Abstract: An analysing apparatus comprises a fluid container defining a sample chamber. A sensor having a transparent body with a nanostructured surface is coupled to the fluid container such that the nanostructured surface is exposed to the sample chamber. An excitation and detection apparatus directs a beam of incident polarised electromagnetic radiation onto the reverse face of the body at the Brewster angle, causing no or substantially no reflection of the polarised radiation from the reverse face. The beam of reflected radiation emerges from the reverse face after reflection from the nanostructured surface. The apparatus is simpler and cheaper in comparison with known alternatives that use ATR prisms to create ATR of the light to excite a planar surface.

Abstract: An analysing apparatus comprises a fluid container defining a sample chamber. A sensor having a transparent body with a nanostructured surface is coupled to the fluid container such that the nanostructured surface is exposed to the sample chamber. An excitation and detection apparatus directs a beam of incident polarised electromagnetic radiation onto the reverse face of the body at the Brewster angle, causing no or substantially no reflection of the polarised radiation from the reverse face. The beam of reflected radiation emerges from the reverse face after reflection from the nanostructured surface. The apparatus is simpler and cheaper in comparison with known alternatives that use ATR prisms to create ATR of the light to excite a planar surface.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing jobs on an enterprise-wide computer system. The computer system uses a portal architecture to allow a user to view a wide variety of content retrieved from a variety of different computer systems. The computer system is configured such that a plurality of users can access the system at the same time through a computer network such as the Internet. Users may access the computer system by using a standardized browser program, thus simplifying the user interface. The computer system may also be connected to one or more back-end databases that correspond to the different computer systems within the enterprise. The computer system is configured to run predefined jobs to process data. These jobs can perform a variety of tasks such as retrieving data from a back-end database, preparing a report based upon retrieved data, processing data already resident within the portal system, or notifying a user when a particular condition occurs within the portal system.

Abstract: An implantable cardioversion/defibrillation device includes a cardioversion signal generator and a defibrillator signal generator. Heart beat rates are classified into a first, an intermediate and a second range. A ventricle state determinator is also provided to determine the current status of the ventricle. At the low and high rates cardioversion and fibrillation signals are generated and applied to the heart, respectively. At the intermediate rate, if the ventricle is stable, cardioversion signals are generated and applied. If the ventricle is unstable, then defibrillation signals are applied. Ventricle stability is determined from the variability of the ventricular rate.

Abstract: A cardiac implant device is provided in which the ventricular rate is monitored to differentiate between atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia or other cardiac conditions. For this purpose, the ventricular rate stability is monitored by, for example, measuring the R-R intervals of successive ventricular beats. If the ventricular rate is found to be unstable, the ventricle is paced at a test rate to try to stabilize the ventricle. If the attempt is unsuccessful, atrial fibrillation is assumed and, if necessary, corresponding therapy is applied. If the attempt is unsuccessful, atrial fibrillation is eliminated as a cause of the ventricular rate instability and other types of classifying and treating the cardiac condition may be used.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for discriminating between tachycardias of physiological origin, and those of pathological origin having similar atrial and ventricular rates, are disclosed. The apparatus includes two sensing electrodes for registering the electrograms from the atrium and the ventricle of the heart. There is further included a signal processing element for determining the times of atrial and ventricular events, and an algorithm for classifying the heart rhythm. The algorithm includes a means for discriminating between different types of heart rhythms having overlapping ventricular rates and having similar atrial and ventricular rates. The method utilizes an analysis of the relationships between successive atrial and ventricular intervals (i.e., atrial-atrial (AA), ventricular-ventricular (VV) and atrial-ventricular (AV) intervals) in discriminating between such heart rhythms.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for discriminating between tachycardias of physiological origin, and those of pathological origin having similar atrial and ventricular rates, are disclosed. The apparatus includes two sensing electrodes for registering the electrograms from the atrium and the ventricle of the heart. There is further included a signal processing element for determining the times of atrial and ventricular events, and an algorithm for classifying the heart rhythm. The algorithm includes a means for discriminating between different types of heart rhythms having overlapping ventricular rates and having similar atrial and ventricular rates. The method utilizes an analysis of the relationships between successive atrial and ventricular intervals (i.e., atrial-atrial (AA), ventricular-ventricular (VV) and atrial-ventricular (AV) intervals) in discriminating between such heart rhythms.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting and reverting pathological heart rhythms of a patient are disclosed. A plurality of electrical heart rhythm signals of the patient are sensed at two different locations within the heart. The cross-phase spectra of the sensed heart rhythm signals for each heartbeat are calculated and such heart rhythms are classified based upon the information contained in the cross-phase spectra. Appropriate therapy is then delivered to the patient's heart to revert those of the heart rhythms that are classified as pathological.