1-97. (canceled)
98. An apparatus for the distraction and support of opposed endplates of a vertebral body in a spine to restore vertebral body height, comprising a plurality of elements in cooperative contact forming a structure within said vertebral body by the consecutive individual receipt in vivo one beneath the other of said elements between said opposing endplates, each element being configured to cause expansion of said structure in substantially only one direction upon receipt of each element and that upon such expansion said structure provides a force to restore vertebral body height.
99. The apparatus of claim 98, wherein said structure is defined by a plurality of wafers each having a cooperative interface in contact with an interface of an adjacent wafer, one wafer being disposed beneath another wafer to form-a column.
100. The apparatus of claim 99, wherein the wafer interfaces are provided with complementary configurations to restrain the wafers from slipping out of the column.
101. The apparatus of claim 99, wherein the wafers are marked with a radio-opaque material for observation under fluoroscopy.
102. A reduction system for restoration of vertebral body height, comprising a plurality of elements positionable in an intravertebral space in contact with each other within bony tissue, wherein said plurality of elements act one upon the other upon sequential positioning thereof in the intravertebral space to apply in vivo an outwardly directed corrective force in the intravertebral space to restore the vertebral body height, and a bone filler placeable in the intravertebral space adjacent to said plurality of elements for stability of said plurality of elements in the intravertebral space.
103. The system of claim 102, wherein said plurality of elements are linked by a connecting element extending between adjacent ones of said plurality of elements.
104. The system of claim 102, wherein said plurality of elements are composed of a material selected from the group consisting of PMMA and resorbable polymers.
105. The system of claim 102, wherein at least a portion of each of said plurality of elements include exterior surface features to facilitate engagement between adjacent elements.
106. The system of claim 102, wherein said bone filler is selected from the group consisting of PMMA and resorbable bone cement.
107. The system of claim 102, further comprising a delivery member positionable adjacent the intravertebral space, said delivery member including a passage for delivery of said plurality of elements thereto.
108. The system of claim 107, wherein said delivery member is configured to support said elements in alignment therewithin, said delivery member further comprising a plunger movably supported by said delivery member to apply a force to a first element and transfer said force through said first element to said second element to move said elements into said intravertebral space.
109. The system of claim 102, wherein each element is configured to form upon positioning an expandable structure that is expandable in substantially only one direction
110. A reduction system for restoration of vertebral body height, comprising a non-inflatable expandable structure positionable in an intravertebral space in contact with cancellous bone therewithin, said structure being expandable in vivo to apply an outwardly directed corrective force in the intravertebral space to restore vertebral body height, said structure having openings to receive a bone filler and to facilitate movement of such bone filler therethrough and out thereof into surrounding cancellous bone, and a bone filler placeable within said openings.
111. The system of claim 110, wherein said structure is configured to expand in substantially only one direction.
112. The system of claim 111, wherein said structure comprises a plurality of elements individually positionable in vivo to form said expandable structure.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A system comprising:
a unit attachable to a person’s head wherein the head-attachable unit further comprises:
an orientation sensing element responsive to rotation about a first axis representing a rotation selected from the group consisting of:
pitch of the person’s head and
roll of the person’s head; and
an eye sensor comprising a video camera, wherein the video camera is responsive to
palpebral movement as a result of a physiological effect including one or more of vertigo, motion sickness, motion intolerance, or spatial disorientation;
a head-attachable display viewable by the person wherein the head-attachable display comprises:
a display driver;
a see-through region that provides a view substantially similar to what the person would see without wearing the head-worn unit;
a first image that is not responsive to pitch of the person’s head and not responsive to roll of the person’s head;
at least one display element viewable by the person wherein the display element is responsive to a palpebral movement signal from the video camera and responsive to the orientation sensing element; and
an electronic interface configured for transmitting palpebral movement information received by the video camera to a device selected from the group consisting of a vehicle or powered equipment.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein:
the orientation sensing element is responsive to pitch of the person’s head and roll of the person’s head wherein:
pitch represents a rotation about a first axis representing up and down movement of the person’s face while the rear of the person’s head moves in the opposite direction and roll represents rotation about a second axis perpendicular to the pitch axis in which the face rotates about the nose when looked at from the front;
the orientation sensing element comprises:
a circuit board;
interface circuitry;
communications circuitry;
logic circuitry;
a central processing unit;
a memory unit;
sensor data pre-processing circuitry; and
a micro-electro-mechanical system integrated circuit wherein the micro-electro-mechanical system further comprises an accelerometer;
the eye sensor further measures palpebral position;
the palpebral movement measured by the eye sensor comprises palpebral closure rate, palpebral closure duration, palpebral fissure height, palpebral aperture, marginal reflex distance, frequency of palpebral closure, and velocity of palpebral closure;
system further comprises biosensors the measure electroencephalographic changes, blood pressure, pulse, oxygen saturation, blood glucose, and alcohol level;
the system further comprises an algorithm for determining whether measured palpebral movement is a normal or an abnormal response resulting from a physiological effect including one or more of vertigo, motion sickness, motion intolerance, or spatial disorientation;
the algorithm is responsive to ptosis;
the display further comprises a second image responsive to a pitch signal and a roll signal from the orientation sensing element;
the electronic interface transmits a signal indicating that palpebral movement is abnormal in response to the algorithm; and
the system further comprises an auditory alarm responsive to the algorithm.
3. A system comprising a unit attachable to a person’s head wherein the head-attachable unit further comprises:
an orientation sensing element responsive to rotation about a first axis representing a rotation selected from the group consisting of:
pitch of the person’s head and
roll of the person’s head; and
an eye sensor comprising a video camera, wherein the video camera is responsive to eye closure;
a display viewable by the person wherein the display comprises:
a first image that is not responsive to pitch of the person’s head and not responsive to roll of the person’s head;
a second image responsive to the orientation sensing element; and
at least one display element viewable by the person wherein the display element is responsive to a palpebral movement signal from the video camera;
an electronic interface configured for transmitting eye sensor information received by the video camera to a device selected from the group consisting of a vehicle or powered equipment.
