Abstract: A method of determining an optical parameter or function thereof for a liquid, the method comprising: flowing the liquid through a flow cell; transmitting a pulse of light into the liquid in the flow cell; generating a signal responsive to energy that the material emits responsive to a portion of the light from the light pulse that is absorbed by the liquid; and using the signal to determine the optical parameter or function thereof.

Abstract: Apparatus for assaying an analyte in a body comprising: at least one light source implanted in the body controllable to illuminate a tissue region in the body with light at at least one wavelength that is absorbed by the analyte and as a result generates photoacoustic waves in the tissue region; at least one acoustic sensing transducer coupled to the body that receives acoustic energy from the photoacoustic waves and generates signals responsive thereto; and a processor that receives the signals and processes them to determine a concentration of the analyte in the illuminated tissue region.

Abstract: Apparatus for assaying an analyte of blood in a patient's blood vessel comprising: a mounting module adapted so that it can be adhered to the skin of the patient overlying a tissue region comprising the blood vessel; a sensor unit mounted to the module that generates signals responsive to characteristics of the tissue region; and a controller that receives the signals and uses received signals to assay the analyte and to determine a degree to which the sensor unit is aligned with the blood vessel.

Abstract: The present invention is directed towards apparatuses and methods for the automated measurement of blood analytes and blood parameters for bedside monitoring of patient blood chemistry. Particularly, the current invention discloses a programmable system that can automatically draw blood samples at a suitable programmable time frequency (or at predetermined timing), can automatically analyze the drawn blood samples and immediately measure and display blood parameters such as glucose levels, hematocrit levels, hemoglobin blood oxygen saturation, blood gases, lactate or any other blood parameter.

Abstract: A system for monitoring a position of an instrument in a subject includes a light transmission medium configured to transmit light pulses to a desired region to produce an acoustic signal, at least one ultrasound sensor configured to receive the acoustic signal and to produce a transduced signal from the acoustic signal, and a processing unit connected to the at least one ultrasound sensor and configured to locate a source of the acoustic signal using the transduced signal.

Abstract: The present invention is directed towards apparatuses and methods for the automated measurement of blood analytes and blood parameters for bedside monitoring of patient blood chemistry. Particularly, the current invention discloses a programmable system that can automatically draw blood samples at a suitable programmable time frequency (or at predetermined timing), can automatically analyze the drawn blood samples and immediately measure and display blood parameters such as glucose levels, hematocrit levels, hemoglobin blood oxygen saturation, blood gases, lactate or any other blood parameter.

Abstract: A method of determining a portion of light at a given wavelength which is incident on a material that is absorbed by the material, the method comprising: transmitting a pulse of light at the given wavelength so that the pulse traverses a path through the material; generating a first signal responsive to light in the light pulse that traverses the path length without being absorbed by the material; generating a second signal responsive to energy that the material emits responsive to a portion of the light from the light pulse that is absorbed by the material as the light pulse traverses the path; and using the first and second signals to determine the absorbed portion.

Abstract: A method for assaying a component of a localized region of interest in a body comprising: illuminating the region with at least one pulse of radiation having a wavelength at which the radiation is absorbed by the component to generate a change in an acoustic property of the region; transmitting ultrasound so that it is incident on the region; measuring at least one effect of the change on the incident ultrasound; using the measured at least one effect to determine an absorption coefficient for the radiation in the region; and using the determined absorption coefficient to determine concentration of the component in the region.

Abstract: A method for assaying a component of a localized region of interest in a body comprising: illuminating the region with at least one pulse of radiation having a wavelength at which the radiation is absorbed by the component to generate a change in an acoustic property of the region; transmitting ultrasound so that it is incident on the region; measuring at least one effect of the change on the incident ultrasound; using the measured at least one effect to determine an absorption coefficient for the radiation in the region; and using the determined absorption coefficient to determine concentration of the component in the region.

Abstract: A system for monitoring a position of an instrument in a subject includes a light transmission medium configured to transmit light pulses to a desired region to produce an acoustic signal, at least one ultrasound sensor configured to receive the acoustic signal and to produce a transduced signal from the acoustic signal, and a processing unit connected to the at least one ultrasound sensor and configured to locate a source of the acoustic signal using the transduced signal.

