Abstract: A method and apparatus for laparoscopic insertion and application of a liquid, gel or like medicinal material enables the laparoscopic surgeon to utilize various spray patterns to apply the desired material. In laparoscopy surgery of the abdomen (including pelvis), all instrumentation and all surgical products must be introduced through "ports" consisting of valved, sleeved or tubes. To properly and efficiently introduce and apply liquid, gel or like medicinal material, the present invention provides a method and apparatus for dispensing the desired material with a desired pattern or spray. The instrument consists of an elongated instrument body that can receive a selected flexible delivery tube having a distal end with a nozzle. The instrument body articulates at its distal end, thereby flexing the dispensing tube. The selected nozzle of the selected dispensing tube can be flexed to dispense with a desired spray pattern to a spray head, into any position of the patient's abdominal cavity.

Abstract: A physical-information-image displaying apparatus for use with an endoscope including an image pick-up which picks up an endoscopic image from a living subject and produces an endoscopic-image signal representing the picked-up endoscopic image, and a display which displays the picked-up endoscopic image represented by the endoscopic-image signal, the apparatus including a physical-information obtaining device which obtains a physical information from the subject and produces a physical-information signal representing the obtained physical information, a physical-information-image-signal producing device which produces, based on the physical-information signal produced by the physical-information obtaining device, a physical-information-image signal representing a physical-information image corresponding to the obtained physical information, and a superimposing device which superimposes the physical-information-image signal produced by the physical-information-image-signal producing device, on the endoscopic-i

Abstract: An apparatus for treating incontinence includes a substantially tubular body member having a first end and a second end and defining a flow passage, an internal seal member positioned at the first end of the body member, an external retaining member positioned at the second end, at least one member of the internal seal member and the external retaining member being moveable longitudinally with respect to the other member of the internal seal member and the retaining member, ratchet structure for longitudinally securing the at least one member relative to the other member, whereby the tubular body member can be positioned in a urethra with the seal member substantially sealingly positioned in an interior opening of the urethra and with the retaining member positioned at an exterior opening of the urethra, and a valve positioned in the flow passage for controlling flow through the flow passage.

Abstract: Systems and methods of conditioning skin to reduce artifact in bioelectric signal monitoring by passing electrical energy into the skin through the medical electrodes. An electrode having electrolyte including an agent to reduce skin discomfort.

Abstract: A bio-feedback system to support the collection of a plurality of physiological parameter values of a subject being monitored. The physiological parameter values collected are processed to determine and present to the subject a continuously updated succession of presentation states, possibly multimedia in nature, in order to attempt to enhance the bio-feedback capability of the system. The system includes a digitizing camera arranged to continually capture an image of the subject. The presentation states, which include the captured image of the subject, are accented by color accents including curved bands of color coextensive with and juxtaposed to the outline of the image of the subject. The color of the bands may be appropriately altered in a predefined manner as determined by changes in the physiological parameter values collected and processed.

Abstract: The disclosed filter removes cardiac artifacts from signals representative of a patient's cerebral activity. The filter preferably replaces portions of the signal including artifacts with temporally adjacent artifact free portions.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for, preferably, determining noninvasively and in vitro pH in a human. The non-invasive method includes the steps of: generating light at three or more different wavelengths in the range of 1000 nm to 2500 nm; irradiating blood containing tissue; measuring the intensities of the wavelengths emerging from the blood containing tissue to obtain a set of at least three spectral intensities v. wavelengths; and determining the unknown values of pH. The determination of pH is made by using measured intensities at wavelengths that exhibit change in absorbance due to histidine titration. Histidine absorbance changes are due to titration by hydrogen ions. The determination of the unknown pH values is performed by at least one multivariate algorithm using two or more variables and at least one calibration model. The determined pH values are within the physiological ranges observed in blood containing tissue.

Abstract: The invention features an optical probe for non-invasive monitoring of neural activity. The optical probe includes a light source constructed to introduce electromagnetic radiation of a visible or infra-red wavelength into biological tissue at an input port; and a detector constructed to detect, at a detection port, radiation of the selected wavelength that has migrated in the biological tissue from the input port. The optical probe also includes a processor, receiving signals of the detected radiation, constructed and arranged to determine neural activity of the tissue by measuring scattering or absorptive properties of the tissue. The neural activity detected by the optical probe includes redistribution of K.sup.+, Na.sup.+ and H.sub.2 O, which may occur upon death, during hypoxia, ischemia, or other physiological process.

Abstract: An apparatus for treating incontinence in females includes an elongate body member having a first end and a second end; an internal plug member positioned at the first end of the body member; an external retaining member positioned at the second end, at least one member of the internal plug member and the external retaining member being moveable longitudinally with respect to the other member of the internal plug member and the retaining member; and a member for longitudinally securing the at least one member relative to the other member, whereby the elongate body member can be positioned in a urethra with the plug member positioned at an interior opening of the urethra and with the retaining member positioned at an exterior opening of the urethra.

Abstract: A non-invasive blood analyzer is intended to capture images of a prescribed volume of blood in a blood vessel in a non-invasive manner and with a good contrast without collecting blood from a living body. The non-invasive blood analyzer includes a light application device for illuminating a detection region of vessels contained in a part of a living body, an image capturing device for capturing images of the detection region illuminated by the light application device, and an analyzer for analyzing blood components contained in the detection region by processing the images captured by the image capturing device. The image capturing device includes an object lens for converging the reflected light from the detection region. The light application device illuminates the detection region at an incident angle larger than an aperture angle of the object lens with respect to the detection region to provide dark-field illumination.

