46992results about How to "Reduce risk" patented technology

An electrosurgical system has an electrosurgical generator and a bipolar electrosurgical instrument, the generator being arranged to perform a treatment cycle in which radio frequency energy is delivered to the instrument as an amplitude-modulated radio frequency power signal in the form of a succession of pulses characterized by periods of a least 100 milliseconds between successive pulses and by a predetermined pulse mark-to-space ratio. Energy delivery between pulses is substantially zero and the mark-to-space ratio is typically 1:4 or less. Each burst is of sufficiently high power to form vapor bubbles within tissue being treated and the time between successive pulses is sufficiently long to permit condensation of the vapor. The treatment cycles may each include an initial period and a subsequent period, the pulse duty cycle being increased or energy being delivered continuously in the subsequent period in order that tissue coagulation can be achieved quickly despite increasing tissue impedance.

An adaptive method, system and program for securing data against a plurality of electronic and environmental events directed at computers utilizes a hacking monitor which generates attack warnings (such as a hacking warning) dependent upon the severity of the attack. Based upon these warnings, data is filtered to extract security sensitive words etc. and the extract and remainder data (if necessary) is stored in assigned memory. Full or partial reconstruction is permitted, manually or automatically, with a security clearance. Encryption is typically used dependent upon the warning. The information processing system includes a filter which is adjusted based upon the degree of attack warning to extract security sensitive words. A storage system stores extracted data and remainder data (if necessary) based upon the level of the warning and a compiler is used to reconstruct the data in the presence of the appropriate security clearance level.

Apparatus and methods are provided for placing and advancing a diagnostic of therapeutic instrument in a hollow body organ of a tortuous or unsupported anatomy, comprising a handle, an overtube, a distal region having an atraumatic tip. The overtube may be removable from the handle, and have a longitudinal axis disposed at an angle relative to the handle. The overtube may be selectively stiffened to reduce distension of the organ caused by advancement of the diagnostic or therapeutic instrument. The distal region permits passive steering of the overtube caused by deflection of the diagnostic or therapeutic instrument while the atraumatic tip prevents the wall of the organ from becoming caught or pinched during manipulation of the diagnostic or therapeutic instrument.

A bipolar surgical device includes a pair of actuable jaws. A first electrode member which optionally includes a line of electrically coupled tissue-penetrating elements is formed on one of the jaws, and a second electrode member which optionally includes a line of electrically coupled tissue-penetrating elements is formed on the same or the other jaw. The electrode members are laterally spaced-apart and arranged in a parallel, usually linear manner so that the lateral distance therebetween remains generally constant. In operation, tissue may be grasped between the jaws so that the electrode members contact and/or the tissue-penetrating elements enter into the tissue. By energizing the electrode members at opposite polarities using a high frequency energy source, tissue between the jaws will be heated, coagulated, and/or necrosed, while heating of tissue outside of the lines will be minimized.

An appliance for storing, distributing and placing surgical fasteners comprises a handgrip body and an elongate element attached to the handgrip. The elongate element includes a magazine slide adapted to be displaced in the elongate element by a control rod. The control rod can be, in turn, actuated by the handgrip. The magazine slide also has surgical fasteners. Each surgical fastener has an anchoring bar, a catching bar and a connecting strip. A distal part of the anchoring bar has a conical shape. A distal end of the distal part of the anchoring bar has a hemispherical shape.

An electrically heated smoking system includes a shell and a replaceable mouthpiece. The shell includes an electric power supply and electric circuitry. The mouthpiece includes a liquid storage portion and a capillary wick having a first end and a second end. The first end of the wick extends into the liquid storage portion for contact with liquid therein. The mouthpiece also includes a heating element for heating the second end of the capillary wick, an air outlet, and an aerosol forming chamber between the second end of the capillary wick and the air outlet. When the shell and mouthpiece are engaged or connected, the heating element is in electrical connection with the power supply via the circuitry, and a flowpath for air is defined from at least one air inlet to the air outlet via the aerosol forming chamber. In use, liquid is transferred from the liquid storage portion towards the heating element by capillary action in the wick. Liquid at the second end of the capillary wick is vaporized by the heating element. The supersaturated vapor created, is mixed and carried in the air flow from the at least one air inlet to the aerosol forming chamber. In the aerosol forming chamber, the vapor condenses to form an aerosol, which is carried towards the air outlet.

A heart valve prosthesis is provided having a self-expanding multi-level frame that supports a valve body comprising a skirt and plurality of coapting leaflets. The frame transitions between a contracted delivery configuration that enables percutaneous transluminal delivery, and an expanded deployed configuration having an asymmetric hourglass shape. The valve body skirt and leaflets are constructed so that the center of coaptation may be selected to reduce horizontal forces applied to the commissures of the valve, and to efficiently distribute and transmit forces along the leaflets and to the frame. Alternatively, the valve body may be used as a surgically implantable replacement valve prosthesis.

Medical devices, and in particular implantable medical devices, may be coated to minimize or substantially eliminate a biological organism's reaction to the introduction of the medical device to the organism. The medical devices may be coated with any number of biocompatible materials. Therapeutic drugs, agents or compounds may be mixed with the biocompatible materials and affixed to at least a portion of the medical device. These therapeutic drugs, agents or compounds may also further reduce a biological organism's reaction to the introduction of the medical device to the organism. In addition, these therapeutic drugs, agents and/or compounds may be utilized to promote healing, including the formation of blood clots. Various materials and coating methodologies may be utilized to maintain the drugs, agents or compounds on the medical device until delivered and positioned.

