Abstract:
A system and method for detecting vascular contamination by surgical anesthetic using non-invasive IR spectrophotometry. One embodiment is a method for operating an instrument such as an enhanced pulse oximeter to monitor a patient receiving local anesthetic marked with dye that absorbs infrared light. Light is applied to and detected from tissue of the patient. A signal representative of the detected light is processed to derive patient oxygenation information. The detected light is also processed to derive information representative of the presence of the dye-marked anesthetic. The oxygenation information and the information representative of the presence of anesthetic are displayed. The oxygenation monitoring and display and the anesthetic monitoring and display can occur separately or concurrently. Fluorescing dyes and fluorescence detection approaches are used for anesthetic detection in some embodiments. Other embodiments apply a sequence of light pulses and correlate the applied light pulse sequence to the detected signal to identify the presence of the dye-marked anesthetic.
Abstract:
A tissue collection device and method. One embodiment of the device includes a body formed by an elongated member, a pair of inflatable balloons at spaced-apart locations on the body, and one or more collection structures on the body. Inflation lumens extending through the body and coupled to the balloons cause the balloons to move between collapsed and expanded states. The collection structures collect a tissue sample from a collection region between the balloons. In another embodiment the collection structures include one or more of an irrigation lumen and an aspiration lumen having one or more ports opening into the collection region.
Abstract:
A unitary molded polymer histological specimen cassette includes a base defining a compartment, a lid, and a hinge connecting the lid to the base and enabling the lid to move between an open position and a closed position with respect to the base. The lid and base are configured to form a fulcrum and apply sufficient tension to the hinge to fracture the hinge when the lid is moved from the open position to the closed position. Another embodiment of the cassette includes a panel extending from the base and having a print-receptive front surface, a rear surface and a first thickness. A plurality of spaced apart support walls extend between and are integrally molded with the base and the rear surface of the panel to support the panel with respect to the base. The cassette includes a sufficient number of support walls at spaced-apart positions to provide the panel with sufficient rigidity to enable printing on the print-receptive surface. All of the support walls have a substantially equal second thickness that is less than the first thickness of the panel, and the second thickness is a thickness with respect to the first thickness that causes the panel to be sufficiently flat and smooth to enable printing on the print-receptive surface.
Abstract:
A heart size measuring tool includes a tubular body, a flexible measuring cord having length indicia, a measuring cord support mechanism movable between retracted and extended states with respect to the body, and an actuating mechanism to move the measuring cord support mechanism. When in the retracted state the measuring cord support mechanism is positioned within the tubular body with the measuring cord in a collapsed position. When the measuring cord support mechanism is in the extended state the measuring cord extends around a portion of a heart to be measured. A scale on the body can be used in connection with the indicia on the measurement cord to provide a reading of the heart size.
Abstract:
A system for tracking and evaluating a colonoscopy procedure performed using an endoscope includes a tracking subsystem, a processing subsystem and a display subsystem. The tracking subsystem provides information representative of the location of the endoscope within a patient's colon during the procedure. The processing subsystem generates visualization metrics from images produced by the endoscope during the procedure. The display subsystem is coupled to the tracking and processing subsystems to generate a visual display of the patient's colon with information representative of the visualization metrics at associated colon locations.
Abstract:
A differential test probe for a printed wiring board test system includes a probe body having a proximal end and a distal end. Each of a plurality of coaxial cables extending from the proximal end to the distal end. The plurality of coaxial cables each includes a center conductor having an axial aperture at the distal end. The differential test probe also includes a plurality of signal pins that are each mounted in the axial aperture of the center conductor of one of the plurality of coaxial cables to electrically couple the signal pin to the center conductor. A plurality of ground pins are coupled to the probe body and selectively arranged relative to the plurality of signal pins to provide multiple signal to ground paths between the plurality signal pins and the plurality ground pins.
Abstract:
A method for implanting a cardiac support device (CSD) on a patient's heart. An amount of contrast agent sufficient to cause structures on the heart to be visible upon fluoroscopic or other imaging is introduced into the pericardial space surrounding the heart. The heart and contrast agent are imaged to provide a visual indication of the location of the structures of the heart. The CSD is placed on the heart using the visual indications provided by the imaging.
Abstract:
A method for displaying colonography images includes presenting a series of oblique images of the colon at sequential locations along the colon centerline. Each image is generally centered on the centerline, presents a field of view generally perpendicular to the centerline, and is oriented with the bottom of the colon down.
Abstract:
A system for controlling access to content requested by a user at a self-service terminal. One embodiment of the invention includes jurisdiction tables, a filter engine, an age verification engine and a content gatekeeper. The jurisdiction tables include decryption and/or decoding information for each of a plurality of drivers license or other document-issuing jurisdictions. The filter engine determines whether the requested content is age dependent. The age verification engine receives encrypted and/or encoded age information representative of a user's age read from a storage medium on a drivers license or other document issued by the jurisdiction, and jurisdiction information representative of the identity of the jurisdiction that issued the document. The age verification engine identifies the jurisdiction table associated with the jurisdiction that issued the document as a function of the jurisdiction information, decrypts and/or decodes the age information as a function of the identified jurisdiction table to determine the user's age, and determines whether the user's age is appropriate for the requested content. The content gatekeeper grants or denies access to the content as a function of the age determination.
Abstract:
A fossa-eminence prosthesis having a nonanatomic surface that is relatively flatter than the native fossa. The articular eminence of the patient can be surgically reduced before implanting the prosthesis.