Abstract: A method for assaying a component of a localized region of interest in a body comprising: illuminating the region with at least one pulse of radiation having a wavelength at which the radiation is absorbed by the component to generate a change in an acoustic property of the region; transmitting ultrasound so that it is incident on the region; measuring at least one effect of the change on the incident ultrasound; using the measured at least one effect to determine an absorption coefficient for the radiation in the region; and using the determined absorption coefficient to determine concentration of the component in the region.

Abstract: A system and method for guiding the movements of a device to a target particularly for medical applications is provided. In one aspect of the invention, the system guides the movements of a device toward a target, which is viewable from an image. The system includes at least one scanning apparatus for creating the image including the target, at least one transmitter at a first reference location for transmitting radiant energy from the reference location, several position sensors and a data processor. The position sensors include at least one position sensor on the device for receiving the radiant energy, at least one position sensor on the scanning apparatus for receiving the radiant energy and at least one position sensor for receiving the radiant energy on either the device or the scanning apparatus.

Abstract: There are disclosed systems for calibrating a first position measuring component on an imaging or scanning transducer with respect to the scanning plane. Calibrations are performed by using a calibrating device including an additional or second position measuring component, such that during the calibration process, the relative position of between these position measuring components can be calculated. Calibrations are also performed by viewing targets on the scanning plane that are at a known position with respect to the second position measuring component. Calibrations are also performed based on the to scanning plane and position measuring component on a guided device, such as a needle, that typically is used in conjunction with the imaging or scanning transducer. Methods for these calibrations are also disclosed.

Abstract: A network element and a method for propagating data packet from an input port of a network element to an output port of the network element, the network element comprising a plurality of input ports and a plurality of output ports interconnected by an optical switch, the method including the steps of: receiving the data packet at an input port; processing the data packet to determine a destination output port out of the output ports of the network element; partitioning the data packet to a plurality of fixed sized cells; for each fixed sized cell of the data packet: optically transmitting in parallel optical signals to an optical switch, the optical signals being representative of all the bits of a fixed sized cell, switching the optical signals across the optical switch in view of the destination output port, during a single switching cycle, and converting the optical signals to electrical signals being representative of the fixed size cells; accumulating electrical signals being representative of fixed size

Abstract: There are disclosed systems for calibrating a first position measuring component on an imaging or scanning transducer with respect to the scanning plane. Calibrations are performed by using a calibrating device including an additional or second position measuring component, such that during the calibration process, the relative position of between these position measuring components can be calculated. Calibrations are also performed by viewing targets on the scanning plane that are at a known position with respect to the second position measuring component. Calibrations are also performed based on the scanning plane and position measuring component on a guided device, such as a needle, that typically is used in conjunction with the imaging or scanning transducer. Methods for these calibrations are also disclosed.

Abstract: There are disclosed systems for calibrating a first position measuring component on an imaging or scanning transducer with respect to the scanning plane. Calibrations are performed by using a calibrating device including an additional or second position measuring component, such that during the calibration process, the relative position of between these position measuring components can be calculated. Calibrations are also performed by viewing targets on the scanning plane that are at a known position with respect to the second position measuring component. Calibrations are also performed based on the scanning plane and position measuring components on a guided device, such as a needle, that typically is used in conjunction with the imaging or scanning transducer. Methods for these calibrations are also disclosed.

Abstract: There are disclosed systems for calibrating a first position measuring component on an imaging or scanning transducer with respect to the scanning plane. Calibrations are performed by using a calibrating device including an additional or second position measuring component, such that during the calibration process, the relative position of betweenn these position measuring components can be calculated. Calibrations are also performed by viewing targets on the scanning plane that are at a known position with respect to the second position measuring component. Calibrations are also performed based on the scanning plane and position measuring components on a guided device, such as a needle, that typically is used in conjunction with the imaging or scanning transducer. Methods for these calibrations are also disclosed.