501results about How to "Minimal damage" patented technology

Intralumenal material removal systems are provided using an advanceable and rotatable cutter assembly designed for differential cutting. The intralumenal material removal system includes a cutter assembly positionable in the body cavity of a mammalian subject. One embodiment of the cutter assembly includes a cutter with blades that are designed and arranged to form an acute blade angle of attack with the matter-to-be-removed. The cutter assembly is axially advanceable by translating the drive shaft and rotatable by rotating the drive shaft. The occlusive material is scraped by the cutter assembly and may be aspirated to remove the material from the body cavity. The cutter assembly may provide aspiration ports positioned between facing surfaces of the blades.

An improved method of reducing and stabilizing the sternum after a sternotomy includes fixing a staple at the anterior surface of the sternum adjacent to each outlet for trans-sternal wire sutures. The staples are applied to the sternal halves to reinforce the bone adjacent to the suture outlets so as to prevent the suture from cutting into the bone. As each suture loop is tightened to adapt the sternum, the suture loop abuts the staples adjacent the suture outlets. The staples are deformed under force applied by the suture loop to indicate that the loop has been tightened to an optimum degree. A sterile surgical staple gun is employed to install the staples in the sternal halves. A kit for performing the improved sternal reduction procedure includes a pre-sterilized staple gun loaded with surgical staples, as well as suture / needle assemblies.

A surgical wound retractor is adapted to dilate a wound stretchable to a desired diameter, the retractor includes a first ring having a diameter greater than that desired for the wound and being adapted for disposition interiorly of the wound. A second ring has a diameter greater than that desired for the wound and is adapted for disposition exteriorly of the wound. A plurality of retraction elements are disposed in a generally cylindrical relationship to each other, between the first ring and the second ring. These elements extend through the wound to exert a radial retraction force on the wound which is dependent on the distance separating the first ring and the second ring. Retraction elements, both distensible and non-distensible are contemplated with appropriate attachment elements at the rings to provide for variations in the retraction force. With a suitable retraction sleeve, a third ring can be provided to form a circumferential retainer to vary the retraction force. Rings can also be made inflatable or self-expanding to vary the retraction force. An associated method includes the step of rolling the second ring circumferentially of the third ring to form the circumferential retainer.

Devices and methods for determining the concentration of an analyte in a physiological sample are provided. The subject devices are meters characterized by having an internal structure that includes a test strip selecting element having a continuously reduced cross-sectional area configured to select a single test strip at a time and means for determining the concentration of an analyte in a physiological sample applied to the selected test strip. In the subject methods for containing at least one test strip and dispensing a single test strip at a time, a meter having at least one test strip contained therein is provided. The meter is positioned with respect to the ground to cause the single test strip to move from a contained position to a dispensed position. The subject invention also includes kits for use in practicing the subject methods.

A method and apparatus for removing plaque, fatty deposits, and other occlusions from blood vessels using ultrasonic energy. The method and apparatus has particular application in removing plaque from the carotid artery in a non-thermal manner. The apparatus is designed to have as small a cross-sectional profile as possible, therefore allowing the apparatus to be used in a minimally-invasive manner. As a result, the apparatus can be used in both surgical and outpatient treatment with minimal post-operative complications and minimal damage to areas other than the area of treatment. An ultrasonic probe may include aspiration channels on its outer surface. An aspiration sheath may surround the ultrasonic probe, such that the location of an aspiration port may be varied axially relative to the ultrasonic tip.

An apparatus and method for processing lease insurance information, including a processor for processing information for generating at least one of an insurance premium and an insurance policy for providing insurance for excess wear or post warranty repairs for a leased entity, wherein the processor generates a information regarding an insurance premium or an insurance policy, wherein the processor generates information regarding at least one of a liability, a potential liability, and a risk of loss, associated with the at least one of an insurance policy and an insurance product, and at least one of a display device and an output device for providing information, the insurance premium, the insurance policy, or the insurance product.

A magnetically-levitated blood pump with an optimization method that enables miniaturization and supercritical operation. The blood pump includes an optimized annular blood gap that increases blood flow and also provides a reduction in bearing stiffness among the permanent magnet bearings. Sensors are configured and placed optimally to provide space savings for the motor and magnet sections of the blood pump. Rotor mass is increased by providing permanent magnet placement deep within the rotor enabled by a draw rod configuration.

