Abstract: A method is disclosed for treating or preventing macular degeneration, one of the leading causes of blindness and vision loss, by administering a preparation of zeaxanthin which contains the 3R-3'R stereoisomer as a sole or heavily dominant stereoisomer. Zeaxanthin, a yellowish pigment which is naturally present in macular cells in the center of the human retina, absorbs blue and near-ultraviolet light radiation, thereby protecting retinal cells against phototoxic damage. The purified R-R isomer of zeaxanthin can be taken orally as a prescription drug by patients suffering from macular degeneration, and it can also be used as a nutritional supplement, in forms such as a vitamin pills or food additives, by anyone who wants to reduce his or her risk of macular degeneration, which is widespread among people over the age of about 50 or 60.

Abstract: This invention discloses a method of using fructose-1,6-diphosphate (FDP) to help suppress the rejection of internal organs such as kidneys, hearts, etc. At least three major advantages of FDP in conjunction with organ transplants have been identified: (1) FDP can help reduce the unwanted proliferation of certain types of stimulated lymphocytes which would otherwise pose a risk of attacking the non-self cells in the transplanted organ; (2) FDP can also potentiate the effectiveness of cyclosporine as a transplant-protecting immunosuppressant, thereby allowing a reduction in CSA dosages, which in turn can reduce the likelihood and the severity of toxic side effects and other dangers of CSA treatment; (3) FDP can also reduce the amount of damage inflicted on an organ during the removal and storage steps required in organ transplantation.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for preparing a partially lyophilized (freeze-dried) powder or solidified cake containing fructose-1,6-diphosphate (FDP), a naturally-occurring intermediate in glycolysis. Preferably, about 10% to 25% residual water (by weight) is left in the powder or cake. This high moisture content does not degrade or limit FDP's stability or shelf life, and it provides for faster, less expensive processing. The methods disclosed herein also allow direct lyophilization inside a vial or other sealed container that will hold the lyophilized FDP, to avoid any need for milling, handling, or other treatment under conditions that might endanger its sterility. Lyophilized FDP can be used to create emergency injection kits which also contain aqueous solutions for mixing, and syringes and needles for injection. These kits can be carried in ambulances, police cars, firetrucks, etc.

Abstract: This invention comprises a method of using tubular material to replace a heart valve during cardiac surgery. To create a replacement atrioventricular (mitral or tricuspid) valve, the tube inlet is sutured to a valve annulus from which the native leaflets have been removed, and the tube outlet is sutured to papillary muscles in the ventricle. To create a semilunar (aortic or pulmonary) valve, the tube inlet is sutured to an annulus from which the native cusps have been removed, and the tube is either "tacked" at three points distally inside the artery, or sutured longitudinally along three lines; this allows the flaps of tissue between the three fixation points at the valve outlet to function as movable cusps. These approaches generate flow patterns that closely duplicate the flow patterns of native valves.

Abstract: A method and machine are disclosed for using a cold dry abrasion step for separating segments of discarded carpet into pile material (usually nylon) and backing layers (usually polypropylene) for recycling. A preferred method of abrasion uses dry ice pellets (made of frozen carbon dioxide) which are ejected at high speed from a set of nozzles that shoot the pellets directly into an abrasion zone, as a segment of discarded carpet on a conveyor system is being stripped apart and disassembled. The dry ice pellets "freeze" the binder material (usually latex) by lowering it to a temperature that makes the binder brittle and easy to break apart. The pellets also serve as abrasive agents, in a manner comparable to sand-blasting; however, unlike sandblasting or liquid (steam or chemical) systems, the dry ice pellets evaporate (sublimate) directly into gas without going through a liquid phase, and without leaving any liquid or gritty residue.

Abstract: This invention discloses a new type of drug for treating cancer, comprising an alkaline salt that can reduce localized acidity levels in cancerous tumors. This drug comprises a water-soluble alkaline salt (such as a potassium salt) of a benzene ring having several pendant groups, including at least one acid group. One example comprises a vanillin derivative referred to herein as HMSBA, which is hydroxy-methoxy-sulfonic acid-benzyl alcohol. To prepare an alkaline salt solution for injection into the bloodstream of a cancer patient, a sufficient quantity of an alkali such as potassium hydroxide is added to a solution of HMSBA in water or saline buffer, until the pH of the mixture increases to about 7.3 to 7.4. A sufficient quantity of the aqueous solution is injected into the blood of a cancer patient to reduce the acidity of extracellular fluids in one or more cancerous neoplasms inside the body.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for reducing excitotoxic damage to neurons, which can occur as a result of stroke, cardiac arrest, or other events or conditions. This method involves administering an aminoglycoside that suppresses the flow of calcium ions into neurons through N-type calcium channels. To be effective for such use, an aminoglycoside must suppress N-channel activity at a potency greater than streptomycin. Aminoglycosides which meet this criterion (which includes neomycin and Gentamicin) can suppress the depolarizing activation of neurons, which in turn controls the release of glutamate, a neurotransmitter that becomes an endogenous toxin under excitotoxic conditions. Numerous aminoglycosides were tested in in vitro screening tests using brain cell membrane fragments to evaluate N-channel blocking potency.

