Abstract: A protective cap for use on arthroscopic instruments and sheaths disposed over arthroscopic instruments. The cap protects the distal end of the instrument from accidental damage caused by other instruments used during a surgical procedure. The cap has a flange disposed within an inner diameter of a bore within the cap to prevent the sheath from being pushed into the cap.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for optical coherence tomography. The method includes orienting a first optical path in a first selected orientation in space relative to a second optical path, having lights of the first optical path and the second optical path with no preferential polarization direction relationship. A sample is scanned with light from the first optical path and the second optical path. Light returning from the sample is directed, along the first optical path and the second optical path, to an optical pathway leading to a processing system. The processing system is configured to perform optical coherence tomography motion analysis based on interferences between at least one reference light and at least two lights returning from the sample, at two different instants, and from nearby scanned locations.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a system for determining the refractive properties of an eye. The system includes a wavefront measurement device for measuring the refractive properties of the eye. The system is configured to have at least one measurement mode assigned to children, wherein the system has an input device configured to switch the system into one of the at least one measurement mode assigned to children. The system is further configured to alter at least one of a group including a default pupillary distance, a default cornea vertex distance, a default position of the wavefront measurement device, a default position and/or direction of a measurement ray of the wavefront measurement device, a default position of a forehead and chin rest assembly of the system and a fixation target when the system is switched into the one of the at least one measurement mode assigned to children.

Abstract: A vision protection method includes the steps of tracking at least one of eye activities of the viewer of the electronic device via a working condition detector; detecting possible eye conditions based on pupilary light reflex and responses; determining eye fatigue due to the eye activities of the viewer of the electronic device in a working mode of the electronic device; and generating a viewer eye result in response to the eye activities and possible eye conditions.

Abstract: A method, an apparatus and a computer program product for positioning pupil are provided. A pupil contour is obtained from a pupil image after the pupil image is obtained. And an ellipse feature is obtained according to curvature information of the pupil contour, and then a sight direction is determined according to the ellipse feature.

Abstract: Ophthalmoscopic apparatus (10) having: a frame (11) provided with references for the positioning of at least one of the user's eyes in an inspection position; a first optical unit (12) fixed to the frame (11) and faced to the inspection position references; a second optical unit (13) associated to the frame (11) and presenting an optical axis coincident with the optical axis of the first optical unit (12) and defining a main optical axis (A) incident in correspondence of the inspection position references; an image detecting device (14) fixed to the frame (11); a support (15) fixed to the frame (11) between the first optical unit (12) and the second optical unit (13), and having an operating part (B) permeable to the luminous radiation and intersected by the main optical axis (A); lighting means (16) associated to the support (15).

Abstract: A system comprising for selecting a portable telemetry device includes a status component, a request component, a selection component and an indication component. The status component is configured to determine a device status for a plurality of portable telemetry devices docked in a charging station. The request component is configured to receive a request to use at least one of the plurality of portable telemetry devices. The selection component is configured to select, in response to the request, a portable telemetry device based on device statuses for the plurality of portable telemetry devices. The indication component is configured to indicate selection of the portable telemetry device to a user.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a system for reducing interference between a non-MR imaging system (e.g. a PET imaging scanner) and an MR imaging system. The method comprises receiving at least a signal indicative of the MR RF signal detection period, and in response to the received signal, setting the state of at least a portion of the non-MR imaging system to an inactive state during at least a portion of the MR RF signal detection period.

Abstract: An ultraviolet light is used to rapidly differentiate bacterial versus viral causes of a sore throat by the amount of fluorescent light emitted, allowing for a rapid, painless, and simple means to diagnose strep throats. The invention is especially useful in diagnosing strep throat in children.

Abstract: A system for acquiring data regarding a wound in tissue comprises at least one light source configured to directly illuminate a target surface with a homogeneous field of excitation light. An optical sensor is configured to detect signals responsive to illumination of an illuminated portion of a wound and the area around the wound. A thermal sensor is configured to detect thermal information regarding the illuminated portion of the wound and the area around the wound. A processor receives the detected signals and the detected thermal information and outputs data regarding the illuminated portion of the wound and the area around the wound. The output data may include wound size of the illuminated portion of the wound, bacterial load of the illuminated portion of the wound, or at least one temperature associated with the illuminated portion of the wound and the area around the wound. The data output by the processor may be displayed on a display of the system.

