2403results about How to "Increased risk" patented technology

An electrosurgical system comprises a radio frequency generator (1), an electrosurgical instrument (E1), and a fluid enclosure (42). The generator (1) has a radio frequency output for delivery of power to the electrosurgical instrument (E1) when immersed in an electrically-conductive fluid. The electrosurgical instrument (E1) has an electrode assembly (32) at the distal end thereof, the electrode assembly comprising a tissue treatment electrode (34), and a return electrode (38) axially spaced therefrom in such a manner as to define, in use, a conductive fluid path that completes an electrical circuit between the tissue treatment electrode and the return electrode. The fluid enclosure (42) is adapted to surround an operation site on the skin of a patient or an incision leading to a cavity surgically created within the patient's body. The fluid enclosure (42) includes sealing means (44) for sealing against the patient's tissue, and the fluid enclosure includes at least one port (50a, 52a) through which the electrosurgical (E1) is insertable, and through which the electrically-conductive fluid can enter and / or leave the enclosure.

An electrosurgical system comprises a radio frequency generator (1), an electrosurgical instrument (E1), and a fluid enclosure (42). The generator (1) has a radio frequency output for delivery of power to the electrosurgical instrument (E1) when immersed in an electrically-conductive fluid. The electrosurgical instrument (E1) has an electrode assembly (32) at the distal end thereof, the electrode assembly comprising a tissue treatment electrode (34), and a return electrode (38) axially spaced therefrom in such a manner as to define, in use, a conductive fluid path that completes an electrical circuit between the tissue treatment electrode and the return electrode. The fluid enclosure (42) is adapted to surround an operation site on the skin of a patient or an incision leading to a cavity surgically created within the patient's body. The fluid enclosure (42) includes sealing means (44) for sealing against the patient's tissue, and the fluid enclosure includes at least one port (50a, 52a) through which the electrosurgical (E1) is insertable, and through which the electrically-conductive fluid can enter and / or leave the enclosure. The fluid enclosure device of the present invention can also be used to treat tumours within the colon. The enclosure, which includes a proximal and a distal bung, is inserted into the colon in a deflated condition and then inflated with a conductive fluid or gas. The colon can be supported against the pressure of the fluid or gas with a pressure sleeve that has been inserted to surround the region of the colon being treated. An electrosurgical instrument is then inserted into the colon and manipulated to vaporize the tumor.

A system and method are disclosed for removing a uterus using a fluid enclosure inserted in the peritoneal cavity of a patient so as to enclose the uterus. The fluid enclosure includes a distal open end surrounded by an adjustable loop, that can be tightened, a first proximal opening for inserting an electrosurgical instrument into the fluid enclosure, and a second proximal opening for inserting an endoscope. The loop is either a resilient band extending around the edge of the distal open end or a drawstring type of arrangement that can be tightened and released. The fluid enclosure is partially inserted into the peritoneal cavity of a patient in a deflated condition and then manipulated within the peritoneal cavity over the body and fundus of the uterus to the level of the uterocervical junction. The loop is tightened around the uterocervical junction, after which the enclosure is inflated using a conductive fluid. The loop forms a pressure seal against the uterocervical junction to contain the conductive fluid used to fill the fluid enclosure. Endoscopically inserted into the fluid enclosure is an electrosurgical instrument that is manipulated to vaporize and morcellate the fundus and body of the uterus. The fundus and body tissue that is vaporized and morcellated is then removed from the fluid enclosure through the shaft of the instrument, which includes a hollow interior that is connected to a suction pump The fundus and body are removed after the uterus has been disconnected from the tissue surrounding uterus.

A method is disclosed for treating benign conditions, such as enlarged tonsils and / or adenoids located in a patient's throat or nasopharynx, or soft tissue lesions located in a patient's oropharynx or larynx. According to the method, a space containing the patient's nasopharynx, oropharynx or pharynx and larynx is isolated from the patient's trachea and lungs using an inflatable cuff tracheostomy tube or nasotracheal tube inserted in the patient's trachea. The cuff is inflated to occlude the trachea. The patient is placed in a supine position, whereupon at least a portion of the space containing the nasopharynx and / or oropharynx and larynx is filled with saline. An endoscope is then inserted into the space to view the operative site in which the tonsils or tissue lesion are to be treated. An electrosurgical instrument having an active tissue treatment electrode and a return electrode connected to an electrosurgical generator is then inserted into the space, either along side the endoscope or through the endoscope's working channel. The generator is then operated to apply a radio frequency voltage between the active and return electrodes of the electrosurgical instrument, whereby a conduction path is formed between the active and return electrodes, at least partially through the saline, whereupon the active electrode is manipulated to debulk or otherwise treat the soft tissue lesion or enlarged tonsils and / or adenoids.

