Abstract: An iontophoretic drug delivery device of the present invention includes a power source and an electrode assembly containing at least two electrodes, in electrical contact with a first reservoir and a second reservoir. The present invention also includes at least three electrodes in a three electrode embodiment, with the third electrode in electrical contact with a third reservoir. In either embodiment, the first reservoir and the second reservoir contain an active agent to be delivered to an applied area of a patient. The present invention also includes in its two electrode embodiment a switch for reversing the flow of current or in its three electrode embodiment a switch for switching the flow of current, so as to reduce sensation. The devices also include a timer for controlling the amount of time the electrical current flows in each direction.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of delivering drugs from multiple sites on a patients body is provided. A controller is used at each site, and these controllers communicate with each other to coordinate drug delivery from the multiple sites. In a preferred embodiment, the drugs are delivered using iontophoresis.

Abstract: An improved hydrogel reservoir for use in two-compartment iontophoretic patches is described. The hydrogel reservoir contains a water soluble polyelectrolyte and a fluid. The reservoir may also contain a matrix forming material such as polyvinylpyrrolidone. A preferred water-soluble polyelectrolyte is sodium polystyrene sulfonate.

Abstract: A multi-laser flow-cytometry system provides for inter-location emissions crosstalk cancellation, through either pulse subtraction or gating, to avoid false triggering based on shadow (pre- and post-) pulses that occur when red-excited red emissions are detected by a photodetector arranged to detect blue-excited red emissions. This overcomes a problem of undercounting of counting beads that led to misdeterminations of cell counts when blue-excited red fluorescence detections were used as a trigger. The approach also provides for more accurate quantitative data regarding fluorochrome emissions amplitudes.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for preparing proteins or peptides for iontophoretic delivery by modifying said proteins or peptides, by hydrophobic bonding of acharged molecule to a hydrophobic region of the protein or peptide, to have an isoelectric point of less than about 4.0 or greater than about 7.3 with an electrostatic charge of at least plus or minus 1 over the pH range of about 4.0 to about 7.3. Another embodiment of the present invention relates to a device for delivery of a protein or peptide having an isoelectric point of less than about 4.0 or greater than about 7.3 with an electrostatic charge of at least plus or minus 1 over the pH range of about 4.0 to about 7.3.

Abstract: One or more population of cells enriched for human hematopoietic stem cells is disclosed. HSC in this population of cells are capable of limited self-renewal and are capable of differentiating into all elements of the hematopoietic system. This population of cells has the phenotype of CD34.sup.+ /CD38.sup.- and more preferably CD34.sup.+ /CD38.sup.- /HLA-DR.sup.+. Cells within this population have been found to express CD13, CD33 and CD71. Hematopoietic stem cells can be used in a number of therapies, including autologous transplantation and in gene therapy.

Abstract: An iontophoretic drug delivery system of the present invention includes a disposable patch electrically interconnectible with a controller. The patch includes at least two electrode assemblies, with one of the electrode assemblies having a first electrode and a second electrode. In this way, during delivery of electrical current one of the electrodes is exhausted so that upon an attempt to reuse the patch, the controller does not detect the delivery of electrical current through said electrodes and fails to supply electrical current to the electrode assemblies for delivery of the drug. Electrical interconnection between the patch and the controller is established by inserting a tab extending from the patch into the controller.

Abstract: The apparatus includes a combination of a microscope and an interactive image analysis system comprising a camera and a computer work station. The purpose of the apparatus is to facilitate the interactive control of coordinate displacements of the stage of the microscope. For each coordinate x and y an electromechanical control channel is established. At the input of the control channel two cascaded wheels in a coaxial arrangement and two angle encoders are used as a detached, independent tool which is not kinematically linked to the stage. In the middle of the control channel, the pulses of the angle encoders undergo a non-linear transformation. A processor performs a calculation which discriminates between slow displacements and fast displacements. At the end of the control channel, a flat, easily accessible platform of the microscope stage has two working areas, one for manual previewing and one for interactive scanning of a specimen.

