Abstract: Apparatus for transcutaneously pacing and defibrillating the heart of a patient, having defibrillation pulse discharge circuitry 30 and pacing stimuli generator circuitry 42, both circuits having positive and negative connections 40A, 40B, and 46A, 46B; and including a first multipin connector 49 having four pins at each of which one of the four connections is supplied; a second multipin connector 53 configured to mate with the first multipin connector, and having internal connections to electrically connect the positive connections for the pacing and defibrillation circuitry 40A, 46A and likewise connecting the negative connections of the pacing and defibrillation circuitry 40B, 46B, wherein the positive and negative multifunction connections 58A, 58B are suited for connecting to multifunction electrodes through which both pacing stimuli and defibrillation pulses may be supplied; and a third multipin connector 12 also configured to mate with the first connector, but configured to isolate the pacing connectio

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the physical characteristics of ocular tissue is provided. A lens-less monomode fiber is caused to generate an expanding beam of monochromatic laser light into ocular tissue such that the light is scattered by the tissue in the backward direction. A second optical fiber, which is multimode at the wavelength of the light passing through the monomode transmission fiber, coherently detects light scattered by the ocular tissue. The scattered light received by the second optical fiber is converted into an electrical signal, which is subsequently analyzed to determine whether changes in the molecular structure of the ocular tissue have occurred.

Abstract: An endocardial lead having first and second spaced apart electrodes resides in a patient's heart. The first electrode is a sensing electrode and the second electrode is a carrier signal driving electrode. The lead has a conductor coupling a source of alternating current carrier signals of a predetermined frequency to the second electrode. A third electrode is in electrical contact with body tissues. A cardiac pacer apparatus includes a pacer can which functions as a fourth electrode and has a plastic top wherein the third electrode is located. Said third electrode acts in cooperation with the first electrode to form a pair of sensing electrodes. The sensing electrode pair is further coupled to a sense amplifier for receiving an amplifying modulated electrical signals developed across the sensing electrode pair. A demodulator and filters circuit for demodulating the modulated carrier signal and recovering the modulating signal therefrom is connected to the output of the sense amplifier.

Abstract: An apparatus for vertically aligning a given point on a pressure transducer unit with a desired point an a patient, the apparatus comprising: (a) a light source; (b) a housing adapted to contain the light source; (c) at least one leveling tube having a leveling axis that is substantially parallel to the light beam, the leveling tube comprising (i) a closed transparent envelope containing a liquid and a bubble of gas, and (ii) lines formed on the envelope, where the leveling axis is substantially horizontally aligned when the bubble of gas is located between the two lines; (d) an indicating mark formed on the housing means, where the beam of light is vertically aligned with the given point on the transducer unit when the indicating means is vertically aligned with the given point on the transducer unit; and (e) a locking system for selectively locking the housing means to prevent movement thereof relative to the transducer unit when the beam of light is both horizontally aligned and vertically aligned with the

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for constructing optically stabilized, shutterless infrared capnographs are disclosed. The capnographs of the present invention provide the absolute concentration of the constituents of the respiratory airstream of a patient, without the thermal drift problems normally associated with thermopile detectors, thereby providing a device with a high degree of accuracy. The present invention eliminates the need for a mechanical shutter to modulate the incident infrared beam and the need for a modulated source, thereby increasing the reliability and response time of the devices disclosed. Capnographs which are substantially unaffected by changes in the ambient temperature at which they operate are provided by connecting pairs of optically filtered thermopiles in series and processing the resulting differential pair. In addition, techniques are provided for selecting overlapping optical filters for use with thermopiles with a minimum level of cross-talk.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an vitro device for the removal of ionized substances from a membrane sample without mechanical penetration, which device comprises:(a) a positive electrode;(b) a negative electrode, and(c) electrical insulation between subpart (a) and (b), wherein the positive electrode, and the negative electrode, and electrical insulation are positioned on the same side of the membrane sample.The present invention also relates to a device for the removal of or delivery of ionized substances to a mammal through intact skin or mucosal membrane without mechanical penetration, which device comprises: (a) a positive electrode, (b) a negative electrode, and (c) an electrically insulating material between subpart (a) and (b), wherein the positive electrode, negative electrode and insulating material are physically positioned so that each present a common surface of the device for contact with the same surface of the skin or mucosal membrane of the mammal.

