3273 results about "Effective treatment" patented technology

A hemostat-type device for ablative treatment of tissue, particularly for treatment of atrial fibrillation, is constructed with features that provide easy and effective treatment. A swiveling head assembly can allow the jaws to be adjusted in pitch and roll. Malleable jaws can permit curved lesion shapes. A locking detent can secure the jaws in a closed position during the procedure. An illuminated indicator provides confirmation that the device is operating. A fluid delivery system simplifies irrigated ablation procedures.

Surgical implants are configured for placement posteriorly to a spinal canal between vertebral bodies to distract the spine and enlarge the spinal canal. In the preferred embodiments the device permits spinal flexion while limiting spinal extension, thereby providing an effective treatment for treating spinal stenosis without the need for laminectomy. The invention may be used in the cervical, thoracic, or lumbar spine. Numerous embodiments are disclosed, including elongated, length-adjustable components coupled to adjacent vertebral bodies using pedicle screws. The preferred embodiments, however, teach a device configured for placement between adjacent vertebral bodies and adapted to fuse to the lamina, facet, spinous process or other posterior elements of a single vertebra. Various mechanisms, including shape, porosity, tethers, and bone-growth promoting substances may be used to enhance fusion. The tether may be a wire, cable, suture, or other single or multi-filament member. Preferably, the device forms a pseudo-joint in conjunction with the non-fused vertebra. Alternatively, the device could be fused to the caudal vertebra or both the cranial and caudal vertebrae.

A method for the effective treatment of articulating joint surface cartilage in an animal by the transplantation of an implantable article including chondrocyte cells retained to an absorbable support matrix. An instrument for placing and manipulating the implantable article at the site of implantation, and a retention device for securing the implantable article to the site of implantation. An implantable article for cartilage repair in an animal, the implantable article including chondrocyte cells retained on an absorbable support matrix, and a method of making same. An article comprising an absorbable flexible support matrix for living cells grown and adhered thereto.

This relates to methods and devices for treating reversible chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and more particularly, relates to a device for exchanging energy with airway tissue such as that found in the airway of human lungs. The exchange of energy with this airway tissue in the airways reduces the ability of the air ways to constrict and / or reduces the resistance within the airway to the flow of air through the airway. This also relates to a method for decreasing responsiveness or decreasing resistance to airflow of airways involves the transfer of energy to or from the airway walls to prevent or reduce airway constriction and other symptoms of lung diseases. The treatment reduces the ability of the airway to contract during an acute narrowing of the airways, reduces mucus plugging of the airways, and / or increases the airway diameter. The methods according to the present invention provide a longer duration and / or more effective treatment for lung diseases than currently used drug treatments, and obviate patient compliance issues. This also includes additional steps that reduce the ability of the lung to produce at least one of the symptoms of reversible obstructive pulmonary disease and to reduce the resistance to the flow of air through a lung.

The system described herein enables clinicians and researchers to use aggregated genetic and phenotypic data from clinical trials and medical records to make the safest, most effective treatment decisions for each patient. This involves (i) the creation of a standardized ontology for genetic, phenotypic, clinical, pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic and other data sets, (ii) the creation of a translation engine to integrate heterogeneous data sets into a database using the standardized ontology, and (iii) the development of statistical methods to perform data validation and outcome prediction with the integrated data. The system is designed to interface with patient electronic medical records (EMRs) in hospitals and laboratories to extract a particular patient's relevant data. The system may also be used in the context of generating phenotypic predictions and enhanced medical laboratory reports for treating clinicians. The system may also be used in the context of leveraging the huge amount of data created in medical and pharmaceutical clinical trials. The ontology and validation rules are designed to be flexible so as to accommodate a disparate set of clients. The system is also designed to be flexible so that it can change to accommodate scientific progress and remain optimally configured.

The present invention encompasses topical oral care compositions comprising the combination of an anti-bacterial agent with an anti-inflammatory agent in an orally acceptable carrier for effective treatment and prevention of bacteria-mediated diseases and conditions in the oral cavity and for modulating host reaction to bacterial pathogens present in the oral cavity and to the toxins, endotoxins, inflammatory cytokines and mediators released by or prompted by these pathogens. The present invention also encompasses methods of use of these compositions comprising topical application to the oral cavity. The benefits of the present compositions and methods extend beyond treating and preventing oral bacterial infections in the oral cavity to promoting whole body or systemic health.

A safe and effective treatment to curtail and cure autism spectrum disorders has been described in this invention using insulin, IGF-1, with multiple known adjuvant therapeutic agents, as well as other pharmaceutical, biochemical, nurticeuticals, and biological agents or compounds delivered through the olfactory mucosal region of the nose and external auditory meatus.

