Abstract: This invention is related to an instrument for detecting prolapse in early stages, consists of a three principal parts: an elongated cylindrical rigid plunger with an annular notch, a tubular body with a concave flange and a scale tube where measurement can be taken. This instrument is placed intra-vaginally and its measuring scale is a basis for a diagnosis.

Abstract: The process comprises the steps of creating three reference points at an object and taking a tomogram of the object such that the three reference points define a first set of positional data in the tomogram. The object is then non-rigidly placed on a support for operation thereupon by an instrument which is mounted at a flexible arm containing sensors for sensing the movements of an instrument tip. The instrument tip is placed at the three reference points in order to create a second set of positional data which are in a fixed relationship to the first set of positional data. When the instrument is inserted into the object placed on the support, the positional data of the instrument tip during the insertion movement are sensed and related to the first set of positional data via the fixed relationship between the first and second sets of positional data.

Abstract: There is carried out an NMR measurement in which a receiver coil (7) for receiving an NMR free induction signal comes in contact with or in close vicinity to one side of tissue of a living body (1) immersed in a perfusion solution (4), while a portion or whole body of the receiver coil (7) is so held as not to come in contact with the perfusion solution (4). According to this measuring method, since a portion or whole body of the receiver coil (7) does not come in contact with the perfusion solution (4), the receiver coil (7) is hardly subject to the electromagnetic influence of changes in the perfusion solution (4). This prevents the free induction signal from being embedded in noise, assuring measurement with high sensitivity. Even for a large-size internal organ, only a signal from an area presenting a uniform magnetic field may be acquired, since the measurement is carried out with the receiver coil (7) coming in contact with or in close vicinity to one side of the internal organ.

Abstract: A shock wave treatment apparatus, in which a shock wave generator generates a shock wave toward a living body having an object to be disintegrated by the shock wave, and an ultrasonic wave probe transmits an ultrasonic wave toward the living body and receives an ultrasonic wave echo from the living body, in which a B-mode processor forms a B-mode section image from the ultrasonic wave echo, and a color flow mapping processor forms a color flow mapping image from the ultrasonic wave echo, and in which the B-mode section image and the color flow mapping image are displayed on a display. A processor for obtaining doppler information from the ultrasonic wave echo to reproduce doppler sounds from the doppler information may be also provided.

Abstract: A method for acquiring image data for three dimensional magnetic resonance angiography using magnitude contrast, ("time-of-flight") imaging techniques allowing for the arbitrary offset of a slab or slabs in a sample, and allowing for the acquisition of multiple thin overlapping slabs using the steps of: selecting an image area on a sample as a one or more thin slabs; applying magnetic gradients to a sample in a logical x, y, and z coordinate system by use of a magetic resonance apparatus; applying radio frequency pulses to the image area within the sample; shifting the slab or slabs (overlapping the slab image area) by rotating the radio frequency pulse for the shifted (overlapping) slab or slabs.

Abstract: An electrodynamic shockwave generator, of the type having a shockwave source formed by an electrically conductive membrane and an electrically driven coil, with the membrane being rapidly repulsed from the coil, causing the creation of a shockwave in an acoustic propagation medium disposed on one side of the membrane, upon the application of a pulse to the coil, wherein at least one of the coil or the membrane contains material which can be placed in a superconducting condition. A coolant, and a member for circulating the coolant are provided for placing the material in at least one of these electrically conductive elements in the superconducting condition.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing stereotactic surgery upon a target within a skull establishes a first, predetermined geometric relationship between a skull mount fixture mounted on the skull and a scanning table surface upon which the skull is supported; and that geometric relationship is duplicated by a displacement bar mounted upon the skull mount fixture.

Abstract: A modified wire having one or more markers for locating lesions contained within afflicted tissue, wherein the markers help establish the position of the surgeon's scalpel in relation to the tip of the wire and to the lesion so that the surgeon can quickly and accurately remove the lesion which may or may not be contained near the tip of the modified wire. Each marker comprises a palpable surface which is detectable when the surgeon encounters the marker.

Abstract: The method for the localized destruction of soft structures using negative pressure elastic waves, comprises the steps of generating at a predetermined rate comprised between a few Hz and 3 KHz, trains of elastic pressure waves, said waves having a frequency between 0.3 and 10 MHz, each of said trains having a duration between 1 microsecond and 1 millisecond and comprising negative going oscillations; focussing said waves into a beam; transmitting and directing said beam onto the target through a liquid coupling medium and adjusting the power of said elastic pressure wave at a predetermined value.

Abstract: Device construction facilitating the visibility of a device when inserted into a body being subjected to magnetic resonance imaging having a member adapted to be inserted into the body. The member carries material exhibiting a characteristic under magnetic resonance imaging which differs substantially from that of the body so that the visibility of the member under magnetic resonance imaging is substantially enhanced.Method for imaging foreign objects in a body having tissue by the use of magnetic resonance imaging and x-ray imaging. The method comprises the steps of causing the foreign object to carry at least one material causing the foreign object to exhibit a characteristic under magnetic resonance imaging which differs from the characteristic of the tissue of the body to enhance the visibility of the foreign object when positioned in the body and also to exhibit a characteristic under x-ray imaging. The foreign object is inserted into the body.

