Abstract: An interventional device (110) includes an elongate shaft and a transducer strip (112). The transducer strip includes a first edge and an opposing second edge. The first edge and the second edge are separated by a width dimension, and the first edge and the second edge each extend along a length direction of the transducer strip. The transducer strip also includes a piezoelectric transducer (116) that extends along a transducer direction that 5 forms an acute angle with respect to the length direction. The transducer strip is wrapped in the form of a spiral around the elongate shaft of the interventional device such that the piezoelectric transducer forms a band around the elongate shaft. The width dimension is defined such that the adjacent first and second edges of consecutive turns of the spiral abut or overlap one another.

Abstract: A measurement circuit for measuring a property in a body comprises: a resonant circuit comprising a first element and a second element, where in at least one of the first element and the second element is configured such that a property thereof is dependent on the property in the body; and a non-linear element arranged to generate intermodulation products when the circuit is driven by an input signal comprising a first component at a first frequency and a second component at a second frequency. A measurement system for measuring a property in a body comprises: a measurement circuit as described above; a driving circuit for providing a driving signal to the measurement circuit, wherein the driving signal comprises a first component at a first frequency and a second component at a second frequency; and an analyzer circuit for analyzing a response of the measurement circuit in order to obtain a measurement of the property.

Abstract: The invention relates to a transfer stack (TS) for transferring a portion of a foil within a perimeter (P) that includes a transducer (T) to an article (A) such as a medical device or a medical needle. The transfer stack includes a carrier substrate (CS), a foil (F) having a transducer (T) incorporated therein, and the transducer is laterally surrounded by a perimeter (P). The foil (F) is separable from the carrier substrate (CS) by overcoming a first peel retaining force (PRF1). An adhesive layer (AL) is also attached to the foil. The adhesive layer (AL) is configured to provide adhesion between the foil (F) and an article (A) such that when the article (A) is attached to the foil via the adhesive layer (AL) the foil (F) is separable from the surface of the article (A) by overcoming a second peel retaining force (PRF2). The second peel retaining force (PRF2) is greater than the first peel retaining force (PRF1).

Abstract: In order to provide a system allowing an improved and facilitated preparation of a sample for an appropriate analysis, a device for preparing a patient's sample before analysis is provided. The device comprises a housing (10, 30) and an actuator (50). The housing includes a receiving chamber (32). The receiving chamber is configured for receiving a liquid. The actuator is movable relative to the housing. The actuator is configured for extracting a predetermined amount of the liquid received in the receiving chamber and for supplying the extracted liquid to a reagent chamber, so that the reagent is suspended in the liquid. The actuator comprises a metering chamber (52) configured for receiving the predetermined amount of the liquid and for supplying the predetermined amount of the liquid to the reagent chamber.

Abstract: The invention provides a light guide element (1300) comprising a light guide (300) and a layer element (30), wherein the light guide (300) comprises a light guide face (301) and wherein the layer element (30) comprises an optical layer (310), wherein said optical layer (310) is in contact with at least part of the light guide face (301), wherein the optical layer (310) has a first index of refraction (n1) smaller than 1.36 at 280 nm, wherein the light guide (300) comprises a UV radiation transmissive light guide material (305).

Abstract: The invention provides a light guide element (1300) comprising a light guide (300), wherein the light guide (300) in comprises a first light guide face (301) and a second light guide face (302) with UV radiation transmissive light guide material (305) between the first light guide face (301) and the second light guide face (302), wherein the light guide element (1300) further comprises one or more of: (i) a first layer element (30) in contact with the first light guide face (301), wherein the first layer element (30) is transmissive for UV radiation; and (ii) a second layer element (130) in contact with the second light guide face (301), wherein the second layer element (130) has one or more functionalities selected from the group consisting of (a) reflective for UV radiation, (b) adhesive for adhering the light guide (300) to an object, (c) reinforcing the light guide element (1300), and (d) protective for the light guide (300).

