46 results about "Human airway" patented technology

Methods and devices are provided that are effective to remove an obstruction in a human airway and / or maintain an open airway. The methods and devices are particularly useful for patients suffering from snoring and / or OSA, and / or preventing upper airway obstructions in patients undergoing anesthesia. In one embodiment, the device includes a mouthpiece that is adapted to form a substantially sealed cavity within a human mouth, and a hollow elongate member having a first end that is coupled to the mouthpiece and that is in communication with the substantially sealed cavity, and a second end that is adapted to be coupled to a negative pressure generator. In use, a negative pressure generator can be attached to the hollow elongate member to create a negative pressure in a human mouth in response to an obstructed airway, thereby removing the obstruction. In particular, this device is effective to counteract the collapse of a patient's soft tissues of the upper airway to reopen the airway. The mouthpiece can also be used in combination with a nasal mask. In another embodiment, the oral appliance above also comprises a nasal mask, wherein the nasal mask provides a means of ventilation support, including but not limited to total mechanical ventilation, positive-end expiratory pressure, or continuous positive airway pressure. In use, such a device can provide complete patient ventilation and maintain an open upper airway.

Methods and devices are provided that are effective to remove an obstruction in a human airway related to snoring and / or OSA. In one embodiment, the device includes mouthpiece having a hollow body configured to be disposed in a user's mouth. The body includes superior and inferior outer surfaces as well as anterior and posterior surfaces, a channel configured to receive a user's teeth formed in at least one of the superior and inferior surfaces, an inner cavity formed between the superior, inferior, anterior, and posterior surfaces, and at least one aperture formed in the posterior surface that extends into the inner cavity. In one exemplary embodiment the at least one aperture is oriented to extend away from the user's teeth and toward a user's tongue when the mouthpiece is in use. In another embodiment, the hollow body is substantially c-shaped, and the at least one aperture includes a plurality of apertures spaced a distance apart from one another along the posterior surface between first and second terminal ends of the c-shaped inner portion of the hollow body. In still another embodiment, the mouthpiece includes an outer portion having an opening extending therethrough such that the outer portion is coupled to the hollow body and is in fluid communication with the cavity in the hollow body. A one-way valve can be disposed in the opening and can be configured to allow air to flow out of a user's oral cavity when the mouthpiece is in use.

Caps, containers embodying such caps, and methods of enhancing cap safety. Air flow passages through the cap enable one, who accidentally swallowed the cap, to breathe / pass air through the cap. Some air passages extend top to bottom. Openings in the outer side wall, and an air flow path across the cap, allow air to enter the cap on a first side, flow transversely through the cap, and exit an opposing side. The top-to-bottom air flow passages, and the air flow path across the cap, including the openings in the outer wall of the cap, collectively support air flow through the cap, thus through the person's airway, if / when the cap becomes accidentally lodged in a person's airway. The openings can be used to engage and extract an accidentally swallowed cap. Elements of an optional tamper evident ring remain attached to the cap after the cap is removed from the container.

In one embodiment, the invention provides a device for decreasing intracranial or intraocular pressures. The device comprises a housing having an inlet opening and an outlet opening that is adapted to be interfaced with a person's airway. The device further includes a valve system that is operable to regulate respiratory gas flows through the housing and into the person's lungs during spontaneous or artificial inspiration. The valve system assists in lowering intrathoracic pressures during each inspiration to repetitively lower pressures in the venous blood vessels that transport blood out of the head to thereby reduce intracranial or intraocular pressures.

Two system-level bronchoscopy guidance solutions are presented. The first incorporates a global-registration algorithm to provide the physician with updated navigational and guidance information during bronchoscopy. The system can handle general navigation to a region of interest (ROI), as well as adverse events, and it requires minimal commands so that it can be directly controlled by the physician. The second solution visualizes the global picture of all the bifurcations and their relative orientations in advance and suggests the maneuvers needed by the bronchoscope to approach the ROI. Guided bronchoscopy results using human airway-tree phantoms demonstrate the potential of the two solutions.

Methods and devices are provided that are effective to remove an obstruction in a human airway related to snoring and / or OSA. In one embodiment, the device includes a mouthpiece that is adapted to form a sealed cavity within a human mouth, and a hollow elongate member having a first end that is coupled to the mouthpiece and that is in communication with the sealed cavity, and a second end that is adapted to be coupled to a negative pressure generator. In use, a negative pressure generator can be attached to the hollow elongate member to create a negative pressure in a human mouth in response to an obstructed airway, thereby removing the obstruction. In particular, this device is effective to pull a patient's tongue and / or soft tissues of the upper airway up and away from the posterior pharyngeal wall to reopen the airway.

