Abstract: The present invention relates to biologically useful material in the form of a pseudocapsid formed from papovavirus major capsid antigen and excluding minor capsid antigens, which pseudocapsid incorporates exogenous material. The invention also relates to a method of using the pseudocapsids as vectors for exogenous material transfer, especially gene transfer in the therapy of genetic disorders, or other uses such as antibody or drug targeting.

Abstract: A medical ventilator comprises a ventilator duct having an inlet for respiratory fresh gas. The pressure at which the respiratory fresh gas is supplied to the patient is determined by a driving jet disposed in the ventilator duct at a distance from the inlet so that an intervening column of gas acts as a pneumatic piston. The supply of driving gas to the jet is initially set by a regulator to obtain a desired value of a respiratory parameter, such as the volume of gas ventilating the patient's lungs during the breathing cycle. The volume of gas expelled from the patient's lungs is monitored during operation by detecting means and the regulator is adjusted by a servomotor in response to any change in the measured parameter in order to maintain the parameter at the desired value.

Abstract: An oscillatory medical ventilator comprises a ventilator duct having one end for attachment to the a patient tube. A gas supply jet is mounted in a bearing block for rotation by an electric motor. The jet has a gas supply passage to which driving or respiratory gas is supplied continuously during rotation of the jet by a gas supply chamber encircling a shaft of the jet and communicating with the passage through radially extending openings in the wall of the shaft. A cyclically varying pressure at one end of the ventilator duct is thus produced upon rotation of the jet to cause alternating inflation and deflation of the lungs with respiratory gas which is supplied either by the jet or an independent source connected to the patient tube.