Abstract: An ablation catheter includes a tubular catheter body having a lumen, a tip portion, a liquid inlet, at least one liquid outlet, a liquid flow path defined between the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet, and an ablation element mounted on the tip portion of the catheter body. A rotationally-scanning ultrasound assembly is disposed within the lumen of the catheter body adjacent the tip portion. The ultrasound assembly includes an ultrasound transducer having an active face, an acoustic mirror acoustically coupled to the active face of the ultrasound transducer, and an impeller positioned in the liquid flow path and operably coupled to at least one of the ultrasound transducer and the acoustic mirror to impart rotational motion thereto when a liquid flows through the impeller.

Abstract: A skin care apparatus suitable for use in proximity to a subject's eyes. The apparatus includes a treatment device and a stimulus device. Upon activation by a user, such as the subject or a technician, a stimulus delivered by the stimulus device causes the subject's eyelid to close prior to the administration of a skin care treatment by the treatment device.

Abstract: An optical endoluminal far-field microscopic imaging catheter comprises a light generating system, a first light delivery conduit for propagating light generated by the light generating system and a light distributor configured to redirect light propagated by the delivery conduit into a direction of an object to be imaged. A discriminator is configured for capturing light reflected from the object incident on a window of the discriminator from a particular direction and transmitting only the light captured from the particular direction to a second light delivery conduit. A drive mechanism is configured to sweep the window through a plurality of directions in a predictable pattern for matching each light capture event in the window with a direction of the window during the event. An analyzer matches the direction of the window with an associated light capture event and generate a visible image based on a mosaic of the captured light.

Abstract: An ultrasonic device evaluates the sound velocity of a nail to determine the overall health of a patient and to monitor cosmetological effects of certain products on the nail. The ultrasonic device includes a handhold probe having an piezoelectric transducer encased in cover that emits high-frequency ultrasonic impulses directed towards the nail. The nail reflects returning ultrasonic echoes back to the piezoelectric transducer. The returning ultrasonic echoes vibrate the piezoelectric transducer. A processor of a computer converts the vibrations into electrical pulses. The processor evaluates amplitude values of the electrical pulses to determine the parameters of the human nail, including the thickness, density and elasticity. The parameters are displayed on a display and analyzed by a technician to determine the nail condition. The health of the person or the effect of products on the nail can be determined based on the nail parameters.

Abstract: An patch and sensor assembly for use in an EP mapping system has two portions: a reusable portion and a disposable portion. The reusable portion houses the biosensors used in magnetic based location and mapping systems and the electrical lead necessary to communicate between the biosensor and the mapping system. The reusable portion may also contain a portion of the electrode necessary to receive electrical signals from the body of the patient. The disposable portion of the patch and sensor assembly contains an adhesive covered flexible patch having at least a portion of the electrode used to receive electrical signals form the body of the patient and may contain the electrical lead necessary to communicate such an electrical signal to the mapping system. The disposable portion contains a receptacle adapted to receive and mechanically secure the reusable portion to the disposable portion of the assembly.

Abstract: A testing apparatus for an optoacoustic device includes a light pulse sensor operatively connected to a light output port of the optoacoustic device, the light pulse sensor being adapted to sense a pulse of light capable of generating an optoacoustic response in a subject and to distinguish between the light pulse and the at least one other light pulse on the basis of the predominant wavelength. The light pulse sensor outputs a trigger signal associated with the distinguished light pulse when such light pulse is sensed. A transducer signal simulator outputs a first plurality of electrical signals simulating those produced by a transducer array and reflective of an optoacoustic response in a subject to a light pulse at a first wavelength in response to a trigger signal from the light pulse sensor associated with a light pulse having a first wavelength.

Abstract: High-frequency ultrasound imaging can be performed with greater quality and suppressed grating lobes by using methods and systems for effectively reducing the temporal length of transmit grating lobe signals in received ultrasound echoes. Systems and methods are provided for improved high-frequency ultrasound imaging. In various aspects, the method of shortening the time domain of grating lobe signals comprises splitting an array of N transmit elements into K sub-apertures. In further aspects, the grating lobes are suppressed by performing signal processing of the shortened grating lobe signals. In certain aspects, the signal processing method comprises weighting the samples by a calculated phase coherence factor.

Abstract: An intracranial implant to position a fiber bundle to a specified region of a brain of an animal. The implant may include a base support to be fixed to a skull of the animal over an orifice drilled in the skull, a hollow conduit arranged through the base support to guide the fiber bundle to the brain of the animal through the drilled orifice and a first locking member arranged on the base support, to cooperate with a ferrule of the fiber bundle, the first locking member configured to lock the fiber bundle to the specified region of the brain of the animal.

Abstract: Methods and systems for 4D electromagnetic tomographic differential (dynamic) fused imaging and mapping of electrical excitation of biological tissues. A plurality of electromagnetic field sources and detectors generate and detect an electromagnetic field domain in a target area. A biological tissue is positioned within the target area, and an electromagnetic field domain is generated via a selected plurality of sources. The field generated by each source is selectively characterized so that each of a selected plurality of detectors recognizes a source of field from the plurality of sources. The sources and detectors are controlled so that fields generated by the selected sources are received by the selected detectors after interacting with the tissue. Based on the field received at each detector, a complex interference (scattering) matrix is derived from the tissue-generated field, and anatomical and functional image information are reconstructed from this matrix.

