3401results about How to "Guaranteed function" patented technology

A converter circuit providing multiple current bypass routes between the output leads to provide reliability in a series connection of several converters. If the converter malfunctions due to component failure, the current bypass routes provide a path for the current that views the malfunctioning converter as substantially a short. Diodes prevent backflow into the power source connected to the converter. Redundancy is provided in the bypass portions of the converter circuit that provides alternate parallel paths in case a defective component in one of the paths opens the circuit along that path. In one example, the converter is implemented as a buck plus boost converter where either the buck or the boost portion or both are operative responsive to a controller controlling the switches of both portions. Most of the converter circuit may be implemented in an integrated circuit.

Systems, assemblies, and methods to treat pulmonary diseases are used to decrease nervous system input to distal regions of the bronchial tree within the lungs. Treatment systems damage nerve tissue to temporarily or permanently decrease nervous system input. The treatment systems are capable of heating nerve tissue, cooling the nerve tissue, delivering a flowable substance that cause trauma to the nerve tissue, puncturing the nerve tissue, tearing the nerve tissue, cutting the nerve tissue, applying pressure to the nerve tissue, applying ultrasound to the nerve tissue, applying ionizing radiation to the nerve tissue, disrupting cell membranes of nerve tissue with electrical energy, or delivering long acting nerve blocking chemicals to the nerve tissue.

Systems, assemblies, and methods to treat pulmonary diseases are used to decrease nervous system input to distal regions of the bronchial tree within the lungs. Treatment systems damage nerve tissue to temporarily or permanently decrease nervous system input. The treatment systems are capable of heating nerve tissue, cooling the nerve tissue, delivering a flowable substance that cause trauma to the nerve tissue, puncturing the nerve tissue, tearing the nerve tissue, cutting the nerve tissue, applying pressure to the nerve tissue, applying ultrasound to the nerve tissue, applying ionizing radiation to the nerve tissue, disrupting cell membranes of nerve tissue with electrical energy, or delivering long acting nerve blocking chemicals to the nerve tissue.

The invention is directed toward a cartilage repair assembly comprising a shaped structure of subchondral bone with an integral overlying cartilage cap which is treated to remove cellular debris and proteoglycans and milled cartilage in a bioabsorbable carrier. The shaped structure is dimensioned to fit in a drilled bore in a cartilage defect area so that said shaped bone and cartilage cap when centered in the bore does not engage the side wall of the bore and is positioned from the side wall of the bone a distance ranging from 10 microns to 1000 microns and is surrounded by milled cartilage and a fibrin thrombin glue. A method for inserting the assembly into a cartilage defect area is disclosed.

The present inventors devised methods for efficiently purifying bispecific antibodies using a chromatography column based on the difference in isoelectric points between the H chains of two types of antibodies, wherein the difference is introduced by modifying the amino acids present on the surface of the antibody variable regions of two types of antibodies that constitute a bispecific antibody. Furthermore, the inventors devised methods for efficiently purifying bispecific antibodies using a chromatography column by linking respective antigen binding sites (heavy chain variable regions) to the antibody constant regions having different isoelectric points, and then coexpressing these antibodies.

A method is provided, including implanting, at an intraventricular site of a ventricle of a patient, a spool coupled to a first end portion of a longitudinal member, and coupling a second end portion of the longitudinal member to a portion of tissue facing a lumen of the ventricle. Other embodiments are also described.

Apparatus is provided, including an artificial-chordeae-tendineae-adjustment mechanism and at least one primary artificial chordea tendinea coupled at a distal portion thereof to the artificial-chordeae-tendineae-adjustment mechanism. A degree of tension of the at least one primary artificial chordea tendinea is adjustable by the artificial-chordeae-tendineae-adjustment mechanism. One or more loops are coupled at a proximal portion of the at least one primary artificial chordea tendinea. The one or more loops are configured to facilitate suturing of the one or more loops to respective portions of a leaflet of an atrioventricular valve of a patient. Other applications are also described.

