38results about How to "Prevent and minimize formation" patented technology

A method for treating contracture is provided that includes administering to a patient in need thereof a composition that includes a therapeutic agent effective in treating contracture. Compositions, devices, and kits for use in treating contracture are also described.

A method has been developed of preventing or limiting formation of adhesions by administering to a site in need thereof, in the absence of or after bleeding or leakage of fluid has been substantially stopped, a self-assembling material which forms a barrier to formation of adhesions. In one embodiment, the self-assembling material comprises peptides having a sequence of amino acid residues conforming to one or more of Formulas I-IV: ((Xaa°′−Xaa+)x(Xaane1_Xaa−)y)n (I); ((Xaa′_Xaa)x(Xaa°e°−Xaa+)y)n (II); ((Xaa+−Xaa″e1)x(Xaa−Xaa″)y)n (III); and ((Xaa−XaaQe7)x(Xaa+Xaa1e″)y)n (IV), where Xaan′ represents an amino acid residue having a neutral charge; Xaa+ represents an amino acid residue having a positive charge; Xaa represents an amino acid residue having a negative charge; x and y are integers having a value of 1, 2 or 4, independently; and n is an integer having a value of 1-5. In another embodiment, the self assembling materials are peptidomimetics, nucleotidomimetics, di- and triblock copolymers, N-alkylacrylamides, or dendimers. These materials are also useful in a method for regeneration or repair of tissue or cells forming tissue.

The present invention includes prosthetic heart valves having flexible leaflets and methods for fabricating the valves which improve upon the prior art.

The present invention provides a composition (e.g., a pharmaceutical composition) comprising at least one delivery agent compound and at least one of peptide YY (PYY) and a PYY agonist. Preferably, the composition includes a therapeutically effective amount of peptide YY or the PYY agonist and the delivery agent compound. The composition of the present invention facilitates the delivery of PYY, a PYY agonist, or a mixture thereof and increases its bioavailability compared to administration without the delivery agent compound. PPY and PYY agonists possess activity as agents to reduce nutrient availability, including reduction of food intake.

The present invention provides a composition (e.g., a pharmaceutical composition) comprising at least one delivery agent compound and at least one of peptide YY (PYY) and a PYY agonist. Preferably, the composition includes a therapeutically effective amount of peptide YY or the PYY agonist and the delivery agent compound. The composition of the present invention facilitates the delivery of PYY, a PYY agonist, or a mixture thereof and increases its bioavailability compared to administration without the delivery agent compound. PPY and PYY agonists possess activity as agents to reduce nutrient availability, including reduction of food intake

The present invention relates to improved single-use bioreactors comprising disposable plastic bags for cell cultivation. The invention provides an inflatable bioreactor bag for cell cultivation comprised of a top and a bottom sheet of polymer material that are joined along their edges to form a sealed bag, wherein two opposing edges are formed as clamping edges to allow clamping of the bioreactor bag to a rocker type bioreactor, and wherein the bioreactor bag is provided with a wrinkle preventing structure at each end of the clamping edges. The bag avoids formation of undesired wrinkles or creases which otherwise lead to fatigue of the plastic and eventually fracture.

A system and process are described for clean separation of biocrudes and water by-products from hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) product mixtures of organic and biomass-containing feedstocks at elevated temperatures and pressures. Inorganic compound solids are removed prior to separation of biocrude and water by-product fractions to minimize formation of emulsions that impede separation. Separation may be performed at higher temperatures that reduce heat loss and need to cool product mixtures to ambient. The present invention thus achieves separation efficiencies not achieved in conventional HTL processing.

The invention is directed to methods of treatment of Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies, via the administration of antibodies having specificity to abnormal forms of tau protein, the antibodies showing no binding and/or reactivity to a normal tau protein and being administered under conditions and in amounts effective to prevent or treat Alzheimer's disease or other tauopathies. In certain embodiments, the antibodies are selective for soluble truncated tau protein truncated at (i) its C-terminus after the glutamic acid residue Glu391, or (ii) at the aspartic acid residue Asp421, or (iii) at its N-terminus at the aspartic acid residue Asp13, or (iv) a combination of (i)-(iii). Further aspects of the invention are directed to the administration of an immunogen comprising an abnormal tau, preferably a soluble truncated tau.

