Abstract: A guidewire replacement device having a proximal shaft section, a distal shaft section and a flexible intermediate shaft section which facilitate the articulation of the distal shaft section with respect to the proximal shaft section. The intermediate shaft section has as aperture for the egress or exit of an in-place guidewire during a guidewire exchange. The proximal end of an in-place guidewire is inserted through the distal guidewire port in the distal end of the distal shaft section, through the distal section and out the aperture in the intermediate shaft section. The exchange device is advanced through the inner lumen of a guiding catheter over the in-place guidewire until the distal end of the exchange device extends through the proximal guidewire port of a rapid exchange type intraluminal catheter. Once the guidewire exchange device is properly placed, the in-place guidewire can then be withdrawn from the patient.

Abstract: The present invention provides a guidewire having a reduced diameter, which ensures rigidity and excellent guidance ability in spite of its reduced diameter, and which achieves an excellent sliding ability and insertion/pulling-out ability with respect to a catheter or the like. The guidewire has an inner core formed of a single wire having an uneven surface on its outer circumferential surface, a high-polymer coating which densely covers the outer circumferential surface of the inner core, and an uneven surface formed on the outer circumferential surface of the high-polymer coating by an influence from the uneven surface on the outer circumferential surface of the inner core.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for finding a fluid conduit of a human body within a set of images collected over a portion of a cardiac cycle and where each image of the set of images is formed by a plurality of image elements. The method includes the steps of selecting a reference image element within the fluid conduit from the plurality of image elements, determining a velocity profile of each of the image elements over the cardiac cycle and identifying the fluid conduit by correlating the velocity profile of the reference element with velocity profiles at least some of the other image elements.

Abstract: A variety of improved thermal mapping catheters are disclosed which are capable of sensing and mapping thermal variations within body vessels. In embodiments directed at vascular applications, the catheters are capable of detecting temperature variations in atherosclerotic plaque, on the atherosclerotic plaque surface, and on the arterial wall of aneurysms and other vascular lesions of the human vasculature. In one aspect of the invention, a combined thermal mapping and drug delivery catheter is provided. In this embodiment a plurality of thermal sensors are combined with at least one infusion port suitable for delivering therapeutic agents into a vessel. In some embodiments, at least some of the infusion ports are located between adjacent thermal sensors. The described catheters may be used in a variety of new applications and medical diagnostic and treatment techniques.

Abstract: A surgical biopsy instrument for the extraction of at least one tissue sample from a body is disclosed having a piercing needle for penetrating the body. The piercing needle has a piercing tip and a tissue receiving port. A cutting member having a distal sampling segment is used with the piercing needle. The sampling segment has a cutting edge and a bore therein. The sampling segment is breakable from the cutting member. A tissue sample is acquired within the sampling segment of the cutting member after the tissue sample is taken at the tissue receiving port of the piercing needle. The sampling segment is removed from the piercing needle and the sampling segment containing the tissue sample is removed from the cutting member.

Abstract: A guidewire which has a tubular member, a flexible distal tip secured to the distal end of the tubular member and an exchangeable elongated core member disposed within the lumen of the tubular member. The elongated core member can be advanced distally to the distal end of the tubular member or withdrawn proximally out of the tubular member proximal end. While the guidewire is inside a patient's vessel, the elongated core member can be removed from the tubular member and exchanged for a different elongated support. By exchanging the elongated core member, the physician is able to change guidewire characteristics, such as flexibility or shape, to facilitate movement of the guidewire within the patient's lumen.

Abstract: A method of monitoring the status of a current ovulation cycle of an individual human female subject, involving testing of the body fluid concentration of an analyte of significance in relation to the status of the ovulation cycle, such as urinary E3G, during at least part of the pre-ovulation phase of the current ovulation cycle of the individual subject, and identification from the results of such testing an analyte concentration change indicative of imminent ovulation, relative to an analyte concentration reference value that has been adapted to the individual human subject on the basis of analyte concentration test data obtained from the individual human subject during one or more previous ovulation cycles.

