Other

The University of Texas System

University of Houston System

Ic Therapeutics Inc.

American Heart Technologies, LLC

Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc.

Morteza Naghavi

James T Willerson

Albert Andrew Yen

S Ward Casscells

Bujin Guo

David Panthagani

Haider Hassan

Timothy J O'Brien

Jaroslaw Wosik

Birendra K Lal

Gary Lee McQuilkin

Ioannis A Kakadiaris

Audrius Brazdeikis

Krzysztof Nesteruk

Samuel Ward Casscells

Susan Michelle Splering

Nachiket Kharalkar

Paul Cherukuri

Craig Jamieson

Leiming P Xie

Stephan Cleboski

Stephen Cleboski

Timothy Brinkley

Mortaza Mark Naghavi

Mojtaba Frank Naghavi

A rapid chest pain risk assessment system includes an assessor, a computed tomography (CT) scanner, an electrocardiogram device for providing electrocardiogram related data, and an enzyme analyzer for analyzing the patient's blood. A computer enabled risk calculator categorizes the patients into low, intermediate, and high risk categories. The computer enabled risk calculator, using data from electrocardiogram, blood analyzer and patient's age, other risk factors and history, automatically generates orders for patients in low and intermediate risk categories to undergo a CT scan. A CAC analyzer using the computer file for analyzing the CT scan results then provides a CAC score based on those CT scan results. A risk score based on electrocardiogram, blood analyzer and patient's age, other risk factors and history of symptoms plus the CAC score is generated. Patients that are automatically assessed as being very low risk based on the risk score are recommended for discharge from the emergency room thereby lowering the unnecessary prolonged ER stay time.

Systems and methods for rapid risk assessment of chest pain, reducing patient wait time and improving workflow in the emergency department

Methods and apparatus for blood sampling from skin capillaries are provided. Blood extraction is improved by applying gradient pressure in a proximal to distal direction of an extremity. Blood is extracted and sampled from the skin capillaries with a blood sampling mechanism of at least a lancet and testing kit.

Methods and apparatus for blood sampling

A method for digital thermal monitoring assessment of vascular function comprising a temporary arterial occlusion using a pneumatic cuff positioned on a subject's upper limb, monitoring skin temperature at the fingertip of the occluded limb for a period of time before, during, and after the occlusion, calculating a Zero Reactivity Curve based on variables including start temperature, room temperature, and the slope of temperature decline during the occlusion, and assessing vascular function based on comparing the Zero Reactivity Curve and the observed temperature rebound after the occlusion is removed. A vascular reactivity monitoring apparatus for measuring skin surface temperature comprising an inflatable cuff for placement around a subject's limb, a digital thermal measuring device and photoplethysmography measuring device for placement on a finger of the subject's limb wearing the cuff and a second digital monitoring device and photoplethysmography measuring device for placement on a finger of the subject's contralateral limb.

Methods and apparatus for assessing vascular health

A new cardiac risk factors are disclosed along with method for deriving the components of the factors, for developing the factors and for using the factors. Methods for computing pericardial fat and abdominal fat are also disclosed as well as methods for motion compensation.

Methods of computing pericardial and abdominal fat and methods for motion compensation

Methods for ischemic conditioning treatments of a chronic medical condition are provided. Baseline disease-related parameters of a patient with a chronic medical condition are measured. Ischemia is induced in the patient by occluding and releasing arterial flow in one or more extremities of the patient. Post-ischemia parameters in the patient are measured. The baseline and post-ischemia parameters are compared to provide an assessment of an ischemic conditioning treatment of a chronic medical condition. The repeated, scheduled delivery of ischemic conditioning provides a beneficial, therapeutic effect on the chronic medical condition. Also provided is a device for pulse oximetry during periods of absent or low pulsatile blood flow including an artificial pulse generator as well as the use of said device in assessment of ischemic conditioning.

Methods and apparatus for repeated ischemic conditioning treatment of hypertension and other medical conditions

A system and method for inducing physiological effects of ischemic conditioning and physiological effects of shear stress in a subject's body that mimic the effect of exercise on the subject. The disclosure includes a first device configured to cause ischemia, a second device configured to mechanically generate arterial shear stress, and a third device configured to monitor one or more of markers of ischemia or hemodynamic parameters and further including a microcontroller and actuators to cause the ischemia for a preset duration and then stop the ischemia for a preset duration, and to repeat the ischemia and reflow periods according to a preset program, simultaneously cause the second device to mechanically generate arterial shear stress according to a preset program of mechanical pulse amplitude, duration, and frequency; and to concurrently monitor hemodynamic parameters or markers of ischemia. The method and device further includes application of electrical muscle stimulation, body vibration and chemical stimuli.

Systems for replicating the beneficial effects of physical exercise and improving cardiovascular health

This invention relates to orally ingested compositions for boosting metabolic rate and reducing or controlling levels of cholesterol and triglycerides and improving cardiovascular function, thus preferably assisting with weight loss and promoting cardiovascular health when administered to mammals, including humans.

