92 results about "In utero" patented technology

A continuous, non-invasive fetal heart rate measurement is produced using one or more ultrasonic transducer array patches that are adhered or attached to the mother. Each ultrasound transducer array is operated in an autonomous mode by a digital signal processor to obtain data from which fetal heart rate information can be derived. Each ultrasonic transducer array patch comprises a multiplicity of subelements that are switchably reconfigurable to form elements having different shapes, e.g., annular rings. Each subelement comprises a plurality of interconnected cMUT cells that are not switchably disconnectable. The use of cMUT patches will provide the ability to interrogate a three-dimensional space electronically (i.e. without mechanical beam steering) with ultrasound, using a transducer device that is thin and lightweight enough to stick to the patient's skin like an EKG electrode. The ultrasound device can track the fetal heart in three-dimensional space as it moves due to the mother's motion or the motion of the unborn child within the womb.

The invention provides an overexpression porcine co-stimulatory 4-1BB vector and application thereof. PCR (polymerase chain reaction) amplification is performed on a left homologous arm and a right homologous arm of an intron 1 of a rosa26 gene, a 4-1BB regulatory sequence and an OCT4 specific promoter; the left homologous arm, a 4-1BB expression cassette, LoxP locus-contained Cre and Neo expression cassettes, the right homologous arm and negative selection DTA diphtheria toxin are connected in sequence to obtain a 4-1BB homologous recombinant vector p4BOCNDR; the vector and a CRISPR/Cas9 (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated) targeting vector of sgRNA (small guide ribonucleic acid) containing the intron 1 of the specific targeting porcine rosa26 gene are transferred together into a porcine fetus fibroblast; by taking a positive cell as a donor cell and an oocyte as a recipient cell, a cloned embryo is obtained through a somatic cell nuclear transfer technique; the cloned embryo is transplanted into a porcine uterus for fetation to obtain a transgenic pig integrating a 4-1BB gene at the fixed point of a first intron of the rosa26 gene and automatically deleting a marker gene.

An optical examination technique employs an optical system (15, 45, 100, 150, 200, 260 or 300) for in vivo, non-invasive examination of internal tissue of a subject. The optical system includes an optical module (12 or 14), a controller and a processor. The optical module is arranged for placement on the exterior of the abdomen or chest. The module includes an array of optical input ports and optical detection ports located in a selected geometrical pattern to provide a multiplicity of photon migration paths targeted to examine a selected tissue region, such as an internal organ or an in utero fetus. Each optical input port is constructed to introduce into the examined tissue visible or infrared light emitted from a light source. Each optical detection port is constructed to provide light from the tissue to a light detector. The controller is constructed and arranged to activate one or several light sources and light detectors so that the light detector detects light that has migrated over at least one of the photon migration paths. The processor receives signals corresponding to the detected light and forms at least one data set used for tissue examination.

This invention relates to a method for reducing a condition associated with fetal alcohol syndrome in a subject who is exposed to alcohol in utero with an ADNF polypeptide. In particular, the present invention relates to a method of reducing a condition associated with fetal alcohol syndrome in a subject who is exposed to alcohol in utero with a combination of ADNF I and ADNF III polypeptides. The present invention further relates to a method for reducing neuronal cell death by contacting neuronal cells with a combination of ADNF I and ADNF III polypeptides. Still further, the present invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition comprising a combination of ADNF I and ADNF III polypeptides.

The present invention relates to the preparation of non-human animals having chimeric livers, whereby some or substantially all of the hepatocytes present are human hepatocytes. It is based, at least in part, on the discovery that rats, tolerized in utero against human hepatocytes, were found to serve as long-term hosts for human hepatocytes introduced post-natally, and the introduced hepatocytes maintained their differentiated phenotype, as evidenced by continued production of human albumin.

A wearable sensor apparatus is disclosed that includes a flexible substrate adapted to be coupled with a skin surface of an expectant mother. A conductor is disposed on the flexible substrate. The conductor can include micron-scale invaginations. The conductor can be capable of repeatable variation in resistance when subject to a strain. Also disclosed is a system for monitoring the health of a fetus in utero that includes a wearable sensor apparatus. The wearable sensor apparatus is configured to output a signal responsive to an electrical input. The system includes a computing system with one or more hardware processors. The computing system is programmed to implement a signal processing module configured to access the output signal from the wearable strain gauge and generate an output indicative of health of the baby in utero. The output can be based in part on the received output signal and previously stored correlations between signal data from the wearable strain gauge and observations of the system or of the mother. A user interface module can be provided and can be configured to display an output indicative of health of the baby in utero.

