Heart Patents (Class 600/508)
  • Patent number: 9625442
    Abstract: The present invention has an object of improving the measurement accuracy in a biological information measurement device, e.g., for measuring a blood glucose level. The device is configured to be able to change at least one of i) a voltage value to be applied to the second input terminal and the third input terminal (i.e., the blood component measurement counter electrode 7 and the blood component measurement working electrode 6) in the second biological information measurement mode D and ii) a voltage application time during which a voltage is applied to the second input terminal and the third input terminal in the second biological information measurement mode D based on the first biological information in the first biological information measurement mode A. A hematocrit value is measured in the first biological information measurement mode A, and a glucose value is measured based on the hematocrit value in the second biological information measurement mode D.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Panasonic Healthcare Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Teppei Shinno, Shouko Hironaka
  • Patent number: 9622674
    Abstract: In a method and system for generating twelve-lead ECG signals based on three differential voltages, each of which is defined as a potential difference between two myoelectric signals sensed respectively by two corresponding electrodes that cooperatively constitute a corresponding differential electrode pair and that are disposed on a user's chest at predetermined specific locations, a signal processor generates the twelve-lead ECG signals using a pre-established dynamic system model that is associated with the specific locations of the electrodes on the user's chest and that is configured with temporal and spatial correlations among twelve leads of an ECG.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: National Chiao Tung University
    Inventors: Sau-Hsuan Wu, Chih-Hao Hsu
  • Patent number: 9628947
    Abstract: Embodiments of a wearable electronic device having mapping and imaging functions are disclosed. The wearable electronic device may have a controller coupled to an annular touchscreen display and a plurality of sensors. The controller may be configured to execute mapping and imaging functions such that the results of those functions may be displayed on the touchscreen display relative to a user of the wearable electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Glen J. Anderson, Francisco Javier Fernandez
  • Patent number: 9619988
    Abstract: A method comprises: receiving a signal from a first device that is part of a tag, the tag adapted to be affixed to a person or object, the receiving being performed by a processor within the tag; analyzing the signal within the processor to determine whether the person or object is performing a predetermined type of behavior; adjusting a variable rate of transmitting a monitoring signal from the tag, based on a result of the analyzing, the adjusting being controlled by the processor; and transmitting the monitoring signal from the tag to an external device separate from the tag at the adjusted variable rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: PRECYSE TECHNOLOGIES FUNDING, LLC
    Inventor: Michael Braiman
  • Patent number: 9613186
    Abstract: Embodiments include a system for determining cardiovascular information for a patient which may include at least one computer system configured to receive patient-specific data regarding a geometry of an anatomical structure of a patient; create a model representing at least a portion of the anatomical structure; create a physics-based model relating to a blood flow characteristic within the anatomical structure; determine a first blood flow rate at at least one point of interest in the model; modify the model; determine a second blood flow rate at a point in the modified model corresponding to the at least one point of interest in the model; and determine a fractional flow reserve value as a ratio of the second blood flow rate to the first blood flow rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: HeartFlow, Inc.
