1669results about How to "Avoid complications" patented technology

This invention resides in an apparatus for inhibiting full extension between upper and lower vertebral bodies, thereby preventing pain and other complications associated with spinal movement. In the preferred embodiment, the invention provides a generally transverse member extending between the spinous processes and lamina of the upper and lower vertebral bodies, thereby inhibiting full extension. Various embodiments of the invention may limit spinal flexion, rotation and / or lateral bending while preventing spinal extension. In the preferred embodiment, the transverse member is fixed between two opposing points on the lower vertebral body using pedicle screws, and a cushioning sleeve is used as a protective cover. The transverse member may be a rod or cable, and the apparatus may be used with a partial or full artificial disc replacement. To control spinal flexion, rotation and / or lateral bending one or more links may be fastened to an adjacent vertebral body, also preferably using a pedicle screw. Preferably a pair of opposing links are used between the upper and lower vertebral bodies for such purposes.

A medical system (100) for the treatment of morbid obesity comprising an inflatable balloon (110) implanted in a gastric cavity, a percutaneous fillant delivery tube (120) and a control module (130) connected to the tube for regulating the inflation and deflation of the balloon. The balloon may be individually contoured and inflated to occupy a large volume of the gastric cavity to provide a feeling of satiety. The balloon may also be deflated to give the gastric cavity lining a rest during less critical time.

An electronic imaging sensor. The sensor includes an array of photo-sensing pixel elements for producing image frames. Each pixel element defines a photo-sensing region and includes a charge collecting element for collecting electrical charges produced in the photo-sensing region, and a charge storage element for the storage of the collected charges. The sensor also includes charge sensing elements for sensing the collected charges, and charge-to-signal conversion elements. The sensor also includes timing elements for controlling the pixel circuits to produce image frames at a predetermined normal frame rate based on a master clock signal (such as 12 MHz or 10 MHz). This predetermined normal frame rate which may be a video rate (such as about 30 frames per second or 25 frames per second) establishes a normal maximum per frame exposure time. The sensor includes circuits (based on prior art techniques) for adjusting the per frame exposure time (normally based on ambient light levels) and novel frame rate adjusting features for reducing the frame rate below the predetermined normal frame rate, without changing the master clock signal, to permit per frame exposure times above the normal maximum exposure time. This permits good exposures even in very low light levels. (There is an obvious compromise of lowering of the frame rate in conditions of very low light levels, but in most cases this is preferable to inadequate exposure.) These adjustments can be automatic or manual.

Disclosed herein are several embodiments of a negative pressure appliance and methods of using the same in the treatment of wounds. Some embodiments are directed towards wound dressings comprising a liquid and gas permeable transmission layer, an absorbent layer for absorbing wound exudate, the absorbent layer overlying the transmission layer, a gas impermeable cover layer overlying the absorbent layer and comprising a first orifice, wherein the cover layer is moisture vapor permeable. Some embodiments are directed to improved fluidic connectors or suction adapters for connecting to a wound site, for example using softer, kink-free conformable suction adapters.

A system for treating the heart includes a cardiac harness associated with a cardiac rhythm management device which does not have a lead system. Multiple pacing and sensing electrodes are attached to the cardiac harness but not to the cardiac rhythm management device. The cardiac harness applies a compressive force on the heart during diastole and systole, and the cardiac rhythm management device will deliver an electrical pulse to the pacing electrodes on the heart for pacing / sensing therapy. The cardiac harness and cardiac rhythm management device are both delivered and implanted by minimally invasive access.

The present invention is a method and apparatus for protection of products and packaging against counterfeiting using dedicated authentication protocol coupled with portable devices. It is based on the product identification information, i.e., PIN, generated by the product manufacturer, stored in the product database and added to product or packaging in an open and / or a hidden form. The open part is directly available to the consumer before buying, opening or consuming the product or package or damaging its integrity while the hidden part is only revealed after these operations. The hidden information can also be disappearing after a predefined interval of time or number of trials or usages. Both parts are communicated to the authentication server in a predefined order to verify the product or package authenticity. The presence, absence, or multiple requests for the same product PIN, confirm or reject product authenticity or detect attempt at attacking the system or at using counterfeited products.

The invention relates to systems, devices, and methods for detecting infections associated with implantable medical devices. In an embodiment, the invention includes a method of detecting infection in a patient including measuring a physiological parameter using a chronically implanted sensor at a plurality of time points and evaluating the physiological parameter measurements to determine if infection is indicated. In an embodiment, the invention includes an implantable medical device including a first chronically implantable sensor configured to generate a first signal corresponding to a physiological parameter and a controller disposed within a housing, the controller configured to evaluate the first physiological parameter signal to determine if an infection is indicated. Other embodiments are also included herein.

