50235 results about "Physical medicine and rehabilitation" patented technology

A surgical instrument is disclosed. According to various embodiments, the instrument includes a handle assembly and a drive system that is at least partially supported by the handle assembly. A surgical implement may be operably coupled to the handle assembly for receiving at least two independent drive motions from the drive system to cause the surgical implement to perform at least two surgical activities. The instrument may further include a timing indicator on at east one of the handle assembly and the surgical implement to provide an indication of an amount of time that has elapsed from an application of one of the control motions while maintaining an ability to selectively apply a second control motion after the first control motion has been applied.

A robot system for use in surgical procedures has two movable arms each carried on a wheeled base with each arm having a six of degrees of freedom of movement and an end effector which can be rolled about its axis and an actuator which can slide along the axis for operating different tools adapted to be supported by the effector. Each end effector including optical force sensors for detecting forces applied to the tool by engagement with the part of the patient. A microscope is located at a position for viewing the part of the patient. The position of the tool tip can be digitized relative to fiducial markers visible in an MRI experiment. The workstation and control system has a pair of hand-controllers simultaneously manipulated by an operator to control movement of a respective one or both of the arms. The image from the microscope is displayed on a monitor in 2D and stereoscopically on a microscope viewer. A second MRI display shows an image of the part of the patient the real-time location of the tool. The robot is MRI compatible and can be configured to operate within a closed magnet bore. The arms are driven about vertical and horizontal axes by piezoelectric motors.

A surgical instrument includes a drive member movable by a drive motor between a home position and an end of stroke. A mechanical stop is disposed at or near the end of stroke and is structured to increase resistance to movement of the drive member from a first position to a second position. A control system detects a current spike associated with the increased resistance and interrupts power to the drive motor.

Three-dimensional position information is used to identify the gesture created by a body part of interest. At one or more instances of an interval, the posture of a body part is recognized, based on the shape of the body part and its position and orientation. The posture of the body part over each of the one or more instances in the interval are recognized as a combined gesture. The gesture is classified for determining an input into a related electronic device.

An articulated surgical instrument for enhancing the performance of minimally invasive surgical procedures. The instrument has a high degree of dexterity, low friction, low inertia and good force reflection. A unique cable and pulley drive system operates to reduce friction and enhance force reflection. A unique wrist mechanism operates to enhance surgical dexterity compared to standard laparoscopic instruments. The system is optimized to reduce the number of actuators required and thus produce a fully functional articulated surgical instrument of minimum size.

A surgical manipulator (10) can manipulate a medical tool (12) with one or more degrees of freedom. In preferred embodiments, the manipulator (10) is a parallel mechanism including a plurality of arms (21, 22) pivotally supporting a medical tool (12), with the orientation of the medical tool (12) being adjusted by varying the position of joints (23, 24) mounted on the arms (21, 22). The motions of the joints (23, 24) can be controlled such that the tool (12) is pivoted about a virtual pivot point located within the body wall of a patient (30). The manipulator (10) can enhance the dexterity of an operator and enable the operator to perform medical procedures more easily than by hand.

In one embodiment, a method includes steps of: (a) identifying an average foot contact time of a user during a first outing; (b) identifying an average pace of the user during the first outing; (c) defining a relationship between foot contact times of the user and corresponding paces of the user, wherein the relationship is based upon the average foot contact time and the average pace identified during the first outing, and wherein no other average foot contact times and no other average paces identified during any different outings by the user are used to define the relationship; and (d) calibrating at least one device that monitors activity of the user in locomotion on foot based upon the defined relationship between foot contact times of the user and corresponding paces of the user. In another embodiment, a method includes steps of: (a) determining a single user-specific calibration constant that defines a relationship between foot contact times of a user and corresponding paces of the user, wherein no other user-specific calibration constants are used to define the relationship; and (b) calibrating at least one device that monitors activity of the user in locomotion on foot based upon the relationship between foot contact times of the user and corresponding paces of the user that is defined by the single user-specific calibration constant.

