109results about How to "Reduce obstruction" patented technology

A system and method can be used to denervate at least a portion of a bronchial tree. An energy emitter of an instrument is percutaneously delivered to a treatment site and outputs energy to damage nerve tissue of the bronchial tree. The denervation procedure can be performed without damaging non-targeted tissue. Minimally invasive methods can be used to open airways to improve lung function in subjects with COPD, asthma, or the like. Different sections of the bronchial tree can be denervated while leaving airways intact to reduce recovery times.

Expandable emboli filter and thrombectomy devices adapted for use with microcatheters to remove debris from blood vessels. The devices embody expanded profiles that span the entirety of various sized target vessels and thus are particularly effective in the engagement of debris found in vessels.

An earcup assembly 11 for a headset 10 comprising a housing having a first side adapted to engage the head of a user when in use and a second side opposite thereto. A recess provided in the second side of the housing receives and stores a battery. A battery door 14 is arranged to slidably engage the second side of the housing such that the battery door 14 may be moved between a first, open position in which the recess is accessible to a user and a second, closed position in which the recess is covered by the battery door 14. Preferably, the earcup assembly 11 includes active noise reduction circuitry. One or a pair of such earcup assemblies 11 may be arranged to form a headset 10, wherein the assemblies 11 are coupled to a headband 12 via yokes 13.

The hearing device comprises an ear-piece (1) which is designed to be worn at least partially in an ear canal of a user of the hearing device. The ear-piece (1) comprises a vent passage (3) connecting the ear canal with the atmosphere. The vent passage (3) has an inner opening (8) towards the ear-canal and an outer opening (9) towards the atmosphere. The ear-piece (1) further comprises a vent extension (4). The vent extension (4) is a protrusion extending the vent passage (3) beyond the body (2) of the ear-piece (1). The vent extension (4) is adapted for abutting on a surface of the body of the user and is thereby inconspicuous and/or contributes thereby to retention. A method for manufacturing such a hearing device is also disclosed.

The present disclosure provides methods for improving drug efficacy in a patient having an obstructed airway in a lung. Such methods modulate nerve activity in the autonomic nervous system of a patient to reduce obstruction of an airway in a lung of the patient prior to administering a drug to the patient. These methods are especially useful in improving efficacies of bronchodilators in treating obstructive lung diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

A screening method can be used to determine whether a subject is a suitable candidate for interventional therapy. The method can be used to determine the likelihood the subject will receive a therapeutic effect from denervation therapy. The determination is based, at least in part, on lung information obtained by performing lung function tests with and without treating the subject's lungs with a test agent. Based on the response to a test agent, the subject's response to a therapy is predicted.

A bite-block device for preventing biting of air tubes, such as laryngeal mask airway (LMA) tubes by human teeth is disclosed. The device is composed of a generally cylindrical body, fabricated from a biologically compatible polymer. A hole is present through the long axis of the body. The device also extends in a plane perpendicular to the long axis of the body. Attached to this plane is a coupling device intended for securing an LMA tube to the bite-block. The bite-block is positioned within a patient's mouth against the cheek, with the plane perpendicular to the long axis pressed against the lip. Deployed in this fashion, the bite block engages the molars, bicuspids, and cuspids, preventing contact of the teeth with an LMA tube.

A dissecting device and method are provided for preparing a surgical site, such as a desired spinal location, for insertion of an access device. The dissecting device includes a handle that can be gripped by an operator and an extension terminating in a blunt tip. The extension desirably has a length about that of an index finger. When the dissecting device is inserted into an incision, the operator's index finger may extend alongside the extension so that the finger and the dissecting device together may follow a sweeping motion to dissect tissue. The dissecting device may include a convex surface upon which the tip of the index finger rests, and a concave surface with a sharp edge for scraping tissue from bone.

A pulmonary treatment system includes a compact configuration for delivery to an airway of a patient. An energy delivery system of the pulmonary treatment system delivers ultrasound energy to target nerve tissue in or along an airway wall of the airway radially outward from surface tissue to reduce airway resistance in a downstream airway. The pulmonary treatment system may protect tissue in the airway wall of the airway located between the target nerve tissue and the ultrasound energy delivery system by a coolant system that may also act as a coupling fluid for the emitted ultrasound energy.

An adjustable mandibular advancement device has an upper plate for covering upper teeth of a human and a lower plate for covering lower teeth of the human. A magnetic closure mechanism is provided in the device in order to hold the upper plate in contact with the lower plate when the device is positioned in a person's mouth. The magnetic closure mechanism includes one or more magnets in the upper plate and one or more magnets in the lower plate. The magnets are positioned so that when the upper plate and lower plate are in contact, the lower plate pulls the person's lower teeth and lower jaw forward and down in order to reduce obstruction of an airway during sleep or physical activity such as sport. An adjustment mechanism between the plates allows the position of the lower plate relative to the upper plate to be adjusted.

A retractable Targa roof system having a windshield header, a pair of side pillars, a rollbar, a backlight, a single pivoting roof panel and at least one pivot-carrying buttress. The rigid roof panel has at least one fixedly attached swing arm independent of the side pillars and pivotally articulated to said buttress. The buttress pivot is positioned between the bases of the side pillars in transverse direction and substantially above the belt line of the vehicle. Various arrangements of the system allow for a rearward rotary motion to bring the roof panel into either externally retracted position above a forward-hinged deck lid, or internally retracted position under a rear-hinged deck lid.

