An aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a device or needle placement system including a needle having a proximal end and a distal end, and an ultrasound transducer element attached to the distal end of the needle. The system also includes a needle constraining assembly configured to receive and constrain the needle to only rotational degrees of freedom within a range of angular motion. The system further includes a needle sensor system incorporated into the constraining assembly to sense an angular orientation of the needle with the range of angular motion. The system also includes an ultrasound data processor configured to communicate with the transducer element to receive ultrasound detection signals and communicate with the needle sensor system to receive needle angular orientation signals. Based on the ultrasound detection and the needle angular orientation signals, the ultrasound data processor can calculate synthetic aperture ultrasound images.

An apparatus includes a housing, a flow control mechanism, and an actuator. At least a portion of the flow control mechanism is movably disposed within the housing. The apparatus further includes an inlet port and an outlet port, and defines a fluid reservoir. The outlet port is fluidically coupled to a second fluid reservoir and is fluidically isolated from the first fluid reservoir. The actuator is configured to move the flow control mechanism between a first configuration, in which the inlet port is placed in fluid communication with the fluid reservoir such that the fluid reservoir receives a first flow of bodily-fluid, and a second configuration, in which the inlet port is placed in fluid communication with the outlet port.

An implantable medical device for delivering therapeutic fluid to, and withdrawing cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from, a CSF-containing space, includes a first inlet configured to be accessed by a needle of an aspiration device; a first outlet; a first fluid pathway extending from the first inlet to the first outlet; a second inlet; a second outlet; and a second fluid pathway extending from the second inlet to the second outlet. The first fluid pathway is free of a filter configured to prevent passage of a microbe.

A biological sample collection system can include a sample collection vessel having a closed first end and an open second for receiving a biological sample. The system can additionally include a sealing cap configured to associate with the sample collection vessel, a reagent chamber secured within an interior space of the sealing cap and retaining a measure of sample preservation solution, a shim circumferentially associated with a proximal end of the reagent chamber and spanning the distance between the reagent chamber and the interior sidewall of the sealing cap, and a plug having a diaphragm configured to selectively engage the shim and form a seal for retaining the sample preservation solution within the reagent chamber. Associating the sealing cap with the sample collection vessel displaces the diaphragm from the shim and breaks the seal formed therebetween, opening a fluid path between the reagent chamber and the sample collection chamber.

We disclose a method of using taggants to assess how and to what extent a drug in a drug composition that a user has consumed has decayed in response to storage conditions and time. The taggants may decay in response to environmental conditions which cause different drugs to lose their efficacy. These environmental conditions may include light, temperature, oxidation, moisture, and age. The taggants may be detected in biological samples, including urine and feces. By identifying the taggants, the drug composition and other information relating to the drug may be identified. Additionally, quantification of the different taggants may be used to determine whether the drug in the drug composition has been exposed to environmental conditions which may reduce its efficacy.

The present disclosure relates to a device for the measurement of fluids and the prevention of infections caused by probes comprising a module of fluid measurement and a probe infection prevention module. The fluid measurement module comprises an electronic module for the measurement of the body fluids; a disposable container for temporary retention of fluid during measurement; a fluid circulation tube arranged between the probe and the disposable container; and a disposable bag for the final disposal of waste fluids. The probe infection prevention module comprises a sheet equipped with adhesive allowing conformation of a flexible structure to the skin or mucosa of the patient. This module incorporates a gel externally that prevents infections, as well as internal antimicrobial components to inhibit passage of microorganisms through the system. The present invention allows non-invasive measurement of fluids utilizing existing probes while contributing to the reduction of infections in patients.

A cannula attachment for a spinal cannula that can be used, for example, in spinal anesthesia. The cannula attachment has a body that extends between a proximal end and a distal end, a fluid channel that extends through the body, and an observation channel section visible from the outside through a transparent region of the body. At least one optical lens is arranged in the transparent region by which the observation channel section is visible with optical magnification. The observation channel section contains at least one optical prism configured for refraction and/or reflection of light incident into the observation channel section through the optical lens.

Among the various aspects of the present disclosure is the provision of a noninvasive and localized brain liquid biopsy using focused ultrasound. Briefly, therefore, the present disclosure is directed to methods and systems to identify brain lesion or tumor characteristics without the need for a solid brain biopsy.

We disclose a method of using taggants to assess how and to what extent a drug in a drug composition that a user has consumed has decayed in response to storage conditions and time. The taggants may decay in response to environmental conditions which cause different drugs to lose their efficacy. These environmental conditions may include light, temperature, oxidation, and age. The taggants may be detected in biological samples, including urine and feces. By identifying the taggants, the drug composition and other information relating to the drug may be identified. Additionally, quantification of the different taggants may be used to determine whether the drug in the drug composition has been exposed to environmental conditions which may reduce its efficacy.

We disclose a method of tagging nutritional or drug compositions using chemical entities which are known to be safely consumed and which are detectable using known techniques, including near IR spectroscopy. The chemical entities used as tags may be detected in easily obtainable biological samples, including urine and feces. The biological sample may be deposited into a medical toilet which may analyze the biological sample using an analytical device associated with the medical toilet. The tag may be identified and quantified to then identify and quantify the nutritional or drug composition the subject consumed along with the tag. This system may be used to track the source of a food or drug, confirm compliance to a prescribed diet or drug treatment, confirm drug consumption in clinical trials, identify the source of contaminated food, and identify the food substances used to produce food products.