The invention is directed to methods of treatment of Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies, via the administration of antibodies having specificity to abnormal forms of tau protein, the antibodies showing no binding and/or reactivity to a normal tau protein and being administered under conditions and in amounts effective to prevent or treat Alzheimer's disease or other tauopathies. In certain embodiments, the antibodies are selective for soluble truncated tau protein truncated at (i) its C-terminus after the glutamic acid residue Glu391, or (ii) at the aspartic acid residue Asp421, or (iii) at its N-terminus at the aspartic acid residue Asp13, or (iv) a combination of (i)-(iii). Further aspects of the invention are directed to the administration of an immunogen comprising an abnormal tau, preferably a soluble truncated tau.

A method for manufacturing an interconnection of a semiconductor device is provided. The method can include the steps of: forming an interlayer dielectric layer on a semiconductor substrate; forming a damascene pattern on the interlayer dielectric layer; depositing a seed layer on the interlayer dielectric layer; depositing a metal layer on the seed layer; depositing a copper layer on the metal layer for forming a copper interconnection; and performing a heat treatment process such that the metal layer reacts with the copper layer to produce an alloy layer including copper.

A disposable container for fluid is provided. The container has a vortex breaker positioned adjacent the container outlet and a fluid diverter positioned adjacent each inlet to the container.

A disposable container for fluid having an inlet and an outlet is provided. The container has a vortex breaker having a solid surface adapted to initially direct fluid away from the outlet and then through the outlet positioned adjacent the container outlet.

Disclosed are methods in which an aliphatic polyether selected from polyalkylene oxides with monomer units having 3 to about 10 carbon atoms and polyvinyl ethers with ether groups having 2 to about 8 carbon atoms is added to a hydrocarbon lubricant; such methods in which the hydrocarbon lubricant comprises oxidation products that are dissolved by the addition of the polyether or polyvinyl ether; hydrocarbon lubricants containing a polyether selected from polyalkylene oxides with monomer units having 3 to about 10 carbon atoms and polyvinyl ethers with ether groups having 2 to about 8 carbon atoms; methods of lubricating machines with these lubricants; lubrication systems including these hydrocarbon lubricants; and machines including these lubrication systems.

A preferred embodiment utilizes the waste heat from a refrigerant cycle to aid in the removal of condensate from a refrigerated case used primarily by grocery stores. Certain embodiments use a heating element to boil off condensate or a pump to remove the condensate. Another embodiment utilizes a wicking element and a shroud that directs hot air from the condenser through the wick thereby increasing the condensate evaporation rate. Yet another embodiment utilizes the hot gas tube from the refrigeration system routed through the bottom of the condensate tray to pre-heat the condensate to accelerate evaporation. Alternative embodiments combine certain features to create even more efficient system such as a heating element used with the wick system or the hot gas system used with the wick system. In some embodiments, a mold and mildew inhibitor is added to the condensate to maintain cleanliness.

An environmental control system is provided. The control system is configured to minimize formation of condensation by measuring dew points and temperatures. A system controller activates an air controller or air conditioner based on these monitored parameters such as a fan to move air between a controlled environment and evaluation environment or to recondition the air inside the control environment to maintain proper conditions within the controlled environment.

A protocol for removing condensables from a fluid. The fluid, as an example an acid gas stream captured for EOR or CCS purposes, is initially treated to condense liquids with removal to form a gas stream. The latter is then compressed and cooled. At least a portion of this is then expanded, to form a cooled low pressure stream, and mixed with the initial fluid stream to augment cooling and condensation of condensable components.

Methods of coupling adaptors to a target nucleic acid include coupling a first adaptor to a first end of the target nucleic acid to form a coupled first adaptor. A portion of a second adaptor is hybridized to a portion of the coupled first adaptor to form a hybridized second adaptor having a single-stranded 3′-end. The hybridized second adaptor is coupled to a second end of the target nucleic acid to form an adaptor-flanked product having at least a part of the first adaptor coupled to the first end of the target nucleic acid and at least a part of the second adaptor coupled to the second end of the target nucleic acid. These methods can minimize the formation of adaptor-dimers that may be problematic in subsequent complementary nucleic acid strand synthesis, amplification, and sequencing.