Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and methods generally aimed at surgery. More particularly, the present invention is directed at a system and related methods for performing surgical procedures and assessments involving the use of neurophysiology.

Abstract: A biopsy needle has a central axis and includes one or more sensing regions, each sensing region formed by a plurality of sensing optical fibers located over a particular extent of said central axis and inside the outer shell of the needle. The sensing optical fibers are coupled to a wavelength interrogator. A steerable catheter has a central axis and outer shell, the outer shell coupled to a plurality of optical fibers in sensing regions and actuation regions, the sensing regions formed over particular extents of the central axis by bonding gratings to the inner surface of the outer shell, and the actuation regions formed by coupling optical energy into shape memory alloys bonded to the outer shell.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for measuring an exercise, in which method the electrical signals caused by active muscles are measured with a measuring device and response is given from the physical performance with a perceivable signal. In the method in accordance with the invention by measuring and analyzing EMG activities of muscles or EMG activities of muscles and movements of the body quantities describing the physical performance and/or the result of the physical performance are calculated or evaluated.

Abstract: A measurement device has a measurement belt to which a plurality of electrode pads arranged in a row and a plurality of strain gauges arranged in parallel to the plurality of electrode pads are integrally adhered and configured to be used after being wrapped around a portion serving as a measurement target of a living body; and a processor configured to: acquire an image of the portion serving as the measurement target while applying a current to the plurality of electrode pads and acquiring a voltage signal generated between the electrode pads; and estimate a contour shape of the portion serving as the measurement target and a size of the contour shape on the basis of curvature data acquired via the plurality of strain gauges.

Abstract: A thermographic sensing device for measuring temperatures at one or more regions of the human body, particularly the breast, utilizes a thermographic composition deposited into linear arrays of recesses formed in the lobes of a conformable medium which is disposable against the skin. The thermographic composition includes a binary solvent system and at least one colorant, wherein the compositions in each array are formulated to melt at precise temperatures, within a diagnostically temperature relevant range, to change from a first visible color to a second visible color.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to devices and processes for monitoring attributes of a user's physical activity (e.g., workout) or inactivity, and to user interfaces (e.g., an activity indicator) for displaying the same. In some examples, a device determines whether physical activity corresponds to a first type based on a first set of criteria, and whether physical activity corresponds to a second type based on a second set of criteria. In some examples, the device controls an inactivity timer that measures user's inactivity. In some examples, the device displays a first visual representation of an attribute or amount of a first type of physical activity, and a second visual representation of an attribute or amount of a second type. In some examples, the device displays a third visual representation of an attribute or amount of a third type of activity. In some examples, the third visual representation corresponds to user's inactivity.

Abstract: A system for measuring tinnitus of a patient using a Bayesian minimum-entropy psychometric procedure for which a probabilistic model of the patient's behavior is combined with an optimal statistical-inference method to generate a test sound to be presented to the patient. The test sound includes a sequence of sound components selected and arranged to facilitate, expedite, and improve the reliability of tinnitus measurements.

Abstract: The invention relates to human limb and joint movement pattern detection and analysis and is directed to warning systems for repetitive motion injuries and methods for warning a subject of movements at increased risk for repetitive use injuries, for example, using the warning systems. The invention tracks limb and joint movement of a subject during repetitive motion activities and can signal the subject to perform ergonomically safe movements.

Abstract: An orifice-expanding device for measuring an expanded heart valve. The device includes a proximal handle having a shaft and an orifice-expanding device with a hub mounted to a distal end of the shaft and a plurality of arms evenly spaced around the axis and connected to the hub and extending therefrom in a distal direction to distal ends of the arms. The distal end of each arm has an expanding portion with an outer surface, the expanding portions being configured to move radially outward with respect to each other, wherein expansion of the expanding portions causes the distal ends of the arms to flex outward. A pressure-measuring device measures a pressure applied to the aortic valve annulus, and a size-measuring device measures a dimension of the aortic valve annulus after the annulus has been expanded.

Abstract: A biopsy device includes a body, a needle, a tissue sample holder and a sensor. The needle extends from the body. The tissue sample holder is in communication with the needle to receive one or more tissue samples within a sample chamber defined by the tissue sample holder. The tissue sample holder includes a receiving cavity. The sensor is configured to detect x-rays. The receiving cavity is sized and shaped to receive the sensor such that the sensor is removably positioned within the tissue sample holder.

