Abstract: An inflatable cuff for blood pressure measurement includes a first inflatable bag to press an arterial vessel of a body portion of a living subject for stopping blood flow; a second inflatable bag for sensing a pulse wave propagating along the arterial vessel, which is supported by the inflatable cuff such that the second inflatable bag is located inside a downstream-side portion of the first inflatable bag in the direction of the blood flows; a shielding member disposed between the first inflatable bag and the second inflatable bag so as to prevent an oscillation of the first inflatable bag from propagating to the second inflatable bag; and a slidable separating member disposed between the shielding member and the second inflatable bag so as to prevent generation of a noise caused by a slide contact of the shielding member with the second inflatable bag.

Abstract: The segment volume of a cardiac chamber or blood vessel of a patient is determined by injecting a first indicator in the blood stream of a patient, which influences the conductance of the blood. The electrical conductance in the cardiac chamber or blood vessel is measured. An injected quantity of indicator is determined and the development of the concentration of this indicator in the blood is measured wherein the cardiac output is calculated from the injected quantity of indicator and the development of the concentration in the blood. Subsequently, the segment volume and electrical parallel conductance of a cardiac chamber or blood vessel are calculated from the calculated cardiac output, the injected quantity of conductance indicator and the measured conductance.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for diagnosing physiological state based on blood pulse waves detected in the body. It is the objective of the present invention to provide a device which correctly diagnoses the current physiological state based on changes in physiological state measured over a specified period of time in the past while taking into consideration the cyclical variation exhibited in physiological state.

Abstract: When pulse waveform MH is detected by pulse wave detection sensor unit 130, wavelet transformer 10 performs wavelet transformation on pulse waveform MH and generates analyzed pulse wave data MKD. This analyzed pulse wave data MKD consists of a time region in which one heartbeat is divided into eighths, and the frequency region of 0-4 Hz which has been divided into eighths. Frequency corrector 11 generates corrected pulse wave data MKD′ by performing frequency correction on analyzed pulse wave data MKD. Pulse type data generator 12 compares corrected pulse wave data MKD′ over each frequency-time region, and generates pulse type data ZD indicating the type of pulse. Display 13 displays the pulse type for pulse waveform MH based on pulse type data ZD.

Abstract: A blood pressure monitor includes a cuff to be worn on a living body portion provided with an air component for inflating and deflating said cuff, and a main body detachably mounted on the cuff provided with an electrical component, in which the main body is electrically connected with the cuff by wire or wireless.

Abstract: A system and process for correcting presbyopia with the system including a tissue removal system that preferably includes a laser system with means for forming a predetermined presbyopia correction contour corresponding to a predetermined ablation profile through controlled ablation of an exposed corneal stroma area of the eye such that a central zone of about 1-3 mm or, more preferably, 1.4 to 1.8 mm is left intact with a main, maximum presbyopia ablation zone bordering the untouched or hardly touched (e.g., a radiused transition edge) central zone. The annular maximum ablation zone in the stroma is defined by a smoothly curving, steep profile section which extends out from a central, non-ablation section of the profile. Further outward from the maximum ablation zone in the stroma is an annular treatment zone that is determined by a further section of the presbyopia correcting profile generally represented by a smoothing transition section that extends into another zone which is an unablated zone.

Abstract: A system and method for providing computerized, knowledge-based medical diagnostic advice. The medical advice is provided to the general public over a network, such as a telephone network with the use of a telephone or the Internet with the use of an Internet access device. Alternatively, the medical advice can be provided to a patient in a stand-alone mode by use of a computer. The invention utilizes a list-based processing method of generating and executing diagnostic scripts. For the purpose of diagnosing a health problem of a patient, medical knowledge is organized into a list of the diseases to be considered. Each disease on the disease list includes a list of symptoms that is checked in a patient. Each symptom on the symptom list is then further described as a response to a list of one or more questions asked of the patient about the symptom. This triply-nested list structure is converted by suitable data structure transformations into a script that is stored.