Abstract: This invention discloses that ibogaine, a plant derivative, can be used as a safe NMDA antagonist at relatively high dosages (including dosages high enough to cause hallucinations), to reduce or prevent excitotoxic brain damage due to stroke, cardiac arrest, trauma or other forms of neuronal injury or degeneration, without causing the neurotoxic side effects caused by other NMDA antagonist drugs. The relative safety of ibogaine is due to antagonist activity at neuronal sigma receptors, which had not been known prior to discovery by the Applicant. This invention also discloses that ibogaine also can be administered in combination with (1) drugs that suppress activity at muscarinic acetylcholine receptors, or (2) drugs which suppress activity at the kainic acid subclass of glutamate receptors, to reduce or avoid the hallucinatory effects of ibogaine and provide a higher level of neuroprotective activity.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for using a topical genital lubricant with a non-toxic, non-irritating zinc salt during sexual intercourse. The lubricant is spread upon one or more genital surfaces to create an anti-viral chemical barrier that reduces the risk of infection by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS. Suitable zinc salts include zinc acetate, zinc propionate, and other non-irritating water-soluble organic zinc salts that dissociate readily. When dissolved in water, these salts release divalent zinc ions (Zn.sup.++), which apparently can reduce HIV infectivity by at least three mechanisms. First, zinc ions form crosslinking bonds with cysteine and histidine residues in proteins (such as the gp120 protein of HIV), thereby "gluing" HIV particles to each other, to proteins in vaginal fluids, and to dead or dying cells that will soon be sloughed off from the genital surfaces. This reduces the ability of the HIV to infect susceptible cells.

Abstract: This invention discloses mixtures of NMDA antagonists and anti-cholinergic agents, which can be used to prevent excitotoxic damage in the central nervous system or for anesthetic purposes in human or veterinary medicine. Anti-cholinergic agents such as scopolamine, atropine, benztropine, trihexyphenidyl, biperiden, procyclidine, benactyzine, or diphenhydramine can be used in conjunction with, or subsequent to, administration of an NMDA antagonist such as MK-801. The NMDA antagonist exerts a primary protective effect by preventing or reducing excitotoxic damage due to stroke, perinatal asphyxia, and various other types of injury or disease; however, strong NMDA antagonists such as MK-801 can also cause neurotoxic side effects, including vacuole formation, mitochondrial dissolution, and neuronal death in certain types of neurons such as cingulate/retrosplenial cerebrocortical neurons.

Abstract: Methods and compositions are disclosed for treating or preventing adverse CNS effects produced by NMDA receptor hypofunction (NRH), including hypofunction induced by NMDA antagonist drugs, and hypofunction occurring as a causative or aggravating factor in schizophrenia. One method of this invention comprises administering an alpha-2 adrenergic (.alpha.2) receptor agonist drug along with an NMDA antagonist drug. The NMDA antagonist drug exerts a primary benefit in reducing excitotoxic brain damage, alleviating neuropathic pain, or preventing or avoiding tolerance or addiction to various types of drugs. The .alpha.2 agonist drug acts as a secondary or "safener" drug, to prevent the neurotoxic side effects that would be caused by the NMDA antagonist in the absence of the safener drug. Another method disclosed herein involves the use of an .alpha.

Abstract: This invention relates to an article of manufacture comprising an aqueous gel containing a selected zinc salt contained within a deformable plastic-walled tubular container, for convenient and consistent use as a topical genital lubricant during acts of sexual intercourse. The zinc salt must be organic, water-soluble, and have substantial dissociation rates to release divalent zinc ions. Suitable zinc salts include zinc acetate, zinc propionate, zinc butyrate, zinc formate, zinc gluconate, zinc glycerate, zinc glycolate, and zinc lactate. The gel must also contain a thickening agent (such as chemically treated cellulose) and a lubricating agent (such as glycerin), and it must be free of heparin, dextran sulfate, or any other anti-coagulant or other component which poses a substantial risk of adverse effects if the lubricant is used frequently and repeatedly over a period of months or years.

Abstract: This invention discloses an improved method of reducing elevated lactic acid and lactate concentrations in patients suffering from ischemic or hypoxic crises as stroke, cardiac arrest, or heart attacks, or other conditions involving surgery, that generate unwanted increases in blood or tissue lactate concentrations. This improvement comprises administering dichloroacetate (DCA), as in the sodium salt form, less than three times daily, at suitable dosages which cause the beneficial effects of DCA to persist beyond the time when the DCA has been pharmacokinetically cleared from the blood circulating in the patient.

