3991results about "Diagnostics using light" patented technology

A detecting apparatus includes a housing support section(s), a housing removably attached thereto, one or more sensors and a processor. An alternate apparatus measures heat flux and includes a known resistivity base member, a processing unit and two temperature measuring devices, one in thermal communication with the body through a thermal energy communicator and the other in thermal communication with the ambient environment. A further alternate apparatus includes a housing or flexible section having an adhesive material on a surface thereof for removably attaching the apparatus to the body. A further alternate apparatus includes a housing having an inner surface having a concave shape in a first direction and convex shape in a second direction substantially perpendicular thereto. Also, an apparatus for detecting heart related parameters includes one or more filtering sensors for generating filtering signals related to the non-heart related motion of the body.

Support structures for positioning sensors on a physiologic tunnel for measuring physical, chemical and biological parameters of the body and to produce an action according to the measured value of the parameters. The support structure includes a sensor fitted on the support structures using a special geometry for acquiring continuous and undisturbed data on the physiology of the body. Signals are transmitted to a remote station by wireless transmission such as by electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared, sound and the like or by being reported locally by audio or visual transmission. The physical and chemical parameters include brain function, metabolic function, hydrodynamic function, hydration status, levels of chemical compounds in the blood, and the like. The support structure includes patches, clips, eyeglasses, head mounted gear and the like, containing passive or active sensors positioned at the end of the tunnel with sensing systems positioned on and accessing a physiologic tunnel.

Wearable apparatus for monitoring various physiological and environmental factors are provided. Real-time, noninvasive health and environmental monitors include a plurality of compact sensors integrated within small, low-profile devices, such as earpiece modules. Physiological and environmental data is collected and wirelessly transmitted into a wireless network, where the data is stored and / or processed.

An instrument for evaluating fluorescence of a heterogeneous tissue includes means for exciting a two-dimensional portion of the tissue surface with excitation radiation at a plurality of excitation wavelengths, means for collecting emission radiation from the two-dimensional portion of the tissue surface simultaneously with excitation of the portion, and means for forming a two-dimensional excitation-emission map of the excitation radiation and the simultaneously collected emission radiation and spatially averaging the excitation and emission radiation.

The present invention is directed to asynchronous scanning devices and methods of using asynchronous scanning to acquire fluorescence data from a sample, such as biological tissue, to facilitate diagnosis of the presence or absence of disease or other abnormality in the sample. The present invention is useful for biomedical diagnostics, chemical analysis or other evaluation of the target sample.

Aspects of the present disclosure are presented for a surgical instrument having one or more sensors at or a near an end effector and configured to aide in the detection of tissues and other materials and structures at a surgical site. The detections may then be used to aide in the placement of the end effector and to confirm which objects to operate on, or alternatively, to avoid. Examples of sensors include laser sensors used to employ Doppler shift principles to detect movement of objects at the surgical site, such as blood cells; resistance sensors to detect the presence of metal; monochromatic light sources that allow for different levels of absorption from different types of substances present at the surgical site, and near infrared spectrometers with small form factors.

An augmented reality device to combine a real world view with an object image. An optical combiner combines the object image with a real world view of the object and conveys the combined image to a user. A tracking system tracks one or more objects. At least a part of the tracking system is at a fixed location with respect to the display. An eyepiece is used to view the combined object and real world images, and fixes the user location with respect to the display and optical combiner location.

A pulse oximetry sensor comprises emitters configured to transmit light having a plurality of wavelengths into a fleshy medium. A detector is responsive to the emitted light after absorption by constituents of pulsatile blood flowing within the medium so as to generate intensity signals. A sensor head has a light absorbing surface adapted to be disposed proximate the medium. The emitters and the detector are disposed proximate the sensor head. A detector window is defined by the sensor head and configured so as to limit the field-of-view of the detector.

