71139 results about "Nutrient" patented technology

Method and apparatus for limiting absorption of food products in specific parts of the digestive system is presented. A gastrointestinal implant device is anchored in the stomach and extends beyond the ligament of Treitz. All food exiting the stomach is funneled through the device. The gastrointestinal device includes an anchor for anchoring the device to the stomach and a flexible sleeve. When implanted within the intestine, the sleeve can limit the absorption of nutrients, delay the mixing of chyme with digestive enzymes, altering hormonal triggers, providing negative feedback, and combinations thereof. The anchor is collapsible for endoscopic delivery and removal.

Method and apparatus for limiting absorption of food products in specific parts of the digestive system is presented. A gastrointestinal implant device is anchored in the stomach and extends beyond the ligament of Treitz. All food exiting the stomach is funneled through the device. The gastrointestinal device includes an anchor for anchoring the device to the stomach and a flexible sleeve to limit absorption of nutrients in the duodenum. The anchor is collapsible for endoscopic delivery and removal.

The present invention includes methods and materials for manipulating the sense of satiety developed from the gastrointestinal transit of a substance in a mammal, whether the substance be a food or drug compound. The method involves administering a therapeutically effective amount, by a direct delivery route, of a pharmaceutically acceptable formulation comprising nutrients and pharmacological agents to the mammal's gastrointestinal tract. The present system is designed to maximize satiety feedback from normal intestinal sensors by small amounts of nutrients or nutrient derivatives, in essence, to “fool” body sensors that are not usually in contact with nutrients unless very large amounts are ingested.

A vertebral disc prosthesis, a method of implanting a prosthesis and a deployment device is provided. The prosthesis may be implanted into the interior region of the vertebral disc so as to displace existing vertebral tissue, such as NP. The size or amount of the prosthesis inserted into the interior region of the vertebral disc may be a characteristic of the disc or the prosthesis. For example, the amount or size of prosthesis inserted into the disc may be dependent upon restoring the functionality of the disc (e.g., the ability of the disc to transfer nutrients or otherwise survive, the ability of the disc to carry the required loads and absorb stress or the reduction of pain). Restoring disc function may be determined by the resulting disc height desired, the resulting disc pressure desired or the resulting disc volume desired. The prosthesis may be sized or positioned within the interior of the vertebral disc such that it is spaced from at least one of the end plates of the vertebral disc. The prosthesis may be formed of a material having a compression strength that is less than 4 mn / m<2>. A deployment device may be used to facilitate placement of the prosthesis within the vertebral disc. The prosthesis may include a grouping of multiple components that can be deployed as group.

Hypertonic sugar compositions administered by other than ingestion and swallowing or intravascular injection, such as by intranasal spray or drops, intraocular drops or ointment, oral spray, intraotic spray or drops, lozenges, chewable tablet, chewing gum, or gargle, pulmonary inhalation, vaginal or rectal suppositories, or transdermal creams, ointments, lotions, or patches, are effective to open the blood-brain barrier to permit entry into the central nervous system of a co-administered chemical compound, such as a nutrient or a therapeutic or diagnostic agent. In this way, the compositions and methods of the invention increase the therapeutic or diagnostic efficacy of such chemical compounds.

Disclosed are methods for non-destructively measuring in vitro the effect on cellular metabolism of the addition to animal cells in culture of a soluble molecule potentially capable of perturbing the biological state of the cells, such as a drug or drug candidate, a toxin, a ligand known or suspected to bind to a cell surface receptor, a nutrient, a cytokine, a growth factor, a chemokine, a metabolism inhibitor or stimulator. Also disclosed are methods for measuring cell viability, vitality, or quality, e.g., in anticipation of the execution of an experiment on the cells. The measurements are done by observing alteration in the rates of consumption or production of extracellular solutes related to aerobic and anaerobic cellular metabolism, such as oxygen, protons, nutrients, carbon dioxide, lactate, or lactic acid. The methods are particularly useful in drug discovery efforts, such as cancer drug discovery and searches for modulators of cellular metabolism.

