Abstract: A working end of a catheter includes at least one therapeutic element, such as a resistive heating element, usable to deliver energy for ligating, or reducing the diameter of, a hollow anatomical structure. In certain examples, the catheter includes a lumen to accommodate a guide wire or to allow fluid delivery. In certain embodiments, a balloon is inflated to place resistive element(s) into apposition with a hollow anatomical structure and to occlude the structure. Indexing devices and methods are also disclosed for successively treating portions of the hollow anatomical structure. In certain examples, marks along the catheter shaft provide visual verification to the physician of the relative position of the therapeutic element of the catheter. Embodiments of indexing devices may include pairs of rings and/or hinged arms that move a catheter a desired indexed position between successive treatments.

Abstract: A catheter includes multiple primary leads to deliver energy for ligating a hollow anatomical structure. Each of the primary leads includes a resistive element located at the working end of the catheter. Separation is maintained between the leads such that each lead can individually receive power. The catheter can include a lumen to accommodate a guide wire or to allow fluid delivery. Energy is applied until the diameter of the hollow anatomical structure is reduced to the point where occlusion is achieved. In one embodiment, a balloon is inflated to place the resistive elements into apposition with a hollow anatomical structure and to occlude the structure before the application of energy. The inflated balloon impairs blood flow and facilitates the infusion of saline, or medication, to the hollow anatomical structure in order to reduce the occurrence of coagulation and to improve the heating of the structure by the catheter.

Abstract: A working end of a catheter includes at least one therapeutic element, such as a resistive heating element, usable to deliver energy for ligating, or reducing the diameter of, a hollow anatomical structure. In certain examples, the catheter includes a lumen to accommodate a guide wire or to allow fluid delivery. In certain embodiments, a balloon is inflated to place resistive element(s) into apposition with a hollow anatomical structure and to occlude the structure. Indexing devices and methods are also disclosed for successively treating portions of the hollow anatomical structure. In certain examples, marks along the catheter shaft provide visual verification to the physician of the relative position of the therapeutic element of the catheter. Embodiments of indexing devices may include pairs of rings and/or hinged arms that move a catheter a desired indexed position between successive treatments.

Abstract: A working end of a catheter includes at least one therapeutic element, such as a resistive heating element, usable to deliver energy for ligating, or reducing the diameter of, a hollow anatomical structure. In certain examples, the catheter includes a lumen to accommodate a guide wire or to allow fluid delivery. In certain embodiments, a balloon is inflated to place resistive element(s) into apposition with a hollow anatomical structure and to occlude the structure. Indexing devices and methods are also disclosed for successively treating portions of the hollow anatomical structure. In certain examples, marks along the catheter shaft provide visual verification to the physician of the relative position of the therapeutic element of the catheter. Embodiments of indexing devices may include pairs of rings and/or hinged arms that move a catheter a desired indexed position between successive treatments.

Abstract: A working end of a catheter includes at least one therapeutic element, such as a resistive heating element, usable to deliver energy for ligating, or reducing the diameter of, a hollow anatomical structure. In certain examples, the catheter includes a lumen to accommodate a guide wire or to allow fluid delivery. In certain embodiments, a balloon is inflated to place resistive element(s) into apposition with a hollow anatomical structure and to occlude the structure. Indexing devices and methods are also disclosed for successively treating portions of the hollow anatomical structure. In certain examples, marks along the catheter shaft provide visual verification to the physician of the relative position of the therapeutic element of the catheter. Embodiments of indexing devices may include pairs of rings and/or hinged arms that move a catheter a desired indexed position between successive treatments.

Abstract: A working end of a catheter includes at least one therapeutic element, such as a resistive heating element, usable to deliver energy for ligating, or reducing the diameter of, a hollow anatomical structure. In certain examples, the catheter includes a lumen to accommodate a guide wire or to allow fluid delivery. In certain embodiments, a balloon is inflated to place resistive element(s) into apposition with a hollow anatomical structure and to occlude the structure. Indexing devices and methods are also disclosed for successively treating portions of the hollow anatomical structure. In certain examples, marks along the catheter shaft provide visual verification to the physician of the relative position of the therapeutic element of the catheter. Embodiments of indexing devices may include pairs of rings and/or hinged arms that move a catheter a desired indexed position between successive treatments.

Abstract: A working end of a catheter includes at least one therapeutic element, such as a resistive heating element, usable to deliver energy for ligating, or reducing the diameter of, a hollow anatomical structure. In certain examples, the catheter includes a lumen to accommodate a guide wire or to allow fluid delivery. In certain embodiments, a balloon is inflated to place resistive element(s) into apposition with a hollow anatomical structure and to occlude the structure. Indexing devices and methods are also disclosed for successively treating portions of the hollow anatomical structure. In certain examples, marks along the catheter shaft provide visual verification to the physician of the relative position of the therapeutic element of the catheter. Embodiments of indexing devices may include pairs of rings and/or hinged arms that move a catheter a desired indexed position between successive treatments.

