Abstract: A sling for use with a noninvasive blood pressure monitor which is designed to minimize contact by external objects with an inflatable cuff which surrounds a patient's limb during blood pressure measurements. The sling comprises an arm rest having supporting straps for supporting the patient's limb at at least two locations so as to define an unsupported space therebetween adapted to accept the inflatable cuff such that the inflatable cuff does not touch the straps or external objects. Preferably, the sling comprises two braces having bottom surfaces to serve as a base for the sling, linking members having ends which are attached to the braces so that the linking members extend between the braces, and two supporting straps, attached to and extending between two linking members, for supporting the patient's arm.

Abstract: A heart rate value determined from a first physiological signal that is acquired independently from a second physiological signal, is used to control a band pass filter for controllably bandpass filtering the second physiological signal. In a system having sensors for independently acquiring both electrocardiogram (ECG) and pulse oximetry (SpO2) signals, a heart rate value determined from the ECG signal is used to controllably bandpass filter the red and infrared SpO2 signals, thereby reducing the level of artifact signal in the SpO2 signals.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for controlling an epilation procedure in which a removal process is adaptively controlled for optimum removal prevention of scarring and minimizing sensation, and profiling RF power supplied as an inverse square of measured impedance based on a normalizing impedance.

Abstract: One or more portions of an inflatable thermal blanket that is sized sufficiently to fully cover a patient are gathered and maintained in a non-inflated condition by a closure such that a thermally-controlled inflating medium admitted into the blanket is prevented from being admitted into the gathered portion(s), thereby leaving a primary part of the patient covered and exposing a part of the patient for medical attention. Thereafter the closure can be released to permit the inflating medium to be admitted into the gathered portion such that the gathered portion self-erects and assumes an inflated condition. The released thermal blanket covers the entire patient and bathes the patient in the inflating medium. The closure can be provided as an elongated tape strip with a central perforation that can be separated.

Abstract: Apparatus for photodynamic irradiation comprising a housing (10), a lamp (16) mounted in the housing and a reflector (18) surrounding the lamp. A filter unit (40) is mounted in the beam path of the lamp and the reflector, and a light outlet (26) in the housing following the filter unit. A dosage device accurately meters the radiant energy delivered by the apparatus to a patient.

Abstract: Flexible icecaps for overlying the top of a user's head. The icecaps have plural chambers formed between inner and outer flexible material layers. A first embodiment includes an ice cap having a front chamber two side chambers and a rear chamber which are each separated from one another wherein at least one chamber can be filled with a coolant liquid such as ice, so that icecap can be partially used for localized headaches. A second embodiment includes two front chambers, on the right and left side, and two rear chambers, on the right and rear side. Chin straps can be used to hold the cap in place. Elastic bands can be used to separate each of the chambers and aid in elastically holding the cap in place on the user's head. Waterproof portals can be used to access each of the chambers on the top of the icecap. Portals can be either screw on caps or rubberized plugs. A third embodiment includes a single flexible layer shaped as a helmet to fit over the head of a user.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for deriving, with respect to a particular individual, those color hues which have particularly major impact upon the individual in terms of being most positive or most negative. The patient is subjected to a display of changing color hues and is fitted with a biofeedback assembly that measures involuntary body system responses as the individual views the display. These measurements are coordinated with the color display in order to identify each color shade's impact upon the individual. In one preferred embodiment, the color display is generated by a monochromatic light source in order to subject the patient to true or pure color.

Abstract: A therapeutic pillow, that can be fastened to the backrest of a variety of chairs and seats, provides air-pressure-assisted lower back support that can be conveniently adjusted by the user for optimum level of support. The self-inflating pillow, utilizing an interacting combination of two types of expanded compressible core material stuffing and air pressure, never requires an external pump, compressor or lung/breath inflation. The front surface of the pillow provides a hook-and loop type attachment surface for versatile attachment of support straps for securing the pillow in place to the chair, and also provides for versatile attachment of thermal packets, e.g. for cold therapy. The pillow can be folded or rolled in a deflated carrying mode.

Abstract: A surgical barrier device includes an inflatable thermal blanket formed integrally with, or attached to, a surgical drape. The inflatable thermal blanket is inflatable through an inlet by a thermally-controlled inflating medium. An aperture array on the undersurface of the inflatable thermal blanket exhausts the thermally controlled inflating medium from the inflatable thermal blanket. The surgical drape extends from the inflatable thermal blanket and is sized to substantially cover the entirety of the patient's body. Where patient access is required, the drape has an opening to provide access to a surgical site.

Abstract: A procedure for breast reconstruction with a tissue flap having a cutaneous skin island. The procedure is performed as a total, immediate reconstruction, or on a delayed basis of reconstruction. The tissue flap is a free flap or a flap attached via a native vascular pedicle. Forces acting on the skin island yield enhanced nipple-areolar projection of the reconstructed-breast.

Abstract: A catheter shaft carries a coaxial cable, the terminal end of which contains a dipole antenna with opposing first and second helical elements. The first and second helical elements originate from a common connection to an outer conductor of the coaxial cable. The first and second helical elements are formed by winding flat wire around an outer insulator of the coaxial cable near a terminal end of the coaxial cable. A variable, controllable impedance is connected between an inner conductor of the coaxial cable and a point on the second helical element where the resistive component of the antenna's impedance matches the characteristic impedance of the coaxial cable. The impedance match minimizes reflective losses of the antenna, thereby maximizing power transferred to the antenna. The antenna has an effective electrical length which is equal to one-half the wavelength of the radiation emitted, independent of the physical length of the antenna.

