Abstract: An endodontic instrument for cleaning/shaping a tooth root canal that includes an elongated shaft composed of a porous material, the shaft having a proximal end portion, a distal end and a tapered working portion having an external surface and a rotational axis, the working portion extending from the proximal end portion to the distal end.

Abstract: Provided are mechanisms and processes for an intelligent assistive mobility device. Intelligent assistive mobility devices disclosed herein may include systems including a frame having handles, a plurality of wheels, and a plurality of brakes coupled to the wheels. The frame is configured to provide a user with assistance during walking. The system also includes a motion sensor coupled to the frame. The motion sensor includes a rotary encoder configured to measure a distance traveled by the frame by measuring rotation of at least one of the plurality of wheels. The system also includes a contact interface coupled to the frame and configured to enable connectivity with a mobile device. The contact interface is further configured to enable monitoring of measurements and the detection of distress based, at least in part, on the measurements. The system further includes an application interface configured to communicate with a health and fitness application.

Abstract: A coiled, closed-loop RF current attenuator is configured to be placed about an implantable lead conductor. A coiled conductor extends in a coiled shape defining a longitudinal axis from a first coil end to a second coil end. The first coil end is electrically connected to the second coil end. An insulator is disposed about the coiled conductor. The closed loop attenuator can also include in series a short, a capacitor and/or a resistor. In some embodiments the closed loop attenuator can be resonant at an MRI RF-pulsed frequency. The closed loop attenuator can be integrated as a permanent part of an implantable lead conductor, or alternatively, be a stand-alone device that is placed about a premade implantable lead conductor.

Abstract: A wearable biometric device includes a biometric sensor system adapted to measure a predetermined physiological property of a user's body at two or more different locations at the body surface and to provide for each such location an associated primary signal indicative of said measured physiological property. The device also includes a detector system adapted to detect a level of coupling of the biometric sensor system with the body at each of the locations and to provide for each of the locations an associated secondary signal indicative of said detected level of coupling and also includes a signal processing unit adapted to generate an output signal indicative of said physiological property as a function of the primary and secondary signals.

Abstract: An ultrasonic device includes a substrate, a first piezoelectric body, a second piezoelectric body, and an acoustic matching section. The substrate has a first surface that is a flat surface. The first piezoelectric body is disposed on the first surface of the substrate. The second piezoelectric body is disposed on the first surface of the substrate. The second piezoelectric body has a different thickness from a thickness of the first piezoelectric body as measured from the first surface of the substrate. The acoustic matching section is disposed on the first piezoelectric body and the second piezoelectric body. The acoustic matching section has a first side facing the first piezoelectric body and the second piezoelectric body, and a second side opposite from the first side. A surface of the acoustic matching section on the second side is a flat surface parallel with the first surface of the substrate.

Abstract: An ultrasonic transducer device 100 includes a substrate 130, an ultrasonic transducer element array 110 that is provided on the substrate 130 and in which a plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements 111 are arranged, and an identification ultrasonic transducer element array 120 that is provided on the substrate 130 and in which a plurality of identification ultrasonic transducer elements 121 are arranged. Identification information of the ultrasonic transducer device 100 is set by some of the plurality of identification ultrasonic transducer elements 121 being set to a receivable state and the rest being set to a non-receivable state.

Abstract: A wound dressing according to the present invention comprises at least two impedance reference electrodes, a frame like counter-electrode and stimulation electrodes in a form of an array; and a bioadhesive affinity layer surrounding the stimulation electrodes; said wound dressing being suited for applying on top of the wound so that the stimulation electrode array is on the wound area, and that the at least two impedance reference electrodes and the frame like counter-electrode are suited for placing in contact with the healthy skin surrounding the wound area; which electrodes, are suited for applying LIDC type electrical stimulation current to the wound area and for bioimpedance measurement. The wound dressing according to the present invention provide a continuous, non-invasive and objective solution for monitoring chronic wound healing without disturbing the delicate healing process.