    Inventor: Timothy A. Fonte
  • Patent number: 9612623
    Abstract: There is disclosed a mobile terminal deformable into a bar type mobile terminal including a main body in which a display unit is mounted in a front surface, and a strap coupled to both sides of the main body in a first direction to form a closed curvature shape with the main body, the strap comprising a pair of curved units, wherein the strap and the main body forming the closed curvature shape together are overlapped with each other to deform the mobile terminal into the bar type, as the curved units are folded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Cheolho Lim, Seokyong Park, Jihoon Lee, Kyungsoo Son, Choonghwan Shin, Byunghwa Lee
  • Patent number: 9610446
    Abstract: A rules engine acquires sensor data from sensors applied to the heart and determines whether an electrical waveform should be applied to the heart and, if so, the type of electrical waveform. A multiphase cardiac stimulus generator generates waveforms in response to the rules engine. The electrical waveform is applied to one or more electrodes implanted in or on the heart.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: MR3 MEDICAL, LLC
    Inventors: Morton M. Mower, Ralph Hall
  • Patent number: 9597498
    Abstract: An apparatus for generating focused currents in biological tissue is provided. The apparatus comprises an electric source capable of generating an electric field across a region of tissue and means for altering the permittivity of the tissue relative to the electric field, whereby a displacement current is generated. The means for altering the permittivity may be a chemical source, optical source, mechanical source, thermal source, or electromagnetic source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: HIGHLAND INSTRUMENTS
    Inventors: Timothy Andrew Wagner, Uri Tzvi Eden
  • Patent number: 9585623
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for providing a cardiovascular score for a patient. A method includes receiving, using at least one computer system, patient-specific data regarding a geometry of multiple coronary arteries of the patient; and creating, using at least one computer system, a three-dimensional model representing at least portions of the multiple coronary arteries based on the patient-specific data. The method also includes evaluating, using at least one computer system, multiple characteristics of at least some of the coronary arteries represented by the model; and generating, using at least one computer system, the cardiovascular score based on the evaluation of the multiple characteristics. Another method includes generating the cardiovascular score based on evaluated multiple characteristics for portions of the coronary arteries having fractional flow reserve values of at least a predetermined threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: HeartFlow, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy A. Fonte, Gilwoo Choi, Jonathan Tang
  • Patent number: 9560983
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for creating and pathophysiologically analyzing graphs of cardiac function in atrial fibrillation and sinus arrhythmia by using thoracic impedance measurements. A two-dimensional scatter plot is created by applying (dZ/dt)min values corresponding to preceding RR interval (RR1) values and an approximate curve (i.e., cardiac function curve) is fitted to dots on the plot. The distribution pattern of the dots and the slope of the approximate curve allow for readily and visually evaluating cardiac function. Furthermore, a graph of the relationship between (dZ/dt)min values and RR1/pre-preceding RR interval (RR2) ratio values makes it possible to analyze pathophysiological mechanisms of cardiac function in more detail. This novel method of the present invention can be easily and repeatedly performed in atrial fibrillation and sinus arrhythmia with less of a physical burden on the patient, thereby being able to provide a very useful information for diagnosis and treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: MEDICAL CORPORATION USHIRODA INTERNAL MEDICINE CLINIC
    Inventor: Shinichi Ushiroda
  • Patent number: 9561370
    Abstract: One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a closed-loop therapy system for treating autonomic instability or a medical condition associated therewith in a subject. The therapy delivery system can include a sensing component, a delivery component, and a controller. The sensing component can be configured to detect at least one physiological parameter associated with autonomic instability or a medical condition associated therewith. The delivery component can be configured for implantation on or about an autonomic nervous tissue target or a spinal nervous tissue target. The controller can be configured to automatically coordinate operation of the sensing and delivery components. The controller can also be configured to deliver an electrical signal to the delivery component to modulate activity at the autonomic nervous tissue target or a spinal nervous tissue target and effectively treat autonomic instability or a medical condition associated therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Inventors: Ali R. Rezai, Punit Agrawal
  • Patent number: 9560447
    Abstract: A system and method allow for extracting target signals from the overall measurement data without knowing how and where these data are collected, the locations and characteristics of target sources as well as those of random background noise sources. In essence, it uses an innovative and advanced signal processing technique to reveal certain critical information from a mixture of data that is hard to obtain otherwise. In particular, it allows for denoising the measured data that have been contaminated by various interfering and background noise, making it possible to extract certain target information that may be otherwise difficult to observe. The only assumption made in this method is that the target signal is incoherent with respect to all interfering signals and background noise. The more information about a target signal is available, the more complete the extracted signal becomes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY
    Inventor: Sean F Wu
  • Patent number: 9554718
    Abstract: Catheterization of the heart is carried out by inserting a probe having electrodes into a heart of a living subject, recording a bipolar electrogram and a unipolar electrogram from one of the electrodes at a location in the heart, and defining a window of interest wherein a rate of change in a potential of the bipolar electrogram exceeds a predetermined value. An annotation is established in the unipolar electrogram, wherein the annotation denotes a maximum rate of change in a potential of the unipolar electrogram within the window of interest. A quality value is assigned to the annotation, and a 3-dimensional map is generated of a portion of the heart that includes the annotation and the quality value thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: Biosense Webster (Israel) Ltd.
