Instromedix, Inc.

Cd Medical

Gary N Mills

Habib Homayoun

Perry W Guinn

Charles B Willock

Bruce A Peterson

William G Preston, Jr

Robert A Bedient

Herbert J Semler

Martin O Greeley

A compact, lightweight wrist-worn cardiac data and event monitor having dry skin electrodes integral with the monitor's housing. Preferably, the skin electrodes are made of titanium nitride-plated stainless steel and form inner, wrist-contacting, and outer, other hand's palm-contactable regions of the housing. Chronometric and other multiple functions are provided to increase the functional density of the monitor by partitioning and very-large-scale-integrating the circuitry, which includes signal detection; data conversion, storage, display and telecommunication; and external pushbutton controls operable by the patient's other hand. In accordance with the preferred embodiment, a telephonic transmitter is integrally included within the housing for remote diagnostic purposes without the need for external connections. By a preferred method of the invention, a simplified digital filter implemented in firmware ensures that only ECG and event data are recorded at the exclusion of noise and motion artifacts. By another preferred method of the invention, a battery life prediction method is used to extend the useful life of the battery and to indicate to the patient when the battery should be replaced. Event data that may be recorded and tele-transmitted along with the ECG data include time-of-day or elapsed time markers, as well as markers or indications of the detection of any pulses produced, for example, by an implanted pacemaker or an implanted cardio-verter/defibrillator monitor (ICDM).

High functional density cardiac monitoring system for captured windowed

A compact, lightweight wrist-worn cardiac data and event monitor having dry skin electrodes integral with the monitor's housing is disclosed. Preferably, the skin electrodes are made of titanium nitride-plated stainless steel and form inner, wrist-contacting, and outer, other hand's palm-contactable regions of the housing. Chronometric and other multiple functions are provided to increase the functional density of the monitor by partitioning and very-large-scale-integrating the circuitry, which includes signal detection; data conversion, storage, display and telecommunication; and external pushbutton controls operable by the patient's other hand. In accordance with the preferred embodiment, a telephonic transmitter is integrally included within the housing for remote diagnostic purposes without the need for external connections. By a preferred method of the invention, a simplified digital filter implemented in firmware ensures that only ECG and event data are recorded at the exclusion of noise and motion artifacts. By another preferred method of the invention, a battery life prediction method is used to extend the useful life of the battery and to indicate to the patient when the battery should be replaced. Event data that may be recorded and tele-transmitted along with the ECG data include time-of-day or elapsed time markers, as well as markers or indications of the detection of any pulses produced, for example, by an implanted pacemaker or an implanted cardio-verter/defibrillator monitor (ICDM).

Wrist worn ECG monitor

Wrist-worn ECG monitor

Wrist-worn ECG monitor with battery end of life prediction

Portable, two-way ECG data-storage apparatus for the selective window-capturing of successive plural-lead ECG data records. The apparatus receives its information from the analogue output terminals in a conventional ECG machine, and operates a store multiple-lead data in flagged time-windowed fashion in order to assure stable signal information and efficient meory use. Playback can occur either directly in an analogue manner back to any selected ECG machine, and/or audibly for listening to by a user or for transtelephonic transmission.

Portable ECG data-storage apparatus

Ambulatory ECG data monitoring and recording method and apparatus that selectively captures recorded data based upon the occurrence of a defibrillation pulse from an implantable cardioverter/defibrillator monitor (ICDM) device is described. The apparatus uses a single pair of skin electrodes to sample the ECG signal waveform and to monitor the voltage therebetween for the detection of a ICDM-produced pulse of characteristic amplitude and duration. ECG data are continuously stored in a scrolling buffer of limited depth. Detection of a defibrillation pulse is treated as a trigger event, prompting the continuation of ECG data storage only for a limited further period of time after which the present ECG data record is captured. The buffered data are marked by the occurrence of the defibrillation pulse that prompted their capture, so that the information stored for subsequent playback indicates the timing relationship therebetween. A new buffer is initialized and ECG data recording and defibrillation pulse detection continues. Selectively capture-stored and marked ECG data can be played back to a remote site for diagnosis of a relatively longterm, ambulatory cardiac patient monitoring and recording session. Optionally, the cardiac patient may manually trigger the capture-store of ECG data.

Implantable-defibrillator pulse detection-triggered ECG monitoring

A dissolution system employs a tapered vessel that has a wide, upper mouth and a narrow, lower neck. A liquid is introduced into the vessel through the lower neck and flows upwardly. A powder to be dissolved in the solution is introduced onto the liquid surface at the wide, upper mouth of the vessel and sinks downwardly into the liquid. Powder that does not quickly dissolve gravitates down towards the neck where dissolution is facilitated by the increased purity and the increased flow per unit area of the incoming liquid. Settling of the powder at the base of the vessel is prevented by the incoming fluid flow. The dissolved solution is withdrawn through an outlet port.

Dissolution method and apparatus

An improved bioreactor system for culturing cell products is disclosed in which novel system components are employed to reduce cost and increase reliability. The system includes a simple in-line heater for heating the nutrient fluid, thereby obviating the need for an expensive incubator. Gas bubbles formed during the heating of the nutrient fluid are removed by a novel gas trap that requires no operator intervention. A humidifier humidifies an aerating gas before it is passed through an oxygenator, thereby preventing water within the nutrient fluid from evaporating, with a consequent increase in nutrient fluid concentration. The operation of the humidifier is efficiently combined with that of a nutrient fluid heat exchanger so that a pump is not required to circulate the heat exchanger water bath. The system further includes a valve and pump arrangement whereby fresh nutrient fluid can periodically be introduced and spent nutrient fluid periodically drained without operator intervention. Observation of the color of the nutrient fluid from a concealed location within the bioreactor enclosure is also made possible.

Bioreactor system

A novel class of bioreactor apparatuses are disclosed which offer improved performance over prior art designs. The apparatuses circulate nutrient fluid through a bioreactor device, such as a hollow fiber bioreactor cartridge, which is used to culture a colony of cells. The nutrient fluid is refreshed by the controlled addition of fresh fluid and the controlled removal of used fluid through a sterile infusion/extraction device. Cellular by-product yield is enhanced by periodically alternating the direction of nutrient fluid through the bioreactor and by periodically circulating the harvest fluid through the extracapillary region of the bioreactor cartridge.

Bioreactor apparatus

A method and apparatus for monitoring operation of a valve is disclosed in which a signal, such as an alternating current electrical signal, is propagated through a fluid path defined by the valve. The occlusion of the fluid path is indicated by monitoring the propagation of the signal. The system is highly immune to electrical noise and to variations in fluid conductivity. The system is also well adapted for monitoring operation of valves having a plurality of ports. In installations employing a plurality of valves, as plurality of valve monitors can be used without mutual interference.

Valve monitor and method

An apparatus for preparing dialysate solution directly from a dry chemical mix for continuous supply to a dialysis machine is disclosed. The preferred embodiment includes a drum for containing the dry chemical mix, a conveyor belt, a mixing vessel and monitoring equipment. The drum includes internal baffles that cause the dry chemical to be deposited onto the end of the conveyor belt as the drum rotates. The conveyor belt passes the chemical through a profile-determining gate and into the top of a funnel-shaped mixing vessel. The rate at which the conveyor belt delivers the chemical to the mixing vessel is governed by an electronic circuit that measures the conductivity of the dissolved solution and adjusts the belt speed as necessary to maintain the conductivity at a set value. The dissolved solution flows out the side of the mixing vessel and into a flow controller which regulates the rate at which dialysate can be withdrawn.

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Gladstone, OR, United States of America

Gary N Mills