Abstract: An intravascular catheter for peri-vascular and/or peri-urethral tissue ablation includes multiple needles advanced through supported guide tubes which expand with open ends around a central axis to engage the interior surface of the wall of the renal artery or other vessel of a human body allowing the injection an ablative fluid for ablating tissue, and/or nerve fibers in the outer layer or deep to the outer layer of the vessel, or in prostatic tissue. The system also includes means to limit and/or adjust the depth of penetration of the ablative fluid into and beyond the tissue of the vessel wall. The preferred embodiment of the catheter includes structures which provide radial and lateral support to the guide tubes so that the guide tubes open uniformly and maintain their position against the interior surface of the vessel wall as the sharpened injection needles are advanced to penetrate into the vessel wall.

Abstract: An intravascular catheter for peri-vascular and/or peri-urethral tissue ablation includes multiple needles advanced through supported guide tubes which expand with open ends around a central axis to engage the interior surface of the wall of the renal artery or other vessel of a human body allowing the injection an ablative fluid for ablating tissue, and/or nerve fibers in the outer layer or deep to the outer layer of the vessel, or in prostatic tissue. The system also includes means to limit and/or adjust the depth of penetration of the ablative fluid into and beyond the tissue of the vessel wall. The preferred embodiment of the catheter includes structures which provide radial and lateral support to the guide tubes so that the guide tubes open uniformly and maintain their position against the interior surface of the vessel wall as the sharpened injection needles are advanced to penetrate into the vessel wall.

Abstract: An intravascular catheter for peri-vascular or peri-urethral tissue ablation includes multiple needles advanced through supported guide tubes which expand around a central axis to engage the interior surface of the wall of the renal artery or other vessel of a human body allowing the injection an ablative fluid for ablating tissue, or such as nerve fibers in the outer layer or deep to the outer layer of the vessel, or in prostatic tissue. The system may also controls the depth of penetration of the ablative fluid into and beyond the tissue of the vessel wall. The catheter may also include structures which provide radial and/or lateral support to the guide tubes so that the guide tubes expand uniformly and maintain their position against the interior surface of the vessel wall as the sharpened injection needles are advanced to penetrate into the vessel wall.

Abstract: An intravascular catheter for peri-vascular and/or peri-urethral tissue ablation includes multiple needles advanced through supported guide tubes which expand around a central axis to engage the interior surface of the wall of the renal artery or other vessel of a human body allowing the injection an ablative fluid for ablating tissue, and/or nerve fibers in the outer layer or deep to the outer layer of the vessel, or in prostatic tissue. The system may also include a means to limit and/or adjust the depth of penetration of the ablative fluid into and beyond the tissue of the vessel wall. The catheter may also include structures which provide radial and/or lateral support to the guide tubes so that the guide tubes expand uniformly and maintain their position against the interior surface of the vessel wall as the sharpened injection needles are advanced to penetrate into the vessel wall.

Abstract: An intravascular catheter for peri-vascular and/or peri-urethral tissue ablation includes multiple needles advanced through supported guide tubes which expand around a central axis to engage the interior surface of the wall of the renal artery or other vessel of a human body allowing the injection an ablative fluid for ablating tissue, and/or nerve fibers in the outer layer or deep to the outer layer of the vessel, or in prostatic tissue. The system may also limit and/or adjust the depth of penetration of the ablative fluid into and beyond the tissue of the vessel wall. The catheter may also include structures which provide radial and/or lateral support to the guide tubes so that the guide tubes expand uniformly and maintain their position against the interior surface of the vessel wall as the sharpened injection needles are advanced to penetrate into the vessel wall.

Abstract: An intravascular catheter for peri-vascular or peri-urethral tissue ablation includes multiple needles advanced through supported guide tubes which expand with open ends around a central axis to engage the interior surface of the wall of the renal artery or other vessel of a human body allowing the injection an ablative fluid for ablating tissue, such as nerve fibers in the outer layer or deep to the outer layer of the vessel, or in prostatic tissue. The system also controls the depth of penetration of the ablative fluid into and beyond the tissue of the vessel wall. The preferred embodiment of the catheter includes structures which provide radial and lateral support to the guide tubes so that the guide tubes open uniformly and maintain their position against the interior surface of the vessel wall as the sharpened injection needles are advanced to penetrate into the vessel wall.