The invention comprises an apparatus for determining the contextual or physiological status of the individual wearing the apparatus. The apparatus is designed to be consumable or disposable. In most embodiments the invention comprises an adhesive housing. In some embodiments, two different sensors are secured to the housing. The apparatus is in electronic communication with a processing unit that can derive analytical status data by using the data received from the two sensors. In some embodiments, the processing unit is programmed to control other devices, or is programmed to trigger an event. In still other embodiments, the apparatus is in electronic communication with a separate computing device, which may contain the processing unit.

Apparatus, method, logic arrangement and storage medium are provided for increasing the sensitivity in the detection of optical coherence tomography and low coherence interferometry (“LCI”) signals by detecting a parallel set of spectral bands, each band being a unique combination of optical frequencies. The LCI broad bandwidth source can be split into N spectral bands. The N spectral bands can be individually detected and processed to provide an increase in the signal-to-noise ratio by a factor of N. Each spectral band may be detected by a separate photo detector and amplified. For each spectral band, the signal can be band p3 filtered around the signal band by analog electronics and digitized, or, alternatively, the signal may be digitized and band pass filtered in software. As a consequence, the shot noise contribution to the signal is likely reduced by a factor equal to the number of spectral bands, while the signal amplitude can remain the same. The reduction of the shot noise increases the dynamic range and sensitivity of the system.

The present invention relates generally to a non-invasive method and apparatus for measuring a fluid analyte, particularly relating to glucose or alcohol contained in blood or tissue, utilizing spectroscopic methods. More particularly, the method and apparatus incorporate means for detecting and quantifying changes in the concentration of specific analytes in tissue fluid. Also, the method and apparatus can be used to predict future levels of analyte concentration either in the tissue fluid or in blood in an adjacent vascular system.

A physiological measurement system can include a low noise patient cable that connects a monitor and a noninvasive optical sensor. The cable has a plurality of emitter wires configured to communicate a drive signal between the monitor and at least one emitter. The cable also has a plurality of detector wires configured to communicate a physiological signal between at least one detector responsive to the emitter and the monitor. The emitter and detector wires are orthogonally disposed so that crosstalk between the two functionally different wires is mitigated.

Devices and methods for non-invasively measuring at least one parameter of a sample, such as the presence of a disease condition, progression of a disease state, presence of an analyte, or concentration of an analyte, in a biological sample, such as, for example, a body part. In these devices and methods, temperature is controlled and is varied between preset boundaries. The methods and devices measure light that is reflected, scattered, absorbed, or emitted by the sample from an average sampling depth, dav, that is confined within a region in the sample wherein temperature is controlled. According to the method of this invention, the sampling depth dav, in human tissue is modified by changing the temperature of the tissue. The sampling depth increases as the temperature is lowered below the body core temperature and decreases when the temperature is raised within or above the body core temperature. Changing the temperature at the measurement site changes the light penetration depth in tissue and hence dav. Change in light penetration in tissue as a function of temperature can be used to estimate the presence of a disease condition, progression of a disease state, presence of an analyte, or concentration of an analyte in a biological sample. According to the method of this invention, an optical measurement is performed on a biological sample at a first temperature. Then, when the optical measurement is repeated at a second temperature, light will penetrate into the biological sample to a depth that is different from the depth to which light penetrates at the first temperature by from about 5% to about 20%.

Apparatus, method, logic arrangement and storage medium are provided for increasing the sensitivity in the detection of optical coherence tomography and low coherence interferometry (“LCI”) signals by detecting a parallel set of spectral bands, each band being a unique combination of optical frequencies. The LCI broad bandwidth source can be split into N spectral bands. The N spectral bands can be individually detected and processed to provide an increase in the signal-to-noise ratio by a factor of N. Each spectral band may be detected by a separate photo detector and amplified. For each spectral band, the signal can be band p3 filtered around the signal band by analog electronics and digitized, or, alternatively, the signal may be digitized and band pass filtered in software. As a consequence, the shot noise contribution to the signal is likely reduced by a factor equal to the number of spectral bands, while the signal amplitude can remain the same. The reduction of the shot noise increases the dynamic range and sensitivity of the system.