Abstract: A method for an optical elastography system converts digital images of an actuated breast into a description of surface motion. The surface motion can subsequently be used to ascertain whether the breast has regions of abnormal stiffness, e.g., indicating a significant likelihood of breast cancer. The steps of the method use a model based segmentation to identify profile of the breast in each image, and for each pair of images computing skin surface motion using an optical flow algorithm. This method eliminates a preliminary step of placing fiducial markers on the subject.

Abstract: Provided are forward-imaging optical coherence tomography (OCT) systems and probes.

Abstract: The invention in at least one embodiment includes a method for providing a beat determination based on signals from a plurality of medical sensors in substantially real time, said method including: receiving in at least two analysis modules at least one signal (including an ECG signal and/or a pulse signal) from at least one medical sensor such that at least one analysis module receives one ECG signal and at least one analysis module receives one pulse signal; in each analysis module processing one signal through a plurality of detection algorithm modules to produce at least one quantitative decision, fusing the quantitative decisions together with a fusion module, and outputting at least one detected peak from the fusion module to an aggregation module; and producing from the aggregation module a series of detected peaks based on detected peaks received from the analysis modules.

Abstract: A physiological sensor has an optic assembly, an acoustic assembly and an attachment assembly. The optic assembly has an optic transducer that is activated so as to transmit a plurality of wavelengths of light into a tissue site and to detect the light after attenuation by pulsatile blood flow within the tissue site. The acoustic assembly has an acoustic transducer activated so as to respond to vibrations at the surface of the tissue site. The attachment assembly affixes the optic assembly and acoustic assembly to the tissue site, such as along one side of a person's neck or the forehead. A sensor cable extends from the attachment assembly so as to transmit an optic transducer signal and an acoustic transducer signal to a monitor for calculation of physiological parameters.

Abstract: A method and system for the external calibration and recalibration of a blood pressure monitor comprising a continuous pulse waveform detector, a pulse decomposition analyzer for analyzing high resolution pulse wave forms, and an absolute blood pressure monitor. Upon startup, the pulse waveform detector is initialized by the pulse decomposition analyzer based upon a reading from the absolute blood pressure monitor. Upon detection of a physiological event from the pulse decomposition analyzer, the absolute blood pressure monitor is directed to take a reading which is then used to recalibrate the pulse waveform detector.

Abstract: In a system for unsupervised spike sorting, features/dimensions suitable for clustering of the recorded spike signal data are identified, and the feature space is scaled according to the computed respective importances of the various features/dimensions. Clustering is performed on the scaled feature space.

Abstract: A system and method for monitoring sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) includes obtaining nerve recordings from a subject using electrodes implanted to acquire signals from arteries or veins associated with sympathetic nerve activity of the subject and comparing the nerve recordings against at least one of pre-operative nerve recordings and post-operative nerve recordings to detect residual nerve activity of the subject.

Abstract: An apparatus for recording physiological signal is provided. The apparatus includes a storage unit, a signal analyzer, and a controller. The storage unit is configured for storing a physiological signal of a user during a time interval. The signal analyzer is configured for analyzing the physiological signal of the user to provide an analysis result. The controller is configured for changing the time interval according to the analysis result.

Abstract: Cardiac catheterization is performed by recording electrograms from a multi-electrode probe at respective locations in the heart, determining slopes and annotations in the electrograms within time windows, establishing relationships among the slopes and annotations of the electrograms, and determining lines of conduction block in the heart from the relationships.

Abstract: Systems and techniques are disclosed for determining the onset and offset of a ventricular fibrillation event and for distinguishing ventricular fibrillation from noise. In some examples, an electrocardiogram (ECG) signal is obtained; a transform is applied to the ECG signal to obtain an analytical pair, the analytical pair including the ECG signal and the transformed ECG signal; a speed-amplitude is determined from the analytical pair; and an onset of a ventricular fibrillation event is identified based at least one of a value of a cost function of the speed-amplitude over a window and a quantity of occurrences the speed-amplitude crosses a threshold over the window.

