304 results about "Depth of penetration" patented technology

A lancet device, a tip for a lancet device and method of using the lancet device. The lancet device has a body portion for firing the lancet and a tip portion. The tip for a lancet device includes a front assembly which includes a side wall portion, a skin-engaging portion at least partially defining a plane beyond which a lancet needle may extend, and a lancet stop element, a slot is disposed in one of the sidewall portion and the lancet stop element, and at least one following element extending into the slot, wherein the lancet stop element is moveable towards and away from the plane in response to movement of the at least one following element. The method includes adjusting a set depth of penetration of the needle by moving the at least one following element, disposing the distal end of the lancet device against a surface of skin, and triggering the firing mechanism to cause the needle to penetrate the surface of the skin to the set depth, wherein the puncture allows a blood sample to be taken.

An instrument for the penetration of tissue, including a backstop assembly having a shaft and a backstop; and a penetration member slidingly engaged with the backstop shaft, and configured for penetrating tissue. The backstop assembly and the penetration member are configured such that the backstop may be positioned adjacent tissue to be penetrated, such that as the penetration member is urged through the tissue along the backstop shaft, the backstop will limit the depth of penetration of the penetration member through the tissue. A method of using this instrument is also provided.

A lancing device and method for self-collecting a sample of body fluid by penetrating a body tissue at a sampling site. The invention includes a housing geometry configured for ease of use at different sampling sites on the body, even by persons having reduced dexterity and / or poor vision. Depth of penetration is selectively controlled by adjusting the stroke range of a spring-driven lancet carrier. A pressure applicator is included for stimulating flow of the body fluid. A transparent portion permits observation of the sampling site.

Various devices and methods may be provided to aspirate bone marrow from an associated bone using a powered drive and an aspiration needle or aspiration needle set. Such aspiration devices and methods may also be used in association with stem cell transplant procedures. The aspiration devices may include a coupler assembly, a containment bag or sterile sleeve, an ejector and / or an ejector funnel. An aspiration needle set may include a cannula and trocar with respective tips having optimum configurations, dimensions and / or orientations relative to each other to optimize penetration of a bone and / or bone marrow with minimum trauma to a patient. Exterior portions of some cannulas may include markings to indicate depth of penetration into associated bone marrow. Some cannulas may include one or more side ports for use during aspiration of bone marrow.

A catheter is adapted to ablate tissue and provide lesion qualitative information on a real time basis, having an ablation tip section with a generally omni-directional light diffusion chamber with one openings to allow light energy in the chamber to radiate the tissue and return to the chamber. The chamber is irrigated at a positive pressure differential to continuously flush the opening with fluid. The light energy returning to the chamber from the tissue conveys a tissue parameter, including without limitation, lesion formation, depth of penetration of lesion, cross-sectional area of lesion, formation of char during ablation, recognition of char during ablation, recognition of char from non-charred tissue, formation of coagulum around the ablation site, differentiation of coagulated from non-coagulated blood, differentiation of ablated from healthy tissue, tissue proximity, and recognition of steam formation in the tissue for prevention of steam pop.

An apparatus and method for forming a hole in material for non-medical and medical purposes such as a cranial burr hole for ventriculostomy and brain biopsy procedures. The apparatus includes a main unit upon which a drill unit is located. The drill unit includes a drill bit and an on / off switching means. The main unit includes a handle which is suitable for grasping, and an advancing mechanism including a release / engage mechanism, and an advancing lever and an optional on / off switch. The drill unit is advanced a predetermined distance relative to the main unit each time an advancing lever is pulled. In use, the apparatus is placed in a desired position upon the material to be drilled such a patient's skull and is stabilized by a stabilization platform, the apparatus is then turned on, and the advancing lever is pulled to advance the drill unit a predetermined distance relative to a longitudinal axis of the main unit with each pull of the advancing lever. The procedure is ended when the desired depth of penetration has been reached, or the material such as in the case of skull bone, has been completely penetrated.