Abstract: A sensor includes a pair of resiliently loaded jaws for receiving a finger, the sensor including a pair of fiber optic light transmitting guides secured in fixed spaced relation to one of the jaws for sensing blood in the finger tip. A control unit includes a light generator for transmitting light modulated at first and second frequencies to one of the guides via a light guide transfer section. The finger pulse modulates the received transmitted light. The modulated light is sensed by the other guide and returned to a receiver in the control unit via the transfer section for separating and demodulating the different frequency signals. The control unit includes a calculating unit which has two branches for processing and then combining by dividing the processed demodulated signals for determining the oxygen content of the blood from the relative magnitudes of the pulse-dependent modulation factor of the wave reflected from the finger.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the noninvasive measurement of blood hematocrit and hemoglobin content using differential optical absorption of two or more wavelengths of light during blood volume changes. The method is also useful for noninvasive measurements of other blood analytes, such as glucose, where variations in hematocrit or blood hemoglobin concentration cause errors in the measurement.

Abstract: An exercise training system for prompting a user for stereo typed exercise and recording the intensity of the exercise, the training system consisting of an electromyographic sensor member which produces a rectified and time averaged signal forming a muscle force signal, the sensor member being provided with at least one electrode that is positioned adjacent to the user's muscle group for indicating muscle force of that muscle group, and a control member having a clock for measuring time intervals, and an alerting member for alerting the user that an exercise period has started as determined by the clock for a predetermined time interval loaded into the control means, whereby the user in response to the alerting member contracts and relaxes a predetermined muscle group and the muscle force used in the exercise is sensed by the electromyographic sensor.

Abstract: A ferrule for a laparoscopic surgical instrument is enclosed. The ferrule is an integral plastic piece which shields a peripheral uncovered portion of a metal tube of the surgical instrument which is intermediate a shrink wrap covered portion of the metal tube and an actuator housing which closely surrounds an extended portion of the metal tube. The ferrule has first and second end portions and a middle portion, with a cylindrical bore in the first end which closely contacts the shrink wrap covered portion of the metal tube, a first outwardly flaring frusto-conical bore in the middle portion and adjacent the cylindrical bore which surroundingly covers the uncovered portion of the metal tube, and a second outwardly flaring frusto-conical bore in the second end adjacent the first outwardly flaring bore.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for MRI imaging capable of reducing the time between end of measurement and completion of image reconstruction by performing part of image reconstruction calculation in parallel with measurement of magnetic resonance signals, which particularly performs image reconstruction calculation up to (N-1) dimensions of N-dimensional image reconstruction calculation in parallel with measurement of signals and performs the image reconstruction calculation for the remaining one-dimensional direction after the measurement has been finished.

Abstract: The physiological parameters of heart rate, respiratory and snoring sounds, the degree of oxygen saturation of the blood, and the bodily position of the patient are measured and stored in coded form by means of portable apparatus. The stored data are transferred to a computer and then analyzed. The mobile apparatus comprises a detection and storage unit (2) and the following pickups: three EKG electrodes (3), one laryngeal microphone (4), an oximeter-finger sensor (5) and a position pickup (6). The apparatus permits an ambulatory diagnosis of sleep apnea which is comparable in its meaningfulness to diagnoses based on stationary sleep laboratory tests for sleep apnea.

Abstract: A suture sleeve for facilitating the ligature of an implanted lead to a patient's vein or underlying tissue. The suture sleeve comprises a main sleeve body having a first, longitudinal throughbore for receiving the lead. The suture sleeve is provided with a manually-actuated pushbutton-type locking mechanism. With the locking mechanism in an unlocked condition, the suture sleeve is allowed to freely move back and forth along the lead body. When the locking mechanism is actuated with a simple pushbutton action, the suture sleeve is substantially prevented from sliding along the lead body. The pushbutton mechanism is adapted to be movably received in a second throughbore in said sleeve body, the second throughbore being substantially perpendicular to the first longitudinal throughbore. The pushbutton mechanism has a throughbore of substantially the same diameter as the first longitudinal throughbore in the sleeve body.

