Abstract: Non-invasive medical examinations are performable in response to generated electric fields. Human tissue is located in contact with an apparatus having insulated electrodes mounted on a flexible dielectric membrane. A transmitting electrode is selected and a monitoring electrode is selected, such that electric fields penetrate the human tissue. The apparatus has a dielectric spacer with a first surface in contact with the dielectric membrane, a second surface, and a window between the first surface and the second surface. An infra-red sensor is located on the second surface and is configured to receive infra-red radiation from the flexible dielectric membrane, via the window, to determine the temperature of the flexible dielectric membrane. A processor is configured to produce output signals derived from the monitoring electrode that are compensated with reference to the determined temperature.

Abstract: A pressure compensating non-invasive blood-component measuring device has electrically insulated parallel electrodes mounted on a dielectric membrane (106). A main circuit board (201) provides electrical connections to the electrodes and has an orifice (402) to allow flexing. A housing supports the main circuit board, with a second orifice to facilitate the application of a finger onto the insulated electrodes. A bottom circuit board (401) supports a force sensor (408) and fixing elements (313, 314) secure the bottom circuit board to the top circuit board, such that the bottom circuit board does not contact the housing directly. An intermediate board (316) is guided but not restrained by the fixing elements, and is arranged to apply force onto said force sensor.

Abstract: A flexible dome-shaped substrate (301) defines an internal surface (403) arranged to accommodate breast tissue. A set of substantially circular electrodes (411, 412) are located concentrically on the substrate, along with a set of substantially radial electrodes (501, 502). An energizing circuit energizes a selected transmitter electrode to propagate an electric field through a detection region of the breast tissue during a coupling operation. A monitoring circuit receives an output signal from a selected receiver electrode. Positions are identified within the detection region by coordinates established by the substantially circular electrodes and the substantially radial electrodes. This allows irregularities to be identified and located.

Abstract: The electrical properties of objects are examined, using electric fields. An object is arranged on an apparatus having a first electrode (201) and a second electrode (202). The first electrode is energised during a first strobing operation of a scanning-cycle and the second electrode is monitored during this first strobing operation. Thereafter, during a second strobing operation, the second electrode is energised and the first electrode is monitored.

Abstract: The electrical properties of objects are examined, using electric fields. An object is arranged on an apparatus having a first electrode (201) and a second electrode (202). The first electrode is energised during a first strobing operation of a scanning-cycle and the second electrode is monitored during this first strobing operation. Thereafter, during a second strobing operation, the second electrode is energised and the first electrode is monitored.

Abstract: Non-biological objects, biological specimens and living tissues are examined using electric fields to identify regions of differing permittivity and conductivity. Substantially parallel electrodes are deployed in capacitive alignment with an object and energization pulses are generated for application to any of the electrodes as a transmitter. Output signals from any remaining electrode are monitored, in which a peak value of an output signal is indicative of permittivity and a decay rate of an output signal is indicative of conductivity. A first set of n electrodes (one to fifteen) is selected, each of which is capacitively coupled with a second set of m electrodes (two to eight) that are the nearest neighbouring electrodes to an electrode selected from the first set.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises an electrically active layer having a first plurality of substantially parallel electrodes and a second plurality of substantially parallel electrodes, wherein the first plurality of electrodes are not parallel to the second plurality of electrodes, such that there exists a matrix of intersection points between the electrodes. A signal generator is configured to generate excitation signals and is connected to the first plurality of electrodes, and a signal detector is configured to detect output signals from the second plurality of electrodes, wherein an output signal from one of the second plurality of electrodes is indicative of the degree of capacitive coupling to one of the first plurality of electrodes on application of an excitation signal thereto. A flexible top layer is sealed to the electrically active layer to define at least one hermetic void between portions of the top layer and portions of the electrically active layer.

Abstract: Objects are examined, including biological objects, possibly to determine concentrations of constituents in flowing blood. An input circuit supplies an input signal to a transmitter electrode and an output signal receives an output signal from a receiver electrode, wherein the transmitter electrode and the receiver electrode are capacitively coupled. A variable resistance circuit is connected in series between an input circuit and a transmitter electrode. The input signal is an impulse signal with an initial edge having a transition time. This transition time is adjustable in response to varying the resistance presented by the variable resistance circuit.

Abstract: Attributes of a human or animal body are detected by the generation and detection of an electric field. A laminated membrane, connected to a control circuit, is placed over an electrically conductive ground-plane. An upper-mattress is placed above this for supporting a human or animal body. To improve the response of the detector, a response-enhancement-layer of a substantially electrically non-conducting compressible-material containing electrically-conductive-particles, such as carbon particles, is located between the laminated-membrane and the upper-mattress.

Abstract: Objects are examined using electric fields (3201, 3202, 3203, 3204, 3205, 3206, 3207) created by a first set of electrodes (1101 to 1108). A selected electrode (1108) from the first set is energized as a transmitter and a different selected electrode (1107) is monitored as a receiver, to establish a capacitively coupled pair of electrodes defining a coupling operation. Two electrodes are (1107, 1108) are selected that are separated by a first distance as a first coupled pair during a first coupling operation. During a second coupling operation, two electrodes (1106, 1108) are selected that are separated by a second distance, where the second distance is larger then the first distance. The first coupled pair and the second coupled pair both include a first electrode in common (1108).

