American Hospital Supply Corporation

Smithkline Diagnostics, Inc.

Other

Restoration Robotics, Inc.

Nova Biomedical Corporation

Prolong Systems, Inc.

Baxter Travenol Laboratories, Inc.

Datascope Corporation

Liston Scientific Corp.

Biomed Ltd.

Paul K Hsei

Max D Liston

Todd I Harrison

Mohan Bodduluri

William A Stark

James E Fowler

Jun-Ichi Meguro

David G Dickinson

James G Fetty

George M Daffern

Arne L Solberg

Christopher C Feistel

James R Braig

Wayne F Blackburn

Wayne Blackburn

A multi-part tool assembly for harvesting and implanting follicular units, comprising an outer cannula having an open, tissue-piercing distal end, and an inner cannula coaxially positioned in a lumen of the first cannula, the second cannula having an open, tissue-coring distal end sized to engage and retain single hair follicular units. An obturator may be positioned in the lumen of the second cannula, wherein at least one of the first cannula, second cannula, and obturator are movable relative to the other ones.

Tool assembly for harvesting and implanting follicular units

A method of transplanting a hair follicular units includes aligning a longitudinal axis of a harvesting cannula of a tool assembly with a longitudinal axis of a selected follicular unit, advancing the harvesting cannula relative to the body surface so that a tissue coring distal end of the harvesting cannula penetrates the body surface surrounding the selected follicular unit to a depth sufficient to substantially encapsulate the follicular unit, withdrawing the harvesting cannula distal end from the body surface with the follicular unit retained in an interior lumen of the harvesting cannula, advancing an implanting cannula of the tool assembly over the harvesting cannula relative to the body surface so that a tissue piercing distal end of the implanting cannula punctures the body surface and forms an implantation cavity therein, and displacing the follicular unit from the harvesting cannula lumen into the implantation cavity.

Methods of harvesting and implanting follicular units using a coaxial tool

A controller for use in a system employing selective permeable membrane technology to maintain a controlled atmosphere within a refrigerated container. The controller is electrically interfaced to an oxygen and carbon dioxide sensing device which is disposed within the container and capable of withstanding severe enviromental conditions to measure the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide within the container. The controller maintains present levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide within the container and is adapted to calibrate the carbon dioxide and oxygen sensing devices as well as check for proper operation of the sensing devices and default to safety conditions when a failure is detected. The controller is further adapted to control the atmosphere maintenance system in a manner adapted not to increase the peak power requirements of the system.

Oxygen/carbon dioxide sensor and controller for a refrigerated

A static mixer for mixing substances under either laminar flow or turbulent flow conditions, or for mixing substances having a combination of laminar and turbulent flow conditions. The static mixer includes a first conduit operatively connected to a series of two or more mixing segments. The mixing segments include one or more splitting components for dividing the fluid stream into two or more flow streams, two or more flow branches wherein each of the flow branches receives one of the flow streams and wherein each of the flow branches operatively changes the cross-sectional shapes of their respective flow streams in preparation for layering and stacking the flow streams to each other, and a second conduit for receiving and stacking the two or more flow streams creating a layered unified fluid stream.

Apparatus for mixing laminar and turbulent flow streams

A method of mixing substances under either laminar flow or turbulent flow conditions, or substances having a combination of laminar flow conditions. The method includes combining two or more initial fluidic substances into a combined fluid stream, dividing the combined fluid stream into two or more separate fluid streams, changing the shape of each of the two or more separate fluid streams in preparation for layering the two or more separate fluid streams together into a subsequent combined fluid stream such that each subsequent combined fluid stream has the same cross-sectional shape as the initial combined fluid stream and such that the cross-sectional area of the fluid stream is constant, and repeating the dividing, shaping and layering of the subsequent combined fluid stream at least one or more times.

