Abstract: A surgical needle with an open distal port at which tissue to be fractured is positioned contains an optical fiber for providing pulses of laser energy and a titanium target that receives these pulses. The target converts the energy in the electromagnetic pulses to shockwaves that impinge on the tissue at the port causing the tissue to fracture. The target has one or more steps such that vaporization of the target by the laser pulses leaves a surface which directly faces the port so that the continued conversion of laser energy to mechanical shockwaves will provide shockwaves that are not blocked in traveling to the port at which the tissue is located.

Abstract: An organism information measuring method and an arm wear type pulse-wave measuring method having a sensor unit having a size that does not cause any inconvenience to a user when the user is doing an exercise, such as jogging, so that information about an organism, such as the pulse rate, is measured. The arm wear type pulse-wave measuring apparatus has a wrist band for putting the body of the apparatus on the arm; and a sensor unit that is put on the root of a finger by a sensor securing band. If the finger is irradiated with light by a LED in the foregoing state, light reaches the blood vessel and is reflected. The reflected light is received by a phototransistor in such a manner that the quantity of received light corresponds to change in the quantity of blood occurring due to pulse waves of the blood. The LED is of a type capable of emitting blue light and has a light emission wavelength peak of 450 nm. The phototransistor has a light receiving wavelength region in a range from 300 nm to 600 nm.

Abstract: An exciter-detector unit is disclosed which includes an exciter and a detector mounted on a common support for inducing perturbations into the body and detecting the perturbations after they travel a distance through the body in order to detect a hemoparameter.

Abstract: A device that contemplates a unique and advantageous reduced size catheter tip measurement device. By using a bottom support member and a thin outer insulating layer, rather than a tubular metal casing, to support and isolate the electrical measurement sensor, the present invention drastically reduces feature size possible with current structures for catheter tip measurement devices. More specifically, the device contemplates a reduced size catheter tip pressure transducer device. The device includes a catheter body that has a support member attached to its distal tip. The support member has a support surface for a semiconductor pressures sensor that provides mechanical stability to the pressure sensor. The exposed electrical and metal areas of the device are insulated from surrounding tissues and fluids by an outer insulating layer, which is preferably a polyimide sleeve.

Abstract: An assembly for tanning in which a canopy containing both a source of fluorescent tanning lamps and electronic ballasts is attached to and able to rotate about the upper end of a pivoting arm. The lower end of the pivoting arm is inserted within and able to rotate about a leg of a base which is in the shape of a dog leg, the bend being in the plane of rotation of the pivoting arm. A counterbalancing member is attached to both the base and to the pivoting arm near the dog leg bend. The planes of rotation of both the pivoting arm and the counterbalancing member lie on the closed side of the "U" shape of the base. The pivoting arm may be rotated about its connection to the base, such that the entire assembly is placed in a compressed condition. In this compressed condition, a strap attached to either the canopy or pivoting arm can be attached to the base to maintain the assembly in the compressed condition during transport and storage.

Abstract: A method of prostate treatment includes the step of inserting into a prostatic portion of urethra an energy emitting device that is connected to an energy source. Energy is delivered to the prostate from the energy emitting device. The amount of energy emitted to prostatic tissue adjacent to a bladder is greater than that emitted to prostatic tissue distant from the bladder.

Abstract: A sensor system for detecting concealed blood vessels including a handpiece having a passage for transmitting a laser beam and a detector housing at the distal end of the handpiece, the housing including a common electrode, a plurality of segmented electrodes spaced from the common electrode and between the common electrode and the segmented electrodes a plurality of four sensitive elements having an electrical characteristic which varies with the force applied; and an indicator device responsive to variations in the electrical characteristic for representing the presence of a concealed vessel.

