Abstract: A method for noninvasively measuring analyte levels includes using a non-imaging OCT-based system to scan a two-dimensional area of biological tissue and gather data continuously during the scanning. Structures within the tissue where measured-analyte-induced changes to the OCT data dominate over changes induced by other analytes are identified by focusing on highly localized regions of the data curve produced from the OCT scan which correspond to discontinuities in the OCT data curve. The data from these localized regions then can be related to measured analyte levels.

Abstract: In a device for introducing shock waves into a living body by way of at least one element (4; 12; 14) which transmits the shock waves and upon which shock pulses act, wherein at least one spring member (2) is used for generating the shock waves, a tensioning device is associated with the spring member and allows for an abrupt release of the spring member while delivering a shock pulse.

Abstract: A parameter affecting the absorptivity or the concentration of blood in tissue is measured using a semiconductor light source (7) and a light detector (8). The semiconductor light source (7) is operated at several operating conditions, at which it has different temperatures and therefore different emission spectra. In particular, the operating conditions correspond to different time intervals after switching the light source (7) on, while the light source (7) has not yet reached thermal equilibrium. This allows to perform a spectroscopic measurement using one light source only, which increases accuracy and reduces device cost.

Abstract: Devices and methods for profiling microbiota of skin are described which include a hand-held microbe profiling device including a housing defining an opening, the housing including at least one rotatable component at least partially disposed in the opening defined by the housing, an elongated flexible strip disposed on an outer surface of the at least one rotatable component, the outer surface of the elongated flexible strip positioned to contact one or more regions of a skin surface of an individual through the opening defined by the housing, a location-capture component to detect a location of one or more regions of the skin surface as the elongated flexible strip contacts said one or more regions, at least one sensor component to detect one or more signals emitted or reflected from the elongated flexible strip, and a computing component to associate the location of said one or more regions of the skin surface and the detected one or more signals.

Abstract: Disclosed is a functional NIRS imaging system including an elastomeric cap, a set of transmit optical fibers and a set of receive optical fibers terminating on the inside surface of the elastomeric cap. A pair of light sources combines to produce a collimated light beam at two wavelengths. An optical modulation system, converts the light beam into a plurality of probe light beams, modulates the plurality of probe light beams and directs each probe light beam into a transmit fiber. An optical detection system accepts scattered photons from subcutaneous tissue underneath the elastomeric cap as a plurality of collected light beams and converts them into a time series of electronic images, stores the electronic images into the memory and processes the electronic images using. The system displays the resulting image on a display as a hemoglobin oxygen saturation map.

Abstract: The invention is an improved blood glucose monitor and method of use thereof, comprising the combination of a noninvasive blood glucose detector with a blood sample reader for invasively obtained samples and a monitor for tracking blood glucose concentrations over time. The invention enables real time calibration of noninvasive blood glucose detection for continuous monitoring.

Abstract: A sensor is described for sensing a substance such as for example glucose. The sensor is implantable in the body of a living creature. The sensor comprises a photonic integrated circuit, e.g. silicon-photonics, based radiation processor for spectrally processing radiation interacting with the sample. A continuous monitoring system also is described using such a sensor.

Abstract: A microwave stethoscope measurement method and sensor design employ a microwave transmission sensor and a microwave reception sensor placed on a patient's chest in spaced-apart side-by-side configuration for monitoring patient vital signs, lung water content and other critical measurements. The side-by-side sensors are spaced apart a separation distance of about 1-3 cm in lateral chest orientation. The sensors may be formed with a textile fabric for wearer comfort and to improve contact with the patient's skin. The microwave sensor measurements are digitally processed using a modified short time Fourier Transform (STFT) spectrum windowed-averaged algorithm. Output data extracted from the microwave sensor measurements may be transmitted wirelessly to a mobile device such as a smartphone for remote monitoring of the patient's medical condition.

Abstract: An arrangement is adapted to determine an estimate for mineral density related to a patient's first bone, wherein said first bone is associated with a femoral head, neck and/or a lumbar spine. The estimate determined by determining a first parameter, which is related to a property change in a measurement signal, most preferably an ultrasonic signal, launched towards some second bone of said patient other than the first bone after the measurement signal has been in interaction with said second bone. This is followed by determining an estimate for mineral density related to said patient's first bone by using said first parameter.

Abstract: Devices and methods for profiling microbiota of skin are described which include a microbe profiling device including a device head and a hand-held housing, the device head including an epidermis-engaging component and an access window and configured to dislodge microbes from a skin surface, and the hand-held housing defining an opening aligned with the access window, the hand-held housing including a motor operably coupled to a motivatable component, a substrate disposed in relation to the motivatable component and including a microbe-capture region, a location-capture component to detect a location of one or more regions of the skin surface as the epidermis-engaging component contacts said one or more regions, at least one sensor component to detect one or more signals emitted or reflected from the microbe-capture region, and a computing component including circuitry to associate the location of said one or more regions of the skin surface and the detected one or more signals.

Abstract: Devices and methods for profiling microbiota of skin are described which include a microbe profiling device including a device head and a hand-held housing, the device head including an epidermis-engaging component and an access window and configured to dislodge microbes from a skin surface, and the hand-held housing defining an opening aligned with the access window, the hand-held housing including a motor operably coupled to a motivatable component, a substrate disposed in relation to the motivatable component and including signal-generating complexes, a location-capture component to detect a location of one or more regions of the skin surface as the epidermis-engaging component contacts said one or more regions, at least one sensor component to detect one or more signals emitted from the signal-generating complexes, and a computing component including circuitry to associate the location of said one or more regions of the skin surface and the detected one or more signals.

