Abstract: A computer-based system for monitoring the heart muscle function of a patient, with contextual oversight, includes a sensor array for collecting physiological and environmental data that are pertinent to the patient. A context register is also included which contains periodically updated patient-specific data that establishes a relevant contextual oversight capability for the system. In operation, a computer identifies anomalies in the physical data and detects aberrations in the environmental data. These anomalies and aberrations are then interactively evaluated together, relative to the contextual oversight capability, to determine whether clinical intervention for the patient is warranted.

Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring a heart muscle function identify anomalies in the heart muscle function of a patient, relative to a predetermined cardio-profile. Concurrently, they also detect aberrations in the characteristics of perturbations that may have caused the anomaly. In detail, the aberrations are detected relative to a predetermined response matrix for the perturbation, and characteristics of the perturbation are weighted according to their potential influence on the anomaly. The anomalies that are identified from the cardio-profile are then evaluated relative to the corresponding perturbation aberration to determine whether clinical intervention is warranted.

Abstract: A computer-based system for monitoring the heart muscle function of a patient, with contextual oversight, includes a sensor array for collecting physiological and environmental data that are pertinent to the patient. A context register is also included which contains periodically updated patient-specific data that establishes a relevant contextual oversight capability for the system. In operation, a computer identifies anomalies in the physical data and detects aberrations in the environmental data. These anomalies and aberrations are then interactively evaluated together, relative to the contextual oversight capability, to determine whether clinical intervention for the patient is warranted.

Abstract: A computer-based system for monitoring the heart muscle function of a patient, with contextual oversight, includes a sensor array for collecting physiological and environmental data that are pertinent to the patient. A context register is also included which contains periodically updated patient-specific data that establishes a relevant contextual oversight capability for the system. In operation, a computer identifies anomalies in the physical data and detects aberrations in the environmental data. These anomalies and aberrations are then interactively evaluated together, relative to the contextual oversight capability, to determine whether clinical intervention for the patient is warranted.

Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring a heart muscle function identify anomalies in the heart muscle function of a patient, relative to a predetermined cardio-profile. Concurrently, they also detect aberrations in the characteristics of perturbations that may have caused the anomaly. In detail, the aberrations are detected relative to a predetermined response matrix for the perturbation, and characteristics of the perturbation are weighted according to their potential influence on the anomaly. The anomalies that are identified from the cardio-profile are then evaluated relative to the corresponding perturbation aberration to determine whether clinical intervention is warranted.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to methods for monitoring and evaluating a patient's heart muscle function. For the present invention this requires simultaneously detecting both cardiac signals (i.e. an EKG) and perturbation signals caused by the environmental and physical factors that are influencing the patient. In particular, when a cardiac signal is not compliant with a predetermined cardio-profile, an anomaly results. The resultant anomaly, and the perturbation causing the anomaly are then evaluated to determine whether an appropriate action is required.

Abstract: A system for monitoring and evaluating cardiac anomalies of a patient requires a cardiac sensor for detecting cardiac signals, and a perturbation sensor for detecting perturbations caused by stimuli that influence the cardiac signals. Based on normal cardiac signals for the patient, a cardio-profile is created which includes ranges of acceptable variations in selected parameters for the waveform of the cardiac signals. When a perturbation is detected by the perturbation sensor, its influence on the corresponding cardiac signal is evaluated relative to the cardio-profile to determine whether an anomaly has occurred. If so, the perturbation and the cardiac signal are further evaluated to determine whether a medical response is required.

Abstract: A computer-based system and method are provided for minimizing the overall cost of providing health care for a chronic disease. To do this, an operating point is selected on a ROC curve to classify patients in a defined population. Based on this classification, patients in the population are classified and placed on either of a pair of pathways for health care. One pathway involves relatively low-cost health care treatment, but potentially repetitive involvement with the patient. The other pathway involves relatively high-cost treatment, but only episodic involvement with the patient. Placement of each entity on a selected pathway is done to collectively minimize the overall cost of providing health care.

Abstract: A method for creating an image of in situ biological tissue uses an inhomogeneous field MRI device to pulse the tissue with sequential epochs of excitation pulses. Each epoch of excitation pulses includes, in order, an initial tilting pulse, an x-y encode and a train of refocussing pulses. Specifically, each x-y encode has a K-space identifier of the form i(1 . . . m)+j(1 . . . n), and the tilting pulses change sign according to whether the K-space identifier (i+j) is odd or even. For an image having m.times.n pixels, n.times.n epochs are used to generate n.times.n measurements of imageable spin echo signals. These m.times.n measurements are then collated to create the image.

