Abstract:
Renal function modulation via application of electrical energy stimulation is discussed. The electrical energy stimulation includes a frequency equal to or greater than about 1KHz and is injected between a first electrode and a second electrode, at least one of which is internally disposed proximal to a subject's kidney such that a substantially large portion of the stimulation passes through at least one of a glomerulus, a Bowman's capsule, a macula densa, a tubule, a peritubular capillary network, a collecting duct, an afferent arteriole, an efferent arteriole, or a renal granular cell. The electrical energy stimulation modulates one or more renal functions. One or more parameters associated with the one or more renal functions are measured and used to, among other things, determine a kidney status indicative signal or control the electrical energy stimulation applied.
Abstract:
A patient hydration system including an infusion device for administering hydration fluid to a patient, and a hydration fluid measurement device responsive to a source of hydration fluid, a patient urine output measurement device. A controller is responsive to the hydration fluid measurement device and the patient urine output measurement device. The controller operates the infusion device, in response to the patient urine output measurement device and the hydration fluid measurement device, to hydrate the patient based on the patient's urine output. The controller also monitors the operation history of the infusion device thereby providing redundancy in the measurement of the amount of hydration fluid administered to the patient.
Abstract:
A medical patient is monitored, and simultaneous patient state indices ( 416 ) based on function of respective organs and/or presence of respective disease in the monitored patient, i.e., the respective patient sub-area, are updated in real time. The indices are displayed, alongside actual past and predictive trend data for the index ( 320, 328 ). The screen hierarchy provides immediate access, from a screen showing an overall index and a summary of patient sub-areas, to a screen ( 500 ) offering more detail on the selected sub-area. Further immediate traversal is available to the raw measurements ( 420 - 432 ) supportively underlying the derived indices.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus for monitoring a kidney that consists of monitoring the corticomedullary sodium concentration gradient in a kidney by an imaging technique selected from the group consisting of MRI, optical imaging, computed tomography (CT), ultrasound or positron emission tomography (PET), to obtain dynamic images; processing the obtained images to quantitatively determine, pixel by pixel of the images, the concentration of sodium along the corticomedullary axis of the kidney; and mapping the sodium distribution at high resolution to indicate the sodium concentration gradient of the corticomedullary axis of the kidney. Preferably the monitoring is carried out using 23Na MRI. Maps of the sodium distribution are displayed.
Abstract:
This invention is a method of imaging arteries distinctly from veins using nuclear magnetic resonance imaging in combination with intravenous administration of a magnetic resonance contrast agent. The contrast agent is intravenously injected in such a way that the arterial contrast concentration is substantially higher than the venous and background tissue concentration for a sufficiently long period of time to acquire the magnetic resonance image. The injection site of the contrast agent is chosen such that it is in a vein which is remote from the artery of interest. The magnetic resonance contrast agent may be intravenously infused at a variable infusion rate.
Abstract:
The invention relates to an arrangement for a patient monitor arranged to measure one or more parameters from a patient from other than urine or the urinary tract. To improve the ergonomics of patient monitoring work, the arrangement comprises a sensor (8) that is arranged between a patient urinary tract catheter (6) and a urine collection container (7) or the like and that is arranged to measure at least the flow or volume of the patient's urine output, and means (9) for conveying the data measured to the patient monitor (2).
Abstract:
The present invention is a technique and apparatus for monitoring and detecting the arrival of a contrast agent in a region of interest (e.g., an artery or tissues of interest). In one embodiment, upon detecting a maximum, substantially elevated or elevated concentration of contrast agent in the region of interest, a predetermined portion of the magnetic resonance image data (e.g., data which is representative of the center of k-space) may be acquired. Thus, the present invention may be employed to facilitate synchronization between collecting the central portion of k-space image data with the arterial phase of contrast enhancement.