The present disclosure describes a device and methods for safely and accurately placing screws into bones with a powered driving device. By employing multiple layers of fail-safe features and image-guidance systems, the powered driving device provides safe, accurate, and efficient screw placement. That is, the powered driving device may continuously monitor a screw advancement and placement and may automatically shutdown when improper placement is detected. Monitoring placement may be conducted by a microcurrent-monitoring system, by an image-guidance system, or by any other appropriate sensory system. Additionally, upon detecting that screw insertion is complete, the powered driving device may be automatically shutdown. As screw placement is continuously simulated by image-guidance in real time, multiple redundant verification steps are eliminated, providing highly accurate screw placement while decreasing clinician error, device contamination, and surgical time, the decreased surgical time associated with decreased patient-recovery time and associated medical costs.

Provided are methods and apparatus for the use of magnetic traction to maintain the patency of a tubular anatomical structure, whether a vessel, duct, the trachea, bronchus, bile duct, ureter, vas deferens, fallopian tube, or portions of the digestive tract, as to constitute means for extraluminal stenting. An extraluminal stent consists of a perimedial or medial intravascular and an extravascular component. The intravascular component consists of ferromagnetic spherules implanted aeroballistically or stays implanted by means of a special hand tool, while the extravascular component consists of a pliant jacket or mantle that has magnets mounted about its outer surface. A catheter adapted for use as the barrel of a gas-operated implant insertion gun is so devised that it can be used independently to perform an angioplasty and thereafter have its free or extracorporeal end inserted into the airgun to initiate implantation of the intravascular component without the need for withdrawal and reinsertion through the introducer sheath. When the implants must be spaced too closely together to be controlled by hand, a positional control system is used to effect discharge automatically. Spherules that consist entirely of medication or that have a radiation emitting seed as the core can be implanted with the same apparatus. A glossary of terms follows the specification.

A game system is provided that conducts a game having one or more players. In the game, players compete in a number of gaming sessions to achieve an ultimate goal. In one example, the ultimate goal is to win a race, with the players' progress in the race being influenced by each players' success within individual game sessions. In one example, at least one of the game sessions is a guts poker game played among a number of players.

A new cardiac risk factors are disclosed along with method for deriving the components of the factors, for developing the factors and for using the factors. Methods for computing pericardial fat and abdominal fat are also disclosed as well as methods for motion compensation.

A system for continuously monitoring a user's motion and for continuously providing realtime visual physical performance information to the user while the user is moving to enable the user to detect physical performance constructs that expose the user to increased risk of injury or that reduce the user's physical performance. The system includes multiple passive controllers 100A-F for measuring the user's motion, a computing device 102 for communicating with wearable display glasses 120 and the passive controllers 100A-F to provide realtime physical performance feedback to the user. The computing device 102 also transmits physical performance constructs to the wearable display glasses 120 to enable the user to determine if his or her movement can cause injury or reduce physical performance.

Threat risks to an enterprise are detected and assessed by assembling singular threats identified using both direct and behavioral threat indicators into composite threats to create complex use cases across multiple domains, and to amplify risks along kill chains of known attacks for early detection. Composite threat risk scores are computed from risk scores of singular threats to exponentially increase with the number of events observed along the kill chain. Composite threats are combined with normalized values of static risk and inherent risk for an entity of the enterprise to produce an entity risk score representative of the overall risk to the entity.

Apparatus for treating a subject suffering from spontaneous atrial fibrillation includes an electrode device, adapted to be coupled to a vagus nerve of the subject, and a control unit, adapted to drive the electrode device to apply an electrical current to the vagus nerve, and to configure the current to maintain the spontaneous AF for at least about 24 hours, so as to modify blood flow within the atria and reduce risk of thromboembolic events.

A system and method for the automatic diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea in a centralized hospital critical care monitoring system for the monitoring of a plurality of patients in at least one of a critical care, step down, and cardiac ward by telemetry. The system includes a central processor having a display, and a plurality of telemetry units for mounting with patients, each of the telemetry units has a plurality of sensors for connection with each patient, the telemetry unit is capable of the transmission of multiple signals derived from the sensors to the central processor, in one preferred embodiment the method comprising steps of programming the system to analyze the signals and to automatically identify the presence and severity of obstructive sleep apnea and to provide an indication of the identification.

