Abstract: A uterine activity monitoring device and method for monitoring uterine activity on a nearly continuous basis. The device may comprise a belt configured to fit around a pregnant patient's abdomen, with a plurality of, uterine contraction sensors. These sensors may be protruding contraction sensing buttons, disposed generally perpendicular to the patient's skin. In order to avoid signal distortions caused by patient movement, the belt will often have at least one ambient motion sensor configured to monitor non-uterine contraction movements and produce background movement signals. These ambient motion sensors may be accelerometers and stretch or pressure disposed generally parallel to the patient's skin. The device will have an onboard processor communicate wirelessly with a variety of external monitoring and management systems, such as wrist worn monitors, cell phones, and remote patient management websites.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for releasably securing a wire guide to an elongate medical device for introduction into a work site with the bodily lumen of a patient. An elongate engagement member is configured to engage the wire guide while it is coupled to the elongate medical device and is configured so as to prevent relative movement between the wire guide and the elongate medical device. The elongate engagement member includes an adjustable handle assembly for adjusting the relative position of the distal end of the elongate engagement member relative to the elongate medical device.

Abstract: A meter system for analyzing body fluids includes a supply magazine for storing a stack of test elements, a meter for analyzing fluid samples, and a transport system for transporting test elements from the supply magazine to the meter. The test element in one embodiment includes a lancet integrated test element that has a lancet coupled to a test strip. The transport system is configured to minimize damage to the test element. In one form, the transport system includes a shuttle that slides the top-most test element from the stack onto a connection portion of the meter. In another form, the transport system includes a drum that rotates to transport test elements from the supply magazine to a testing position and, once used, to a waste magazine for disposal. In a further form, the transport system includes a disc that rotates to transport the test elements.

Abstract: A guidewire for use in ear, nose and throat procedures may include an elongate core wire having a proximal region and a distal region. The distal region of the core wire may include a flattened portion adapted to provide preferential flexure along at least one axis of the wire. The distal region of the core wire may include a tip portion distal of the flattened portion, where at least one cross-sectional dimension of the tip portion is greater than at least one cross-sectional dimension of the flattened portion. The guidewire may include an outer coil disposed around at least a portion of the elongate core wire. The guidewire may also include an atraumatic tip coupled to the core wire or the outer coil.

Abstract: Improved assemblies, systems, and methods provide safeguarding against tissue injury during surgical procedures and/or identify nerve damage occurring prior to surgery and/or verify range of motion or attributes of muscle contraction during reconstructive surgery. A stimulation control device may incorporate a range of low and high intensity stimulation to provide a stimulation and evaluation of both nerves and muscles. A stimulation control device is removably coupled to a surgical device or is imbedded within the medical device to provide a stimulation and treatment medical device. A disposable hand held stimulation system includes an operative element extending from the housing, the housing includes a visual indication to provide feedback or status to the user.

Abstract: A “Wearable Electromyography-Based Controller” includes a plurality of Electromyography (EMG) sensors and provides a wired or wireless human-computer interface (HCl) for interacting with computing systems and attached devices via electrical signals generated by specific movement of the user's muscles. Following initial automated self-calibration and positional localization processes, measurement and interpretation of muscle generated electrical signals is accomplished by sampling signals from the EMG sensors of the Wearable Electromyography-Based Controller. In operation, the Wearable Electromyography-Based Controller is donned by the user and placed into a coarsely approximate position on the surface of the user's skin. Automated cues or instructions are then provided to the user for fine-tuning placement of the Wearable Electromyography-Based Controller.

Abstract: A hydration and composition measurement device and technique that in one embodiment includes a microcontroller; a phase lock loop frequency synthesizer controlled by the microcontroller to generate radio frequencies; a cavity for use in resonating at a set of frequencies; a radio frequency power detector for measuring perturbed cavity resonance; and an analyzer. The hydration and composition measurement device may further include a circulator, which receives frequencies from the phase lock loop frequency synthesizer, and an antenna connected to the circulator and cavity. The cavity may be defined by a metallic material or members, and the cavity includes a hole configured to provide access of tissue to be tested to the cavity.

Abstract: An integrated lancet and testing striplet for measuring a body analyte level in a health care regimen includes a skin piercing member and an analyte sensor coupled together.

Abstract: Provided are skin incision instrument to efficiently incise minimal portions and a method for incising skin with the skin incision instrument.

Abstract: Even if a mattress or the like suffers long-term deterioration, a sleep state measuring apparatus is provided which can set a suitable amplification factor A of a biosignal. The sleep state measuring apparatus detects the biosignal which changes depending on the sleep state of a person who gets on the mattress filled with water, amplifies the biosignal, and estimates the sleep state based on the biosignal. A static component P of the mattress internal pressure detected by a biosignal sensor is first obtained (S 11). The mattress internal pressure is the pressure of water in the mattress. From the static component P of the mattress internal pressure, a fluctuation part ?V of the mattress internal pressure depending on the value is specified (S 12). Each value of the fluctuation part ?V of the mattress internal pressure is obtained beforehand by applying a predetermined load, and changing the static component P of the mattress internal pressure.

