Abstract: Verifying the opacity of an inflatable membrane includes tests to measure the contribution of a background to the noise in the fluorescence signal as an inflatable membrane is stretched. For example, if the inflatable membrane fluoresces red and green light in response to illumination with visible blue light, the ratio of red to green fluoresced light is measured when the membrane is not stretched and then stretched while the membrane sits over a background that is half black and half red. When the change in the ratio of intensities of the two wavelengths of fluoresced light increases more for measurements taken over one portion of the background than the other, then the inflatable membrane is considered transparent to the wavelengths of fluoresced light, and if it increases a similar amount for measurements taken no matter which portion of the background the membrane covered, then the inflatable membrane is considered opaque.

Abstract: An inflatable membrane for use with a three-dimensional (3D) scanning system configured to measure signal intensity of a first and a second wavelength of light may include a matrix material, a pigment for opacity, and a fluorescent material that is transparent to the first and the second wavelengths of light. The first and second wavelengths of light may be ranges of wavelengths. The matrix material may include a silicone, and the pigment for opacity may include a carbon black. The 3D scanning system may be configured to scan anatomical cavities, such as the human ear canal.

Abstract: An inflatable membrane for use with a three-dimensional (3D) scanning system configured to measure signal intensity of a first and a second wavelength of light may include a matrix material, a pigment for opacity, and a fluorescent material that is transparent to the first and the second wavelengths of light. The first and second wavelengths of light may be ranges of wavelengths. The matrix material may include a silicone, and the pigment for opacity may include a carbon black. The 3D scanning system may be configured to scan anatomical cavities, such as the human ear canal.

Abstract: A method of stopping bleeding around a catheter when an insertion sheath is removed is disclosed. This method involves using a novel tapered hemostatic device that can be moved along the catheter tube into the puncture site. The tapered hemostatic device of the present invention has an inner diameter that is just sufficient to permit the catheter tube to slide therethrough and a tapered outer diameter which at the distal end of the device is slightly larger than the inside diameter and at the proximal end of the device is at least as large as the outside diameter of the insertion sheath used to place the catheter in the blood vessel. The hemostatic device is moved down the catheter tube into the puncture site where the device stops the bleeding. Using a hemostasis cuff at the proximal end of the device to stop blood flow between the tapered hemostatic device of the invention and the catheter is also disclosed.The hemostatic device may contain a longitudinal channel along the wall of the device.