A method and system for treating tissue with a combined therapy profile is disclosed. In one exemplary embodiment, ultrasound energy is used to treat numerous depths of tissue within a region of interest and the spatial and temporal properties of the ultrasound energy are varied for more effective treatment. The method and system of the present invention are configured to treat all of the tissue from the surface on down and not spare intervening tissue.

Described herein are devices, systems and method for treating inflammatory disorders by modulating a subject's inflammatory reflex. The method may include the step of non-invasively stimulating the inflammatory reflex (e.g., the vagus nerve, the splenic nerve, the hepatic nerve, the facial nerve, and the trigeminal nerve) of a subject in a manner which significantly reduces proinflammatory cytokines in the subject and / or provides a therapeutically effective treatment for the subject. Devices for non-invasively stimulating the inflammatory reflex may include a movable tip or actuator that is controlled to mechanically stimulate the ear. The devices may be hand-held or wearable, and may stimulate the cymba conchae region of the subject's ear.

A cryogenic catheter system provides safe and effective treatment of tissue. The system includes a catheter that is coupled to a console via fluid and electrical umbilicals. The console controls the overall operation of the system based to provide and maintain a predetermined temperature at the catheter tip. The console also controls and monitors operating parameters for providing warning indications to the user and terminating operation of the system in the event of a failure that may compromise patient safety.

The present invention provides an energy delivery device for use with a medical treatment system for the more efficacious treatment of patients during laser surgery which limits the number of uses or prevents reuse of the energy delivery device after a certain threshold limit has been reached. The energy delivery device comprises a diffusing optical fiber and a memory device having data programmed therein and being operatively connected to an energy generator the optical fiber includes a temperature sensor for generating a temperature signal in a closed loop manner. The data stored in the memory device includes a multiplicity of use parameters, usage limits, usage counts, and count limits all relating to the properties of the medical treatment system. The use parameters may include an elapsed time, a total treatment time, and a number of treatment sites. A main processor is also included for calculating a temperature from the temperature signal and for updating the use parameters in response to data received by the main processor. The main processor is also used to compare the use parameters to their corresponding usage limits. The main processor can create and increment a usage count when at least one of the use parameters exceeds its corresponding usage limit. Thereafter, the main processor compares the usage count to the count limit and disables the energy delivery device when the usage count exceeds a predetermined count limit.

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. In addition to reducing or substantially eliminating a biological organism's reaction to the introduction of the medical device to the organism, the medical device in combination with one or more therapeutic drugs, agents and / or compounds may be utilized to treat various vascular diseases, for example, restenosis and vulnerable plaque. In the case of vulnerable plaque, one or more drugs, agents or compounds may be utilized to treat the various aspects of vulnerable plaque and these drugs, agents and / or compounds may be released with a given release profile for the most effective treatment. Various materials and coating methodologies may be utilized to maintain the drugs, agents or compounds on the medical device until delivered and positioned.

A hemostat-type device for ablative treatment of tissue, particularly for treatment of atrial fibrillation, is constructed with features that provide easy and effective treatment. The device may include a swiveling head assembly that allows the jaws to be adjusted in pitch and / or roll. The device may include a malleable or articulating handle shaft, as well as, malleable or curved rigid jaws that can permit curved lesion shapes. A locking detent can secure the jaws in a closed position during the procedure. The device may include one or more remote actuators making the hemostat-type device useful for minimally invasive procedures.

An implant for insertion into a punctum of a patient comprises a body. The body has a distal end, a proximal end, and an axis therebetween. The distal end of the body is insertable distally through the punctum into the canalicular lumen. The body comprises a therapeutic agent included within an agent matrix drug core. Exposure of the agent matrix to the tear fluid effects an effective therapeutic agent release into the tear fluid over a sustained period. The body has a sheath disposed over the agent matrix to inhibit release of the agent away from the proximal end. The body also has an outer surface configured to engage luminal wall tissues so as to inhibit expulsion when disposed therein. In specific embodiments, the agent matrix comprises a non-bioabsorbable polymer, for example silicone in a non-homogenous mixture with the agent.

A medical sleep disorder arrangement integrates into current diagnosis and treatment procedures to enable a health care professional to diagnose and treat a plurality of subjects suffering from insomnia. The arrangement may include both environmental sensors and body-worn sensors that measure the environmental conditions and the condition of the individual patient. The data may be collected and processed to measure clinically relevant attributes of sleep quality automatically. These automatically determined measures, along with the original sensor data, may be aggregated and shared remotely with the health care professional. A communication apparatus enables the healthcare professional to remotely communicate with and further assess the patient and subsequently administer the treatment. Thus, a more accurate diagnosis and more effective treatment is provided while reducing the required clinician time per patient for treatment delivery.

