Abstract: A stethoscope according to exemplary embodiments of the inventive concept includes a chestpiece for examining a patient by contacting him on the body, a microphone unit for receiving a doctor's voice, a first headset unit connected to the doctor's ears, and a second headset unit connected to the patient's ears, and a guiding unit guiding the chestpiece and the microphone unit to be each connected to at least one of the first headset unit and the second headset unit. Such the composition of the stethoscope enables the patient to listen to the doctor's voice as well as the auscultation sound gathered through the chestpiece, selectively.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method of generating and measuring transiently evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE) acoustic signals generated in the cochlea using a scheme of stimulating both inner ears simultaneously, left ear alone, and right ears alone with at least two different first and second averaging buffers per ear in a switching scheme with automated detection of contralateral suppression of TEOAE via statistical analysis of the differences of suppressed and unsuppressed responses.

Abstract: A body fat monitor structure includes a foot pad and a body fat monitor disposed in the body fat monitor. The foot pad includes a base layer and a cloth layer laminated on the base layer. The base layer has a hollow area, and the body fat monitor is accommodated in the hollow area. The body fat monitor includes housing and a set of measurement components disposed in the housing. The set of measurement components at least has an electrical contact exposed from the housing, the cloth layer has a sensor portion disposed corresponding to the electrical contact, and the sensor portion is configured by conductive yarn knitted on the cloth layer and exposed between an upper and a lower surfaces of the cloth layer.

Abstract: The invention concerns a system of measuring ocular pressure, consisting of at least one implant (30) including a pressure sensor (33) and an electronic circuit (32), implanted in the cornea of an eye and an antenna (31) connected to the said circuit and implanted in the sub-conjunctival space; and a unit (50) for processing the representative values of the pressure, received by a radio-frequency link from the said electronic circuit (30).

Abstract: A physiological state of a patient is detected by at least producing and detecting pressure waves with a free wall of an implantable medical device (IMD) housing. An actuator element may contact the free wall, e.g., a portion of the IMD housing, and cause movement of the free wall that produces a pressure wave within the fluid and tissue of the patient. A detector element contacting the free wall may in turn detect reflected pressure waves received by the free wall. An acoustic module within the IMD may then determine a physiological condition of the patient, e.g., a bladder fullness state, based on the time delay between the transmitted and reflected pressure waves. In some examples in which the IMD also delivers stimulation therapy to the patient, e.g., incontinence therapy, the IMD may also automatically adjust stimulation therapy based on the determined physiological condition.

Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting lameness in a limb of an animal are described herein. In an embodiment, a lameness detection system comprises a plurality of wearable footwear elements. Each of the footwear elements comprises a housing that is configured to fit snugly on a paw of the animal during ordinary gait. Each of the footwear elements comprise a sensor or matrix of sensors that is configured to detect and generate data representative of pressure or force exerted by the paw on a ground surface. Each footwear element additionally comprises a wireless transceiver that is configured for short-distance communication of the data captured by the sensors. The system further comprises a computing device with a wireless transceiver configured to communicate with the transceivers of the footwear elements and instructions which, when executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to analyze lameness in a limb of the animal based on data received from the sensors.

Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods determine one or more gait parameters using acceleration readings generated by an accelerometer coupled to a user. Gait parameters determined by various embodiments may include step length, step width, step time, single limb support time, or double limb support time. The accelerometer may be coupled to one of the user's arms. Exemplary systems may comprise an accelerometer, a processor, and a non-transitory computer readable medium (NTCRM). The processor may process acceleration readings from the accelerometer according to instructions stored on the NTCRM to determine the one or more gait parameters. The processor may communicate the one or more gait parameters to a receiving device. Some embodiments of the system may function as self-contained units and some embodiments may present information corresponding to gait parameters or recommendations regarding gait.

Abstract: A blood pressure cuff may comprise an alignment component, a sleeve, and a tapered inflatable bladder disposed within the sleeve. The tapered inflatable bladder may have a width that increases as the distance from the alignment component increases, and the tapered inflatable bladder and the alignment component may be configured to position the blood pressure cuff around a limb having a blood vessel and a circumference, such that at a position coincident with the blood vessel, the width of the tapered inflatable bladder is about 40% of the circumference of the limb. A method of using such a blood pressure cuff may comprise placing the alignment component at the position coincident with the blood vessel of the limb, wrapping the cuff around the limb such that the width of the tapered inflatable bladder overlaying the blood vessel is about 40% of the circumference of the limb, and inflating the bladder.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to blood pressure monitoring. In some embodiments, methods and devices of measuring a mean arterial pressure are provided and/or monitoring blood pressure changes. A wrist-worn device may include a plurality of sensors backed by a plurality of actuators. Subsets of the plurality of sensors may be selectively actuateable against a wrist of a user using one or more of the plurality of actuators. A preferred sensor and location may be identified based on pressure signals received from each of the sensors. In some embodiments, devices may use a fluid bladder coupled with piezoelectric film sensors. A fluid bladder pressure sensor may be used to calibrate the piezoelectric film signal to provide a static and dynamic pressure reading. In yet another embodiment, a mean arterial pressure may be calculated by processing a swept pressure signal obtained as a sensor is swept through different heights.