Abstract: Shielded sheaths are placed over implantable medical leads and/or implantable medical lead extensions to provide shielding from electromagnetic energy and to prevent heating at the electrodes. The shielded sheaths include insulative bodies with shield layers such as conductive braided wire or conductive foil tubular structures. The shielded sheath may be implanted at the time of implanting the lead and/or lead extension. The shielded sheath may also be implanted at a later time after the lead and/or lead extension has previously been implanted. The shielded sheath may be anchored onto the lead or lead extension.

Abstract: A probe for ultrasonic diagnostic equipment includes a cable, a cable outer periphery holder, and a depressed cone shape component. The cable outer periphery holder includes a deformable convex cone shape portion and a supporting surface that holds an outer peripheral of the cable. The depressed cone shape component has a depressed cone shape portion and fits the convex cone shape portion. The cable outer periphery holder has a water proof structure configured to prevent invasion of liquid from a gap formed between the outer periphery of the cable and the supporting surface. The water proof structure is configured to have the convex cone shape portion and the depressed cone shape component to fit so as to deform the convex cone shape portion. The deformation forms a reduced diameter portion to eliminate the gap, the reduced diameter portion having a diameter.

Abstract: The devices and method described herein allow for therapeutic damage to increase volume in these hyperdynamic hearts to allow improved physiology and ventricular filling and to reduce diastolic filling pressure by making the ventricle less stiff. For example, improving a diastolic heart function in a heart by creating at least one incision in cardiac muscle forming an interior heart wall of the interior chamber where the at least one incision extends into one or more layers of the interior heart wall without puncturing through the interior heart wall and the incision is sufficient to reduce a stiffness of the interior chamber to increase volume of the chamber and reduce diastolic filing pressure.

Abstract: A tanning or a phototherapy system including a light source including light emitting elements configured to emit ultraviolet (UV) light having different peak wavelengths, a controller configured to control luminous characteristics of the light source, and a sensor configured to sense at least one of the luminous characteristics of the light source and a user's skin condition, in which the luminous characteristics of the light source are controlled by the controller based on the user's skin condition sensed by the sensor, and controlling the luminous characteristics comprises increasing or decreasing luminous intensity of one or more of the light emitting elements.

Abstract: A method and system for assessing electrode-tissue contact before the delivery of ablation energy. The method may generally include determining a difference between a maximum impedance magnitude at a low frequency for a given electrode and an absolute minimum impedance magnitude at the low frequency across all electrodes, determining a difference between a maximum impedance magnitude at a high frequency for a given electrode and an absolute minimum impedance magnitude at the high frequency across all electrodes, and determining a difference between a maximum impedance phase at the high frequency for a given electrode and an absolute minimum impedance phase at the high frequency across all electrodes. These differences may be correlated to one another using a linear model, the results of which determining whether the given electrode is in contact or not in contact with tissue.

Abstract: Embodiments of a smart mobility aid device may have sensors to collect, monitor, analyze and represent data including but not limited to activity tracking, biometrics and safety and emergency features. The activity tracking include number of steps, miles, and activity speed, user pressure on a device, activity types and analysis. The user biometric data includes but is not limited to blood work, blood pressure, blood sugar, heart rate, oxygen level/rate, ECG, EMG, muscle strain, humidity, UV, body temperature. Additional features include an emergency button, fall detection, warnings, and user pattern analysis changes. The mobility aid device is connected to other smart electronic device and/or the Internet using but not limited to Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and or/and SIM card. The device gives the user or/and caregiver live feedback about user health metrics and status using a data representation method.

Abstract: A defibrillator system optimizes the timing and manner of applying a defibrillator charge to a patient based upon data provided to the defibrillator from a utility module or one or more external devices. A parameter module on the utility module provides the defibrillator with patient parameter information. Devices external to the utility module may provide the utility module with coaching data that the utility module may pass through to the defibrillator as a proxy to the external devices. The utility module may also provide external devices with patient data that the utility module may pass through to the external devices as a proxy to the defibrillator on a scheduled or other basis. The utility module may additionally provide a reserve of power to enable defibrillators to be used where power is unavailable and to enable defibrillators to deliver multiple charges more readily anywhere, anytime.