A 3-dimensional structure comprising suitable cells (or entities) and the ECM (or matrix) that has been completely produced and arranged by these cells (or entities) that promotes the differentiation, dedifferentiation and / or transdifferentiation of cells and / or formation of tissue in vitro and in vivo, while at the same time promoting cell growth, proliferation, migration, acquisition of in vivo-like morphology, or combinations thereof, and that 1. provides structural and / or nutritional support to cells, tissue, organs, or combinations thereof, termed an “Autogenic Living Scaffold” (ALS); or 2. is capable of being transformed into a more complex tissue (or matrix) or a completely different type of tissue (or matrix), termed a “Living Tissue Matrix” (LTM). Autogenic means it is self-produced. The living cells that produce the LTM or ALS, or are added to Autogenic Living Scaffolds, may be genetically engineered or otherwise modified. The matrix component of the ALS or LTM provides a structural framework for cells that guide their direction of growth, enables them to be correctly spaced, prevents overcrowding, enables cells to communicate between each other, transmit subtle biological signals, receive signals from their environment, form bonds and contacts that are required for proper functioning of all cells within a unit such as a tissue, or combinations thereof. The ALS or LTM may thus provide proper or supporting mechanical and chemical environments, signals, or stimuli to other cells, to the cells that produce the ALS, to surrounding tissue at an implantation site, to a wound, for in vitro and ex vivo generation and regeneration of cells, tissue and organs, or combinations thereof. They may also provide other cells with nutrients, growth factors, and / or other necessary or useful components. They may also take in or serve as buffers for certain substances in the environment, and have also some potential at adapting to new environments.

The invention relates to a medical apparatus including a device used in the treatment of weight loss, obesity and potentially other associated health problems, e.g., type II diabetes. The device is used to impede absorption of nutrients within the gastrointestinal tract, i.e., bypassing a portion of the gastrointestinal tract. The medical apparatus enables implantation of the device using minimally invasive techniques, such a transesophageal approach under visualization. The device may be implanted via a working channel of a medical scope, e.g., an endoscope or in combination with a medical scope.

The present invention provides a variety of microscale bioreactors (microfermentors) and microscale bioreactor arrays for use in culturing cells. The microfermentors include a vessel for culturing cells and means for providing oxygen to the interior of the vessel at a concentration sufficient to support cell growth, e.g., growth of bacterial cells. Depending on the embodiment, the microfermentor vessel may have various interior volumes less than approximately 1 ml. The microfermentors may include an aeration membrane and optionally a variety of sensing devices. The invention further provides a chamber to contain the microfermentors and microfermentor arrays and to provide environmental control. Certain of the microfermentors include a second chamber that may be used, e.g., to provide oxygen, nutrients, pH control, etc., to the culture vessel and / or to remove metabolites, etc. Various methods of using the microfermentors, e.g., to select optimum cell strains or bioprocess parameters are provided. The invention provides microreactors having a variety of different designs, some of which incorporate active stirring and / or have the capability to operate in batch or fed-batch mode. The invention further provides an apparatus and methods for simultaneous operation of a plurality of microreactors, with monitoring of the individual microreactors during a run. The invention further provides methods of performing gene expression analysis on cells cultured in microreactors.

A super-enhanced aquatic floating island plant habitat that is adjustably buoyant and optionally biodegradable. The first embodiment is comprised of a thermoplastic elastomer, a mat, soil / flotation chambers, apertures, nutrient channels, buoyant waterscape options, and a tethering system. The floating island can include monitors that measure water and atmospheric conditions, dispensers for fish food or chemicals, and a water agitation / oxygenation device. Another embodiment comprises a positively buoyant soil matrix contained within a water-permeable bag. Another embodiment comprises a flotation collar, an outrigger, and one or more water-permeable bladders containing negatively or neutrally buoyant bedding soil. The present invention also covers an aquarium-scale floating island and submersible planter, a plant containment bag made out of thermoplastic elastomer, and several methods of adjusting the buoyancy of a floating island. A method of manufacturing a floating island comprising molded thermoplastic elastomer.