Abstract: Objects are examined with electric fields to determine properties of the objects. An active-plane (300) is defined by active electrodes (301-308) mounted on a dielectric-membrane (309). A processor energizes a first active electrode during a coupling operation and monitors a second active electrode. A cooperating plane (310) is defined by cooperating electrodes (321-329). The cooperating plane is displaced from the active plane and the processor selects electrical attributes (grounded, floating etc.) for selected cooperating electrodes during each coupling operation.

Abstract: Non-biological objects, biological specimens and living tissues are examined using electric fields to identify regions of differing permittivity and conductivity. Substantially parallel electrodes are deployed in capacitive alignment with an object and energization pulses are generated for application to any of the electrodes as a transmitter. Output signals from any remaining electrode are monitored, in which a peak value of an output signal is indicative of permittivity and a decay rate of an output signal is indicative of conductivity. A first set of n electrodes (one to fifteen) is selected, each of which is capacitively coupled with a second set of m electrodes (two to eight) that are the nearest neighbouring electrodes to an electrode selected from the first set.

Abstract: A pressure compensating non-invasive blood-component measuring device has electrically insulated parallel electrodes mounted on a dielectric membrane (106). A main circuit board (201) provides electrical connections to the electrodes and has an orifice (402) to allow flexing. A housing supports the main circuit board, with a second orifice to facilitate the application of a finger onto the insulated electrodes. A bottom circuit board (401) supports a force sensor (408) and fixing elements (313, 314) secure the bottom circuit board to the top circuit board, such that the bottom circuit board does not contact the housing directly. An intermediate board (316) is guided but not restrained by the fixing elements, and is arranged to apply force onto said force sensor.

Abstract: The examination of objects using electric fields is disclosed. A selected electrode (202) is energized as a transmitter and a different selected electrode (203) is monitored as a receiver to establish a capacitively coupled pair of electrodes defining a coupling operation. A plurality of transmitter electrodes are sequentially energized to establish a plurality of coupling operations during a scanning cycle. An analog output signal (205) from the monitored receiver electrode is sampled to produce first sample data (211) during each coupling operation. Further sampling of the analog output signal is then performed to produce additional sample data (213) during each coupling operation.

Abstract: The scanning of shoes using an external electric field is shown. A shoe, while being worn, is positioned upon a support platform. At least one input line is strobed by the application of an input voltage having a first intensity and output lines are sampled to produce output samples. Selected output samples are compared against a reference and the input voltage is adjusted, in a response to this comparing step, from the first intensity to a second-intensity.

Abstract: Attributes of a human or animal body are detected by the generation and detection of an electric field. A laminated membrane (202), connected to a control circuit, is placed over an electrically conductive ground-plane (201). An upper-mattress (203) is placed above this for supporting a human or animal body. To improve the response of the detector, a response-enhancement-layer (204) of a substantially electrically non-conducting compressible-material containing electrically-conductive-particles, such as carbon particles, is located between the laminated-membrane (202) and the upper-mattress (203).

Abstract: Output data is produced, indicative of a visible skin condition requiring medical attention. A reference region of skin that does not include the skin condition is identified and a probe is deployed against this reference region to produce reference data. The same probe is then re-deployed against the skin condition to produce test data. Output electrodes in the probe produce output signals by capacitive coupling when input electrodes receive energizing pulses. The reference data is derived from reference output signals and the test data is derived from test output signals. Output data is produced by comparing the test data against the reference data.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises an electrically active layer having a first plurality of substantially parallel electrodes and a second plurality of substantially parallel electrodes, wherein the first plurality of electrodes are not parallel to the second plurality of electrodes, such that there exists a matrix of intersection points between the electrodes. A signal generator is configured to generate excitation signals and is connected to the first plurality of electrodes, and a signal detector is configured to detect output signals from the second plurality of electrodes, wherein an output signal from one of the second plurality of electrodes is indicative of the degree of capacitive coupling to one of the first plurality of electrodes on application of an excitation signal thereto. A flexible top layer is sealed to the electrically active layer to define at least one hermetic void between portions of the top layer and portions of the electrically active layer.

Abstract: An amount of a substance contained within blood circulating within the human body tissue is evaluated. An application region of an apparatus makes skin contact at the position of the tissue. The apparatus includes electrodes arranged on a dielectric substrate to present an active surface at the application region. Force data is derived from a detector, that is compared against a first predetermined level 1401. In response to this comparing step, capacitive coupling procedures are performed or these procedures are inhibited. Thus, procedures are inhibited if a sufficient force has not been applied. If a sufficient force has been applied, capacitive coupling procedures capacitively couple selected pairs of the electrodes by producing electric fields that penetrate the tissue, to produce monitored output data, from which the evaluation is made.

Abstract: A flexible dome-shaped substrate (301) defines an internal surface (403) arranged to accommodate breast tissue. A set of substantially circular electrodes (411, 412) are located concentrically on the substrate, along with a set of substantially radial electrodes (501, 502). An energizing circuit energizes a selected transmitter electrode to propagate an electric field through a detection region of the breast tissue during a coupling operation. A monitoring circuit receives an output signal from a selected receiver electrode. Positions are identified within the detection region by coordinates established by the substantially circular electrodes and the substantially radial electrodes. This allows irregularities to be identified and located.