Abstract: Provided herein are methods, systems, and computer program products for the detection and evaluation of cardiac condition in a lead-invariant manner.

Abstract: This document provides methods and materials for improving arteriovenous fistula (AVF) maturation and/or maintaining AVF functionality. For example, methods and materials for using one or more senolytic agents to improve AVF maturation, to maintain AVF functionality, and/or to maintain the patency of an AVF are provided. Methods and materials for using one or more senolytic agents to maintain functionality and/or patency of a venous graft (e.g., a venous graft that bypasses an occluded artery) also are provided.

Abstract: A wrap for collecting a plurality of lines, cords, tubes, or wires has been provided. In some implementations, the wrap may include a first surface and a second surface on opposite sides of the first layer, such that one may be viewed as being on the top of the first layer and the other on the bottom of the first layer when the wrap is in an unwrapped state. The first connection mechanism is removably attachable to the second connection mechanism to transition the wrap between the unwrapped state and a wrapped state. The first layer is configured to wrap around a plurality of lines, cords, tubes, or wires when the wrap is in a wrapped state, and a portion of the first layer overlaps another portion of the first layer when the wrap is in a wrapped state.

Abstract: Systems and methods provide a novel computational approach to planning the endovascular treatment of cardiovascular diseases. In particular, the invention simulates medical device deployment and hemodynamic outcomes using a virtual patient-specific anatomical model of the area to be treated, high-fidelity finite element medical device models and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). In an embodiment, the described approach investigates the effects of coil packing density, coil shape, aneurysmal neck size and parent vessel flow rate on aneurysmal hemodynamics. A processor may receive patient clinical data used to construct the relevant anatomical structure model. The processor may access medical device models constructed using finite element analysis and three dimensional beam analysis, and simulates the deployment of selected medical devices in the anatomical structure model.

Abstract: Systems and methods for reconstructing, estimating, or otherwise generating unacquired, undetected, unreconstructed, or otherwise unknown ultrasound data using machine learning algorithms are provided. Thus, the systems and methods described in the present disclosure provide for generating unacquired, undetected, unreconstructed, or otherwise unknown data that are not actually and physically acquired with an ultrasound transducer and/or front-end receiver of an ultrasound system.

Abstract: Materials and methods for identifying and using MHC molecule variants for activating self-reactive T cells in a peptide-specific manner, and their use to focus autoimmune cellular responses against diseases such as cancers and persisting viral infections, are described.

Abstract: Ultrasound attenuation coefficient estimation (“ACE”) techniques that can ameliorate frequency power ratio curve oscillations caused by signal interferences, non-uniform tissue structures, or both, are described. The resulting smoothed frequency power ratio curves enable more accurate ACE and reduced region-of-interest (“ROI”) sizes for linear regression.

Abstract: Materials and methods for identifying subjects as being likely or not likely to respond to an interleukin-1? receptor antagonist (IL-1RA) therapy for a seizure disorder, as well as materials and methods for treating subjects identified as being likely to respond to an IL-1RA therapy for a seizure disorder, are provided herein.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, devices, and methods for accessing a subdural space. In some embodiments, an apparatus may comprise a shaft configured to be slidably disposed within a lumen of a catheter. The shaft may be configured to be advanced distally from a distal end of the catheter and into a blood vessel of a subject. The shaft may include a perforating tip including an energy element configured to generate radiofrequency energy to form an opening through a wall of the blood vessel and dura of the subject and into an extravascular space of the subject. A curved section may be configured to be radially constrained within the lumen of the catheter and to curve toward the wall of the blood vessel and the dura upon exiting the lumen of the catheter such that the energy element is positioned to form the opening.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods of differentiating cell types in a cell population. The methods include removing at least some non-Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-T cells from a fluidic sample obtained from a subject without centrifuging the fluidic sample to produce a purified fluidic sample. The fluidic sample comprises CAR-T cells and the non-CAR-T cells. The methods also include capturing cells in the purified fluidic sample on a surface that comprises binding moieties that bind at least to the CAR-T cells to produce a captured cell population. In addition, the methods also include distinguishing the CAR-T cells from the non-CAR-T cells in the captured cell population using a trained machine learning model to produce a captured CAR-T cell population data set. Additional methods as well as related devices and systems are also provided.

