A surgical instrument navigation system is provided that visually simulates a virtual volumetric scene of a body cavity of a patient from a point of view of a surgical instrument residing in the cavity of the patient. The surgical instrument navigation system includes: a surgical instrument; an imaging device which is operable to capture scan data representative of an internal region of interest within a given patient; a tracking subsystem that employs electro-magnetic sensing to capture in real-time position data indicative of the position of the surgical instrument; a data processor which is operable to render a volumetric, perspective image of the internal region of interest from a point of view of the surgical instrument; and a display which is operable to display the volumetric perspective image of the patient.

A surgical instrument navigation system is provided that visually simulates a virtual volumetric scene of a body cavity of a patient from a point of view of a surgical instrument residing in the cavity of the patient. The surgical instrument navigation system includes: a surgical instrument; an imaging device which is operable to capture scan data representative of an internal region of interest within a given patient; a tracking subsystem that employs electro-magnetic sensing to capture in real-time position data indicative of the position of the surgical instrument; a data processor which is operable to render a volumetric, perspective image of the internal region of interest from a point of view of the surgical instrument; and a display which is operable to display the volumetric perspective image of the patient.

Apparatus and methods are described including pressure-sensing apparatus configured to be placed in contact with a portion of a body of a patient. A camera acquires one or more images of the patient. At least one computer processor is configured to estimate a location of a heart of the patient, by analyzing the one or more images of the patient. The computer processor estimates a difference in height between the portion of the patient's body that is in contact with the pressure-sensing apparatus and the estimated location of the patient's heart, and generates an output, at least partially in response thereto. Other applications are also described.

Apparatus and methods are described including a surface (62) configured to receive an arm of a patient. A first sensor (66) is operatively coupled to the surface (62) and is configured to (a) detect movement of the surface (62), pressure exerted upon the surface (62), and/or force exerted upon the surface (62), and (b) generate a first sensor signal in response thereto. A computer processor (72) receives the first sensor signal, and derives a respiratory rate of the patient at least partially based upon the received first sensor signal. Other applications are also described.

Apparatus and methods are described including a surface (62) configured to receive an arm of a patient. A first sensor (66) is operatively coupled to the surface (62) and is configured to (a) detect movement of the surface (62), pressure exerted upon the surface (62), and/or force exerted upon the surface (62), and (b) generate a first sensor signal in response thereto. A computer processor (72) receives the first sensor signal, and derives a respiratory rate of the patient at least partially based upon the received first sensor signal. Other applications are also described.

Apparatus and methods are described including a moveable light source, an image-acquisition device configured to acquire a plurality of images of at least a portion of a face of a patient, and at least one computer processor. The computer processor identifies a first eye of the patient within at least a first portion of the acquired images, and, in response thereto, drives the light source to direct light toward the patient's first eye. The computer processor measures a pupillary response of the first eye to the light being directed toward the first eye, by identifying a pupil of the patient's first eye in images belonging to the first portion of the acquired images that were acquired, respectively, prior to and subsequent to the light being directed toward the first eye. Other applications are also described.

An apparatus, system, and method is disclosed for monitoring the motion, breathing, heart rate of humans in a convenient and low-cost fashion, and for deriving and displaying useful measurements of cardiorespiratory performance from the measured signals. The motion, breathing, and heart rate signals are obtained through a processing applied to a raw signal obtained in a non-contact fashion, typically using a radio-frequency sensor. Processing into separate cardiac and respiratory components is described. The heart rate can be determined by using either spectral or time-domain processing. The respiratory rate can be calculated using spectral analysis. Processing to derive the heart rate, respiratory sinus arrhythmia, or a ventilatory threshold parameter using the system is described. The sensor, processing, and display can be incorporated in a single device which can be worn or held close to the body while exercising (e.g., in a wristwatch or mobile phone configuration), or alternately placed in a fixed piece of exercise equipment at some distance form the body (e.g., in a treadmill dash panel), and may also be integrated with other sensors, such as position locators.

An apparatus, system, and method is disclosed for monitoring the motion, breathing, heart rate of humans in a convenient and low-cost fashion, and for deriving and displaying useful measurements of cardiorespiratory performance from the measured signals. The motion, breathing, and heart rate signals are obtained through a processing applied to a raw signal obtained in a non-contact fashion, typically using a radio-frequency sensor. Processing into separate cardiac and respiratory components is described. The heart rate can be determined by using either spectral or time-domain processing. The respiratory rate can be calculated using spectral analysis. Processing to derive the heart rate, respiratory sinus arrhythmia, or a ventilatory threshold parameter using the system is described. The sensor, processing, and display can be incorporated in a single device which can be worn or held close to the body while exercising (e.g., in a wristwatch or mobile phone configuration), or alternately placed in a fixed piece of exercise equipment at some distance form the body (e.g., in a treadmill dash panel), and may also be integrated with other sensors, such as position locators.

The present invention relates to a device, system and method for obtaining vital sign related information of a living being. The proposed device comprises an input unit for receiving an input signal generated from light received in at least one wavelength interval reflected from a skin region of a living being, said input signal representing vital sign related information from which a vital sign of the living being can be derived, a processing unit for processing the input signal and deriving vital sign related information of said living being from said input signal, an orientation estimation unit for estimating the orientation of said skin region, and a control unit for controlling an illumination unit for illuminating said skin region with light to illuminate said skin region based on the estimated orientation of said skin region and/or for controlling said processing unit to derive vital sign related information from said input signal obtained during time intervals selected based on the estimated orientation of said skin region.

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.