An apparatus for optically analyzing a substrate. The apparatus includes: (a) a light source for directing light onto the substrate; (b) optics for creating an optical path from light reflected from the substrate; and (c) a multiple wavelength imaging optical subsystem positioned in the optical path. The multiple wavelength imaging optical subsystem includes: (i) one or more filters which are capable of one or both of: (1) being alternatively or sequentially interposed in the optical path to extract one or more of wavelengths or wavelength bands of interest; or (2) having their wavelength selectivity adjusted to extract one or more wavelengths or wavelength bands of interest; and (ii) one or more imaging devices positioned to image the extracted wavelengths or wavelength bands of interest from the one or more filters; (d) an imaging device positioned in the optical path. Also a method is included, making use of the apparatus for analysis of a substrate.

The invention provides a body-worn monitor that measures a patient's vital signs (e.g. blood pressure, SpO2, heart rate, respiratory rate, and temperature) while simultaneously characterizing their activity state (e.g. resting, walking, convulsing, falling). The body-worn monitor processes this information to minimize corruption of the vital signs by motion-related artifacts. A software framework generates alarms / alerts based on threshold values that are either preset or determined in real time. The framework additionally includes a series of ‘heuristic’ rules that take the patient's activity state and motion into account, and process the vital signs accordingly. These rules, for example, indicate that a walking patient is likely breathing and has a regular heart rate, even if their motion-corrupted vital signs suggest otherwise.

The present invention pertains to a system and method for transdermal sampling, comprising: at least one sampler for retrieving and transferring at least one analyte obtained transdermally from the skin of a subject; at least one detector system for identifying and quantifying said at least one analyte; and at least one logic module for (i) receiving and storing input data from said at least one detector, (ii) relating the input data to other data obtained from the subject, (iii) displaying output information, (iv) transmitting the output information to another system, and (v) controlling the operation of said at least one sampler and at least one detector.

The invention provides a body-worn monitor that measures a patient's vital signs (e.g. blood pressure, SpO2, heart rate, respiratory rate, and temperature) while simultaneously characterizing their activity state (e.g. resting, walking, convulsing, falling). The body-worn monitor processes this information to minimize corruption of the vital signs by motion-related artifacts. A software framework generates alarms / alerts based on threshold values that are either preset or determined in real time. The framework additionally includes a series of ‘heuristic’ rules that take the patient's activity state and motion into account, and process the vital signs accordingly. These rules, for example, indicate that a walking patient is likely breathing and has a regular heart rate, even if their motion-corrupted vital signs suggest otherwise.

Aspects of the present disclosure are presented for a surgical instrument having one or more sensors at or a near an end effector and configured to aide in the detection of tissues and other materials and structures at a surgical site. The detections may then be used to aide in the placement of the end effector and to confirm which objects to operate on, or alternatively, to avoid. Examples of sensors include laser sensors used to employ Doppler shift principles to detect movement of objects at the surgical site, such as blood cells; resistance sensors to detect the presence of metal; monochromatic light sources that allow for different levels of absorption from different types of substances present at the surgical site, and near infrared spectrometers with small form factors.

Activities, actions and events during user performance of physical activity may be detected using various algorithms and templates. Templates may include an arrangement of one or more states that may identify particular event types and timing between events. Templates may be specific to a particular type of activity (e.g., types of sports, drills, events, etc.), user, terrain, time of day and the like.

A device and a method to provide a more reliable and accurate measurement of hematocrit (Hct) by noninvasive means. The changes in the intensities of light of multiple wavelengths transmitted through or reflected light from the tissue location are recorded immediately before and after occluding the flow of venous blood from the tissue location with an occlusion device positioned near the tissue location. As the venous return stops and the incoming arterial blood expands the blood vessels, the light intensities measured within a particular band of near-infrared wavelengths decrease in proportion to the volume of hemoglobin in the tissue location; those intensities measured within a separate band of wavelengths in which water absorbs respond to the difference between the water fractions within the blood and the displaced tissue volume. A mathematical algorithm applied to the time-varying intensities yields a quantitative estimate of the absolute concentration of hemoglobin in the blood. To compensate for the effect of the unknown fraction of water in the extravascular tissue on the Hct measurement, the tissue water fraction is determined before the occlusion cycle begins by measuring the diffuse transmittance or reflectance spectra of the tissue at selected wavelengths.