    Inventors: Meir Bar-Tal, Richard P. M. Houben, Yaniv Ben Zriham, Assaf Pressman, Roy Urman, Shmuel Auerbach
  • Patent number: 9555254
    Abstract: System, implantable medical device and method for communicating between an implantable medical device and an external communication device. The implantable medical device has a physical connector, a medical module and a communication module. The medical module is configured to at least one of deliver a therapeutic output by way of the physical connector and/or sense data indicative of a physiologic condition of a patient by way of the physical connector. The external communication device is configured to communicate with the communication module by way of the physical connector. In an embodiment, electronic communication may be by way of a differential pair of connectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Walter E. Benecke, Lonny Cabelka, Mark A. Maass, Melvin P. Roberts
  • Patent number: 9549685
    Abstract: An integrated catheter placement system for accurately placing a catheter within a patient's vasculature is disclosed. In one embodiment, the integrated system comprises a system console, a tip location sensor for temporary placement on the patient's chest, and an ultrasound probe. The tip location sensor senses a magnetic field of a stylet disposed in a lumen of the catheter when the catheter is disposed in the vasculature. The ultrasound probe ultrasonically images a portion of the vasculature prior to introduction of the catheter. ECG signal-based catheter tip guidance is included in the integrated system to enable guidance of the catheter tip to a desired position with respect to a node of the patient's heart. Various aspects for visualizing and manipulating display of the ECG signal data acquired via the present system, together with aspects of various ECG sensor configurations, are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: C. R. Bard, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeremy B. Cox, Christian W. Crook
  • Patent number: 9549683
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed to determine one or more sensing zones on a body surface for electrocardiographic mapping of a region of interest associated with the heart. The sensing zone can be utilized to facilitate acquisition, processing and mapping of electrical activity for the corresponding region of interest. In other examples, an application-specific arrangement of electrodes can also be provided based on the sensing zone that is determined for the region of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Cardioinsight Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ping Jia, Charulatha Ramanathan, Maria Strom, Brian P. George, Lalita Bhetwal, Harold Wodlinger, Jonathan D. Small
  • Patent number: 9553486
    Abstract: A wearable device includes a wearable device structure and an electronic circuitry coupled to one or more sensors. The one or more sensors detect or measure wearable device user information selected from of at least one of, a wearable device user's activities, behaviors and habit information, and a wearable device user's health. A power receiving device is coupled to the electronic circuit and is in communication with a power transmitting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Hello Inc.
    Inventors: James Proud, Bryan Fan, Robert Shook, Joaquin Fernandez
  • Patent number: 9538922
    Abstract: Aspects of this disclosure describe measuring intervals within a cardiac cycle to, for example, determine whether a patient is a candidate for cardiac therapy initiation or modification. The intervals may be measured in response to a trigger identifying a physiological event. The intervals and an identification of the physiological event may be stored. A physician or clinician may determine whether the patient is a candidate for cardiac therapy modification based on the measured intervals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventor: Li Wang
  • Patent number: 9538929
    Abstract: In a system and computer implemented method for mapping of an anatomic structure and bi-directional activation detection of electrograms such as atrial and/or ventricular electrograms, both positive and negative deflections of an electrogram signal are analyzed over an analysis time period of the signal. At least one characteristic of the electrogram signal is determined based at least in part on analyzing both positive and negative deflections of the signal over the analysis time period. The determined at least one characteristic of the atrial electrogram signal is then associated with a generated three-dimensional model of the anatomic structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: St. Jude Medical, Cardiology Division, Inc.