Abstract: An ischemia detector has a patient workload sensor and a patient breathing sensor which emits a signal representing sensed workload, and a patient breathing sensor which emits a signal representing sensed breathing activity of a patient. These signals are supplied to a detector unit which identifies a state of ischemia upon an occurrence of a predetermined relation between the sensed workload and the sensed breathing activity. This predetermined relation is a sensed low workload and a simultaneously sensed high breathing activity.

Abstract: A system and method for heating cells surrounding metallic implants in living beings. The system includes a metallic implant within the living being, surrounded by the cells to be heated, an induction coil having an aperture sufficiently large to accommodate a portion of the living being containing the metallic implant, and an RF generator coupled to the coil to apply an electric RF signal thereto, the RF signal ranging in frequency from 10 kilohertz to 10 megahertz. The metallic implant is inductively heatable by the application of the RF signal to the induction coil.

Abstract: A chemical signal-impermeable mask is positioned in the electrolyte flow such that the mask is between a source of chemical signal and a working electrode which senses the chemical signal transported from the source (e.g., by diffusion). The configuration of the mask is such that the mask prevents substantially all chemical signal transport from the chemical signal source having a radial vector component relative to a plane of the mask and the catalytic face of the working electrode, thus allowing primarily only chemical signal transport that is substantially perpendicular to the place of the mask and the catalytic surface of the working electrode. By reducing or eliminating chemical signal radial transport toward the working electrode, the mask thus significantly reduces or eliminates edge effects. By substantially reducing edge effects created by radial transport of chemical signal, it is possible to obtain a more accurate measurement of the amount (e.g.

Abstract: An implantable enzyme-based monitoring system suitable for long term in vivo use to measure the concentration of prescribed substances such as glucose is provided. In one embodiment, the implantable enzyme-based monitoring system includes at least one sensor assembly, an outer membrane surrounding the sensor assembly and having a window therein, and a polymeric window cover affixed to the outer membrane and covering the window. Preferably, the outer membrane of the monitoring system is silicone and the window cover is a polymer of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), N,N,-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) and methacrylic acid (MA). Also provided herein is an implantable enzyme-based monitoring system having at least one sensor assembly, an outer membrane surrounding the sensor assembly and a coating affixed to the exterior surface of the outer membrane, wherein the coating resists blood coagulation and protein binding to the exterior surface of the outer membrane.

Abstract: A wound treatment apparatus is provided which includes a thermally conductive bandage, a heater in contact with the bandage over a wound treatment area, and an adhesive attachment device for maintaining thermally conductive contact between the heater and the bandage. The bandage and heater together have a low profile so as to be convenient for the patient and are flexible so as to conform to the shape of the wound and to the contours of the skin surrounding the wound. The attachment device is fashioned so as to have less pull strength than an adhesive holding the bandage to the person's body so that the heater can be easily removed without disturbing the attachment of the bandage to the person's body. The bandage is provided with a polymeric film for maintaining moisture at the wound site as well as enhancing the utility of the attachment device.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring a blood pressure of a living subject, including a blood pressure measuring device which measures a blood pressure value of the subject, a first memory which stores a plurality of blood pressure values measured by the blood pressure measuring device, in an order of measurement of the blood pressure values, a pulse wave detecting device which detects a pulse wave produced from an arterial vessel of the subject in synchronism with heartbeat of the subject while each of the blood pressure values is measured by the blood pressure measuring device, a second memory which stores a waveform of the pulse wave detected by the pulse wave detecting device, in the order, the second memory storing the respective waveforms of the pulse waves each of which is detected by the pulse wave detecting device while a corresponding one of the blood pressure values is measured by the blood pressure measuring device, and an output device which outputs the blood pressure values stored in the first memory, in t