Abstract: A balloon guiding sheath may include an elongated sheath comprising a proximal end, a distal end, an inner tube, an outer tube surrounding the inner tube, an access port located adjacent the proximal end, a distal port located adjacent the distal end, and a working lumen extending between the access port and the distal port. The balloon guiding sheath may also include an inflatable balloon located on an outer surface of the elongated sheath adjacent the distal end. The balloon guiding sheath may also include a textured surface located along an outer portion of the outer tube and located beneath the inflatable balloon. The elongated sheath may be sized and configured to enable direct insertion into vasculature of a patient through an arteriotomy in at least one of a carotid artery or a vertebral artery to position the inflatable balloon at a target site.

Abstract: Devices and methods are provided for the treatment of pathological conditions including arrhythmias and trauma using temperature modulation via implantable or worn devices. For example, in one example embodiment this document relates to devices and methods for treating atrial or ventricular fibrillation by cooling the epicardium. The devices and methods can also be used to treat other disorders by applying heating and/or cooling to a patient in a number of different manners.

Abstract: The present invention provides benzothiadiazine and chroman derivatives and particularly diazoxide and cromakalim derivatives for use in treating glaucoma, retinopathy, treating age related macular degeneration, treating, stabilizing and/or inhibiting blood and lymph vascularization, and reducing intraocular pressure by administering a pharmaceutically effective amount of a prodrug disposed in an ophthalmically acceptable carrier to the eye, wherein the prodrug specifically modulates a KATP channel to reduce an intraocular pressure.

Abstract: A heart valve anchor apparatus may include a body having a proximal portion and a distal portion. The body may include a first radially expandable portion at the proximal portion of the body, a second radially expandable portion at the distal portion of the body, and a root portion extending from the first radially expandable portion to the second radially expandable portion, the root portion having an outer extent. The first radially expandable portion may be configured to self-expand to an outer extent greater than the outer extent of the root portion when radially unconstrained. The second radially expandable portion may be configured to self-expand to an outer extent greater than the outer extent of the root portion when radially unconstrained. In an unstressed configuration, the body may define a longitudinal centerline that extends away from a plane tangent to the root portion.

Abstract: Described here are systems and methods for generating microvessel images from image data acquired with an ultrasound system while analyzing the image data in realtime, or retrospectively, to generate a performance descriptor that can be used to assess data quality and/or motion correction quality; to adaptively suppress noise in the data; or both.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a soft tissue device, such as a transverse carpal ligament cutting device having one or more balloons that are deflated when the device is in an inactive position and are inflated when the device is in an active position. Other embodiments provide a soft tissue cutting method, such as a method of cutting a transverse carpal ligament that uses a soft tissue cutting device.

Abstract: The invention provides a tissue cutting device comprising a handle, a first blade. and a second blade. The second blade is coupled to the handle. The second blade is rotatable relative to the first blade such that the second blade is configured to rotate between a first position and a second position. The second blade is in a same plane as the first blade when the second blade is in the first position. The second blade is rotated into a different plane from the first blade when the second blade is rotated from the first position toward the second position.

Abstract: This document provides methods and materials involved in identifying and treating mammals (e.g., humans) having membranous nephropathy. For example, methods and materials for detecting the presence of autoantibodies specific for an EXT1 and/or EXT2 polypeptide as well as methods and materials for detecting the presence of kidney tissue having an elevated level of an EXT1 and/or EXT2 polypeptide are provided. In addition, methods and materials for treating membranous nephropathy by administering an immunosuppressant are provided.

Abstract: Described here are systems and methods for improved ultrasound attenuation coefficient estimation (“ACE”) techniques. In one aspect, noise can be suppressed by using signal-to-noise ratio (“SNR”) as a quality control metric for restricting depth ranges for ACE. In this way, the proper depth range for each frequency component can be adaptively changed with sufficient SNR for ACE. In another aspect, elevation focusing normalization is used to reduce errors associated with diffraction effects when estimating attenuation coefficient. In another aspect, methods for suppressing noise in ACE techniques is provided. Noise can be suppressed based on a noise field computed from measurements obtained without ultrasound transmission, based on a unique combination of consecutive image frames, based on singular value decomposition (“SVD”) clutter filtering cutoff values, or combinations thereof.

Abstract: This document provides methods and materials for treating cancer. For example, foamy viruses (e.g., simian foamy viruses) are provided as well as methods and materials for treating cancer using foamy viruses as an oncolytic agent.