Abstract: A body fat measuring device comprises electrodes brought into contact with the waist portion of a subject, an optical sensor composed of a light applying section and a light receiving section, an impedance computing section for computing the impedance between the electrodes, a subcutaneous fat thickness computing section for computing the thickness of the subcutaneous fat of the subject from the value detected by the optical sensor, and a body fat computing section which subtracts the amount of subcutaneous fat determined using the thickness of the subcutaneous fat computed by the subcutaneous thickness computing section from the total fat amount of the subject determined using the impedance computed by the impedance computing section so as to determine the visceral fat amount of the subject. With this, not only the accuracy of measurement of the visceral fat amount is improved but also the visceral fat amount of the subject can be easily computed even without a database.

Abstract: An integrated lancet and testing striplet for measuring a body analyte level in a health care regimen includes a skin piercing member and an analyte sensor coupled together.

Abstract: An arrangement, method and computer program for determining the physical activity level of a human being. The arrangement comprises a movement sensor to be attached to an upper limb of the human being for measuring upper limb movements, a processing unit connected to the movement sensor for filtering upper limb movements following one another more frequently than a predetermined threshold period from upper limb movements during a determination period, for forming the number of upper limb movements during the determination period from the filtered upper limb movements during the determination period, and for determining the physical activity level on the basis of the number of upper limb movements during the determination period formed from the filtered upper limb movements during the determination period.

Abstract: A cognitive function training unit including an eye-target showing unit for showing a movable eye-target on a display disposed in front of the subject's eye, an eye movement measuring unit for measuring a position and/or movement of the subject's eye, and a judgment unit for judging whether or not the subject can fixedly look at or follow the eye-target based on the position and/or the movement of the eye-target shown on the display and the position and/or the movement of the subject's eye measured by the eye movement measuring unit, and the eye-target showing unit shows the eye-target repeatedly while changing the position and/or the movement of the eye-target according to a judgment result of the judgment unit. Therefore, it is possible to show a suitable eye-target according to a symptom of a patient, whereby it is possible to conduct training efficiently.

Abstract: A device is disclosed for detecting a voltage potential from a tissue membrane. The device includes an input circuit, an output circuit and a digital signal processor. The input circuit receives a membrane voltage potential from an electrode. The output circuit receives an output command signal and provides a current output signal to the electrode. The digital signal processor is coupled to the input circuit and the output circuit. The digital signal processor provides the output command signal, and waits a delay period prior to receiving the membrane voltage signal from the input circuit.

Abstract: A system is provided for withdrawing small amounts of body fluid from an animal or human. The system includes a holder and a disposable lancing unit attached to the holder. The lancing unit also includes an open capillary channel for transporting the body fluid and piercing the skin.

Abstract: The invention disclosed herein provides a system and method for diagnosing lower urinary system conditions by receiving urodynamic data and subjective symptomatic impressions concerning a patient. The system and method then assigns weighted point values to the urodynamic data, for example, urethal pressure profiles due to sphincter contraction conditions such as urgency (2) and stress incontinence (4), and the subjective symptomatic impressions, quantifies norms for lower urinary system function, as a whole or in part, and quantifies recognized pathologies of lower urinary system conditions as degrees of departure from the norms. The system and method then determines a lower urinary system condition diagnosis of the patient, as a function of the degrees of departure from the norms, by invoking a set of rules to compare the weighted point values assigned and the quantified norms.

Abstract: A motion sensor for measuring motion information of a subject comprises a coil substrate having transmitting or receiving coils piled one on top of another and a holder in which the coil substrate is mounted. Formed on the holder are curved surfaces to which an adhesive sheet is stuck and at which the holder is attached to a nail of a subject via the adhesive sheet. Further, there is provided a casing where first and second containing space are formed to contain measurement instruments including an adhesive member where a plurality of the adhesive sheets are laid one on top of another, the motion sensor, and the like.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method for monitoring vibration using a self-powered vibration sensor, a programmable interactive device, and a remote server. The self-powered sensor is capable of transforming vibrations into equivalent RF pulses, which are recorded and manipulated by the programmable interactive device. The programmable interactive device communicates the RF pulses to the remote server for further analysis, processing, and feedback. These interactions result in an objective monitoring of the vibration, which provides corrective feedback for beneficial transformation of behavior. The corrective feedback may be provided on a programmable interactive device such as a mobile phone, PDA, etc.

Abstract: A method for determining whether a probe for measuring the impedance of human or animal body tissue has been placed over a boundary between different tissue types is described. The probe used in the method comprises at least a first (16), a second (22), a third (18) and a fourth (20) electrode arranged such that the third (18) and fourth (20) electrodes are each located substantially the same distance from both the first (16) and second (22) electrodes. The method comprises: driving a current between the first (16) and the second (22) electrodes; measuring a first value of an electrical parameter between the third (18) and the fourth (20) electrode; and determining whether the probe has been placed over a boundary between different tissue types based on the first value. A probe for carrying out the method is also described.