Other

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

Drexel University

United States of America As Represented by the Food & Drug Administration

Robert E Schmukler

Richard B Beard

Frederick Prout

Kambiz Pourrezaei

Shengke Zeng

Herman P Schwan

Jin Park

Siddharth Deliwala

Frederick C Prout

Frank M Kepics

C David Lytle

Allen Rothwarf

The invention includes apparatus and method for detecting defects in various barrier materials including surgical gloves and food packaging. Voltage is applied across electrodes and a barrier material and the voltage measured and compared with voltage control measurements for the same barrier material without a defect. Sensitivity of measurements is increased by adjusting partial pressure across the barrier material which is subjected to the passage of an ionized gas detected by suitable instrumentation.

Detection of defects in protective barriers

A method of preventing charged particles from passing through holes in a barrier material which involves surface treating a barrier material with an ionic surfactant to impart a charge to the barrier material. In a preferred embodiment, prophylactics such as condoms and surgical gloves can be treated with an anionic surfactant. Tests have confirmed that such surface treated articles can repel virus particles such as human immunodeficiency (HIV) virus, hepatitis B virus and herpes simplex virus (HSV). Ionic surfactant treated articles include prophylactics such as condoms and diaphragms, gloves, including surgical gloves, surgical masks, respiratory masks and filters, filters, including membrane, and wound dressings, including bandages.

Viral-proofing a protective barrier

A pacemaker includes apparatus and method for testing the integrity of an insulated pacemaker lead to detect lead degradation at an early stage and warn the user. An electronic switch is placed between two ends of an insulated pacemaker lead that couples a pacemaker housing to the heart of a pacemaker user. The pacemaker electronics circuit asserts a control signal to the switch, opening the switch and interrupting the continuity of the insulated pacemaker lead. After the switch interrupts continuity of the lead, an onboard lead integrity tester tests for insulation leakage of the insulated pacemaker leads by measuring a quality factor, Q, of the insulated lead.

Switched implantable electrical stimulator leads

A method of fabricating micron-range holes in elastic barrier materials which involves securing an elastic barrier material to a restraining ring and removing a limited portion of the elastic barrier material so as to form a hole having a diameter of less than 0.5 to 10 .mu.m. The portion of the elastic barrier material which is removed may be removed by a drilling, punching or clipping process.

Fabrication of micron-range holes in protective barriers and

An insulating film in a container has pores whose diameter is smaller than the diameter of a first type of cells in the container. The first type of cells are trapped in the pores, so that when an electric field is applied to the container, electroporation of the first type of cells occurs. If a second type of cells, smaller than the first type of cells, are also trapped in the pores, electrofusion will occur between the first and second types of cells trapped in the same pores.

Apparatus and methods for electroporation and electrofusion

A method and apparatus for the non-destructive testing of a protective baer material. In a preferred embodiment, the method comprises applying an alternating electrical current across the protective barrier material for establishing a conductivity, G, of the protective barrier material and/or a quality factor, Q, of the protective barrier material. The conductivity, G, and/or the quality factor, Q, are measured at more than one frequency. The quality factor and/or conductivity measurements so obtained at the more than one frequency are compared to predetermined quality factor and/or conductivity limits.

Method and apparatus for testing a protective barrier material for

A retrograde coronary sinus perfusion device provides steady state blood flow to the coronary sinus and has a balloon set back from the catheter tip to block the coronary sinus during most of diastole to maximize retrograde perfusion. A global device seals the coronary sinus at the coronary sinus valve.

Growing community of inventors

Rockville, MD, United States of America

Robert E Schmukler