Abstract: An implantable endoluminal device which is fabricated from materials which present a blood or body fluid and tissue contact surface which has controlled heterogeneities in material constitution. An endoluminal stent which is made of a material having controlled heterogeneities in the stent material along the blood flow surface of the stent and the method of fabricating the stent using vacuum deposition methods.

Abstract: A metal balloon catheter having a main tubular body, a metal balloon proximate a distal end of the main tubular body, a central annulus extending along an entire longitudinal aspect of the catheter for accommodating a guidewire therethrough and an inflation annulus adjacent the central annulus which extends along the longitudinal axis of the main tubular body and terminates in fluid flow communication with an inflation chamber of the metal balloon. The metal balloon catheter may be either unitary integral metal catheter in which the main tubular body and the balloon are fabricated of metal, or it may consist of a polymeric main tubular body and a metal balloon.

Abstract: An embolic protection device includes a catheter body having a central longitudinal lumen, a guidewire positioned within the central longitudinal lumen, and a graft member that is generally tubular in shape in an undeployed state and generally frustroconical in shape in a deployed state. A plurality of openings are formed in the graft member and a plurality of arm members interconnect a proximal end of the graft member with the catheter body. A distal end of the graft member is connected to the guidewire or the atraumatic tip.

Abstract: This invention relates to prosthetic cardiac and venous valves and a single catheter device and minimally invasive techniques for percutaneous and transluminal valvuloplasty and prosthetic valve implantation.

Abstract: A composition and method for supplementing feed, nutrition and diet systems with bioactive glycerides of conjugated linoleic acid comprised of a synergistic blend of conjugated linoleic bioactive isomers acid in mono-, di-, and/or triglyceride form. The composition comprises (A) bioactive glycerides of conjugated linoleic acid comprised of a synergistic blend of conjugated linoleic bioactive isomers acid in mono-, di- and/or triglyceride form, (B) a carrier medium, and (C) a delivery system as a dietary supplement. The composition provides an effective increase in nutritional, therapeutic, and pharmacological properties in nutrition and diet systems.

Abstract: An implantable endoluminal device that is fabricated from materials that present a blood or body fluid and tissue contact surface that has controlled heterogeneities in material constitution. An endoluminal stent-graft and web-stent that is made of an monolithic material deposited into a monolayer and etched into regions of structural members and web regions subtending interstitial regions between the structural members. An endoluminal graft is also provided which is made of a biocompatible metal or metal-like material. The endoluminal stent-graft is characterized by having controlled heterogeneities in the stent material along the blood flow surface of the stent and the method of fabricating the stent using vacuum deposition methods.

Abstract: This invention relates to prosthetic cardiac and venous valves and a single catheter device and minimally invasive techniques for percutaneous and transluminal valvuloplasty and prosthetic valve implantation.

Abstract: An implantable endoluminal device which is fabricated from materials which present a blood or body fluid and tissue contact surface which has controlled heterogeneities in material constitution. An endoluminal stent which is made of a material having controlled heterogeneities in the stent material along the blood flow surface of the stent and the method of fabricating the stent using vacuum deposition methods.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for profiling medical claims to assist health care managers in determining the cost-efficiency and service quality of health care providers. The method allows an objective means for measuring and quantifying health care services. An episode treatment group (ETG) is a patient classification unit, which defines groups that are clinically homogenous (similar cause of illness and treatment) and statistically stable. The ETG grouper methodology uses service or segment-level claim data as input data and assigns each service to the appropriate episode. The program identifies concurrent and recurrent episodes, flags records, creates new groupings, shifts groupings for changed conditions, selects the most recent claims, resets windows, makes a determination if the provider is an independent lab and continues to collect information until an absence of treatment is detected.

Abstract: A system for separating nucleated cells from a blood sample includes a charge-flow separator (CFS), which separates blood into fractions according to the surface charge density characteristics coupled with an affinity-filtration separator which either outputs a separated blood fraction to the CFS or receives a separated blood fraction from the CFS. The system permits separation of nucleated fetal red blood cells, erythroid progenitor cells and other nucleated cells found in blood samples.

