76results about How to "Monitor effectiveness" patented technology

A computer-implemented method for managing medical information that includes the steps of: providing a central database of information having disparate data fields containing data, and performing an action based upon the data in the disparate data fields. The method includes of sorting, providing warnings or reminders, searching, organizing, transmitting, and presenting data from the database. The medical information management system includes a central database resident on a computing system. The central database has multiple disparate data fields containing data pertaining to patient-related information. A user interface communicates with the central database for accepting user input and transmitting system output. A visual display also communicates with the user interface to display the disparate data fields in selected or selectable formats. The system can include a report generating module, a device interface, and a compliance calculation module, all of which are in communication with the central database.

An Ultraviolet-C (UVC) based portable water purification system employing a novel array of baffles increases the efficiency per unit energy of irradiating UVC light in the eradication of pathogens in the water. Closed loop feedback allows monitoring the application of UVC light power to ensure high levels of pathogen eradication. This system is capable of eradicating a wide range of waterborne bacteria, viruses, protozoa, helminthes, yeast, and mold found in natural freshwater sources worldwide. By adding pre- or post-filters, the system can remove harmful organic compounds, pesticides, inorganic compounds and heavy metals from the water. The system can also be used to eradicate pathogens in fluids other than water. As a feature of this invention, a communications systems that can reach geographically dispersed populations at low cost without the need to install costly wired communications infrastructure is combined with and powered by the water purification system. In one embodiment, a packet radio system is provided to create nodes in a wireless mesh communications system to provide voice, data, video and internet communications using an array of the water purifiers to create a wireless mesh network.

An interactive television program guide system is provided in which targeted advertisements may be presented to a user and targeted actions taken in the program guide based on the user's interests. The program guide monitors the user's interactions with the program guide to determine the user's interests. Interactions that may be monitored include interactions that indicate the categories of programming that interest the user (e.g., movies, sports, children's programming, etc.), setting a reminder for a program, purchasing a program, requesting information on a program, browsing program listings for a particular time or channel, etc.

An implanted medical device may detect the onset of impaired glucose tolerance or Type II diabetes. The implanted medical device may have additional functionality. For example, the implanted medical device may be a pacemaker or a pressure monitor, but may also monitor insulin-mediated glucose uptake by processing electrical signals from the heart. An implanted medical device that monitors insulin-mediated glucose uptake may be implanted in a patient who has not been diagnosed with impaired glucose tolerance or Type II diabetes, and may give the patient early warning if these conditions develop.

Recovery of PEM fuel cell performance is achieved by evacuating (61, 62) or by flowing water absorbing gas (46) through, or both, the fuel flow field (12, 13, 19, 20), the air flow field (25, 26, 30, 31), and the water flow field (36, 39), while resistance of the individual cells, or of the fuel cell stack, is measured; the dry out process is continued until the resistance of the cells (or the resistance per cell, measured across the fuel cell stack as a whole), has increased by at least 5 to 1 (preferably 10 to 1) over the normal resistance of the cells. The water absorbing gas may be air (23) or nitrogen (47); it may be at ambient temperature or heated (50).

A method of using a diffusion-based, continuous-monitoring system to monitor the effectiveness of delivering a drug includes creating and maintaining a diffusion channel in an area of skin. The levels of the drug, metabolite, or affected substance of the drug are continuously monitored in the area of the skin for a desired duration via a diffusion-based, continuous-monitoring device. The levels of the drug, the metabolite, or affected substance is analyzed to determine the effectiveness of delivering the therapeutic drug.

The present invention provides methods and compositions for screening, diagnosis and prognosis of Schizophrenia, for monitoring the effectiveness of Schizophrenia treatment, identifying patients most likely to respond to a particular therapeutic treatment and for drug development. Schizophrenia-Associated Features (SFs), detectable by two-dimensional electrophoresis of cerebrospinal fluid, serum or plasma are described. The invention further provides Schizophrenia-Associated Protein Isoforms (SPIs) detectable in cerebrospinal fluid, serum or plasma, preparations comprising isolated SPIs, antibodies immunospecific for SPIs, and kits comprising the aforesaid.

Genes, SNP markers and haplotypes of susceptibility or predisposition to T2D and subdiagnosis of T2D and related medical conditions are disclosed. Methods for diagnosis, prediction of clinical course and efficacy of treatments for T2D, obesity and related phenotypes using polymorphisms in the risk genes are also disclosed. The genes, gene products and agents of the invention are also useful for monitoring the effectiveness of prevention and treatment of T2D and related traits. Kits are also provided for the diagnosis, selecting treatment and assessing prognosis of T2D. Novel methods for prevention and treatment of metabolic diseases such as T2D based on the disclosed T2D genes, polypeptides and related pathways are also disclosed.

A method of assessing the ongoing kidney status of a mammal afflicted with or at risk of developing chronic renal injury or disease, including chronic renal failure (CRF) by detecting the quantity of Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin (NGAL) in urine, serum or plasma samples at discrete time periods, as well as over time. Incremental increases in NGAL levels in CRF patients over a prolonged period of time are diagnostic of worsening kidney disease. This increase in NGAL precedes and correlates with other indicators of worsening chronic renal disease or CRF, such as increased serum creatinine, increased urine protein secretion, and lower glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Proper detection of worsening (or improving, if treatment has been instituted) renal status over time, confirmed by pre- and post-treatment NGAL levels in the patient, can aid the clinical practitioner in designing and/or maintaining a proper treatment regimen to slow or stop the progression of CRF.

The invention relates to an internal-reference-containing human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection kit. A detection primer and a detection probe are designed for a UL122 gene of an HCMV genome, a competitive internal reference amplification system is introduced by designing an internal reference probe and an internal reference male die and exists in the same reaction tube with an HCMV deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) detection system, and the probability of false negative caused by the failure of the kit or experiment misoperation and the like can be effectively reduced by introducing the internal reference amplification system. The kit can perform qualitative and quantitative detection on HCMV DNA quickly and simply, and has high specificity and sensitivity.

A method for determining mutation load in a somatic cell is determined by mutation analysis of the p53 gene. The p53 gene has been found to be a useful indicator of predisposition to spontaneous mutations or prior carcinogen exposure. Cells that contain mutated p53 tend to accumulate the mutant protein. Thus, DNA from a cell identified by p53 accumulation is amplified and the amplification product further analyzed for mutations in the p53 gene.

The presently-disclosed subject matter relates to antibodies, compositions, and methods for inhibiting and treating virus infection in the respiratory tract and virus transmission through the respiratory tract. In particular, the presently-disclosed subject matter relates to inhibiting and treating virus infection in a subject using compositions and antibodies that trap viruses in mucus of the respiratory tract, thereby inhibiting transport of virus across or through mucus secretions.