A system that tracks the current and historical locations of a GPS locator device carried by a person provides widely available access to data referencing these locations, so that a parent can easily and frequently monitor the location of a child. Monitoring of a child's location may be conducted via a Web site, which provides graphical maps of location data, or via calling into a call center. The present invention also provides a means for a parent to trigger the automatic transmission of the device's location, via a Web site or call placed to a call center agent or a VRU. The present invention also provides a process of auto-notification of a device's movement that exceeds a pre-specified threshold. The present invention also includes a capability to function as a proximity alert device.

Items of mail are rapidly processed in a mail sampling system to determine if the mail is contaminated with a chemical or biological agent. The mail sampling system maintains a negative pressure in a containment chamber and includes a triggering sampler that makes a threshold determination regarding possible contamination, and a detecting sampler that obtains a sample for more detailed analysis in response to a signal from the triggering sampler. A sample of particulates collected from an item of mail is either removed for analysis or analyzed in the system to identify a contaminating agent. Optionally, the system includes an archiving sampler, which archives samples for subsequent processing and analysis, and a decontamination system, which is activated to decontaminate the mail if needed.

Medical devices, and in particular implantable medical devices, including self-expanding stents, may be coated to minimize or substantially eliminate a biological organism's reaction to the introduction of the medical device to the organism. The devices utilized to deliver the implantable medical devices may be modified to reduce the potential for damaging the implantable medical device during deployment.

PCT No. PCT/FR97/01617 Sec. 371 Date Jul. 28, 1998 Sec. 102(e) Date Jul. 28, 1998 PCT Filed Sep. 12, 1997 PCT Pub. No. WO98/10722 PCT Pub. Date Mar. 19, 1998An expandable osteosynthesis implant has branches (5) each connected at one end to a seat (7) which is pierced by an orifice (8), suitable for being slid from a posterior direction between the facing faces of two consecutive vertebrae in order to hold them a given distance apart and restore stability of the spinal column. According to the invention, the branches (5) and the seat (7) define a hollow cage (1) which, in a "rest" position, has an outside general shape that is a cylinder of circular section, and a portion at least of the inside volume (9) of the cage (1) towards the distal ends of the branches (5) is in the form of a circular truncated cone whose large base is towards the seat (7), which implant has at least three branches (5) and, inside the inside volume (9) at least one spacer (2) suitable for passing through the orifice (8) and the large base of the truncated cone.

The invention relates to a microfabricated device for the rapid detection of DNA, proteins or other molecules associated with a particular disease. The devices and methods of the invention can be used for the simultaneous diagnosis of multiple diseases by detecting molecules (e.g. amounts of molecules), such as polynucleotides (e.g., DNA) or proteins (e.g., antibodies), by measuring the signal of a detectable reporter associated with hybridized polynucleotides or antigen/antibody complex. In the microfabricated device according to the invention, detection of the presence of molecules (i.e., polynucleotides, proteins, or antigen/antibody complexes) are correlated to a hybridization signal from an optically-detectable (e.g. fluorescent) reporter associated with the bound molecules. These hybridization signals can be detected by any suitable means, for example optical, and can be stored for example in a computer as a representation of the presence of a particular gene. Hybridization probes can be immobilized on a substrate that forms part of or is exposed to a channel or channels of the device that form a closed loop, for circulation of sample to actively contact complementary probes. Universal chips according to the invention can be fabricated not only with DNA but also with other molecules such as RNA, proteins, peptide nucleic acid (PNA) and polyamide molecules.

A system, including software components, that efficiently and dynamically analyzes changes to data sources, including application programs, within an integration environment and simultaneously re-codes dynamic adapters between the data sources is disclosed. The system also monitors at least two of said data sources to detect similarities within the data structures of said data sources and generates new dynamic adapters to integrate said at least two of said data sources. The system also provides real time error validation of dynamic adapters as well as performance optimization of newly created dynamic adapters that have been generated under changing environmental conditions.

A device for use as a portal in percutaneous minimally invasive surgery performed within a patient's body cavity includes a first elongated hollow tube having a length adjusted with a self-contained mechanism. The first elongated tube includes an inner hollow tube and an outer hollow tube and the inner tube is adapted to slide within the outer tube thereby providing the self-contained length adjusting mechanism. This length-adjustment feature is advantageous for percutaneous access surgery in any body cavity. Two or more elongated tubes with adjustable lengths can be placed into two or more adjacent body cavities, respectively. Paths are opened within the tissue areas between the two or more body cavities, and are used to transfer devices and tools between the adjacent body cavities. This system of two or more elongated tubes with adjustable lengths is particularly advantageous in percutaneous minimally invasive spinal surgeries, and provides the benefits of minimizing long incisions, recovery time and post-operative complications.

A patient safety system including an adjustable bed and a patient monitoring system is disclosed herein. The adjustable bed can automatically adjust to a safe default configuration when the safety system detects that a care provider has left the patient's room or when the safety system detects that the patient is trying to leave the bed. The patient monitoring system can send an alert to the care provider and/or sound an alarm if the patient tries to leave the bed and a care provider is not present with the patient.

Apparatus and methods are provided for partitioning a gastro-intestinal lumen by intraluminally reducing a local cross-sectional area thereof. The apparatus comprises a plurality of anchors adapted for intraluminal penetration into a wall of the gastro-intestinal lumen to prevent migration or dislodgement of the apparatus, and a partition, which may include a drawstring or a toroidal balloon, coupled to the plurality of anchors to provide a local reduction in the cross-sectional area of the gastro-intestinal lumen.