A lancing device and method for self-collecting a sample of body fluid by penetrating a body tissue at a sampling site. The invention includes a housing geometry configured for ease of use at different sampling sites on the body, even by persons having reduced dexterity and / or poor vision. Depth of penetration is selectively controlled by adjusting the stroke range of a spring-driven lancet carrier. A pressure applicator is included for stimulating flow of the body fluid. A transparent portion permits observation of the sampling site.

A lancing device including a spring-driven lancet translationally mounted within a housing. The lancet has at least one resilient finger extending outwardly therefrom and engageable within a cooperating recess formed in the housing to prevent re-use of the lancing device. A depth-adjustment knob is optionally included for contacting the housing to limit the travel of the lancet and thereby control the depth of penetration.

A tissue penetrating system has a housing member. A plurality of penetrating members are positioned in the housing member. A tissue stabilizing member is coupled to the housing. A penetrating member sensor is coupled to the plurality of penetrating members. The penetrating member sensor is configured to provide information relative to a depth of penetration of a penetrating member through a skin surface.

Apparatus and methods are provided to access bone marrow at various target areas. Such apparatus may include an intraosseous device operable to penetrate bone at a selected target area and a depth limiter operable to control depth of penetration of the intraosseous device into bone and associated bone marrow. A manual driver and a guide may be included to optimize optimum insertion of the intraosseous device at a selected insertion site on a sternum.

An intravascular catheter for peri-vascular and / or peri-urethral tissue ablation includes multiple needles advanced through supported guide tubes which expand with open ends around a central axis to engage the interior surface of the wall of the renal artery or other vessel of a human body allowing the injection an ablative fluid for ablating tissue, and / or nerve fibers in the outer layer or deep to the outer layer of the vessel, or in prostatic tissue. The system also includes means to limit and / or adjust the depth of penetration of the ablative fluid into and beyond the tissue of the vessel wall. The preferred embodiment of the catheter includes structures which provide radial and lateral support to the guide tubes so that the guide tubes open uniformly and maintain their position against the interior surface of the vessel wall as the sharpened injection needles are advanced to penetrate into the vessel wall.

A tissue penetrating system has a housing member. A plurality of penetrating members are positioned in the housing member. A tissue stabilizing member is coupled to the housing. A penetrating member sensor is coupled to the plurality of penetrating members. The penetrating member sensor is configured to provide information relative to a depth of penetration of a penetrating member through a skin surface.

A lancing device including a spring-driven lancet translationally mounted within a housing. The lancet has at least one resilient finger extending outwardly therefrom and engageable within a cooperating recess formed in the housing to prevent re-use of the lancing device. A depth-adjustment knob is optionally included for contacting the housing to limit the travel of the lancet and thereby control the depth of penetration.

A method is provided for fabricating a substrate for optics, electronics, or opto-electronics. This method includes the steps of implanting atomic species into a face of a source substrate to form a weakened zone therein corresponding to the depth of penetration of the atomic species; transferring the seed layer on to a support substrate by bonding a face of the support substrate to the face of the source substrate and detaching the seed layer from the source substrate; depositing a working layer on the seed layer to form a composite substrate comprising the support substrate, seed layer and working layer; and detaching the seed layer and the working layer from the support substrate to form a substrate. Advantageously, the support substrate comprises a material having a thermal expansion value of about 0.7 to 3 times the coefficient value of the working layer, and the seed layer includes a crystal lattice parameter sufficient for the epitaxial growth of the working layer onto the seed layer such that the working layer has a dislocation concentration of less than about 107 / cm2.

A method of making a low distortion frame construction, the construction having joint regions formed by first and second overlapping members defining a lapped interface, the joint regions being comprised of material that can be converted to a solid state deformable plastic condition by friction heat, comprising: (a) providing a stir friction welding tool having (i) a rotatable thermally conductive body presenting a shoulder to engage the joint region for storing friction-generated heat, and (ii) a friction generating pin rotatable with said body about a pin axis and selectively extendable from the shoulder to progressively penetrate the overlapping members as the joint region in contact with the pin becomes plastic; (b) placing the tool shoulder against the joint region with the pin axis transverse to the lapped interface and spinning the body while progressively extending the pin at a rotational speed effective to generate friction heat that converts the adjacent material of the joint to a plastic condition allowing the spinning of the probe to stir such plastically converted material; and (c) controlling the depth of penetration of the spinning probe while translating the tool across the joint region to perfect a friction stirred welded zone that extends through the interface and between the overlapping members to provide a welded joint that is exceptionally strong in shear.

