Abstract: The present invention provides a hemodiafiltrator comprising two compartmentalized dialysate chambers coaxially arranged in tandem. A single packed bundle of hollow fibers for blood flow is enclosed coaxially along a longitudinal axis inside the dual dialysate chambers. A configuration of a tandem arrangement of the dual dialysate chambers at least comprises a first dialysate chamber for an acidic dialysate with a varying level of urea and a second compartmentalized dialysate chamber for a basic dialysate with no urea but with a level of ammonia up to a level detected in normal human blood.

Abstract: The present invention provides a chest tube introducer which can be inserted without a need of surgical procedures. The chest tube introducer comprises a series of compartmentalized leakproof sealing devices, which is configured for safe introduction of the chest tube introducer minimizing a risk of pneumothorax.

Abstract: To enhance diffusive mass transfer of small molecules and convective clearance of middle molecules, the present invention provides a cylindrical hemodialyzer which comprises a blood compartment having a packed bundle of hollow fibers in a doughnut configuration on a radial cross-section, and a motorized dialysate compartment comprising a dialysate inlet motor having an external stator and an internal rotor connected to an axial spiral flow converter slidably inserted in a center of the packed bundle of the hollow fibers. The cylindrical hemodialyzer is configured to recirculate dialysate across the packed bundle of the hollow fibers propelled by the dialysate inlet motor. A dialysate outlet motor of the motorized dialysate compartment having an external stator and an internal rotor is configured to drain the dialysate and to control ultrafiltration by said cylindrical hemodialyzer.

Abstract: To enhance diffusive mass transfer of solutes, the present hemodialyzer in a cylindrical configuration for hemodialysis comprises a blood compartment having a packed bundle of hollow fibers in a reversibly distensible doughnut configuration on a radial cross-section, and a dialysate compartment having an axial spiral flow converter slidably inserted in a center of the packed bundle of the hollow fibers and an outer circumferential space encircling an outer circumferential layer of the packed bundle of the hollow fibers. The axial spiral flow converter is configured to convert an axial dialysate flow to a centrifugal dialysate flow radially spreading from the center of the packed bundle of the hollow fibers to the outer circumferential space of the hemodialyzer.

Abstract: To enhance diffusive mass transfer of solutes, the present hemodialyzer in a cylindrical configuration for hemodialysis comprises a blood compartment having a packed bundle of hollow fibers in a reversibly distensible doughnut configuration on a radial cross-section, and a dialysate compartment having an axial spiral flow converter slidably inserted in a center of the packed bundle of the hollow fibers and an outer circumferential space encircling an outer circumferential layer of the packed bundle of the hollow fibers. The axial spiral flow converter is configured to convert an axial dialysate flow to a centrifugal dialysate flow radially spreading from the center of the packed bundle of the hollow fibers to the outer circumferential space of the hemodialyzer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a hemodiafiltrator comprising two compartmentalized dialysate chambers coaxially arranged in tandem. A single packed bundle of hollow fibers for blood flow is enclosed coaxially along a longitudinal axis inside the dual dialysate chambers. A configuration of a tandem arrangement of the dual dialysate chambers at least comprises a first dialysate chamber for an acidic dialysate with a varying level of urea and a second compartmentalized dialysate chamber for a basic dialysate with no urea but with a level of ammonia up to a level detected in normal human blood.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for hemodiafiltration which applies dialysate gradient across a multi-chambered hemodiafiltrator having a plurality of compartmentalized tubular dialysate chambers. An acidic dialysate with urea at a concentration is applied to a first dialysate chamber. A less acidic dialysate with a lower concentration of urea than those for the first dialysate chamber is applied to a second dialysate chamber. A basic dialysate with no urea but with ammonia at a concentration up to a concentration detected in normal human blood is applied to a last dialysate chamber. The concentrations of urea for the first and second dialysate chambers decrease over time to zero prior to conclusion of hemodiafiltration.

Abstract: The present invention for vascular access comprises a single-lumen catheter that is configured to be reversibly and coaxially combinable with an inner catheter so as to form a coaxial double-lumen catheter device. The single-lumen catheter in a configuration of the coaxial double-lumen catheter device is configured to take in blood from patient to a hemodialysis machine whereas the inner catheter in the configuration of the coaxial double-lumen catheter device is configured to return the blood from the hemodialysis machine to the patient.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for hemodiafiltration which applies dialysate gradient across a multi-chambered hemodiafiltrator having a plurality of compartmentalized tubular dialysate chambers. An acidic dialysate with urea at a concentration is applied to a first dialysate chamber. A less acidic dialysate with a lower concentration of urea than those for the first dialysate chamber is applied to a second dialysate chamber. A basic dialysate with no urea but with ammonia at a concentration up to a concentration detected in normal human blood is applied to a last dialysate chamber. The concentrations of urea for the first and second dialysate chambers decrease over time to zero prior to conclusion of hemodiafiltration.