    Inventors: Chin-Ann Yang, Valtino X. Afonso
  • Patent number: 9538937
    Abstract: A computerized method of analyzing measurements obtained from the gastrointestinal tract of subject comprising the steps of providing an ingestible capsule (20) having a sensor (22, 23, 24) for measuring a parameter of the gastrointestinal tract of a subject, having a subject ingest (118) the capsule, recording (130) measurements from the sensor as the capsule passes through the gastrointestinal tract of the subject, transmitting (131, 122) the measurements to a processor (31), conditioning (132) the measurements to provide data as a function of a time interval, plotting (133) the data on a display (32), providing a query (205, 216, 234), on the display, receiving input (207a or 207b, 218a or 218b, 237a or 237b) from a user in response to the query, setting a marker (50-53) on the plot (40) at a location as a function of the input, and determining (238) a capsule transit time for a selected portion of the gastrointestinal tract as a function of the location of the marker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: COVIDIEN LP
    Inventors: Bemina L. Rohde, Christopher D. Bierl, Kai-Sing J. Hwang
  • Patent number: 9498147
    Abstract: A method, including collecting first data samples of electrical potentials produced by a heart at a sequence of sampling times, and collecting second data samples of ancillary data with respect to the heart at the sampling times. Based on the first and second data samples, a trace of the electrical potentials collected at the sampling times is presented, on a display, the trace having a pseudo-three-dimensional (3D) characteristic that varies responsively to the ancillary data collected at each of the sampling times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: BIOSENSE WEBSTER (ISRAEL) LTD.
    Inventors: Fady Massarwa, Akram Zoabi
  • Patent number: 9495744
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a cropper operable to receive images and crop the images to exclude a border area, thus generating cropped images, a skin-pixel-identifier coupled to the cropper and that identifies pixel values that are representative of the skin in the cropped images, a first frequency filter coupled to the skin-pixel-identifier and that applies a frequency filter to output of the skin-pixel-identifier, a regional facial clusterial module coupled to the first filter and that applies spatial clustering to the output of the first filter, a second frequency filter operably coupled to the regional facial clusterial module and applied to the output of the regional facial clusterial module, a temporal-variation identifier coupled to the first filter and that identifies temporal variation of the output of the first filter, and a vital-sign generator coupled to the temporal-variation identifier that generates at least one vital sign from the temporal variation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: ARC Devices Limited
    Inventors: Mark Khachaturian, Michael G. Smith, Irwin Gross, Steven Gerst
  • Patent number: 9478025
    Abstract: A microprocessor is operably coupled to a camera from which patient vital signs are determined. A temporal variation of images from the camera is generated from multiple filters and then amplified from which the patient vital sign, such as heart rate or respiratory rate, can be determined and then displayed or stored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: ARC Devices Limited
    Inventors: Mark Khachaturian, Michael G. Smith, Steven Gerst, Irwin Gross
  • Patent number: 9456761
    Abstract: When applying shielded ECG leads to a patient, during the presence of strong RF signals such as electrocautery, high currents may flow through the cable capacitance to the shield and from there back to the patient via another cable capacitance and electrode, thus causing skin burnings. Such high currents can be reduced dramatically when the shields of the lead cable are separated by means of connecting series resistances into the shield conductors. Implementing these resistors into a ECG trunk cable allows the usage of uniform lead cables for all applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventor: Rainer Willi Elschenbroich
  • Patent number: 9445730
    Abstract: Systems and methods of monitoring a subject's neurological condition are provided. In some embodiments, the method includes the steps of analyzing a physiological signal (such as an EEG) from a subject to determine if the subject is in a contra-ictal condition; and if the subject is in a contra-ictal condition, providing an indication (e.g., to the subject and/or to a caregiver) that the subject is in the contra-ictal condition. The systems and methods may utilize a minimally invasive, leadless device to monitor the subject's condition. In some embodiments, if the subject is in a pro-ictal condition, the method includes the step of providing an indication (such as a red light) that the subject is in the pro-ictal condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: CYBERONICS, INC.