The present invention relates to the field of ambulatory and non-invasive monitoring of a plurality of physiological parameters of a monitored individual. The invention includes a physiological monitoring apparatus with an improved monitoring apparel worn by a monitored individual, the apparel having attached sensors for monitoring parameters reflecting pulmonary function, or parameters reflecting cardiac function, or parameters reflecting the function of other organ systems, and the apparel being designed and tailored to be comfortable during the individual's normal daily activities. The apparel is preferably also suitable for athletic activities. The sensors preferably include one or more ECG leads and one of more inductive plethysmographic sensor with conductive loops positioned closely to the individual to preferably monitor at least basic cardiac parameters, basic pulmonary parameters, or both. The monitoring apparatus also includes a unit for receiving data from the sensors, and for storing the data in a computer-readable medium. The invention also includes systems comprising a central data repository for receiving, storing, and processing data generated by a plurality of physiological monitored apparatus, and for making stored data available to the individual and to health care providers.

Methods and devices are provided for controlling movement of a working end of a surgical device. In one embodiment, methods and devices are provided for moving an end effector on a distal end of a surgical fastening device. Movement can include rotational movement of the end effector about an axis of the shaft, articulation of the end effector relative to the shaft, and actuation of an end effector, e.g., closing, firing, and/or cutting. In other embodiments, a single cable actuator is provided and is movable between a first position, in which it is effective to rotate an end effector without actuating (i.e., closing and firing) the end effector, and a second position, in which it is effective to actuate the end effector without rotating the end effector. In other aspects, methods and devices are provided for moving a flexible neck formed on a distal end of an accessory channel for use with an endoscope. Movement of the flexible neck can be used to control positioning of a tool extending through the flexible neck.

Abstract of Disclosure Products and processes for providing tactile sensations to input devices or electronic devices are provided. Input devices include mechanical input devices (such as, for example, mechanical switches) and non-mechanical input devices (such as, for example, touchpads). Tactile feedback is provided by using an actuator or other means in communication with the input device or electronic device. A controller may be employed to receive signals from the input devices and control the actuator. Tactile feedback to an input device or electronic device may be provided in response to one or more events or situations. Such an event or situation may be any one designated. Examples of such events and situations include the level of pressure placed on an input device; the availability or lack of availability of a function associated with an input device; and the function, menu, or mode of operation associated with an input device s activation. A variety of feedback types and combinations may be selected.

An electrosurgical system can include an electrosurgical generator, a feedback circuit or controller, and an electrosurgical tool. The feedback circuit can provide an electrosurgery endpoint by determining the phase end point of a tissue to be treated. The electrosurgical system can include more than one electrosurgical tool for different electrosurgical operations and can include a variety of user interface features and audio/visual performance indicators. The electrosurgical system can also power conventional bipolar electrosurgical tools and direct current surgical appliances.

The robot arm of the present application is a robot arm that transports semiconductor wafers. The robot arm includes a hand, a lower arm link, and an upper arm link. The hand is connected to the lower arm link via a first joint. The upper arm link is connected to the lower arm link via a second joint. In the robot arm of the present application, the lower arm link is capable of being separated at a location between the first joint and the second joint.

Apparatus for actuating a skeletal muscle of a patient is provided. The apparatus typically includes a plurality of electrodes, which are adapted to be placed in a vicinity of a motor nerve that innervates the skeletal muscle. A control unit, is preferably adapted to drive a current between two or more of the plurality of electrodes, and to configure the current such that a first subset of axons in the nerve is excited by the current and such that a second subset of axons in the nerve is not excited by the current.

A wrist-mounted device for measuring at least one physiological parameter of a subject. The present invention enables such a measurement to preferably be transformed into clinically useful information about the subject. Such information may then optionally be sent to medical personnel, for example at a contact and/or monitoring center, through a gateway device. The gateway device preferably communicates with the wrist-mounted device of the present invention through a wireless communication channel.