Abstract: A flow-balanced cardiac wrap that assists the right and left ventricles of an affected heart to differing, and adjustable degrees is provided. The wrap generally applies an assist to the left ventricle that is greater than that applied to the right, or that reduces blood output from the right relative to the left. In one embodiment, the wrap comprises a material covering that is applied around the right and left ventricles of the heart, so that the left ventricle is assisted over a larger surface area than the right. The positioning of the right ventricular portion or the wrap is chosen so that desired pumping characteristics for the right ventricle are achieved.

Abstract: The invention provides improved methods and systems for generation of square roots of vector and administrative operands. The methods utilize bit-manipulation operations to halve intermediate values, generated by a processor reciprocal square root operation, during a multistep process square root determination. Such methods can also multiply an original operand (whose square root is being determined) with such an intermediate value, e.g., or a halved or other value thereon. The invention also provides methods and apparatus for determination of square roots square roots of large groups of numbers by interleaving vector and administrative instructions to take advantage of necessary delays in the vector processing pipeline architecture to speed overall processing.

Abstract: A unified, non-blood contacting, implantable heart assist system surrounds the natural heart and provides circumferential contraction in synchrony with the heart's natural contractions. The pumping unit is composed of adjacent tube pairs arranged along a bias with respect to the axis of the heart and bound in a non-distensible sheath forming a heart wrap. The tube pairs are tapered at both ends such that when they are juxtaposed and deflated they approximately follow the surface of the diastolic myocardium. Inflation of the tube pairs causes the wrap to follow the motion of the myocardial surface during systole. A muscle-driven or electromagnetically powered energy converter inflates the tubes using hydraulic fluid pressure. An implanted electronic controller detects electrical activity in the natural heart, synchronizes pumping activity with this signal, and measures and diagnoses system as well as physiological operating parameters for automated operation.

Abstract: A system for calculating fast Fourier transforms includes a non-final stage calculating means for repetitively performing in-place butterfly calculations for n−1 stages as well as a final stage calculating means for performing a final stage of butterfly calculations. The final stage calculating means includes a first loop and a second loop. The first loop performs a portion of the final stage butterfly calculations by iterating on a table of first loop index values consisting of values that bit-reverse into themselves. The first loop also includes control logic to select inputs for groups of butterfly calculations based on the first loop index values. The second loop performs a remaining portion of the final stage butterfly calculations by iterating on a table of second loop index value pairs consisting of two values that bit-reverse into each other.

Abstract: A unified, non-blood contacting, implantable heart assist system surrounds the natural heart and provides circumferential contraction in synchrony with the heart's natural contractions. The pumping unit is composed of adjacent tube pairs arranged along a bias with respect to the axis of the heart and bound in a non-distensible sheath forming a heart wrap. The tube pairs are tapered at both ends such that when they are juxtaposed and deflated they approximately follow the surface of the diastolic myocardium. Inflation of the tube pairs causes the wrap to follow the motion of the myocardial surface during systole. A muscle-driven or electromagnetically powered energy converter inflates the tubes using hydraulic fluid pressure. An implanted electronic controller detects electrical activity in the natural heart, synchronizes pumping activity with this signal, and measures and diagnoses system as well as physiological operating parameters for automated operation.

Abstract: A biventricular cardiac prosthesis has a flow balance control system to balance blood flow through the left and right sides of the prosthesis to maintain a patient's left atrial pressure within physiologic bounds. The prosthesis can be configured to have flow characteristics so that a signal representative of the difference in hydraulic pumping pressures on the left and right sides of the prosthesis is representative of the difference between left and right atrial pressures of a patient having the prosthesis implanted. This signal can be used as a control signal to drive the prosthesis so that left atrial pressure is approximately equal to right atrial pressure, and within physiologic bounds. A specific prosthesis includes left and right pumping sections, each having a blood pumping chamber and a hydraulic fluid chamber, with a reciprocating hydraulic pump driving systole alternately on the right and left sides.

Abstract: Artificial implantable active and passive girdles include a heart assist system with an artificial myocardium employing a number of flexible, non-distensible tubes with the walls along their long axes connected in series to form a cuff and a passive girdle is wrapped around a heart muscle which has dilatation of a ventricle to conform to the size and shape of the heart and to constrain the dilatation during diastole. The passive girdle is formed of a material and structure that does not expand away from the heart but may, over an extended period of time be decreased in size as dilatation decreases.