4. The system of claim 3 wherein:
the orientation sensing element comprises:
a circuit board;
interface circuitry;
communications circuitry;
logic circuitry;
a central processing unit;
a memory unit;
sensor data pre-processing circuitry; and
an orientation sensing element selected from the group consisting of an accelerometer and a gyroscope;
the eye closure measured by the eye sensor comprises eye closure rate, eye closure duration, frequency of eye closure, and velocity of eye closure;
the system further comprises an algorithm for determining whether measured eye closure is a normal or an abnormal response resulting from a physiological effect including one or more of vertigo, motion sickness, motion intolerance, or spatial disorientation; and
the electronic interface transmits a signal indicating that eye closure is abnormal in response to the algorithm.
5. The system of claim 3 wherein:
the eye closure measured by the eye sensor comprises eye closure rate, eye closure duration, frequency of eye closure, and velocity of eye closure;
the system further comprises an algorithm for determining whether measured eye closure is a normal or an abnormal response resulting from a physiological effect including one or more of vertigo, motion sickness, motion intolerance, or spatial disorientation;
the electronic interface transmits a signal indicating that eye closure is abnormal in response to the algorithm.
6. The system of claim 3 wherein:
the orientation sensing element is responsive to pitch of the person’s head and roll of the person’s head wherein:
pitch represents a rotation about a first axis representing up and down movement of the person’s face while the rear of the person’s head moves in the opposite direction and roll represents rotation about a second axis perpendicular to the pitch axis in which the face rotates about the nose when looked at from the front;
the orientation sensing element comprises:
a circuit board;
interface circuitry;
communications circuitry;
logic circuitry;
a central processing unit;
a memory unit;
sensor data pre-processing circuitry; and
a micro-electro-mechanical system integrated circuit wherein the micro-electro-mechanical system further comprises an accelerometer.
7. The system of claim 3 wherein:
the eye sensor further measures palpebral position; and
the eye closure information measured by the eye sensor comprises eye closure rate, eye closure duration, eyelid fissure height, eyelid aperture, marginal reflex distance, frequency of eye closure, and velocity of eye closure as a result of a physiological effect including one or more of vertigo, motion sickness, motion intolerance, or spatial disorientation.
8. The system of claim 3 wherein the video camera is further responsive to temporal involuntary eyelid movement as a result of a physiological effect including one or more of vertigo, motion sickness, motion intolerance, or spatial disorientation.
9. The system of claim 3 wherein the display is a head-worn display.
10. The system of claim 3 wherein the eye closure information measured by the eye sensor comprises a condition selected from the group consisting of eye closure rate, eye closure duration, eyelid fissure height, eyelid aperture, marginal reflex distance, frequency of eye closure, and velocity of eye closure.
11. The system of claim 3 wherein:
the system further comprises a vehicle selected from the group of a road vehicle, a flying vehicle, and a vehicle for water-based travel; and
the electronic interface transmits the eye sensor information to the vehicle.
12. The system of claim 3 wherein the eye sensor is further responsive to eye movement.
13. The system of claim 3 wherein the eye sensor is further responsive to corneal reflections.
14. The system of claim 3 wherein:
the eye sensor is for sensing eye closure in both the left eye and the right eye.
15. The system of claim 3 wherein the display further comprises:
a first horizon line in a location fixed on the display; and
a second horizon line responsive to an orientation sensor.
16. An eyelid position detection method, the method comprising the steps of:
establishing a portable head-attachable unit wherein establishing further comprises a video-camera-based eye sensor and a head-worn see-through display;
attaching the head-attachable unit to a user’s head in a location that allows the user to see the display and allows the eye sensor to see at least one of the person’s eyes;
measuring a first eyelid position at a first time wherein measuring further comprises using the eye sensor to detect user eyelid position;
measuring a second eyelid position at a second time;
generating a signal in response to the first eyelid position signal and the second eyelid position signal;
presenting an image on the display wherein the image is responsive to the signal;
establishing an orientation sensing element on the portable head-attachable unit; and
presenting a user viewable display element on the display wherein the display element is responsive to the orientation sensing element.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein:
the orientation sensing element is responsive to pitch and roll of the portable head-attachable unit;
generating a signal further comprises generating a signal in response to the first eyelid position and the second eyelid position selected from the group consisting of eyelid closure rate; eyelid closure duration, eyelid fissure height, eyelid aperture, marginal reflex distance, eyelid closure frequency, and velocity of eyelid closure;
the method further comprises the step of transmitting the signal to a device selected from the group consisting of a vehicle or powered equipment; and
the method is used to monitor a physiological effect including one or more of vertigo, motion sickness, motion intolerance, or spatial disorientation.
18. The method of claim 16 wherein the method is used to monitor a physiological effect including one or more of vertigo, motion sickness, motion intolerance, or spatial disorientation.
19. The method of claim 16 wherein:
generating a signal further comprises generating an alarm signal in response to the first eyelid position and the second eyelid position wherein the alarm signal is in response to eyelid position information selected from the group consisting of eyelid closure rate; eyelid closure duration, eyelid fissure height, eyelid aperture, marginal reflex distance, eyelid closure frequency, and velocity of eyelid closure; and
the method further comprises the step of transmitting the alarm signal to a device selected from the group consisting of a vehicle or powered equipment.
20. The method of claim 16 wherein:
measuring further comprises measuring at least 100 eyelid positions and;
the method further comprises the step of storing the measured eyelid positions in a computer-readable memory for later retrieval.