The General Hospital Corporation

Massachusetts General Hospital Corporation

Ronald S Newbower

Michael K Dempsey

Arthur L Goldstein

John D Wright

James H Philip

Jeffrey A Secunda

Robert H Burroughs

Edwin D Trautman

A system is provided for establishing a compliance zone and monitoring interactions therewith. The system includes a compliance zone designator and a wearable device. The compliance zone designator transmits an ultrasound signal to establish the compliance zone. The ultrasound signal may be encoded with information on the compliance zone. The compliance zone designator is configured for placement at a location in which the compliance zone is desired. The wearable device is separate from the compliance zone designator. The wearable device includes a compliance zone recognition component configured to recognize the compliance zone and identify one or more pre-defined interaction criteria for the compliance zone. When the wearable device is within the compliance zone, the compliance zone recognition component recognizes the compliance zone and identifies the interaction criteria of the compliance zone. Based on the interaction criteria the wearable device determines and records compliance with the interaction criteria. The recorded data is optionally used to set off real-time alerts. The recorded data is also optionally used in subsequent analysis and documentation of compliance with protocols.

Ultrasonic compliance zone system

A system is provided for establishing a protected zone and monitoring interactions therewith. The system includes a protected zone designator and a wearable device. The protected zone designator establishes the protected zone. The protected zone designator is configured for placement at a location in which the protected zone is desired. The wearable device is separate and distal from the protected zone designator. The wearable device includes a protected zone recognition component configured to recognize the protected zone and identify pre-defined interaction criteria for the protected zone. Upon the wearable device entering the protected zone, the protected zone recognition component recognizes the protected zone and identifies the interaction criteria of the protected zone. Based on the interaction criteria the wearable device determines and records compliance with the interaction criteria.

Protected zone system

A composite catheter for in vivo fluid injection is provided in which a thin tube is located within the lumen of a conventional catheter. The thin tube has a small diameter inner passage for the in vivo injection of a fluid. The passage is accessible for fluid application at the exterior catheter end and passes through the catheter wall at a port in the lumen to the catheter exterior for fluid injection into the blood stream or elsewhere. A sensing device, such as a thermistor, is mounted on the catheter downstream of the port to measure changes in the properties of the fluid resulting from fluid injection for thermodilution applications. The space within the lumen insulates the fluid from the catheter environment and the small bore inner passage reduces resident fluid permitting small fluid injections that accommodate frequent injection measurements.

Mini-bolus technique for thermodilution cardiac output measurements

Patient monitoring method and apparatus for measurement of in vivo extra vascular lung water (pulmonary edema) and pulmonary circulatory system thermal bypass utilizing double indicator dilution with temperature and electrical conductivity modifiers. A thermal modifier is utilized for a primary indicator dilution measurement with electrical conductivity provided as a reference indicator which in turn is corrected for temperature effects produced by the thermal moderator as well as effects of plasma characteristics. Thermal and conductivity sensors are both placed upstream and downstream of the lungs in the pulmonary artery and thesystemic arterial system, and a thermal and conductivity moderator is injected at a site upstream from both. Temperature and conductivity are detected at both sites and the conductivity signal is converted to a volume dilution valve. Lung water is then determined as a function of the mean transit time difference of the two sensed temperatures less the mean transit time difference for the two conductivity based volume dilutions. Because the measurement is based on four sensors and mean transit time differences are used, in vivo error sources merely act as more signal and do not affect the final values. The detected signals are also analyzed in a manner to yield information on thermal bypass. The measurement technique disclosed is useful in correcting the effects of a conductivity indicator for thermal and blood effects however employed.

Double indicator pulmonary edema measurement

A system designed to enable persons incapable of manipulating a writing implement to sign papers and/or documents comprising a holder for the document to be signed, a holder for a transfer sheet for holding the transfer sheet adjacent that portion of the document to be signed and an implement defining the signature to be applied to the document for pressing the transfer sheet into transferring engagement with the document.

Hand printer designed to enable a handicapped person to apply a

An improved catheter probe includes a conductivity sensor comprising four electrodes configured and spaced to be electrically coupled together by vascular fluids. A current source is provided for driving current through the vascular fluid between one pair of electrodes, and voltage sensing means is provided for measuring the voltage between the other pair of electrodes. In the preferred embodiment, the electrodes are closely spaced, substantially parallel electrodes oriented along the longitudinal direction of the catheter and transversely spaced apart by a distance which is small compared to the diameter of the catheter. The longitudinal length of the electrodes is chosen to be large as compared to the transverse spacing. The preferred current source is an isolated AC source, and the preferred voltage detection means is a phase sensitive voltage detector selectively responsive to the frequency and phase of the current source.

Apparatus for making cardiac output conductivity measurements

Method and apparatus for measuring cardiac output in which a traceable signal in the form of thermal energy or an injectate is applied to the blood flow through the heart having a plurality of frequency components with the traceable signal detected at a heart output vessel and analyzed at the plural frequency components to provide cardiac output rate and ejection fraction information. The traceable signal is preferably heat energy applied as a very low frequency modulation of a high frequency signal at a fundamental and further harmonic or as a square wave in which multiple harmonics are present. At least two frequency components of the square wave are then separately analyzed. A multiple frequency system in addition to permitting analysis of previously undetectable heart output characteristics additionally permits determination of whether the source of the traceable signal is properly located within the heart such as in the ventricle.

Growing community of inventors

Acton, MA, United States of America

Ronald S Newbower