380 results about "Vascular tissue" patented technology

The present invention provides an apparatus and a method for producing a virtual electrode within or upon a tissue to be treated with radio frequency alternating electric current, such tissues including but not limited to liver, lung, cardiac, prostate, breast, and vascular tissues and neoplasms. An apparatus in accord with the present invention includes a supply of a conductive or electrolytic fluid to be provided to the patient, an alternating current generator, and a processor for creating, maintaining, and controlling the ablation process by the interstitial or surficial delivery of the fluid to a tissue and the delivery of electric power to the tissue via the virtual electrode. A method in accord with the present invention includes delivering a conductive fluid to a predetermined tissue ablation site for a predetermined time period, applying a predetermined power level of radio frequency current to the tissue, monitoring at least one of several parameters, and adjusting either the applied power and / or the fluid flow in response to the measured parameters.

A bipolar electrosurgical instrument has opposable seal surfaces on its jaws for grasping and sealing vessels and vascular tissue. Inner and outer instrument members allow arcuate motion of the seal surfaces. An open lockbox provides a pivot with lateral support to maintain alignment of the lateral surfaces. Ratchets on the instrument members hold a constant closure force on the tissue during the seal process. A shank portion on each member is tuned to provide an appropriate spring force to hold the seal surfaces together. During surgery, the instrument can be used to grasp and clamp vascular tissue and apply bipolar electrosurgical current through the clamped tissue. In one embodiment, the seal surfaces are partially insulated to prevent a short circuit when the instrument jaws are closed together. In another embodiment, the seal surfaces are removably mounted on the jaws.

A system and method is provided for using backscattered data and known parameters to characterize vascular tissue. Specifically, in one embodiment of the present invention, an ultrasonic device is used to acquire RF backscattered data (i.e., IVUS data) from a blood vessel. The IVUS data is then transmitted to a computing device and used to create an IVUS image. The blood vessel is then cross-sectioned and used to identify its tissue type and to create a corresponding image (i.e., histology image). A region of interest (ROI), preferably corresponding to the identified tissue type, is then identified on the histology image. The computing device, or more particularly, a characterization application operating thereon, is then adapted to identify a corresponding region on the IVUS image. To accurately match the ROI, however, it may be necessary to warp or morph the histology image to substantially fit the contour of the IVUS image. After the corresponding region is identified, the IVUS data that corresponds to this region is identified. Signal processing is then performed and at least one parameter is identified. The identified parameter and the tissue type (e.g., characterization data) is stored in a database. In another embodiment of the present invention, the characterization application is adapted to receive IVUS data, determine parameters related thereto (either directly or indirectly), and use the parameters stored in the database to identify a tissue type or a characterization thereof.

A bipolar electrosurgical instrument has opposable seal surfaces on its jaws for grasping and sealing vessels and vascular tissue. Inner and outer instrument members allow arcuate motion of the seal surfaces. An open lockbox provides a pivot with lateral support to maintain alignment of the lateral surfaces. Ratchets on the instrument members hold a constant closure force on the tissue during the seal process. A shank portion on each member is tuned to provide an appropriate spring force to hold the seal surfaces together. During surgery, the instrument can be used to grasp and clamp vascular tissue and apply bipolar electrosurgical current through the clamped tissue. In one embodiment, the seal surfaces are partially insulated to prevent a short circuit when the instrument jaws are closed together. In another embodiment, the seal surfaces are removably mounted on the jaws.

A system and method is provided for using the frequency spectrum of a radio frequency (RF) signal backscattered from vascular tissue to identify at least one border (e.g., tissue interface, etc.) on a vascular image. Embodiments of the present invention operate in accordance with a data gathering device (e.g., an intra-vascular ultrasound (IVUS) device, etc.) electrically connected to a computing device and a transducer via a catheter. The transducer is used to gather radio frequency (RF) data backscattered from vascular tissue. The RF data is then provided to (or acquired by) the computing device via the data-gathering device. In one embodiment of the present invention, the computing device includes (i) at least one data storage device (e.g., database, memory, etc.) for storing a plurality of tissue types and parameters related thereto and (ii) at least one application (e.g., a characterization application, a gradient-border application, a frequency-border application and / or an active-contour application). The characterization application is used to convert (or transform) the RF data into the frequency domain and to identify a plurality of parameters associated therewith. The identified parameters are then compared to the parameters stored in the data storage device to identify the corresponding tissue type. This information (e.g., tissue type, corresponding RF data, etc.) is then used, either alone or together with other border-related information (e.g., gradient information, other-border information, etc.), to determine at least one border on a vascular image.

