Abstract: New activity recognition, recording, analysis and control techniques, systems and sensors are provided. In some aspects of the invention, multiple sensory tags with unique identification and data transfer attributes, create positional, movement, orientation and acceleration data and supply it to a control system. The tags may be placed at location(s) on the user's body, clothing, personal effects, exercise equipment and other activity-relevant locations, to enhance activity recognition and mapping. For example, a specialized PDA may comprise part of the control system, and may provide, reflect and/or receive modified data signals to and from such tags. In other aspects, a system defines a personal activity space, samples data preferentially from that space, and performs a simplified form of object-recognition to determine, record and analyze personal activities. A GUI interface within the control system may also aid in recognizing and recording activity patterns, in addition to tags.

Abstract: Catheters for ablation and removal of occlusions from blood vessels are provided. Laser cutting systems and mechanical cutting systems are provided in catheter devices, the cutting systems operable to ablate, cut, dislodge, and otherwise remove occlusions within a blood vessel that may limit or prevent proper circulation. A helical or partially-helical inner surface structure is provided in the catheter, the structure operable to remove or translate dislodged material(s).

Abstract: Mouth guards having electrodes, sensors, and/or accelerometers for determining one or more physiological conditions of a subject. Processing circuitry receives the outputs of the electrodes, sensors, and/or accelerometers. Optionally, at least a portion of the processing circuitry can be positioned within a helmet that is worn by a subject. The mouth guard can optionally be tethered to the helmet.

Abstract: Some embodiments disclosed here provide for a method fragmenting a cataractous lens of a patient's eye using an ultra-short pulsed laser. The method can include determining, within a lens of a patient's eye, a high NA zone where a cone angle of a laser beam with a high numerical aperture is not shadowed by the iris, and a low NA zone radially closer to the iris where the cone angle of the laser beam with a low numerical aperture is not shadowed by the iris. Laser lens fragmentation is accomplished by delivering the laser beam with the high numerical aperture to the high NA zone, and the laser beam with the low numerical aperture to the low NA zone. This can result in a more effective fragmentation of a nucleus of the lens without exposing the retina to radiation above safety standards.

Abstract: A mirror for an ophthalmic laser treatment device that is movable on an axis from a position in a treatment laser beam path to a position out of the treatment laser beam path. The mirror reflects light from a light source into the eye of a patient. The mirror is biased towards a position in the path and is moved out of the path by an actuator just long enough for the laser treatment to be applied and without noticeable interruption to viewing by a user.

Abstract: Some embodiments disclosed here provide for a method fragmenting a cataractous lens of a patient's eye using an ultra-short pulsed laser. The method can include determining, within a lens of a patient's eye, a high NA zone where a cone angle of a laser beam with a high numerical aperture is not shadowed by the iris, and a low NA zone radially closer to the iris where the cone angle of the laser beam with a low numerical aperture is not shadowed by the iris. Laser lens fragmentation is accomplished by delivering the laser beam with the high numerical aperture to the high NA zone, and the laser beam with the low numerical aperture to the low NA zone. This can result in a more effective fragmentation of a nucleus of the lens without exposing the retina to radiation above safety standards.

Abstract: A steerable laser probe may include a handle having a handle distal end and a handle proximal end, an actuation lever of the handle, a flexible housing tube having a flexible housing tube distal end and a flexible housing tube proximal end, and an optic fiber disposed within an inner bore of the handle and the flexible housing tube. An actuation of the actuation lever may gradually curve the flexible housing tube and the optic fiber. An actuation of the actuation lever may gradually straighten the flexible housing tube and the optic fiber.

Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, an avatar engine having a controller to retrieve a user profile of a user, present the user an avatar having characteristics that correlate to the user profile, detect one or more responses of the user during a communication exchange between the user and the avatar, identify from the one or more responses a need to determine a medical status of the user, establish communications with a medical diagnostic system, receive physiological information associated with the user, submit the physiological information to the medical diagnostic system, receive from the medical diagnostic system a diagnostic analysis of the physiological information, and present the diagnostic analysis to at least one of the user and a medical agent of the user, wherein the user is presented the diagnostic analysis by way of the avatar. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A device is disclosed for therapeutic and/or diagnostic use in or on a patient's body. The device can have a sheath and a tool. The sheath can be made, at least in part, from a laminate. The laminate can have reinforcement fibers in longitudinal, latitudinal, helical, and/or other configurations around the sheath. The tool can be at least partially within the sheath. The tool can be attached to the sheath at one or more lengths along the tool. The sheath can be removed from the tool and replaced.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed to monitor physiological for the occurrence of life threatening events and to apply stimulation to prevent the occurrence of said life-threatening events. Systems and methods for applying the stimulation are also disclosed. These systems include applying the stimulation through via a mattress having a passive section and an active section, a plurality of focal stimulators, and/or an array to apply the stimulation are also disclosed. These devices include a mattress with an active region and a passive region, a stimulating array do deliver targeted stimulation, and a plurality of stimulators to apply focused stimulation.

