Author: claimsbot

1. A catheter comprising:
an elongated catheter body having a proximal end, a distal end and at least one lumen extending longitudinally therethrough;
a mapping assembly mounted at the distal end of the catheter body and comprising at least two spines, each spine having a proximal end attached at the distal end of the catheter body and a free distal end, wherein each spine comprises a tip electrode and at least one ring electrode; and
an irrigation tube extending through the catheter body and having an open distal end that is in communication with the outside of the distal end of the catheter body.
2. The catheter of claim 1, wherein each spine comprises a tip electrode mounted at or near the distal end of the spine.
3. The catheter of claim 1, wherein each spine further comprises at least one location sensor.
4. The catheter of claim 3, wherein the location sensor is mounted at least partially in the tip electrode on each spine.
5. The catheter of claim 3, wherein the location sensor is mounted at or near the distal end of each spine.
6. The catheter of claim 1, wherein each spine further comprises a location sensor mounted at least partially in the tip electrode.
7. The catheter of claim 1, wherein the mapping assembly is moveable between an expanded arrangement, in which each spine extends radially outward from the catheter body, and a collapsed arrangement, in which each spine is disposed generally along a longitudinal axis of the catheter body.
8. The catheter of claim 7, wherein, when the mapping assembly is in its expanded arrangement, each spine extends radially outwardly from the catheter body and forms a curved shape.
9. The catheter of claim 7, wherein, when the mapping assembly is in its expanded arrangement, each spine extends radially outwardly from the catheter body and forms a substantially straight line.
10. The catheter of claim 9, wherein each spine is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the catheter body.
11. A method for mapping a region of the heart comprising:
introducing the distal end of the catheter of claim 1 into the region of the heart to be mapped;
positioning the mapping assembly so that at least one electrode from each spine is in contact with a first plurality of heart tissue;
recording electrical data from the first plurality of heart tissue;
repositioning the mapping assembly such that at least one electrode from each spine contacts a second different plurality of heart tissue; and
recording electrical data from the second plurality of heart tissue.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the distal end of the catheter is introduced through a guiding sheath having a distal end positioned in the heart so that the spines of the mapping assembly are covered by the guiding sheath.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the positioning and repositioning steps comprise moving the guiding sheath proximally relative to the mapping assembly.
14. The method of claim 11, wherein the tip electrode of each spine is mounted at or near the distal end of the spine.
15. The method of claim 11, wherein each spine further comprises at least one location sensor.
16. The method of claim 11, wherein each spine comprises a non-conductive covering having a support arm that has shape memory disposed therein.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein each support arm comprises nitinol.
18. A catheter comprising:
an elongated catheter body having a proximal end, a distal end and at least one lumen extending longitudinally therethrough;
a mapping assembly mounted at the distal end of the catheter body and comprising at lest two spines, each spine having a proximal end attached at the distal end of the catheter body and a free distal end, each spine comprising a non-conductive covering having a support arm that has shape memory disposed therein, wherein each spine comprises at least one electrode; and
an irrigation tube extending through the catheter body and having an open distal end that is in communication with the outside of the distal end of the catheter body.
19. The catheter of claim 18, wherein each support arm comprises nitinol.
20. A method for mapping a region of the heart comprising:
introducing the distal end of the catheter of claim 18 into the region of the heart to be mapped;
positioning the mapping assembly so that at least one electrode from each spine is in contact with a first plurality of heart tissue;
recording electrical data from the first plurality of heart tissue;
repositioning the mapping assembly such that at least one electrode from each spine contacts a second different plurality of heart tissue; and
recording electrical data from the second plurality of heart tissue.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein the distal end of the catheter is introduced through a guiding sheath having a distal end positioned in the heart so that the spines of the mapping assembly are covered by the guiding sheath.
22. The method of claim 21, wherein the positioning and repositioning steps comprise moving the guiding sheath proximally relative to the mapping assembly.