    Inventors: David Snyder, Kent W. Leyde, John F. Harris
  • Patent number: 9427169
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided to detect and analyze arrhythmia drivers. In one example, a system can include a wave front analyzer programmed to compute wave front lines extending over a surface for each of the plurality of time samples based on phase information computed from electrical data at nodes distributed across the surface. A trajectory detector can be programmed to compute wave break points for each of the wave front lines and to determine a trajectory of at least one rotor core across the surface. A stability detector can be programmed to identify at least one stable rotor portion corresponding to subtrajectories of the determined trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: CARDIOINSIGHT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Qingguo Zeng, Ping Jia, Ryan Bokan, Brian P. George, Charulatha Ramanathan, Venkatesh Vasudevan, Maria Strom
  • Patent number: 9427168
    Abstract: Some embodiments described herein relate to a method that includes defining an electro-anatomical model of a heart. The electro-anatomical model can include conduction patterns for multiple patterns or phases identified by a measurement instrument. The electro-anatomical model can also include a voltage map of the heart. A portion of the heart containing a rotor can be identified based on circulation in one phase of the model. The rotor can be determined to be stable based on that portion of the heart having circulation in another phase of the model. The rotor can be characterized as a substrate rotor based on the rotor being stable and based on the voltage or a change in voltage at the portion of the heart containing the rotor. The rotor can be treated or ablated when the rotor is determined to be a substrate rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: AFTx, Inc.
    Inventors: Jerome Edwards, Bao Nguyen, Paul Kessman, Thomas Kurian
  • Patent number: 9427589
    Abstract: A leadless cardiac pacemaker (LCP) configured to sense and pace a patient's heart includes a sensor configured to sense a parameter related to cardiac contractility of the patient's heart and a power management unit that is operatively coupled to the sensor. The power management unit is configured to place the sensor in a higher power sense mode during times when sensing the parameter related to cardiac contractility is desired and to place the sensor in a lower power mode during times when sensing the parameter related to cardiac contractility is not desired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers, Inc.
    Inventors: Keith P. Maile, Jeffrey E. Stahmann, Michael J. Kane
  • Patent number: 9406125
    Abstract: An apparatus of motion amplification to communicate biological vital signs includes a first frequency filter that applies a frequency filter to at least two images, a regional facial clusterial module that is coupled to the first frequency filter and that applies spatial clustering to output of the first frequency filter, a second frequency filter that is coupled to the regional facial clusterial module and that is applied to output of the regional facial clusterial module, thus generating a temporal variation, a vital-sign generator that is coupled to the second frequency filter that generates at least one vital sign from the temporal variation, and a display device that is coupled to the vital-sign generator that displays the at least one vital sign.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: ARC DEVICES, LTD
    Inventors: Mark Khachaturian, Michael G. Smith, Martin Crawley, John Barret, Michael Cronin, Derek Turnbull, Irwin Gross, Steven Gerst
  • Patent number: 9386933
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for evaluating a patient with vascular disease. One method includes receiving one or more vascular models associated with either the patient or with a plurality of individuals; receiving observed perfusion information associated with the patient; and estimating, using one or more computer processors, one or more blood flow characteristics or one or more pathological characteristics of the patient based on the observed perfusion information and the one or more vascular models.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: HeartFlow, Inc.
    Inventors: Leo J. Grady, Charles A. Taylor
  • Patent number: 9380952
    Abstract: The invention provides a system for measuring stroke volume (SV), cardiac output (CO), and cardiac power (CP) from a patient that features: 1) an impedance sensor connected to at least two body-worn electrodes and including an impedance circuit that processes analog signals from the electrodes to measure an impedance signal (e.g. a TBEV waveform); 2) an ECG sensor connected to at least two chest-worn electrodes and including an ECG circuit that processes analog signals from the electrodes to measure and ECG signal; 3) an optical sensor connected to a body-worn optical probe and including an optical circuit that processes signals from the probe to measure at least one optical signal (e.g. a PPG waveform) from the patient; 4) a processing system, typically worn on the patient's wrist and connected through a wired interface to the optical sensor, and through either a wired or wireless interface to the TBEV and ECG sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: SOTERA WIRELESS, INC.
