Abstract: A method of treating a subject having a musculoskeletal disorder includes administering to a subject's articular site in need thereof an effective amount of a hyaluronic acid (HA) composition. In one embodiment, the HA composition includes an HA derivative, wherein carboxyl functionalities of the hyaluronic acid derivative are each independently derivatized to include an N-acylurea or 0-acyl isourea, or both N-acylurea and 0-acyl isourea. In another embodiment, the HA composition includes a crosslinked HA gel that is prepared by reacting an uncrosslinked HA with a biscarbodiimide in the presence of pH buffer in a range of between about 4 and about 8. The composite can optionally include at least one second bioactive agent other than the HA derivative, such as a steroid.

Abstract: A method for treating an osteochondral defect or a chondral defect in a subject includes implanting a composite in a site of the osteochondral or chondral defect. The composite includes a hyaluronic acid derivative; and at least one member of the group consisting of a cell, a cellular growth factor and a cellular differentiation factor, which is impregnated in, or coupled to, the hyaluronic acid derivative. In one embodiment, carboxyl functionalities of the hyaluronic acid derivative are each independently derivatized to include an N-acylurea or O-acyl isourea, or both N-acylurea and O-acyl isourea. In another embodiment, the hyaluronic acid derivative is prepared by reacting an uncrosslinked hyaluronic acid with a biscarbodimide in the presence of a pH buffer in a range of between about 4 and about 8. The composite can be used for regenerating or stimulating regeneration of meniscal tissues in a subject in need thereof.

Abstract: The present invention relates to biscarbodiimides, thiourea derivatives, urea derivatives, and cross-linked hyaluronan derivatives having at least one intramolecular disulfide bond, and methods of preparation thereof. The invention also includes thiolated hyaluronan derivatives and salts thereof having at least one pendant thiol group or a modified pendant thiol group, and methods of preparation thereof. An example of a modified pendant thiol group is a sulfhydryl group linked to a small molecule such as a bioactive agent, for example a drug or pharmaceutically active moiety. A hyaluronan derivative having a sulfhydryl group linked to a pharmaceutically active moiety is useful as a sustained or controlled release drug delivery vehicle. Compositions containing the hyaluronan derivatives of the invention can reversibly viscosify in vivo or in vitro, in response to mild changes in condition, and are thus useful in ophthalmic surgery and in tissue engineering.

Abstract: A hyaluronic acid (HA) composition includes crosslinked, water-insoluble, hydrated HA gel particles. The HA includes crosslinks represented by the following structural formula: HA—U—R2—U—HA The variables are defined herein. A method of augmenting tissue in a subject includes inserting a needle into a subject at a location in the subject that is in need of tissue augmentation, wherein the needle is coupled to a syringe loaded with the HA composition, and applying force to the syringe, to deliver the HA composition into the subject. A method of preparing the HA composition, includes forming water-insoluble, dehydrated crosslinked HA particles, separating the water-insoluble, dehydrated particles by average diameter, selecting a subset of particles by average diameter, and hydrating the subset of dehydrated particles with a physiologically compatible aqueous solution.

Abstract: An instrument for inserting a flexible intraocular lens or other flexible membrane into an eye which includes a compressor for laterally compressing the lens into a small cross-sectional configuration to pass the lens through a narrow incision. The compressor includes retainers along the interior of the inserter to maintain the side edges of the lens in a substantially planar orientation during compression. The retainers preferably extend through the inserter to hold the lens during advancement toward the eye to prevent an uncontrolled rotation of the lens.

Abstract: A communication device (140) for receiving and decoding a codeword of predetermined length, wherein the codeword includes information and parity bits, comprises a memory (315) for storing the codeword in the form of segments, wherein each segment comprises multiple bits forming bit combinations. A first look-up table (326, 327, 328, 329) included in the communication device (140) stores parity vectors corresponding to the bit combinations, and a second look-up table (325) stores values corresponding to syndrome vectors. A processing unit (310) coupled to the memory (315) and the first and second look-up tables (325-329) uses the bit combinations of the segments as indices into the first look-up table (326-329) to locate corresponding parity vectors, adds the corresponding parity vectors using modulo 2 arithmetic to form a resulting syndrome, and uses the resulting syndrome as an index into the second look-up table (325) to locate an erroneous bit included in the codeword.

Abstract: Apparatus for detecting and measuring forces on a fishing rod due to pull on a fishing line associated with the rod or to a weight hanging on the rod, includes a transducer responsive to the deflection of the fishing rod to provide an output indicative of the amount of deflection of the fishing rod, and a timing circuit including a signal counter which counts signals during a time interval and provides a numerical display corresponding to the number of signals counted and thus the force being applied to the rod, the timing circuit being controlled by the transducer to vary the duration of the time interval during which signals are counted whereby the number of signals counted by the signal counter varies in correspondence with the amount of force being applied to the rod.

Abstract: A terminal response time analysis system is disclosed for measuring the response time of a terminal system connected to a host processor. The terminal system has a keyboard for inputing information to the host processor and a monitor with a screen for displaying information received from the host.