Abstract: The present invention provides a protective headgear having a multi-layered shell to attenuate amplitude of mechanical waves of a blunt trauma to a human head by phase reversal of the mechanical waves at a boundary established between two adjacent layers of the multi-layered shell.

Abstract: The present invention provides a protective headgear having a multi-layered shell to sequentially extend time of collision of a blunt trauma to a human head and to differentially release an average impact force of the collision to the human head wearing the protective headgear across a mid layer of the multi-layered shell. The mid layer is configured to separate centripetal mechanical waves of the collision from centrifugal mechanical waves of the collision in phase with the centripetal mechanical waves so as to reduce summation of in-phase bidirectional mechanical waves of bidirectional mechanical forces upon the collision.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and methods to quantitatively measure a physical perturbation to a human head model by a mechanical impact of a blunt trauma. The apparatus is configured to obtain a set of non-contact measurement data from the human head model upon the mechanical impact. A source of the mechanical impact is configured to vary in kinetic energy by varying weight of the source and speed of the mechanical impact.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ostomy apparatus which is capable of reversibly closing and opening an outlet of the ostomy apparatus. The outlet of the ostomy apparatus comprises a stretchable elastomeric tubular wall having a double wall tube-in-tube configuration.

Abstract: The present invention provides a protective headgear having a multi-layered shell to attenuate amplitude of incident mechanical waves of a blunt trauma to a human head by inducing destructive interference with the incident mechanical waves through phase reversal of reflected mechanical waves reflecting off a boundary between two adjacent layers of the protective headgear, and by coaxially converging the phase-reversed reflected mechanical waves with the incident mechanical waves. The multi-layered shell is configured to equally protect people having a similar size of head but with a range of body weight.

Abstract: The present invention provides a protective headgear having a multi-layered shell to sequentially extend time of collision of a blunt trauma to a human head and to differentially release an average impact force of the collision to the human head wearing the protective headgear across a mid layer of the multi-layered shell. The mid layer is configured to separate centripetal mechanical waves of the collision from centrifugal mechanical waves of the collision in phase with the centripetal mechanical waves so as to reduce summation of in-phase bidirectional mechanical waves of bidirectional mechanical forces upon the collision.

Abstract: The present invention provides a protective headgear having a multi-layered shell to attenuate amplitude of incident mechanical waves of a blunt trauma to a human head by inducing destructive interference with the incident mechanical waves through phase reversal of reflected mechanical waves reflecting off a boundary between two adjacent layers of the protective headgear, and by coaxially converging the phase-reversed reflected mechanical waves with the incident mechanical waves. The multi-layered shell is configured to equally protect people having a similar size of head but with a range of body weight.

Abstract: The present invention provides a protective headgear having a multi-layered configuration to attenuate amplitude of shock waves to a human head by inducing a first destructive interference of incident shock waves through phase reversal at a boundary between two adjacent layers of an outer shell, and a second destructive interference of transmitted shock waves across an inner layer in a cut-pile configuration. Shock waves is attenuated further by reflectively diffusing the transmitted shock waves at the boundary between the two adjacent layers of the outer shell, by reducing focused constructive interference between two symmetrically opposite transmitted shock waves coming centripetally off through the outer shell of the protective headgear, and by limiting seepage of the shock waves into an inner space between the protective headgear and the human head through filtrative trapping of the shock waves across the inner liner in the cut-pile configuration.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus to dissipate and attenuate mechanical waves which travel through a human brain upon blunt trauma. The apparatus comprises a pressurizable and ventable outer balloon shell encasing an inner hard shell. The pressurizable and ventable outer balloon shell is configured to release a pressurized gas to the atmosphere upon an impact to said pressurizable and ventable outer balloon shell. The apparatus is configured to enhance efficiency in reduction of an amplitude of the mechanical waves of the blunt trauma delivered to the human brain and to disrupt doubling-up of mechanical waves in a pressure zone inside the pressurizable and ventable outer balloon shell. The apparatus is configured to ventilate the pressurizable and ventable outer balloon shell and the inner hard shell.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus to disperse and attenuate mechanical waves which travel through a human brain upon direct and indirect blunt head trauma. The apparatus comprises a pressurizable and ventable outer balloon shell encasing an inner hard shell. The pressurizable and ventable outer balloon shell releases a pressurized gas to atmosphere upon an impact to said pressurizable and ventable outer balloon shell. The pressurizable and ventable outer balloon shell is configured to compartmentalize an impact region, to reduce amplitudes of incident, reflected and transmitted mechanical waves and to dampen resonance of the mechanical waves delivered to both the apparatus and a human head.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and methods to deliver audible acoustic sound to the brain through bone conduction and to terminate snoring and sleep apnea. The apparatus comprises a control module and a device that measures signs of the snoring and the sleep apnea and generates the audible acoustic sound to arouse a subject. The device is reversibly attachable to a part of a head overlying a skull of the subject and uses a composite sensor comprising a reflectance pulse oximeter and a vibration sensor for the measurement and an acoustic speaker for generation of the sound. The device drives the acoustic speaker to produce human-conversational sound and non-human sound.