Abstract: A position of a light absorber existing in a subject and an initial sound pressure of an acoustic wave generated at the light absorber are calculated from an electric signal converted from the received acoustic wave generated in response to irradiation of the subject with light. An optical absorption coefficient and an optical scattering coefficient of the subject are calculated using the position of the light absorber and the initial sound pressure of the acoustic wave generated at the position of the light absorber. A light quantity distribution in the subject is calculated using the optical absorption coefficient and the optical scattering coefficient of the subject. An optical absorption coefficient distribution in the subject is calculated using the light quantity distribution in the subject and an initial sound pressure distribution in the subject obtained from the electric signal.

Abstract: In a method for image guided prostate cancer needle biopsy, a first registration is performed to match a first image of a prostate to a second image of the prostate. Third images of the prostate are acquired and compounded into a three-dimensional (3D) image. The prostate in the compounded 3D image is segmented to show its border. A second registration and then a third registration different from the second registration is performed on distance maps generated from the prostate borders of the first image and the compounded 3D image, wherein the first and second registrations are based on a biomechanical property of the prostate. A region of interest in the first image is mapped to the compounded 3D image or a fourth image of the prostate acquired with the second modality.

Abstract: A detection device for detecting a blood count parameter of a blood component in a blood vessel comprising a transmitter, a receiver, a loss detector, and a processor. The transmitter injects a first transmit signal into the blood vessel at a first frequency and a second transmit signal into the blood vessel at a second frequency. The receiver receives a first receive signal at the first frequency and a second receive signal at the second frequency. The loss detector determines a first loss value on the basis of the first transmit signal and the first receive signal, and determines a second loss value on the basis of the second transmit signal and the second receive signal. The processor determines a relaxation time constant of the blood component in accordance with the frequency having the greater loss value, and determines the blood count parameter in accordance with the determined relaxation time constant.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods, devices, and systems for measuring a blood analyte, such as glucose. The disclosure relates more specifically to the use in such methods, devices, and systems of one or more accelerometers to aid in the collection of data, operation of the device, filtering, and other uses. In some embodiments, the accelerometers are three-dimensional accelerometers. An accelerometer can be used in conjunction with analyte monitoring that may be performed with infrared, near infrared, or other wavelength spectroscopy. The accelerometer may allow a monitoring instrument to expect noisy measurement data, indicate positioning of a measurement site for improved expected results, indicate position of the instrument, or help the user properly place or control the instrument.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for optical topology detection and illumination. Embodiments provide an integrated system, and methods of operation thereof, where the integrated system includes an illumination system and an optical topology detection system, and where at least a portion of the spectral content of illumination light from the illumination system is within an optical detection bandwidth of the optical topology detection system, and where the operation of the optical topology detection system and the illumination system are interleaved to avoid crosstalk, such that the optical topology detection system detects the optical topology detection light when the illumination system is not emitting illumination light. The system may include, and control the operation of, an optical navigation system. The components of the system may be mounted to a rigid frame to maintain calibration.

Abstract: A method for modulating a response signal includes introducing functionalized magnetic particles configured to interact with target analytes into the body, applying a magnetic field sufficient to draw the functionalized magnetic particles towards a surface of the lumen of subsurface vasculature closest to an internally or externally applied mask having a spatial arrangement, and detecting a response signal, which includes a background signal and an analyte response signal, transmitted from the subsurface vasculature. The analyte response signal related to interaction of the functionalized magnetic particles with the target analytes and is modulated with respect to the background signal due, at least in part, to the spatial arrangement of the mask. The target analytes may be non-invasively detected by differentiating the analyte response signal from the background signal due, at least in part, to the modulation of the analyte response signal.

Abstract: A medical apparatus includes a magnetic resonance imaging system for acquiring magnetic resonance data from an imaging volume, a processor for controlling the medical apparatus, and a memory containing machine executable instructions and a pulse sequence. The magnetic resonance data acquired using the pulse sequence comprises free induction decay data and multiple gradient echo data. Execution of the instructions causes the processor to acquire the magnetic resonance data using the magnetic resonance imaging system in accordance with the pulse sequence, and reconstruct an in-phase image, a fat-saturated image, a water-saturated image, and an ultra-short echo time image from the magnetic resonance data, wherein the ultra-short echo time image comprises bone image data.

Abstract: Light irradiates one light incident position on the surface of a scattering-absorption body. The light that propagates through the interior of the scattering-absorption body is detected at one light detecting position on the surface of the scattering-absorption body. On the basis of a light detection signal, a temporal profile of the light intensity of the detected light is acquired, and on the basis of the temporal profile, an mean optical path length of the light in the interior of the scattering-absorption body and information relating to the amount of substance to be measured in a region to be measured are calculated. The information relating to the amount of substance to be measured is corrected on the basis of the mean optical path length, such that the longer the mean optical path length, the greater the amount of substance to be measured is.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for quantifying absolute blood volume flow rates by fitting a kinetic model incorporating blood volume, bolus dispersion and signal attenuation to dynamic angiographic data. A self-calibration method is described for both 2D and 3D data sets to convert the relative blood volume parameter into absolute units. The parameter values are then used to simulate the signal arising from a very short bolus, in the absence of signal attenuation, which can be readily encompassed within a vessel mask of interest. The volume flow rate can then be determined by calculating the blood volume within the vessel mask and dividing by the simulated bolus duration. This method is exemplified using non-contrast magnetic resonance imaging data from a flow phantom and the cerebral arteries of healthy volunteers and a patient with Moya-Moya disease acquired using a 2D vessel-encoded pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling pulse sequence.