Abstract: An inductive sensing device comprises first (16) and second (24) loops, the first loop (16) being coupled with a capacitor to form a resonator circuit (20), and the resonator circuit and second loop being coupled via an active buffering component (28). The active buffering component provides voltage to current amplification, and an output of the buffering component drives a current in the second loop. Conductive lines forming each of the first and second loop parts are radially spaced apart.

Abstract: A system for monitoring blood distribution in a subject, the system comprising a processor(38) responsive to Doppler ultrasound data representing arterial blood flow in at least two different locations of the subject, such as the neck and the arm, to obtain velocity (C, B1, B2, B3) or volumetric flow rate at each location, to monitor changes in a predetermined function of the blood flows, and to provide an output indicative of the monitored changes which may result from blood volume centralization. This can indicate the onset of hypovolemia or hypervolemia.

Abstract: An apparatus (20) for use in inductive sensing includes a loop antenna (26) and a signal generator (24) for driving the antenna, these forming a resonator circuit (22). The resonator circuit is drivable in a drive state in which the antenna is driven at resonance to thereby generate electromagnetic signals. The arrangement further includes a switching means (28) for switchably inhibiting the drive state of the antenna This allows in use controllable switching of the antenna in and out of the drive state to thereby control switching signal generation on and off.

Abstract: The present disclosure pertains to a system and method for monitoring and for facilitating pulmonary and systemic hemodynamics in the treatment and/or prevention of cardiac arrhythmias or structural cardiac changes, caused by altered preload. The system comprises: a pressure generator; a first sensor configured to generate output signals conveying information related to venous blood accumulation during cardiac preload in the subject; a second sensor configured to generate output signals conveying information related to systemic arterial circulation in the subject; and one or more hardware processors configured by machine-readable instructions to control the pressure generator to adjust the pressure levels of the flow of breathable gas during one or both of inhalation and exhalation to facilitate the pulmonary and systemic circulation based on the output signals from the first sensor and the second sensor.

Abstract: The capillary refill time (CRT) of a patient is an important feature in the determination of cardiovascular system health. Quick re-perfusion of the microcirculation (namely, the capillaries) is a good indication that the cardiovascular system is able to efficiently distribute blood throughout the body. Current systems use unreliable or subjective methods to test the CRT. Additionally, the calculation of CRT is not generally used in the adult medical space as it is more commonly used in pediatrics. The present application describes a system and method for calculating a patient's CRT using a mobile device with an integrated camera and light source, or an optical head-mounted display using a light source in combination with ambient light to calculate the CRT. Once a patient's CRT is calculated, an integrated application classifies the data and sends it to the treating clinician for review.

Abstract: A medical device (10) configured for attachment to skin of a patient includes a vital sign sensor or drug delivery patch (14); and a plurality of suction cells (12) arranged around a periphery of the vital sign sensor or drug delivery patch.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device, system and method for determining pulse pressure variation of a subject. To enable more reliably determining pulse pressure variation of a subject the device comprises a signal input (11) configured to obtain an input signal representing a hemodynamic signal of the subject, a processor (12) configured to process the input signal and compute a pulse pressure variation and a signal output (13) configured to output the computed pulse pressure variation. The pulse pressure variation is computed by deriving a pulse height signal from the input signal, deriving a pulse height baseline and a de-trended pulse height signal from the pulse height signal as the ratio between the difference between extrema of the de-trended pulse height signal and the respective value of the pulse height baseline signal, and computing the pulse pressure variation from the de-trended pulse height signal and the pulse height baseline.

Abstract: The present invention relates to device, system and method for detecting a cardiac and/or respiratory disease of a subject. The proposed device comprises a sound input (20) for obtaining a sound signal representing sounds generated by the subject's body; a motion input (21) for obtaining a motion signal representing motions generated by the subject's body; and a processor (22) for processing the obtained sound signal and motion signal.

Abstract: The invention provides a magnetic inductive sensing device (30) comprising a loop antenna (10) for inductively coupling with electromagnetic (EM) signals emitted from a medium in response to stimulation of the medium with electromagnetic excitation signals. The device includes an electromagnetic shield (36) element which is arranged such as to intercept electromagnetic signals travelling to or from the antenna. The shield element is formed of conductive material such as to block electrical field components of incident signals but further incorporates a non-conductive gap in the material so as to prevent the formation of eddy currents. A loop of the antenna is broken by an opening, the opening being bridged by a capacitor, and the device comprises a signal processing means which is electrically coupled to the antenna via only a single point of the antenna, located to one side of the opening.

Abstract: The invention provides a magnetic inductive sensing system for sensing electromagnetic signals emitted from a body in response to electromagnetic excitation signals applied to the body. The electromagnetic signals are generated and sensed by the same loop resonator which comprises a single-turn loop antenna and a tuning capacitor. The loop antenna of the resonator and a signal generation means for exciting the resonator to generate excitation signals are together configured so as to optimize the value of a ratio between the radial frequency of the generated electromagnetic excitation signals and a reference frequency of the antenna, where the reference frequency is the frequency for which one wavelength of the generated excitation signals (waves) matches the circumferential length of the antenna. This ratio, which corresponds to a normalized radial frequency of the generated excitation signals, is maintained between a value of 0.025 and 0.50.