Abstract: A method of joining two members of a medical device wherein at least one of the members has a thin layer of joinable material deposited on the surface thereof by vapor deposition, preferably, physical vapor deposition. A guidewire for advancement of intraluminal medical devices may be manufactured by depositing a thin layer of joinable material on the surface of a component which is made from a reactive alloy with a tenacious oxide layer. The thin layer of joinable material facilitates joining difficult to bond materials with other components of the guidewire. Physical vapor deposition may also be used to treat components of medical devices, such as distal guidewire segments, in order to alter their mechanical properties. Specifically, a pseudoelastic alloy segment may be made shapeable by vapor deposition of a non-pseudoelastic metal thereon.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for the precision measurement of the optical characteristics of the eye and the shape of the cornea of the eye. An object of the present invention is to provide an optical characteristic measuring apparatus capable measuring the optical characteristics of an irregular astigmatism component. An illuminating optical system illuminates a minute region on the retina of the eye with light rays emitted by an illuminating light source, a reflected light guiding optical system guides reflected light rays reflected from the retina of the eye to a light receiving device, a converting device converts the reflected light rays into at least seventeen light beams, a light receiving device receives the plurality of light beams from the converting device, and an arithmetic unit determines the optical characteristics of the eye and the shape of the cornea on the basis of the inclination of the light rays determined by the light receiving device.

Abstract: A tactile sensor signal processing device includes a tactile sensor using a piezoelectric vibrator, a resonant resistance change detect unit, a resonant frequency change detect unit, a vibrator constant storage unit, and a signal processing unit. The resonant resistance change detect unit detects a change in resonant resistance of impedance characteristics of the piezoelectric vibrator. The resonant frequency change detect unit detects a change in resonant frequency of impedance characteristics of the piezoelectric vibrator. In the vibrator constant storage unit are stored in advance physical constants that include the size of the vibrating portion of the piezoelectric vibrator, piezoelectric and coupling constants associated with the piezoelectric mode of the piezoelectric vibrator, the density of the piezoelectric vibrator, and the size of a contact which is brought into contact with a subject to apply vibrations to it.

Abstract: A surgical biopsy instrument for the extraction of at least one tissue sample from a body is disclosed having a piercing needle for penetrating the body. The piercing needle has a distal piercing tip and an open proximal end and a passageway extending therebetween. The piercing needle has at least one tissue receiving port adjacent to the piercing tip, and the tissue receiving port communicates with the passageway for the reception of a tissue sample therein. A cutting member is removably disposed within the passageway of the piercing needle and the cutting member has a proximal end and a distal sampling segment. The distal sampling segment has a distal cutting edge and a bore extending therein. The distal sampling segment is moveable across the tissue receiving port of the piercing needle for the cutting of a tissue sample and the tissue sample is received within the bore of the distal sampling segment. The distal sampling segment is breakable from the elongated cutting member.

Abstract: Method and device for collecting and processing stimuli data and measuring the reactions to them, in which the physiological reactions of respondents to the stimuli presented, or components thereof, are measured automatically and are recorded in one or more computer systems. Recorded data, stimuli data, whether or not in combination with respondent data, are automatically processed, e.g. in central units, to interpretable results which, stored in a database, a relational database for example, are accessible to anyone under certain conditions.

Abstract: An indwelling catheter having an extremely low profile proximal section. The indwelling catheter of the present invention solves the problems associated with the prior art feeding catheters by providing an extremely low profile proximal section which is situated external to the patient's body when the catheter is in place. The external portion is preferably in the form of a “trap door”, including a flat base portion that lies against the patient's skin and a flat, hinged cover which is operative to seal the proximal opening of the catheter when not in use. In order to retain the catheter and prevent it from being accidentally dislodged, the catheter includes a series of helical coils which are unformed during catheter insertion and then automatically reform in order to hold the catheter in place internally. The catheter is self-adjusting in that fewer or greater loops will automatically reform depending upon the thickness of the patient's abdominal wall.