    Inventors: Matt Banet, Isaac Henry, Donald Bernstein
  • Patent number: 9375162
    Abstract: A noise-suppressing electrocardiograph (ECG) adapter having a first end, a second end, and a noise-suppression element is presented, together with an ECG noise-suppressing system and related methods. In an embodiment, the noise-suppressing ECG adapter includes a housing having at least one first connector disposed at a first end of the housing adapted to electrically couple with an ECG lead set, and at least one second connector adapted for coupling to an input of an ECG device. The adapter includes a noise suppression element. The noise suppression element includes a ferromagnetic element having an opening defined therein. In an embodiment the noise suppression element is internal to the adapter. In another embodiment, the noise suppression element is tethered externally to the adapter and configured to clamp around at least a portion of an ECG leadwire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Covidien LP
    Inventors: Mark J. Callahan, Glenn Gilbert, Scott R. Coggins, Linda D'Elia
  • Patent number: 9375396
    Abstract: The present invention provides an inhalation-type pharmaceutical composition for heart disease and preparation method thereof, comprising a first gas and an atomized medicine. The first gas comprises hydrogen. The gas volume concentration of hydrogen in the inhalation-type pharmaceutical composition is between 2 to 96%. The atomized medicine is selected from a group comprising acetylsalicylic acid, clopidogrel, propranolol, atenolol, nadolol, carvedilol, nifedipine, diltiazem, verapamil, isosorbide dinitrate, nicorandil, nitroglycerin, and any combination thereof. The inhalation-type pharmaceutical composition of the present invention can remove harmful radicals in the body of the patient through the use of hydrogen while also increases the absorption effect of the medicine for the patient by using an atomized medicine. At the same time, because the use of the small amount of the vaporized pharmaceutical liquid can indirectly reduce the side effects on the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Inventor: Hsin-Yung Lin
  • Patent number: 9378306
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer-readable storage media for receiving data, displaying the data visualization based on the data, the data visualization being displayed within a GUI and being provided as a histogram including a first plurality of bins, the first plurality of bins being defined based on default binning parameters, receiving user input, the user input being input to the data visualization using the GUI and indicating a first operation, providing user-defined binning based on the user input, and displaying a modified data visualization based on the data and the first operation, the modified data visualization being displayed within the GUI and being provided as a histogram including a second plurality of bins, the second plurality of bins being defined based on the user-defined binning parameters and being different from the first plurality of bins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Business Objects Software Ltd.
    Inventor: Emmanuel Zarpas
  • Patent number: 9375171
    Abstract: A probabilistic digital signal processor for medical function is described. Initial probability distribution functions are input to a dynamic state-space model, which operates on state and/or model probability distribution functions to generate a prior probability distribution function, which is input to a probabilistic updater. The probabilistic updater integrates sensor data with the prior to generate a posterior probability distribution function passed to a probabilistic sampler, which estimates one or more parameters using the posterior, which is output or re-sampled in an iterative algorithm. For example, the probabilistic processor operates using a physical model on data from a medical meter, where the medical meter uses a first physical parameter, such as blood oxygen saturation levels from a pulse oximeter, to generate a second physical parameter not output by the medical meter, such as a heart stroke volume, a cardiac output flow rate, and/or a blood pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Inventor: Rodrigo E. Teixeira
  • Patent number: 9364158
    Abstract: The invention provides a system for measuring stroke volume (SV), cardiac output (CO), and cardiac power (CP) from a patient that features: 1) an impedance sensor connected to at least two body-worn electrodes and including an impedance circuit that processes analog signals from the electrodes to measure an impedance signal (e.g. a TBEV waveform); 2) an ECG sensor connected to at least two chest-worn electrodes and including an ECG circuit that processes analog signals from the electrodes to measure and ECG signal; 3) an optical sensor connected to a body-worn optical probe and including an optical circuit that processes signals from the probe to measure at least one optical signal (e.g. a PPG waveform) from the patient; 4) a processing system, typically worn on the patient's wrist and connected through a wired interface to the optical sensor, and through either a wired or wireless interface to the TBEV and ECG sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: SOTERA WIRLESS, INC.
    Inventors: Matt Banet, Isaac Henry, Donald Bernstein
  • Patent number: 9351682
    Abstract: A sensor interface system for providing a connection between at least one sensor and a maternal-fetal monitor, wherein the interface system converts electrical muscle activity captured by the sensor(s) into uterine activity data signals for use by the maternal-fetal monitor. The sensor interface system of the invention preferably includes a conversion means for converting the signals from the sensor(s) into signals similar to those produced by a tocodynamometer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Convergent Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Neil Russell Euliano, II, Dorothee Marossero, Shalom Darmanjian, Daniel Patrick McKenna
  • Patent number: 9351647
    Abstract: This document discusses, among other things, receiving a user selection of a heart failure symptom, receiving a user selection of an abnormal psychological condition, receiving information about a physiological patient status parameter, and determining a heart failure status using the received information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers, Inc.
