Ivac Corporation

Other

Alaris Medical Systems, Inc.

Ivac Medical Systems, Inc.

Gtech Corporation

Stephen A Martin

Robert Dwaine Butterfield

Brian J Roberts

Charles R Holdaway

Kenneth J Pytel

Charles E Clemens

Christine A Giurdanella-Renzi

Stanley J Boyer

Don S Minami

Matthew G Morris

Lewis C Spence

Terry L Landis

Paul L Howard

William R George

Lee H Laiterman

William R Ewing

Richard A Bizzigotti

Ian Lubetkin

Gahl Burt

Harold S Fuller

A computer-implemented process includes: receiving into a computer memory a response to a generic question not specifically related to handwriting style; converting the response into one or more tags representing handwriting characteristics; selecting a typeface having a handwriting characteristic of one of the tags; receiving a text string to display into a computer memory; and displaying the text string by rendering glyphs from a font file containing glyphs for the selected typeface, after applying random variations to simulate human handwriting variation.

Method and apparatus for personalized handwriting avatar

A system for noninvasively continuously monitoring arterial blood pressure includes a tissue stress sensor that has a continuous diaphragm for sensing stress within tissue adjacent a preselected artery caused by arterial pulsations within that artery. The stress sensitive diaphragm is coupled with electromechanical means for producing electrical signals that represent the stress within the tissue that is communicated to the sensor. These signals are then processed electronically in order to yield an output that is indicative of the arterial blood pressure of the preselected artery. The disclosed system includes methods of operation for determining blood pressure while maintaining a preselected artery in an optimum applanation state and an off-optimum applanation state.

Tonometry system for monitoring blood pressure

A device for mounting a tonometry sensor upon a patient's wrist includes a base portion that is specifically adapted to generally conform to the patient's wrist while providing a stable placement of the tonometry sensor relative to a preselected artery. A sensor housing is movably mounted upon the base portion and configured such that the mounting device has an essentially equal thickness at each end of the device. A strap member is provided for releasably securing the mounting device to a patient's wrist. The mounting device facilitates more accurate, non-invasive blood pressure measurement by providing a stable placement of the tonometry sensor relative to the tissue overlying a preselected artery at a measurement location and, further, limits undesirable movement by the patient to thereby reduce undesirable error in the blood pressure measurement.

Tonometer mounting device

An engineered pumping segment for facilitating efficient and accurate peristaltic pumping of fluids, providing regulation of fluid flow and providing an effective interface for sensing fluid line pressure in a peristaltic pump system. The engineered pumping segment includes an elastomeric membrane sandwiched between a rigid base and a rigid cover and a slider adapted to slidably mount about the base and cover. The membrane and base define a channel for fluid flow and the membrane, base and cover cooperate to facilitate peristaltic pumping of fluids through the engineered pumping segment and to provide a pressure sensing interface, and in combination with the slider, cooperate to regulate fluid flow.

Engineered pumping segment

A pumping segment for incorporation into a fluid delivery system, the segment having a dome-shaped pressure vessel with an optimal shape for interfacing with a pressure sensing element, and which is capable of uniformly distributing pressure across its interfacing structure and being optimally pre-loaded against the pressure sensing element. The pumping segment including a lateral restraint to inhibit rupture of the unloaded pressure vessel when experiencing high internal pressures.

Pressure sensing vessel adapted to be preloaded against a sensor

A tissue contact stress sensing system incorporates a semiconductor assembly and a continuous diaphragm to noninvasively determine the intra-arterial blood pressure of a patient. The system comprises a continuous diaphragm placed against a patient's tissue which covers an underlying artery. The semiconductor assembly is placed in close proximity to and spaced apart from the diaphragm for directly irradiating the diaphragm with electromagnetic radiation and receiving a portion of the electromagnetic radiation which is reflected from the continuous diaphragm. The disclosed system also utilizes a technique for minimizing the system errors associated with temperature drift and aging of the sensor.

Tonometry system for determining blood pressure

A method, for use in a non-invasive blood pressure monitoring system, of determining optimum artery applanation. The system uses a stress sensor including a stress sensitive element for detecting stress of tissue overlying an artery of interest. The tissue stress sensor is placed in communication with tissue overlying the artery of interest and at least one electrical signal is obtained therefrom representing stress data across the length of the stress sensitive element. The data represents stress datum communicated to a preselected portion of the stress sensitive element. From the stress datum, various algorithms are used, singly or in combination, to provide the best measure of optimum applanation state. Intra-arterial blood pressure is then calculated using datum collected at the optimum applanation state. In addition, to the optimum applanation methods, a method is disclosed for determining which portion of the stress sensitive element is best suited for estimating intra-arterial blood pressure.