Electrochemical biosensors consisting of two or more needle-shaped electrodes for monitoring of molecules such as glucose in the subcutaneous tissue are provided. The two electrodes are parallel to each other, and are fixed perpendicularly to the planar side of a sensor base which provides skin fixation and electric connection. The needle electrodes are made of rigid conducting materials, capable of inserting into the skin without the need of catheters. One electrode is the sensing electrode and the other, the reference electrode. A compound sensing membrane is attached onto the sensing electrode surface to detect analyzed molecules.

The present invention provides methods and apparatus for controlling light-induced tissue treatment. In accordance with various aspects of the present invention, the invention provides for improved, real-time control of the light beam operational parameters which enables greater safety, efficiency, uniformity and continuity of the treatment process.

A heat exchanger 17 for an electronic heat pump 11 includes a thermally conductive base plate 18 having first and second surfaces, the first surface being flat and adapted to make intimate surface contact with a surface of the electronic heat pump and the second surface being obverse to the first surface and supporting an array of thermally conductive fins 21. The adjacent fins 21 define there between a plurality of micro channels.

The present invention provides metallic films containing a Group IVB or VB metal, silicon and optionally nitrogen by utilizing atomic layer deposition (ALD). In particularly, the present invention provides a low temperature thermal ALD method of forming metallic silicides and a plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PE-ALD) method of forming metallic silicon nitride film. The methods of the present invention are capable of forming metallic films having a thickness of a monolayer or less on the surface of a substrate. The metallic films provided in the present invention can be used for contact metallization, metal gates or as a diffusion barrier.

A method of cutting a glass sheet that has been thermally or chemically strengthened along a predetermined line, axis, or direction with high speed and with minimum damage on the cut edges. The strengthened glass sheet may be cut into at least two pieces, one of which having a predetermined shape or dimension. At least one damage line is formed within the strengthened glass sheet. The at least one damage line is formed outside the strengthened compressive stress surface layers and within the tensile stress layer of the strengthened glass sheet. The at least one damage line may be formed by laser treatment. A crack is initiated in the strengthened glass sheet and propagated along the at least one damage line to separate the strengthened glass sheet along the predetermined line, axis, or direction into at least two pieces.

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for near-simultaneous and integrated delivery of bone graft material during the placement of surgical cages or other medical implants in a patient's spine. The integrated fusion cage and graft delivery device according to various embodiments delivers and disperses biologic material through a fusion cage to a disc space and, without withdrawal from the surgical site, may selectably detach the fusion cage for deposit to the same disc space. The integrated fusion cage and graft delivery device is formed such that a hollow tube and plunger selectively and controllably place bone graft material and a fusion cage in or adjacent to the bone graft receiving area. In one embodiment, the integrated fusion cage is an expandable integrated fusion cage.

A temporary valve and a filtration device can be added to a delivery catheter or guide catheter to improve hemodynamics and provide embolic protection. Both the valve and filter can mount onto the outer diameter of a delivery or guide catheter, which offers several distinct advantages. First, the inner lumen of the delivery or guide catheter remains unaffected, thereby allowing the standard procedure steps to take place without any changes or interruptions, or with minimal changes or interruptions.

A method and system for non-invasive treatment of a soft tissue, such as adipose tissue, muscle tissue or connective tissue. The apparatus comprises an applicator configured to apply a pressure pulse to the skin surface having a negative pressure phase with respect to ambient pressure. The method comprises applying at least one pressure pulse to the skin surface overlying the soft tissue, where the pressure pulse has at least one negative pressure phase.

The system for real time train disaster vulnerability assessment and rescue guidance using multi layered video computational analytics comprises digital video cameras mounted on train, video cameras mounted at fixed locations on rail route; unmanned aerial monitoring vehicle; train on-broad computer system mounted on train and centralized system centrally located in railway network. The digital video cameras capture video images of railways track and adjacent structure from running train and automatically compute degree of disaster vulnerability from collective analysis of output from all video cameras. In case degree of disaster vulnerability exceeds predetermined threshold value a disaster alert is triggered to take immediate precautionary measures while simultaneously activating On Board Rescue and Response System. In case degree of disaster vulnerability is below predetermined threshold value, the analytics output is transmitted to higher level modules for in-depth advanced analytics by combining real-time train data or real-time geographic and environmental data contributing to a potential disaster.

The present invention provides methods and apparatus for controlling light-induced tissue treatment. In accordance with various aspects of the present invention, the invention provides for improved, real-time control of the light beam operational parameters which enables greater safety, efficiency, uniformity and continuity of the treatment process.