Abstract: Tympanic temperature measurements are obtained from the output of a thermopile mounted in an extension from a housing. The housing has a temperature display thereon and supports the electronics for responding to sensed radiation. A disposable plastic sheet taken from a tape of such sheets stretches over the end of the extension between side posts. The thermopile is mounted in a highly conductive thermal mass which includes a waveguide tube. A low conductivity gaseous environment surrounding the thermopile extends through the tube. The electronics include an EEPROM in which both calibration and characterization information may be stored during a calibration procedure through an optical coupling. A capacitor and transistor associated with a switch form a simple watchdog circuit.

Abstract: An apparatus for generating a velocity spectrogram is described. The apparatus includes a transducer which is positionable within a vessel. The transducer receives a time-varying Doppler signal which contains information related to fluid velocity values within the vessel. A Fourier transformation device processes the time-varying Doppler signal to generate a sequence of spectra. Each spectrum corresponds to a segment of the time-varying Doppler signal and defines a set of velocities and their corresponding spectral values. A device is used to identify the instantaneous spectral peak velocity within each spectra. The peak velocity corresponds to the highest velocity within a spectra which has a spectral value above a defined threshold value which is related to the background noise level. The sequence of spectral peak velocities is plotted on a visual interface device to form an instantaneous spectral peak velocity waveform.

Abstract: A flexible patch electrode for use with living tissue, comprising, in sequential laminar form, a layer of electrically conductive porous polytetrafluoroethylene, a layer of polymeric adhesive, a layer of electrically conductive sheet material having lower resistivity than the layer of porous polytetrafluoroethylene, and an insulating layer. The layer of electrically conductive sheet material is of less length and width than the adjacent layers and is placed so that its edges are not exposed at the edges of the flexible patch electrode.

Abstract: A system for monitoring a patient and treating the malfunctioning heart of the patient, either in an automatic mode or in a semiautomatic mode, includes means which derive at least one electrical signal resulting from action of the patient's heart and means which derive at least one physiologic signal from or related to the patient's circulatory system. A central processing unit, which may be a programmable microprocessor, with a RAM and a ROM, receives and responds to the at least one electrical signal and to the at least one physiologic signal. Output means, which may include a heart assist pump, pacers, drug delivery devices and cardioverting/-defibrillating apparatuses, controlled by the central processing unit provides corrective measure(s) to the patient. Adjustable or variable baselines, against which a representation of the current, short-term magnitude of the selected physiologic parameter or parameters are provided.

Abstract: A method of continuously monitoring cardiac output and SVR of a patient by analyzing the blood pressure signal. The signal can be measured directly by the use of catheters placed into various arteries, in particular a radial artery or a femoral artery, or non-invasive methods such as electrooptic means, or using a piezoelectric pressure transducer. Various parameters are extracted from the blood pressure signal waveform in order to calculate the cardiac output of the patient and other hemodynamic data.

Abstract: A biological signal processing system for extracting differential signals for alternating signals detected by at least two sensors, and analyzing and processing a plurality of frequency components contained in the differential signals within a predetermined time span, in which a low-pass filter to which the alternating signals are inputted, and a high-pass filter to which the output of the low-pass filter is supplied are provided to extract signals being analyzed having frequencies higher than the cut-off frequency of the low-pass filter and lower than the cut-off frequency of the high-pass filter; the signals being analyzed are sampled; and data signals on the signals being analyzed for every predetermined time span are supplied to a personal computer; the personal computer extracting from the data signals signal components for each of a plurality of frequency components by means of a plurality of digital filters, and visually displaying the signal components for each of the extracted frequency components.

Abstract: A defibrillation pulse generator and lead system particularly adapted to allow for implant via a single incision. The electrode system consists of a right ventricular electrode and a single subcutaneous electrode, which is preferably located on the housing of the implantable defibrillator. The defibrillator is preferably implanted in the left pectoral region of the heart, and is employed as the cathodal electrode during the initial phase of a biphasic defibrillation pulse applied between the two electrodes.