A surgical stent made of biocompatible material for implantation in human tissue to enable blood and nutrients to flow from an area of vascular tissue to an area of tissue with little or no vasculature.

The invention relates to cells or tissues having an increased amount of regulatory proteins, including cytokines, growth factors, angiogenic factors and / or stress proteins, and methods of producing and using those cells or tissues. The invention is based on the discovery that the production of regulatory proteins is induced in cells or tissue constructs following cryopreservation and subsequent thawing of the cells or constructs. The compositions and methods of this invention are useful for the treatment of wound healing and the repair and / or regeneration of other tissue defects including those of skin, cartilage, bone, and vascular tissue as well as for enhancing the culture and / or differentiation of cells and tissues in vitro.

The current invention provides methods to silence insect genes by using unpackaged dsRNA or siRNA, in one embodiment such dsRNA or siRNA is present in plant vascular tissue, preferably phloem, more particularly phloem sap, and the insect is a plant sap-sucking insect. Also provided are DNA sequences which when transcribed yield a double-stranded RNA molecule capable of reducing the expression of an essential gene of a plant sap-sucking insect, methods of using such DNA sequences and plants or plant cells transformed with such DNA sequences. Also provided is the use of cationic oligopeptides that facilitate the entry of dsRNA or siRNA molecules in insect cells, such as plant sap-sucking insect cells.

An ablation catheter system for capturing and removing necrotic tissue and thrombi generated during an ablative procedure is disclosed. The catheter typically includes an elongate member, a filtration assembly disposed within the distal region, and an ablation instrument at the distal end. Alternatively, the ablation instrument is carried on the distal end of an ablation catheter, which is disposed within a lumen of the catheter system. The catheter may further include an aspiration port and lumen. Methods of using the devices in preventing distal embolization during ablative procedures are disclosed.

Methods and devices for reducing the mineral content of a region of non-intimal vascular tissue are provided. In the subject methods, an isolated local environment that includes the region to be demineralized is produced. The pH of the local environment is then reduced to a subphysiologic level, e.g. by flushing with an acidic dissolution fluid, for a period of time sufficient for the mineral content of the region to be reduced. The devices of the subject invention are characterized by comprising a means for producing an isolated local environment that includes a non-intimal region of vascular tissue. Also provided are kits for practicing the subject methods.

The compositions and methods include targeting peptides selective for tissue selective binding, particularly prostate and / or bone cancer, or adipose tissue. The methods may comprise targeting peptides that bind, for example, cell surface GRP78, IL-11Rα in blood vessels of bone, or prohibitin of adipose vascular tissue. These peptides may be used to induce targeted apoptosis in the presence or absence of at least one pro-apoptotic peptide. Antibodies against such targeting peptides, the targeting peptides, or their mimeotopes may be used for detection, diagnosis and / or staging of a condition, such as prostate cancer or metastatic prostate cancer.

Device and method significantly that improves the safety and procedural success of the existing art by being able to be less traumatic to vascular tissue, improving atrial contact with the ablation surface, improving positioning and geometrical precision of the ablation pattern, improving steerability and deliverability of the ablation device and by improving localization and geometric precision of the ablation device. The risk of pulmonary vein fibrosis / stenosis will also be substantially lowered. Finally, expansion of the eligible atrial fibrillation population will inherently increase due to the improved components and methods of the present invention.

A system and method is provided for using ultrasound data backscattered from vascular tissue to estimate the transfer function of a catheter and / or substantially synchronizing the acquisition of blood-vessel data to an identifiable portion of heartbeat data. In one embodiment, a computing device and catheter acquire RF backscattered data from a vascular structure. The backscattered ultrasound data is then used to estimate at least one transfer function. The transfer function(s) can then be used to calculate response data for the vascular tissue. Another embodiment includes an IVUS console connected to a catheter and a computing device that acquires RF backscattered data from a vascular structure. Based on the backscattered data, the computing device estimates the catheter's transfer function and to calculate response data for the vascular tissue. The response data and histology data are then used to characterize at least a portion of the vascular tissue.

Methods and devices for reducing the mineral content of a region of non-intimal vascular tissue are provided. In the subject methods, an isolated local environment that includes the region to be demineralized is produced. The pH of the local environment is then reduced to a subphysiologic level, e.g. by flushing with an acidic dissolution fluid, for a period of time sufficient for the mineral content of the region to be reduced. The devices of the subject invention are characterized by comprising a means for producing an isolated local environment that includes a non-intimal region of vascular tissue. Also provided are kits for practicing the subject methods.