The invention comprises a method and apparatus to monitor operation of an electrically-actuated hydraulic pump selectively operative to supply pressurized fluid to a hydraulic circuit for a transmission device operably connected to an internal combustion engine of a vehicle. It includes monitoring vehicle operation and passively and intrusively monitoring hydraulic circuit pressure. The hydraulic pump is functioning properly when the monitored pressure in the hydraulic circuit exceeds a threshold. A fault related to the hydraulic circuit is identified when the monitored pressure in the hydraulic circuit does not exceed the threshold.

An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate P by locally filling a side of an image plane of a projection optical system PL with a liquid 50 and projecting an image of a pattern onto the substrate P through the liquid 50 and the projection optical system PL. The exposure apparatus includes a recovery unit 20 which recovers the liquid 50 outflowed to the outside of the substrate P. When the exposure process is performed in accordance with the liquid immersion method, the pattern can be transferred accurately while suppressing any environmental change even when the liquid outflows to the outside of the substrate.

Indwelling catheter having an upper distal end having a portion that can expand within a bladder type spaces without having to be inflated. An embodiment allows for at least one slit on an upper side of the catheter tube and a head member that when pulled down by a stylette moving inside the catheter causes a bulge wing portion(s) that holds the catheter safely and painlessly within the bladder. Magnetic and electret valves can be included inside the tube of the catheter that can cycle between open and closed positions when activated by normal bladder pressure when urination is desired. The novel catheter tube can naturally conform to an opening and closing urethra during natural bladder drainage. The catheter tube surface can include an anti-microbial layer that is either or both coated and impregnated thereon with either an antibacterial and / or hydrophyllic materials. Sampling ports can be located on both inside catheter tube valves and on an externally attached magnetic valve.

A converter circuit providing multiple current bypass routes between the output leads to provide reliability in a series connection of several converters. If the converter malfunctions due to component failure, the current bypass routes provide a path for the current that views the malfunctioning converter as substantially a short. Diodes prevent backflow into the power source connected to the converter. Redundancy is provided in the bypass portions of the converter circuit that provides alternate parallel paths in case a defective component in one of the paths opens the circuit along that path. In one example, the converter is implemented as a buck plus boost converter where either the buck or the boost portion or both are operative responsive to a controller controlling the switches of both portions. Most of the converter circuit may be implemented in an integrated circuit.

The invention is directed toward a cartilage repair assembly comprising a shaped structure of subchondral bone with an integral overlying cartilage cap which is treated to remove cellular debris and proteoglycans and milled cartilage in a bioabsorbable carrier. The shaped structure is dimensioned to fit in a drilled bore in a cartilage defect area so that said shaped bone and cartilage cap when centered in the bore does not engage the side wall of the bore in an interference fit and is surrounded by milled cartilage and carrier. A method for inserting the assembly into a cartilage defect area is disclosed.

A tiny electrically powered hydrodynamic blood pump is disclosed which occupies one third of the aortic or pulmonary valve position, and pumps directly from the left ventricle to the aorta or from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery. The device is configured to exactly match or approximate the space of one leaflet and sinus of valsalva, with part of the device supported in the outflow tract of the ventricular cavity adjacent to the valve. In the configuration used, two leaflets of the natural tri-leaflet valve remain functional and the pump resides where the third leaflet had been. When implanted, the outer surface of the device includes two faces against which the two valve leaflets seal when closed. To obtain the best valve function, the shape of these faces may be custom fabricated to match the individual patient's valve geometry based on high resolution three dimensional CT or MRI images. Another embodiment of the invention discloses a combined two leaflet tissue valve with the miniature blood pump supported in the position usually occupied by the third leaflet. Either stented or un-stented tissue valves may be used. This structure preserves two thirds of the valve annulus area for ejection of blood by the natural ventricle, with excellent washing of the aortic root and interface of the blood pump to the heart. In the aortic position, the blood pump is positioned in the non-coronary cusp. A major advantage of the transvalvular VAD is the elimination of both the inflow and outflow cannulae usually required with heart assist devices.

