Abstract: An expandable sheath for use in an intravascular blood pump. The sheath has a sheath frame surrounded by one or more sleeves. The frame may have at least one of a braid, a wound wire, and a laser-cut material. The sheath frame may be a metal that is at least one of Nitinol and stainless steel. The sleeves may be made of one or more plastics. The expandable sheath is manufactured by surrounding the sheath frame with the sleeves and heating the sleeves and the frame around a mandrel. The frame and sleeves are heated in multiple steps, along multiple areas of the sheath, and to different temperatures and for different time periods. The temperatures at which the sheath is heated, and the time periods over which the sheath is heated, are selected such that after heating, the materials of the plastic sleeves penetrate the sheath frame to various depths.

Abstract: Disclosed is a valve assembly, having: a valve duct having an upstream end, a downstream end and a duct wall extending from the upstream end to the downstream end; a first conduit extending from a first end at the valve duct to a second end spaced apart from the first end, the first conduit terminating at a valve assembly component; and a washing filter that includes filer media, wherein the filter media extends into the valve duct to remove particles and provide a clean flow to the first conduit.

Abstract: A blood pressure cuff is defined by a first sheet, having an opening, and a second sheet. The second sheet is attached to a bottom of the first sheet to form an interior inflatable portion between the first sheet and the second sheet, with the opening of the first sheet fluidly interconnecting the interior inflatable portion with an exterior of the cuff. The blood pressure cuff is made from a single type of material and can be recycled, biodegradable, or composted.

Abstract: A common-mode current sensor system and method for a traction inverter of an electric hybrid vehicle. The system and method detects/reduces excess common-mode currents that can be caused by the presence of alternating current (AC)-chassis type short circuit faults at the outputs of an inverter used for driving a two or more-phased load. In an embodiment, the system detects the presence of an AC-chassis fault of any varying strength, e.g., weak, medium, hard, in respective parallel paths. The system and method can isolate a particular AC-chassis type fault to a particular phase leg of the inverter thereby obviating a need of having to shut-down and/or re-program each phase leg of the whole power supply and vehicle operation. Rather, upon detecting a chassis short, a fault signal is asserted to control shutting down of one or more inverter switches without having to shut-down the vehicle or negatively impact the vehicle status.

Abstract: A smartphone-based hemoglobin (Hgb) assessment application quantitatively analyzes pallor in patient-sourced photos using image analysis algorithms to enable a noninvasive, accurate quantitative smartphone app for detecting anemia. A user takes a photo of his/her fingernail beds using the app and receives an accurate displayed Hgb level. Since fingernails do not contain melanocytes, the primary source of color of these anatomical features is blood Hgb. At the same time, quality control software minimizes the impact of common fingernail irregularities (e.g. leukonychia and camera flash reflection) on Hgb level measurement. Metadata recorded upon capturing the image is leveraged for determining a users' Hgb level thereby eliminating the need for external equipment. A personalized calibration of image data with measured Hgb levels improves the accuracy of the application.

Abstract: Apparatus for cleaning a surface with a liquid jet, the apparatus having: a primary fluid conduit having a longitudinal axis and two ends, a fluid-intake end and a fluid-exit end; a first motor-driven drive assembly configured to engage the primary fluid conduit and turn the primary fluid conduit about the primary-fluid-conduit longitudinal axis; a first motor configured to engage the first motor-driven drive assembly; a section of the primary fluid conduit being inside of an adjacent penetration sleeve; a section of the penetration sleeve being inside of a piston sleeve; the piston sleeve configured to engage the penetration sleeve and move the penetration sleeve back and forth along a penetration-sleeve linear path over a primary-fluid-conduit exterior surface; an actuator configured to engage the piston sleeve and move piston sleeve back and forth along a piston-sleeve linear path; a penetration-sleeve end being attached to an extension sleeve that has a first end and a second end; the extension-sleeve sec

Abstract: The present invention provides an image processing method to assess quantitative myocardial blood flow and/or myocardial flow reserve, comprising the steps of: (a) pre-processing of images comprises: (i) reconstructing dynamic cine 3D tomographic myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) data, (ii) optionally, denoising to improve the quality of image, (iii) extracting blood input function from a region of interest (ROI) of the left ventricle blood cavity, (iv) estimating the distribution volume (DV), given by the ratio of uptake and washout rates (K1/k2) to stabilize and improve estimation of K1, k2 and total blood volume (TBV) and subsequent myocardial blood flow measures, and (v) data normalization by dividing by the maximum of the blood input function; (b) assessing the individual signals pre-processed in step (a) in order to generate K1 and TBV parametric maps using artificial neural network; (c) post-processing of K1, k2 and TBV parametric maps; and of rest and stress myocardial blood flow to estimate myocardi

Abstract: A blood vessel access closure device includes an inner blood vessel wall support member and an outer blood vessel wall support member. The closure device also includes a deployment member and an electrode. The deployment member is configured to draw the inner and outer blood vessel wall support members towards each other when the inner and outer blood vessel wall members are deployed on opposite sides of a blood vessel wall during closure of a hole in the blood vessel wall. The electrode is configured to be attached to the deployment member and configured to be used to measure impedance.

Abstract: A bone cutting guide may include a support that contains a shaft movable relative to the support. The shaft may carry a guide member having one or more cut guides through which a clinician inserts a cutting member to cut bone positioned under the guide cut guides. In operation, a clinician may fixate the support of the bone cutting guide to a bone and translate the guide member until the one or more cut guides are positioned at a desired cut location. The clinician may then perform a cut through the cut guide. In some examples, the bone cutting guide includes additional components, such as bridging member or secondary cut guide, to provide additional functionality.

Abstract: Methods for treating a patient using therapeutic renal neuromodulation and associated devices, system, and methods are disclosed herein. One aspect of the present technology is directed to neuromodulating nerve tissue in selected anatomical regions. In one embodiment, the method can include intravascularly advancing an elongate shaft of a catheter to renal vasculature of a human patient and locating a first neuromodulation element of the catheter within a distalmost portion of a main renal artery. The method includes locating a second neuromodulation element of the catheter within a branch vessel of the renal artery distal to a bifurcation at a distal end of the main renal artery. Neuromodulation of the nerve tissue surrounding the selected anatomical treatment locations can inhibit sympathetic neural activity in nerves proximate a portion of a renal artery and/or a renal branch artery proximate a renal parenchyma.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices allow percutaneous mapping, orientation and/or ablation in bodily cavities or lumens. Such may include a structure that is percutaneously positionable in a cavity, such as an intra-cardiac cavity of a heart. Transducers carried by the structure are responsive to blood flow. For example, the transducers may sense temperature, temperature being related to convective cooling caused by blood flow. A controller discerns positional information or location, based on signals from the transducers. For example, blood flow may be greater and/or faster proximate a port in cardiac tissue than proximate tissue spaced from the port. Position information may allow precise ablation of selected tissue, for example tissue surround a port in the intra-cardiac cavity.

Abstract: A new mandarin tree named ‘AC4916’ notable for its flavorful seedless fruit.