Abstract: A wearable bladder monitoring device is disclosed and includes a fastener for securing the device to a subject's body; a phased array of ultrasound transducers having configurable output frequencies; a configurable phased array controller adapted to control the phased array to direct ultrasound beams into the subject's body under a plurality of discrete beam angles and to collect echo signals of the ultrasound beams, wherein the phased array controller is adapted to direct a set of ultrasound beams into the subject's body for at least a subset of the discrete beam angles in response to a configuration instruction defining the respective output frequencies of the ultrasound beams in the set; and a device transceiver for communicating data pertaining to the echo signals to a remote device to facilitate the remote processing of the data and to receive the configuration instruction from the remote device.

Abstract: Disclosed is a patient monitor control unit (10) comprising a processor arrangement (11, 13) adapted to receive a series of ultrasound measurements received from a sensor (30) comprising at least one configurable ultrasound transducer; process said series of ultrasound measurements to obtain haemodynamic data of a patient coupled to the sensor; control a patient monitor (20) to display the obtained haemodynamic data; evaluate the obtained haemodynamic data to detect a variance in said data; and generate a reconfiguration signal for the at least one configurable ultrasound transducer, wherein the timing of said generation is a function of said evaluation. Also disclosed are a patient monitoring system, a method of operating a patient monitor control unit and a computer program product for implementing such a method.

Abstract: There is provided a hydration state indicator. The hydration state indicator comprises a watertight shell; a semi-permeable membrane configured to permit the passage of water molecules and to block the passage of molecules of at least one solute; a water-absorbent indicator layer enclosed by the shell and the membrane; and output means configured to provide an output. The water-absorbent indicator layer has a predetermined osmotic strength. The volume of at least one part of the indicator layer is variable in dependence on the water content of the indicator layer. The output is variable in dependence on the volume of the at least one part of the indicator layer.

Abstract: An apparatus (20) for use in inductive sensing includes a loop antenna (26) and a signal generator (24) for driving the antenna, these forming a resonator circuit (22). The resonator circuit is drivable in a drive state in which the antenna is driven at resonance to thereby generate electromagnetic signals. The arrangement further includes a switching means (28) for switchably inhibiting the drive state of the antenna This allows in use controllable switching of the antenna in and out of the drive state to thereby control switching signal generation on and off.

Abstract: Presented are concepts for monitoring cardio-respiratory function of a patient. One such concept employs an optical sensor unit (10) for sensing light from tissue of the patient in response to temporary airway pressure changes provided via a respiratory support unit (50). By sensing variations in blood volume in the central site vein in response to temporary airway pressure changes, venous information of the person may be obtained.

Abstract: Presented are concepts for monitoring cardio-respiratory function of a patient. One such concept comprises detecting light or sound from the sublingual vasculature using a sublingual sensor unit adapted to be positioned at a sublingual vasculature of the patient's tongue and to generate a sensor output signal based on the detected light or sound. A processing unit adapted to receive at least one of the sensor unit output signal, wherein the sensor unit and the processing unit are arranged to analyze the venous component in the sensor output signal. An output signal from the sublingual sensor may then be used to provide information on cardio-respiratory parameters like respiration rate and respiration rate variability, for example.

Abstract: According to an aspect, there is provided an apparatus for measuring the blood pressure, BP, of a user, the apparatus comprising a volume-clamp BP monitoring device that comprises a first pressure device for applying pressure to a first part of the body of the user, a first photoplethysmogram, PPG, sensor for obtaining a first PPG signal from the first part of the body of the user, and a control unit that is configured to analyse the first PPG signal and to control the pressure of the first pressure device; wherein the control unit is configured to adjust the pressure of the first pressure device to maintain the first PPG signal at a constant level and to determine the BP of the user from the pressure of the first pressure device; and a second sensor, separate from the first PPG sensor, for measuring a physiological characteristic of the user in a second part of the body of the user, wherein the second part of the body is separate from the first part of the body; wherein the apparatus is configured to analyse

Abstract: The invention provides a method for guiding the acquisition of ultrasound data. The method begins by obtaining ultrasound data from a plurality of data acquisition planes and performing spatial registration of the data acquisition planes. A number of vessels are then identified in each data acquisition plane. A location of a vessel bifurcation is then identified based on the spatial registration of the data acquisition planes and the number of vessels in each data acquisition plane. A guidance instruction is generated based on the location of the vessel bifurcation, wherein the guidance instruction is adapted to indicate a location to obtain further ultrasound data.

Abstract: An inductive sensing system (8) is adapted to apply electromagnetic excitation signals into a body, the system comprising a resonator circuit (10) incorporating a loop antenna (12). The system senses signals returned back from the body with the same antenna, based on variation in electrical characteristics of the resonator circuit. The system is configured for separating signals received from different physiological sources within the body. This is performed based on detecting in the resonator circuit electrical characteristics indicative of both a real and an imaginary part of an additional inductance component added to the antenna by received electromagnetic signals. The separating the signals from different physiological sources is based on relative magnitudes of said detected real and imaginary inductance components added to the resonator circuit by the returned signals.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device (10), system (1) and method (200) for use in blood oxygen saturation measurement of a subject.