Acute and chronic diseases of the organs are treated using a rational, multi-tier approach. A patient is pretreated with growth factor proteins or gene therapy, followed by the administration of adult stem cells or other cell therapy. The patient can be a fetus treated in utero or removed from the womb. The progress of treatment is monitored by ultrasound, MRI, CAT scan, cardiac echo, EEG, EKG, EMG or blood tests, with growth factor treatment and/or stem cell administration adjusted according to the results of the monitoring or clinical status of the patient. Organ disease is also treated by a method that comprises administration of a therapeutically effective amount of a growth factor protein by oral inhalation or intranasal therapy. Diseases affecting organs such as the brain, spinal cord, pancreas, liver, kidney, muscle, heart and upper and lower gastrointestinal tracts are treated using the present method. A device for treatment is disclosed. CPK is utilized to assess the treatment of muscle disease.

Described herein are human amniotic membrane tissue grafts derived from the placenta. The grafts are composed of three layers as seen in the amniotic membrane in utero. These grafts are processed using physiologic solutions, lyophilized and terminal sterilized (via gamma irradiation in a frozen state) that thereby preserves the graft in such a manner as to retain the naturally occurring biological properties of the amniotic membrane and offer a sterile graft for transplantation. By dehydration via lyophilization and terminal sterilization, the graft has the advantage of storage at ambient temperatures for prolonged periods of time prior to transplantation.

Described herein are biomarkers, such as protein biomarkers, which are diagnostic of and predictive for complications that result from an in utero encounter, such as an infection by the fetus, that can lead to premature birth (PTB). The biomarkers can be used to identify fetuses and newborns at risk for complications of PTB, such as (Early Onset Neonatal Sepsis) EONS, intra-ventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and other poor outcomes.

A system for monitoring a brain wave response of a fetus in utero, comprises removably connecting an auditory transducer, including at least one biosensor electrode, producing pulsed auditory sounds to a mother's abdomen to detect brain wave activity in a fetus. The transducer is pulsed with one of rectangular waves and tone pips of a selected frequency to emit pulsed audible sounds at predetermined times. The at least one biosensor electrode, including connected amplifier, detects brain stem auditory responses (BAER) of the fetus. For each pulsed audible sound a series of voltage oscillations corresponding to BAER of the fetus are time-locked to the corresponding audible sound. BAER analog output is converted to BAER digital data. A computer-based QEEG (Quantitative EEG) system improves a signal to noise ratio of the BAER digital data using an adaptive optimum filtering algorithm and analyzes the BAER digital data relative to a reference database.

A compact fetal sound system delivers high-fidelity sound to a fetus in utero through a miniature, abdominally mounted driver with a convex diaphragm. No gel is necessary at the interface between the diaphragm and the mother's abdomen. Digital signal processing shapes the frequency spectrum of the sound transmitted to the fetus, so that after traveling through the attenuative tissue of the expectant mother the desired volume of sound and frequency content reach the ears of the fetus. As the term of pregnancy progresses, the frequency shaping provided by the digital signal processing automatically varies to compensate for changes in uterine lining thickness and the like. Preferred embodiments also include a microphone attached to the abdomen of the mother and signal processing to correct for frequency and amplitude distortions of sound eminating from the womb. Embodiments also include an elastic belt to maintain the transducer and microphone against the abdomen.

The present invention relates to a method of producing an ungulate having both copies of the IgM heavy chain (mu) rag-1 and/or rag-2 gene eliminated from its genome. Animals which have IgM, rag-1 and/or rag-2 eliminated from their genome are unable to conduct the gene rearrangements that are necessary to generate the antigen receptors of B or T lymphocytes, and therefore will not develop native B or T cells. Because they are unable to produce B and T lymphocytes, these IgM, rag-1 or rag-2 ungulates cannot reject human hematopoietic stem cell preparations, and B and T lymphocytes which develop therefrom. Therefore, the present invention also involves injecting into IgM, rag-1 and/or rag-2 deficient ungulates, in utero or shortly after birth, human B and T lymphocytes whose immune systems produce human immunoglobulin that can be processed for therapeutic uses in humans.

The invention provides devices and methods for self-administered noninvasive retrieval of biological materials of the uterus and/or cervix. The cervical device comprises a receptacle with a variable volume receptacle cavity, a controller configured to change the volume of the receptacle cavity, a surface for collection of biological materials, and a flexible pouch for generation of suction to facilitate efficient retrieval of biological materials. The biological materials retrieved include various biomarkers of diseases and disorders of reproduction, are directly isolated from a site of pathology, and are not metabolized or diluted. Information generated by analyzing these biological materials permits early diagnosis and prognosis assessments of disease and disorders of the female reproductive organs, irregularities of pregnancy, anomalies of the fetus in utero, and microbial infections.