In one embodiment, the invention provides a device for decreasing intracranial or intraocular pressures. The device comprises a housing having an inlet opening and an outlet opening that is adapted to be interfaced with a person's airway. The device further includes a valve system that is operable to regulate respiratory gas flows through the housing and into the person's lungs during spontaneous or artificial inspiration. The valve system assists in lowering intrathoracic pressures during each inspiration to repetitively lower pressures in the venous blood vessels that transport blood out of the head to thereby reduce intracranial or intraocular pressures.

In one embodiment, the invention provides a device for decreasing intracranial or intraocular pressures. The device comprises a housing having an inlet opening and an outlet opening that is adapted to be interfaced with a person's airway. The device further includes a valve system that is operable to regulate respiratory gas flows through the housing and into the person's lungs during spontaneous or artificial inspiration. The valve system assists in lowering intrathoracic pressures during each inspiration to repetitively lower pressures in the venous blood vessels that transport blood out of the head to thereby reduce intracranial or intraocular pressures.

A method and an apparatus for measuring the concentration of a specific gas component of a gas mixture including another gas whose concentration is independently known using light absorption spectroscopy are provided. A method and an apparatus for assessing human airway inflammation by measuring the concentration of exhaled NO and CO2 present in orally exhaled breath using light absorption spectroscopy are also provided. NO concentration is determined at the time during breath sampling corresponding to a known exhaled CO2 concentration. Methods and apparatus are further provided for measuring NO concentration in orally exhaled human breath that analyze breath emanating from the lower airways and lungs, while excluding breath from the nasal cavity. They include steps and apparatus for discarding initially exhaled breath, flowing breath through an analysis chamber using a vacuum pump and flowing breath through an analysis chamber using a vacuum pump at an initial flow rate and later at a flow rate higher than the initial flow rate.

Devices, such as computer readable media, and methods, such as automated methods, for labeling and / or matching. Some of the devices and methods are particularly useful for anatomical labeling of human airway trees. Some of the devices and methods are particularly useful for matching branch-points of human airway trees from represented in two or more graphs.

A gas delivery system and method are disclosed in which a flow indicator is interposed between the distal end of a conduit connected to a gas source and a device for introducing the gas in the airway of an individual so that the individual, or some other person in visual contact with the individual, can easily determine whether or not gas is flowing through the system.

A system, method, and device for practicing tracheotomy tube maintenance are disclosed. The exemplary system may have a simulated head and neck section. The simulation may be a form hollow body of semi-rigid material with an internal cavity that simulates a human airway between a mouth and a neck of the human with a tracheal stoma in the neck. The tracheal stoma is sized to receive a tracheotomy tube. An aperture in the neck may be provided to allow a user to view the placement of the tracheotomy tube in the internal cavity.

Devices, such as computer readable media, and methods, such as automated methods, for labeling and / or matching. Some of the devices and methods are particularly useful for anatomical labeling of human airway trees. Some of the devices and methods are particularly useful for matching branch-points of human airway trees from represented in two or more graphs.

A method and an apparatus for measuring the concentration of a specific gas component of a gas mixture including another gas whose concentration is independently known using light absorption spectroscopy are provided. A method and an apparatus for assessing human airway inflammation by measuring the concentration of exhaled NO and CO2 present in orally exhaled breath using light absorption spectroscopy are also provided. NO concentration is determined at the time during breath sampling corresponding to a known exhaled CO2 concentration. Methods and apparatus are further provided for measuring NO concentration in orally exhaled human breath that analyze breath emanating from the lower airways and lungs, while excluding breath from the nasal cavity. They include steps and apparatus for discarding initially exhaled breath, flowing breath through an analysis chamber using a vacuum pump and flowing breath through an analysis chamber using a vacuum pump at an initial flow rate and later at a flow rate higher than the initial flow rate.

Methods and devices are provided that are effective to remove an obstruction in a human airway related to snoring and / or OSA. In one embodiment, the device includes mouthpiece having a hollow body configured to be disposed in a user's mouth. The body includes superior and inferior outer surfaces as well as anterior and posterior surfaces, a channel configured to receive a user's teeth formed in at least one of the superior and inferior surfaces, an inner cavity formed between the superior, inferior, anterior, and posterior surfaces, and at least one aperture formed in the posterior surface that extends into the inner cavity. In one exemplary embodiment the at least one aperture is oriented to extend away from the user's teeth and toward a user's tongue when the mouthpiece is in use. In another embodiment, the hollow body is substantially c-shaped, and the at least one aperture includes a plurality of apertures spaced a distance apart from one another along the posterior surface between first and second terminal ends of the c-shaped inner portion of the hollow body. In still another embodiment, the mouthpiece includes an outer portion having an opening extending therethrough such that the outer portion is coupled to the hollow body and is in fluid communication with the cavity in the hollow body. A one-way valve can be disposed in the opening and can be configured to allow air to flow out of a user's oral cavity when the mouthpiece is in use.