Abstract: An intravascular catheter for peri-vascular and/or peri-urethral tissue ablation includes multiple needles advanced through supported guide tubes which expand around a central axis to engage the interior surface of the wall of the renal artery or other vessel of a human body allowing the injection an ablative fluid for ablating tissue, and/or nerve fibers in the outer layer or deep to the outer layer of the vessel. A method of treating hypertension involves injecting an ablative fluid such as ethanol deep into zones in the wall of the renal artery such that the zones of fluid merge to form a circumferential ablation ring at a depth which ablates sympathetic nerves while minimizing injury to interior layers of the vessel wall.

Abstract: An intravascular catheter for peri-vascular and/or peri-urethral tissue ablation includes multiple needles advanced through supported guide tubes which expand around a central axis to engage the interior surface of the wall of the renal artery or other vessel of a human body allowing the injection an ablative fluid for ablating tissue, and/or nerve fibers in the outer layer or deep to the outer layer of the vessel, or in prostatic tissue. The system may also include a means to limit and/or adjust the depth of penetration of the ablative fluid into and beyond the tissue of the vessel wall. The catheter may also include structures which provide radial and/or lateral support to the guide tubes so that the guide tubes expand uniformly and maintain their position against the interior surface of the vessel wall as the sharpened injection needles are advanced to penetrate into the vessel wall.

Abstract: An intravascular catheter for peri-vascular and/or peri-urethral tissue ablation includes multiple needles advanced through supported guide tubes which expand around a central axis to engage the interior surface of the wall of the renal artery or other vessel of a human body allowing the injection an ablative fluid for ablating tissue, and/or nerve fibers in the outer layer or deep to the outer layer of the vessel, or in prostatic tissue. The system may also include a means to limit and/or adjust the depth of penetration of the ablative fluid into and beyond the tissue of the vessel wall. The catheter may also include structures which provide radial and/or lateral support to the guide tubes so that the guide tubes expand uniformly and maintain their position against the interior surface of the vessel wall as the sharpened injection needles are advanced to penetrate into the vessel wall.

Abstract: A self-contained fuel system for use with a high temperature fuel cell is described to address containment of carbon dioxide evolution. The system utilizes a slurry containing calcium carbide and calcium hydride that is pumped into a water reservoir. The resulting hydrolysis reaction generates acetylene, hydrogen and water-soluble calcium hydroxide. The acetylene and hydrogen are catalytically converted to synthesis gas, which is used by a fuel cell to generate electricity. Carbon dioxide exhaust from the fuel cell is reacted with calcium hydroxide to form a storable solid, calcium carbonate.

Abstract: An intravascular catheter for peri-vascular and/or peri-urethral tissue ablation includes multiple needles advanced through supported guide tubes which expand around a central axis to engage the interior surface of the wall of the renal artery or other vessel of a human body allowing the injection an ablative fluid for ablating tissue, and/or nerve fibers in the outer layer or deep to the outer layer of the vessel, or in prostatic tissue. The system may also include a means to limit and/or adjust the depth of penetration of the ablative fluid into and beyond the tissue of the vessel wall. The catheter may also include structures which provide radial and/or lateral support to the guide tubes so that the guide tubes expand uniformly and maintain their position against the interior surface of the vessel wall as the sharpened injection needles are advanced to penetrate into the vessel wall.

Abstract: An intravascular catheter for peri-vascular and/or peri-urethral tissue ablation includes multiple needles advanced through supported guide tubes which expand around a central axis to engage the interior surface of the wall of the renal artery or other vessel of a human body allowing the injection an ablative fluid for ablating tissue, and/or nerve fibers in the outer layer or deep to the outer layer of the vessel, or in prostatic tissue. The system may also include a means to limit and/or adjust the depth of penetration of the ablative fluid into and beyond the tissue of the vessel wall. The catheter may also include structures which provide radial and/or lateral support to the guide tubes so that the guide tubes expand uniformly and maintain their position against the interior surface of the vessel wall as the sharpened injection needles are advanced to penetrate into the vessel wall.

