Techniques for reducing repetitive stress injuries to soft tissue in performing a process are disclosed. The techniques include obtaining at least one repetitive stress data set related to the soft tissue and to the process; accessing information characterizing a first damage regime and second information characterizing a second damage regime, where the first information quantifies a number of repetitions at a given stress for the soft tissue to transition out of the first damage regime, and wherein the second information quantifies a number of repetitions at a given stress for the soft tissue to transition out of the second damage regime; predicting conditions sufficient for damage to the soft tissue; determining, based on at least the predicting, at least one guideline for reducing a risk of a soft tissue material repetitive stress injury; and implementing the at least one guideline in the process.

A method of electrically stimulating a target muscle of a patient includes placing at least one stimulation electrode in electrical contact with the target muscle and applying an electrical signal to the stimulation electrode. The method further includes obtaining a signal from a sensing element placed on the patient, wherein the sensing element is configured to detect at least one biological parameter of the patient associated with contraction of the target muscle caused by the application of the electrical signal, and adapting stimulation of the target muscle by the at least one stimulation electrode using the obtained signal.

Disclosed is a system and method for a system and method for an image processing-based approach has been developed for in vivo quantification of tissue and bodyfluid kinematics when certain human movements, physical loads and physiological stresses are experienced. Due to the absence of artificial or physical markers in those tissues or fluids during typical imaging (ultrasound, CT-scan or MRI), a virtual marker displacement and deformation scheme has been developed to measure movement and strain of both tissues and body fluids.

Implantable sensors are described that can be utilized in conjunction with orthopedic implants for monitoring fracture healing and detecting local chemical concentrations to detect and monitor implant associated infection. The sensors can include strain gauges, electrochemical, or spectrochemical sensors that can be read transdermally using a single photodetector. Sensors can be affixed to implantable support devices so as to non-invasively monitor the effect of load on the implant to provide a quantitative assessment of when a fracture is sufficiently healed to allow safe weight-bearing upon the limb. Alternatively, sensors can monitor the local concentration of infection biomarkers, for instance to monitor the implant area for early stage infection.

Various methods and systems are provided for diagnosing tendon damage using an ultrasound imager. In one example, a method may include acquiring an ultrasound image of an anatomical feature, pairing, via a trained neural network, the acquired ultrasound image to a sample image of a sample anatomical feature, determining a degree of damage of the anatomical feature based on the sample image, and displaying the acquired ultrasound image and the sample image simultaneously.

Disclosed are methods to locate the posterior cancellous os of a pedicle on a vertebra and/or optimize implant trajectory in a subject, especially for spinal fusion surgery. The methods generally include: (a) directing a beam of laser light at or positioning a fiber that diffuses laser light over a pars interarticularis of the vertebra of the subject; and (b) acquiring photoacoustic signal for imaging the vertebra. The methods can further include selecting and/or adjusting parameters of the laser light such that the laser light penetrates a single layer of cortical bone covering the pars interarticularis into cancellous bone thereunder, reaching a quantifiable depth within the cancellous bone. Preferably, the quantifiable depth reaches at least about the full length of the pedicle.

Disclosed are methods and systems for ultrashort echo time magnetization transfer (UTE-MT) imaging and signal modeling to quantify the different proton groups, including free water, bound water and macromolecule protons in short T2 tissues such as the menisci, ligaments, tendons and cortical bone. UTE-MT images with a series of MT frequency offsets and MT power are subject to MT modeling to evaluate T1s, T2s, fractions and exchange rates of bound water, free water and macromolecule protons.

A physiological feature of a subject is monitored by implanting a plurality of targets, such as magnets, and detecting at least one change in a physical property of the targets, followed by modifying a physiological feature of the subject in response to a change of state detected by the change in physical property detected in the targets. Cutaneous sensory feedback and proprioceptive feedback in a subject, as well as selective stimulation of axons or nerve fascicles of a neuron of a subject are provided.

A hyperspectral imaging apparatus and methods for performing hyperspectral imaging of a surgical field, involving: an external optical imaging device for externally imaging internal tissue through a surgical access port, the access port having a port wall having a light-diffusing surface texture, whereby reflectance of the port wall is decreasable, and the external optical imaging device having an illuminated exoscope, the illuminated exoscope having: a longitudinal housing; an optical imaging assembly provided within the longitudinal housing; an imaging camera interfaced with the optical imaging assembly for detecting images collected by the optical imaging assembly; and one or more illumination sources supported by the longitudinal housing, wherein an illumination axis associated with each illumination source is offset from an imaging axis of the optical imaging assembly; a remote light source; a spectral filtering device in optical communication with the remote light source; and a light guide having a proximal end in optical communication with an output of the spectral filtering device and one or more distal ends, wherein each distal end is in optical communication with an illumination source.

An expert system facilitates non-surgical manual semi-occlusion method for treating Reperfusion Injury (RI). This technique involves a four phase framework: (1) palpating a soft tissue structure or segment of the body in order to bring blood flow to the areacalled the Touch; (2) placing a contact point at the nearest proximal vascular branch that supplies the specific target structure and creating manual tension at a vector running 90 to the elongate axis of the artery to act as a manual tourniquetcalled the Activation; (3) maintaining the vector of tension until a pulse is felt under the contact point and then waiting for the pulse to adequately diminishherein called the Pulse; and (4) applying a stretch on the nerve that supplies the Structure or Segment, both locally and centrally, in order to occlude the blood supply to the nerve for 30 secondscalled the Neurovascular Stretch.