Abstract: The diagnostic probe can be inserted into a vaginal or rectal body endo-cavity of the human body so as to measure the displacement of the walls of the endo-cavity and organs that surround the endo-cavity and so as to measure the displacement and the passive and active resistance of at least one muscle of the perineum. The diagnostic probe includes at least one endo-cavitary body provided with at least two pressure sensors arranged in the same plane and acting either in the same direction or in two opposite directions. The endo-cavitary body can be deformable without opposing resistance and matching the walls of the endo-cavity. The endo-cavitary body includes at least one device for measuring the displacement of the endo-cavitary wall along the three axes X, Y and Z.
Abstract: The invention provides an evaluation method capable of objectively evaluating average visual perception for a comparatively long period of time when a subject looks through an eyeglass lens to be evaluated, time-dependent change in visual perception, and visual perception when looking with both eyes, and the invention provides a design method, and the invention provides a calculation method for calculating characteristics of visual perception of the subject when viewing an object through a lens.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 6, 2014
Date of Patent:
March 10, 2020
Assignees:
Tokai Optical Co., Ltd., Inter-University Research Institute Corporation National Institutes of Natural Sciences
Abstract: An apparatus is provided for detecting Macro Sleep Architecture states of a subject such as WAKE, NREM and REM sleep from a subject's EEG. The apparatus includes an EEG digital signal assembly of modules arranged to convert analogue EEG signals into digital EEG signals. A bispectrum assembly is responsive to the EEG digital signal assembly and converts the digital EEG signals into signals representing corresponding bispectrum values. A bispectrum time series assembly, in electrical communication with an output side of the bispectrum assembly, generates at least one bispectrum time series for a predetermined frequency. A macro-sleep architecture (MSA) assembly is responsive to the bispectrum time series assembly and is arranged to produce classification signals indicating classification of segments of the EEG signals into macro-sleep states of the subject.
Abstract: The patient couch serves for carrying out radiological medical imaging examinations by X-ray, tomography, nuclear magnetic resonance and other imaging methods. The person rests thereon in lying position for the creation of tomographic and other images. The patient couch is equipped with a capturing device, for measuring the patient's body or certain sites of the patient's body by optical, laser-optical, mechanical or electromechanical methods and/or devices. The couch has footrests for positioning the soles of the feet as when standing on vertical supporting faces with natural spreading of the feet, as well as portions for capturing at least the positions of the knee joints, the hip joint, the pelvic bone, the shoulders and the head. Further, the couch is equipped with pressure sensors for measuring the local supported weights of the various supported body sites, for reproducibly capturing the position of the skeleton with regard to its center axis as well as any rotations of shoulder and/or hip.
Abstract: A system for detecting disease progression can include an injection device configured to deliver medicament to a patient, one or more load sensors, one or more motion sensors, and a processor configured to read data from one or more of the load sensors and motion sensors and produce an output for display to a user.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 17, 2017
Date of Patent:
February 25, 2020
Assignee:
Becton, Dickinson and Company
Inventors:
Adam Martin, Mircea Stefan Despa, Dylan Wilson, Sundeep Kankanala
Abstract: Apparatus is provided, including a sensor, adapted to generate a sensor signal indicative of biorhythmic activity of a user of the apparatus, the sensor signal having a first characteristic, indicative of a voluntary action of the user, and a second characteristic, indicative of a benefit-related variable of the user. The apparatus also includes a control unit, adapted to receive the sensor signal, and, responsive to the second characteristics generate an output signal which directs the user to modify a parameter of the voluntary action indicated by the first characteristic.
