Abstract: A blood flow meter includes a rotor configured to be placed within a flow of blood and to be driven to rotate by the flow of blood; a magnetic encoder configured to sense the rotation of the rotor and to generate a rotation signal based on the sensed rotation of the rotor; a first pressure sensor configured to measure an upstream pressure; a second pressure sensor configured to measure a downstream pressure; and a control unit. The control unit is configured to determine a differential pressure, the differential pressure including a difference between the downstream pressure and the upstream pressure; and cause an alteration to the rotation of the rotor based on the differential pressure.

Abstract: A biopsy forceps device includes a tension member and an end effector which includes jaws movable between an open configuration, in which the jaws are separated from one another to receive target tissue therebetween, and a closed configuration, in which cutting edges of the jaws are moved toward one another to cut a portion of the target tissue from surrounding tissue. The jaws defines a tissue receiving space therebetween to house the cut tissue. The jaws are pivotable relative to one another. The end effector further includes a tension member attachment coupled to the tension member; a distal end of which terminates at a sharp spike configured to penetrate the tissue. The attachment is movably coupled to the jaws so that distal movement of the attachment moves the jaws to the open configuration, while proximal movement thereof moves the jaws to the closed configuration.

Abstract: The present invention provides a plurality of samples, each of which includes particles of a predetermined particle dimension, within narrow predetermined limits, dispersed in a carrier at a predetermined particle concentration. The predetermined particle dimension and the predetermined particle concentration are the same for each sample. However, advantageously, each sample has a different predetermined ratio of a value of an optical property of the particles to a value of the same optical property of the carrier. The present invention also provides a method for selecting a target sample from the plurality of samples to assess the measurement accuracy or the detection sensitivity of an optical particle analyzer as the predetermined ratio approaches 1.

Abstract: The present invention provides a plurality of samples, each of which includes particles of a predetermined particle dimension, within narrow predetermined limits, dispersed in a carrier at a predetermined particle concentration. The predetermined particle dimension and the predetermined particle concentration are the same for each sample. However, advantageously, each sample has a different predetermined ratio of a value of an optical property of the particles to a value of the same optical property of the carrier. The present invention also provides a method for selecting a target sample from the plurality of samples to assess the measurement accuracy or the detection sensitivity of an optical particle analyzer as the predetermined ratio approaches 1.