Abstract: A surface cleaning apparatus has a fluid distribution system for storing and delivering fluid to a surface to be cleaned, and includes a steam nozzle in fluid communication with a steam generator. A pad mounting plate is adapted to mount a cleaning pad to the apparatus, and has a steam orifice in fluid communication with the steam nozzle. A flexible seal is provided between the steam nozzle and the pad mounting plate to seals a space between the steam nozzle and the steam orifice to prevent steam leaks.

Abstract: A portable surface cleaning apparatus for a floor surface includes a recovery tank and a supply tank separated by a partition, and further includes a carry handle defining a handle grip spaced above the supply and recovery tanks, wherein the handle grip does not intersect the supply tank or the recovery tank.

Abstract: A robot cleaner system may include a robot cleaner that may be automatically driven while performing a cleaning operation, a recharging base that receives the robot cleaner, and a remote control device that remotely controls the robot cleaner. The remote control device may also generate mapping information between an actual region and a virtual region based on image information generated by a camera provided on the robot cleaner, and/or image information generated by a camera on the recharging base.

Abstract: An automatic cleaning system including a charging base and a cleaning robot is provided. The charging base includes a signal transmitter and a power supply portion. The charging base determines whether to transmit a start signal by the signal transmitter according to a preset time. The cleaning robot includes a signal receiver and a power receiving portion. The power receiving portion is configured to be electrically connected to the power supply portion of the charging base when the cleaning robot performs a charging operation. When the signal receiver receives the start signal, the cleaning robot leaves the charging base, and performs a cleaning operation. In addition, a charging base suitable for charging an automatic cleaning device is also provided.

Abstract: A surface cleaning machine is provided, including a cleaning roller holder, a cleaning roller that is arranged on the cleaning roller holder, a drive device for rotary driving of the cleaning roller, and a sweeping element that is associated with the cleaning roller and supplies swept material to the cleaning roller, wherein the sweeping element is arranged rotatably on the cleaning roller holder.

Abstract: A squeegee including an elongated squeegee blade having a substantially rigid upper portion and a lower flexible wiper portion. The squeegee further includes a generally T-shaped extension centered above and axially parallel with the squeegee blade. The T-shaped extension has a substantially rigid flange, operably connectable to the squeegee handle; and a flexible leg extending downward from the rigid flange and connected there-below to the rigid upper portion of the squeegee blade.

Abstract: An automatic shoe polishing device that comprises a housing cabinet containing components of the automatic shoe polisher that includes a digital control unit implementing multiple cycles of operation to accommodate multiple shoe profiles. At least one brush and spray assembly with a rotating brush and aerosol spray nozzle mounted on a linear moving platform. A shoe tray and track secure a shoe in place and transport a shoe within the device. A plurality of aerosol containers contain at least a cleaner and polisher mixture, with a pneumatic system used to distribute the aerosol mixture using an aerosol spray nozzle and to power at least one lift piston on the shoe tray and track to accommodate the multiple shoe profiles. The digital control unit operates the brush and spray assembly in multiple movement and spraying cycles back and forth to in turn clean and polish a secured shoe.

Abstract: An endoscope includes an observation mode switch to switch observation modes. The observation modes include a dye valid observation mode allowed to acquire an image in which the dye is visually recognized well, and a dye invalid observation mode allowed to acquire an image in which the dye is substantially not visually recognized.

Abstract: The invention provides an endoscope connector capable of stably performing image communication, an endoscope including the endoscope connector and endoscope system. An endoscope connector is provided in an endoscope having an imaging unit at a distal end of an insertion portion, connected with an endoscope processor device, and provided with an image signal transmitting unit transmitting an image signal with respect to the endoscope processor device via optical communication. The image signal transmitting unit is arranged in an image signal transmitting connector connected with a processor device connector. The image signal transmitting connector includes a glass member provided at the tip end through which the image signal passes and a guide member formed on a circumference of the glass member. The guide member has grooves thereon radially extending from the glass member.