Abstract: A patient monitoring system comprises a data acquisition device that records physiological signals from a patient, the data acquisition device having at least 3 receiving ports, each receiving port configured to connect to a patient connector. The monitoring system further includes a galvanic patient connector that galvanically connects a first receiving port of the patient connector and the patient, and at least a first capacitive patient connector and a second capacitive patient connector. Each capacitive patient connector capacitively couples a respective receiving port of the data acquisition device and the patient.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 21, 2016
Date of Patent:
December 31, 2019
Assignee:
General Electric Company
Inventors:
Otto Valtteri Pekander, Ville Vartiovaara, Juha Petri Virtanen
Abstract: A method and a device for determining a cardiac function parameter, the device including a sonic sensor for determining timing data of a closure of a mitral valve and an aortic valve, a pressure cuff and a sensing unit coupled to the pressure cuff for sensing. The sensing unit is configured to sense, for each cardiac cycle, blood breakthrough pressure data and corresponding time data from a closing of the mitral valve and data relating to a velocity of propagation of a pressure wave as it travels along at least a portion of the pressure cuff. The device also includes a processing unit for determining a value of at least one cardiac function parameter based on the data.
Abstract: A sweat sensing device includes at least one sweat generation unit capable of initiating sudomotor axon reflex (SAR) sweating in an indirect stimulation region and at least one analysis unit capable of sensing a physiological parameter of sweat, collecting a sweat sample, or a combination thereof. The at least one analysis unit is located above the indirect stimulation region when the sweat sensing device is placed on skin.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 12, 2016
Date of Patent:
November 26, 2019
Assignee:
University Of Cincinnati
Inventors:
Zachary Cole Sonner, Jason C. Heikenfeld
Abstract: Intravascular devices, systems, and methods are disclosed. In some embodiments, the intravascular devices include at least one pressure sensing component within a distal portion of the device. In that regard, one or more electrical, electronic, optical, and/or electro-optical pressure-sensing components is secured to an elongated member and the system includes components to process the output signals according to various calibration parameters.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 24, 2013
Date of Patent:
October 29, 2019
Assignee:
VOLCANO CORPORATION
Inventors:
Paul Douglas Corl, David H. Burkett, Douglas E. Meyer
Abstract: This disclosure generally relates to medical devices that include a sensor transmitter assembly that includes a sensor assembly including a sensor module where a first sensor including a first sensor head having at least one first sensor contact pad is combined with a second sensor including a second sensor head having at least one second sensor contact pad. The sensor transmitter assembly also includes a transmitter assembly positioned on a top of the sensor assembly to form a single unit, the transmitter assembly having at least one transmitter contact disposed on a base of the transmitter assembly, where the first sensor contact pad(s) and the second sensor form a connection path with the transmitter contact(s).
Type:
Grant
Filed:
November 21, 2016
Date of Patent:
September 24, 2019
Assignee:
Medtronic MiniMed, Inc.
Inventors:
David C. Antonio, Eric Allan Larson, Jose J. Ruelas, Akhil Srinivasan
Abstract: Embodiments relate to an insertion device that includes: a plunger coupled with a lock collar. The insertion device houses contents including: a striker including self-locking striker snap arm(s) where the striker is kept from firing by a striker spring captured between the plunger and the striker when the insertion device is in a cocked position; a sensor assembly; and a needle carrier that holds a piercing member, the needle carrier captured between the striker and a needle carrier spring where a self-releasing snap(s) keeps the needle carrier cocked, where the plunger prevents the self-releasing snap(s) from repositioning and releasing the needle carrier. The striker fires the needle carrier such that the self-locking striker snap arm(s) are positioned to allow the striker to snap down. The needle carrier is then retracted when the user releases the plunger and the piercing member is encapsulated within the insertion device.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
November 21, 2016
Date of Patent:
September 17, 2019
Assignee:
Medtronic MiniMed, Inc.