A ratchet mechanism for the headband of a protective helmet or other headgear is designed to function in high-temperature environments, while still allowing for ready adjustment of the size and fit of the headband. In this regard, the ratchet mechanism includes a rotational element that has a pinion adapted to mate with and engage the respective rack gears of the overlapping rear end portions of the headband, such that rotation of the rotational element causes lateral movement of the overlapping rear end portions with respect to one another. A spring assembly associated with the rotational element engages a ring gear defined by an insert received and retained in the housing so as to resist rotation of the rotational element relative to said housing sections. Since the spring assembly and insert are preferably manufactured from metal, they do not suffer from warping problems, and therefore, the ratchet mechanism continues to function properly even in high-temperature environments.

Soft tissue implants (e.g., breast, pectoral, chin, facial, lip, and nasal implants) are used in combination with an anti-scarring agent in order to inhibit scarring that may otherwise occur when the implant is placed within an animal.

The invention is directed toward a cartilage repair assembly comprising a cylindrically shaped allograft structure of subchondral bone with an integral overlying smaller diameter cartilage cap which is treated to remove cellular debris and proteoglycans. The shaped structure is dimensioned to fit in a drilled bore in a cartilage defect area so that the subchondral bone of the structure engages the side wall of the bone portion of the drilled bore in an interference fit while the cartilage cap is spaced from cartilage portion of the side wall of the drilled bore forming a gap in which a milled cartilage and biocompatible carrier mixture is placed allowing cell transfer throughout the defect area. A method for inserting the shaped allograft structure into a cartilage defect area is also disclosed.

Apparatus is provided, including an artificial-chordeae-tendineae-adjustment mechanism and at least one primary artificial chordea tendinea coupled at a distal portion thereof to the artificial-chordeae-tendineae-adjustment mechanism. A degree of tension of the at least one primary artificial chordea tendinea is adjustable by the artificial-chordeae-tendineae-adjustment mechanism. One or more loops are coupled at a proximal portion of the at least one primary artificial chordea tendinea. The one or more loops are configured to facilitate suturing of the one or more loops to respective portions of a leaflet of an atrioventricular valve of a patient. Other applications are also described.

The present invention provides high capacity and high voltage Li-ion batteries that have a carbonaceous cathode and a nonaqueous electrolyte solution comprising LiF salt and an anion receptor that binds the fluoride ion. The batteries can comprise dual intercalating electrode Li ion batteries. Methods of the present invention use a cathode and electrode pair, wherein each of the electrodes reversibly intercalate ions provided by a LiF salt to make a high voltage and high specific capacity dual intercalating electrode Li-ion battery. The present methods and systems provide high-capacity batteries particularly useful in powering devices where minimizing battery mass is important.

A device used in conjunction with fixation hardware to provide a two-stage process to address the competing needs of immobilization and re-establishment of normal stress-strain trajectories in grafted bone. A method of determining a patient-specific stress / strain pattern that utilizes a model based on 3D CT data of the relevant structures and cross-sectional data of the three major chewing muscles. The forces on each of the chewing muscles are determined based on the model using predetermined bite forces such that a stiffness of cortical bone in the patient's mandible is determined. Based on the stiffness data, suitable implantation hardware can be designed for the patient by adjusting external topological and internal porous geometries that reduce the stiffness of biocompatible metals to thereby restore normal bite forces of the patient.

