The subject invention pertains to a novel system capable of long-term monitoring the concentration of a typical analyte in body fluid. The invention includes an untethered battery-free concentration monitor and an external data recorder to continuously measure the concentration of certain analytes and send out signals corresponding to the measured analytes concentration in real-time.

Configuration technologies for cost-effectively monitoring indicia of regimen compliance or noncompliance in response to one or more indications of symptoms or actions or other data on data-bearing media or in wireless transmissions, such as implementing techniques for providing or preventing access or otherwise acting on or communicating incremental or definitive indicia of compliance or noncompliance.

Systems and methods for monitoring eye health. The systems and methods monitor eye health by measuring scleral strain by way of an implantable monitor, a wearable monitor configured in eyeglasses, or an external monitor using a portable tablet computing device. Certain embodiments of the strain monitor may be utilized to measure the strain on any surface to which it is attached, including, but not limited to, the skin of a patient or the surface of a structure such as a building or a bridge.

A method of differentiating between a strain and a contraction of the pelvic floor muscles (PFM) of a subject includes receiving data generated by an orientation sensor provided within a vaginal probe device that is located within the vaginal canal of the subject and utilizing a processor to process data generated by the orientation sensor to determine a direction of rotation of the vaginal probe device during a measurement period. When the processor determines that the vaginal probe device has rotated in the cranial-ventral direction relative to the subject, an output is generated indicating that there has been a contraction of the PFM during the measurement period; and when the processor determines that the vaginal probe device has rotated in the caudal-dorsal direction relative to the subject, an output is generated indicating that there has been a strain of the PFM during the measurement period.

A method of differentiating between a strain and a contraction of the pelvic floor muscles (PFM) of a subject includes receiving data generated by an orientation sensor provided within a vaginal probe device that is located within the vaginal canal of the subject and utilizing a processor to process data generated by the orientation sensor to determine a direction of rotation of the vaginal probe device during a measurement period. When the processor determines that the vaginal probe device has rotated in the cranial-ventral direction relative to the subject, an output is generated indicating that there has been a contraction of the PFM during the measurement period; and when the processor determines that the vaginal probe device has rotated in the caudal-dorsal direction relative to the subject, an output is generated indicating that there has been a strain of the PFM during the measurement period.

Systems and methods for gastrointestinal electrical stimulation to treat abnormalities in gastrointestinal motility are provided. In some embodiments, a system for relieving ileus includes an intraluminal catheter comprising: a catheter body having a proximal tip and a distal tip and a duodenal portion proximal to the distal tip of the catheter; and at least one electrode pair disposed along the duodenal portion of the intraluminal catheter, the at least one electrode pair being configured to detect a sensing information indicative of myoelectric activity of a patient and to provide stimulation energy; a sensing system in communication with the at least one electrode pair to receive the sensing information; and an energy delivery system in communication with the at least one electrode pair and the sensing system, the electrical energy delivery system being configured to delivery energy to the patient through the at least one second electrode pair based on the sensing information from the sensing system.

A system for monitoring digestive efficiency within the rumen of one or more ruminant animals comprises rumen boluses shaped and sized to be retained within the rumen dorsal sac and each comprising temperature, pH sensor, and redox sensors, and a wireless transmitter. A processor is arranged to derive from the sensor data one or more parameters indicative of animal digestive efficiency including any combination of one or more of hydrogen scale (rH), partial pressure of hydrogen (pp[H.sub.2]), oxygen fugacity (f(O.sub.2)) and free energy of the system (ΔG). A method and bolus are also claimed.

An apparatus for monitoring EMG signals of a patient's laryngeal muscles includes an endotracheal tube having an exterior surface and a first location configured to be positioned at the patient's vocal folds. A first electrode is formed on the exterior surface of the endotracheal tube substantially below the first location to receive EMG signals primarily from below the vocal folds. A second electrode is formed on the exterior surface of the endotracheal tube substantially above the first location to receive EMG signals primarily from above the vocal folds. The first and second electrodes are configured to receive the EMG signals from the laryngeal muscles when the endotracheal tube is placed in a trachea of the patient.

An apparatus for monitoring EMG signals of a patient's laryngeal muscles includes an endotracheal tube having an exterior surface and a first location configured to be positioned at the patient's vocal folds. A first electrode is formed on the exterior surface of the endotracheal tube substantially below the first location to receive EMG signals primarily from below the vocal folds. A second electrode is formed on the exterior surface of the endotracheal tube substantially above the first location to receive EMG signals primarily from above the vocal folds. The first and second electrodes are configured to receive the EMG signals from the laryngeal muscles when the endotracheal tube is placed in a trachea of the patient.

Ingestible bio-telemetry communication network and associated systems are described. The communication network can include one or more ingestible bio-telemetry tags; and a reader, wherein each of the one or more ingestible bio-telemetry tags generates an out-link signal comprising, for each bit of data in a frame, a pulse reverse keyed symbol. Multiple ingestible bio-telemetry tags can be managed at the same time by allowing the frequency of the transmit carrier signal to change, or “hop” to different frequencies so as to minimize likelihood of collision. A reader can identify the proper frequency either by a signal from the tags indicated the frequency of the next hop or, when no bi-directional communication is available, by deducing the carrier signal frequency from the start bits of a received frame from the tag and scanning for the shifted carrier signal frequency within a tolerance of the deduced carrier signal frequency.