Abstract: A medical treatment administration system 610 for delivering a medical treatment to a patient 618. The system 610 has a medical device 612 disposed in a first location, an electronic processor 628 coupled to the medical device 612, a sensor 616 coupled to the processor 628, and a remote controller 646 disposed at a second location remote from the first location. The remote controller 646 has an input device to control operation of the electronic processor 628. The sensor 616 receives one or more signals which it transfers 624 to the processor 628. The signals can be derived from the patient's physiological condition and/or the environment of the patient. The processor 628 receives the signals and performs a calculation 630 of the signal. Based on the result of the calculation, the processor 628 regulates the distribution of medical treatment to the patient 618 over a period of time.

Abstract: A patient management system includes a programmable patient monitor for monitoring and recording a plurality of physiological conditions of a patient, a plurality of physiological condition sensors and a communications unit. The plurality of patient monitoring sensors are electrically coupled to the programmable patient monitor. Each sensor detects a particular physiological condition of the patient, such as core temperature, ECG electrodes for providing an electrocardiogram and blood oximetry sensors. The patient monitor is small and compact and easily worn by the patient during his normal at home activities. To provide communication with a caregiver via a remote controller at the caregiver's location, a communications unit is disposed in the facility.

Abstract: A method to manage a customized network connection application includes generating plurality of input interfaces to receive customization information pertaining to the customized network connection application. The customization information pertaining to the customized network connection application is received via the plurality of input interfaces. The customization information is then stored as a profile associated with the customized network connection application. The customized network connection application is automatically generated utilizing the profile, and distributed to at least one recipient.

Abstract: A patient management system includes a programmable patient monitor for monitoring and recording a plurality of physiological conditions of a patient, a plurality of physiological condition sensors and a communications unit. The plurality of patient monitoring sensors are electrically coupled to the programmable patient monitor. Each sensor detects a particular physiological condition of the patient, such as core temperature, ECG electrodes for providing an electrocardiogram and blood oximetry sensors. The patient monitor is small and compact and easily worn by the patient during his normal at home activities. To provide communication with a caregiver via a remote controller at the caregiver's location, a communications unit is disposed in the facility.

Abstract: A method and apparatus which captures relevant information pertaining to a patient's physiological conditions, automatically adjusts the amount of medication to optimize the treatment of pain and improve the patient's quality of life is described.

Abstract: A method and apparatus which captures relevant information pertaining to a patient's physiological conditions, automatically adjusts the amount of medication to optimize the treatment of pain and improve the patient's quality of life is described.

Abstract: A positioning device for the accurate placement of biomedical sensors. The positioning device has a template frame and one or more template arms. The template frame is able to be referenced to at least one anatomical site upon the human body, such as the sternal notch or the navel. Template arms extend from the template frame to the electrode positioning site. The length and angle of the template arms corresponds to the distance from the template frame to the electrode positioning site. The template arms reference the electrode positioning sites with respect to the template frame. The template frame references the template arms with respect to anatomical sites upon the human body.

Abstract: In a cardiomyoplasty system, a rate responsive implantable device is disclosed which controls the stimulation of both the heart and a myoplasty muscle. The metabolic demand is used as a rate response parameter and one or both of the heart and the muscle stimulation are increased with metabolic demand. Under certain conditions, for example, if the muscle is tired, its stimulation is maintained constant or reduced and the cardiac stimulation is used to compensate for increased metabolic demand.

Abstract: A cardiomyoplastic muscle is stimulated electronically using a closed loop control system. As part of the system, a signal sensed the muscle which is characteristic of its condition. If this signal indicates an abnormal condition, then the stimulation of the muscle is modified accordingly.

Abstract: A pacemaker or similar cardiac and cardiomyoplasty muscle stimulator is provided which during a training period of said muscle, defining alternating training and augmentation phases. During training phases training pulses are provided for the muscle until the muscle is capable of performing cardiac assistance for relatively extended time periods. During the augmentation phases, augmentation pulses are applied to the muscle to provide cardiac assistance even with a muscle with no, or limited training.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for encoding data wherein contiguous data values represent a video image. Three contiguous data values are applied to a loop filter to provide digital filtering of the data values. A frame differencing device performs a subtraction operation upon one of the three contiguous data values simultaneously with the performance of a filtering operation upon another one of the three contiguous data values. Additionally, a discrete cosine transform device performs transform operations upon the third contiguous data value simultaneously with the performance of the digital filtering and the frame differencing operation upon the other two contiguous data values. Because the loop filter is a multipass device the frame differencing device and the discrete cosine transform device must wait while some filtering operations are performed. As soon as one of the contiguous values is applied to the output of the digital filtering device it is operated upon by the frame differencing device.

Abstract: A signal is encoded by (1) generating a difference signal using a current input signal and a current reference signal, (2) transforming the difference signal to a transform domain, (3) quantizing the transformed signal, and (4) further encoding the quantized signal. The encoded signal is then transmitted, either for storage or for decoding by a remote decoding system. The quantized signal (i.e., without any further encoding) is also dequantized and the resulting dequantized signal is transformed back (i.e., inverse transformed) to the original signal domain as a reference difference signal. The reference difference signal is then added to the current reference signal to generate a next reference signal. The next reference signal may then be used to encode a next input signal. A single transform circuit implements both the forward transform and the inverse transform during encoding by configuring the circuit differently for the forward and inverse transforms.

Abstract: An improved ultrasonic transducer for a catheter tip has a thin strip of piezoelectric polymer film formed into a spiral ring and adhesively mounted on the support structure near the catheter tip. Electrical connection between the back face of the film and the support structure negative electrode is via capacitive coupling. Connection to the front face of the film is via a wire connected to the positive electrode of the catheter. A further embodiment suitable for a needle transducer is formed by coating the tip with a solution of PVDF co-polymer to form the actual transducer.

Abstract: An improved ultrasonic transducer for a catheter tip has a thin strip of piezoelectric polymer film formed into a spiral ring and adhesively mounted on the support structure near the catheter tip. Electrical connection between the back face of the film and the support structure negative electrode is via capacitive coupling. Connection to the front face of the film is via a wire connected to the positive electrode of the catheter. A further embodiment suitable for a needle transducer is formed by coating the tip with a solution of PVDF co-polymer to form the actual transducer.

Abstract: A multifrequency composite ultrasonic transducer system includes a transducer comprised of piezoelectric ceramic rods embedded in a polymer matrix. By selecting the appropriate thickness and width of ceramic rod, the transducer assembly can be made to resonate at a number of frequencies. One of the resonance frequencies is determined by the thickness of the ceramic rod; other resonance frequencies are determined by the width and/or the ratio of width to thickness of the ceramic rods.

Abstract: An improved ultrasonic transducer for a catheter tip has a thin strip of piezoelectric polymer film formed into a spiral ring and adhesively mounted on the support structure near the catheter tip. Electrical connection between the back face of the film and the support structure negative electrode is via capacitive coupling. Connection to the front face of the film is via a wire connected to the positive electrode of the catheter. A further embodiment suitable for a needle transducer is formed by coating the tip with a solution of PVDF co-polymer to form the actual transducer.