Devices and methods for determining the concentration of an analyte in a physiological sample are provided. The subject devices are meters characterized by having an internal structure that includes a test strip selecting element having a continuously reduced cross-sectional area configured to select a single test strip at a time and means for determining the concentration of an analyte in a physiological sample applied to the selected test strip. In the subject methods for containing at least one test strip and dispensing a single test strip at a time, a meter having at least one test strip contained therein is provided. The meter is positioned with respect to the ground to cause the single test strip to move from a contained position to a dispensed position. The subject invention also includes kits for use in practicing the subject methods.

An objective of the present invention is to overcome a problem that there is an inverse relationship between the decellularization rate and the strength of tissue. This problem was solved by immersing tissue in a solution containing a non-micellar amphipathic molecule (e.g., a 1,2-epoxide polymer). Thus, the present invention provides decellularized tissue, in which the cell survival rate of the tissue is less than a level at which calcification or an immune reaction is elicited in an organism and the tissue damage rate of the tissue is suppressed to a level which permits clinical applications. Tissue prepared by the above-described treatment preferably retains a certain level of tissue strength. Further, the tissue of the present invention has an effect of performing cell replacement.

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for near-simultaneous and integrated delivery of bone graft material during the placement of surgical cages or other medical implants in a patient's spine. The integrated fusion cage and graft delivery device according to various embodiments delivers and disperses biologic material through a fusion cage to a disc space and, without withdrawal from the surgical site, may selectably detach the fusion cage for deposit to the same disc space. The integrated fusion cage and graft delivery device is formed such that a hollow tube and plunger selectively and controllably place bone graft material and a fusion cage in or adjacent to the bone graft receiving area.

There is provided a communication device and method for contactless short range communication between a device and a terminal. An exemplary communication device comprises a communication component for contactless short range communication with a terminal. The exemplary device also comprises a slave element adapted to execute at least one application for executing transactions between the communication component and the terminal, wherein the slave element is coupled to the communication component via a first interface and wherein the slave element can be coupled to a secure master element via a second interface, the master element being adapted to control the slave element before a transaction is executed using the application.

The present invention provides methods and compositions for predicting the response to a therapeutic regimen in a subject having a disease associated with cell death.

A composite structure having improved ballistic toughness and suitable for use in a fan containment case is provided. The composite structure includes a plurality of core layers, a plurality of inner plies position between adjacent ones of the core layers, each of the inner plies being formed from an organic matrix composite, an inner skin located adjacent an innermost one of the core layers, and an outer skin located adjacent an outermost one of the core layers. In a preferred embodiment, the core layers are formed from a honeycomb material made from aluminum or an aluminum alloy.

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for near-simultaneous and integrated delivery of bone graft material during the placement of surgical cages or other medical implants in a patient's spine. The integrated fusion cage and graft delivery device according to various embodiments delivers and disperses biologic material through a fusion cage to a disc space and, without withdrawal from the surgical site, may selectably detach the fusion cage for deposit to the same disc space. The integrated fusion cage and graft delivery device is formed such that a hollow tube and plunger selectively and controllably place bone graft material and a fusion cage in or adjacent to the bone graft receiving area.

A shaped charge and a method of using such to provide for large and effective perforations in oil bearing sandy formations while causing minimal disturbance to the formation porosity is described. This shaped charge uses a low-density liner having a filler material that is enclosed by outer walls made, preferably, of plastic or polyester. The filler material is preferably a powdered metal or a granulated substance, which is left largely unconsolidated. The preferred filler material is aluminum powder, or aluminum particles, that are coated with an oxidizing substance, such as TEFLON®, permitting a secondary detonation reaction inside the formation following jet penetration. The filled liner is also provided with a metal cap to aid penetration of the gun scallops, the surrounding borehole casing and the cement sheath. The metal cap forms the leading portion of the jet, during detonation. The remaining portion of the jet is formed from the low-density filler material, thereby resulting in a more particulated jet. The jet results in less compression around the perforation tunnel and less skin damage to the proximal end of the perforation tunnel.

A process for forming a heat weld between a catheter shaft and a surrounding balloon comprises selecting an elongate catheter shaft formed of thermoplastic polymeric material that is opaque to red and near-infrared light, and selecting a balloon formed of thermoplastic polymeric material that is transparent or translucent to red and near-infrared light. While a neck of the balloon is fitted in close contact around a distal portion of the catheter shaft, a laser beam of red and near-infrared light is applied through the balloon neck to impinge on the underlying opaque distal shaft, which is heated thereby. Heat from the shaft is conducted into the surrounding balloon neck so that adjacent annular portions of both components melt and mix. The molten materials are allowed to cool, forming a secure weld joint between the neck and the shaft. The process yields strong, flexible bonds between balloons and catheter shafts that may be selected from a wide variety of materials.