Abstract: A transducer laminate in which electrical contact is made between electrical conductors (C1, C2) and a transducer layer (TY). The transducer laminate includes two adhesive-coated foils (F1, F2), whose adhesive coatings (AC1, AC2) are arranged to face each other. At a first position (A-A?) along the length of the two electrical conductors (C1, C2) the two electrical conductors (C1, C2) are sandwiched between the adhesive coatings (AC1, AC2) of the two adhesive-coated foils, and the transducer layer (TY) is also sandwiched between the two electrical conductors (C1, C2) such that electrical contact is made with the electrodes (E1, E2) on the transducer layer (TY). At a second position (B-B?) along the length of the two electrical conductors (C1, C2) the two electrical conductors (C1, C2) are sandwiched between the adhesive coatings (AC1, AC2) of the two adhesive-coated foils and there is no transducer layer (TY) sandwiched between the two electrical conductors (C1, C2).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system SY for determining a position of an RF transponder circuit RTC respective an ultrasound emitter unit UEU. The RF transponder circuit RTC emits RF signals that are modulated based on received ultrasound signals that are emitted or reflected by the ultrasound emitter unit UEU. The position of the RF transponder circuit RTC respective the ultrasound emitter unit UEU is determined based on a time difference ?T1 between the emission of an ultrasound signal by the ultrasound emitter unit UEU and the detection by the RF detector unit RFD of a corresponding modulation in the RF signal emitted or reflected by the RF transponder circuit (RTC).

Abstract: The present invention relates to determining the rotation of an interventional device in an ultrasound field. An interventional device is provided that is suitable for being tracked in an ultrasound beam of a beamforming ultrasound imaging system by correlating transmitted ultrasound signals from the beamforming ultrasound imaging system as detected by ultrasound receivers attached to the interventional device with the beamforming beam sequence of the ultrasound signals. The interventional device includes a longitudinal axis (A-A?), a first linear sensor array (12) comprising a plurality of ultrasound receivers (R1 . . . n) wherein each ultrasound receiver has a length (L) and a width (W), and wherein the array extends along the width (W) direction. Moreover the first linear sensor array (12) is wrapped circumferentially around the interventional device with respect to the axis (A-A?) such that the length (L) of each ultrasound receiver is arranged lengthwise with respect to the axis (A-A?).

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus (10) for tracking a position of an interventional device (11) respective an image plane (12) of an ultrasound field. The position includes an out-of-plane distance (Dop). A geometry-providing unit (GPU) includes a plurality of transducer-to-distal-end lengths (Ltde1 . . . n), each length corresponding to a predetermined distance (Ltde) between a distal end (17, 47) of an interventional device (11, 41) and an ultrasound detector (16, 46) attached to the interventional device, for each of a plurality of interventional device types (T1 . . . N).

Abstract: The invention relates to a transducer laminate in which electrical contact is made between electrical conductors (C1, C2) and a transducer layer (TY). The transducer laminate includes two adhesive-coated foils (F1, F2), whose adhesive coatings (AC1, AC2) are arranged to face each other. At a first position (A-A?) along the length of the two electrical conductors (C1, C2) the two electrical conductors (C1, C2) are sandwiched between the adhesive coatings (AC1, AC2) of the two adhesive-coated foils, and the transducer layer (TY) is also sandwiched between the two electrical conductors (C1, C2) such that electrical contact is made with the electrodes (E1, E2) on the transducer layer (TY). At a second position (B-B?) along the length of the two electrical conductors (C1, C2) the two electrical conductors (C1, C2) are sandwiched between the adhesive coatings (AC1, AC2) of the two adhesive-coated foils and there is no transducer layer (TY) sandwiched between the two electrical conductors (C1, C2).

Abstract: The invention relates to a transfer stack (TS) for transferring a portion of a foil within a perimeter (P) that includes a transducer (T) to an article (A) such as a medical device or a medical needle. The transfer stack includes a carrier substrate (CS), a foil (F) having a transducer (T) incorporated therein, and the transducer is laterally surrounded by a perimeter (P). The foil (F) is separable from the carrier substrate (CS) by overcoming a first peel retaining force (PRF1). An adhesive layer (AL) is also attached to the foil. The adhesive layer (AL) is configured to provide adhesion between the foil (F) and an article (A) such that when the article (A) is attached to the foil via the adhesive layer (AL) the foil (F) is separable from the surface of the article (A) by overcoming a second peel retaining force (PRF2). The second peel retaining force (PRF2) is greater than the first peel retaining force (PRF1).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a micro-fluidic device for use in a micro-fluidic system. A rigid base structure is provided with a flexible membrane. An external magnetic driver moves from a first position to a second position underneath the micro-fluidic device whilst applying a magnetic field. A droplet containing magnetic particles will be attracted to the external magnetic driver. The flexible membrane is thin, and therefore the micro-fluidic device can be brought closer to the external magnetic driver, thus increasing the magnetic force incident on the fluid drop. A force will be exerted on the flexible membrane, so deflecting the flexible membrane, thus bringing the droplet containing magnetic particles closer to the external magnetic driver. The effect of the increased magnetic field is to increase the packing density of the magnetic droplet. Therefore, a droplet with higher integrity, and less susceptible to splitting, may be moved through the micro-fluidic device.