Abstract: An interstitial brachytherapy apparatus of the invention delivers radioactive emissions in an asymmetric fashion to target tissue surrounding a surgical extraction site. The apparatus includes an expandable outer surface element defining an apparatus spatial volume, a radiation source disposed within the apparatus volume, and a means for providing predetermined asymmetric isodose curves within the target tissue. In one configuration, asymmetric isodose curves are created in the target tissue by shaping or locating the radiation source so as to be asymmetrically placed with respect to a longitudinal axis of the apparatus. In other configurations, asymmetric radiopaque shielding is provided between the radiation source and the target tissue. A surgical procedure using the apparatus is also described.

Abstract: An interstitial brachytherapy apparatus for delivering radioactive emissions to an internal body location includes a catheter body member having a proximal end and distal end, an inner spatial volume disposed proximate to the distal end of the catheter body member, an outer spatial volume defined by an expandable surface element disposed proximate to the distal end of the body member in a surrounding relation to the inner spatial volume, and a radiation source disposed in the inner spatial volume.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for location of objects to facilitate retrieval, filing, security, inventory stock-keeping and the like. The methods and apparatus employ a tag element associated with each object-to-be-located, and interrogation system for searching one or more spatial regions for such tagged items, as well as mechanisms for identifying objects within the interrogated region.

Abstract: A system for controlling end diastolic volume of the heart is disclosed. The system includes an EDV sensor constructed and arranged to measure a parameter related to the end diastolic volume of the heart, and a heart stimulator, responsive to the EDV sensor, constructed and arranged to invoke systole when the measured parameter reaches a predetermined level, the parameter reaching that level prior to termination of diastole. Preferably, the heart stimulator may be a pacemaker. The EDV sensor may be any sensor constructed to measure a parameter related to the end diastolic volume of the heart, or another selected physiological or patho-physiological condition of the heart, including a strain sensor, a stress sensor, a dimension sensor, an impedance sensor, an optical sensor, a microwave sensor, or another sensor constructed to measure a parameter related to the end diastolic volume of the heart, or another selected physiological or patho-physiological condition of the heart.

Abstract: An infuser for transferring hazardous treatment fluids to and from a medical application includes a spill containing housing having a medical application connecting element and a syringe seat. The syringe seat of the infuser leads to a syringe connecting element that provides a fluid coupling between the syringe and a fluid passage leading to the medical application connecting element. The interior of the housing can be sealed against leaks, for example, by providing the housing in two portions with a gasket provided between the portions. A fluid tight coupling between the syringe and the interior of the housing may be created by integrally forming a septum with the gasket and coupling the syringe with the syringe connecting element through the septum. The infuser can also be provided with two syringe seats so that two different fluids can be transferred. In one embodiment, a second syringe connecting element is provided in fluid-tight communication with a second fluid passage.

Abstract: An electromagnetic field source (EFS) for providing electromagnetic energy to a secondary coil, including two or more primary coils that each carry a time-varying current to produce an electromagnetic field, and a controller that selectively provides current to one or more primary coils based on their position with respect to the secondary coil. The secondary coil may be implanted in a human recipient and used to provide power for the operation of a medical device, such as an artificial heart or ventricular assist device. The invention also provides such a secondary coil and EFS, collectively referred to as a transcutaneous energy transfer (TET) device. The primary coils of the EFS or TET may be housed in furniture. For example, they may be housed in a bed mattress or mattress pad on which the recipient rests, or in a blanket for covering the recipient.

Abstract: A balloon pump system including catheter-mounted pumping balloon configured to be positioned within a desired body passageway to pump a fluid through the body passageway. A stent is percutaneously deployed within the body passageway. The pumping balloon is percutaneously deployed within the stent such that the stent is interposed between the pumping balloon and the walls of the body passageway. The stent substantially limits the compliance of the body passageway, preventing the passageway in the vicinity of the pumping balloon from significantly expanding or contracting in response to forces generated by inflation and deflation of the pumping balloon. As a result, a volume of fluid substantially equivalent to a change in volume of the pumping balloon is displaced when the pumping balloon is inflated or deflated.