Abstract: Various aspects of a system and method to process an image for generation of a three-dimensional (3D) view of an anatomical portion are disclosed herein. The system includes an image-processing device configured to receive a plurality of two-dimensional (2D) images associated of an anatomical portion, each with a first field-of-view (FOV) value. A first 3D view of the anatomical portion with a second FOV value, is generated from a 3D reconstruction of the anatomical portion. The 3D reconstruction is obtained by use of a set of 2D image frames selected from the received plurality of 2D images. The second FOV value is greater than the first FOV value of each of the plurality of 2D images of the anatomical portion. A second 3D view is generated, based on the alignment of the generated first 3D view with 3D data associated with a pre-operative state of the anatomical portion.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for accessing and treating regions of the body are disclosed herein. Using an endoscopic device having an automatically controllable proximal portion and a selectively steerable distal portion, the device generally may be advanced into the body through an opening. The distal portion is selectively steered to assume a selected curve along a desired path within the body which avoids contact with tissue while the proximal portion is automatically controlled to assume the selected curve of the distal portion. The endoscopic device can then be used for accessing various regions of the body which are typically difficult to access and treat through conventional surgical techniques because the device is unconstrained by “straight-line” requirements. Various applications can include accessing regions of the brain, thoracic cavity, including regions within the heart, peritoneal cavity, etc., which are difficult to reach using conventional surgical procedures.

Abstract: A light source apparatus includes at least one light-emitter, a driving circuit, an input unit, a temperature control circuit, and an effective light power setting circuit. The driving circuit allows the light-emitter to emit light by applying a driving waveform to the light-emitter. The effective light power setting circuit drives the driving circuit to allow the light-emitter to emit light with a predetermined effective light power, in accordance with a driving condition set by the temperature control circuit. The temperature control circuit controls the light-emitter to be in a predetermined heat generation state by increasing or decreasing a heat generation amount of the light-emitter without changing the predetermined effective light power of the light emitted from the light-emitter by adjusting the driving condition of the light-emitter.

Abstract: A plenoptic otoscope captures images used in making a medical diagnosis. For example, the plenoptic data can be processed to produce enhanced imagery of the ear interior, and this enhanced imagery can be used in making a medical diagnosis.

Abstract: A laryngoscope assembly having: a handle; an offset member having a first end coupled to said handle; and a blade coupled to a second of said offset member; and wherein said offset member is orthogonal to said handle and said blade, and disposes said blade away from said handle to increase visibility within a buccal cavity of a patient by placing said handle away from a line of sight of an operator when said blade is placed in said buccal cavity.

Abstract: An oral dilator includes a first body, a second body, a rotary member, and a positioning member. The first body includes a housing and a first duckbilled element. The second body includes a second duckbilled element corresponding to the first duckbilled element. The rotary member drives the second body to rotate. The positioning member is on the first body and selectively locks or unlocks the relative position between the first duckbilled element and the second duckbilled element when the second duckbilled element is driven to rotate by the rotary member.

Abstract: A system determines the subjective refraction properties of an eye of a test subject perceiving a natural image. The system contains a memory in which at least one natural image is stored; a display device for displaying the at least one natural image from the memory; and a lens arrangement for adjusting various light-refracting elements in an optical path between the eye of the test subject and the display device. The lens arrangement is arranged at a predefined distance from the display device. A corresponding method and the use of a natural image for refraction determination are also disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and systems for aligning swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) spectral interferograms to a reference spectral interferogram based on signal information (e.g., amplitude or phase) at a fixed-pattern noise location to reduce residual fixed-pattern noise and improve the phase stability of SS-OCT systems.

Abstract: An optical coherence tomography (OCT) system includes a light source configured to generate an OCT beam and a beam splitter, configured to split the OCT beam into a reference beam and an imaging beam, direct the reference beam toward a reflector, and direct the imaging beam toward a scanner. The system includes a linear actuator, such as a piezoelectric or voice coil, configured to move the reflector to adjust the length of the reference beam and the scanner, configured to scan the imaging beam onto a target surface at a plurality of scan angles, wherein the scanner and target surface are separated by a sample distance that varies at each of the scan angles.

Abstract: Methods and systems for eye tracking are disclosed. One such method obtains a plurality of images of the eye from an array camera and detects glint positions and a pupil edge of the eye in the plurality of the images. A distance from the array camera to the pupil edge may be estimated based on the glint positions. A pupil image may be generated based on selected ones of the plurality of images, the glint positions, and the estimated distance to the pupil edge. A pupil center position may be determined based on the pupil image and the glint positions.

Abstract: Proposed is an ophthalmic lens doublet for indirect ophthalmoscopy. The doublet is cemented into an integral unit from two lens elements, of which is a convex-convex lens element and another is a convex-concave lens element. Both lens elements have external and internal surfaces and may be combined so that the ophthalmic lens doublet has asphericity either on one side or on both sides of the unit. The aspheric surface is characterized by asphericity Z of the following formula (1) Z=Y2/{R+[R2?(1+k)Y2]1/2}??(1), where Z is in one of coordinates in a Cartesian coordinate system, Y is a second coordinate in the Cartesian coordinate system, R and k being variable parameters which are different for each selected values of d, where d is an outer diameter of the ophthalmic lens doublet.