Abstract: Atrial fibrillation information can be determined from ventricular information or a ventricular location, such as using ventricular rate variability. An ambulatory medical device can receive indications of pairs of first and second ventricular rate changes of three temporally adjacent ventricular heart beats. A first count of instances of the pairs meeting a combined rate change magnitude characteristic and a second count of instances of the pairs in which both of the first and second ventricular rate changes are negative can be used to provide atrial fibrillation information.

Abstract: The invention relates to a measurement electrode arrangement for detachable fastening to a flexible carrier material in the form of a band, a head cap or similar means having a contact side and a connection side, which connection side is provided with an electrical contacting element, wherein projecting from the contact side is formed an absorbent insert, in particular a felt insert. The invention also relates to a fastening part that secures the absorbent insert. According to the invention, the fastening part consists of a sintered silver chloride material or includes such a material, the absorbent insert being exchangeably screwed, pushed, snapped, pressed and/or clamped into the fastening part. Furthermore, on the contact side, a mechanical stabilization device is provided which surrounds the absorbent insert and which is in the form of a sleeve and/or spider leg-like projections.

Abstract: High frequency oscillations (HFOs) are automatically detected in electroencephalogram (EEG) signals and analyzed to assess whether they are predictive of the onset of a neurological dysfunction in a subject or an indication of nonneurological electrical activity or noise in the EEG signal. In some examples, HFOs, serving as a biomarker for epileptic seizures, are identified and used to identify seizure networks within a patient for clinician monitoring or for controlling automated treatment systems. The analysis may be used to create enhanced EEG displays, with HFOs identified on the EEG.

Abstract: Provided are methods to measure and or monitor consciousness in a subject, including analyzing brain activity with weighted symbolic mutual information (wSMI) and/or Kolgomorov symbolic complexity (KSC). In addition, methods and apparatus to administer a stimulus and/or a medicament to a subject according to their consciousness level which has been determined using the method described herein are also provided.

Abstract: Implantable medical device systems and methods configured to use a detection profile selected from among a plurality of detection profiles to define a detection threshold for identifying cardiac events, in which a close call definition is used to determine which of the plurality of detection profiles is to be chosen. Upon identifying a close call, in which an overdetection nearly occurred but did not actually take place, a relatively less sensitive detection profile is chosen.

Abstract: Methods and devices for accelerating the identification of arrhythmias in implantable medical devices. Following identification of a potential arrhythmia onset condition, such as by identifying a plurality of closely coupled detected events, a retrospective pattern recognition analysis is performed to seek out a possible onset comprising a Torsades de Pointes. Although the methods and devices are designed to target Torsades de Pointes, wider application to other arrhythmia onset conditions is contemplated as well.

Abstract: Self-correlation enhancements and implementations are described. In particular, certain examples demonstrate the use of a tracking mechanism to identify and/or confirm cardiac rate using data from iterative self-correlation performed at intervals over time. This may enable the interpolation of cardiac rate in an implantable medical device when data is insufficient, and may provide confidence in cardiac rate analyses.

Abstract: Self-correlation enhancements and implementations are described. In particular, certain examples demonstrate the use of a peak selector to identify peaks of a self-correlation function which serve as candidate cardiac rates for an implantable medical device. The approach may enable an alternative calculation of cardiac rate in an implantable medical device as a stand-alone rate detector or as a double-check of other rate calculations.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for determining electrophysiological data. The system comprises an electronic control unit that is configured to receive electrical signals from a set of electrodes, receive position and orientation data for the set of electrodes from a mapping system, compensate for position and orientation artifacts of the set of electrodes, compose cliques of a subset of neighboring electrodes in the set of electrodes, determine catheter orientation independent information of a target tissue, and output the orientation independent information to a display.

Abstract: An ECG monitor comprising an electrode part 1 adapted for subcutaneous implantation and an external part 2 to be carried by a person implanted with the electrode part. The electrode part is provided with at least two electrode areas 6 for detecting an ECG signal when in use, and said electrode part 1 is connected to said external part 2 through a wireless link when in use, said wireless link being adapted for transferring data representing said detected ECG signal to said external part and being adapted for transferring power from said external part to said electrode part.

