One aspect of the invention relates to a method for intraoperative detection of parathyroid gland viability in a surgery, comprising obtaining speckle contrast images of a parathyroid gland of a patent; and displaying the speckle contrast images of the parathyroid gland in real-time.

A method for predicting thyroid dysfunction for a subject is disclosed. The method includes determining a target data based on a trigger signal; obtaining interval heart rates corresponding to the determined target date; obtaining, for the subject, a first pre-processing result for the obtained interval heart rates corresponding to the determined target date; obtaining, for the subject, at least one of concentration of hormone related to a thyroid corresponding to a reference date; obtaining, for the subject, a second pre-processing result for interval heart rates corresponding to the reference date; obtaining a difference of the first pre-processing result with respect to the second pre-processing result; and obtaining a prediction result for thyroid dysfunction obtained based on values including the at least one of concentration of hormone related to a thyroid corresponding to a reference date and the difference.

Differences of electromagnetic (EM) properties between healthy and cancerous tissues allow detection of abnormal conditions occurring in a tissue of an animal, for example, intra-operative cancer detection. By using a time-varying EM field, electrical eddy currents are generated in the tissue sample, and assessed using phase-sensitive detection. In some aspects, a change in phase shift between the voltage in a receiver coil and the voltage in a driver coil provide a direct and immediate indication of differences in EM properties of specimens.

A system and method for locating magnetic material. In one embodiment the system includes a magnetic probe; a power module in electrical communication with the magnetic probe to supply current to the magnetic probe; a sense module in electrical communication with the magnetic probe to receive signals from the magnetic probe; and a computer in electrical communication with the power module and the sense module. The computer generates a waveform that controls the supply of current from the power module and receives a signal from the sense module that indicates the presence of magnetic material. The magnetic probe is constructed from a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion of substantially 10.sup.−6/° C. or less and a Young's modulus of substantially 50 GPa or greater. In one embodiment magnetic nanoparticles are injected into a breast and the lymph nodes collecting the particles are detected with the probe and deemed sentinel nodes.

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 photoacoustic flow cytometry (PAFC) device for the in vivo detection of cells circulating in blood or lymphatic vessels is described. Ultrasound transducers attached to the skin of an organism detect the photoacoustic ultrasound waves emitted by target objects in response to their illumination by at least one pulse of laser energy delivered using at least one wavelength. The wavelengths of the laser light pulse may be varied to optimize the absorption of the laser energy by the target object. Target objects detected by the device may be unlabelled biological cells or cell products, contrast agents, or biological cells labeled with one or more contrast agents.

A method for intraoperatively determining a degree of parathyroid perfusion includes identifying parathyroid tissues of a living subject using autofluorescence detection with a fiber optic probe based fluorescence detection system; administering to the living subject a contrast agent with a dose; after a period of time of the administration, detecting fluorescence in an area of the parathyroid tissues with the fiber optic probe based fluorescence detection system, where the fluorescence is emitted from the contrast agent; and obtaining a detection level and/or a detection ratio for the parathyroid tissues from the detected fluorescence so as to determine a degree of parathyroid perfusion of each parathyroid. The method is not only unaffected by ambient light, but also has no need of images of the parathyroid tissues.

Lumen-traveling biological interface devices and associated methods and systems are described. Lumen-traveling biological interface devices capable of traveling within a body lumen may include a propelling mechanism to produce movement of the lumen-traveling device within the lumen, electrodes or other electromagnetic transducers for detecting biological signals and electrodes, coils or other electromagnetic transducers for delivering electromagnetic stimuli to stimulus responsive tissues. Lumen-traveling biological interface devices may also include additional components such as sensors, an active portion, and/or control circuitry.

Apparatus and methods for hyperspectral imaging analysis that assists in real and near-real time assessment of biological tissue condition, viability, and type, and monitoring the above overtime. Embodiments of the invention are particularly useful in surgery, clinical procedures, tissue assessment, diagnostic procedures, health monitoring, and medical evaluations, especially in the detection and treatment of cancer.

A monitoring apparatus includes a wearable electronic device having an audio port and a headset having at least one earbud, at least one physiological and/or environmental sensor, and circuitry that processes signals produced by the at least one physiological and/or environmental sensor and transmits the processed signals to the electronic device via the audio port. The headset may include a microphone in audio communication with the electronic device via the audio port, and the circuitry modulates audio signals produced by the microphone and signals produced by the at least one physiological and/or environmental sensor for transmission to the electronic device via the audio port. The circuitry may power the at least one physiological and/or environmental sensor via power supplied by the electronic device through the audio port and may include a processor that coordinates collection, modulation, and/or transmission of signals produced by the at least one physiological and/or environmental sensor.