A method and apparatus of treating tissue adjacent to a bodily conduit using thermotherapy, while preventing obstructions of the bodily conduit due to edema employs the circulation of warmed fluid to maintain the temperature of the bodily conduit walls and compresses the tissue to be treated to increase the effectiveness of the irradiated heat. An energy-emitting source containing catheter is inserted in a bodily conduit and is positioned in a region of the tissue to be treated so that the energy-emitting source radiates energy to the tissue to be treated. Fluid warmed to over 30° C. is circulated into and through the catheter to warm walls of the bodily conduit adjacent the catheter. The circulated fluid inflates a balloon to a pressure to compress the tissue to be treated. The combination of warmed fluid over 30° C. being circulated adjacent the bodily conduit to maintain the warmth in its walls and the compression of the tissue to be treated enables a natural stent to be formed that remains after the catheter and compression balloon is removed.

This disclosure describes systems and methods for testing a medical device. The disclosure describes a novel approach determining if the ventilator system is functioning properly without having to connect the medical device to a patient.

Eyeglasses including at least one video display that may be pivoted forwardly and outwardly to a viewing position in front of the lenses of the eyeglasses, and folded rearwardly and inwardly to a stored position for retention by the ear pieces of the eyeglasses when not in use are described. When the at least one video display is disposed in the rearward, folded configuration against or within receiving portions of the temple members of the eyeglasses, the eyeglasses present the appearance and function of conventional eyewear. Video signals may be generated by at least one camera integrated with the eyeglasses, or by an external source thereof.

A two-step system for preparing biomaterials from polymeric precursors is disclosed. The method involves (a) shaping the polymeric precursors by inducing thermal gelation of an aqueous solution of the polymeric precursors and (b) curing the polymeric precursors by cross-linking reactive groups on the polymeric precursors to produce a cured material. The curing reaction involves either a Michael-type addition reaction or a free radical photopolymerization reaction in order to cross-link the polymeric materials. The biomaterials produced by this method have a variety of biomedical uses, including drug delivery, microencapsulation, and implantation.

An apparatus for use in a wellbore is described, the apparatus having a tubular body and a throughbore which defines a primary fluid path through the apparatus. An expanding element is disposed around the tubular body and is configured to provide an annular barrier in a space between the tubular body and a surrounding wall. A conduit defining a secondary flow path through the apparatus is provided, and is configured to be in fluid communication with at least one alternate path, such as a shunt tube. The conduit is arranged to vary the secondary flow path along a longitudinal direction of the apparatus, for example to redirect the flow path to a radial position closer to the tool body. The conduit is configured to have a reduced effect on the operation of the expanding element, while still allowing the conduit to be coupled to alternate flow paths of adjacent apparatus.

One aspect of the invention provides an airway management device including: an endotracheal tube having a proximal end and a distal end and a sheath adjacent to the endotracheal tube. The sheath includes a proximal end and a distal end. The distal end of the endotracheal tube extends beyond the distal end of the sheath. Another aspect of the invention provides a surgical kit including an airway management device and instructions for use. The airway management device includes: an endotracheal tube having a proximal end and a distal end and a sheath adjacent to the endotracheal tube. The sheath includes a proximal and a distal end. The distal end of the endotracheal tube extends beyond the distal end of the sheath.

Biocompatible intraocular microspheres and implants include an alpha-2 adrenergic receptor agonist and a polymer associated with the alpha-2 adrenergic receptor agonist to facilitate release of the alpha-2 adrenergic receptor agonist into an eye for an extended period of time. The alpha-2 adrenergic receptor agonist may be associated with a biodegradable polymer matrix, such as a matrix of a two biodegradable polymers. The implants may be placed in an eye to treat or to prevent the occurrence of one or more ocular conditions, to reduce one or more symptoms of an ocular condition, such as an ocular neurosensory disorder and the like, to enhance normal retinal function and / or to lower intraocular pressure.

A temporary valve and a filtration device can be added to a delivery catheter or guide catheter to improve hemodynamics and provide embolic protection. Both the valve and filter can mount onto the outer diameter of a delivery or guide catheter, which offers several distinct advantages. First, the inner lumen of the delivery or guide catheter remains unaffected, thereby allowing the standard procedure steps to take place without any changes or interruptions, or with minimal changes or interruptions.