Abstract: Methods and systems for improving quantification of OCT angiography data are disclosed. The disclosure specifically relates to methods for compensating for the effect of tissue reflectance to improve the accuracy and repeatability of OCT angiography measurements. These improvements are effected by deriving and then utilizing a dynamic thresholding approach to process decorrelation data to properly classify flow versus non-flow data in OCT angiograms. The disclosed methods overcome quantification errors associated with within-scan variations in reflectance as well as repeatability problems associated with differences in scan quality over successive imaging sessions.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an ophthalmic apparatus and to a treatment site measuring method for the apparatus. The ophthalmic apparatus according to the present invention comprises: a first image unit for capturing the lower region of a retina so as to generate an image of the captured retina; a second image unit for capturing the local region of the retina indicated by a surgical operator so as to generate an image of the captured local region of the retina; and a control unit for mapping the image of the local region of the retina generated by the second image unit to the image of the retina generated by the first image unit based on the image of the retina generated by the first image unit.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for performing image processing in connection with phenotypic analysis. For example, at least one processor may be configured to receive electronic numerical information corresponding to pixels reflective of at least one external soft tissue image of an individual and access geographically dispersed genetic information stored in a database. The geographically dispersed genetic information may include numerical data that correlates anomalies in pixels in soft tissue images of a plurality of geographically dispersed individuals to specific genes or to specific genetic variants.

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: A biological information measurement apparatus includes a sensor unit, a processing unit which detects first biological information and second biological information based on sensor information obtained from the sensor unit, a communication unit which transmits the first biological information and the second biological information to an information processing apparatus, and a storage unit which stores the second biological information. The communication unit transmits the first biological information in a first communication cycle and transmits the second biological information stored in the storage unit in a second communication cycle longer than the first communication cycle.

Abstract: A control method of an information terminal according to the present disclosure causes a display to display a display screen which includes a first display region displaying an object medical image and a second display region displaying M number of similar medical images. When one instruction for magnifying any one similar medical image among the M number of similar medical images is sensed, with respect to the M number of or fewer similar medical images in the M number of ranges that are displayed in the second display region upon sensing the one instruction, a corresponding region of interest in each of the M number of or fewer similar medical images is magnified so as to match a position corresponding to a center of each of individual regions in the second display region while maintaining a size of each of the individual regions at a same size.

Abstract: A method for at least one of characterizing, diagnosing, and treating a condition associated with microbiome-derived functional features in at least a subject, the method comprising: receiving an aggregate set of biological samples from a population of subjects; generating at least one of a microbiome composition dataset and a microbiome functional diversity dataset for the population of subjects; generating a characterization of the condition based upon features extracted from at least one of the microbiome composition dataset and the microbiome functional diversity dataset; based upon the characterization, generating a therapy model configured to correct the condition; and at an output device associated with the subject, promoting a therapy to the subject based upon the characterization and the therapy model.

Abstract: A method for at least one of characterizing, diagnosing, and treating a condition associated with microbiome-derived functional features in at least a subject, the method comprising: receiving an aggregate set of biological samples from a population of subjects; generating at least one of a microbiome composition dataset and a microbiome functional diversity dataset for the population of subjects; generating a characterization of the condition based upon features extracted from at least one of the microbiome composition dataset and the microbiome functional diversity dataset; based upon the characterization, generating a therapy model configured to correct the condition; and at an output device associated with the subject, promoting a therapy to the subject based upon the characterization and the therapy model.

Abstract: A method for validating an alarm situation in a home includes determining by a processing unit of an alarm situation on the basis of data received from the home provided with a sensor network comprising one or more sensors and a central unit; transmission by the processing unit of a message to a care provider that an alarm situation is occurring at the occupant; sending out of a notification signal by the processing unit to the central unit; upon receiving the notification signal in the central unit, switching on an increased vigilance mode, wherein a call from the one or more care providers is prepared in the central unit by making available an audio function in one or more sensors of the sensor network; validating the alarm situation by establishing a conversation between one of the care providers and the occupant via the at least one sensor.

Abstract: A biochip device, or a system of biochips, providing diagnostic testing, sensing and therapeutic functionality useful in diagnosis and treatment of a variety of physiological maladies.

Abstract: Techniques for imaging are disclosed. In one example, the disclosure is directed to a sensor positioned on an elongate optical fiber. The sensor comprises a plurality of blazed Bragg gratings configured to generate acoustic energy for imaging a region in response to a first optical signal, an interferometer configured to sense acoustic energy from the region and to provide a responsive second optical signal, the interferometer including a first fiber Bragg grating (FBG) and a second FBG, wherein the plurality of blazed Bragg gratings are positioned between the first and second FBGs.