Abstract: A non-invasive bone condition data acquisition system performs sensitive and reliable clinical data acquisition, localization and classification of bone disease, particularly osteoporosis. The bone condition data acquisition system measures a correlation between a wideband AE signature and a spatially localized bone microarchitecture, which is used to determine fracture risk. The bone condition data acquisition system includes processors and memory for analyzing AE signals from bone tissue to generate information-bearing attributes, for extracting a set of times-of-arrival and a feature vector from the attributes, for utilizing the set of times-of-arrival to derive the locations of the AE events, and for responding to the feature vector to classify the bone using a neural network and a nearest neighbor rule processor.

Abstract: A food intake restriction device for forming a stoma opening in the stomach or esophagus of a patient, comprises an elongated restriction member to be formed into at least a substantially closed loop defining a restriction opening, and a controllable adjustment device for adjusting the restriction member in the loop to change the size of the restriction opening. The device further comprises a wireless remote control for controlling the adjustment device from outside the patient's body in a non-invasive manner to assist in treating the patient for morbid obesity.

Abstract: There is provided an autoloader apparatus and skin testing system for rapidly loading a multi-headed applicator used for epicutaneous application of biological testing agents, while at the same time, effectively inhibiting cross contamination of testing agents during loading and removal of the applicator. The autoloader apparatus includes a plurality of reservoirs for storing testing agents therein. Each reservoir includes a collar defining an open top. The autoloader apparatus further includes a receptacle having first and second surfaces defining a plurality of apertures therethrough for at least partially receiving the collars of the reservoirs. The skin testing system includes an applicator and an autoloader. The applicator has a plurality of picks for sealably engaging the open tops of the reservoirs of the autoloader to enable each pick to be loaded with an effective amount of testing agent.

Abstract: An insert for the passive, painless, noninvasive self-collection of free endocervical cells by a subject includes a body and a substrate for cell collection. The body has a proximal end for manipulation by the subject and a distal end on which the cell-collecting substrate is disposed. The body is configured so that the substrate is positionable by the subject within the vagina, preferably near the vaginal portion of the cervix, to allow collection of free endocervical cells onto the cell-collection surface. After cells have been collected, the subject may place the cell-retaining substrate into a cell-suspension preservative contained in a sealable receptacle for transport to a laboratory for conventional analysis.

Abstract: A sampling apparatus for interstitial fluid includes a pressure ring surrounding a collection needle. The pressure ring and needle are movable relative to one another for the ring to first engage a patient's skin surface prior to insertion of the needle.

Abstract: A specimen collecting device is disclosed. The device has an elongated foam member that is circumscribed by a hollow tubular member along a portion of its longitudinal axis. The hollow tubular member has a cross sectional area less than the uncompressed cross sectional area of the foam member so that the foam member is compressed along the circumscribed portion. Around the hollow tubular member is slidably mounted a flexible sleeve member having a first end that fits snugly around the hollow tubular member and a second end with an enlarged diameter that can surround the uncompressed foam member.

Abstract: A blood viscosity measuring system and method that monitors the rising head of a column of fluid representing a living being's blood in-vivo to determine the blood viscosity over a range of shears. The system includes a capillary tube, at least a portion of which is located within the vascular system of the being, and a riser tube, having a liquid therein coupled to the capillary tube. A sensor and associated microprocessor are provided to determine the change in the height of the liquid in the riser tube at plural points along the length of the tube from which the viscosity is calculated. The system can be utilized to determine the deformability of the red blood cells of a living being's blood and/or the thixotropic properties of a living being's blood. Use of the system enables one to screen a material, e.g., a pharmaceutical, on a test subject, such as a living human being or laboratory animal, to determine the likely effect of the material in altering a parameter of the blood, e.g.