Abstract: A device for performing chest compressions for CPR in coordination with applying electro-stimulus for additional resuscitative actions such as electro-ventilation, electro-counterpulsion, and defibrillation. The device includes a chest compression mechanism, electrodes and power supply for electro-stimulus, and a control system for applying electro-stimulus in coordination with the action of the chest compression mechanism.

Abstract: A device for “in vivo” diagnosis by means of a photosensibilisator light-induced reaction or a reaction caused by intrinsic fluorescence in biological tissue, having an illumination system, which is provided with at least one light source having a lamp system which generates incoherent light in a wavelength range of at least 380 to 680 nm, a light delivering unit which directs the light of said illumination system at the therapy and/or to-be-diagnosed tissue area, and an imaging, image-recording and image-transmitting unit which images the light coming from said tissue area in a proximal image plane.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for displaying and using a shaped field of a repositionable magnet to move, guide, and/or steer a magnetic seed or catheter in living tissue for medicinal purposes. A moveable magnet assembly and a portion of a patient's body undergoing magnetically-aided surgery are both provided with fiducial markers. The portion of the patient's body is fixed in a location in which the fiducial markers are sensed and located by a set of localizers. The positions of the fiducial markers are determined by a processor, which operates on a stored representation of the magnetic field of a magnet in the magnet assembly to provide a display of the present magnetic field of the magnet. This display may be superimposed over an MRI, X-ray or CAT image during surgery. The repositionable magnet can be an electromagnet.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring the heart rate of a patient. In one embodiment the apparatus includes a hollow bell mounted on a diaphragm. A transducer element is also positioned therein to receive sound transmitted through the diaphragm, convert the sounds into electrical impulses, and transmit the electrical impulses to a microprocessor. The electrical impulses have real-time wave patterns corresponding to the real-time wave patterns of the original sounds. The microprocessor performs mathematical operations on wave pattern data conveyed by the electrical impulses to determine a numerical value corresponding to the frequency of the wave patterns. This numerical value is sent to a digital output and displayed thereon.

Abstract: A system for detecting ventricular tachycardia and supraventricular tachycardia using a multiple stage morphology based system. Cardiac signals are sensed from a patient's heart and analyzed for the occurrence of a tachycardia event. When a tachycardia event is detected, the method and system analyzes a plurality of features of the sensed cardiac signals in two or more discrimination stages. Each of the two or more discrimination stages classify the tachycardia event as either a ventricular tachycardia or a candidate supraventricular tachycardia event. When a discrimination stage detects the occurrence of a ventricular tachycardia, therapy is delivered to the heart to treat the ventricular tachycardia.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for adjunct (add-on) therapy of painful syndromes comprises an implantable lead-receiver, an external stimulator having controlling circuitry and a power source, and an coil to inductively couple the stimulator to the lead-receiver. The external patch contains means for compensating for the change in axis of external transmitting and internal receiving coils. The external stimulator emits electrical pulses to stimulate a cranial nerve such as the left vagus nerve according to a predetermined program. The pre-determined programs include both short term and long term stimulation.

Abstract: A device for measuring the composition of the body of a person includes a first electronic module which measures a bioelectrical impedance and including at least one current source which delivers a variable electrical signal that passes through the body of the person when the person is connected to the measuring device. The electrical signal is a squarewave the duration of which is variable to determine the global impedance, the intracellular impedance and the extracellular impedance of the body of the person directly.

Abstract: An electrotherapy apparatus performs a low level impedance measurement upon the patient to determine the initial charge level on the capacitor used to deliver an electrotherapy waveform to the patient. In addition, the waveform applied to the patient is dynamically controlled to compensate for patient impedance variability. Determining the initial charge level in this manner prevents unnecessarily high peak currents from flowing in low impedance patients while maintaining peak current in high impedance patients at therapeutically beneficial levels. The electrotherapy apparatus includes a measuring device used for measuring a parameter related to the impedance of the patient. The parameter is used for determining low level patient impedance. The measuring device provides a voltage output used by a controller for determining the initial charge level of the capacitor. A first embodiment of a first electrotherapy apparatus includes four electronic switches to deliver a bi-phasic waveform to the patient.

Abstract: A monitor-exercise equipment apparatus for measuring a biomedical response such as heartbeat rate, and for using the measured response to control the exercise equipment, where the monitor includes a transmitting unit and a receiving unit located in the exercise equipment. The monitor detects a biomedical condition such as heartbeats and produces a pulse train representing this response. The pulse train is then encoded to produce an encoded signal having a first identification part identifying the transmitting unit and a second data part representing the person's biomedical response. This encoded signal is wirelessly sent to the receiving unit which reads the received signal to determine if it is from the transmitting unit. If it is from that transmitting unit, the data part is read. If the received signal is not from the correct transmitting unit, it is rejected. Interference from other monitors or electrical equipment is minimized, and the data displayed is very accurate.

Abstract: Unilateral neglect is treated using a computer-controlled therapy system and method, and a stored computer program. A patient requiring therapy is placed in front of a computer controlled display. Stimuli are displayed on the screen to the patient, and responses to the stimuli on the side of the patient subject to neglect are solicited. The stimuli may be presented in the form of an age-appropriate activity or game. The responses are quantitatively evaluated and the difficulty of the activity or game is adjusted in accordance with the evaluation. Various audio and video distractions may be provided to adjust the level of difficulty, and the evaluations may include measurement of the number of correct stimulus responses within a predetermined period of time, the length of time a patient neglects a stimulus appearing on that patient's neglected side, or both.