Abstract: A biometric information measurement device is provided. The device includes a substrate unit including components required for operation of the biometric information measurement device, and electrodes for measuring biometric information. The components and the electrodes are disposed on a single side of the substrate unit. The device also includes a case having a first surface and a second surface. The first surface is attached to an attachment pad for attaching the biometric information measurement device to a body, and the second surface faces the single side of the substrate unit. The electrodes are each exposed through respective openings in the first surface.

Abstract: Self-correlation enhancements and implementations are described. In particular, certain examples demonstrate the analytical tools to reduce the computational burden of generating a self-correlation function within an implantable medical device. Peak selector and tracking analysis are also included as secondary elements for identifying and generating confidence in rate estimates based on the self-correlation function. The approach may enable an alternative calculation of cardiac rate in an implantable medical device as a stand-alone rate detector or as a double-check of other rate calculations.

Abstract: A system and method for profiling electrical activity in smooth muscle of the gastrointestinal tract muscular of a patient are disclosed. The system includes electromyographic-sensing patches adapted for placement on the skin of the abdomen of the patient. Each patch has at least one bipolar electrode pair, or a multitude arranged in an array, and is enabled for communication of a signal indicative of a sensed electromyographic signal. The system further includes networked computing devices. The local patch device is configured for wireless communication between the EMG-sensing patches and a local computing device, to enable wireless transmission from the patch to the networked computing devices. The networked computing device is configured to process large aggregate collections of multi-hour or day signals received from the local computing device to yield diagnostically valuable physiological parameters of gastrointestinal smooth muscle electrical activity.

Abstract: A respiratory air measuring device is provided through which a measuring air stream flows for measuring at least one component of the respiratory air of a patient. The respiratory air measuring device includes a sensor device and a flow generator disposed downstream for generating a measuring air stream. A flow nozzle is disposed in a channel portion to affect flow, wherein a generator air stream coming from the flow nozzle creates the measuring air stream.

Abstract: A method for decomposing a GRF into individual force profiles, comprising: receiving a global GRF measured while a subject performs at least one movement on the force platform, the movement comprising at least two motion configurations; identifying individual time regions contained in the time measurement of the global GRF and assigning a respective one of the at least two motion configurations to each time region using a logical order of motion configurations and an identification of a reference motion configuration; for each time region, determining an individual GRF for each one of the at least two support contacts using the identification of the motion configuration for the time region and the global GRF, thereby determining a contribution of each one of the at least two support contacts to the global GRF; and outputting the individual GRFs.

Abstract: A gait posture meter that evaluates a gait posture of a measurement subject includes an accelerometer affixed to a centerline of the measurement subject's waist area and a computation unit. The computation unit calculates a Z feature amount and an X feature amount indicating a degree of a difference between up-down and front-rear axis direction accelerations of the waist area in a left leg reference period and up-down and front-rear axis direction accelerations of the waist area in a right leg reference period using a timewise change waveform in three axis accelerations outputted by the accelerometer, and calculates a Y feature amount indicating a degree of a difference between a displacement of a left-right axis direction trajectory of the waist area in the left leg reference period and a displacement of the left-right axis direction trajectory of the waist area in the right leg reference period by finding a second-level integration of the left-right axis acceleration outputted by the accelerometer.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, an activity meter includes an acceleration sensor configured to detect acceleration in at least one axis direction, an acceleration energy detection section configured to detect acceleration energy based on an acceleration signal of the acceleration sensor and a control section. The control section determines removal of the activity meter from a target person based on acceleration energy detected by the acceleration energy detection section and an acceleration component in a direction of gravity in the acceleration signal of the acceleration sensor.

Abstract: The device of the present invention contains a recording unit on which a plurality of words having possibilities of being misheard are recorded in a state of being classified on the basis of highness and lowness of the possibilities, a question output unit that outputs, by voice sound, a question sentence containing at least one of the words having possibilities of being misheard, an input unit that receives input of a response to the question sentence, a determining unit that determines at least whether the hearing ability of a respondent is decreased or not on the basis of the content of the response input into the input unit, and a result output unit that outputs a determination result determined by the determining unit.