Abstract: A photoacoustic remote sensing system (NI-PARS) for imaging a subsurface structure in a sample, has an excitation beam configured to generate ultrasonic signals in the sample at an excitation location; an interrogation beam incident on the sample at the excitation location, a portion of the interrogation beam returning from the sample that is indicative of the generated ultrasonic signals; an optical system that focuses at least one of the excitation beam and the interrogation beam with a focal point that is below the surface of the sample; and a detector that detects the returning portion of the interrogation beam.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for creating and outputting a masked parametric map (e.g., hemoglobin oxygenation) that reflects parameters in a first parametric map (e.g., relative oxygenation) and second parametric map (e.g., relative hemoglobin). In an illustrative embodiment, the method comprises steps of generating a first parametric map, generating a second parametric map, and then generating a masked parametric map that reflects parameters in the first and second parametric maps. The masked map may present information not readily apparent from the first parametric map and the second parametric map, and not obtainable from the first and second parametric maps independently. The first parametric map may be based upon portions of two optoacoustic images created using differing wavelengths of light. The first parametric map is reflective of areas within the volume of tissue that have a differing response to the longer wavelength light event compared to the shorter one.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a framework for facilitating patient signal analysis. In accordance with one aspect, the framework receives signal data including mechanical signal data, wherein the mechanical signal data is generated in response to mechanical contraction of blood vessels. A region of interest is segmented from the mechanical signal data. One or more mechanical signal ratios may be determined based on parameters extracted from the segmented region of interest to characterize waveform changes. A report may then be generated based at least in part on the one or more mechanical signal ratios.

Abstract: Presented are embodiments of an apparatus and methodology for non-invasive, continuous or semi-continuous monitoring of human blood pressure by photoplethysmography (PPG) based sensor system.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to methods, devices and systems for real-time recognition of restoration of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) in the cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) process. Recognition mechanisms in both time domain and frequency domain are provided for the ROSC recognition, where the time-domain recognition logic may detect the ROSC by recognizing envelope features of sampled signals in the time domain, and the frequency-domain recognition logic may detect the ROSC by recognizing spectral peaks at different frequency points continuously or significant variations of amplitude of spectral peaks in the frequency spectrum.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a heart rate monitor system (10) which is able to determine the resting heart rate in an effective and unobtrusive manner. In an aspect of the present invention, a heart rate monitor system (10) comprising an inactivity determining unit (320) for determining periods of inactivity (IP) of a user based on motion data (MD) detected by at least one motion sensor (200) attached to the user and a resting heart rate calculating unit (330) for calculating a resting heart rate (RHR) of the user based on heart rate data (HR) detected by at least one heart rate sensor (100) attached to the user during the periods of inactivity (IP) as determined by the inactivity determining unit (320) is provided.

Abstract: A method of assembling an opto-physiological (OP) sensor comprises: (i) modelling the opto-physiological properties of at least one body tissue type to be monitored; (ii) determining, through application of the model, an optimal optical design for an opto-physiological (OP) sensor operable to monitor the opto-physiological properties of the at least one body tissue type; and (iii) making the OP sensor to the determined optical design. The optimal optical design for the OP sensor comprises: (i) determining the optimum separation of each of a plurality of light sources from a photodetector, based on modelled optical path lengths for light travelling from each light source, through the body tissue type to be monitored, to the photodetector; and (ii) locating light sources of different wavelengths at different distances from the photodetector.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for monitoring heart rate. The method includes receiving a digital heart monitoring signal, determining the integrity of said signal with a “hand detect” signal that confirms electrical connection to the subject, dividing the digital heart monitoring signal into at least one frame, generating a folded correlation value for the center sample in the at least one frame, identify the number of peaks folded correlation values based on amplitude and distance parameters of the digital heart monitoring signal in the at least one frame, removing false peaks and collecting peaks corresponding to a length of time, determining the heart rate based on the identified peaks wherein the identified peaks relate to a minimum distance between valid heart beat peaks based on a heart rate estimate, computing the weighted average of heart rate value based on the number of previous heart rate values.

Abstract: A system and method detect neuronal action potential signals from tissue responding to electrical stimulation signals. A sparse signal space model for a set of tissue response recordings has a signal space separable into a plurality of disjoint component manifolds including a neural action potential (NAP) component manifold corresponding to tissue response to electrical stimulation signals. A response measurement module is configured to: i. map a tissue response measurement signal into the sparse signal model space to obtain a corresponding sparse signal representation, ii. project the sparse signal representation onto the NAP component manifold to obtain a sparse NAP component representation, iii. when the sparse NAP component representation is greater than a minimum threshold value, report and recover a detected NAP signal in the tissue response measurement signal.