Abstract: An apparatus for percutaneously implanting a localization wire into a tissue mass includes a handle having a grip portion and a base. The grip portion is slidably mounted to the base. The base has a keyway. A cannula is movable relative to the handle between an insertion position and a retracted position. A localization wire is positioned to extend from the handle and into the cannula lumen. An actuator is coupled to the cannula and is configured to operate between a charged condition and a discharged condition to retract the cannula. A collar is mounted to the cannula. The collar includes a key having a key projection. The key projection is not aligned with the keyway when the actuator is in the charged condition and the key projection is aligned with the keyway to facilitate retraction of the cannula toward the retracted position to effect the discharged condition.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for thermal therapy in a male prostate patient. The apparatus includes, in preferred embodiments, a long tubular element that is to be inserted into a patient's urethra so that a first tip end of it reaches up into the patient's diseased prostate. The elongated portion includes a narrow cylindrical tube within which an ultrasonic array is disposed along the long axis of the cylinder. Fluid is pumped into and out of a treatment zone of said patient as needed to control a temperature of a region in said treatment zone. A motorized driver is used to controllably rotate said elongated portion and the ultrasound array therein about the long axis of the apparatus so as to deliver acoustic energy to said diseased tissue. Various control and monitoring components may be used in conjunction with the present apparatus to design, control, and terminate the therapy.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method to analyze or identify a cell. The method comprises: providing a cell, stimulating the cell with a stimulant thereby modifying a cell membrane impedance of the cell, monitoring the cell membrane impedance of the cell and identifying the cell based on the monitored cell membrane impedance. A corresponding device is also provided.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for measuring mechanical properties of tissue has a stereo optical surgical microscope with at least one objective lens and at least two digital cameras such that paired images obtained from the digital cameras form stereo pairs, and a digital image processing system adapted to determine surface topography of tissue from the stereo pairs of images and a resulting surface displacement map as a result from indentation. The apparatus has an one indenter; and mechanical modeling routines stored in memory of the image processing system, the mechanical modeling routines capable of constructing computer models of mechanical properties of tissue, and fitting parameters of the computer model to observed surface displacement maps generated by coregistering surface topography of tissue with and without the indenter positioned on the tissue. In an embodiment, fitted parameters of the computer model are displayed and used to adjust a surgical plan.

Abstract: A biosensor includes a substrate, an electrode layer, a conductive polymer layer and a bio-recognizing element. The electrode layer is disposed on the substrate. The conductive polymer layer is disposed on the electrode layer and partially covers the substrate. The bio-recognizing element is disposed on the conductive polymer layer. A chemical reaction takes place between the object and the bio-recognizing element, and the chemical reaction decreases the conductivity of the conductive polymer layer.

Abstract: A capacitor for a hydrogen sensor includes a dielectric substrate, a first electrode on the dielectric substrate, a second electrode on the dielectric substrate, and palladium islands on the dielectric substrate and between the first and second electrodes. The palladium islands are electrically isolated from the first and second electrodes and from each other.

Abstract: A system and method for generating a digital image in fluorescence gel imaging is disclosed. The method includes providing a gel sample and placing the gel sample on a flat panel detector having array of photodiodes and transistors that collect light generated from the gel sample. The gel sample is illuminated using a light source integrated into the flat panel imaging system and light emitted by the gel sample responsive to an excitation of the gel sample by light provided by the light source is then collected, with the light emitted by the gel sample being collected by the array of photodiodes of the flat panel detector and converted to electric charges to generate light data. The light data is then processed to generate a digital image of the gel sample.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure digital microfluidic arrays that may be fabricated by a printing method, whereby digital microfluidic electrodes arrays are printed, via a printing method such as inkjet printing, onto a suitable substrate. In some embodiments, a substrate and/or ink is prepared or modified to support the printing of electrode arrays, such as via changes to the surface energy. In some embodiments, porous and/or fibrous substrates are prepared by the addition of a barrier layer, or, for example, by the addition or infiltration of a suitable material to render the surface capable of supporting printed electrodes. Various example embodiments involving hybrid devices formed by the printing of digital microfluidic arrays onto a substrate having a hydrophilic layer are disclosed.

Abstract: A sensing apparatus using a radio frequency and a manufacturing method thereof is provided. A sensing apparatus using a radio frequency includes a protecting layer configured to protect a substrate from migration of electrons occurring as the radio frequency is applied to a first electrode and a second electrode, a channel forming layer configured to form a channel based on a field between the first electrode and the second electrode, the channel forming layer using a polarized carbon-based nano material to form the channel, and a sensing layer configured to sense glucose using a medium material that is attached on the carbon-based nano material.

Abstract: A lab on a chip device includes a whole blood inlet port and microchannels to transport a whole blood sample or plasma skimmed from the whole blood sample into a detection chamber that includes at least one 3-electrode set of a counter electrode, a working electrode and a reference electrode. The counter electrode, the working electrode and the reference electrode may present bare, unmodified surfaces that are disposed so that clozapine present in the whole blood sample is detected via a reduction-oxidation reaction. Alternatively, the working electrode surface may include catechol grafted to chitosan. A method of detecting analytes and biomarkers includes collecting a whole blood sample, loading the sample into a point-of-care testing (POCT) device that includes at least one working electrode; testing the sample for the occurrence of a redox reaction; and calculating the total oxidative charge when the working electrode is bare or modified as before.

Abstract: An arrangement for in situ measurement of at least one oxygen partial pressure within a solids heap, including: at least one measuring transducer arranged within the solids heap for locally registering oxygen partial pressure, wherein each measuring transducer is embodied to output a measurement signal representing oxygen partial pressure to a superordinated unit, which is arranged outside the solids heap and is embodied to receive and to process the measurement signals of each measuring transducer.