Inventors:
David C. Antonio, Eric Allan Larson, Jose J. Ruelas
Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for calculating or approximating a value representing the relative blood volume (RBV) at a certain point of time, or a value representing the refilling volume of a patient that may be observed or found during or due to a blood treatment of the patient, the method involving considering one or more calculated or measured value(s) reflecting an overhydration level of the patient or an approximation thereof. It relates further to an apparatus and a device for carrying out the present invention, a blood treatment device, digital storage means, a computer program product, and a computer program.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 21, 2011
Date of Patent:
September 17, 2019
Assignee:
Fresenius Medical Care Deutschland GmbH
Inventors:
Ulrich Moissl, Paul Chamney, Volker Nier, Peter Wabel, Sebastian Wieskotten
Abstract: The invention relates to a device for determining two or more respiratory parameters relating to an individual and a method for determining two or more respiratory parameters relating to an individual by means of the device. The disclosed device and method may be used in an individual suffering from pulmonary gas exchange problems relating to gas exchange of oxygen and/or carbon dioxide, e.g. a patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The device and method may also be used in a healthy individual or in an animal, e.g. for research experiments. The device has detection means for oxygen and carbon dioxide contents in inspired and expired gas and blood.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
November 26, 2010
Date of Patent:
August 27, 2019
Assignee:
Mermaid Care A/S
Inventors:
Dan Stieper Karbing, Steen Andreassen, Claus Lindholt, Stephen Edward Rees
Abstract: A method and apparatus to assess sudomotor function to detect early stage peripheral distal neuropathy. The method sends a low voltage direct current of 1 to 5 volts between pairs of electrodes for a time of between 15 and 60 seconds, switches the current at the middle of the time and measures the peak and slope of the decreased conductance. The method can be used to assess skin blood flow and/or sweat gland density depending on the direction of the current.
Abstract: Embodiments of a testing method for diabetics to optimize their administered insulin dosage comprise collecting sampling sets of biomarker data, each sampling set comprising a sufficient plurality of non-adverse sampling instances and each sampling instance comprising an acceptable biomarker reading at a single point in time recorded upon compliance with adherence criteria, determining a biomarker sampling parameter from each sampling set, comparing the biomarker sampling parameter to a target biomarker range, calculating an insulin adjustment parameter associated with the biomarker sampling parameter if the biomarker sampling parameter falls outside the target biomarker range, adjusting the insulin dosage by the insulin adjustment parameter if the biomarker sampling parameter falls outside the target biomarker range and the insulin dosage does not exceed maximum dosage, and exiting the testing method if the adjusted insulin dosage is optimized.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 2, 2018
Date of Patent:
August 6, 2019
Assignee:
ROCHE DIABETES CARE INC
Inventors:
Steven Bousamra, Stefan Weinert, Juergen Rasch-Menges, P. Douglas Walling, John F. Price, Heino Eikmeier, Birgit Kraeling, Karl Werner, Ulrich Porsch
Abstract: A neural event process, including receiving a neural response signal, decomposing the signal using at least one wavelet, differentiating phase data of the wavelets and the response signal to determine maxima and minima of the phase data and the signal, and processing the maxima and minima to determine peaks representing neural events.
Abstract: This disclosure describes improved systems and methods for displaying respiratory data to a clinician in a ventilatory system. Respiratory data may be displayed by any number of suitable means, for example, via appropriate graphs, diagrams, charts, waveforms, and other graphic displays. The disclosure describes novel systems and methods for determining and displaying ineffective patient inspiratory or expiratory efforts or missed breaths in a manner easily deciphered by a clinician.
Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for predicting awakening in a comatose patient based on the progression of auditory discrimination during early stages of coma. EEG measures are acquired from the patient during two distinct periods when said patient is exposed to auditory stimuli comprising repeated standard and deviant sounds. The first period occurs when the comatose patient is in a hypothermia state and the second period occurs when the comatose patient is in a normal temperature state and preferably within 2-3 days from the onset of the coma. The present invention further relates to a computer-implemented method thereof.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 12, 2013
Date of Patent:
July 23, 2019
Assignee:
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois(C.H.U.V.)
Abstract: The invention refers to a method of determining an indicator that is representative for a patient's volume responsiveness, comprising the following steps: (i) measuring a sequence of pulse signals of a patient; (ii) determining an envelope(signal)-curve based on the sequence of measured pulse signals; (iii) determining a fit(envelope(signal))-function based on the previously determined envelope(signal)-curve, the fit(envelope(signal))-function representing an idealized curve progression of the envelope(signal)-curve without comprising pulse variations caused by ventilation or respiration induced heart-lung interaction; (iv) determining respiratory pulse variation signals corresponding to the pulse variations caused by ventilation or respiration induced heart-lung interaction; (v) determining an envelope(respiration)-curve based on the previously determined respiratory pulse variation signals; (vi) determining a fit(envelope(respiration))-function based on the previously determined envelope(respiration)-curve,