An application is included in a virtual machine sent to a cloud computing server. The cloud computing server has a remote access layer that fetches data blocks of the private dataset of the application from private data storage as the data blocks are requested by the application, so that the application in the public cloud begins execution without waiting for the entire application dataset to be transferred to the public cloud, and the data blocks are transferred from the private dataset to the public cloud only when the data blocks are accessed by the application. The application's private data is kept in the public cloud only when it is currently being used. If there are security concerns, the application's private data is transferred over the public network in an encrypted form and stored in the public cloud in an encrypted form.

Image processing systems are described which utilize various methods and processing algorithms for enhancing or facilitating visual detection and / or sensing modalities for images captured in vivo by an intravascular visualization and treatment catheter. Such assemblies are configured to deliver energy, such as RF ablation, to an underlying target tissue for treatment in a controlled manner while directly visualizing the tissue during the ablation process.

The inspection methods and systems of the present invention are mobile, deployable, and capable of scanning a wide variety of receptacles cost-effectively and accurately on uneven surfaces. The inspection system comprises an inspection module that, in a preferred embodiment, is in the form of a mobile trailer capable of being towed and transported to its intended operating site with the help of a tug-vehicle. The tug-vehicle preferably includes at least one source of electromagnetic radiation, a hydraulic lift system to load and unload the radiation source, and at least one radiation shield plate positioned on the back of the driver cabin of the tug-vehicle.

An external defibrillator having a battery; a capacitor electrically communicable with the battery; at least two electrodes electrically communicable with the capacitor and with the skin of a patient; a controller configured to charge the capacitor from the battery and to discharge the capacitor through the electrodes; and a support supporting the battery, capacitor, electrodes and controller in a deployment configuration, the defibrillator having a maximum weight per unit area in the deployment configuration of 0.1 lb / in2 and / or a maximum thickness of 1 inch. The support may be a waterproof housing.

The invention provides a method of preventing, delaying, or reversing the progression of Alzheimer's disease by administering an A.beta..sub.42 lowering agent to a mammal under conditions in which levels of A.beta..sub.42 are selectively reduced, levels of A.beta..sub.38 are increased, and levels of A.beta..sub.40 are unchanged. The invention provides methods and materials for developing and identifying A.beta..sub.42 lowering agents. In addition, the invention provides methods for identifying agents that increase the risk of developing, or hasten progression of, Alzheimer's disease. The invention also provides compositions of A.beta..sub.42 lowering agents and antioxidants, A.beta..sub.42 lowering agents and non-selective secretase inhibitors, as well as A.beta..sub.42 lowering agents and acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. The invention also provides kits containing A.beta..sub.42 lowering agents, antioxidants, non-selective secretase inhibitors, and / or acetylcholinesterase inhibitors as well as instructions related to dose regimens for A.beta..sub.42 lowering agents, antioxidants, non-selective secretase inhibitors, and acetylcholinesterase inhibitors.

The present invention relates to improved methods for treating anemia. Methods and compounds useful for treating anemia, wherein the anemia treatment is associated with a lower risk of thrombosis or hypertension compared to that observed with rhEPO therapy, are provided.

Utilization of a contact device placed on the eye in order to detect physical and chemical parameters of the body as well as the non-invasive delivery of compounds according to these physical and chemical parameters, with signals being transmitted continuously as electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared and the like. One of the parameters to be detected includes non-invasive blood analysis utilizing chemical changes and chemical products that are found in the conjunctiva and in the tear film. A transensor mounted in the contact device laying on the cornea or the surface of the eye is capable of evaluating and measuring physical and chemical parameters in the eye including non-invasive blood analysis. The system utilizes eye lid motion and / or closure of the eye lid to activate a microminiature radio frequency sensitive transensor mounted in the contact device. The signal can be communicated by wires or radio telemetered to an externally placed receiver. The signal can then be processed, analyzed and stored. Several parameters can be detected including a complete non-invasive analysis of blood components, measurement of systemic and ocular blood flow, measurement of heart rate and respiratory rate, tracking operations, detection of ovulation, detection of radiation and drug effects, diagnosis of ocular and systemic disorders and the like.

Arrangement for transferring information between a vehicle and one or more transmitters separate from the vehicle includes an antenna mounted on the vehicle and capable of receiving radio frequency waves emitted by the transmitter and containing information, a position determining device for determining the position of the vehicle, and a processor coupled to the antenna and the position determining device and arranged to analyze the waves received by the antenna, determine whether any received waves contain information of interest for operation of the vehicle based on the vehicle's position as determined by the position determining device, and extract the information of interest only from the received waves determined to contain information of interest. The information of interest may be information about the transmitter such as its location, speed, velocity, etc., or information relating to road conditions, weather and the like.

