position and pressure to provide stabilization to the patient's head. In some instances, the cushions and pads used with the HFDs can include multiple chambers that permit pressure control by way of controlling a fluid volume within specific chambers.

Abstract: A simulator apparatus for training medical professionals in various procedures involving the head, eye, larynx, and esophagus. The apparatus includes a head and neck model, an eye model, a cricothyroid model, and an esophagus model. The head and neck model is designed to be removably attached to the eye model, cricothyroid model, and esophagus model. The head and neck model simulates the human head, the eye model simulates the human eye, the cricothyroid model simulates the human larynx thyroid, and cricothyroid cartilage, and the esophagus model simulates the human esophagus. For training purposes, the models may be used individually without accompaniment of the other models, or in conjunction with one or more of the other models. The purpose of the simulator is to provide a user with a cost-effective, portable training simulator to practice performing procedures involving the human head, eye, larynx and cricothyroid muscle, and esophagus.

Abstract: A minimally invasive surgical suture end locking device includes a hooking assembly, a clamping structure, a power rod and an external conduit. The hooking assembly includes an annular structure enclosed by a flexible material and a force application end, the clamping structure is configured to press the locking pin, the power rod is configured to press the clamping structure by linear motion, and the external conduit is provided with a through hole, the through hole being provided on the side of a position where the clamping structure and the power rod contact each other for a portion of the suture passing through the through area to be led out. There is provided in the present invention a device that allows to tighten and lock the suture directly at the end proximal to the position where the suture is led out from the human tissue.