Method for mixing laminar and turbulent flow streams

A controller for use in a system employing selective permeable membrane technology to maintain a controlled atmosphere within a refrigerated container. The controller is electrically interfaced to an oxygen and carbon dioxide sensing device which is disposed within the container and capable of withstanding severe environmental conditions to measure the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide within the container. The controller maintains preset levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide within the container and is adapted to calibrate the carbon dioxide and oxygen sensing devices as well as check for proper operation of the sensing devices and default to safety conditions when a failure is detected. The controller is further adapted to control the atmosphere maintenance system in a manner adapted not to increase the peak power requirements of the system.

A pneumatic detector, non-dispersive infrared analyzer employing detector cell chambers in optical series. The invention having an auxiliary chamber communicating with the front chamber to increase the rear chamber's signal so as to balance the signals from the front and rear chambers. The use of xenon as a diluent gas in the detector chambers in combination with a mass flow detector to improve the sensitivity. The use of an improved synchronous detection method employing a voltage-to-frequency circuit to convert the detector signal to a synchronous high resolution digital signal. The use of an improved source electrically pulsed having low thermal mass and a large radiating area.

Infrared gas mixture analyzer

A sample preparation device for precisely measuring a sample volume, mixing the sample with a reagent and then separating out any resulting precipitant from the sample. In using the device, the sample is nonquantitatively dispensed by the user and is volumetrically delivered by the device using a positive displacement method. No vortexing or shaking is required and the sample and reagent are precisely and reproducibly mixed automatically.

Sample preparation device

A modular multi-channel automated medical analyzer device is disclosed, characterized by use of an ion selective electrode and/or enzymatic electrode/wash cell system which permits rapid analysis of various substances of interest contained within undiluted body fluids such as whole blood, serum and/or plasma. The ion selective electrode and/or the enzymatic electrode are disposed upon a probe which automatically axially reciprocates downwardly in a simple manipulative motion between an open-ended reference wash cell and a sample cup bearing the body fluid specimen to be analyzed. The wash cell includes an inlet port and one or more outlet ports through which is circulated an aqueous solution bearing a known concentration of the substance to be measured to provide a reference calibration medium as well as a probe washing medium. The probe is lowered directly into the sample cup to physically contact the specimen to be measured and, after analysis, is lifted upwardly into the wash cell wherein any attendant portion of the specimen remaining on the probe is stripped off by suction and the aqueous solution flow through the wash cell is initiated to thoroughly wash the probe and establish a new calibration medium for subsequent specimen analysis. The wash cell/probe assembly is specifically designed to prevent any leakage or drooling of the aqueous solution from the wash cell into the sample cup throughout manipulation of the probe. Operation of each of the modules of the analyzer is facilitated through common processing and control electronics and test measurements are accomplished initially on a dual point calibration procedure and subsequently on a single point calibration procedure.

Sample holder for a body fluid analyzer

Ion selective/enzymatic electrode medical analyzer device and method of

An improved enzymatic electrode and electrode module specifically adapted for use in a medical analyzer device is disclosed which permits rapid analysis of substances of interest contained within undiluted body fluids such as whole blood, serum and/or plasma. The enzymatic electrode is in fluid communication with an axially reciprocating probe which selectively transports either a quantity of a buffer aqueous solution or a calibrant aqueous solution presented at a wash cell or a body fluid specimen disposed within a sample cup to an active enzyme bearing membrane positioned adjacent the enzymatic electrode. The membrane comprises a composite membrane structure having a protective membrane layer adapted to prevent the passage of blood cells and other particulate or cellular substances therethrough as well as adjust the diffusion rate of the substance of interest desired to be measured into the membrane, an active enzyme layer adapted to convert the desired substance of interest to be measured into a detectable substance and a limiting membrane formed to prevent the passage of interfering low molecular weight substance therethrough. The membrane/reagent chemistry kinetics of the enzymatic electrode are specifically defined to enable a novel pseudo-rate/created peak measurement technique to be utilized which reduces measurement inaccuracies as well as signal data processing requirements. The membrane/electrode support structure and membrane/electrode solution flow path are specifically formed to permit rapid replacement of the composite membrane and aqueous solutions by non-professional personnel.

Growing community of inventors

Huntington Beach, CA, United States of America

Paul K Hsei