Electrode array for monitoring of physiological parameters and devices including or utilizing same, the electrode array including an active electrode configured to provide an electrical signal and at least two inactive electrodes configured to collect the electrical signal transferred from the active electrode, wherein each of the at least two inactive electrodes are positioned at a different predetermined distance from the active electrode.

This document discusses, among other things, systems and methods for managing pain in a subject. A system may include one or more sensors configured to sense from the subject information corresponding to emotional reaction to pain, such as emotional expression. The emotional expression includes facial or vocal expression. A pain analyzer circuit may generate a pain score using signal metrics of facial or vocal expression extracted from the sensed information. The pain score may be output to a user or a process. The system may additionally include a neurostimulator that can adaptively control the delivery of pain therapy by automatically adjusting stimulation parameters based on the pain score.

A method for preoperatively characterizing an individual patients biomechanic function in preparation of implanting a prosthesis is provided. The method includes subjecting a patient to various activities, recording relative positions of anatomy during said various activities, measuring force environments responsive to said patient's anatomy and affected area during said various activities, characterizing the patient's biomechanic function from said relative positions and corresponding force environments, inputting the measured force environments, relative positions of knee anatomy, and patient's biomechanic function characterization into one or more computer simulation models, inputting a computer model of the prosthesis into said one or more computer simulation models, and manipulating the placement of the prosthesis in the computer simulation using said patient's biomechanic function characterization and said computer model of the prosthesis to approximate a preferred biomechanical fit of the prosthesis.

The present invention provides a single surgical method, procedure and/or system that creates open visual and physical access to an identified spinal treatment site that comprises both targeted vertebral and spinal levels to be treated, wherein the spinal levels comprise at least one dorsal root ganglion. A spinal treatment procedure is performed generally in combination with implantation of a neuromodulation system that may comprise placement of electrical lead(s) on the at least one dorsal root ganglion, wherein each lead is in operative connection with a pulse generator that may also be implanted during the surgical method. Electrical stimulation may be generated with the pulse generator through the electrical leads to the at least one dorsal root ganglion during and/or after the closure of the identified spinal treatment site.

Technologies for evaluating a user's musculoskeletal health and prescribing treatment plans for the user based on the musculoskeletal health is provided. The disclosed techniques include a computing system receiving input data from a client device. The system formatting the input data to generate one or more sets of user characteristic data values and determining initial levels of user musculoskeletal health for the user based upon the sets of user characteristic data values. The system selects a set of treatment plans for the user based on the initial levels of user musculoskeletal health. The system presents the set of treatment plans to the user using media that allows the user to interactively perform exercises prescribed in the treatment plan.

A method for preoperatively characterizing an individual patient's biomechanic function in preparation of implanting a prosthesis is provided. The method includes subjecting a patient to various activities, recording relative positions of anatomy during said various activities, measuring force environments responsive to said patient's anatomy and affected area during said various activities, characterizing the patient's biomechanic function from said relative positions and corresponding force environments, inputting the measured force environments, relative positions of knee anatomy, and patient's biomechanic function characterization into one or more computer simulation models, inputting a computer model of the prosthesis into said one or more computer simulation models, and manipulating the placement of the prosthesis in the computer simulation using said patient's biomechanic function characterization and said computer model of the prosthesis to approximate a preferred biomechanical fit of the prosthesis.

Numerous aspects of communication devices, methods, and systems are described in this application. One aspect is an apparatus comprising an energy generator comprising a plurality of generator elements operable to output a plurality of different energy types in a signal direction toward the skin. Each generator element of the plurality of generator elements may be independently operable, when the energy generator is positioned relative to skin, to communicate with different nerves associated with the skin by outputting a different portion of an energy signal in the signal direction toward the skin with one energy type of the plurality of different energy types.

A caregiver assistance system for assisting a caregiver in a healthcare facility to perform his or her rounding duties comprises a server in communication with one or more patient beds and one or more electronic devices (e.g. smart phones) that are remote from the beds and that include a display, a user input, and a web browser. The server executes a caregiver assistance application that causes the electronic device to perform the following actions after the web browser of the electronic device accesses a particular URL whose content and function are controlled by the caregiver assistance application: (a) display rounding information on the display relating to a patient associated with the bed, and (b) forward a completion indication to the caregiver assistance application wherein the completion indication is generated in response to a caregiver manipulating the user input when the caregiver has completed a rounding task associated with the patient.

A wearable objective pain measuring device includes a headband configured to be worn by a user on the user's head. The device includes one or more sensors in the headband, including one or more of: a sweep impedance profiling sensor to collect data reflective of activity of corrugator supercilia during a pain session; an electromyography sensor to collect data signals from a brain that reflects pain perception; a photoplethysmogram sensor configured to collect data regarding changes in hear rate and heart rate variability due to pain state; or a galvanic skin response sensor configured to collect data related to changes in sweat gland and skin conductance due to a pain state. The device includes a pain quantification pipeline to objectively quantify pain based on data from the one or more sensors. The device includes an output device configured to output an objective pain quantification based on quantifying pain.

Systems and methods for objective assessment of patient response for calibration of therapeutic interventions are pro-vided. Analysis of a human patient's speech provides an objective measurement for pain or discomfort experienced by a patient. This speech analysis can then be used to provide personalized therapeutic interventions which more effectively address the needs of the patient. The speech analysis provides not only a personalized initial intervention, but in the case of ongoing interventions the speech analysis can further refine the intervention as a patient's response changes over time.