A tissue penetrating system has a housing member. A plurality of penetrating members are positioned in the housing member. A tissue stabilizing member is coupled to the housing. A penetrating member sensor is coupled to the plurality of penetrating members. The penetrating member sensor is configured to provide information relative to a depth of penetration of a penetrating member through a skin surface.

The invention provides a class of samples that model the human body. This family of samples is based upon emulsions of oil in water with lecithin acting as the emulsifier. These solutions that have varying particle sizes may be spiked with basis set components (albumin, urea and glucose) to simulate skin tissues further. The family of samples is such that other organic compounds such as collagen, elastin, globulin and bilirubin may be added, as can salts such as Na+, K+ and Cl-. Layers of varying thickness with known index of refraction and particle size distributions may be generated using simple crosslinking reagents, such as collagen (gelatin). The resulting samples are flexible in each analyte's concentration and match the skin layers of the body in terms of the samples reduced scattering and absorption coefficients, mums and muma. This family of samples is provided for use in the medical field where lasers and spectroscopy based analyzers are used in treatment of the body. In particular, knowledge may be gained on net analyte signal, photon depth of penetration, photon radial diffusion, photon interaction between tissue layers, photon density (all as a function of frequency) and on instrument parameter specifications such as resolution and required dynamic range (A / D bits required). In particular, applications to delineate such parameters have been developed for the application of noninvasive glucose determination in the near-IR region from 700 to 2500 nm with an emphasis on the region 1000 to 2500 nm (10,000 to 4,000 cm-1).

An intravascular catheter for peri-vascular and / or peri-urethral tissue ablation includes multiple needles advanced through supported guide tubes which expand with open ends around a central axis to engage the interior surface of the wall of the renal artery or other vessel of a human body allowing the injection an ablative fluid for ablating tissue, and / or nerve fibers in the outer layer or deep to the outer layer of the vessel, or in prostatic tissue. The system also includes means to limit and / or adjust the depth of penetration of the ablative fluid into and beyond the tissue of the vessel wall. The preferred embodiment of the catheter includes structures which provide radial and lateral support to the guide tubes so that the guide tubes open uniformly and maintain their position against the interior surface of the vessel wall as the sharpened injection needles are advanced to penetrate into the vessel wall.

The present invention provides methods and apparatuses for accurate noninvasive determination of tissue properties. Some embodiments of the present invention comprise an optical sampler having an illumination subsystem, adapted to communicate light having a first polarization to a tissue surface; a collection subsystem, adapted to collect light having a second polarization communicated from the tissue after interaction with the tissue; wherein the first polarization is different from the second polarization. The difference in the polarizations can discourage collection of light specularly reflected from the tissue surface, and can encourage preferential collection of light that has interacted with a desired depth of penetration or path length distribution in the tissue. The different polarizations can, as examples, be linear polarizations with an angle between, or elliptical polarizations of different handedness.

A disposable, inexpensive instrument is provided with the aim to facilitate an injection of bulk enhancing agent into the urethral sphincter. An idea of a balloon of Foley's catheter has been exploited where the balloon acts as a retainer immobilizing the instrument in a desired position inside the bladder during the injection. The instrument has a shape of an elongated shaft with a multitude of curved channels guiding and deflecting the needle to an appropriate angle, depth of penetration and exact location on the sphincter during the injection.