Abstract: An infant incubator having a base (3) for supporting a premature baby; a hood (7) mounted on the base (3) to provide an incubation chamber (9) isolated from the atmosphere; a first duct (19) having a fan for circulating inner air through the incubation chamber (9); and a first heater (47) disposed on said first duct to provide a heated air; a second duct (21) branched from the first duct (19), and having a detachable humidifying vessel (15) for storing the water and combined through a shutter compartment (53) to the first duct (19) downstream of the humidifying vessel (15); a second heater (37) for heating the humidifying vessel (15); a first temperature sensor (57) to measure a chamber temperature in the incubation chamber; a second temperature sensor (39) to measure a water temperature in the humidifying vessel (15); and MPU (55) for controlling the second heater (37) based on the chamber temperature by the first temperature sensor (57) and the water temperature.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring a physical parameter, such as the saturation percentage of oxygen in blood. The pulse oximeter is built into the finger clip, and therefore the device is small, lightweight and very portable, as well as more reliable.

Abstract: An electroencephalographic apparatus for exploring a person's response to external stimuli, which includes electroencephalographic sensing apparatus for sensing brainwave signals from the person; stimulating apparatus for generating the stimuli; and processing apparatus having at least a first input operative for receiving the brainwave signals, at least a second input for monitoring the stimuli; the processing apparatus including computing apparatus operative for computing a correlation quotient of the brainwave signals and the stimuli.

Abstract: A stress test classifying system and method classify current stress test data using a processor for comparing the current stress test with previous stress test data grouped in fuzzy sets and for generating a classification of the current stress test data with respect to the fuzzy sets.

Abstract: An apparatus and a process of determining the concentration of an optically active compound in a biological sample are provided. The process measures the entire polarization state of the sample and compares the measured polarization state of the sample to the polarization state of a sample having a known concentration of that compound. The polarization state of the sample is measured after manipulating the polarization state of light entering and leaving the sample and detecting the light leaving the sample. The apparatus contains a source of light, a sample holder for holding the biological sample, a detector, a first polarization manipulator between the light source and the sample holder, a second polarization manipulator between the sample holder and the detector and an analyzer to correlate detected signals with concentration of the optically active compound.

Abstract: A penile implant to irreversibly and definitively lengthen the corpus cavernosum by using the tissue expansion phenomenon. The implant includes a pressure chamber, a pressure regulator for regulating the pressure in the pressure chamber, an irreversibly extensible device, and a body of synthetic material of a predetermined length and covered with a tip. The device is used to permanently lengthen the male penis.

Abstract: Method, system, and apparatus for evaluating hemodynamic parameters and, in particular, cardiac output. A pulmonary artery catheter is described which incorporates a diffuser of gas biocompatible with the body such as oxygen at an indwelling region such that the gas may be employed to carry out a dilution technique to measure cardiac output. A mixed venous blood gas level then is measured at the pulmonary artery using a gas sensor. The preferred gas sensor employs oximetry to derive values of mixed venous oxygen saturation. An alternate embodiment utilizes an electrode/electrolyte approach as the gas sensor to carry out measurement of dissolved oxygen in mixed venous blood. The system utilizes a microprocessor driven controller to develop multiple evaluations over sequential measurement intervals and to compute a variety of hemodynamic parameters including the noted cardiac output.

Abstract: A surgeon's command and control (SCC) system includes an independent personal computer based electronic control unit that unifies various pieces of equipment currently found in an endoscopic surgical suite into a surgeon centered system. The system utilizes programmed software which simplifies equipment management tasks that currently encumber the surgeon and operating room staff. It enhances safety, and increases the utility of the individual pieces of equipment. The SCC hardware centers around a personal computer communicating with a sterile control panel located at the surgeon's operating station. A frame store card serves as an electronic pallet to compose and superimpose graphic images onto a surgical image transmitted from an endoscopic camera for display on a heads-up display (HUD) monitor at the surgical operating station.

Abstract: An apparatus for informing an operator of an abnormality of a physical information obtained from a living subject, including a physical-information obtaining device which obtains the physical information from the subject via an endoscope and outputs a physical-information signal representing the obtained physical information, a signal converting device which converts the physical-information signal into an analog speech signal having a waveform representing a speech corresponding to the obtained physical information, a speech outputting device which outputs the speech represented by the speech signal, a judging device for judging whether the obtained physical information represented by the physical-information signal is abnormal, and a frequency shifting device which shifts, when the judging means makes a positive judgment, frequencies of the speech output by the speech outputting device, so that the operator is informed of the abnormality of the physical information obtained from the subject.

Abstract: An implantable probe having an elongated sheath with provision for remotely positioning a device disposed within the elongated sheath. In one embodiment, the device is a circuit board, and a shape memory alloy (SMA) such as Nitinol is used to fabricate one or more actuators that are coupled to the circuit board. The shape memory effect exhibited by the SMA actuator is thermally activated. Electrical current is selectively applied to the actuator to resistively heat the SMA to a temperature sufficient to change its shape. When the shape of the SMA changes, the actuator moves the circuit board or other device longitudinally within the elongated sheath so that the light emitted is directed to a different portion of a treatment site. In another embodiment, the circuit board is rotated about its longitudinal axis within the sheath.