A system that includes: a force sensor assembly adapted to monitor a load as applied on a subject’s knee joint when the force sensor assembly remains in direct contact with the subject’s lower extremity and the load is monitored from inside a main magnet of an MRI scanner; a mobile unit comprising tracks configured to adjust a position of the force sensor assembly; a stationary base on which the mobile unit and the force sensor assembly are located, the mobile unit translatable solely axially on the stationary base; and a processor coupled to the force sensor assembly and programmed to read information encoding the load being monitored by the force sensor assembly, wherein an MRI scan of the knee j oint is initiated only when a predetermined load has been applied to the subject’s knee joint for a pre-determined period of time.

A tensioning device includes an elongate plunger, a plunger track housing configured to receive the plunger therein at least in part, an elongate tube configured to be coupled to the plunger track housing, and an actuator configured to cause axial translation of at least a portion of the plunger within the plunger track housing.

A patient support apparatus, such as a bed, cot, stretcher, etc., for supporting a patient includes an exit detection system with multiple user-selectable modes of operation that each have different sensitivity levels for triggering an exit alert. The exit detection system also includes one or more non-user selectable modes of operation that are automatically implemented in response to a triggering action. For example, a transition mode may be automatically implemented when the user attempts to switch from a first user-selectable mode to a different user selectable mode, or a motion mode may be automatically implemented when movement of one or more components of the patient support apparatus occurs. In the transition mode, the exit detection system may use a least restrictive sensitivity level. In the motion mode, the exit detection system may inhibit exit alerts and/or change the criteria for issuing the exit alert.

A hand function testing device includes a base having a number of rigid wires protruding from a surface thereof, each rigid wire having a stationary bead affixed at a predetermined position along the rigid wire, a moving bead movably mounted on the rigid wire and movable along a working region of the rigid wire defined between a base-end of the rigid wire and the stationary bead, the moving bead being mounted on the rigid wire via reception of the rigid wire through a lumen in the moving bead, and at least one force sensing element for measuring a force input to the moving bead. A method of testing hand function includes using the hand function testing device to measure a force input to a moving bead as the moving bead is moved within a working region on the rigid wire.

A medical device is provided. The medical device includes a parallel manipulator. The parallel manipulator has an end platform coupled to a surgical tool and a base platform coupled to a machine module. The machine module is coupled to the surgical tool through a transmission shaft disposed between the end platform and the base platform. The transmission shaft has a transmission yoke, a runner, a first rod coupled to the transmission yoke, a second rod coupled to the runner, and a universal joint coupled between the first rod and the second rod.

A machine learning system for evaluating at least one characteristic of myocardial tissue and its ablation or subset thereof, which includes a training mode and a production mode. The training mode is configured to train, assess and guide a computer and construct a transformation function to predict an anatomical, physiologic, electric, metabolomic, or genetic manifestation leading to alterations, including ablation, that predict and unknown structural or functional characteristic of myocardial tissue and a subsequent aberration that results in abnormal electrical signal and subsequently results in abnormal heart function. The production mode is programmed to use any transformational function to predict the unknown electroanatomic and metabolic characteristic that result in arrhythmia and abnormal myocardial function and guide subsequent ablation and elimination of arrhythmogenic foci.

An apparatus for determining a force F.sub.tip applied to a tip of an electrical impedance spectroscopy probe includes a load cell, accelerometer, and a processing means. The probe tip has a substantially planar distal end for contacting human or animal tissue. The load cell measures the force F.sub.loadcell applied axially along a longitudinal axis when the probe tip is in contact with human or animal tissue. The accelerometer measures a gravity vector A.sub.axial. The apparatus includes a means for compensating for the mass of the probe tip using the measured force and the gravity vector to produce a calibrated measurement force F applied to the probe tip.

A system is disclosed herein for providing a kinetic assessment and preparation of a prosthetic joint comprising one or more prosthetic components. The system comprises a prosthetic component including sensors and circuitry configured to measure load, position of load on a curved surface, joint stability, range of motion, and impingement. In one embodiment, the system is for a ball and socket joint of a musculoskeletal system. The system further includes a computer having a display configured to graphical display quantitative measurement data to support rapid assimilation of the information. The kinetic assessment measures joint alignment under loading that will be similar to that of a final joint installation. The kinetic assessment can use trial or permanent prosthetic components. Furthermore, adjustments can be made to the applied load magnitude, position of load, and joint alignment by various means to fine-tune an installation.

A body motion determination system (100) configured to determine whether or not a subject (S) on a bed (BD) has a body motion includes: a plurality of load detectors (11, 12, 13, 14) each configured to detect the load of the subject on the bed; a respiratory waveform obtaining unit (32) configured to obtain a respiratory waveform of the subject based on a temporal variation of the load of the subject detected by each of the plurality of load detectors; and a body motion determining unit (33) configured to determine whether or not the subject has the body motion based on a comparison between a first threshold value and a standard deviation of the temporal variations in the load of the subject detected by at least one of the plurality of load detectors. The body motion determining unit is configured to compensate the standard deviation to be used in the comparison by an amplitude of the respiratory waveform.

Methods for treating tissue are provided. In one embodiment, an adjunct material, when secured to tissue, can receive at least one physiological element released from the tissue during healing progression of the tissue, and can exhibit first and second stiffnesses in compression that are approximately constant during first and second time periods from contact with the tissue, with the second stiffness decreasing with time as a function of at least one of oxidation, enzyme-catalyzed hydrolysis, and change of pH resulting from interaction with the at least one physiological element. In another embodiment, the adjunct can receive a unit volume of fluid that causes first and second portions of the adjunct to expand according to first and second expansion behaviors that differ from one another to apply different pressures to the tissue.