A bioabsorbable stent includes one or more radiopaque markers. The stent body may include a generally cylindrical body portion and a marker support for receiving the one or more marker(s). The marker support may be connected to an end of the body portion, or may be an integral portion of the body portion. By selectively controlling dissolution of the biodegradable material of the marker support, the marker support will remain intact for a sufficient time to allow for the marker to endothelialize and therefore prevent the marker from dislodging and embolizing. The controlled dissolution may be accomplished via one or more of the following mechanisms, including increasing the cross-sectional thickness of the marker support, passivating or oxidizing the marker support, utilizing a different, slower absorbing material for the marker support, utilizing a bioabsorbable polymeric coating on the marker support, or protecting the marker support with a sacrificial anode.

In some embodiments, an extragastric balloon is described in which the balloon is contoured to fit a portion of the stomach but not circumscribe the stomach. In some embodiments, the extragastric balloon comprises multiple material components. In some embodiments, the extragastric balloon comprises multiple inflateable compartments. In some embodiments, the extragastric balloon is filled with one or more of a gas, liquid, solid, or foams to create portions of the balloon with differing densities or buoyancies. In some embodiments, multiple anchors contact the stomach, each of which are inflateable with a fluid such as a liquid, gas, or gel. In some embodiments, a pressure sensor is described which is programmable from a place external to the patient and can be programmed to increase its sampling frequency when an ingestion event is detected.

The present invention discloses a treatment for syndrome-X, and resulting complications, that include hyperlipidemia, hypertension, central obesity, hyperinsulinemia and impaired glucose intolerance. Diabetic complications include excess proinsulin levels.

The invention describes formulations that include either metformin, sulfonylurea or a biguanide-sulfonylurea combination as one active ingredient in addition to specific, other active ingredients. The compositions and dosage forms of the invention are clinically useful as methods for increasing the effectiveness, efficiency and safety of the included biguanide (metformin) and / or sulfonylurea in the prevention and treatment of insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus. The carefully chosen additional active ingredients of the invention are designed in a modular fashion to prevent and rectify adverse events associated with insulin resistance syndrome and diabetes mellitus, and those adverse incidences associated with the concurrent use of metformin and / or the sulfonylureas. When clinically administered, the invention will provide therapeutic levels of metformin and of a sulfonylurea, alone or in combination, and broaden their usefulness. The invention will retard the progression of insulin resistance to type 2 diabetes, and reduce the serious microvascular and macrovascular complications commonly associated with insulin resistance syndrome and diabetes mellitus.

A medical image display apparatus 1 having a display component 9, an image data storage part 31, an information storage component 32, an operation component 10, and a control part 2. The display component 9 displays a medical image display screen P on which image display regions P1 to P4 are defined. The image data storage part 31 stores image data of medical images. The information storage component 34 stores process associating information 32a for associating combinations of the image display regions P1 to P4 with the processing content of image data of medical images. The control part 2, when two medical images displayed on different image display regions of the image display regions P1 to P4 have each been designated using the operation component 10, instructs to execute, for at least one image data of said two medical images, the process indicated in the processing content associated with the combination of the image display regions in which these two medical images are displayed by the process associating information 32a.

A light field microscope incorporating a lenslet array at or near the rear aperture of the objective lens. The microscope objective lens may be supplemented with an array of low power lenslets which may be located at or near the rear aperture of the objective lens, and which slightly modify the objective lens. The result is a new type of objective lens, or an addition to existing objective lenses. The lenslet array may include, for example, 9 to 100 lenslets (small, low-power lenses with long focal lengths) that generate a corresponding number of real images. Each lenslet creates a real image on the image plane, and each image corresponds to a different viewpoint or direction of the specimen. Angular information is recorded in relations or differences among the captured real images. To retrieve this angular information, one or more of various dense correspondence techniques may be used.

An implantable, magnetic actuator comprising a mechanical switch completely implanted within the human's or animal's body having at least one magnet; an external user component having at least one magnet which is used externally of the animal's or human's body to couple to the magnet of the mechanical switch; a connector that is connected at one end to the mechanical switch and at the opposite end may be connected to activation means that may be used to remotely actuate a mechanism, component or device that has been implanted completely within an animal's or human's body and is located distally from the implantable, magnetic actuator. The mechanical switch, connector and activation means are completely implanted within the human's or animal's body to overcome the risks and obstacles posed by exposed actuators.

Methods and devices are adapted for implanting into the eye. An incision is formed in the cornea of the eye and a shunt is inserted through the incision into the anterior chamber of the eye. The shunt includes a fluid passageway. The shunt is passed along a pathway from the anterior chamber through the scleral spur of the eye into the suprachoroidal space and positioned in a first position such that a first portion of the fluid passageway communicates with the anterior chamber and a second portion of the fluid passageway communicates with the suprachoroidal space to provide a fluid passageway between the suprachoroidal space and the anterior chamber.