Abstract: A method for acquiring data from voxels in a contour of tissue includes positioning the tissue in a magnetic field. For the present method, a z-gradient is imposed on the contour tissue to spread the spectrum of all of the voxels over a same range of Larmor frequencies. Additionally, voxels in the contour tissue are selectively encoded with different x-gradients and y-gradients to distinguish the various voxels from each other. In the presence of the z-gradient, nuclei of the encoded voxel are tilted and then refocused at a rate proportional to the z-gradient. Due to this refocusing, spin echo signals are generated which are useful for acquiring data from the tissue. The intravoxel z-gradient used for the present invention is the same for all voxels and is greater than either the x-gradient or the y-gradient which are used for encoding. The z-gradient may be substantially constant.

Abstract: A system for providing a fluid refrigerant to a cooling element is provided herein. The system includes a vessel which holds the fluid refrigerant, a heat source evaporating a portion of the fluid in the vessel, and a heat exchanger condensing a portion of the gaseous phase of the fluid in the vessel. A conduit establishes fluid communication between: (i) the vessel and the cooling element; and (ii) the cooling element and the heat exchanger. Importantly, the system controls the flow rate of the fluid refrigerant to the cooling element by controlling the pressure of the fluid in the vessel. The system is particularly useful with cryogenic fluid refrigerants to cool a superconductor for an MRI System.

Abstract: An MRI apparatus for imaging an object includes a base, a pair of magnets, and a transceiver unit. The magnets are mounted on the base with the North pole face of one magnet facing the South pole face of the other magnet. The North pole face and the South pole face are each substantially arcuate, and are positioned on the base to establish a magnetic field in a substantially U-shaped region between the North pole face and the South pole face. Importantly, imaging is performed in a nonhomogeneous portion of this magnetic field. This portion is characterized by substantially parallel surfaces having mutually different constant magnetic field magnitudes. Importantly, the space between the magnets at the top of the U-shaped region creates an access into the U-shaped region. To image an object, the object is placed through the access and into the portion of the magnetic field having surfaces of constant magnetic field magnitude.

Abstract: A method for maintaining encoded coherence for a remotely positioned MRI device is accomplished in groups of pulses. Each group includes four sequences of pulses and each sequence includes a tilting phase, an encoding phase and a recording phase. Specifically, each sequence begins with a 90.degree. tilting pulse. The encoding phase, which follows, is characterized by a time interval between refocusing 180.degree. pulses which is of sufficient duration to permit effective encoding of the material to be imaged. On the other hand, the recording phase, which follows the encoding phase, is characterized by a time interval between refocusing 180.degree. pulses which is shorter in duration in order to maintain encoded coherence during imaging. Within any group of pulses, there are four individually different sequences which result by shifting the phases of the refocusing pulses from sequence to sequence to provide 180.degree..sub..+-.x and 180.degree..sub..+-.y refocusing pulses.

Abstract: A method for using a remotely positionable MRI device to construct an image of a slice of in situ biological tissue includes creating and combining NMR images of subslices of the total slice of tissue to be imaged. More specifically, with the device positioned to record nuclei spin echoes from the slice of tissue to be imaged, the slice is divided into n different subslices and these subslices are imaged using a particular Larmor frequency for each subslice. In accordance with the present invention, n is an integer having a value less than T.sub.1 /T.sub.2, where T.sub.1 is the spin lattice relaxation time of the nuclei being imaged and T.sub.2 is the spin-spin relaxation time of the nuclei being imaged (n is approximately equal to 10). All n subslice images are then combined to create the image for the slice.

Abstract: A method for using a remotely positioned MRI device to image a material with an inhomogeneous magnetic field requires maintaining an encoded coherence of all components of nuclear magnetization in the material during the imaging process. To do this, the encoding of nuclei is accomplished first, and then the nuclei are repetitively refocussed to obtain recordable net magnetic moments. This is repeated as part of a two-step recording sequence wherein first one component of the refocused nuclear magnetization is recorded and then the other component of the refocussed nuclear magnetization is recorded. Importantly, for each step in the recording sequence the encoding and the repetitive refocussing of the nuclei are accomplish separately. Specifically the method includes the steps of: tilting the nuclei with a 90.degree. pulse; encoding the nuclei with a gradient; pulsing the encoded nuclei with a train of 180.degree.