23. The method of claim 20, wherein each support arm comprises nitinol.
24. A catheter comprising:
an elongated catheter body having a proximal end, a distal end and at least one lumen extending longitudinally therethrough;
a mapping assembly mounted at the distal end of the catheter body and comprising at least two spines, each spine having a proximal end attached at the distal end of the catheter body and a free distal end, each spine comprising a non-conductive covering having a support arm that has shape memory disposed therein, wherein each spine comprises a tip electrode and at least one ring electrode; and
an irrigation tube extending through the catheter body and having an open distal end that is in communication with the outside of the distal end of the catheter body.
25. The catheter of claim 24, wherein each support arm comprises nitinol.
26. A method for mapping a region of the heart comprising:
introducing the distal end of the catheter of claim 24 into the region of the heart to be mapped;
positioning the mapping assembly so that at least one electrode from each spine is in contact with a first plurality of heart tissue;
recording electrical data from the first plurality of heart tissue;
repositioning the mapping assembly such that at least one electrode from each spine contacts a second different plurality of heart tissue; and
recording electrical data from the second plurality of heart tissue.
27. The method of claim 26, wherein the distal end of the catheter is introduced through a guiding sheath having a distal end positioned in the heart so that the spines of the mapping assembly are covered by the guiding sheath.
28. The method of claim 27, wherein the positioning and repositioning steps comprise moving the guiding sheath proximally relative to the mapping assembly.
29. The method of claim 26, wherein each support arm comprises nitinol.

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 method of aligning at least two medical scan images, comprising:
(a) obtaining a first medical scan image, the first medical scan image having a corresponding first data set;
(b) obtaining a second medical scan image, the second medical scan image having a corresponding second data set;
(c) calculating a joint density, with marginals from the first medical scan image and the second medical scan image;
(d) comparing the first medical scan image with the second medical scan image using an Earth Mover’s Distance; and
(e) aligning the first medical scan image with the second medical scan image with results obtained from the comparing of the first medical scan image with the second medical scan image using the Earth Mover’s Distance.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein image intensity values of the first data set and image intensity values of the second data set are used in estimating the joint density of the first medical scan image and the second medical scan image.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first medical scan image and the second medical scan image are magnetic resonance images.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first medical scan image and the second medical scan image are computed tomography scan images.
5. A method of aligning at least two images, comprising:
(a) obtaining a first image, the first image having a corresponding first data set;
(b) obtaining a second image, the second having a corresponding second data set;
(c) learning a joint intensity distribution from a pair of prealigned images; and
(d) aligning the first image and the second image by computing Earth Mover’s Distance between their observed joint intensity distribution and the learned joint intensity distribution.
6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the step of aligning the first image and the second image by computing Earth Mover’s Distance between their observed joint intensity distribution and the learned joint intensity distribution is accomplished using an Earth Mover’s Distance induced through a formula of
\u03b5b(I1,I2,T)=EMDL1(px1,x2,T,p0).
7. The method according to claim 5, wherein image intensity values of the first data set and image intensity values of the second data set are used in calculating the observed joint intensity distribution of the first medical scan image and the second medical scan image.
8. The method according to claim 5, wherein the first image and the second image are magnetic resonance images.
9. The method according to claim 5, wherein the first image and the second image are computed tomography scans.
10. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for aligning at least two medical scan images, comprising:
(a) obtaining a first medical scan image, the first medical scan image having a corresponding first data set;
(b) obtaining a second medical scan image, the second medical scan image having a corresponding second data set;
(c) calculating a joint density, with marginals from the first medical scan image and the second medical scan image;
(d) comparing the first medical scan image with the second medical scan image using an Earth Mover’s Distance; and
(e) aligning the first medical scan image with the second medical scan image with results obtained from the comparing of the first medical scan image with the second medical scan image using the Earth Mover’s Distance.
11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the first medical scan image and the second medical scan image are magnetic resonance images.
12. The device according to claim 10, wherein the first medical scan image and the second medical scan image are computed tomography scans.
13. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for aligning at least two medical scan images, comprising:
(a) obtaining a first image, the first image having a corresponding first data set;
(b) obtaining a second image, the second having a corresponding second data set;
(c) learning a joint intensity distribution from a pair of prealigned images; and
(d) aligning the first image and the second image by computing Earth Mover’s Distance between their observed joint intensity distribution and the learned joint intensity distribution.