Abstract: A method for producing prick test single use sterile vials for use in a prick test is provided. The method comprises providing at least one allergen source including therewithin allergen extract, providing a plurality of single dose vials, connecting a tube to the at least one allergen source, connecting a metering device to the tube, drawing by the tube an amount of the allergen extract from one of the at least one allergen source, receiving the amount of allergen extract at the metering device, and dispensing by the metering device a volume of allergen extract into one of the plurality of single dose vials.

Abstract: An apparatus for performing medical procedures on an anatomical body includes an extension with an element near its distal end to be extended into the body, and a driver that moves the extension axially into the body, and that causes flexure of the distal end of the extension. The movement and flexure of the extension is driven by the driver from the proximal end of the extension, and an electronic controller directs the operation of the driver.

Abstract: A collector-analyzer apparatus for urine has a urine collecting tube joined with a urine receiving canister. Suction is produced in the collecting tube to join the tube with a penis or to the exterior surface of a female urethra orifice. Once suction is achieved the collecting tube stays in place by suction action. When urine flows into the urine collecting tube a sensor triggers a vacuum pump to produce a higher level of suction to flush the urine into the canister where a level sensor determines the quantity of urine received or resident within the canister. Various sensors in the canister determine levels of non-urine partials such as occult blood, drugs, salt, and other substances. When urine is no longer detected within the urine tube, the vacuum pump is turned off and a low-level vacuum remains to assure interconnection between the urine tube and the urethra.

Abstract: A method of recommending an assistive device for a user includes: (A) providing a recommendation system that includes a measuring device, an output device and a processing device; (B) the measuring device performing measurement associated with a body part of a user to generate measurement information associated with the body part of the user; (C) the processing device receiving the measurement information from the measuring device, and generating recommendation of an assistive device according to the measurement information; and (D) the output device outputting a message associated with the recommendation.

Abstract: A medical system comprises a probe comprising a terminal distal end. The system further comprises a first coil in the probe and comprises a guide instrument including a terminal distal end and defining a lumen sized to guide the probe. The probe can be inserted through the lumen to reach a worksite. At the worksite, the terminal distal end of the probe is configured to reach at least the terminal distal end of the guide instrument. The system further comprises a sensor embedded in a wall of the guide instrument and comprises processing hardware configured to receive a first induced signal from the first coil and to receive from the sensor an indication of a pointing direction of the guide instrument. The processing hardware is configured to use the first induced signal and the indication of the pointing direction to determine a roll angle of the probe.

Abstract: A disposable cartridge can be used for biofluid sample collection, preparation, and mixing with reagents. After sample collection, the cartridge can be inserted into a reader for sample analysis. This system can be used for detecting and measuring analytes, such as drugs, in saliva for example. This is useful for point of test detection of drugs in applications such as workplace drug testing and driving under the influence of drugs testing.

Abstract: A method for identifying human joint characteristics, the method including the steps of: placing an item with a known characteristic near the joint, using a mobile imaging device, taking at least one image of the joint, and using the image and the known characteristic of the item to determine a joint characteristic of the joint.

Abstract: This invention is related to an operation scenario flow, mechanical modeling and analysis system comprising web based, (i) growth (ii) scaling and (iii) quality control aimed, patient based fast prototyping functions, for newborn and fetus cardiovascular repair operations, developed in order to be used for training of doctors and patient specific post surgery performance prediction in hospitals following and prior to, cardiovascular operations within the field of bioengineering in the health sector. Moreover it can be used for both vivo implantation plans of patient specific cardiovascular devices (custom cardiac valve and cardiac support pumps) and adaptation of said devices to the physiology of the patient.

Abstract: A user-wearable sensor device may be configured to be directly or indirectly secured to a user or to an article worn by the user. The user-wearable sensor device may include at least one sensor configured to collect sensor data associated with an orientation of the user, a display unit including at least one LED or other visual indicator, a battery configured to provide power to at least the display unit, and a control system. The control system may be configured to determine the orientation of the user based on sensor data collected by the at least one sensor, maintain the display unit in a deactivated state in the absence of a defined activation input, detect a defined activation input, activate the deactivated display unit in response to detecting the defined activation input, and control the activated display unit based on the determined orientation of the user.

Abstract: A method, a wearable device, and an apparatus for monitoring sleep of a user are provided. The method includes: determining an activity amount of a user based on multi-axial acceleration data received by the wearable device in a time period, in which the multi-axial acceleration data includes acceleration data in multiple axes; if the activity amount is smaller than a first threshold, determining a microactivity feature value using the multi-axial acceleration data and predetermined weights; and determining a microactivity state for the user in the time period based on the microactivity feature value, in which the activity amount of the user is substantially zero in the microactivity state.

Abstract: A method of monitoring a patient includes measuring neural respiratory drive using a monitoring device (10), repeating the measurement either continuously or at regular time intervals, and comparing the measurements obtained in order to predict treatment failure and/clinical deterioration and/or re-admission. In embodiments of the invention, the neural respiratory drive is measured by obtaining a measure of the second intercostal space parasternal electromyogram. A monitoring device (10) includes a signal input (20), a processing unit (30), and a output unit (50), and is arranged to measure the neural respiratory drive, store the measured value and compare it to a previously measured value for the neural respiratory drive.