Endocardial pressure measurement devices, systems and methods for the effective treatment of congestive heart failure and its underlying causes, in addition to other clinical applications.

A method and system for treating tissue with a surgical device includes the steps of displaying an image created by collecting imaging data from an imaging device, selecting at least one tissue target from the image, determining the effective treatment volume of the surgical device and determining a treatment modality for treating the tissue target with the surgical device, where the treatment modality is made up of at least one target treatment volume. The method may also include the steps of determining the position and orientation of the imaging device, the image and the surgical device, indicating the trajectory of the surgical device with respect to the image on the display screen, inserting the surgical device in the patient based upon the trajectory and treating the tissue target. The method may further include indicating the target treatment volumes on the display screen.

Improved devices, systems, and methods for diagnosing, planning treatments of, and / or treating the refractive structures of an eye of a patient incorporate results of prior refractive corrections into a planned refractive treatment of a particular patient by driving an effective treatment vector function based on data from the prior eye treatments. The exemplary effective treatment vector employs an influence matrix which may allow improved refractive corrections to be generated so as to increase the overall accuracy of laser eye surgery (including LASIK, PRK, and the like), customized intraocular lenses (IOLs), refractive femtosecond treatments, and the like.

This relates to methods and devices for treating reversible chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and more particularly, relates to a device for exchanging energy with airway tissue such as that found in the airway of human lungs. The exchange of energy with this airway tissue in the airways reduces the ability of the air ways to constrict and / or reduces the resistance within the airway to the flow of air through the airway. This also relates to a method for decreasing responsiveness or decreasing resistance to airflow of airways involves the transfer of energy to or from the airway walls to prevent or reduce airway constriction and other symptoms of lung diseases. The treatment reduces the ability of the airway Lo contract during an acute narrowing of the airways, reduces mucus plugging of the airways, and / or increases the airway diameter. The methods according to the present invention provide a longer duration and / or more effective treatment for lung diseases than currently used drug treatments, and obviate patient compliance issues. This also includes additional steps that reduce the ability of the lung to produce at least one of the symptoms of reversible obstructive pulmonary disease and to reduce the resistance to the flow of air through a lung.

A system and a method for managing patient treatment stores in the database a patient history for each patient including data related to observations, test results, diagnoses, treatment regimen(s) and a treatment plan associated with the patient. The treatment plan is administered to the patient and medical device operating data related to the tasks of the associated treatment regimen is stored in the database. A reminder is issued if a task associated with the treatment regimen is not completed on time and the effectiveness of the treatment regimen is evaluated based upon the data stored in the database so that only effective treatment regimens are retained in the system. The system performs treatment planning, treatment monitoring, hospital monitoring, healthcare insurance billing, patient billing, research and analysis support, supply chain management and personnel scheduling.

The present invention provides systems, apparatus and methods for selectively applying electrical energy to body tissue. More specifically, systems and methods are provided for introducing a spinal cord stimulation electrode device into a patient's epidural space through a small portal, such as a percutaneous penetration, and then expanding the electrode device once inside the epidural space to achieve a larger footprint of contact on the dura. This substantially prevents migration of the electrode within the epidural space and provides for more efficient and effective treatment.

A computerized information processing and retrieval system is described. The system includes a data acquisition device that collects various types of data. After collecting the data, this device transfers the data to a data accumulation device. The data accumulation device effectively stores and transfers data between digital devices. Finally, a computer system processes the data stored on the data accumulation device, retrieves any relevant information, and produces a report for a user. Consequently, this multipurpose system includes components easily adaptable to numerous applications such as wellness monitoring, emergency medical treatment, financial planning, an informational resource system, inventory management, management of service providers, as well as other suitable applications. The computerized information processing and retrieval system easily adapts into a wellness monitoring system that can track fitness, nutrition, medicine, blood-lipid levels, as well as other values. As a medical treatment system, the computerized information processing and retrieval system enables more effective treatment of patients in either an emergency vehicle or a medical facility. Another application of the computerized information processing and retrieval system includes an informational resource system that efficiently retrieves detailed information associated with a simple informational identifier.

Natalizumab is a safe and efficacious treatment for inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, Crohn's Disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. Rare occurrences of progressive multifocal leucoencephalopathy during treatment suggest the possibility that it may be related to natalizumab treatment. Monitoring for JCV and informing caregivers and patients about the manifestations of progressive multifocal leucoencephalopathy can improve the safety of natalizumab therapy.

An effective treatment method for improving the appearance of epithelia, such as lip epithelia and vaginal epithelia is provided. According to the present method, an effective amount of a composition containing retinoid, preferably in a cosmetically acceptable carrier, is topically applied to the vaginal or lip epithelia. The present invention also includes compositions for practicing the method.