Abstract: A user activated iontophoretic device of the present invention includes an electrode assembly, an electrode reservoir and at least one drug reservoir. The device is divided or otherwise separated into at least two portions, with one portion containing the electrode reservoir and the other containing the drug reservoir, which may include a medication in a dry form. In one embodiment, the two portions are each contained in separate compartments of a pouch. In another embodiment, the portions are contained in a single compartment and divided by a barrier. A method of activating the device includes causing the two portions to come into electrical conducting contact with one another to at least partially hydrate one of the reservoirs. This can be accomplished, for example, by either folding the device to bring the two portions into contact with one another or simply by removing the barrier dividing the two portions.

Abstract: The present invention relates to improving the utilization of the active mass of printed ink electrodes by adding a surface active agent to at least one of the following the printed ink formulation, the gel formulation, the electrolyte reservoir or the medicament formulation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for conducting an assay using reverse flow through a membrane. More particularly, the present invention is directed to an apparatus and method which allows for the assaying of analytes, such as antigens, in a fluid sample containing such analytes with more accurate and reproducible results.

Abstract: A method of flow cytometric analysis of leukocyte subpopulations using a fluorescence trigger and gating on light scatter vs. fluorescence. The methods are useful where light scatter parameters are unsatisfactory for identification of leukocyte subpopulations, for example when analyzing lysed blood samples without removal of lysing reagent or unbound label prior to analysis.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and device for the iontophoretic delivery of a therapeutic dose range of bisphosphonate to be delivered to a patient over a period of lime to prevent the onset for advancement of osteoporosis and other metabolic bone diseases for a selected period of time.

Abstract: A method for preventing the onset or advancement of osteoporosis or other metabolic bone disorders in a patient by iontophoretically administering to the patient an effective amount of a bisphosphonate which would be effective for preventing the onset or advancement of osteoporosis or other bone disorders and wherein the effective amount of bisphosphonate is delivered over a period of from about four (4) hours to about forty-eight (48) hours, at intervals of from about once a week to about twice a year and wherein the effective amount of bisphosphonate also contains an agent capable of chelating calcium.

Abstract: This invention describes a method for the rapid identification of the presence of microorganisms in a sample. Briefly, in the method of this invention the sample container is divided into a plurality of discrete zones, each of which can be separately monitored for microbial presence. When a sample is placed into this container, detection is simplified as the volume monitored is low (as compared with the sample); since microbial detection is a concentration dependent phenomenon, the speed with which the presence of microbial contamination can be detected is increased.

Abstract: An assembly for in vitro culture of cells of the present invention includes a culture vessel with at least one well. The well has an open top, a bottom and a wall with an inside surface. The assembly also includes at least one insert sized for placement within the well. The insert has an outside surface, an open end and a closed end. There is a microporous membrane at the closed end of the insert that closes the end and thereby forms a receptacle within the inset. The assembly further includes provisions for adjustably positioning the insert within the well between a first position where the closed end of the insert is a first distance from said bottom of the well and a second position where the closed end of the insert is a second distance from the well bottom.

Abstract: A well plate assembly useful for laboratory-scale cell culture and diagnostic tests of the present invention includes a substantially planar base with at least one well and a top surface. A lid is joined to the base by a hinge as part of the assembly. The hinge allows the lid to be moved between a closed position, where the lid covers the top surface, and a plurality of open positions where the top surface is uncovered. The assembly includes provisions for releasably retaining the lid in the closed and plurality of open positions.

Abstract: A nutrient culture medium which isolates antibiotics and other microbial growth inhibitors during culturing of a microorganism is shown. The culture medium includes an aqueous dispersion of nutrient materials and an effective amount of an isolating substance or substances capable of isolating antimicrobial materials during culturing of a microorganism.The isolating substances are selected from ion exchange resins and non-functional adsorbent resins.

Abstract: This invention presents methods for detection and evaluation of metabolic activity of microorganisms based upon their ability to consume dissolved oxygen. The methods utilize a fluorescence detection system which makes use of the sensitivity of the fluorescent emission of certain compounds to the presence of oxygen, which quenches (diminishes) the compound's fluorescent emission in a concentration dependent manner. Respiring microorganisms will affect the oxygen concentration of a liquid medium in which they are immersed. Thus, this invention provides a convenient system to gather information on the presence, identification and metabolic activity of microorganisms by determining their effect on the oxygen concentration of the media in which they are present.