Abstract: This invention discloses a filter-and-fan assembly that can be installed into new fireplaces or retrofitted into existing fireplaces, for filtering dust and smoke out of the hot exhaust gases that are created when wood is burned in fireplaces. This filter assembly is provided with a mechanism that can move the filter out of the flue channel (i.e., the chimney or other exhaust outlet) if the filter becomes clogged by creosote and/or smoke particles. If desired, the mechanism that moves the filter out of the flue path can be automated under the control of a device such as an electronic smoke detector mounted in front of the fireplace, above the fireplace opening. Alternately, a thin filter-paper type of filtering element can be continuously scrolled through the flue channel. A rotating fan blade can be provided directly above the filter element, to ensure that exhaust gases are actively drawn up through the filter.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for reducing the risk of infection by sexually transmitted viruses. This method involves spreading a lubricant fluid containing a selected zinc salt across the surfaces of the penis or vagina, before intercourse, in a manner that causes the lubricant to coat and remain in contact with the genital surfaces throughout intercourse. The zinc salt should be organic, water-soluble, non-irritating, physiologically acceptable, and have a high rate of dissociation, which allows it to release substantial quantities of divalent zinc ions. Suitable zinc salts include zinc acetate, zinc propionate, zinc butyrate, zinc formate, zinc gluconate, zinc glycerate, zinc glycolate, and zinc lactate. A preferred carrier fluid comprises a lubricant gel, which also contains water, a thickening agent (such as chemically treated cellulose) and a lubricating agent (such as glycerin).

Abstract: This invention discloses a lockbox or safe for storing possessions, which can be installed in a closet in a manner that requires opening the lockbox before it can be removed from the closet. This is done by providing one or more extensions (such as side walls, rigid shafts, or end caps) that can be extended outwardly from either or both sides of the lockbox. When retracted, the lockbox has dimensions that allow it to be inserted into the closet through the closet door. After it is positioned on the floor of the closet, the compartment door is opened. This provides access to a mechanism that controls the positioning of the extensions, such as bolts or cotter pins that interact with multiple spaced holes in sliding mechanisms. The extension locking mechanism is unlocked, and the extensions are pushed outwardly until they press against the side walls of the closet.

Abstract: This invention discloses various analogs of erythro-hydroxynonyladenine (EHNA) which have been modified by the addition of hydroxy groups or other moieties at the #8 or #9 carbon atoms of the side-chain portion of the molecule (i.e., the erythro-hydroxynonyl chain which is attached to the adenosine ring structure). It also discloses synthetic reagents and steps that can be used to create these and other analogs of EHNA which contain hydroxyl, halide, acid, ester, ether, amine, azide, or other moieties at such locations, or at other controllable locations such as the #5, #6, or #7 carbon atoms on the side-chain. Analogs containing such side-chain modifications can also be modified in the adenosine structure if desired. The hydroxylated analogs described herein have been shown to inhibit adenosine deaminase (ADA) at therapeutically useful levels. The relevant Ki values are in the range of 10.sup.-8 to 10.sup.-9, which is within a desired range of about 10.sup.-7 to about 10.sup.-10.

Abstract: This invention relates to the use of a water-soluble zinc salt, such as zinc acetate or zinc propionate, as an anti-viral agent in condom lubricants. Such lubricants can be coated onto condoms during manufacture and enclosed within condom packages, to provide an additional level of protection (beyond the level of protection already provided by the condom). The anti-viral zinc salt will help reduce the risk that a previously uninfected person will become infected by genital herpes viruses; it may also reduce the risk of transmission of HIV, hepatitis, and papilloma viruses, and other sexually transmitted pathogens.

Abstract: This invention comprises a method of using tubular material to replace a heart valve during cardiac surgery. To create a replacement atrioventricular (mitral or tricuspid) valve, the tube inlet is sutured to a valve annulus from which the native leaflets have been removed, and the tube outlet is sutured to papillary muscles in the ventricle. To create a semilunar (aortic or pulmonary) valve, the tube inlet is sutured to an annulus from which the native cusps have been removed, and the tube is either "tacked" at three points distally inside the artery, or sutured longitudinally along three lines; this allows the flaps of tissue between the three fixation points at the valve outlet to function as movable cusps. These approaches generate flow patterns that closely duplicate the flow patterns of native valves. A preferred tubular material comprises submucosal tissue from the small intestine of the same patient who is undergoing the cardiac operation.

Abstract: Certain barbiturates have been shown to completely prevent the neurotoxic injury to cerebrocortical neurons that can be caused by NMDA antagonists. The use of barbiturates as "safening agents" allows NMDA antagonists (including powerful NMDA antagonists such as MK-801) to be used safely as neuroprotectants to prevent brain damage due to hypoxia/ischemia caused by strokes, cardiac arrest, perinatal asphyxia, and various other conditions.