Abstract: A device for shaping the cornea of an eye, including a laser (1), the laser beam of which has a circular mode of distribution, and a beam-shaping device and a beam-guiding device, which direct the laser beam onto the cornea. To homogenize the energy density over the cross section of the beam, the beam-shaping device is provided with a focusing optic which focuses the laser beam, a diffraction element which is disposed at a short distance from the focus plane of the focusing optic and the diffraction maxima of which interfere with the minima of the mode of distribution, and an image-field diaphragm which is disposed at a site which is optically conjugate to the cornea.

Abstract: A photoplethysmographic measurement device that utilizes wavelength division multiplexing is provided. Signals from multiple light emitters are combined into a single multiplexed light signal in a test unit before being delivered to a physically separated probe head attached to a test subject. The probe then causes the single multiplexed signal to be transmitted through a tissue under test on the test subject, after which it is processed to determine a blood analyte level of the test subject. By combining the light signals into a single multiplexed signal before delivering the signals to the probe, a single light guide, such as a single optical fiber, can be used to deliver the signals to the probe, thereby reducing system implementation cost and increasing the flexibility of the probe cable. In addition, the invention allows the signals from the light emitters to be directed into the test subject from a single point source, which can significantly increase measurement accuracy.

Abstract: Relative directions of excitation and photoreceiving optical systems are so set that an angle formed by optical axes thereof in the air is 14.degree., and an eyeball is fixed in such a direction that its ocular axis divides the angle formed by the optical axes into two equal parts. On a light incidence side of a one-dimensional solid-state image pickup device of the photoreceiving optical system, a slit is arranged for inputting measuring light components generated from portions of the eyeball having different depth positions on an excitation light beam in photoelectric conversion elements of different positions of the image pickup device.

Abstract: System for determining the properties of tissue parts of a living organism, comprising an optoelectronic measuring device (10) and an attachment device (20) which is opaque to light and surrounds a measuring window (28) through which determinations are carried out. The device (20) has one or several components (26) for reproducibly attaching the measuring device (10) in a direction toward a first surface of the tissue. Other subject matters of the invention are an attachment device (20) and a method for determining the properties of tissue parts with the aid of the claimed system.

Abstract: Two or three pulsed laser (3, 4, 20) devices are provided with a system for the automated optimization of the parameters of radiation produced by these lasers as well the types and regimes of processing of each kind of tissue. The outputs of at least one detector (15) of information about the status of tissue (16) that is under processing are connected to the inputs of control unit 1 which output signals are applied to electronic switchers (5, 6, 26) placed in the circuits connecting the power supply (2) with each of lasers (3, 4, 20). The devices also include the controlled system of treatment zone irrigation (17) and a system for laser radiations mixing consisting of reflective (7, 21) and selective (8, 25) mirrors that makes it possible to provide the independent radiation outputs.

Abstract: A technique for evaluating the topography of a cornea, which utilizes a virtual image of a keratoscope pattern. The topography system includes a structured light source to create the keratoscope pattern or another diagnostic pattern, an optical assembly to focus the created pattern upon the cornea, and for capturing the image reflected off the patient's eye and directing the reflected image towards an imaging system for processing. Light emitted by the light source is preferably not in the visible range, to minimize discomfort to the patient. Since the topography is evaluated with a projected virtual image, there is no nose or brow shadow, thereby alowing better corneal coverage. The optical system includes an aperture stop which is preferably conjugate with a point behind the corneal surface approximating the center of a normal cornea. Thus, wide angle capture is achieved as reflected rays reaching the imaging system appear as if they originated at the center of the cornea.

Abstract: An apparatus applies radiant energy through the skin to an underlying subcutaneous layer or deeper soft tissue layers that includes loculations of fat with fibrous septae made of collagen tissue. This creates a desired contour effect without substantially modifying melanocytes and other epithelial cells in the epidermis. A membrane conforms a contacting exterior surface of the membrane to a skin layer. One or more thermal electrodes positioned in the membrane. A focussing element focuses thermal energy to the underlying collagen tissue. The focusing element and the electrolytic solution create a reverse thermal gradient from the skin to the collagen tissue. A thermal power source is coupled to the thermal electrodes.