Abstract: Provided are an apparatus for noninvasively measuring a bio-analyte and a method of noninvasively measuring a bio-analyte. The apparatus may include a sensor configured to obtain information of a first material from a first body part of a subject, and a processor configured to obtain information about a second material in a second body part of the subject based on a correlation between the first material and the second material and the information of the first material.

Abstract: A glucose sensor comprises a conducting back electrode. The glucose sensor also comprises a silicon substrate in electrical contact with the conducting back electrode. The glucose sensor also comprises a dielectric layer disposed on the silicon substrate. The glucose sensor also comprises a pH sensing layer disposed on the dielectric layer. The glucose sensor also comprises a chemical layer disposed on the pH sensing layer, wherein the chemical layer is in contact with an aqueous solution. The glucose sensor also comprises a conductive electrode disposed on the dielectric layer, where in the conductive electrode is in contact with the aqueous solution.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for measuring an analyte in a host. More particularly, the present invention relates to systems and methods for transcutaneous measurement of glucose in a host.

Abstract: Methods and systems for providing data communication in medical systems are disclosed including a data communication unit to transmit one or more signals related to the monitored analyte level received from the analyte sensor to a remote device.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are membrane structures for use in analyte sensors, where the membrane structures exhibit low temperature sensitivity.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for dried blood spot (DBS) sample collection are disclosed. A dried blood spot sampling device is configured to deliver blood through a passage to an absorbent disk in the device and control an amount of blood saturating the absorbent disk. The sampling device may include a manually actuatable component adjustable between a first position, in which an outlet of the passage is not in physical contact with the absorbent disk, and a second position, in which the outlet of the passage is in physical contact with the absorbent disk.

Abstract: [Object] An object is to provide a brain activity measuring apparatus and a brain activity measuring method that can precisely ensure reproducibility of measurements for a plurality of measurements made separately for a number of times using functional magnetic resonance imaging. [Solution] In an MRI apparatus 10, a data processing unit 32 determines rigid transformation between an original tomographic image obtained in a past measurement and stored in a storage unit 36 and a pilot tomographic image obtained in a present imaging session such that mutual information between the original and pilot tomographic images is locally maximized; and based on a parameter of the determined rigid transformation, position and direction of a slice image of the tomographic image in the present imaging session are corrected.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting seizures with motor manifestations including detecting EMG signals, isolating from the EMG signals spectral data for a plurality of frequency bands, and calculating a T-squared value there from. The T-squared values may be detected in real time, such as in a patient's home environment, and the T-squared data may be compared to a threshold T-squared value to determine whether an alarm is sent.

Abstract: Disclosed are a non-invasive liver function testing apparatus and method. The non-invasive liver function testing apparatus includes a light source configured to irradiate light onto an object, a light detector configured to detect information about light reflected from the object, a raw data extractor configured to extract raw data, associated with at least one target material constituting the object, from the information detected by the light detector, and a data processor configured to extract liver function-related information, including a correlation with the at least one target material, from the raw data.

Abstract: A method for automatically monitoring fetal head descent in a birth canal is presented. The method includes segmenting each image in one or more images into a plurality of neighborhood components, determining a cost function corresponding to each neighborhood component in the plurality of neighborhood components in each of the one or more images, identifying at least two structures of interest in each image in the one or more images based on the cost function, wherein the at least two structures of interest include a pubic ramus and a fetal head, measuring an angle of progression based on the at least two structures of interest, and determining the fetal head descent in the birth canal based on the angle of progression.

Abstract: A method and system for monitoring a user's intoxication including receiving a set of signals, derived from a set of samples collected from the user at a set of time points; providing a sobriety task to the user proximal to a time point of the set of time points; generating a performance dataset characterizing performance of the sobriety task by the user; receiving a supplementary dataset characterizing a demographic profile of the user and/or a physiological state of the user; determining a set of values of an intoxication metric, derived from the set of signals; generating a predicted temporal profile of the intoxication metric for the user based upon the set of values, the set of time points, and the supplementary dataset; generating an analysis of the user's sobriety based upon the performance dataset and the predicted temporal profile; and providing a notification to the user based upon the analysis.

Abstract: Provided are systems and method for prediction and mitigation of apnea of a subject, based on measurements of various physiological parameters of the subject.