    Inventors: Yi Zhang, Jeffrey E. Stahmann
  • Patent number: 9343982
    Abstract: A circuit for controlling a programmable power converter is provided. The circuit comprises a control circuit, a switching controller, and a first opto-coupler. The control circuit generates a programmable voltage-reference signal for regulating an output voltage of the programmable power converter. A feedback circuit of the control circuit detects the output voltage for generating a feedback signal in response to the programmable voltage-reference signal and the output voltage. The switching controller detects a switching current of a transformer for generating a switching signal coupled to switch the transformer for generating the output voltage and an output current in response to the feedback signal and the switching current of the transformer. The first opto-coupler transfers the feedback signal from the control circuit to the switching controller. The control circuit is at the secondary side of the transformer and the switching controller is at the primary side of the transformer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: SYSTEM GENERAL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ta-Yung Yang
  • Patent number: 9339295
    Abstract: Described here are devices and methods for accessing the pericardial space. The access devices may include a piercing member such as a needle and a proximal shoulder having a contact surface for contacting the pericardium as the piercing member pierces the pericardium. In some instances, the distance between the piercing member and the proximal shoulder may be adjustable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: SentreHEART, INC.
    Inventors: Gregory W. Fung, Arnold M. Escano, Randall J. Lee
  • Patent number: 9332913
    Abstract: Techniques are provided for use by an implantable medical device or diagnostic sensor for detecting and discriminating euvolemia, hypervolemia and hypovolemia. In one example, the device detects a pressure signal within the patient representative of changes in cardiac pressure overall several cardiac cycles. The device generates separate time-domain and frequency-domain representations of the pressure signal and then discriminates among euvolemia, hypervolemia and hypovolemia within the patient based on an analysis of the time-domain and the frequency-domain representations of the signal. Depending upon the capabilities of the device, suitable warnings may be generated to alert the patient or caregiver. Diuretics or other medications can be titrated to address abnormal fluid conditions such as a fluid overload during hypervolemia. Techniques for detecting a pressure alternans pattern indicative of imminent decompensation are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: PACESETTER, INC.
    Inventors: Yousuf Dalal, Stuart Rosenberg
  • Patent number: 9332915
    Abstract: In a system and method for identifying a driver of a source associated with a heart rhythm disorder, data are accessed from a plurality of sensors representing biological activity in the heart. A first region and a second region of the heart are identified as the source of the heart rhythm disorder. If the first region has repeating activation and controls the second region for at least a predetermined number of beats, the first region is identified as controlling the source of the heart rhythm disorder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignees: The Regents of the University of California, Topera, Inc., The United States of America as Represented by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of the General Counsel
    Inventors: Sanjiv Narayan, Carey Robert Briggs, Ruchir Sehra
  • Patent number: 9329036
    Abstract: Various techniques are provided which may be implemented as methods, apparatuses and articles of manufacture for use by a mobile device. In certain example implementations, a mobile device may process a barometric pressure measurement indicative of an altitude effect and a weather effect to determine a first parameter corresponding to the altitude effect and a second parameter corresponding to the weather. Such a mobile device may further determine whether it may be transitioning or may have transitioned from an initial level to another level of a multiple level structure based, at least in part, on the first and second parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Lionel Jacques Garin, Sai Pradeep Venkatraman, Gengsheng Zhang, Weiyi Liu
  • Patent number: 9332357
    Abstract: An exemplary uncomfortable sound pressure estimation system includes: a sound stimulation scheduling section configured to determine points in time of outputting a group of sound stimulations so that times of measurement for event-related potentials in response to the second sound and third sound arrive after a predetermined noise-lingering time has elapsed since a next point of occurrence of periodic noise; an event-related potential characteristic amount extraction section configured to receive the points in time of outputting the sound stimulation group, and extract a characteristic amount of an event-related potential of the electroencephalogram signal based on each point of outputting the group of sound stimulations as a starting point; and an uncomfortable sound pressure determination section configured to determine an uncomfortable sound pressure for the frequency of the sound stimulation group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinobu Adachi, Jun Ozawa
  • Patent number: 9314203
    Abstract: A sensor for foetal monitoring, in particular for measuring electrophysiological signals, e.g. electrical activity of the uterus of a pregnant woman and/or of the heart of a foetus. The sensor includes a plurality of signal electrodes and a ground electrode mounted in or on a substrate, and a connector for connecting the sensor to a monitoring system. The ground electrode is positioned about or between a pair of signal electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Nemo Healthcare B.V.
