Other

University of Southern California

Cedars-sinai Medical Center

International Medical Technologies Corporation

Alan I Rubinstein

Daniel B Rubinstein

Andrew M Olah

Emery Olah

A biopsy needle, suitable for obtaining bone marrow biopsy cores, includes an outer tube member having a lumen extending therethrough, and at a distal end of the outer tube member an opening is provided for receiving a biopsy core. At the distal end, the outer tube member is generally oval in cross-section and thereby has an elongated dimension and a narrow dimension. An inner tube member is slidable and rotatable in the lumen of the outer tube member and has a set of pincers at its distal end. With the inner tube member slid through the lumen of the outer tube member and the pincers positioned at the distal end of the outer tube member and aligned with the elongated dimension, the pincers are in an open position. However, the pincers can be closed thereby to grasp and cut a biopsy core by rotating the inner tube member so that the pincers are aligned with the narrow dimension of the outer tube member. In another embodiment of the biopsy needle, the distal end of the outer tube member has two spaced apart projections extending in the lumen, and by cooperation with these projections, the pincers of the inner tube member can be opened or closed to grasp a biopsy core.

Bone marrow biopsy needle

A bone marrow biopsy needle provided with blades which cut and retain a biopsy core. In one embodiment, the cutting blades of the needle are hinged at the distal end of the needle and are mechanically coupled to an actuator at the proximal end of the needle. The needle is preferably formed with inner and outer walls to provide a space therebetween for the mechanical coupling. The cutting blades are retained in a dead space against the outer wall of the needle when the needle is open. In lieu of a hinged arrangement, the outer wall of the needle may be tapered at its distal end so that the blades are forced together when they are pushed forward. In another embodiment, the cutting blades are pre-curved inward, but are retained against the inner surface of the needle wall until pushed forward. In yet another embodiment, the distal ends of the cutting blades rest within a curved circumferential recess provided in the needle wall, and, when pushed forward, move together to cut and retain the biopsy core.

Bone marrow biopsy needle with cutting and/or retaining device at distal

Holder for dental x-ray film

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A process to disinfect units of red blood cells by adding an oxidizing agent, for instance ozone generating compounds, in solution to a unit of RBC's (RBC's) or compounds generating ClO.sub.2, the RBC reducing enzymes such as cytochrome b.sub.5 reductase will prevent or reverse oxidative changes, however, the viruses or other microorganisms do not have such enzymes. By adding RBC reducing enzymes to the RBC's before sterilization, the RBC's are further protected from the oxidizing sterilizing solution. The RBC's can be put in storage medium containing a reducing agent. The oxidizing agent may be generated from activated ceramic particles which will generate O.sub.3 (ozone) in solution. This is a convenient and economic method of RBC sterilization. The activated ceramic particles generating O.sub.3 in solution may also be added to units of whole blood.

Method for disinfecting red blood cells

A method of producing a vaccine comprising providing a quantity of the disease-causing entity, treating the quantity to remove or disrupt a majority of the nucleic acid present in the quantity sufficient to render the quantity non-infective while maintaining the structure of the proteins and glycoproteins on the surface of the entity to render the vaccine protective. A method of producing a vaccine to human pathogenic retroviruses comprising the steps of partially solubilizing a quantity of the virus to produce a suspension, adding a proteinase to the suspension to release viral nucleic acids from the viral coat proteins, treating the suspension to disrupt or remove sufficient viral nucleic acids to render the suspension substantially or completely non-infective and verifying the sufficient disruption or removal of viral nucleic acids from the suspension.

Non-infective vaccines

A bone marrow biopsy needle includes an outer tube having a lumen extending therethrough which narrows at the distal end of the outer tube. An inner tube is slidable through the lumen of the outer tube and includes a pair of pincers at its distal end. As the inner tube is slid through the lumen of the outer tube, the pincers will encounter the narrowed portion of the lumen and as the pincers extend beyond an opening at the distal end of the outer tube, the pincers close upon themselves, and in this manner the pincers can grasp a biopsy core from bone marrow of a patient. The pincers may have sharpened edges and/or have their edges bent radially inwardly so as to enhance the cutting of the biopsy core from the bone marrow.

A bone marrow biopsy needle provided with blades which cut and retain a biopsy core. In one embodiment, the blades of the needle are hinged. In a further embodiment, the cutting blades are provided at the end of an inner tube which travels within an outer tube. In one embodiment, the outer tube is tapered at its distal end to push the blades together. In another embodiment, the cutting blade is pre-curved inward. In yet another embodiment, the distal ends of the cutting blades rest within a curved circumferential recess provided in the needle wall, and, when pushed forward, come together to cut and retain the biopsy core.

A process to inactivate viruses or bacteria by disinfecting whole blood products and blood products, including red blood cells, plasma and plasma fractions is disclosed. The process includes providing a disinfectant composition may also be applied to plasma fractions.

Method for disinfecting red blood cells, blood products, and corneas

A method to inactivate viruses or to disinfect blood products, for instance units of red blood cells, wherein a disinfectant or virus inactivating chemical is made isotonic or nearly isotonic, and wherein the red blood cells are exposed to isotonic disinfectant to inactivate any agent which may be present, for example HIV-1 virus which causes AIDS. The method may also be applied to plasma fractions and corneas.

It is found that blood clotting-factor products previously subjected to monoclonal purification or solvent-detergent treatment or both may be further subjected to a sequence of heating steps without excessive loss of usable product to reduce the infectivity of a virus (such as hepatitis- or AIDS-causing virus), if present. The heating is performed while the concentrate is lyophilized (freeze dried). The heating steps in the sequence are for two or more different times, and at two or more different temperatures. After the heating sequence, the concentrate is reconstituted for use. This sequential method contemplates greater inactivation of different viral forms, or reduction of the heating required, or both. Reduction of heating requirements may appear as reduced overall heating time, or reduced aggregate power consumption, or both. Advantages include heightened quality-control assurance level.

Sequential heat treatment of blood-clotting factor products

Factor VIII concentrate, or Factor IX concentrate, or fibrinogen concentrate, or other clotting-factor product, is subjected to a sequence of heating steps to reduce the infectivity of a virus (such as hepatitis- or AIDS-causing virus), if present. The heating is performed while the concentrate is lyophilized (or dried by another process). The heating steps in the sequence are for two or more different times, and at two or more different temperatures. After the heating sequence, the concentrate is reconstituted for use. This sequential method contemplates greater inactivation of different viral forms, or reduction of the heating required, or both. Reduction of heating requirements may appear as reduced overall heating time, or reduced aggregate power consumption, or both. Advantages include heightened quality-control assurance level. Also possibly, the invention offers some potential for preparation of vaccines against the virus, if sufficient quantity of the virus is present in the concentrate.

Sequential improved method for treatment of human blood-clotting factor

The invention is directed to Factor VIII concentrate which has been heated in the lyophilized state at a temperature of at least 60.degree. C. for at least 10 hours to rid the factor of undesirable microorganisms.

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Los Angeles, CA, United States of America

Alan I Rubinstein