Abstract: When monitoring physiological parameters (e.g., blood pressure, heart rate, etc.) of a patient, a threshold limit (30) is set (e.g., automatically or manually) and the monitored parameter is continuously compared to the threshold limit, which may be constant or may vary with time. An alarm (36) is triggered if the monitored parameter exceeds the threshold limit at any time, or if the monitored parameter has not reached a target value by the end of a predefined time period by which an administered drug or therapy should have been effective.

Abstract: An apparatus has a pump module providing pump energy, a resonator and a controller. The resonator includes a gain medium receiving the pump energy from the pump module and producing light; reflective surfaces reflecting light produced by the gain medium back toward the gain medium; and a variable light attenuator receiving light produced by the gain medium. The controller controls the amount of light attenuated by the variable light attenuator such that the apparatus emits windows of pulses of laser light at spaced time intervals, each window containing a plurality of pulses of laser light and each interval between windows being larger than an interval between pulses within a window. The emitted windows of pulses of laser light heat tissue to a temperature that causes coagulation without vaporization.

Abstract: The invention provides a physiological probe that comfortably attaches to the base of the patient's thumb, thereby freeing up their fingers for conventional activities in a hospital, such as reading and eating. The probe, which comprises a separate cradle module and sensor module, secures to the thumb and measures time-dependent signals corresponding to LEDs operating near 660 and 905 nm. The cradle module, which contains elements subject to wear, is preferably provided as a disposable unit.

Abstract: The method of treating varicose veins and other vascular diseases provides sclerosant fluid through a catheter into the body vessel to be treated. The catheter has a lumen and a plurality of sidewall exits. The sclerosant fluid is provided under sufficient pressure so that it comes out of each exit as a jet of fluid with sufficient velocity to impinge on the vessel wall substantially orthogonal to the wall and thus minimize dilution of the sclerosant fluid and optimize coverage. A movable sheath on the catheter permits selecting a portion of the exits to be uncovered and thus create an infusion zone for the jets of sclerosant fluid which approximately match a desired treatment zone.

Abstract: Phototherapy systems comprising a therapeutic lamp platform for radiant lamps such as LEDs disposed in an assembly including a reflective surface facing towards a patient and a plurality of light apertures substantially aligned with the LEDs for communicating lamp radiation from the lamps to a user. The lamps and associated circuitry are disposed so that the reflective surface is relatively smooth and seamless towards the patient. The walls have a malleable rigidity for flexible adjustability relative to the user, and the device is mounted to the user with a frame.

Abstract: In response to local or systemic inflammation in a patient, photobiomodulation therapy is applied to a cardiac location to reduce the risk and/or occurrence of cardiac arrhythmia. Once inflammation is identified, photobiomodulation therapy can be applied in any suitable fashion (e.g., via a catheter- or transesophageal probe-mounted photoemitter, via an externally-applied photoemitter, or via photoemitter incorporated into an implantable medical device). Photobiomodulation therapy can also be employed to good advantage in conjunction with non-photobiomodulation therapy (e.g., traditional cardiac rhythm management therapies).

Abstract: Embodiments of a laser ablation system include a shaft, a balloon and a laser fiber. The shaft has a proximal end and a distal end. The balloon is attached to the distal end of the shaft, a portion of which is disposed within the balloon. A light dispenser at a distal end of the laser fiber is configured to deliver laser light through the balloon. A central axis of the balloon is aligned with a longitudinal axis of the shaft. The balloon has a variable transparency such that the transmission of laser light through the balloon is non-uniform along the central axis. Accordingly, an energy of laser light transmitted from the light dispenser through the balloon to the targeted tissue varies due to the variable transparency of the balloon.

Abstract: This invention relates to phototherapy lights, in particular for a combination of Bright Light Therapy and Dawn Simulation. A phototherapy light source having two operational modes, a first dawn simulator mode; and a second, bright light therapy mode; the light comprising a controller coupled to a light source; and wherein, in said first mode said light source is controlled to provide variable illumination with a minimum light intensity of less than 1 lux at 50 centimeters, and in said second mode said light source is controlled to provide illumination with a light intensity of at least 1000 lux at 50 centimeters.

Abstract: Provided are a system, method and device for determining one or more physiological parameters of a person.

Abstract: A system comprising a biometric monitoring device including a housing including a platform to receive at least one foot of the user, a body weight sensor to generate body weight data, processing circuitry to calculate user weight data which corresponds to the user's weight, using the body weight data, and communication circuitry to: (a) receive user identification data which identifies the user or a portable activity monitoring device, and (b) transmit the user weight data to data storage associated with the user identification data. The system further includes the portable activity monitoring device including a housing having a physical size and shape that is adapted to couple to the user's body, a sensor to generate sensor data, and communication circuitry to receive physiologic data which is based on the user weight data, and processing circuitry to calculate activity data using the sensor data and physiologic data.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for stimulating activation of heat shock proteins and facilitating protein repair in cells and tissues in order to take advantage of the remediative and restorative nature of the increased heat shock protein activation or production and the facilitation of protein repair, while not damaging the cells and tissues. This is accomplished by treating a specified target area with an ultrasound or electromagnetic radiation source which is pulsed and applied or focused to one or more small areas in order to achieve the necessary temperature rise or sufficiently stress the cells and tissue to stimulate heat shock protein production or activation and facilitate protein repair, while allowing the temperature to decay sufficiently quickly so as not to damage or destroy the treated tissue.