A human airway cleaning tool is provided that aids in the removal of foreign or blocking material in the airway of humans. Resembling a Yankauer suction tube, the cleaning tube has a provision for the attachment of a conventional vacuum cleaner hose. This feature makes the invention suitable for use anywhere at almost anytime as long as a vacuum cleaner is available. Further featured is a round, ball-shaped, tip that easily enters a person's throat with causing damage. Shaped such that it is easily held, the cleaning tool is easily maneuvered while it is in a person's mouth.

The invention discloses a method for culturing human airway epithelial cells. The method comprises the following steps of: (1) acquiring human airway epithelial cells which are subjected to primary culture; and (2) acquiring human airway epithelial cells which are subjected to subculture, namely cleaning by using a phosphoric acid buffer solution when the fusion density of primary cells reaches 70 to 90 percent, adding a 0.25 percent trypsin solution, digesting at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes, collecting cell suspension when cells are retracted and suspended, adding an equal amount of solution containing a protease inhibitor, performing centrifugal collection on the cells, inoculating in a novel culture dish containing a complete medium at the concentration of between 1 and 6*10<6> cells / ml, culturing, and thus obtaining the human airway epithelial cells which are subjected to subculture when the cells grow to a logarithmic growth phase after 3 to 5 days. The method for culturing the human airway epithelial cells has a stable technology and is high in repeatability; and the cultured cells have high purity and uniform morphology, grow well and can be subjected to continuous passage.

An inflatable oral airway (IOA) device for maintaining the patency of an airway of a patient without substantial extension into the pharynx or larynx of the patient. The IOA is inserted into the patient's oro-pharynx after the patient is sedated or under general anesthesia. The IOA comprises a core that is substantially shaped the same as a conventional or normal human airway. The IOA has an inverted orientation, i.e. the bottom or ventral surface of the core rests on the upper surface of the patient's tongue. The IOA also comprises a cuff and a hinge balloon which may be inflated in tandem or in sequence to open and support the soft tissues of the mouth and pharynx in four different directions as well as articulate and increase the internal volume of the IOA itself.

The invention relates to an intelligent electronic simulated bronchoscope training device, which comprises the simulated bronchoscope, a simulated prosthesis module, a host and a display, wherein the forefront end of the simulated bronchoscope is fixedly provided with two signal transmitters; the two signal transmitters are used for tracking the position and the direction of the simulated bronchoscope respectively and the position and the direction are transmitted to the host; the simulated prosthesis module comprises a simulated head and a prosthesis frame for simulating a human airway structure, the simulated bronchoscope enters the prosthesis frame through a mouth or a nose of the simulated head, the prosthesis frame limits the movement trajectory of the simulated bronchoscope according to a preset range, a resistance providing device is also arranged at the inlet of the prosthesis frame for limiting the advancing of the simulated bronchoscope; and the host is internally provided with a bronchoscope training system for progressively training a bronchoscope operator, and a quantitative assessment standard for evaluating whether a clinician can safely operate the bronchoscope on a patient can be realized.

A method of detecting a risk for or presence of asthma in a subject. The method comprises obtaining a biological sample comprising human airway smooth muscle cells from a subject and testing the biological sample for the presence of a pentraxin-3 (PTX3) polypeptide. The presence and / or quantity of PTX3 polypeptide in the biological sample correlates with the risk for or presence of asthma in the subject.

The present invention relates to the targeted delivery of a delivery vehicle construct which specifically binds to and stimulates endocytosis into cells expressing the urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR), and particularly human airway epithelia. The delivery vehicle construct comprises a portion of uPA and a cargo linked thereto and is useful for the targeted delivery of the cargo to a cell. In one aspect of the invention, the uPA portion of the delivery vehicle construct comprises the wild-type uPA, a fragment of uPA which has the PAI-1 binding region deleted, or a uPA peptide comprising amino acids 13-19 and is useful for the targeted delivery of the cargo to cells, and in particular to airway epithelia. The present invention also provides a method for delivering the delivery vehicle construct to a cell. The method comprises the steps of (a) contacting a target cell with a delivery vehicle construct comprising a uPA portion and a cargo portion; and (b) obtaining a desired result in the target cell.

The invention belongs to the field of medical equipment for the pneumology department and particularly relates to a device for measuring the diameter of a human airway. One end of a moving inner tubeglidingly extends into a first conveying outer tube from the tail end of the first conveying outer tube, and a cavity is formed between the inner wall of the first conveying outer tube and the outer wall of the moving inner tube; optical fiber is arranged in the cavity and connected with a display; one end of an annular bag part is communicated with the tail end of a second conveying outer tube, the other end of the annular bag part is communicated with the head end of the first conveying outer tube, and the side wall of the moving inner tube is connected with the inner wall of the annular bagpart through an expansion device; a deviator for controlling the direction of the conveying outer tube is also arranged on the side wall of the first conveying outer tube; scales are arranged on theside wall of the part, extending out of the conveying outer tube, of the moving inner tube. The device can control the direction freely and is simple to operate and high in accuracy, and the measurement problem of the diameter of the human airway at present is solved.