14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the first image and the second image are magnetic resonance images.
15. The device according to claim 13, wherein the first image and the second image are computed tomography scans.
16. A method of aligning at least two images, comprising:
(a) obtaining a first image, the first image having a corresponding first data set;
(b) obtaining a second image, the second having a corresponding second data set; and
(c) aligning the first image and the second image by computing Earth Mover’s Distance between their observed joint intensity distribution and the product of its marginals.

What is claimed to be new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims:

1. A towel attachment device comprising:
a) a towel including an eyelet extending therethrough;
b) a clasp for releasably securing said device to clothing of a user, said clasp forming an S-Clip including a first side clip for releasably securing said clasp to the clothing and a second side clip; and
c) means for releasably attaching said towel and said clasp wherein said attaching means passes through said eyelet and is releasably secured to said second side clip thereby releasably securing said towel to the clothing via said attachment means and said clasp when said first side clip is secured to the clothing.
2. A towel attachment device as stated in claim 1, wherein said S-Clip is constructed of a rigid material so as not to lose shape.
3. A towel attachment device comprising:
a) a towel including an eyelet extending therethrough;
b) a clasp for releasably securing said device to clothing of a user, said clasp comprising a retractable wire clip including a wire housing case; a wire positioned within said wire housing case; and a clip connected to said wire housing case, whereby said clip releasably secures said clasp to the clothing of a user, said retractable wire clip further comprising a hollow ball positioned at a bottom side of said wire housing case and connected to an end of said wire, said hollow ball having a recess extending therethrough; and
c) means for releasably securing said towel and said clasp wherein said attaching means passes through said eyelet and is releasably secured to said retractable wire clip via said recess in said hollow ball, thereby releasably securing said towel to the clothing via said attachment means and said clasp when said clip is secured to the clothing, wherein upon exertion of a force on said hollow ball causing said wire to extend from said wire housing case and thereby allowing said towel to extend from said clasp.
4. A towel attachment device comprising:
a) a towel including an eyelet extending therethrough;
b) a clasp for releasbly securing said device to clothing of a user, said clasp comprising a single sided hook, said single side hook including a main body cylinder, a moveable button extending from said main body cylinder, a hook extending from one side of said main body cylinder and a latch movable between a first closed position and a second open position for releasably securing the clothing within said hook, said moveable button controlling movement of said latch between said first closed position and said second open position, said main body cylinder including a recess extending therethrough on a side opposite said hook and said latch; and
c) means for releasably attaching said towel and said clasp wherein said attaching means passes through said eyelet of said towel and further passes through said recess thereby releasably securing said towel to the clothing via said attachment means and said clasp when said clothing is received within said hook and said latch is in said first closed position.
5. A towel attachment device comprising:
a) a towel including an eyelet extending therethrough;
b) a clasp for releasably securing said device to clothing of a user, said clasp forming a double sided attachment hook, said double sided attachment hook including a main body cylinder, a first hook extending from a first side of said main body cylinder, a first latch movable between a first position providing access to said first hook and a second position preventing access to said second hook and a first moveable button for controlling movement of said first latch between said first position wherein the clothing can be received within said hook and said second position wherein the clothing can be releasably secured within said hook and a second hook extending from a second side of said main body cylinder, a second latch movable between a first position providing access to said second hook and a second position preventing access to said second hook and a second moveable button for controlling movement of said second latch between said first and second positions; and
c) means for releaseably attaching said towel and said clasp wherein said attaching means pass through said eyelet and is releasably secured within said second hook when said second latch in said second position thereby releasably securing said towel to the clothing via said attachment means when said first latch is in the second position and the clothing is received within said first hook.
6. A towel attachment device comprising:
a) a towel including an eyelet extending therethrough;
b) a clasp for releasably securing said device to clothing of a user, said clasp comprising a carabiner, said carabiner including a C-shaped member and a latch pivotally connected to said C-shaped member, said latch being movable between a first closed position and a second open position, whereby when said latch is in said second open position, clothing is receivable within said C-shaped member and said C-shaped member is caused to extend through said eyelet, wherein said towel is releasably secured to the clothing upon movement of said latch into said first closed position via said carabiner.