Abstract: An intravascular catheter for peri-vascular and/or peri-urethral tissue ablation includes multiple needles advanced through supported guide tubes which expand with open ends around a central axis to engage the interior surface of the wall of the renal artery or other vessel of a human body allowing the injection an ablative fluid for ablating tissue, and/or nerve fibers in the outer layer or deep to the outer layer of the vessel, or in prostatic tissue. The system also includes means to limit and/or adjust the depth of penetration of the ablative fluid into and beyond the tissue of the vessel wall. The preferred embodiment of the catheter includes structures which provide radial and lateral support to the guide tubes so that the guide tubes open uniformly and maintain their position against the interior surface of the vessel wall as the sharpened injection needles are advanced to penetrate into the vessel wall.

Abstract: An intravascular catheter for peri-vascular and/or peri-urethral tissue ablation includes multiple needles advanced through supported guide tubes which expand with open ends around a central axis to engage the interior surface of the wall of the renal artery or other vessel of a human body allowing the injection an ablative fluid for ablating tissue, and/or nerve fibers in the outer layer or deep to the outer layer of the vessel, or in prostatic tissue. The system also includes means to limit and/or adjust the depth of penetration of the ablative fluid into and beyond the tissue of the vessel wall. The preferred embodiment of the catheter includes structures which provide radial and lateral support to the guide tubes so that the guide tubes open uniformly and maintain their position against the interior surface of the vessel wall as the sharpened injection needles are advanced to penetrate into the vessel wall.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an electrically conductive membrane that can be configured to be used in fuel cell systems to act as a hydrophilic water separator internal to the fuel cell, or as a water separator used with water vapor fed electrolysis cells, or as a water separator used with water vapor fed electrolysis cells, or as a capillary structure in a thin head pipe evaporator, or as a hydrophobic gas diffusion layer covering the fuel cell electrode surface in a fuel cell.

Abstract: The invention as disclosed is the integration of a fuel reformer reactor and a carbon dioxide scrubbing reactor for use in high temperature fuel cells. The reformer is placed in series with and between two carbon dioxide scrubbers. Fuel gas from the fuel cell is passed through a first carbon dioxide scrubber where the fuel gas is heated, has carbon dioxide gas removed there from, and is passed to the reformer. The gas exiting the reformer is scrubbed and heated by the second carbon dioxide scrubber before the gas is supplied to the fuel cell.

Abstract: A power source for an unmanned undersea vehicle with increased energy density is described that employs a self-contained fuel system to address carbon dioxide evolution. A solid oxide fuel cell serves as the power source in the self-contained fuel system. In combination with the solid oxide fuel cell, the system comprises a chemical composite that is combined with water to create both a hydrocarbon fuel for the solid oxide fuel cell and a water-soluble byproduct. The byproduct is then combined with the carbon dioxide gas generated by the fuel cell to create a storable solid precipitate.

Abstract: Disclosed is a mandrel for use in Radio Frequency welding, wherein the mandrel comprises first and second conductive portions separated by an insulating material, such that different potentials may be applied to the first and second conductive portions. Also disclosed is a method of RF welding and a method of manufacturing a mandrel.

Abstract: A device for gripping the handle of an instrument such as a golf club or a hammer. In a preferred embodiment the device is a grip having an elongate sleeve sized to cover at least a portion of the instrument handle. A plurality of loops are disposed longitudinally along the sleeve and adapted for the insertion of at least one digit. In an alternative embodiment the instrument handle may have a plurality of apertures formed in the instrument handle and adapted for the insertion of at least one digit.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for extracting foreign objects from the nasal passageway of a patient. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a flexible, elongate body having an inflatable balloon segment disposed at a distal end thereof. A method of practicing the invention involves introducing the distal end of the elongate body into the patient's nasal passageway to an extent that the balloon segment is advanced beyond the location in the nasal passageway at which the foreign body has become lodged. The balloon is then inflated. When the apparatus is withdrawn from the nasal passageway, the balloon draws the foreign object along and out of the nasal passageway. In one embodiment, the extraction apparatus is manufactured using methods and materials of a character that it is practical and cost-effective to render the apparatus disposable.