Abstract: A neural-interface probe is provided. The probe may comprise a chip, a wire bundle substrate, and an encapsulant material. The chip may comprise a plurality of bond pads. The wire bundle substrate may comprise a plurality of wires extending through the substrate. The plurality of wires may comprise: (1) a proximal portion connected to the plurality of bond pads to thereby couple the chip to the substrate, and (2) a flexible distal portion configured to interface with neural matter. The encapsulant material may be disposed at least between the chip and the wire bundle substrate.

Abstract: Apparatus for detecting hypoglycemia or impending hypoglycemia by analysis of an EEG comprises at least one EEG measuring electrode (10) for gathering an EEG signal and a computer (12) for receiving said EEG signals programmed to obtain a plurality of signal components each comprising a different band of frequencies, obtain a measure of the varying intensity of each said component, obtain a long time estimate of the mean of each intensity measure, obtain a long time estimate of the variability of each intensity measure, normalise each intensity measure e.g.

Abstract: A method of measuring bioelectric signals of a patient having an axis extending from the patient's head to the patient's feet includes attaching a patch to the patient's skin. The patch may include a first electrode and a second electrode spaced apart along a longitudinal axis of the patch. The patch may be attached such that the longitudinal axis of the patch is generally aligned with the axis of the patient. The method may also include attaching a third electrode to the patient's skin, and measuring bioelectric signals of the patient using the first electrode, the second electrode, and the third electrode.

Abstract: An electrophysiologic catheter with a distal electrode assembly carrying very closely-spaced bipole microelectrodes on a plurality of divergent spines that can flexibly spread over tissue surface area minimized detection of undesirable noise, including far-field signals. Each spine has a flexible microelectrode panel having a substrate, at least one pair of microelectrodes, a trace for each microelectrode, and a soldering pad. Adjacent microelectrodes of a bipole pair are separated by a space gap distance ranging between about 50-300 microns. Each microelectrode may have a width of about 200 or 300 microns.

Abstract: An analog front end (AFE) system for substantially eliminating quantization error or noise can combine an input of an integrator circuit in the AFE system with an input of the digital-to-analog converter (DAC) circuit in the feedback loop of the AFE system. By combining the input of the integrator with the input of the DAC circuit in the feedback loop, the in-band quantization noise of the filter can be substantially eliminated, thereby improving measurement accuracy.

Abstract: An electrode assembly for making electrocardiogram measurements includes a substrate and at least two electrodes. The substrate includes at least one electronic item sealed therewithin and is laminated or otherwise constructed so as to facilitate removal of the electronic item from the substrate prior to disposal. The electronic item may therefore be re-used in the manufacture of new electrode assemblies.

Abstract: A method for determining an increased risk of death of a patient includes receiving ECG data of the patient generated during a first time period; receiving EEG data of the patient generated during the first time period; composing a feature of the ECG data and a feature of the EEG data over a common time frame and determining a statistical measure of association between the ECG data and the EEG data; and determining whether the degree of association exceeds a predetermined threshold, thereby indicating whether an increased risk is present.

Abstract: Methods for mental treatments, such as treatments for mental disorders, are described. Such methods can include measuring user brainwaves while the user plays a video game, such as a video game where the user is exposed to a competitive environment. The user can be rewarded within the video game based upon brainwave measurements.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a surgical cranial drape, probe for mapping brain of a subject and their methods of use. Specifically, the disclosure relates to a sterile surgical cranial drape embedded with electrodes; an system for mapping physiologically functional brain regions using evoked electrophysiological responses in a first and a second region; and their methods of use in combination or separately.

Abstract: A method for detection of an evoked response signal in noise including: generating a plurality of stimuli; receiving a noisy signal related to an evoked response to the plurality of stimuli; divide the noisy signal into a plurality of responses to the plurality of stimuli; estimate a statistic matrix for the plurality of responses; shrink the statistic matrix; calculate weights based on an inverse of the shrunk statistic matrix; apply weights to the plurality of responses to construct a final response; and output the final response. An apparatus having an input device configured to receive data related to a plurality of stimuli; and a processor configured to: receive a noisy signal and divide the noisy signal into a plurality of responses; estimate a statistic matrix; shrink the statistic matrix; calculate weights based on an inverse of the shrunk statistic matrix; and apply weights to the plurality of responses to construct a final response.