Abstract: A method and single solution denaturation and hybridization useful with probes for hybridizing DNA or RNA sequences. The inventive protocol employs a carbinol containing hybridization solution.

Abstract: A technique for automated design of a corneal surgical procedure includes topographical measurements of a patient's eye to obtain corneal surface topography. Conventional techniques are used to obtain the thickness of the cornea and the intraocular pressure. The topographical information is interpolated and extrapolated to fit the nodes of a finite element analysis model of the eye, which is then analyzed to predict the initial state of stress of the eye and obtain pre-operative curvatures of the cornea. Incision data constituting the "initial" surgical plan is incorporated into the finite element analysis model. A new analysis then is performed to simulate resulting deformations, stresses, and curvatures of the eye. They are compared to the original values thereof and to the vision objective. If necessary, the surgical plan is modified, and the resulting new incision data is entered into the model and the analysis is repeated. This procedure is repeated until the vision objectives are met.

Abstract: A carbon containing vascular graft formed of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene and activated carbon admixed with at least a portion of the expanded polytetrafluoroethylene. A bioactive substance may be incorporated in the carbon containing vascular graft.

Abstract: An radially expandable stent-graft and method of making the same, including at least one a stent member encapsulated between at least two longitudinally expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) coverings. The at least one stent member has openings through wall surfaces of the stent to permit radial expansion. The at least two longitudinally expanded ePTFE coverings are circumferentially applied over the at least one stent member in their unsintered state, and sintered during application of a circumferential pressure to bond the ePTFE around and through the wall surfaces of the stent. The sintered ePTFE forms a substantially continuous, monolithic and integral encapsulation of the at least one stent. Upon radial expansion of the stent-graft, the stent and the ePTFE node-fibril microstructure radially deform. Radial deformation of the ePTFE encapsulation results in nodal elongation in the axis of radial expansion.

Abstract: An electrical cord connector securing device consisting of strap members, having hook and loop material affixed to the strap members to permit a first end of each strap member to be everted over a ring member and connected to a proximal end of each strap member. The strap members are connected to ring members which are engaged concentrically over the electrical cords and adjacent electrical cord plugs on the electrical cords.

Abstract: A method is presented for selective stimulation of fetal lymphocytes to divide in culture after treatment of mixed adult-fetal blood samples. This method is particularly useful for diagnosing genetic abnormalities of a fetus using fetal cells from a maternal blood sample. The method consists of preferential destruction of maternal lymphocyte response to low concentrations of mitotic stimulants which results in a relative increase in the number of responding fetal cells in mixed adult-fetal blood samples. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, blood samples from pregnant women are processed by the described methodology, in particular, the erythrocytes are removed from the maternal sample by centrifugation, filtration or preferential lysis with ammonium bicarbonate, the suspension is then subjected to an osmotic shock and exposed to mitotic stimulants in culture, and cells in mitosis are harvested for chromosome analysis.

Abstract: A method for enriching rare cell populations from a whole blood sample by separating rare cell fractions from whole according to the relative charge density and/or the relative binding affinity for a leukocyte depletion solid phase matrix. The enrichment method may be operated stand alone, or as a pre or post-processing step in conjunction with a charge-flow separation method.

Abstract: A dual supported intraluminal graft comprising a biocompatible flexible layer sandwiched between two structural support layers. The preferred embodiment comprises a first structural support, such as a stent, which is concentrically retained within a tubular shaped PTFE graft which is concentrically retained within a second structural support, such as a stent. The ends of the PTFE graft may be folded back onto the outer surface of the second structural support thereby forming flaps. Upon radial expansion of the preferred embodiment, the stent/graft/stent assembly forms inseparable layers.

Abstract: A charge-flow separation apparatus (CFS) and method for enriching rare cell populations, particularly fetal cells, from a whole blood sample by separating the rare cell fractions from whole according to the relative charge density and/or the relative binding affinity for a leukocyte depletion solid phase matrix. The enrichment method may be operated stand alone, or as a pre- or post-processing step in conjunction with a charge-flow separation method.