Abstract: The present embodiment relates to an ultrasound probe having a first ultrasound vibrator group and a second ultrasound vibrator group, comprising a plurality of matrix switches and an adder. The ultrasound probe has a mode to send ultrasound to a predetermined observation point within a subject by the first ultrasound vibrator group, and to receive ultrasound echoes reflected within the subject by the second ultrasound vibrator group. The plurality of matrix switches extract, based on the distance between the second ultrasound vibrator group and the observation point, a plurality of ultrasound echoes having substantially the same phase from a plurality of ultrasound echoes output by the second ultrasound vibrator group. The adder adds the plurality of ultrasound echoes extracted by the plurality of matrix switches for each of the matrix switches and outputs them.

Abstract: According to some embodiments of this disclosure, a smart sports protective apparatus comprises: a base body device for covering at least a part of a user's body to relieve an impact of an external force to at least the part of the user's body when the user is playing sports; a circuit device for collecting user data, including the user's biological data, motion status data, and body gesture data, from the user in real time when the user is playing sports, at least a part of the circuit device being arranged inside the base body device; and a power supply device for supplying an electric power to the circuit device, the power supply device being arranged inside the base body device.

Abstract: System and method for locating and identifying nerves innervating the wall of arteries such as the renal artery are disclosed. The present invention identifies areas on vessel walls that are innervated with nerves; provides indication on whether energy is delivered accurately to a targeted nerve; and provides immediate post-procedural assessment of the effect of energy delivered to the nerve. The method includes at least the steps to evaluate a change in physiological parameters after energy is delivered to an arterial wall; and to determine the type of nerve that the energy was directed to (none, sympathetic or parasympathetic) based on the evaluated results. The system includes at least a device for delivering energy to the wall of blood vessel; sensors for detecting physiological signals from a subject; and indicators to display results obtained using said method. Also provided are catheters for performing the mapping and ablating functions.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a body assembly, a shaft, an end effector, a rotation input feature, and a locking feature. The shaft extends distally from the body assembly and defines a longitudinal axis. The end effector is positioned at the distal end of the shaft. The rotation input feature comprises a proximal end and a distal end. The rotation input feature is configured to rotate one or both of the shaft assembly or the end effector about the longitudinal axis. The locking feature is configured to transition between a locked state and an unlocked state. The locking feature is configured to prevent rotation of the one or both of the shaft assembly when the locking feature is in the locked state. The locking feature is configured to permit rotation of the one or both of the shaft assembly when the locking feature is in the unlocked state.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for measuring movements of a user, which may include: a sample pattern storing unit for storing one or more sample patterns which are obtained by patterning EEG waveforms and EMG values; a communication unit for receiving an EEG waveform and an EMG value of the user measured by the EEG and EMG sensors; a pattern normalizing unit for selecting sample patterns with the highest similarity to the received user's patterns among the stored sample patterns, and for normalizing the received user's patterns so that their amplitudes and periods coincide with those of the selected sample patterns; a movement estimating unit for estimating movement of the user by inputting the normalized EEG waveform and EMG value in an artificial neural network algorithm; and a movement determining unit for calculating the user's movement by applying each weight value of the EEG and EMG to each movement estimation value.

Abstract: A biomedical sensor has conducting elements disposed at least partly over a skin-facing surface. A sensing element detects a signal representative of a physiological parameter of a body using the conducting elements. A storage device stores a physiological model. A processor determines sensor placement quality by comparing the signal to the model and operates an indicator to indicate the determined quality. A method of measuring using the sensor includes computing a measurement acceptance criterion using numerous measurements, determining whether a subsequent test measurement corresponds to the measurement acceptance criterion obtained from the computing step, and indicating the results via the indicator. A system for measuring a physiological property of the body includes the sensor, a user interface device to receive measurements from the sensor, and a processor associated with the user interface device and configured to provide feedback if the measurement does not meet a selected acceptance criterion.