Abstract: A system using neurological control signals to control a device is disclosed. The system may include a sensor sensing electrical activity of a plurality of neurons over time and a vector generator generating a neural control vector from the sensed electrical activity of the plurality of neurons over time. The system may also include a control filter to which the neural control vector is applied to provide a control variable and an output device controlled by the control variable.

Abstract: An integrated body fluid sampling device is used to sample a body fluid from an incision in the skin of a body part. The device includes a lancet for forming the incision in the skin. A housing is coupled to the lancet. The housing defines at least in part a capillary channel with an opening. The capillary channel is sized to draw the body fluid from the incision via capillary action. An expression pad is coupled to the housing. The expression pad has opposing angled sides for compressing the backside of a body part where the incision is made. The lancet extends from the housing to form the incision. Fluid from the incision is drawn into the channel and is deposited on the test strip for analysis. A test strip is positioned along the capillary channel for analyzing the fluid.

Abstract: A urinary catheter and method of its use for measuring the internal pressure of a human or other mammal. The catheter includes three lumens, or channels. The first lumen is dedicated to draining urine, the second lumen is dedicated to a retention balloon, and the third lumen is available for connection to a pressure transducer. In use, the catheter is installed in a patient, the third lumen is filled with a pressure transmitting medium, connected to a pressure sensor, and the patient's intra-abdominal pressure is monitored without interruption of the urine flow.

Abstract: Tinnitus is defined as sound(s) heard by an individual when no external sound is present and often takes the form of a hissing, ringing, chirping or clicking sound which may be either intermittent or constant. According to the American Tinnitus Association, tinnitus affects tens of millions of Americans and many suffer so severely from tinnitus they are not able to function normally on a daily basis. Unfortunately the exact cause or causes of tinnitus are not understood by the medical community and thus many tinnitus sufferers are told by their doctors to “learn to live with it”. In accordance with novel aspects of Applicant's monofrequency tinnitus patient treatment apparatus and process, phase cancellation effects are achieved by utilizing an externally generated sound which is subjectively selected by the monofrequency tinnitus patient to match in both tone and loudness his or her tinnitus sound.

Abstract: This patent document discusses systems, devices, and methods for increasing a sensitivity or specificity of thoracic fluid detection in a subject and differentiating between pleural effusion and pulmonary edema. In one example, a thoracic impedance measurement circuit senses a thoracic impedance signal. In another example, a processor receives the thoracic impedance signal and determines whether such thoracic impedance signal is “significant.” A significant thoracic impedance signal indicates the presence of thoracic fluid and may be recognized by comparing the thoracic impedance signal (or variation thereof) to a thoracic impedance threshold. When a significant thoracic impedance signal is recognized, the processor is adapted to detect one or both of: a pleural effusion indication and a pulmonary edema indication using one or a combination of: physiologic information, patient symptom information, and posture information.

Abstract: A photoacoustic probe for port wine stain (PWS), burn and melanin depth measurements is comprised of optical fibers for laser light delivery and a piezoelectric element for acoustic detection. The probe induced and measured photoacoustic waves in acryl amide tissue phantoms and PWS skin in vivo. Acoustic waves were denoised using spline wavelet transforms, then deconvolved with the impulse response of the probe to yield initial subsurface pressure distributions in phantoms and skin. The waves were then analyzed for epidermal melanin concentration, using a photoacoustic melanin index (PAMI) related to the amount of laser energy absorbed by melanin. Propagation time of the photoacoustic wave was used to determine the depth of blood perfusion underlying necrotic, burned tissue. Thus, the photoacoustic probe can be used for determining PWS, burn and melanin depth for most patients receiving laser therapy.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include a cap for a medical device. The cap includes a body defining a cavity configured to accommodate at least a portion of an end effector assembly of the medical device, and a tissue removal portion attached to the body and configured to remove a tissue sample disposed within the end effector assembly when the cavity is not accommodating the end effector assembly. Embodiments of the invention also may include a medical kit including a medical device and a cap and a method of performing a medical procedure with the cap.

Abstract: A tubing assembly for manufacture for a catheter of the type having an inner tubular member defining a lumen, an outer tubular member surrounding said inner member, and a support member mounted between the tubular members to provide rigidity to the flexible catheter. The support member comprises a high tensile strength wire braid, and in the preferred embodiment comprises a stainless steel wire braid which has been tempered or hardened. This higher tensile strength affords significantly greater kink resistance to the flexible catheter. One wire braid has a tensile strength in the range of 300 to 425 kpsi and a braid density of approximately 40 pic. The high tensile strength wire braid has the disadvantage of tending to flare out at its free ends. Therefore, means are provided for preventing the flaring of the wire braid during manufacture of the tubing assembly. One means includes adhesive applied over the free ends. Another means includes a restraining sleeve applied over the free ends.

Abstract: A blood-drawing device has a specimen tube having a projecting tip having an outer connection region of a predetermined diameter and a guide sleeve fittable over the tip and having an inner resilient part. The inner resilient part has an inside diameter smaller than the diameter of the connection region. A needle fitted to the guide sleeve is surrounded by an elastomeric tubular needle shield inward from the guide sleeve. The sleeve can move between an outer position with the needle shield extending inward past the inner needle end and the resilient part offset outward from the connection region and an inner position with the needle end in the specimen tube, the needle shield compressed between the sleeve and the specimen tube, and the resilient part fitting tightly around the connection region and deformed outwardly thereby such that the resilient part grips the connection region.