Method and system for determining a volume of a placenta in utero. The placenta in utero may be modeled as having a convex-concave shape (e.g., like that of a portion of a spherical shell). Volume of the placenta may be determined based on the width (or height) and thickness of the placenta, or based on width, height and thickness of the placenta. Placenta size characteristics may be measured using imaging techniques, such as ultrasound. In one aspect of the invention, a volume of a placenta in utero may be compared to the volume of other placentas for similar gestational age, and a determination regarding whether the placenta volume poses a risk to fetal health may be made.

The invention provides a feed additive for pregnant sows and belongs to the technical field of pig farming. The feed additive is prepared from such components in parts by weight as 10-20 parts of bamboo shaving, 10-20 parts of ramie, 10-20 parts of grassleaf sweelflag rhizome, 10-20 parts of purple perilla, 10-20 parts of baical skullcap root, 10-50 parts of Chinese taxillus twig, 5-10 parts of fructus amomi, 10-20 parts of Chinese mugwort leaf, 5-15 parts of bighead atractylodes rhizome, 10-30 parts of Chinese dodder seed, 5-10 parts of eucommia bark and 10-20 parts of teasel root. The feed additive is a pure Chinese medicinal medicine and blended with the feed for the pregnant sows, and therefore, the immune system of the pregnant sows can be effectively repaired, the immunocompetence of the sows can be improved, the endocrine function of the sows can be reconciled, and such sub-health statuses as low fever and anorexia in the gestation period can be reduced; the feed additive is capable of clearing away heat and toxic materials, remitting heat stress, promoting intestinal tract movement, improving the vitality of the intestinal tract, and preventing constipation; the feed additive is also capable of promoting the nutrition supply in utero, reducing embryo death and the like; besides, no adverse influence is performed on the health of the sows and the piggy.

The present invention relates to the preparation of non-human animals having chimeric livers, whereby some or substantially all of the hepatocytes present are human hepatocytes. It is based, at least in part, on the discovery that rats, tolerized in utero against human hepatocytes, were found to serve as long-term hosts for human hepatocytes introduced post-natally, and the introduced hepatocytes maintained their differentiated phenotype, as evidenced by continued production of human albumin. The present invention further relates to the use of such animals as models of various liver diseases, including viral invention. Such embodiments are based on the discovery that transplanted human hepatocytes in chimeric livers were found to be susceptible to Hepatitis B virus and Hepatitis C virus infection.

A hand-held analyzer for collecting a sample of blood from the scalp of a fetus and measuring the pH or other blood characteristic of the blood sample. The analyzer includes a probe with a proximal end and a gasket that facilitate a firm and positive placement of the probe against the scalp. The probe includes a capillary tube for collecting blood and an extensible lancet which at rest is positioned within the capillary tube. During operation, the lancet is extended to make an incision in the scalp. The lancet then retreats, and blood flows into the capillary tube. Sensors for measuring pH are in liquid communication with the capillary tube. A display on or near the hand-held analyzer shows a readout of the fetal scalp blood pH or other blood characteristic. Measuring the pH of the fetal scalp blood in utero can provide early detection of acidosis and likely hypoxia.

Acute and chronic diseases of the organs are treated in patients using a rational, multi-tier approach. A patient can be pretreated with growth factor proteins or gene therapy, followed by the administration of adult stem cells or other cell therapy. The patient can be a fetus treated in utero or removed from the womb. The progress of treatment is monitored by ultrasound, MRI, CAT scan, cardiac echo, EEG, EKG, EMG or blood tests, with growth factor treatment and/or stem cell administration adjusted according to the results of the monitoring or clinical status of the patient.

Acute and chronic diseases of the organs are treated using a rational, multi-tier approach. A patient is pretreated with growth factor proteins or gene therapy, followed by the administration of adult stem cells. The patient can be a fetus treated in utero or removed from the womb. The progress of treatment is continuously monitored by ultrasound, MRI, CAT scan, cardiac echo, EEG, EKG, EMG or blood tests, with growth factor treatment and/or stem cell administration adjusted according to the results of the monitoring or clinical status of the patient. Organ disease is also treated by a method that comprises administration of a therapeutically effective amount of a growth factor protein by oral inhalation or intranasal therapy. Diseases affecting organs such as the brain, spinal cord, pancreas, liver, kidney, muscle, and upper and lower gastrointestinal tracts are treated using the present method. A device for treatment is disclosed. CPK is utilized to assess the treatment of muscle disease.

The present invention generally relates to compositions, reagents and methods for detecting and treating a neural tube defect in a fetus. One aspect of the invention provides a method including administrating a composition containing noggin or LDN-193189 to the fetus in utero. In certain embodiments, the composition is administrated if the maternal blood or amniotic fluid contains an elevated amount of BMP4 and/or a reduced amount of noggin. In another aspect of the invention, the method includes administrating a composition containing GDC-0449 to the fetus in utero. In certain embodiments, the GDC-0449 is administrated if the maternal blood or amniotic fluid contains an elevated amount of sonic hedgehog.