Compositions for boosting metabolism, assisting weight loss, and promoting cardiovascular health

The present invention relates to assessing and measuring vascular and endothelial function. A vasostimulant is provided to a patient to stimulate hemodynamic activity in a selected extremity and vascular function is assessed by monitoring a change in a blood flow, skin temperature and/or blood oxygen content at the selected extremity and assessing the patient's vascular function based upon the monitoring.

Method and apparatus for determining vascular health conditions

Ischemic conditioning for improved athletic performance

A system () including a catheter mounted magneto sensor (), such as a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID), and methods using the system are disclosed, where the system and method are designed to detect changes in a magnetic field in a body of interest, such as a patient, to detect changes in a magnetic field in a patient, to identify loci in a target body that accumulate magnetic particles or to identify vulnerable plague in a patient.

Intraluminal magneto sensor system and method of use

The present invention is directed to methods and apparatus for modulation of the sympathetic-parasympathetic balance by application of heat, carotid and/or ocular message to reduce sympathetic tone or increase parasympathetic tone in a target muscle system to relieve a symptom of urinary hesitancy, shy bladder syndrome, DESD, urinary retention, or laryngeal spasm, as well as to monitor the efficacy of treatments for bladder conditions and to assist in the passage of medical devices through bodily sphincters as well as to treat congestive heart failure.

Non-invasive modulation of the autonomic nervous system

Methods for the detection of inflammation associated with vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque to prevent heart attack and stroke are disclosed. The methods are also applicable to detection of infection, cancer, wounds or auto-immune disease in the body. Certain embodiments of the new methods provide a way of predicting the level of vulnerability of an atherosclerotic plaque to rupture or thrombus formation by assessing via fiber optic NIR spectrophotometry the status of two or more parameters associated with inflamed atherosclerotic plaque in a vessel of a living patient. From these measurements such conditions as low pH, hypoxia, low glucose, oxidative stress or compounds abundant in vulnerable plaque such as oxidized LDL cholesterol and oxidized metabolites of NO, significant active macrophage population, thin plaque cap, as well as senescence and/or apoptosis of smooth muscle or endothelial cells are determined with the assistance of a suitably programmed microprocessor. By considering together the status of some or all of these conditions with respect to successive sites along a vessel wall, particular plaques which are at significant risk of rupturing or thrombosing can be distinguished from 'normal' vessel wall and from 'intermediate' and relatively stable or &#x201c;lower risk&#x201d; plaques. Sites having more of the indicator conditions would be considered most in need of prompt intervention, and certain combinations of parameter levels would be suggestive of relatively stable plaque. Also disclosed is a multi-parameter catheter and analytical processing assembly for use in the methods.

Method and apparatus for detection of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque

Methods and devices are disclosed for detecting vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque, or plaque at risk of reducing blood flow in a vessel, by identifying a region of elevated temperature along a living vessel wall. The disclosure that human atherosclerotic plaque with measurable temperature heterogeneity has the morphological characteristics of plaque that is likely to ulcerate provides a new and sensitive technique for detecting and treating these dangerous plaques before myocardial infarction and its consequences occur. The disclosed methods are advantageous over conventional plaque detection techniques because they are capable of differentiating between those plaques that are at great risk of rupture, fissure, or ulceration, and consequent thrombosis and occlusion of the artery, and those that are not presently at risk. Infrared heat-sensing catheters useful for identifying potentially fatal arterial plaques in patients with disease of the coronary or other arteries are also described. In some embodiments a coherent infrared fiber optic bundle is employed to radially and longitudinally explore a luminal wall to identify inflamed, heat-producing, atherosclerotic plaque. Certain other methods and devices are disclosed which are particularly suited for non-invasively identifying and then monitoring the progression or amelioration of an inflamed plaque in a patient, and for monitoring for onset of inflammation in an implanted arteriovenous graft. Also disclosed are thermocouple basket catheters and thermistor basket catheters which are also capable of detecting temperature heterogeneity along a vessel wall.

Method and apparatus for detecting vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque

The present invention discloses a device and methods for characterizing vulnerable plaque and cancer tissue by measuring changes in tissue elasticity compared to that of normal tissue. The system includes a catheter with an expandable element at a proximal end. The expandable element is equipped with pressure sensors to detect changes in tissue elasticity and can be additionally equipped with sensors that detect tissue temperature and pH. For arterial tissue or tissue lining a body cavity, the device can also be equipped with width gauges that measure the diameter of the artery lumen or the width of any section of the body cavity. The distal end of the catheter may be attached to a motorized pullback device connected to a computer. Data collected by the device sensors are sent to the computer for processing and analysis.

Apparatus and method for palpographic characterization of vulnerable plaque and other biological tissue

The present invention relates to an intraluminal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) probe which may be used for intraluminal MRI. The present invention is sized sufficiently small to be inserted into a patient intraluminally. The probe of the present invention comprises a substrate having a dielectric constant in the range of 1-1000, and first and second conducting layers on each side of the dielectric. The present invention is configured to result in a distributed capacitance.

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

Morteza Naghavi