Abstract: A plexor having a handle and a head attached to a front section, and having tapping elements seated on both sides on a receiving body. One tapping element terminates in a line-shaped tapping section, and the other tapping element terminates in a point-like tapping section. An orientation of the line-shaped tapping section can be rotated into different angular positions around an axis extending in the longitudinal direction of the head and can be fixed in place in the desired rotated position.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention generally relate to needles having more than one electrode and which are particularly suited for use in electromyography. One embodiment relates to a tripolar needle having three concentric electrodes. The tripolar needle is formed by providing a needle blank having first and second concentric electrodes and forming a third concentric electrode around the needle blank. The tripolar needle has an outer diameter which is substantially constant along the shaft of the needle, except at the tip, where the needle is sharpened.

Abstract: The invention provides systems, methods and a node accessing and anchoring device, comprising an elongated shaft, a tissue cutting member, at least one anchoring element extending from a position at or near the distal end of the shaft; and a radiation detector. The radiation detector is effective to locate and identify sentinel lymph nodes following injection of radioactive material into a primary lesion site within a patient. The tissue cutting member, which may be activated with radio frequency energy, is effective to allow access of the elongated shaft to a sentinel lymph node. The anchoring elements are effective to anchor the device to or adjacent a sentinel lymph node accessed by the device. Anchoring elements may assume radially, longitudinally, or mixed radially and longitudinally curved or coiled configurations when deployed.

Abstract: An electromagnetic bioimpedance measurement apparatus uses an alternating magnetic field to induce electrical eddy currents in biological tissue. The eddy currents produce secondary magnetic fields that have the effect of changing the mutual inductance between the tissue and the coil that applied to the initial magnetic field. The amplitude of the resultant voltage, as measured by the same coil or a different receiver coil, is proportional to the conductivity of the tissue. A simple, marginally stable oscillator circuit is used to generate the current into the coil. Nearfield holographic signal processing is then used for holographic image formation. Bioimpedance is used to distinguish between normal tissue and cancerous tissue, especially cancerous prostate tissue. An invasive embodiment includes driven needle electrodes that are inserted into the body segment to be tested. Noninvasive embodiments include single or multiple coils arranged on a probe shaft.

Abstract: In a method for localizing at least one focal lesion in a biological tissue section, the lesion exhibiting an electrical property different from the tissue section, and the electrical property in the tissue section being essentially constant, a sequence of electrical excitation signals having different frequency is supplied to the tissue section, electrical response signals are measured at a number of measuring locations on the surface of the tissue section that occur due to the excitation signals, electrical admittance data are determined from the response signals dependent on the location on the surface, a maximum of the admittance data and the appertaining position of the maximum on the surface are determined, and a depth position of the lesion under the position of the maximum is determined dependent on the position of the maximum.

Abstract: The invention concerns an apparatus for measuring a subject's body composition comprising a first electronic module (6) for measuring a bioelectric impedance and at least an electric power source (10) for generating a variable electric signal (11) which passes through the body or part of the body of the subject when the latter is connected to the measuring apparatus (2). The invention is characterized in that said power source is a voltage generator (10) designed to supply a rectangular voltage signal (11).

Abstract: Implantable devices and methods of use are disclosed for marking the location of a biopsy or surgery for the purpose of identification. The methods include providing a biodegradable radiodense implant and taking a tissue sample from a biopsy site within a breast of a patient. The biodegradable implant is then positioned at the biopsy site. The tissue sample is tested and the biopsy site is then relocated. In one embodiment, the entire implant is radiodense. In another embodiment, the entire implant is biodegradable. Methods of using a biodegradable implant having a radiodense material and a biodegradable implant that is visible using an imaging system are also included.

Abstract: The invention relates to the field of medical equipment and is designed for the temperature diagnostics of bioobject pathologies. The method comprises dynamical measuring a body temperature in a series of points. Based on the difference temperature field on the surface of a body, zones are determined inside the bioobject that are identified with pathology loci. A temperature is each point is estimated with taking into account a type of skin of the bioobject, a type of a temperature sensor and the form of the sensor temperature change curve in process of measurement. The device comprises temperature measurement units, temperature sensors being connected to said temperature measurement units, a RAM unit, a program realization unit, a comparator unit, a programming unit, and a visualization unit. The invention allows to increase speed and reliability of exposing pathology loci.

Abstract: In a method for localizing at least one focal lesion in a biological tissue section, the lesion exhibiting an electrical property different from the tissue section and the electrical property in the tissue section being essentially constant, a sequence of electrical excitation signals with different frequency is applied to the tissue section, electrical response signals at a number of measurement locations at a surface of the tissue section are measured that occur thereat due to the excitation signals, frequency-independent signal parts in the response signals are determined and further-processed input values of a localization step. Modeling of the tissue section and a determination of a set of lead fields are based on the input values. The lead fields transformed.

Abstract: A cannula retractable medical collection device includes a cannula mount inserted into and axially slidable relative to a rear larger-diameter wall portion of a barrel, a double-ended needle cannula including a rear needle segment extending into an accommodation chamber in the cannula mount for pricking a stopper of a collection vial, and a front needle segment secured to the cannula mount by a needle hub. The front needle segment extends outwardly of the barrel in a position of use, and retreats inwardly and rearwardly of the barrel in a disposal position when the cannula mount is in the front and rear positions, respectively. A releasably retaining member includes a retaining hole formed in the larger-diameter wall portion, and a radially extending engaging peg engageable in the hole. An actuator is operable to disengage the peg from the hole so as to permit axial movement of the cannula mount.

Abstract: A stylet unit has a flexible tubular stylet sleeve, a flexible inner stylet wire inserted into a channel of the stylet sleeve with at a least a portion of the stylet wire and at least a portion of the channel each having a non-circular cross section for preventing rotation of the wire inside the sleeve. The stylet unit has a handle with which the sleeve and the stylet wire are movable relative to each other in a longitudinal direction. The sleeve and the wire are connected at one end thereof to the handle, with the sleeve being rotationally arranged within the handle.