Other

Rheologics, Inc.

Visco Technologies, Inc.

Kensey Nash Corporation

Therabite Corporation

Bpm Devices, Inc.

Wabash Scientific Corp.

Harold E Clupper

Kenneth R Kensey

John E Nash

Young I Cho

William N Hogenauer

Sangho Kim

Peter Randolph Hazard Stark

Sergey Kruss

Ronald M Repice, Ii

Reinier Beeuwkes

Frederic B Kremer

Robert Pellizzari

Roberto O Pellizzari

James J Meikle, Jr

James Meikle, Jr

A blood viscosity measuring system and method that monitors the rising head of a column of fluid representing a living being's blood in-vivo to determine the blood viscosity over a range of shears. The system includes a capillary tube, at least a portion of which is located within the vascular system of the being, and a riser tube, having a liquid therein coupled to the capillary tube. A sensor and associated microprocessor are provided to determine the change in the height of the liquid in the riser tube at plural points along the length of the tube from which the viscosity is calculated.

Viscosity measuring apparatus and method of use

A blood viscosity measuring system and method that monitors the rising head of a column of fluid representing a living being's blood in-vivo to determine the blood viscosity over a range of shears. The system includes, a capillary tube, at least a portion of which is located within the vascular system of the being, and a riser tube, having a liquid therein coupled to the capillary tube. A sensor and associated microprocessor are provided to determine the change in the height of the liquid in the riser tube at plural points along the length of the tube from which the viscosity is calculated.

An apparatus and method for measuring the viscosity of Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids over a range of shear rates, especially low shear rates, by monitoring two rising columns of fluid (Newtonian or non-Newtonian) that pass through respective capillaries having different lengths. Furthermore, a specialized column monitor is provided that uses multiple interrogation sources (e.g., lasers) and a single detector (e.g., a charge-coupled device (CCD) array) to continuously monitor both columns of fluid substantially simultaneously. In particular, the system includes a Y-connector to form two flow paths and wherein each flow path includes a tube that includes a riser tube, a capillary tube of predetermined dimensions and a valve in each for controlling the fluid flow in each path. The specialized column monitor monitors the movement of the fluid columns in each of the riser tubes and an associated microprocessor analyzes these movements, along with the predetermined dimensions of the capillary tubes and riser tubes to determine the viscosity of the fluid.

Dual riser/dual capillary viscometer for newtonian and non-newtonian fluids

A system for monitoring blood pressure within a blood vessel of a living being. The system includes an implantable sensor unit and an associated externally located energy application transceiver. The sensor unit is in the form of a housing including a movable deflection member and a tuned circuit including an inductor coil and a capacitor. The housing surrounds the wall of the blood vessel and includes a wall portion arranged to flatten a portion of the periphery of the blood vessel. The deflection member extends through a slot in the wall portion of the housing for engagement with only the flattened portion of the blood vessel to move in response to the pressure applied to the flattened portion of the blood vessel by the blood. The deflection member includes a ferrite core. The ferrite core is arranged to move with respect to the coil in response to the movement of the deflection member, thereby changing the inductance of the tuned circuit. Electrical energy is provided from the transceiver unit to energize the tuned circuit of the sensor unit, which when energized provides a wireless electrical output signal representative of pressure changes within the blood vessel back to the transceiver. Since the deflection member only engages the flattened portion of the blood vessel the electrical output signal is linear with respect to blood pressure.

System including an implantable device and methods of use for

A translator apparatus for achieving omnidirectional translation of the mandible of a human patient and having a maxillary translation plate having a maxillary mouthpiece thereon for temporarily fixing the maxillary dentition of a patient thereto. A mandibular translation plate is provided, also having a mandibular mouthpiece for temporary fixation with the mandibular dentition of the patient and the mandibular element. A translation control plate is interposed between the maxillary and mandibular translation plates and establishes linearly moveable guiding relation with elongate guide slots of both the maxillary and mandibular plates. The guide slots of the respective translation plates which may be straight or of curved configuration are arranged in 90 degree relation to permit relative omnidirectional translatory positioning and movement of the translation plates for consequent selective omnidirectional therapeutic or diagnostic positioning or movement of the mandible of a patient. A translation actuator is supported by one of the translation plates and has mechanical interaction with the maxillary and mandibular translation plates and is operative to establish protrusive, retrusive and lateral movement of the mandibular plate and mouthpiece for corresponding omnidirectional protrusive, retrusive and lateral therapeutic movement of the mandible of the patient or for diagnostic positioning and movement of the mandible.