Abstract: Barriers for contravention of the transfer of pathogenic organisms from one patient to another through an inflatable cuff comprised of a cuff and a bladder of a sphygmomanometer are supplied on a sterile roll of synthetic polymer segmented by transverse perforations so that each segment may be torn off and used as a barrier between a patient's skin and an inflatable cuff. The rolled segments may be tubular so that the barrier will be tubular in form in order to slip it over the patient's extremity. Each tubular barrier is perforated along one edge so that it can be torn longitudinally to convert the barrier from a tubular form to a rectangular form if needed. The tubular form is provided with ample circumference so that the excess can be gathered near the longitudinal perforations and folded over the longitudinal perforations in order to maintain the integrity of the barrier's function.

Abstract: A method for contemporaneously applying laser energy and locally delivering pharmacologic therapy to a selected site in a body lumen using a liquid core or fiber optic laser catheter or angioscope. The method comprises preparing a solution of a pharmacologic agent, inserting the catheter into the lumen, directing the catheter to the site, transmitting visible light to the site, flowing the light transmissive liquid through the catheter to the site to be treated, positioning an emission end of the fiber near (.+-.2 mm) the distal end of the catheter, transmitting laser energy through the fiber to be emitted at the emission end of the fiber into the liquid to treat the site, and introducing a flow of the pharmacologic agent in solution into the catheter for contemporaneous discharge at the distal end into the lumen adjacent the site.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for increasing venous blood flow to a human hand is disclosed. The apparatus includes a primary housing having an interior and exterior and a substantially transparent portion, a heating element enclosed in the interior of the primary housing, an opening in the primary housing which permits introduction of a hand into the primary housing, while substantially restricting movement of air between the interior of the primary housing and the exterior of the primary housing, a secondary housing enclosed in the interior of the primary housing, and a control for the heating element. The method includes using the apparatus to heat a patient's hand to permit venepuncture to be performed.

Abstract: A method of measuring blood pressure where a plurality of oscillometric data values are measured from a subject at a plurality pressure levels, a function curve having the shape of an oscillometric envelope is selected and computational model fit to the data, using the Gauss-Marquardt method of model fitting. Once the curve is model fit, blood pressure is measured using the oscillometric method. Included in the step of model fitting is the step of computing the parameter of the function curve that minimizes the error between the function curve and the data values at the respective pressure levels thereby approximating the oscillometric envelope based upon data values.

Abstract: A technique for determining blood flow in a living body by changing the thermal energy level by a predetermined amount at a site in a blood flow path and detecting temperatures at locations upstream and downstream of the site. The temperature difference at such locations is determined and the blood flow is calculated as a function of the change in energy level and of the temperature differences measured prior to and following the change in energy level.

Abstract: A fluid volume flow monitoring apparatus, fluid volume flow monitoring system and process of monitoring fluid volume flow are disclosed. The fluid volume flow monitoring apparatus includes a support member having a distal end, a proximal end, and an outer wall with a first temperature sensing means for sensing fluid temperature positioned on the support member outer wall. A second temperature sensing means is positioned apart from the first temperature sensing means and juxtaposed to a generally tubular heat transfer device which is radially disposed about the support member outer wall. The heat transfer device directly contributes to the ability of the monitor to determine continuously fluid volume flow and includes an electrically insulated heating means positioned between a temperature equilibrator and an insulating material.

Abstract: An apparatus for monitoring a peripheral blood-flow condition of a living subject by detecting a peripheral blood-flow resistance of the subject, including a first and a second pulse-wave sensor which are adapted to be worn on a first and a second portion of the subject, respectively, to detect a first and a second pulse wave, respectively, each of which is produced in synchronism with a heartbeat of the subject, a phase-difference determining device for determining a difference of respective phases of the first and second pulse waves detected by the first and second pulse-wave sensors, and a peripheral blood-flow resistance determining device for determining the peripheral blood-flow resistance of the subject, based on the phase difference determined by the phase-difference determining device, according to a predetermined relationship between peripheral blood-flow resistance and phase difference.