An intravascular catheter for peri-vascular and / or peri-urethral tissue ablation includes multiple needles advanced through supported guide tubes which expand around a central axis to engage the interior surface of the wall of the renal artery or other vessel of a human body allowing the injection an ablative fluid for ablating tissue, and / or nerve fibers in the outer layer or deep to the outer layer of the vessel, or in prostatic tissue. The system may also include a means to limit and / or adjust the depth of penetration of the ablative fluid into and beyond the tissue of the vessel wall. The catheter may also include structures which provide radial and / or lateral support to the guide tubes so that the guide tubes expand uniformly and maintain their position against the interior surface of the vessel wall as the sharpened injection needles are advanced to penetrate into the vessel wall.

An intravascular catheter for peri-vascular and / or peri-urethral tissue ablation includes multiple needles advanced through supported guide tubes which expand around a central axis to engage the interior surface of the wall of the renal artery or other vessel of a human body allowing the injection an ablative fluid for ablating tissue, and / or nerve fibers in the outer layer or deep to the outer layer of the vessel, or in prostatic tissue. The system may also include a means to limit and / or adjust the depth of penetration of the ablative fluid into and beyond the tissue of the vessel wall. The catheter may also include structures which provide radial and / or lateral support to the guide tubes so that the guide tubes expand uniformly and maintain their position against the interior surface of the vessel wall as the sharpened injection needles are advanced to penetrate into the vessel wall.

A rotary drill bit with cutting elements operable to control depth of cut and rate of penetration during formation of a wellbore are provided. Respective sets of secondary cutting elements and primary cutting elements may also be disposed on exterior portions of a rotary drill bit. A number of blades may extend from exterior portions of the drill bit with a number of cutting elements disposed on exterior portions of each blade. Each cutting element may include a substrate with a cutting surface disposed thereon. A respective protector may extend from the cutting surface of one or more cutting elements to limit depth of penetration of the associated cutting element into adjacent portions of a downhole formation and / or to control rate of penetration of an associated rotary drill bit.

A measurement system and method for determining a depth of penetration of a working portion of a surgical instrument (e.g., a rotating drill bit in a bore). A first sensor outputs a first signal representative of a displacement of the leading edge of the drill bit in the bore. A second sensor outputs a second signal representative of a force applied to the leading edge of the drill bit. A processor outputs a third signal representative of the depth of penetration of the leading edge of the drill bit when the leading edge of the drill bit passes from a first medium having a first density to a second medium having a second density. The third signal is based on the first and second signals.

The present invention provides methods and apparatuses for accurate noninvasive determination of tissue properties. Some embodiments of the present invention comprise an optical sampler having an illumination subsystem, adapted to communicate light having a first polarization to a tissue surface; a collection subsystem, adapted to collect light having a second polarization communicated from the tissue after interaction with the tissue; wherein the first polarization is different from the second polarization. The difference in the polarizations can discourage collection of light specularly reflected from the tissue surface, and can encourage preferential collection of light that has interacted with a desired depth of penetration or path length distribution in the tissue. The different polarizations can, as examples, be linear polarizations with an angle between, or elliptical polarizations of different handedness.

A stop for a drill bit having a shaft, the stop having a first member which includes a collet. The collet is configured to receive the shaft of the drill bit and is positionable along the shaft of the drill bit. The stop also has a second member which includes a clamp, for clamping the first member in a desired position along the shaft of the drill bit by securing the collet in a desired position along the shaft of the drill bit. The stop further has an abutment surface on one of the first and second members, for limiting the depth of penetration of the drill bit into an object, the abutment surface being disposed in a fixed position along the shaft of the drill bit by the clamping of the first and second members.

A photovoltaic cell module, a photovoltaic array including at least two modules, and a method of forming the module are provided. The photovoltaic cell module includes a substrate and a tie layer disposed on the substrate. The tie layer has a depth of penetration of from 1.1 to 100 mm and a tack value of less than −0.6 g·sec. The photovoltaic cell module also includes a photovoltaic cell disposed on the tie layer. The method of forming the photovoltaic cell module includes the steps of disposing the tie layer on the substrate and disposing the photovoltaic cell on the tie layer to form the photovoltaic cell module.