Abstract: A method for identifying a sentinel node is provided. The method includes injecting tumor-bearing tissue with a marking composition, radiating marking-agent-targeting energy into suspect tissues potentially harboring the sentinel node, and detecting a lymph node within the suspect tissues first infiltrated by the marking agent. The method is conducted without detecting radioactivity, and thus avoids the health and environmental problems posed by methods based on detecting radiolabels. Moreover, the method obviates the need for surgical dissection to initially detect potential sentinel nodes. Also provided are systems for performing the method and compositions for use in the method.

Abstract: A multi-modality diagnostic imaging system includes a first imaging subsystem (A), such as a computed tomographic (CT) system, for performing a first imaging procedure on a subject. A second imaging subsystem (B), such as a nuclear medicine system (NUC), performs a second imaging procedure on a subject. The second imaging subsystem (B) is remote from the first imaging system (A). A patient couch (28) supports a subject. A patient transfer subsystem (C) transfers a patient couch (28) between the first imaging subsystem (A) and the second imaging subsystem (B). The first and second imaging subsystems (A, B) can be operated concurrently to perform different imaging procedures on different subjects supported by separate patient couches. Data generated by the first imaging subsystem (A) can be used to correct emission data generated by the second imaging subsystem (B).

Abstract: A method for imaging objects in a highly scattering turbid medium, such as breast, brain, prostate in human body and clouds, smoke in atmosphere environment, using backscattered light. The method involves using a group of sources and detectors setting on same side of medium to generate a plurality of time-resolved intensity data of backscattered light from the medium. The inverse computation using a reconstruction algorithm, taking the measured data as input, produces a three-dimensional image map of the internal structure of a turbid medium.

Abstract: An electrocardiograph leadwire assembly to be used with a plurality of electrodes, from which it receives cardiac electrical signals, and with an electrocardiograph monitoring unit, to which it transmits the electrical signals for processing and eventual display of the electrocardiogram. The leadwire assembly includes a plurality of leadwires connected in electrical communication between a different one of the electrodes and an associated port on the electrocardiograph monitoring unit, and a main housing wherein at least one of the leadwires is selectively retracted into an individual, isolated, retracted position within the main housing such that all of the leadwires are maintained untangled and prepared for immediate extension from the main housing for use when needed.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for adjunct (add-on) therapy of partial complex epilepsy, generalized epilepsy and involuntary movement disorders comprises an implantable lead-receiver, an external stimulator having controlling circuitry and a power source, and an electrode to inductively couple the stimulator to the lead-receiver. The external stimulator emits electrical pulses to stimulate a cranial nerve such as the left vagus nerve according to a predetermined program. In a second mode of operation, an operator may manually override the predetermined sequence of stimulation.

Abstract: Disclosed is an arrangement allowing for automatic calculation of stimulation parameters, for example dynamic ranges for stimulation, in an auditory prosthesis, for example a multichannel cochlear implant. The arrangement includes, in a preferred form, an electrode 12 for detecting activity of the stapedius muscle, and uses the electrode array 5 to sense neural response to stimulation, so that a maximum comfortable stimulation level and threshold level for each channel can be determined. The process may be initiated by the implantee, avoiding the requirement for external equipment and extensive audiological testing.

Abstract: A medical electronic apparatus for treating human pain by the application of an electrical stimulus with the proper current density and a special magnetic flux generator stimulus to the body surface of animals which includes an electrode complex of the treatment device which includes an adhesive means for holding the 4 electrodes of the device in contact with the human body. The electrode complex is preferably comprised of 4 electrodes which are 2 positive and 2 negative electrode defining opposite diagonal vertices of the quadrilateral shape. The electrodes are supplied by power means to activate and generate an electrical stimulus. Each electrode pad contains a Magna Bloc™ which snaps into position by an aluminum snap.

Abstract: A system and a method for providing normalized voice feedback from an individual patient in an automated collection and analysis patient care system are described. A set of device measures from a medical device adapted to be implanted is collected. The collected device measures set includes individual device measures which each relate to patient information recorded by the implantable medical device for the individual patient. The collected measures set from the implantable medical device are periodically received over a communications link which is interfaced to a network server and stored into a patient care record within a database server. The database server is organized to store one or more patient care records which each include a plurality of the collected measures sets. Voice feedback is spoken by the individual patient into a remote client substantially contemporaneous to the collection of an identifiable measures set.

Abstract: In a body fat measurement device provided with a LCD and multiple SWs, at least one LCD drive terminal of said LCD driver is connected to said SW directly or indirectly with a current limit element such as a resistor therebetween so as to work as a switchable terminal for either an input or an output, and said terminal is usually set to work as an output terminal for driving said LCD, and is periodically set to work as an input terminal 10 for receiving an input for a certain period negligibly shorter than a LCD drive period by a controller and thereby gets a state of being a SW, and said input is stored into a memory.

Abstract: A telemetry system for monitoring a rejection reaction of a transplanted organ being transplanted within a patient's body is provided.