Intra-arterial blood pressure is noninvasively measured and monitored by an electromechanical force sensor which is made up of an array of individual pressure or 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 pressure sensitive element used to monitor blood pressure is within one artery's diameter of the pressure sensitive element that generates the waveform of maximum p...

A noninvasive blood pressure measuring system includes an inflatable cuff for encircling a portion of the human body. The cuff is inflated to a pressure sufficient to occlude arterial flow, and the pressure is then released by opening of a pressure relief valve for short periods of time to reduce the pressure until both the systolic and diastolic events have occurred. The incremental decrease in pressure with each opening of the pressure relief valve is controlled by monitoring the pressure befo...

A noninvasive seal for a sucking chest wound has a rectangular base portion with an aperture in its center, and which is covered with an adhesive substance on its bottom surface. A one-way check valve has an outwardly extending horizontal flange at its lowermost portion, this flange is mounted on the underside of the base portion around the aperture in such a matter that a central opening in the valve body and the aperture in the base portion register with each other. The body of the check valve...

A noninvasive continuous blood pressure meter that reproduces the arterial blood pressure waveform, comprising an inflatable flexible finger cuff which incorporates an infrared transmitter and receiver and electronic circuitry connected to the transmitter and receiver and controlling a dynamic compressor. The dynamic compressor comprises a bellows which is compressed by a linear motor electrically activated by the electronics. The bellows is connected to the inflatable cuff by a flexible tube to...

The invention provides apparatus and methods for using the electrical bioimpedance measurements to monitor parameters associated with blood flow in a segment of body tissue. The invention eliminates the effect of respiration from the thoracic impedance as a function of time to provide a signal indicative of pulsatile thoracic impedance changes continuously. The pulsatile thoracic impedance signal is processed to produce signals indicative of the ventricular ejection time and the maximum rate of ...

An arrangement for noninvasively detecting both alternating and direct biocurrents in a living organism applies a magnetic field to the organism, such that a biocurrent flowing in the organism interacts with the applied magnetic field to generate a force in the tissue of the organism at the location of the biocurrent, producing an acoustic response thereat. The acoustic response is detected by placing at least one acoustic transducer detector, such as a microphone, in proximity to the organism, ...

A method and apparatus are described for characterizing a semiconductor using the surface photovoltage (SPV) effect. A region of the surface of the semiconductor is illuminated with an intensity modulated beam of light, the wavelength of the light being shorter than that corresponding to the energy gap of the semiconductor. The surface photovoltage (SPV) induced in the semiconductor is measured under bias voltage conditions. The intensity of the light beam and the frequency of modulation are sel...

An automatic noninvasive blood pressure monitor with a continuous correction of the setpoint and of the gain without interruptions of the blood pressure measurement has a pressure vibration generator, the frequency of vibration being higher than that of the highest harmonic component of blood pressure wave, and a correction circuit, the input of which is connected either directly or through at least one amplifier of the basic servosystem to the sensor of the plethysmographic gauge and output of ...

Disclosed is a method and apparatus for accomplishing a noninvasive screen for breast disease markers, including breast cancer markers and cytologically abnormal cells. Intraductal fluid is noninvasively aspirated using compression, heating and suction cycles. The removed sample is thereafter assayed for the presence of cytologically abnormal cells and/or one or more breast disease markers. Sample size and intraductal mobility of breast disease markers may be enhanced by retrograde introduction ...

Neutron elastic scatter resonance is employed for the noninvasive interrogation of objects as for example to detect explosives and narcotics in closed containers. A resonant scattering spectrum of the object is obtained by projecting a collimated, monoenergetic beam of neutrons onto the object, varying the energy of the beam and measuring the scattered neutrons as a function of the beam energy. The thus generated spectra and analyzed so as to determine either the pressence of particular elements...