Passive mandible translator

A portable appliance for treating carpal tunnel syndrome and/or other problems of the wrist of a person. The appliance comprises a releasably securable sleeve means for securement to a person's forearm, a stationary member positioned on the sleeve means, a moveable member slidably coupled to the stationary member, a cuff means secured to an end of the moveable member and a bias means coupled between the stationary member and the moveable member. The bias means is provided for urging the moveable member to slide from a retracted position to an extended position thus causing the cuff means to securely engage a portion of the person's hand adjacent the person's wrist to apply a predetermined tensile load to the person's wrist in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the forearm.

Portable adjustable traction appliance to treat carpal tunnel syndrome

A micro-keratome device for performing eye surgery is disclosed. The device is comprised of a vacuum ring, an applanation shoe and a cutting blade. The cutting blade and applanation shoe are mounted on the vacuum ring with the cutting blade being pivotally mounted to the applanation shoe so that movement of the cutting blade, while the vacuum ring is still mounted to a patient's eye, permits the user to have an unobstructed path to that portion of the eye exposed by the cutting blade. In a further embodiment, the device includes a guard, mounted at one end of the applanation shoe, which collects, protects and positions the previously cut portion of eye tissue.

Microkeratome

A system for monitoring alertness of a human while performing certain tasks. Alertness is detected herein by determining the tracking ability of the eye with respect to a visual disturbance, and is measured with respect to head motion. A decision circuit is provided when the motor response of the eye is deemed to be impaired as a result of drowsiness, inattention, or substance abuse.

Alert monitoring system

A piercing device for use with an essentially rigid medical instrument having a proximal portion and a distal portion including working means for performing some medical procedure in an internal portion of the body of a living being. The piercing device comprises a guide member having a handle at the proximal end. The guide member comprises an elongated trough shaped, U-shaped, sidewall having an inner surface, and a distal end in the form of a piercing tip. The device is arranged to be held so that the piercing tip can be pierced through the skin and at least a portion of the underlying tissue to form a trough shaped percutaneous puncture. The tissue contiguous with the puncture engages the inner and outer surfaces of the sidewall to form a generally fluid tight interface therebetween. The working means of the instrument can be readily slid along the inner surface of the guide member after the device has formed the percutaneous puncture so that the working means passes through the trough shaped puncture into the being's body. The piercing device is then removed from the percutaneous puncture, leaving the instrument in place with the tissue contiguous with the puncture closely engaging peripheral portions of the instrument at a fluid tight interface so that substantially no fluid leaks out of the interface and so that the working means can be operated to perform the procedure.

Methods and stabilized instruments for performing medical procedures

An instrument and method for performing some medical procedure in an interior portion of the body of a living being from outside the body of the being via a small percutaneous incision or puncture. The instrument includes a proximal portion, a distal portion, and a working head coupling to the proximal portion to be operated thereby. The proximal portion is arranged to be held outside the body of the being by the user of the instrument. The distal portion comprises a tip having a tissue engagement surface which is sufficiently blunt so that it does not present a hazard to internally located tissue, yet which will form at least a portion of the percutaneous incision or puncture. The distal portion of the instrument is arranged to be extended through the skin and underlying tissue, which is internally supported, e.g., insufflated, to form the percutaneous incision or puncture upon the application of pressure onto the instrument so that the working head passes through the incision or puncture into the interior portion without the use of a trocar. When in position the proximal portion of the instrument is operated to cause the working head to perform the procedure. When the procedure is finished the instrument is removed from the percutaneous incision or puncture, whereupon it seals itself, thereby obviating the need for suturing or other artificial seals.

Methods and instruments for performing medical procedures percutaneously

Apparatus and methods of use performing some medical procedure, e.g., positioning tissue, in the body of a being. The apparatus having a proximal portion and a distal portion, with the distal portion including a piercing end for forming a small percutaneous incision or puncture to enable the distal portion be inserted into the being's body to a desired internal position without the use of a trocar or other introducing device. The distal portion of the apparatus is elongated and has a longitudinal axis. An actuatable mechanism, e.g., a pair of moveable jaws, is located at the distal portion and is arranged to project outward laterally of the longitudinal axis for engagement with tissue located at the operative site to perform some operation, e.g., clamping. The actuatable mechanism is actuated by the proximal portion of the apparatus.

Growing community of inventors

West Chester, PA, United States of America

Harold E Clupper