Method of determining optimum artery applanation

A wrist mount apparatus for placing a tissue stress sensor in operative engagement with the tissue overlaying an artery of interest is disclosed for use in a system for noninvasively determining the intra-arterial blood pressure of a patient. The wrist mount apparatus comprises a base portion and a transducer platform which is pivotally and slidingly engaged to the base portion. This arrangement allows the apparatus to be used on either the right or the left wrist of the wearer. A force overload system is provided whereby the wearer is protected from excessive forces applied to the wrist tissue by the apparatus used to applanate the artery. A quick disconnect feature allows the tissue stress sensor to be removed from the wrist mount apparatus without necessitating the use of tools. A disposable, anticontamination film is used with each application of the wrist mount apparatus to minimize the risk of transferring contaminants from one wearer to another and to prevent a build up of materials on the sensor's face.

Wrist mount apparatus for use in blood pressure tonometry

A method, for use in a non-invasive blood pressure monitoring system, of determining which portion of a stress sensitive element of a tissue stress sensor is best located for detecting the stress of tissue overlying an artery of interest. The tissue stress sensor is placed in communication with tissue overlying the artery of interest and a plurality of electrical signals are obtained therefrom representing stress data across the length of the stress sensitive element. Each electrical signal represents stress datum communicated to a predetermined portion of the stress sensitive element. From the stress datum, a centroid of energy is computed and the centroid of energy is used to determine which portion of the stress sensitive element is best located for determining the blood pressure within the artery of interest. A second method is disclosed which uses the centroid of a tissue foundation flexibility function to determine the best location along the stress sensitive element for determining blood pressure.

Method of determining which portion of a stress sensor is best

A method, for use in a non-invasive blood pressure monitoring system, of operating a tissue stress sensor at an off-optimum arterial applanation state. The system uses a stress sensor including a stress sensitive element for detecting stress of tissue overlying an artery of interest. The tissue stress sensor is placed in communication with tissue overlying the artery of interest and at least one electrical signal is obtained therefrom representing stress data across the length of the stress sensitive element. The data represents stress datum communicated to preselected portions of the stress sensitive element. From the stress datum, various techniques are used to determine the optimum applanation state and the actual applanation state. A waveform scaling factor function is created which compensates for the errors associated with operating the tissue stress sensor at an off-optimum applanation state. Thus, the disclosed method provides the benefits associated with operating a tissue stress sensor at an off-optimum state without sacrificing measurement accuracy.

Method of continuously monitoring blood pressure

An artery applanation actuator for use in a system for noninvasively determining the intra-arterial blood pressure of a user incorporates a fluid actuator to effect movement of a sensor. The movement of the sensor is effective for applanating an artery of interest and measuring the stress of the tissue overlaying the artery of interest. Alternative embodiments of the artery applanation actuator are presented wherein an electric motor is used to activate a rotating arm which has a sensor located thereon. The rotation of the arm causes the sensor to contact and press against the tissue overlying the artery of interest. The artery applanation actuator is presented having a protective sheath surrounding the sensor to protect the sensor against inadvertent contact.

Apparatus and method for moving a tissue stress sensor for applanating

A calibration apparatus for use in calibrating a tissue stress sensor used in a blood pressure monitoring system. The calibration apparatus includes a calibration head which is adapted to be retained in close proximity to a tissue stress sensor. The calibration head includes means for heating the tissue stress sensor. A calibration system is also disclosed for calibrating a blood pressure monitoring system, the blood pressure monitoring system employing a stress sensor for generating an electric output signal representative of tissue stress data. The calibration system comprises a tissue stress sensor having a displaceable diaphragm and a sealed chamber. The chamber has a continuous wall defining an inner volume and an outer volume. The displaceable diaphragm comprises a portion of the continuous wall, whereby the displaceable diaphragm is responsive to a pressure differential between the inner chamber volume and the outer chamber volume. The vacuum means is fluidly coupled to the inner volume of the sealed chamber for applying a controlled vacuum to the inner volume of the chamber whereby the diaphragm is displaced in response to the application of the vacuum. Calibration means is provided for detecting the sensors response to heating and displacing of the sensor diaphragm and for generating corrective data for use in correcting the effects of sensor temperture on the data generated by the sensor.

Tonometry sensor calibration apparatus

A storage pocket formed to enclose a portable flexible anchor bag. The storage pocket is of a vinyl material with brass eyelets mounted at its top corners for connecting to a flotation device with a closure flap for holding bag inside. The anchor bag is formed of a flexible vinyl with a draw string rope sewn in at the top folded over portion of the open end of the bag. With brass eyelets mounted adjacent and parallel at the top edge at the open end of the outside portion of the flap. The draw string tether sewn into the top folded over flap will be knotted at one end to prevent the slipping of the draw string.

Growing community of inventors

Carlsbad, CA, United States of America

Stephen A Martin