Abstract: A system for delivering medical examination, diagnosis, and treatment services includes a plurality of health care practitioner terminals, each having a display device, a plurality of patient terminals in audiovisual communication with any of the health care practitioner terminals, a call center, in communication with the patient terminals and the health care practitioner terminals, routing a call from a patient at one of the patient terminals to an available health care practitioner at one of the health care practitioner terminals, so that the available health care practitioner may carry on a two-way conversation with the patient and visually observe the patient, and a protocol database containing a plurality of protocol segments such that a relevant segment of the protocol may be displayed in real time on the display device of the health care practitioner terminal for use by the available health care practitioner in making an assessment of the patient.

Abstract: A bone fixation system is provided. The bone fixation system may include a plate, one or more fasteners configured to attach the plate to a target anatomical location such as bone, and a surgical device that facilitates the attachment of the plate and the fasteners.

Abstract: Devices, methods and systems are disclosed for assisting patients in behavioral modification and cessation programs aimed at terminating undesired behaviors such as smoking, alcohol use and others. Patient devices configured to be easily carried or worn including test units such as carbon monoxide blood level sensors with automated patient prompting for self-testing, analysis of test results and data logging are included in a networked system with a specifically designed treatment modality. Devices and methods disclosed are particularly suited to use in smoking cessation treatment and programs.

Abstract: An ultrasonic surgical instrument includes a reusable handle assembly and a removable and disposable shaft assembly. The handle assembly includes a trigger, a housing having a distal aperture formed in a distal end of the housing, and a drive member in communication with the trigger to actuate the drive member. The shaft assembly includes a proximal shaft portion, a rotator knob having a coupling feature, a transmission assembly extending distally from the proximal shaft portion, and an end effector coupled to the distal end of the transmission assembly. The drive member of the handle assembly is removably coupled to the proximal shaft portion of the shaft assembly. Another version includes a drive member of the handle assembly configured to removably engage a proximal shaft portion of the shaft assembly via a biasing member. Another version includes a waveguide of the transmission assembly non-threadably coupled to a transducer.

Abstract: A wavefront sensor is integrated with a surgical microscope for allowing a doctor to make repeated wavefront measurements of a patient's eye while the patient remains on an operating table in the surgical position. The device includes a wavefront sensor optically aligned with a surgical microscope such that their fields of view at least partially overlap. The inclusion of lightweight, compact diffractive optical components in the wavefront sensor allows the integrated device to be supported on a balancing mechanism above a patient's head during a surgical procedure. As a result, the need to reposition the device and/or the patient between measuring optical properties of the eye and performing surgical procedures on the eye is eliminated. Many surgical procedures may be improved or enhanced using the integrated device, including but not limited to cataract surgery, Conductive Keratoplasty, Lasik surgery, and corneal corrective surgery.

Abstract: A surgical instrument may be configured to sense a light re-emitting probe to resolve tissue oxygenation, the surgical instrument including: an optical emitter configured to excite the light re-emitting probe within an absorption band of the light re-emitting probe; an optical detector configured to receive the re-emitted light from the probe; and a signal processor configured to resolve the tissue oxygenation based on the received light. The surgical instrument can be a surgical stapler anvil or a flexible substrate having a tissue interfacing surface. Further, a monitoring device may be configured to map oxygenation of a tissue containing a light re-emitting probe, the monitoring device including: an optical emitter configured to excite the light re-emitting probe; at least one optical detector configured to receive the re-emitted light from the probe; and a signal processor that is configured to resolve the tissue oxygenation at multiple points to generate an oxygen map.

Abstract: The present invention provides for safe and reliable electronic circuitry that can be employed in ingestible compositions. The ingestible circuitry of the invention includes a solid support; a conductive element; and an electronic component. Each of the support, conductive element and electronic component are fabricated from an ingestible material. The ingestible circuitry finds use in a variety of different applications, including as components of ingestible identifiers, such as may be found in ingestible event markers, e.g., pharma-informatics enabled pharmaceutical compositions.

Abstract: The invention relates to a light treatment system (10, 12). The light treatment system comprises a light source (20, 22) for emitting light (100) for illuminating a part of a human or animal body (30) for light treatment. The light treatment system further comprises a housing (40, 42) for emitting light towards the part of the human or animal body, and for at least partially covering the illuminated part of the human or animal body from view. The housing further comprises a window (50, 52, 54, 56) for emitting light from an inner part of the housing away from the housing. An effect of the light treatment system according to the invention is that the window in the housing may be used as indicator whether the light treatment system is operating and/or functioning well. Furthermore, the presence of a luminescent material, for example, on the window, may be used as indicator for, for example, ultraviolet light as part of the ultraviolet light may be converted by the luminescent material into visible light.

Abstract: A medical manipulator system includes an operation unit that has motors, a composite input unit and a tip operating unit that is operated by a driving force of the motors, a working unit that may by attached to and detached from the operating unit, and a console. The motors are driven based on an input operation to the composite input unit. The tip operating unit performs at least a rotation operation along an axial direction or a swing operation that crosses the axial direction. The console changes a driving speed of the motors and includes a speed setting unit that changes an operating speed of the rotation operation or the swing operation of the tip operating unit.