Abstract: A chair apparatus is provided. The chair includes a seat, a back rest, a leg rest, and a vertical front support. The leg rest is connected to the seat. The vertical front support rotatably supports the leg rest and seat at or near the junction of the seat and leg rest. The seat is movable from a first position that is in at least close proximity to the back rest to a second position in which a rear portion of the seat is moved down and away from the back rest to a sufficient distance that removes sufficient upward force on a spine of a user to enable spine decompression when the user sits on the seat.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a tracking system for augmented reality in a clinical setting. Specifically, the present disclosure relates to an approach for combining hardware-based tracking and computer vision-based tracking in order to accurately overlay a projected image onto a video image.

Abstract: Described herein are a computer enhanced medical method and device for generating an asthmatic condition indication. The apparatus receives a lung signal from a stethoscope, the lung signal having been converted from an analog signal to a digital signal. Furthermore, circuitry included in the apparatus performs, inter alia, the following: displays a patient recording canvas corresponding to physical locations on a body of the patient, the canvas including an anterior patient orientation and a posterior patient orientation, generates a recording process, the recording process including recording, for a predetermined period of time, the detected lung signal, and associates the recording with a marked location. Furthermore, the circuitry merges the recorded lung signal from each marked location on the patent recording canvas as merged information, and applies processing to the merged information to generate the asthmatic condition indication.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for correcting rotational error during use of an oblique-viewing endoscope. Specifically, the present disclosure relates to a fast calibration process wherein a new approach is employed in estimating a center of rotation of a plane of an image. Moreover, the approach, allows for updating of a camera matrix during use.

Abstract: A computing device includes a communications interface that communicatively couples the computing device with a plurality of other computing devices that collectively maintain a blockchain. A storage machine holds a plurality of blocks comprising the blockchain, where a particular block of the plurality defines a smart contract. The smart contract includes: (i) a first access criterion granted to an entity for a digital asset, and (ii) one or more functions that, when an associated condition is satisfied, change the first access criterion to a second access criterion, the condition being satisfied when one or more variables have specific values. A logic machine is configured to receive a current value of a variable and determine that the current value satisfies the associated condition. A request is transmitted to the plurality of computing devices to update the first access criterion to the second access criterion.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for correcting rotational error during use of an oblique-viewing endoscope. Specifically, the present disclosure relates to a fast calibration process wherein a new approach is employed in estimating a center of rotation of a plane of an image. Moreover, the approach, allows for updating of a camera matrix during use.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a tracking system for augmented reality in a clinical setting. Specifically, the present disclosure relates to an approach for combining hardware-based tracking and computer vision-based tracking in order to accurately overlay a projected image onto a video image.

Abstract: A computing device includes a communications interface that communicatively couples the computing device with a plurality of other computing devices that collectively maintain a blockchain. A storage machine holds a plurality of blocks comprising the blockchain, where a particular block of the plurality defines a smart contract. The smart contract includes: (i) a first access criterion granted to an entity for a digital asset, and (ii) one or more functions that, when an associated condition is satisfied, change the first access criterion to a second access criterion, the condition being satisfied when one or more variables have specific values. A logic machine is configured to receive a current value of a variable and determine that the current value satisfies the associated condition. A request is transmitted to the plurality of computing devices to update the first access criterion to the second access criterion.

Abstract: Described herein are a computer enhanced medical method and device for generating an asthmatic condition indication. The apparatus receives a lung signal from a stethoscope, the lung signal having been converted from an analog signal to a digital signal. Furthermore, circuitry included in the apparatus performs, inter alia, the following: displays a patient recording canvas corresponding to physical locations on a body of the patient, the canvas including an anterior patient orientation and a posterior patient orientation, generates a recording process, the recording process including recording, for a predetermined period of time, the detected lung signal, and associates the recording with a marked location. Furthermore, the circuitry merges the recorded lung signal from each marked location on the patent recording canvas as merged information, and applies processing to the merged information to generate the asthmatic condition indication.

Abstract: A device for generating composite images of dynamically changing surgical anatomy includes circuitry configured to receive, from an endoscopic imaging device, endoscopic image data. The circuitry is configured to receive, from a tomographic imaging device, intra-operative tomographic image data. The circuitry is configured to receive, from a tracking device, spatial tracking data corresponding to the endoscopic imaging device and the tomographic imaging device. The circuitry is configured to generate real-time dynamically changing composite image data by overlaying, based on the spatial tracking data, the intra-operative tomographic image data on the endoscopic image data. The circuitry is configured to output the composite image data to a display.

Abstract: Discussed herein are an apparatus and a corresponding method for classifying a murmur detected in a heart signal as a Still's murmur. Circuitry included in the apparatus segments a heart signal to detect a first lobe (S1) and a second lobe (S2) of the heart signal. Further, the circuitry computes a spectral width of an extracted feature of the heart signal that lies in a portion of a time interval between the S1 lobe and the S2 lobe based on an estimated power spectral density. Additionally, a peak frequency of the extracted feature of the heart signal and a shape of an envelope of the extracted feature of the heart signal are computed. The extracted feature of the heart signal is classified as the Still's murmur based on the spectral width, the peak frequency, the shape of the envelop, and additional murmur discriminant features.