The present invention discloses a Drug-eluting stent (DES) with multiple coating layer, its preparation method and application. Said stent consisting stent and coating layer convered on the stent surface. It is characterized by that the surface of the stent has 1-4 layers of coating layers, in which at least two layers are medicine-carried layer, and said medicine-carried layer is composed of (wt%) 0.5-99% of polymer, 0-10% of additive and 0.5-99% of active component, and between the medicine-carried layer and stent a base layer can be set so as to raise the anchoring force of medicine-carried layer and stent, and the surface of medicine-carried layer also can be more coated with a surface layer.

Methods of making a biologically active three-dimensional scaffold capable of supporting growth and differentiation of a cell are described. Biologically active three-dimensional scaffold made by the methods of the invention and an engineered tissue made from the scaffolds are described. Fibers of desired porosity can be obtained from non-structural ECM by lyophilization and / or electrospinning which can be useful for numerous tissue engineering applications requiring complex scaffolds, such as wound healing, artificial skin (burns), soft tissue replacement / repair and spinal cord injury.

The present invention relates to a functionally expressed bacterial voltage-sensitive ion-selective channel. The novel channel can be used in conjunction with mammalian ion channel pore-containing regions in assays for screening for compounds that modulate activity of the channel. One bacterial ion channel of the present invention, called NaChBac, is derived from Bacillus halodurans (GenBank#BAB05220 (8)).

Pharmacologically active, easy-to-deploy, biomechanically compatible, inflatable endovascular, drug-eluting stent are formed of a primary expandable polymeric or metallic construct, intimately mantled with a biomechanically compatible, polymeric microporous, microfibrous, compliant, stretchable fabric formed by direct electrospinning onto the outside surface of the primary construct using at least one polymer solution containing at least one active compound, selected from those expected to control key biological events leading to in-stent restenosis.

Multiple SQUID magnetometers that include at least two SQUID loops, each of which is composed of at least two Josephson Junctions connected in parallel with superconducting wires, are provided. The SQUID loops are fabricated such that they share a common Josephson Junction. Devices and application that employ the multiple SQUID magnetometers are also provided.

A DC / AC converter is disclosed having two DC voltage connections (1,2), between which are provided in a parallel circuit configuration, an intermediate energy storage (C1) and a bridge circuit providing at least two parallel branches, each branch providing two in-series-connected switch units (A,B and C,D), to each of which a rectifier diode (DA,DB,DC DD) is connected in parallel, and having at least two AC connections, of which each single AC connection is connected via a connecting line, in each of which an inductor (L1 respectively L2) is provided, to one of the parallel branches of the bridge circuit between two the switch units (A,B respectively C,D) via one connecting node. In at least two connecting lines, two separate electrical connecting paths are provided, in each of which a switch (E respectively F) and an in-series-switched rectifier diode (DE respectively DF) are provided. The rectifier diodes (DE,DF) in the single connecting paths are switched in an opposite conducting direction.

A retractor system for percutaneous surgery in a patient includes first and second retractor portions positionable opposite one another in an incision of the patient. The system also includes at least one actuating member operable to provide an oscillating motion to at least one of the first and second retractor portions. The actuating member is in communication with a controller and is responsive to the controller to move and adjust at least one of the first and second retractor portions between a first position and a second position. The system also includes at least one pressure sensor and display and at least one timing circuit with display. In another form, a method is directed to retracting tissue for percutaneous access to a surgical site in a patient using the pressure sensors and display as will as the timing circuit and display to assure that the amount of pressure applied and the duration does not exceed pre-determined values.

A method of treating a target site within a vascular channel of the body uses a catheter assembly having proximal and distal occluders which are positioned in occluding states at positions proximal and distal of a target site to define an occluded region therebetween. An agent is injected into the region. An intervention is performed at the target site while the vessel is occluded and the agent is in the region. The catheter assembly is removed from the channel. Intervention may include expanding a balloon within a temporary stent structure against the channel, collapsing balloon and then removing the collapsed balloon and stent structure from the channel. A balloon stent assembly comprises a catheter assembly, a temporary stent surrounding a balloon, the temporary stent placeable in a contracted state by the catheter assembly and in an expanded state by inflation of the balloon.

A multi-compressor heat pump system configured to provide heating and cooling over a range of ambient temperatures. The compressors can be operated independently and alone or together in series for maximum output. Heat exchangers are selectively fluidically connected to the compressors to enable refrigerant flow between the compressors and at least two heat exchangers in a manner that enables the heat pump system to be selectively operable in various modes. Preferred aspects include selectively operating the compressors based on the ratio of the evaporating and condensing pressures of the refrigerant within the heat pump system, a mixing chamber between the compressors, and a lubricant management system to prevent the accumulation of a lubricant in one of the compressors.

It is an object and advantage of this invention to provide an improved device and method that uses targeted laser wavelength to treat a diseased vessel. An advantage of this invention is targeted ablation of diseased vessels without harming non-target tissue. This new technique allows for a controlled ablation, may not require injection of tumescent anesthesia prior to treatment and may decrease unwanted or unintended side effects.