A contractile tissue-based analysis device is provided, in which a strip of contractile tissue is supported by support structure. The support structure comprises a substantially planar base element, and first and second support pillars extending from said base element. An optical detection device is arranged on the side of the base element opposite to said support pillars, and is arranged to capture image data from at least one of the head portions of the support pillars. The motion of the support pillars induced by the strip of contractile tissue can thus be captured from below, i.e. through the planar base element.

One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a system for monitoring a diaphragmatic twitch response. The diaphragmatic twitch response can be used to determine a depth of neuromuscular blockade. The system includes a neural stimulation device to stimulate a phrenic nerve of a subject, which has the effect of stimulating the subject's diaphragm. The system also includes a monitor to detect the diaphragm's response to the stimulation. For example, the monitor can include a nasogastric tube with two distally positioned inflatable balloons. Each of the inflatable balloons is coupled to a sensor to measure a corresponding pressure (e.g., an esophageal pressure and a gastric pressure). The pressure differential between the esophagus above the diaphragm and the stomach below the diaphragm (also referred to as the transdiaphragmatic pressure) can be used as a measure of the diaphragmatic twitch response.

A system including a tissue bath; a portion of intestine positioned within the tissue bath, the portion of intestine having a first end and a second end; a pump coupled to the first end of the portion of the intestine and configured to pump a fluid through the portion of intestine; a light source positioned to illuminate the portion of intestine, a camera positioned to capture a stream of images showing movement of the portion of intestine; and a computing system coupled to the camera, the computing system including: a processor, and a memory storing instructions causing the processor to: receive the stream of images, identify a location along the portion of intestine in each image of the stream of images in real time, and measure an edge width at the location along the portion of intestine in each image of the stream of images in real time.

A sensor system has a first tag including a first communication circuit, and a second tag including a second communication circuit. The first tag is operative to initiate a first wireless transmission for reception by the second tag, the wireless transmission pertaining to a measurement effected by the first tag or the second tag. The second tag is operative to wirelessly communicate data representing the measurement to a reader device.

A device adapted for determining cardiac viability, wherein said device includes: a cannula having a hollow body and at least a distal end adapted for insertion into a heart and operator end for adapted for an operator to position the catheter in the ventricular apex and adapted for connection to a plumbing system; an inflatable balloon positioned near to the distal end in fluid communication with the hollow body to allow for selected inflation of the balloon, a controller adapted to calculate the viability of the heart from pressure data detected within cannula or balloon which is inflated to various degrees with an incompressible fluid.

A biomedical implant includes a wall enclosing at least a portion of the implant. The wall includes a first stratum and a second stratum conformal with the first stratum. An interlayer is provided between the first and the second strata, and includes a structure that produces capillary pressure in an infiltrating fluid in response to rupture of the first stratum or the second stratum resulting in entry of the infiltrating fluid into the interlayer. A detector is exposed to the interlayer and configured to detect a presence, if any, of the infiltrating fluid and output a detection state indicator. A communication circuit is communicatively coupled to the detector and configured to communicate the detection state indicator to a reader external to the patient.

A robotic shoe which provides real-time feedback regarding forces acting on the foot of the user, in order to modify these forces in a corrective or diagnostic manner The shoe comprises an insole equipped with embedded pressure sensors enabling it to continuously monitor the ground reaction forces (GRF) and the foot center of pressure (COP) while the user is standing, walking, and running. The insole COP and GRF readings are input to a programmable system that shifts the COP trajectory dynamically in a patient-specific manner via the robotic platform of the shoe. The robotic platform contains motors that control elements whose movement manipulates the forces acting on the foot and lower limb, resulting in modification of the GRF. Closed loop feedback enables a dynamic fit of an optimal COP. The COP and GRF information can be stored for analysis and diagnosis of gait and instability events accruing during locomotion.

A wearable device has a core contraction sensor. Signals from the core contraction sensor are transmitted to a processor which analyzes the core contraction signals and determines if the user's core is contracted or relaxed. The processor can cause a computing device to output a sequence of tones in response to a core contraction signal. The sequence of tones can correspond to a song which can be played by performing a plurality of core contractions with durations that correspond to a duration of the notes in the song. Alternatively, the core muscles can be contracted to correspond to music heard by the user. The processor can output a score based upon the matching of the core contractions with the musical notes.

One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a system for monitoring a diaphragmatic twitch response. The diaphragmatic twitch response can be used to determine a depth of neuromuscular blockade. The system includes a neural stimulation device to stimulate a phrenic nerve of a subject, which has the effect of stimulating the subject's diaphragm. The system also includes a monitor to detect the diaphragm's response to the stimulation. For example, the monitor can include a nasogastric tube with two distally positioned inflatable balloons. Each of the inflatable balloons is coupled to a sensor to measure a corresponding pressure (e.g., an esophageal pressure and a gastric pressure). The pressure differential between the esophagus above the diaphragm and the stomach below the diaphragm (also referred to as the transdiaphragmatic pressure) can be used as a measure of the diaphragmatic twitch response.

Methods and apparatus for mitigating neuromuscular signal artifacts are described. The method comprises detecting in real-time, by at least one computer processor, one or more artifacts in a plurality of neuromuscular signals recorded by a plurality of neuromuscular sensors, determining, based at least in part, on the detected one or more artifacts, a plurality of derived neuromuscular signals to mitigate the one or more artifacts, and providing, as input to one or more trained statistical models, the plurality of derived neuromuscular signals.