7. A towel attachment device comprising:
a) a towel including an eyelet extending therethrough;
b) a clasp for releasably securing said device to clothing of a user, said clasp comprising a material attachment clip, said material attachment clip including a closed U-shaped ring; a first piece of material extending through said closed U-shape ring; and a second piece of material including an adhesive layer on a first side thereof, said adhesive layer securing said U-shaped ring between said first and second pieces of material, a first fastener positioned on one end of said first piece of material and a second fastener positioned on said second piece of material whereby when said first and second pieces of material are threaded through clothing of a user and said first and said second fasteners are brought together, said clasp is releasably secured to the clothing, whereby when said U-shaped ring passes through said eyelet said towel is releasably securing to the clothing via said clasp.
8. A towel attachment device as stated in claim 7, wherein said first and said second pieces of material are formed from a durable, flexible material.
9. A towel attachment device as stated in claim 7, wherein said fasteners are at least one of hook and loop fasteners, a snap, a button, and a magnet.

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 temporary facial tattoo for application to a users face, the tattoo comprising:
a) a substrate layer formed of a substantially planar sheet of water permeable material,
b) a decorative ink layer disposed on one side of said substrate layer;
c) an adhesive layer disposed on a side of said decorative ink layer opposite said substrate layer;
d) a protective covering layer disposed on a side of said adhesive layer opposite said decorative ink layer, said protective covering layer being transparent and removable from said adhesive layer;
e) four apertures extending through each said layer, two of said apertures forming eye holes, one of said apertures forming a mouth hole, and one of said apertures forming a nose hole;
f) said nose hole having two spaced slits extending away from said nose hole forming a flexible nose flap, said slits being spaced apart from each other and extending through each of said layer; and
g) wherein the protective covering layer is removed prior to application to expose the adhesive layer, the tattoo is secured to the face of the user by the adhesive layer, the substrate layer is wetted to release the substrate layer from the decorative ink layer, and the substrate layer is peeled from said decorative ink layer exposing the decorative ink layer on the face of the user.
2. The temporary facial tattoo recited in claim 1, wherein said facial tattoo is cut with scissors to provide custom sizing and shaping for the face of the user.
3. The temporary facial tattoo recited in claim 1, wherein said tattoo is available in a plurality of sizes.
4. A method of applying a temporary facial tattoo to the face of a user, the method comprising:
providing a temporary facial tattoo, the tattoo comprising:
a) a substrate layer formed of a substantially planar sheet of water permeable material,
b) a decorative ink layer disposed on one side of said substrate layer;
c) an adhesive layer disposed on a side of said decorative ink layer opposite said substrate layer;
d) a protective covering layer disposed on a side of said adhesive layer opposite said decorative ink layer, said protective covering layer being transparent and removable from said adhesive layer; and
e) four apertures extending through each said layer, two of said apertures forming eye holes, one of said apertures forming a mouth hole, and one of said apertures forming a nose hole;
f) said nose hole having two spaced slits extending away from said nose hole forming a flexible nose flap, said slits being spaced apart from each other and extending through each of said layer;

removing the protective covering layer to expose the adhesive layer;
placing the tattoo with the adhesive layer against the face of the user;
pressing the tattoo against the face of the user;
wetting the substrate layer with water to release the ink layer from the substrate layer; and
removing the substrate layer from the ink layer exposing the ink layer on the face of the user.
5. The method of applying a temporary facial tattoo recited in claim 4, where the face of the user is washed and dried prior to application of the tattoo.
6. The method of applying a temporary facial tattoo recited in claim 4, wherein said tattoo is removed from the users face with a cleanser taken from the group consisting of soap, water, baby oil, and transparent tape.
7. The method of applying a temporary facial tattoo recited in claim 4, wherein the user aligns said apertures with corresponding facial areas to ensure accurate placement of the tattoo.
8. The method of applying a temporary facial tattoo recited in claim 4, wherein an applicator infused with water is used to wet the substrate layer.