Abstract: Described herein are systems and corresponding methods to place and further monitor an implanted medical device. The implanted device includes a fluorescent material that is disposed on a portion of a tip of the device. The system also includes a skin patch having one or more infrared light detectors configured to detect light radiation from the fluorescent material on the implanted device located beneath a skin surface of living tissue. The system further includes an image processing module that is configured to construct an image of the implanted device and its surroundings. The processor further registers and analyzes the position of the implanted device and provides an appropriate feedback signal to a monitoring station.

Abstract: Discussed herein are an apparatus and a corresponding method for classifying a murmur detected in a heart signal as a Still's murmur. Circuitry included in the apparatus segments a heart signal to detect a first lobe (S1) and a second lobe (S2) of the heart signal. Further, the circuitry computes a spectral width of an extracted feature of the heart signal that lies in a portion of a time interval between the S1 lobe and the S2 lobe based on an estimated power spectral density. Additionally, a peak frequency of the extracted feature of the heart signal and a shape of an envelope of the extracted feature of the heart signal are computed. The extracted feature of the heart signal is classified as the Still's murmur based on the spectral width, the peak frequency, the shape of the envelop, and additional murmur discriminant features.

Abstract: An embodiment that relates to a method for detecting a fetus genitalia in an ultrasound image, having excluding regions from the ultrasound image, wherein the regions do not contain any feature of the fetus genitalia; identifying points of interest (POIs) from remaining regions of the ultrasound image; detecting the fetus genitalia from the POIs.

Abstract: Described herein are systems and corresponding methods to place and further monitor an implanted medical device. The implanted device includes a fluorescent material that is disposed on a portion of a tip of the device. The system also includes a skin patch having one or more infrared light detectors configured to detect light radiation from the fluorescent material on the implanted device located beneath a skin surface of living tissue. The system further includes an image processing module that is configured to construct an image of the implanted device and its surroundings. The processor further registers and analyzes the position of the implanted device and provides an appropriate feedback signal to a monitoring station.

Abstract: A device for generating composite images of dynamically changing surgical anatomy includes circuitry configured to receive, from an endoscopic imaging device, endoscopic image data. The circuitry is configured to receive, from a tomographic imaging device, intra-operative tomographic image data. The circuitry is configured to receive, from a tracking device, spatial tracking data corresponding to the endoscopic imaging device and the tomographic imaging device. The circuitry is configured to generate real-time dynamically changing composite image data by overlaying, based on the spatial tracking data, the intra-operative tomographic image data on the endoscopic image data. The circuitry is configured to output the composite image data to a display.

Abstract: Techniques for accelerated elastic registration include receiving reference scan data and floating scan data, and a first transformation for mapping coordinates of scan elements from the first scan to coordinates of scan elements in the second scan. A subset of contiguous scan elements is determined. At least one of several enhancements is implemented. In one enhancement cubic spline interpolation is nested by dimensions within a subset. In another enhancement, a local joint histogram of mutual information based on the reference scan data and the floating scan data for the subset is determined and subtracted from an overall joint histogram to determine a remainder joint histogram. Each subset is then transformed, used to compute an updated local histogram, and added to the remainder joint histogram to produce an updated joint histogram. In another enhancement, a measure of similarity other than non-normalized mutual information is derived from the updated joint histogram.

Abstract: Medical imaging often involves the collective use of information presented in multiple images of an individual, such as images generated through different imaging modalities (X-ray, CT, PET, etc.) The use of a composite of these images may involve image registration to adjust for the variable position and orientation discrepancies of the individual during imaging. However, registration may be complicated by soft tissue deformation between images, and implementations (particularly pure software implementations) of the mathematical models used in image registration may be computationally complex and may require up to several hours. Hardware architectures are presented that apply the mathematical techniques in an accelerated manner, thereby providing near-realtime image registration that may be of particular use for the short timeframe requirements of surgical environments.

Abstract: Techniques for registration of multiple measurement modes of a body include receiving first and second data from different modes. Each includes measured values with coordinate values. For two mechanically aligned modes, any non-rigid registration is performed. For some modes, the non-rigid registration includes a coarse transformation and multiple fine scale transformations. The coarse transformation maximizes a coarse similarity measure. The second data is sub-divided into contiguous sub-regions. Fine transformations are determined between the sub-regions and corresponding portions of the first data to maximize a fine similarity measure. Sub-dividing and determining fine transformations repeats until stop conditions are satisfied. Transformations between the last-divided sub-regions are interpolated.

Abstract: Stress test analysis is facilitated through the acquired and manipulated use of a sequence of volumetric data regarding the heart (and may particularly comprise the left ventricle) for the assessment of the health state of the heart. Several provided and illustrated examples specifically relate to ultrasound volumetric data, but the volumetric data may be obtained through the use of any imaging modality (e.g., CT, MRI, X-ray, PET, SPECT, etc.) or combination thereof, and may be used to compute one or more functional quantitative metrics (e.g., ejection fraction.) The volumetric data may also be used to render one or more views of the heart, and particularly of the left ventricle. This disclosure relates to these and other uses of such volumetric data, and to some various implementations thereof, such as methods, systems, and graphical user interfaces.