Abstract: An electrohydraulic probe for impacting object is shown. The electrohydraulic probe comprises a first electrode, and a second electrode which positioned at a preselected space from the first electrode defining a uniformly spaced controlled discharge path therebetween. An insulating means is disposed between and encloses the space between the first electrode and second electrode. The insulating means comprises a relatively mechanically rigid dielectric material that structurally maintains the predetermined space between the first electrode and second electrode while preventing a controlled discharge through the insulating means to cause an electrical discharge shock to occur only across the uniformly spaced controlled discharge path which electrical discharge shock generates and applies a hydraulic shock wave through a fluid to the object to impact the same.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for the examination of a moving component by the application of NMR methods and dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP). The saturation of electron spins required by DNP is adapted to occur within such area of an object in which the polarizing magnetic field has a different strength from the area of object which is subjected to NMR operations.

Abstract: A method for determining motility comprising the detection, by means such as a transducer, of vibration of the external abdominal surface generated by gastrointestinal vibration and analysis of the signals produced by the transducer. Means are provided for integrating the signal over discrete time intervals in order to obtain meaningful results.

Abstract: A sutureless myocardial positive fixation lead implantation device is disclosed. An inner plastic rod is encased in an outer plastic sleeve. The outer plastic sleeve is affixed to a handle in which a central bore has been introduced. The inner rod is of sufficient length that a small length extends proximally from the handle when it is positioned within this bore, and it simultaneously extends the full length of the outer plastic sleeve. A suction cup is affixed to the distal end of the outer plastic sleeve. A holder means for receiving the proximal end of a typical myocardial lead is affixed to the handle to ensure that the lead is held taut and, thus, prevents entanglement during use.A specially designed smooth electrode head is pressed against the suction cup so that a lead having a corkscrew shaped electrode projecting from the head can be held by the device while it is rotated into place.

Abstract: A pressure transducer compensation system for compensating an offset and adjusting the sensitivity of the pressure transducer to a predetermined level. A reusable cable (160) connected to a pressure monitor (14) is intended for use with a plurality of disposable pressure transducers (12). In one embodiment, a connector (150) of the reusable cable includes a CPU (70), which determines the offset and self-heating errors of the pressure transducer during the first 30 seconds it is energized, stores the corrections in its internal memory and compensates the output signal produced by the pressure transducer for those errors and for variations in ambient temperature. A gain-set resistor (56) is included in a male modular phone plug (202) of a disposable cable that is integrally connected to the pressure transducer, and is used by the compensation circuit to control the signal produced by the pressure transducer, compensating for the characteristic sensitivity of the device.

Abstract: A cushion is provided in combination with a truncated ellipsoidal lithotripter reflector. The reflector is open at one end, and this end is closed by a diaphragm. The reflector is filled with liquid and a spark gap is provided at the first focus point of the reflector. The second focus point of the ellipsoidal reflector is intended to be positioned coincident with a bodily concretion such as a kidney stone. This cannot always be done with the diaphragm extended to engage the body in which the concretion is located. Thus, the present invention provides in combination with the foregoing a flexible cushion having one end engaging the diaphragm, and the other end thereof being adapted to engage the body having the concretion. A strap or the like encircles the sidewall of the cushion, and the strap is tightened or loosened to increase or decrease the axial length of the cushion, and thereby to provide fluid communication between the spark gap and the concretion.

Abstract: A piezoelectric shock wave generator for use in medical equipment includes a plurality of piezoelectric elements being electrically interconnected to operate in parallel and mounted on a common carrier of curved configuration; a coupler medium couples shock waves as generated by these piezoelectric generators into the body of a living being, the improvement includes electrical insulation between the piezoelements being in fluid, i.e. liquid or gaseous state, in that each piezoelectric element is surrounded by the fluid in any direction towards any other piezoelectric element; the front ends of the piezoelectric elements may be physically separated, so that the coupler fluid and the isolating fluid are the same, and having a common flow space; alternatively, a membrane in front of all said piezoelectric elements provides electrical interconnection between them and physically separates the isolating fluid from the coupler liquid.

Abstract: A method for enhancing the permeability of the skin or other biological membrane to a material such as a drug is disclosed. In the method, the drug is delivered in conjunction with ultrasound having a frequency of above about 10 MHz. The method may also be used in conjunction with chemical permeation enhancers and/or with iontophoresis.

Abstract: To obtain a high quality image at a vascular area at high speed: (1) there is used a pulse sequence which includes a bipolar phase encoding magnetic field, dephases a stationary area, and does not generate the first order moment; (2) phase distortions are estimated from measured data and removed, without incorporating a new function for function fitting; and (3) the relationship between the application timing of a readout gradient magnetic field and the latest application time of the other slice selection and phase encoding magnetic fields is obtained using as its parameter the time T.sub.E from excitation to generation of an echo peak within a measurement signal, and using this relationship, the application timing T.sub.E is obtained which makes minimum the echo peak shift quantity.

Abstract: There is disclosed, a piezoelectric transducer for generating focussed ultrasonic shock waves for use in lithotripsy. The ultrasonic shock waves are emitted in pulsed form and can be transmitted by way of a coupling medium to the body of a patient to be treated. The transducer comprises a substantial member of individual piezoelectric transducer elements of ceramic or like material which are connected to the poles of a pulse generator and are fixed to a support in mosaic form and with their sides electrically insulated from one another. The acoustic termination of the transducer elements is essentially free from reflection. An intermediate medium of at least one layer, the acoustic impedance of which lies between that of the ceramic of the transducer element and that of the coupling medium, is provided between the transducer elements and the coupling medium. The thickness d of the layer is chosen in accordance with the relationship d>.tau..sub.k .multidot.c.sub.LA, where .tau..sub.