An exhaust gas recirculation valve comprises a drive, at least one rotatable drive element and at least one translationally drivable driven element. The drive element comprises a thread element that is configured to convert rotational motion of the drive element into translation of the driven element. A rotational axis of the drive element is inclined with respect to a translational axis of the driven element.

A medication delivery device for treatment of a pulmonary disorder in a patient includes an elongate member, an expandable member is coupled to a distal end of the elongate member, and an agent delivery portion coupled to an external surface of the expandable member. The agent delivery portion includes an agent that disrupts nerve activity.

A system for framing a porch using concealed fasteners and concealed or partially-concealed framing elements on support posts. The framing elements have a small cross section, generally shaped like the letter C with a slot on one side and a spline groove in one of the opposing corners. The framing elements are attached to a support post by screwing plural, spaced-apart buttons into the posts and then snapping the button heads into the slot of the framing elements. The framing elements may be applied to the surface of the posts or, because of their small size, may be put into grooves formed in the sides or corners of the posts and concealed on one or more sides by trim boards.

Methods and compositions to enhance mucus clearance and to treat of pulmonary lung disorders such as cystic fibrosis are disclosed. The methods utilize pulmonary surfactants, alone or combined with hyperosmotic agents, administered to patients in an amount effective to enhance mucus clearance. The compositions comprise a pulmonary surfactant combined with an osmotically active agent.

Systems and methods to treat obstructive sleep apnea draw soft tissue of the front of the neck of the subject, in particular at or near the oropharynx, into a cavity by applying negative pressure. The opening of the cavity is formed by a rim of a body that is configured to be engaged, externally, with a medial portion of the anterior side of the neck such that engagement between the rim and the neck forms a chamber that can be sealed from atmospheric pressure. Movement of the soft tissue may thus reduce temporary airway obstruction.

The invention discloses a sub-arc-second large-aperture compact optical structure for detecting dim point targets. The sub-arc-second large-aperture compact optical structure comprises a lens drum, as well as an optical system and an image surface which are arranged inside the lens drum, wherein the optical system comprises a first aperture correcting lens, a secondary reflector, a second aperture correcting lens, a first view field correcting lens, a second view field correcting lens and a main reflector; the axle centers of the first aperture correcting lens, the secondary reflector, the second aperture correcting lens, the first view field correcting lens, the second view field correcting lens and the main reflector are sequentially arranged in the same straight line; the secondary reflector is clung to the side surface of the first aperture correcting lens; the coverage range of the side surface of the first aperture correcting lens of the secondary reflector meets the imaging requirement; a circular hole is formed in the center of the main reflecting lens; the first view field correcting lens and the second view field correcting lens are arranged in the range limited by an opening of the circular hole; the image surface is arranged at the center of the side surface of the main reflector. The measurement accuracy of the sub-arc-second large-aperture compact optical structure is superior to the sub-arc-second grade; the optical aperture is equivalent to the total optical length; the structure is compact in structure and is suitable for detection of the dim point targets such as super-high-accuracy star sensors and space fragments.

A dual capacity sink has two basins divided by a divider which extends to a much lesser height than the peripheral walls of the sink. In one capacity the sink is capable of holding a volume of fluid, such as soap or rinse water, in one or both of the basins up to the top the divider. In this capacity, the basins can be used individually, for example, one to wash and one to rinse. In another capacity the sink is capable of holding a second volume of fluid using the two basins and also the available space in the sink above the divider. In this second capacity the sink effectively becomes a large single basin sink. There is sufficient fluid in the sink above the divider for submerging items that are larger than either of the basins individually. A method of washing items in such a sink is also disclosed.

The present invention relates to a bioreactor and a method for operating a bioreactor which comprises a chamber (100) capable of receiving a liquid media, and a filter assembly (200) comprising a perfusion filter (210; 212; 214). The filter assembly (200) is disposed in the chamber (100) and the filter assembly (200) is free to move within the chamber (100). The filter assembly (200) comprises means for coupling a harvesting flow through said filter (210; 212; 214) and means for coupling a feed flow through said filter in an opposite direction compared to the harvesting flow. Through this arrangement, the clogging prevention of the perfusion filter can be improved.

A windshield assembly includes a windshield frame constructed to support a windshield. A plurality of couplers are secured to the windshield frame, and a tower frame for a wakeboard tow rope or cable attachment, radar arch or the like is connected to the windshield frame via the couplers. In one arrangement, the couplers are connected to the wing sections of the windshield frame, and the tower frame extends between the wing sections and above an area defined between the wing sections. The integrated tower frame and windshield simplifies installation for the boat manufacturer while accommodating many varieties of tower and windshield configurations.

In a control unit (100), a W-CDMA radio unit(102) is controlled and information on electronic money is loaded from an electronic money server managed and run by a bank or the like into an UIM card (114) via a W-CDMA communication network. Then, in the control unit (100), a BT radio unit (105) is controlled and an identification number of a commodity and electronic money information equivalent to the price of the commodity are transmitted to a vending machine with a BT communication function capable of conducting electronic commerce When mobile radio apparatus receives information on the acceptance of sale of the commodity from the vending machine, information on electronic money equivalent to the amount of user's dues may be subtracted from the UIM card (114). Therefore, it is possible to provide mobile radio apparatus that assures the user a great convenience in conducting electronic commerce.