Abstract: A working end of a catheter includes at least one therapeutic element, such as a resistive heating element, usable to deliver energy for ligating, or reducing the diameter of, a hollow anatomical structure. In certain examples, the catheter includes a lumen to accommodate a guide wire or to allow fluid delivery. In certain embodiments, a balloon is inflated to place resistive element(s) into apposition with a hollow anatomical structure and to occlude the structure. Indexing devices and methods are also disclosed for successively treating portions of the hollow anatomical structure. In certain examples, marks along the catheter shaft provide visual verification to the physician of the relative position of the therapeutic element of the catheter. Embodiments of indexing devices may include pairs of rings and/or hinged arms that move a catheter a desired indexed position between successive treatments.

Abstract: A working end of a catheter includes at least one therapeutic element, such as a resistive heating element, usable to deliver energy for ligating, or reducing the diameter of, a hollow anatomical structure. In certain examples, the catheter includes a lumen to accommodate a guide wire or to allow fluid delivery. In certain embodiments, a balloon is inflated to place resistive element(s) into apposition with a hollow anatomical structure and to occlude the structure. Indexing devices and methods are also disclosed for successively treating portions of the hollow anatomical structure. In certain examples, marks along the catheter shaft provide visual verification to the physician of the relative position of the therapeutic element of the catheter. Embodiments of indexing devices may include pairs of rings and/or hinged arms that move a catheter a desired indexed position between successive treatments.

Abstract: A working end of a catheter includes at least one therapeutic element, such as a resistive heating element, usable to deliver energy for ligating, or reducing the diameter of, a hollow anatomical structure. In certain examples, the catheter includes a lumen to accommodate a guide wire or to allow fluid delivery. In certain embodiments, a balloon is inflated to place resistive element(s) into apposition with a hollow anatomical structure and to occlude the structure. Indexing devices and methods are also disclosed for successively treating portions of the hollow anatomical structure. In certain examples, marks along the catheter shaft provide visual verification to the physician of the relative position of the therapeutic element of the catheter. Embodiments of indexing devices may include pairs of rings and/or hinged arms that move a catheter a desired indexed position between successive treatments.

Abstract: A working end of a catheter includes at least one therapeutic element, such as a resistive heating element, usable to deliver energy for ligating, or reducing the diameter of, a hollow anatomical structure. In certain examples, the catheter includes a lumen to accommodate a guide wire or to allow fluid delivery. In certain embodiments, a balloon is inflated to place resistive element(s) into apposition with a hollow anatomical structure and to occlude the structure. Indexing devices and methods are also disclosed for successively treating portions of the hollow anatomical structure. In certain examples, marks along the catheter shaft provide visual verification to the physician of the relative position of the therapeutic element of the catheter. Embodiments of indexing devices may include pairs of rings and/or hinged arms that move a catheter a desired indexed position between successive treatments.

Abstract: A catheter includes multiple primary leads to deliver energy for ligating a hollow anatomical structure. Each of the primary leads includes a resistive element located at the working end of the catheter. Separation is maintained between the leads such that each lead can individually receive power. The catheter can include a lumen to accommodate a guide wire or to allow fluid delivery. Energy is applied until the diameter of the hollow anatomical structure is reduced to the point where occlusion is achieved. In one embodiment, a balloon is inflated to place the resistive elements into apposition with a hollow anatomical structure and to occlude the structure before the application of energy. The inflated balloon impairs blood flow and facilitates the infusion of saline, or medication, to the hollow anatomical structure in order to reduce the occurrence of coagulation and to improve the heating of the structure by the catheter.

Abstract: The invention generally relates to prioritizing fetching content from a hierarchy of network resources defined with respect to links between the network resources. Typically a network resource, such as a web page, contains links to substantive content of interest to a data consumer, such as links to successive pages of an article, and ancillary data, such as links to advertisements or other data. If a network connection is intermittent, such as for a mobile computing device, associating prefetch tags with links to substantive within a network resource may facilitate maximizing use of a transitory network connection by having the marked substantive content prefetched in advance of its access by a data consumer so that the prefetched content may remain available to the data consumer even if the network connection is lost.

Abstract: A method for synchronizing data sharing across multiple interpreted code engines is described. The method includes comparing a database timestamp with a first cache timestamp responsive to an attempt to access the first cache. Then, the method disallows access to the first cache if the database timestamp is not equal to the first cache timestamp. Finally, the method reloads the first cache with data from the database; and sets the first cache timestamp to equal the database timestamp.

Abstract: A method for synchronizing data sharing across multiple interpreted code engines is described comprising: comparing a database timestamp with a first cache timestamp responsive to an attempt to access said first cache; disallowing access to said first cache if said database timestamp is not equal to said first cache timestamp; reloading said first cache with data from said database; and setting said first cache timestamp to equal said database timestamp.

Abstract: A steering mechanism including a steering shaft coupled to a controller which includes a handle and apparatus for manipulating the distal end of the steering shaft. The steering shaft includes a flexible coiled spring having a lead spring fixed in position with respect to a distal end thereof in the distal end of the steering shaft. One or more steering wires is affixed at the distal ends thereof to the lead spring. The steering wires extend through the steering shaft to the controller, and the steering apparatus of the controller is used to place tension on one or both of the steering wires. The attachment of the distal ends of the steering wires to the lead spring may be opposite one another or may be offset for providing greater maneuverability.