    Inventor: Christian Hendrik Leonard Peters
  • Patent number: 9314174
    Abstract: A mobile plethysmographic device for detecting a premature ventricular contraction event is disclosed herein. The mobile plethysmographic device generates a pleth waveform, which is automatically screened by algorithms that measure the waveform to correlate, detect and store aberrations related to heart anomalies. A premature ventricular contraction event for a patient is determined based on an identification of a time interval of the pleth waveform that is below the threshold minimum time interval followed immediately by a time interval that is above the threshold maximum time interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Impact Sports Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald Brady, Nikolai Rulkov, Mark Hunt
  • Patent number: 9305033
    Abstract: A method and system disclosed herein can be used to determine relationships between objects, determining which of those relationships are significant for a specific action, and determining physical dependencies between the objects. The method and system can be used to perform actions consistent with integrity constraints, and therefore, performs the actions in the correct order with a reduced likelihood of errors. The method and system are highly beneficial in that they can significantly enhance content management and can be implemented without having to write new or edit existing applications. Also, existing content data and applications may be used without any changes. Accordingly, the method and system can be advantageously useful in deploying or otherwise pushing out new content to existing content systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Open Text S.A.
    Inventors: Mark R. Scheevel, Timothy A. Ozor, Gregory S. Hilton, Jeffrey M. Collins
  • Patent number: 9305350
    Abstract: A microprocessor is programmed to execute a spatial bandpass filter that is operable to apply spatial bandpass filtering to a plurality of images, a regional facial clusterial module that is operably coupled to the spatial bandpass filter and that applies spatial clustering to output of the spatial bandpass filter, a temporal bandpass filter that is operably coupled to the regional facial clusterial module and that is applied to output of the regional facial clusterial module, a temporal-variation identifier that is operably coupled to the temporal bandpass filter and that identifies a temporal variation of the output of the temporal bandpass filter and a vital-sign generator that is operably coupled to the temporal-variation identifier that generates a biological vital sign from the temporal variation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: ARC Devices Limited
    Inventors: Martin Crawley, Michael G. Smith, Irwin Gross, Mark Khachaturian, Steven Gerst, John Barrett, Michael Cronin, Derek Turnbull
  • Patent number: 9282901
    Abstract: Systems and methods for determining whether there is a correlation between arrhythmias and myocardial ischemic episodes are provided. An implantable system (e.g., a monitor, pacemaker or ICD) is used to monitor for arrhythmias and to monitor for myocardial ischemic episodes. When such events are detected by the implantable system, the implantable system stores (e.g., in its memory) data indicative of the detected arrhythmias and data indicative of the detected myocardial ischemic episodes. Then, for each detected arrhythmia, a determination is made based on the data, whether there was a myocardial ischemic episode detected within a specified temporal proximity of (e.g., within a specified amount of time of) the arrhythmia. Where a myocardial ischemic episode occurred within the specified temporal proximity of an arrhythmia, data for the two events can be linked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Pacesetter, Inc.
    Inventor: Eliot L Ostrow
  • Patent number: 9282910
    Abstract: A system and method to target a biological rhythm disorder, such as a heart rhythm disorder, include processing cardiac signals via a computing device to determine a shape in a region of tissue defined by a source associated with the biological rhythm disorder that migrates spatially on or within the shape, and identifying at least one portion of the tissue proximate to the shape to enable selective modification of the at least one portion of tissue in order to terminate or alter the heart rhythm disorder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignees: The Regents of the University of California, Topera, Inc., The United States of America as Represented by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of the General Counsel
    Inventors: Sanjiv Narayan, Carey Robert Briggs