Abstract: A system for accessing a patient's uterine cavity and detecting perforations in the uterus includes an elongated probe having a flow channel extending to a terminal outlet in a distal region of the probe. A fluid source is coupled to the flow channel, and a seal on the probe is positionable in an endocervical canal. The probe may be trans-cervically inserted into the uterine cavity, and a fluid may be introduced through the channel to flow outwardly from the terminal outlet into the uterine cavity. A parameter of said fluid flow is monitored to detect a perforation in the uterus.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are embodiments of systems and techniques for estimating the severity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in a patient. For example, in some embodiments, a system for estimating COPD severity in a patient may include logic to receive a breathing signal representative of breathing activity of the patient over a time interval, receive a locomotion signal representative of locomotive activity of the patient over the time interval, and provide breathing data and locomotion data to additional logic, wherein the additional logic is to generate an estimate of COPD severity in the patient by comparison of 1) a cross-recurrence quantification analysis (cRQA) parameter between the breathing data and the locomotion data and 2) a reference value. The breathing data may be based on the breathing signal, and the locomotion data may be based on the locomotion signal.

Abstract: An apparatus for obtaining bio information includes: a first electrode portion including a current electrode and a voltage electrode arranged to contact a first body portion of a subject; a second electrode portion including a current electrode and a voltage electrode arranged to contact a second body portion of the subject; and a measuring unit configured to measure a bio impedance of the subject by applying a current to the current electrodes of the first and second electrode portions and detecting a voltage at the voltage electrodes of the first and second electrode portions. In order to decrease errors of a measured bio impedance, contact resistances of the first and second body portions of the subject contacting the current electrode and the first and second body portions of the subject contacting the voltage electrode are different from each other, for at least one of the first and second electrode portions.

Abstract: Front-end circuitry for an ultrasound system is described which comprises a beamformer FPGA integrated circuit, transmit ICs with both pulse transmitters and linear waveform transmitters, transmit control and receiver ICs, and analog-to-digital converter (ADC) ICs. Waveform data for both the linear and pulser transmitters is stored in the transmit control and receiver ICs, saving pins on the FPGA, which is the conventional source of this data. The ADCs couple digital echo data to the FPGA for beamforming over serial bus lines, saving additional FPGA pins over a conventional parallel data arrangement. The inclusion of both pulser and linear waveform transmit capabilities in the transmit ICs enables the use of both types of transmitters in the formation of a multi-mode image, such as use of the pulsers for Doppler beams and linear transmitters for B mode beams in the formation of a colorflow image.

Abstract: A temperature probe for monitoring temperatures of a surface of a tissue or organ within the body of a subject includes a section with a substantially two-dimensional arrangement and a plurality of temperature sensors positioned across an area defined by the substantially two-dimensional arrangement. Such an apparatus may be used in conjunction with procedures in which thermal techniques are used to diagnose a disease state or treat diseased tissue. Specifically, a temperature probe may be used to monitor temperatures across an area of a surface of a tissue or organ located close to the treated tissue to prevent subjection of the monitored tissue or organ to potentially damaging temperatures.

Abstract: Method for detecting leaks and/or verifying adequate closure following a medical procedure, on a hollow or tubular organ of a subject, wherein a leak test is performed by injecting or insufflating, in the concerned organ, a specific test gas which is not commonly produced or naturally present within the body of the subject, or which is present or produced in a precisely known amount or concentration, and by analyzing percutaneously the gas or gas mixture present locally within the body cavity in which the organ is situated, and then verifying the presence, and preferably determining the concentration, of the injected or insufflated test gas in the local gas or gas mixture of the body cavity and indicating whether the concerned organ or a lumen defined by the latter is leak-free or not.

Abstract: There is provided a device comprising a blood pressure sensor for sensing blood pressure and a method for controlling the device. An angle of the device with respect to the direction of gravity is determined (202) and a location of one or more features of the user holding the device is identified (204). A height of the blood pressure sensor relative to a heart level of the user is determined based on the determined angle of the device with respect to the direction of gravity and the identified location of the one or more features of the user (206). The device is controlled based on the determined height of the blood pressure sensor relative to the heart level of the user (208).

Abstract: A system is provided for monitoring patients with dysphagia, or swallowing impairments, that monitors muscle movement during intensive swallowing exercises to provide adjuvant visual feedback from surface electromyography.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for evaluating foot inflammation each uses at least one temperature detection modality to form a first thermogram and a second thermogram of the sole of at least one foot. Each thermogram forms a substantially continuous set of two-dimensional temperature values across the sole of the (at least one) foot. The thermograms have features; namely, the first thermogram has first features and the second thermogram has second features. The method and apparatus thus control a device to apply at least one transformation to the first and second thermograms to align the first features with corresponding second features, and determine, at any thermogram location, if at least one of the thermograms presents one of a plurality of patterns indicative of inflammation. Finally, the method and apparatus each produce output information indicating the result of the determination of whether the thermograms present one of the plurality of patterns.

Abstract: An apparatus for the non-invasive measurement of the blood flow through a shunt of a patient has at least one bandage which can be worn by the patient, as well as a plurality of sensors which are arranged in or at the bandage, which are arranged in at least one multidimensional matrix, and which are configured such that they create a multidimensional matrix of measured values of at least one parameter detected by the sensors.