A two-component monitoring device and system for monitoring blood pressure from a patient is disclosed herein. The two-component monitoring device includes a disposable component and a main component. The disposable component features: i) a backing structure having a first aperture; and ii) first and second electrodes, each electrode connected to the backing structure and including an electrical lead and a conductive electrode material, and configured to generate an electrical signal that passes through the electrical lead when the conductive electrode material contacts the patient. The main component includes: i) first and second connectors configured to connect to the first and second electrical leads to receive the first and second electrical signals; and ii) an optical component comprising a light source that generates optical radiation and a photodetector that detects the optical radiation. The optical component inserts into the first aperture of the disposable component. The main component optionally includes an acoustic sensor. The system utilizes a processing device, connected to the monitoring device by a cable which receives and processes a plurality of signals to determine real-time blood-pressure values for the patient.

A hyperspectral imaging system having an optical path. The system including an illumination source adapted to output a light beam, the light beam illuminating a target, a dispersing element arranged in the optical path and adapted to separate the light beam into a plurality of wavelengths, a digital micromirror array adapted to tune the plurality of wavelengths into a spectrum, an optical device having a detector and adapted to collect the spectrum reflected from the target and arranged in the optical path and a processor operatively connected to and adapted to control at least one of: the illumination source; the dispersing element; the digital micromirror array; the optical device; and, the detector, the processor further adapted to output a hyperspectral image of the target. The dispersing element is arranged between the illumination source and the digital micromirror array, the digital micromirror array is arranged to transmit the spectrum to the target and the optical device is arranged in the optical path after the target.

An optical system for examination of biological tissue includes a light source, a light detector, optics and electronics. The light source generates a light beam, transmitted to the biological tissue, spaced apart from the source. The light detector is located away (i.e., in a non-contact position) from the examined biological tissue and is constructed to detect light that has migrated in the examined tissue. The electronics controls the light source and the light detector, and a system separates the reflected photons (e.g., directly reflected or scattered from the surface or superficial photons) from the photons that have migrated in the examined tissue. The system prevents detection of the “noise” photons by the light detector or, after detection, eliminates the “noise” photons in the detected optical data used for tissue examination.

The invention is directed to methods and systems of hyperspectral and multispectral imaging of medical tissues. In particular, the invention is directed to new devices, tools and processes for the detection and evaluation of diseases and disorders such as, but not limited to diabetes and peripheral vascular disease, that incorporate hyperspectral or multispectral imaging.

A user borne portable personal digital assistant, a brain activity sensing system, a surround sensing system, and correlation system are provided for video logging and memory enhancement. Signatures simultaneously input from the brain system and surround system representing the environment around the user at a given time and place are correlated into a historical relational database. Real-time query means for identifying correlations between the historical database and current internal and external signatures as the user moves through space and time are provided. Body integrated sensor, processing, and display devices are provided to accomplish statistically valid neural representations within the brain correlated to externally originated geo-spatial information and sensory representations surrounding the user. Methods and systems are disclosed for using the resultant data from the data logging system as input into a simulation, stimulation, search engine, social network, telecommunication, or emulation system within a biological, mechanical, and bio-mechanical system.

The invention comprises an apparatus for determining the contextual or physiological status of the individual wearing the apparatus. The apparatus is designed to be consumable or disposable. In most embodiments the invention comprises an adhesive housing. In some embodiments, two different sensors are secured to the housing. The apparatus is in electronic communication with a processing unit that can derive analytical status data by using the data received from the two sensors. In some embodiments, the processing unit is programmed to control other devices, or is programmed to trigger an event. In still other embodiments, the apparatus is in electronic communication with a separate computing device, which may contain the processing unit.