Abstract: The present invention provides a medical device, or medical navigator, based not on a programming perspective, but a use perspective. Medication to be taken is displayed on a color screen, actual size where possible. A color display is used because the pharmaceutical industry worldwide has substantially standardized on the colors; e.g., black and yellow pills mean barbiturates. Capsules and caplets are uniquely colored for the medicines. Pharmacists can readily tell what the medication is by looking at it. And, patients identify medications by their color and size. Input mechanisms are provided for indicating compliance with the mediation schedule and the physical condition of the patient.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are devices for altering gaseous flow within a lung to improve the expiration cycle of an individual, particularly individuals having Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). More particularly, devices are disclosed to produce collateral openings or channels through the airway wall so that expired air is able to pass directly out of the lung tissue to facilitate both the exchange of oxygen ultimately into the blood and/or to decompress hyper-inflated lungs.

Abstract: The effect of ultrasound irradiation of a human or other animal body portion is enhanced by operating the body portion as a trapped mode resonator. The intensity and location of resonances within the body portion is controlled by controlling such variables as the amplitude, frequency and/or phase of the ultrasound irradiation. This minimizes the overall energy required to be applied to the body portion in order to achieve a desired localized intensity level.

Abstract: An apparatus having a shaft that can sense the depth of penetration, for penetrating into an object (the substrate). The substrate being penetrated has impedance that varies according to the depth under a surface of the substrate. The shaft has a tip for penetration and has conductive ends near to the tip of the shaft. A change of impedance of material of the object between the conductive ends can be sensed to provide information on the depth of penetration. A processor can be provided external to the object being penetrated by the shaft to gather and process the impedance information to determine whether the desired depth has been achieved.

Abstract: A sensor for sensing in a gas stream a vapor of a liquid. The sensor includes a micropore and a wet temperature sensor. The micropore has an evaporation end and has a lumen to conduct liquid from a supply of the liquid for evaporation at the evaporation end. The wet temperature sensor has a heat sensitive part in contact with the liquid in the micropore. The heat sensitive part circumscribes the micropore and forms part of the lumen. Heat loss due to evaporation of the liquid when the wet temperature sensor wet with the liquid is placed in the gas stream will result in the temperature sensed by the wet temperature sensor being lower than the non-evaporative temperature of the gas stream. This lowering in temperature can be measured to determine the concentration of the vapor in the gas stream. An example of such a sensor has a thermocouple junction having micropores passing through the thermocouple junction.

Abstract: A method of forming a transducer device having integral transducer and impedance matching portions includes forming grooves partially through a thickness of a piezoelectric member. A groove volume fraction at the impedance matching portion controls the electrical impedance. The impedance matching portion may be at either or both of the front and rear surfaces of the transducer portion, which generates acoustic wave energy in response to application of a drive signal. The drive signal is introduced by electrodes. In one embodiment, the electrode at the impedance matching portion extends into the grooves, but preferably a filler material is selected and deposited to allow use of a planar electrode. An alternative embodiment to fabricating the transducer device is to assemble piezoelectric material. For example, an integral transducer and impedance matching portions may be formed by using molding techniques or by stacking dimensionally different thin piezoelectric layers.