Abstract: An improved electromagnetic blood flow sensor uses a bipolar magnetic field source to provide a varying magnetic field with a component parallel to the skin and through the blood vessel, a single sense electrode on the skin adjacent to the blood vessel, a reference electrode, and a detector that samples the sense electrode signal in synchronism to the varying magnetic field. An optional addition is a driven shield for the sense electrode to reduce the effect of noise voltages either from the magnetic field source or from stray fields.

Abstract: A device which is shaped like a mitt or glove and has surfaces for covering the palm and back of the human hand. Each of the palm and back surfaces is formed as a plenum which is filled with a heat exchange material. The heat exchange material is selected to provide cooling over a reasonably extended period of time, at an appropriate therapeutic temperature. The heat exchange material is preferably a phase change material such as a paraffinic phase change material having a phase change temperature on the order of 50.degree. F. However, other temperatures and materials are contemplated. The mitt or glove is made of a flexible plastic sheet material such as a tripolymer material or polypropylene. The mitt is formed of four die cut sheets of the plastic sheet material which are shaped in the pattern of the outline of a human hand and forearm. The patterned sheets are stacked together and heat sealed together along their periphery.

Abstract: The present invention relates to disposable thermal back wraps having one or more thermal packs comprising a plurality of heat cells, wherein heat is applied to specific areas of the user's lower back, for pain relief. More particularly, the present invention relates to disposable elastic thermal back wraps having good conformity to user's back which provides consistent, convenient and comfortable heat application.

Abstract: Rather than cooling the brain by the relatively slow heat conduction through the low heat conductivity of the bony skull and hair covering the head, the present invention teaches the use of a light weight, easily applied neck encircling collar in firm contact with the soft tissue of the neck, and particularly in good thermal contact with the carotid arteries traversing the neck. A coolant flowing through channels embedded in the collar rapidly cools the blood flowing through the carotid arteries which branch into blood vessels throughout the brain providing vascular access and attendant rapid internal cooling throughout the brain including its deepest recesses. Placing the collar on the patient's neck is easily and quickly accomplished simultaneously with other emergency medical techniques, such as CPR, which maintain the patient's heart and lung activity. The collar of the invention contains no metallic parts; the collar, including the coolant channel, may be non-metallized fabric or plastic.

Abstract: A semi-disposable blood pressure cuff system is disclosed utilizing a sheet of cuff or bladder covers. The two-fold function is: to provide a protective covering for an existing blood pressure cuff or pneumatic tourniquet cuff and functions as the disposable member of a semi-disposable blood pressure cuff system. The cuff cover has a width and length of adequate dimension to cover and protect the functional cuff and is also of adequate size that, when paired with the commercially available cuff inflation bag, can function by itself as a blood pressure cuff. This allows the user to construct a new blood pressure cuff for use on each patient. The method disclosed is designed to protect the public from a known carrier of disease, i.e. the reusable blood pressure or tourniquet cuff.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are provided for propagating microwave energy into heart tissues to produce a desired temperature profile therein at tissue depths sufficient for thermally ablating arrhythmogenic cardiac tissue to treat ventricular tachycardia and other arrhythmias while preventing excessive heating of surrounding tissues, organs, and blood. A wide bandwidth double-disk antenna (700) is effective for this purpose over a bandwidth of about six gigahertz. A computer simulation provides initial screening capabilities for an antenna such as antenna, frequency, power level, and power application duration. The simulation also allows optimization of techniques for specific patients or conditions. In operation, microwave energy between about 1 Gigahertz and 12 Gigahertz is applied to monopole microwave radiator (600) having a surface wave limiter (606).

Abstract: Headwear (2) for use in applying cold to a person's scalp, which headwear (2) is flat when it is not being worn, is foldable around a person's head (4) when it is being worn, and is securable on the person's head (4), by a plurality of fastener means (6), the headwear (2) being such that the folding nature of the headwear (2) and the plurality of fastener means (6) enables the headwear (2) to be folded as a close fit on the person's head (4) irrespective of different persons with different shapes and sizes of head, and the headwear (2) being such that is has double skinned portions (8, 10) which contain a cold retaining medium which gives up its cold to the person's scalp when the headwear (2) is being worn.

Abstract: The present invention provides heat exchange devices for heating and/or cooling parts of the body for therapeutic treatment of injury. The heat exchange devices include a cooling module with a housing enclosing a cooling chamber. A thermoelectric Peltier unit has a cooled surface sealed against an opening in the housing and a pump is provided for pumping heat exchange fluid through the cooling chamber directly into contact with the cooled surface and through conduits to a patient blanket. A reservoir containing refrigerant is in flow communication with the chamber in the cooling module housing and refrigerant only flows into the housing when depleted from the recirculation flow path between the cooling module and the blanket. Another device uses a thermoelectric unit disposed between two water pumps each of which pumps water to different sections of a flexible water bag which is strapped to the affected area of the user.

Abstract: A heating or cooling pad device, particularly for use in surgical operations and medical procedures, which has a human shaped pad for receiving a lying body. The heating or cooling pad can be formed from a chemical reaction pack to generate heat or cold. Alternatively, the pad may consist of an inflatable structure which conducts thermally controlled pressurized fluid or gas from an inlet port through a series of interacting channels. A plurality of holes across the patient-facing surfaces of the pad and patient-wrapping flaps facilitate escape of pressurized gases. For fluids, a corresponding outlet port is provided. For electrical elements, a power source is connected. The pad might also have a concave curvature on its surface to thereby cradle a patient when inflated. A stiffener might be adhered to the lower surface of the pad.