A method and apparatus for treatment of skin or other tissue, using a source of thermal, electromagnetic radiation, electrical current, ultrasonic, mechanical or other type of energy, to cause minimally-invasive thermally-mediated effects in skin or other tissue which stimulates a wound-healing response, in conjunction with topical agents or other wound healing compositions, for application on the skin or other tissue which accelerate collagenesis, such as in response to wound healing. The dosag...

A noninvasive medical instrument having a core and a flexible outer coil surrounding about the core to form an elongated body. The elongated body has a rounded tip portion, which is preferably burrless, to prevent the noninvasive medical instrument from penetrating or entering a skin surface of a patient. The noninvasive medical instrument of this invention can be used to scratch an irritated skin surface that is otherwise inaccessible due to interference caused by a cast, a prosthetic device or...

An optical noninvasive pressure sensing assembly capable of accurately indicating relatively minute pressure changes. The present invention generally includes a light source, such as a Light Emitting Diode (LED) or normal room illumination, positioned to reflected light off of a surface of a membrane. The membrane is in contact with the fluid in which the pressure is to be measured so that changes in the pressure in the fluid cause movement of the membrane. A charge coupling device (CCD) camera ...

An enzymatic noninvasive method for detecting cancer in mammalian tissue is disclosed. This method comprises incubating exfoliated cells from mammalian tissue suspected of containing cancerous cells, and assaying them for galactosyl transferase activity. The level of galactosyl transferase activity has been found to be significantly altered in cells from cancerous tissue as compared to the level in cells from normal tissue.

A noninvasive, continuous monitoring device for measuring intraocular pressure without interference with vision or normal activity of the patient. A miniature, planar-faced pressure transducer is fixed in a protruding section of a compliant hydrogel ring which has been tooled to conform to the spherical surface of the sclera. The hydrogel ring is placed noninvasively under the eyelids within the conjunctival cul-de-sac, the transducer being located in the lower temperal quadrant. Applanation of ...

Intra-arterial blood pressure is noninvasively measured and monitored by an electromechanical force sensor which is made up of an array of individual force sensing elements, each of which has at least one dimension smaller than the lumen of the underlying artery wherein blood pressure is to be measured, and the individual force sensitive element which generates the waveform of maximum amplitude is used to monitor blood pressure.

Reducing pain from external noninvasive electric cardiac stimulation through the use of electrodes with large-surface, non-metallic, skin-contacting members providing low current density, and also through the use of a pulse generator for the electrodes that provides constant current without spikes throughout a prolonged pulse of greater than 5 milliseconds duration.

Methods for measuring analyte concentration within a tissue using optical coherence tomography (OCT). Radiation is generated, and a first portion of the radiation is directed to the tissue to generate backscattered radiation. A second portion of the radiation is directed to a reflector to generate reference radiation. The backscattered radiation and the reference radiation is detected to produce an interference signal. The analyte concentration is calculated using the interference signal.

An apparatus for maintenance of a male erection-like state is provided. The invention includes a calibrated linear elastomeric constrictor adapted to be wrapped around a vacuum cylinder. Improvements in the vacuum apparatus include an aperture at a proximal region of the vacuum cylinder and a vacuum gauge. A skin surface temperature sensor is provided. The concomitant use of an electronic stimulation of the appropriate muscles is described to strengthen said muscles which are then used in conjun...

An apparatus and method are disclosed for noninvasively diagnosing limb compartment syndrome by measuring a quantitative modulus of hardness. In the preferred embodiment, a low friction piston probe mounted within a platform is applied against a limb compartment. Pressure within the piston probe is increased while measuring the displacement of the piston plunger for each pressure applied. The relationship of incremental pressures in the piston to the displacements of the piston plunger are plott...