Other

The United States of America As Represented by the Department of Health

The Beth Israel Hospital Association

James E Lyddy

Eric Thor Fossel

Randall W Fincke

Paul H Sugarbaker

William Z Penland

This invention provides methods and an apparatus for peroxidizing lipoproteins and introducing them into a person infected with a virus such as HIV to help that person fight the disease. Peroxidized low density lipoproteins are shown to preferentially kill HIV-infected cells as well as the HIV virus.

Method for treating viral infections using oxidized lipoproteins

An improved device of a combination of elements is adapted to be used with an elongated flexible instrument, such as an endoscope, and capable of at least partially extending with the instrument into the lumen of a tubular body part, such as the large intestines. A sheath is adapted to be mounted on the instrument. The instrument and sheath are provided with selectively inflatable cuffs movable with respect to one another by axially sliding the sheath on the instrument. The movable relationship of the sheath and instrument and the selective control of air to the cuffs allows the user to more easily navigate the front of the instrument through the lumen of the body part with less discomfort to the patient.

Medical apparatus

A low cost, mechanical method and apparatus for controlling the size of an internal orifice in a deformable tubing, particularly tubing of a viscoelastic material such as PVC used to administer intravenous fluids. A portion of the tubing is clamped to place a portion of the internal walls of the tubing into contact with one another at a plane of contact. The non-contacting portions of the tubing define at least one flow orifice. The contacting portions are then further compressed so that the wall thickness of the contacting tubes is reduced from its initial, unclamped thickness. The degree of this compression is such as to cause the adjacent tubing wall portions to curve away from the plane of contact, preferably with four point symmetry. This condition is also characterized by the stresses within the tube wall tending to expand or contract the orifice being generally in equilibrium within a brief period of time, typically less than five minutes, during which period the orifice usually expands slightly. In a preferred form, two side clamps face one another and are spaced along the tube to produce an orifice that defines a flow path transverse to the tubing. The clamping surfaces adjacent the orifice are preferably rounded or angled, opposed clamp members have abutting surfaces that limit the maximum displacement of the clamp, and an adjustment member is positioned to act on the outer surface of the opened orifice.

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Arlington, MA, United States of America

James E Lyddy