The present invention relates to the use of annellated pyrrole compounds and in particular ML3000 (licofelone), salts or derivatives thereof, for cancer management, and in general to the use of a compound of Formula (I): wherein the variables have the meanings given in the present description, for the prevention and / or treatment of neoplasia, in particular neoplasia selected from the group consisting of papilloma, carcinoma, adenoma and adenocarcinoma, e.g. human airway or colorectal carcinoma, preferably fast-growing, multidrug resistant and / or COX-2 negative neoplasia. The invention further relates to pharmaceutical compositions for the aforesaid purposes, comprising annellated pyrrole compounds and in particular ML3000 (licofelone), optical isomers, salts or derivatives thereof, as well as to a method of treating and / or preventing neoplasia and / or restoring the ability to undergo apoptosis in a cell having lost the same. This treatment ameliorates, diminishes, actively treats, reverses or prevents any disease related to insufficient apoptosis, in particular neoplasia, and it may be combined with irradiation, heating and treatment with a cytotoxic agent for preventive and / or curative purposes.

The invention relates to the technical field of medical care, in particular to a novel intelligent control which effectively prevents snoring and can carry out individualized sleeping posture adjustment. An object of the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of existing pillows. A method for automatically identify sleeping position with reasonable structure features that that head position is automatically adjust to improve the patency of airway, the included angle between head and neck can be adjusted by sleeping on back and side, and the patency of human airway model can be improved to prevent snoring without disturbance. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for adjusting the height of a pillow by automatically recognizing a sleeping position and adaptively adjusting the height of a pillow corresponding to a head and a neck. The supine position and the lateral position can ensure the cervical vertebrae to reach the normal physiological curvaturestate, prevent the cervical vertebrae from being overweight, achieve the balance of the head and neck forces, and improve the sleep comfort.

The invention belongs to the field of culture media, and particularly relates to a human airway epithelial cell serum-free culture medium with clear chemical components and an application of the humanairway epithelial cell serum-free culture medium. The serum-free culture medium for in-vitro multiplication culture of human airway epithelial cells comprises an MCDB153 basal culture medium, a high-amino-acid composition and a small-molecule composition, wherein the high-amino-acid composition comprises L-histidine, L-isoleucine, L-methionine, L-phenylalanine, L-tryptophan and L-tyrosine; the small-molecule composition comprises dibutyryl cyclic adenylate, a recombinant fibroblast growth factor 1, a recombinant epidermal growth factor and a recombinant insulin-like growth factor 1. A serum-free culture medium system disclosed by the invention is clear in chemical components, does not contain serum or serum substitutes, does not need trophoblastic cells for co-culture, does not need to coat a culture vessel with a matrix, and is economical and efficient. Therefore, the culture medium provided by the invention is very suitable for preparation and research of scientific research grade and clinical grade airway epithelial cells.

A microfluidic device is provided for studying primary human airway cells cultured at the air-liquid interface defined in the device by a barrier between an apical and basolateral compartment provided by a porous support for growing a cell layer. Within the chip, a liquid flow channel is provided through the basolateral compartment. Primary measurement electrodes are arranged widely spaced apart in the basolateral compartment to cause a significant component of electrical current flowing between them to flow via the cell layer. Secondary measurement electrodes are also provided to make comparative measurements which are used to deduce parameters that are relevant for the equivalent circuit model use for analysing the data obtained from the primary measurement electrodes. The microfluidic device has a modular construction of substrate, spacer and sidewall piece, with the electrodes being formed on the substrate, and the substrate and spacer co-defining the flow channel.

The invention aims to provide a preparation method of an airway mucus model. The chemical components and physical property of the mucus model are matched with the chemical components and physical property of airway mucus of a human body. According to a formula, the model comprises dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), blood serum albumin (BSA), glutaraldehyde (GA) and a phosphate buffer solution (PBS). The preparation method comprises the steps of (1) preparing the PBS as required; (2) dissolving DPPC into the prepared PBS, and magnetically stirring for 2h; (3) adding the BSA and the HEC into the stirred solution, and mixing the solution for several days by using a mixer; and (4) adding GA into the solution prepared in the step (3), carrying out corsslinking reaction within a certain temperature range, collecting the crosslinked solution, and carrying out freeze drying. The preparation method is simple in process, low in cost and nonhazardous; and the biological, physical and chemical properties of the mucus model are matched with the biological, physical and chemical properties of a human airway mucus model, and therefore, the airway mucus model plays a great important role on the aspects of mucus protection mechanism, pathologic analysis, drug delivery and genetic vector therapy.