Abstract: A method for measuring a health proactivity status of a human is disclosed. The method includes obtaining multiple physical characteristics associated with the human, generating a health-related metric based upon the characteristics, periodically obtaining the multiple characteristics associated with the human, periodically generating the health-related metric based upon the periodically obtained characteristics, comparing the periodically generated health-related evaluations to determine change over the course of a defined time, and dynamically determining an overall proactivity score for health of the human based upon the comparisons.

Abstract: A medical system for sensing a physiological state requiring defibrillation in a patient. The system comprising: a low power sensor, a physiological parameter measuring device, and a processor. The low power sensor generating a baseline signal relating to a physiological status of said patient. The physiological parameter measuring device comprising at least one higher power sensor configured to output at least one physiological parameter signal indicative of at least one physiological parameter of said patient. The processor assessing the baseline signal and determining if the physiological status is outside predetermined threshold boundaries.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to apparatuses and methods for diagnosing a swallowing dysfunction. The apparatuses may include a multi-parametric dysphagia analysis system in a plastic foil. The analysis systems may be smart sensing systems that are flexible, lightweight, and based on substrates having low-cost printed electronics technologies thereon. The methods may include measurement and classification of non-invasive parameters that may be indicative of a swallowing dysfunction or the probability of same. In a general embodiment, the methods include placing a sensor on a patient for measurement of at least one parameter associated with the patient's swallowing profile. The measured parameter is then analyzed and compared with several known normal and dysphagic swallowing profiles to provide an indication of the probability of an underlying swallowing dysfunction.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to a portable vital monitoring system and a method for monitoring an individual's vitals using a portable vital monitoring system. The portable vital monitoring system includes a stand-alone portable vital monitoring device that allows the individual to detect or measure the individual's vitals. The stand-alone device includes a plurality of sensing devices for detecting data indicative of the individual's vitals and generating one or more signals indicative of the vital data. The system also includes a control unit connected to the sensing devices for processing the signal such that the data can be displayed to and understood by the individual. The system also includes a vital monitoring application in wireless communication with the vital monitoring device via a wireless communication module.

Abstract: A vitrectomy probe for treating an eye of a patient, the probe including a body arranged for grasping by a surgeon, and a photodisruption element extending from the body. The photodisruption element includes a needle having a main lumen extending from the body, the needle comprising a port at an end, a fiber cannula within the main lumen, the fiber cannula having a fiber lumen, and an optical fiber within the fiber lumen, the optical fiber being mechanically agitatable within the fiber lumen.

Abstract: A system and method for monitoring the health of an animal using multiple sensors is described. The wearable device may include one or more sensors whose resultant signal levels may be analyzed in the wearable device or uploaded to a data management server for additional analysis.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method directed to detecting a physiological signal during discrete time separated detection windows, deriving one or more respiratory disturbance indices from the physiological signal, detecting a respiratory disturbance state in response to the one or more respiratory disturbance indices deviating from a threshold value, interpolating the one or more respiratory disturbance indices between adjacent time separated detection windows, and declaring a respiratory disturbance episode based on the detected respiratory disturbance state during the detection windows and the interpolation between detection windows.

Abstract: A skin treatment device comprising a light source providing a light beam for optically treating skin, a wheel with a wheel surface for reflecting the light beam towards the skin, driving means for rotating the wheel and changing an angular position of the wheel, where different angular positions of the wheel correspond to different directions of reflection for the light beam, an angular position detector for detecting the angular position of the wheel, storage means for storing predefined skin-treatment patterns, a relation between the different angular positions of the wheel; and different reflection directions of the light beam, a control circuit coupled to the light source. The light source being controlled in dependence on the detected angular position such that, for each revolution of the wheel, the light beam is controlled to only illuminate the wheel surface in selected angular positions of the wheel to realize a predefined skin-treatment pattern.

Abstract: This disclosure describes a remote patient monitoring system configured to monitor one or more patient parameters via one or more monitoring apparatuses for transmitting patient data to a remote, central data-processing facility via a network. The system further includes an interactive voice recognition (“IVR”) system and mobile interfaces for health data collection and transmission via direction communication with the patient. According to embodiments, with the information received from the patient monitoring system, one or more scored indicative of a patient's health status is calculated. The scores are compared to threshold values and, based on the comparisons, further action is taken. For example, a medical caregiver can evaluate the patient's condition, including the effectiveness of the drug therapy, patient compliance, whether the patient's condition is improving, whether the patient requires hospitalization or an office consultation to prevent the condition from getting worse, etc.

Abstract: A method for providing faster visual and functional recovery of patients following refractive surgery such as laser assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) is disclosed. The method comprises providing a covering to the eye of a patient comprising an inner portion having an inner rigidity and at least one inner radius of curvature; and an outer portion having an outer rigidity and at least one outer radius of curvature; wherein the inner rigidity is greater than the outer rigidity.