A ceramic article which is resistant to erosion by halogen-containing plasmas used in semiconductor processing. The ceramic article includes ceramic which is multi-phased, typically including two phase to three phases. The ceramic is formed from yttrium oxide at a molar concentration ranging from about 50 mole % to about 75 mole %; zirconium oxide at a molar concentration ranging from about 10 mole % to about 30 mole %; and at least one other component, selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide, hafnium oxide, scandium oxide, neodymium oxide, niobium oxide, samarium oxide, ytterbium oxide, erbium oxide, cerium oxide, and combinations thereof, at a molar concentration ranging from about 10 mole % to about 30 mole %.

The non-invasive detection of fetal chromosomal aneuploidies is demonstrated. Alleles of fetal RNA-SNPs present in a biological sample (e.g. maternal blood) containing fetal RNA are detected and quantified in order to determine the ratio of the alleles. This ratio is compared to a standard control consisting of euploid fetuses. Deviation of allele ratio indicates the presence of chromosomal aneuploidy.

<heading lvl="0">Abstract of Disclosure< / heading> Before use, a population of tamper-resistant cryptographic enforcement devices is partitioned into groups and issued one or more group keys. Each tamper-resistant device contains multiple computational units to control access to digital content. One of the computational units within each tamper-resistant device communicates with another of the computational units acting as an interface control processor, and serves to protect the contents of a nonvolatile memory from unauthorized access or modification by other portions of the tamper-resistant device, while performing cryptographic computations using the memory contents. Content providers enforce viewing privileges by transmitting encrypted rights keys to a large number of recipient devices. These recipient devices process received messages using the protected processing environment and memory space of the secure unit. The processing result depends on whether the recipient device was specified by the content provider as authorized to view some encrypted digital content. Authorized recipient devices can use the processing result in decrypting the content, while unauthorized devices cannot decrypt the content. A related aspect of the invention provides for securing computational units and controlling attacks. For example, updates to the nonvolatile memory, including program updates, are supported and protected via a cryptographic unlocking and validation process in the secure unit, which can include digital signature verification.

A system for recording, transmitting and compiling information indicative of actual vehicle operation and usage includes a device installed within a vehicle. Sensors communicate with the device to provide information relating to operation of the vehicle. A location module utilizes satellite signals to determine the current location of a vehicle. A data extraction module sends data to a central process server. The central processor compiles and summarizes the information from the device for determination of vehicle usage for use in determining an insurance premium.

An apparatus and a method of play in the practice of the present invention that are described below. An apparatus supporting the play of a casino table card game according to the present invention may comprise: A playing surface; A card-delivery device; A microprocessor operatively connected to the card-delivery device; Player controlled election identifiers that provide a visible signal of an election; At least two areas for display of at least partial card hands from which only one card hand may be elected for a wagering game by a player; The card-delivery device having at least one sensor thereon for sensing the presence of cards in a delivery area of the card-delivery device from which cards may be removed; The at least one sensor on the card-delivery device providing a signal to the microprocessor that a sensed set of cards has been removed from the delivery area; and in response to the signal, the microprocessor preventing players from entering a new election. The apparatus delivery device is preferably a card-shuffling device. The card-shuffling device may both shuffle cards and create sets of predetermined, preselected numbers of cards to be used in play of a card game. The card-shuffling device may be capable of being programmed to provide sets of cards of different numbers of cards to be used in the play of a card game. The apparatus signal to the microprocessor could comprise a signal that a sensed set of cards has been removed from the delivery area is in response to removal of either a) at least a portion of a player's hand or b) at least a portion of common cards. The signal to the microprocessor that a sensed set of cards has been removed from the delivery area may be in response to removal of at least a portion or all of common cards to be used in play of a game. A method of using this apparatus also constitutes a practice of the present invention.

A system is provided that preserves data privacy for the Individual—I and Private Data Owner (PDO) while granting data access to the User-U and Accessor who need such data to perform their usual and customary business functions. The method and system completely control the User's access to the Private Data Owner's Private Data by replacing Identifying Information for the User—U, Individual—I, Accessor and PDO with pseudonyms. This assures the overall privacy of individuals, throughout the course of collecting, storing, accessing, analyzing and sharing detailed private records among different organizations engaged in providing and / or consuming services and / or products. Access Control Rule Sets (“ACRS”) consist of instructions which prescribe the terms and conditions for permitting Users to access the PDO's Pseudonymized and Actual Private data in accordance with the rules governing their authorization to access such data.