Abstract: A medical laser probe to be used as a laser irradiation unit in laser treatment that is performed by irradiating a living body with laser light. The laser probe irradiates laser light uniformly, utilizing laser light effectively by concentration thereof, achieving limited irradiation of laser light and taking countermeasures against stains forming on the probe. The laser probe is provided with (1) a transparent light diffuser for radiating laser light received by a light-guide fiber in the direction along the longitudinal axis of the light diffuser and in radial directions from this axis to the peripheral side surface thereof and (2) a detachable protective diffusion tube for further diffusing laser light radiated from the transparent light diffuser. A reflector may be provided between the light diffuser and the diffusion tube. Further, shielding plates may be provided on the protective diffusion tube.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for ablating surface lesions is disclosed. The process is unique because of the ability to precisely excise complex topographies without blood loss, gated by the degree of surface small vessel blood flow via detection of Doppler shift. The most fitting application is the immediate, bloodless, and precise excision of thermal burn wounds, hitherto impossible and extremely desirable. A variation of the invention is disclosed which incorporates gating both by surface small vessel blood flow and fluorescence tagging. This embodiment has particular application in ablating neoplasms.

Abstract: A vacuum device (10) has a collapsible cover (18) capable of maintaining a seal with a flexible surface (64) such as human tissue. A set of shaping members (20) support the cover (18) against collapse into the evacuated region in the interior, yet readily flex to maintain the seal with the deforming tissue without the need for an excessive sealing force.

Abstract: A process and a device for determining the cerebral blood flow, and the intracerebral blood volume are described.After injection into the bloodstream of a predefined quantity of a double indicator, arterial and venous measurements of the indicator dilution curves resulting in the blood stream are carried out. A dye solution differing in its temperature from the body temperature serves as a double indicator, in which heat or cold constitute a highly diffusible indicator component, and dye, preferably indo cyanine green ICG, constitute an intravascular indicator component. The cerebral blood flow CBF is calculated from the ratio of a distribution coefficient .lambda..sub.therm of the highly diffusible indicator component therm between blood and cerebral tissue and the mean transit time mtt.sub.therm of the highly diffusible indicator component therm through the brain. The intracerebral blood volume ICBV is calculated from the product of cerebral blood flow CBF and the mean transit time mtt.sub.

Abstract: A method of diagnostics of living organism state and an apparatus for its realization, comprising the steps of (i) illuminating living organism surface (1) with electromagnetic radiation from source (2) of optical wavelength range from 0.3 to 2.0.mu., (ii) receiving transmitted through or back scattered by the living organism radiation by detectors (3 and 4), (iii) with the help of sequentially connected commutator (5), analog-to-digital converter (6) and input-output controller (7), spatial distribution of at least one parameter, characterizing transmittance and/or back scattering by living organism radiation in the computer system (8) is performed sequentially and continuously in time. At the above mentioned spatial distributions, spatial regions are revealed, differing from each other by at least one parameter, characterizing their temporal changes, and the revealed regions are recorded as a functional map of physiological processes taking place in living organism.

Abstract: A laser scanning method and apparatus having a scanning hand piece 18 connected at the free end 20 of a hollow wave guide 14 to scan a beam of laser energy 22 in a predetermined pattern to uniformly ablate in an enlarged target area. The hand piece 18 includes a hollow shaft motor 40 having a conduit mounted therein for conducting the beam of laser energy 22. The conduit 54 has a proximal end 56 in axial alignment with the longitudinal axis 60 of the hollow shaft 48 and in light energy communication with the laser energy generator 12. The distal end 58 of the conduit 54 is mounted in the hollow shaft 48 so that it is eccentrically positioned with respect to the axis 60 of the hollow shaft 48. When the motor 40 is energized, the hollow shaft 48 rotates the distal end 58 of the conduit 54 in a predetermined circular pattern to scan the laser energy uniformly and thoroughly over the tissue in the target area.