The General Hospital Corporation

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Other

Jose G Venegas

Alan R Shapiro

Martha L Gray

Luis A Melendez

Jonathan L Schaffer

John D Wright

Marcos F Vidal Melo

Guido Musch

Wright John D

Robert Scott Harris

Elliot E Greenblatt

Tobias Schroder

Tilo Winkler

A system and method for providing a therapy to a subject may include a lumen configured to be coupled to a portion of a respiration passage of the subject to receive air respired by the subject. A sensor is configured to monitor the lumen and generate a signal based on the air respired by the subject. A pressure pulse delivery system is configured to deliver a pressure pulse along the lumen to the subject and a reservoir of therapeutic agent is coupled to the lumen. A processor is configured to receive the signal from the sensor, determine, from at least the signal, an exhalation period of the subject, and based on the exhalation period, cause the pressure pulse delivery system to deliver a pressure pulse to the subject. Following the pressure pulse, the processor can cause the therapeutic agent to be delivered from the reservoir.

Systems and methods for reverse pressure pulse therapy delivery

Described here are closed-circuit breathing devices and methods for their use. In general, the closed-circuit breathing device is configured to achieve a steady-state equilibrium, whereby therapeutic gas is introduced into the breathing circuit in small, controlled volumes until a steady state concentration of the therapeutic gas is reached. During this time, the closed-circuit breathing device is operated in a true closed circuit, such that the therapeutic gas is not lost to the atmosphere. Safety measures are built into the closed-circuit breathing device so that a hypoxic mixture is not delivered to the subject. The therapeutic gas may be xenon.

Closed-circuit breathing device

An input function indicative of a time-activity curve in pulmonary arterial plasma is produced from a series of PET image frames in lieu of manual blood sampling. Two manually acquired blood samples are input along with pixel values of a blood pool region of interest (ROI) in the PET image frames into a two-parameter model of the ROI's time-activity curve. In an iterative process the model converges to accurately indicate the amount ofF-FDG tracer in the arterial blood. Pulmonary uptake of the tracer is assessed with the PET image frames and the calculated input function.

Image derived input function for PET lung assessment

The present invention, a thrombo visco-elastogram (TVE), measures the changes in blood elastic and viscous properties in the magnitude and phase of the hydro-dynamic impedance of a tubular blood sample as the thrombus is formed. The present invention is an apparatus and method for assessment of visco-elasticity and shear adherence strength properties of blood clots. An apparatus for practicing the invention includes a tubular conduit connected to a fluid-filled cylindrical chamber and a fluid-filled reservoir, a piezo-electric bender attached to the fluid-filled cylindrical chamber, which creates a volume variation in the fluid-filled cylindrical chamber, a fluid source capable of injecting a fluid into the tubular conduit, a blood source capable of injecting blood into the tubular conduit, and a microprocessor to supply a sinusoidal wave form or limited band frequency content signal to the piezo-electric bender and record and analyze resulting pressure signals. A method for practicing the invention measures the viscosity and elastic shear modulus of a blood sample over time obtaining the average and maximum viscosity and shear modulus for the blood sample as it clots, and further includes applying a forcing signal, which displaces the clotted blood sample, while measuring the applied pressure for clot dislodgement from the walls of the test section. The adherence strength properties of the blood clot are calculated.

Apparatus and method for assessment of visco-elasticity and shear

Disclosed is a method for imparting to a living culture of cells biaxial mechanical forces which approximate the mechanical forces to which cells are subject in vivo. The method utilizes a displacement applicator which may be actuated to contact and stretch a membrane having a living cell culture mounted thereon. Stretching of the membrane imparts biaxial mechanical forces to the cells. These forces may be uniformly applied to the cells, or they may be selectively nonuniformly applied.

Cell stretching method

Disclosed is an apparatus and method for imparting to a living culture of cells biaxial mechanical forces which approximate the mechanical forces to which cells are subjected in vivo. The apparatus includes a displacement applicator which may be actuated to contact and stretch a membrane having a living cell culture mounted thereon. Stretching of the membrane imparts biaxial mechanical forces to the cells. These forces may be uniformly applied to the cells, or they may be selectively non-uniformly applied.

Cell stretching apparatus

A respirator mask assembly for use with intermittent positive pressure breathing treatments facilitates the formation and automatic intermittent adjustment of the seal between a patient's face and a facial unit of the respirator mask. The respirator mask assembly comprises a facial unit, an expandable piston adjacent the facial unit and a rigid support structure attached to one end of the piston, and an attachment mechanism for securing the mask assembly to a patient. During the inspiration portion of the ventilation cycle a positive pressure is developed within the mask assembly, causing the piston to expand. Because, the attachment mechanism and the support cooperate to resist significant expansion of the piston, a force is generated which presses the facial unit against the patient's face and maintains an air tight seal. When pressure within the masks unit decreases, the contact force on the facial unit is likewise decreased and the seal is eliminated.

Self-sealing mask for delivering intermittent positive pressure

An in-line fluid conduit condition analyzer which includes a chamber placed in the conduit flow path and having one wall forming a piezoceramic bender that varies the chamber volume (or pressure) according to a predetermined waveform or noise spectrum and an associated piezoceramic pressure or displacement sensor. The time derivative of the displacement or the pressure are analyzed under computer control to identify conduit abnormalities. In particular application to intravenous fluid administration to patients, the system is capable of distinguishing a number of abnormalities including cathether obstruction, catheter needle out of the vein, catheter needle into the vein, as well as fluid bubble presence or conduit disconnection.

Growing community of inventors

Swampscott, MA, United States of America

Jose G Venegas