Abstract: A heart assist device and method of making the same includes a catheter and a balloon attached to the catheter. The heart assist device is used with a system for inflating and deflating the balloon in sequence to systole and diastole of a patient's heart. In some examples, the catheter has a curved portion with a stiffening agent disposed therein. In some examples, a tip of the catheter extends into an interior of the balloon.

Abstract: Tinnitus is defined as sound(s) heard by an individual when no external sound it present and often takes the form of a hissing, ringing, chirping or clicking sound which may be either intermittent or constant. According to the American Tinnitus Association, tinnitus affects tens of millions of Americans and many suffer so severely from tinnitus they are not able to function normally on a daily basis. Unfortunately the exact cause or causes of tinnitus are not understood by the medical community and thus many tinnitus sufferers are told by their doctors to “learn to live with if”. In accordance with novel aspects of Applicant's monofrequency tinnitus patient treatment apparatus and process, phase cancellation effects are achieved by utilizing an externally generated sound which is subjectively selected by the monofrequency tinnitus patient to match in both tone and loudness his or her tinnitus sound.

Abstract: Tinnitus is defined as sound(s) heard by an individual when no external sound is present and often takes the form of a hissing, ringing, chirping or clicking sound which may be either intermittent or constant. According to the American Tinnitus Association, tinnitus affects tens of millions of Americans and many suffer so severely from tinnitus they are not able to function normally on a daily basis. Unfortunately the exact cause or causes of tinnitus are not understood by the medical community and thus many tinnitus sufferers are told by their doctors to “learn to live with it”. In accordance with novel aspects of Applicant's monofrequency tinnitus patient treatment apparatus and process, phase cancellation effects are achieved by utilizing an externally generated sound which is subjectively selected by the monofrequency tinnitus patient to match in both tone and loudness his or her tinnitus sound.

Abstract: Reciprocal noise cancellation of a patient's mono-frequency tinnitus tone is achieved utilizing an externally generated tone which is subjectively defined by a mono-frequency tinnitus patient to match his/her tinnitus tone in frequency and amplitude. An externally generated sound wave, selectively designated by subjective observations of a patient to match the patient's tinnitus tone is first applied to the tinnitus patient via earphones or a speaker system and then the same externally generated sound wave is sequentially phase shifted through a plurality of angularly shifted sequence steps to shift or slide the external sound wave through at least a 180 degree phase shift of the generated signal as it is applied to the patient to achieve a series of reductions of the patient's tinnitus tone and in one of such shifted steps a reciprocal, canceling relationship with the patient's tinnitus tone.

Abstract: Tinnitus is defined as sound(s) heard by an individual when no external sound is present and often takes the form of a hissing, ringing, chirping or clicking sound which may be either intermittent or constant. According to the American Tinnitus Association, tinnitus affects tens of millions of Americans and many suffer so severely from tinnitus they are not able to function normally on a daily basis. Unfortunately the exact cause or causes of tinnitus are not understood by the medical community and thus many tinnitus sufferers are told by their doctors to “learn to live with it”.

Abstract: A method and device for selectively creating intra-spinal pressure in a patient allows improved diagnosis of spinal disorders, particularly through MRI imaging. A harness is worn by the patient above the spinal area to be imaged and the patient lies supine. The harness is connected to a tensioning unit located at the feet of the patient. Tension is applied to the harness through a pair of straps while the patient's feet rest against a stop or plate and the patient's legs are locked. The applied tension compresses and flexes the spine to initiate the condition to be diagnosed. The patient can then be repositioned for imaging while the tension is applied. An indicator may be employed to allow the applied force to be monitored.

Abstract: Tinnitus is defined as sound(s) heard by an individual when no external sound is present and often takes the form of a hissing, ringing, chirping or clicking sound which may be either intermittent or constant. According to the American Tinnitus Association, tinnitus affects tens of millions of Americans and many suffer so severely from tinnitus they are not able to function normally on a daily basis. Unfortunately the exact cause or causes of tinnitus are not understood by the medical community and thus many tinnitus sufferers are told by their doctors to “learn to live with it”. In accordance with novel aspects of Applicant's monofrequency tinnitus patient treatment apparatus and process, phase cancellation effects are achieved by utilizing an externally generated sound which is subjectively selected by the monofrequency tinnitus patient to match in both tone and loudness his or her tinnitus sound.

Abstract: Reciprocal noise cancellation of a patient's mono-frequency tinnitus tone is achieved utilizing an externally generated tone which is subjectively defined by a mono-frequency tinnitus patient to match his/her tinnitus tone in frequency and amplitude. An externally generated sound wave, selectively designated by subjective observations of a patient to match the patient's tinnitus tone is first applied to the tinnitus patient via earphones or a speaker system and then the same externally generated sound wave is sequentially phase shifted through a plurality of angularly shifted sequence steps to shift or slide the external sound wave through at least a 180 degree phase shift of the generated signal as it is applied to the patient to achieve a series of reductions of the patient's tinnitus tone and in one of such shifted steps a reciprocal, canceling relationship with the patient's tinnitus tone.

Abstract: Tinnitus is defined as sound(s) heard by an individual when no external sound is present and often takes the form of a hissing, ringing, chirping or clicking sound which may be either intermittent or constant. According to the American Tinnitus Association, tinnitus affects tens of millions of Americans and many suffer so severely from tinnitus they are not able to function normally on a daily basis. Unfortunately the exact cause or causes of tinnitus are not understood by the medical community and thus many tinnitus sufferers are told by their doctors to “learn to live with it”.

Abstract: An acupressure belt for the treatment of lower back pain is formed of a central fabric panel to which opposed elastic panels are affixed. The elastic panels terminate in a pair of end panels which may be joined together to retain the belt about the torso of the wearer. Located on the inner surface of the central panel is a plurality of acupressure-applying protrusions, each of which are individually positionable on the panel. The protrusions are positioned to apply pressure to the L.sub.1 -L.sub.4 acupressure points associated with the lower spine. A pair of overlapping elastic panels are further affixed to the opposed sides of the control panel about the torso with the protrusions in position, whereby acupressure is generated and applied for the relief of lower back pain.

Abstract: An acupressure belt for the treatment of lower back pain is formed of a central fabric panel to which opposed elastic panels are affixed. The elastic panels terminate in a pair of end panels which may be joined together to retain the belt about the torso of the wearer. Located on the inner surface of the central panel is a plurality of acupressure-applying protrusions, each of which are individually positionable on the panel. The protrusions are positioned to apply pressure to the L.sub.1 -L.sub.4 acupressure points associated with the lower spine. A pair of overlapping elastic panels are further affixed to the opposed sides of the control panel about the torso with the protrusions in position, whereby acupressure is generated and applied for the relief of lower back pain.

Abstract: Improved heart assist devices are disclosed. An improved heart assist device includes a catheter having a first lumen and a second lumen. An inflatable intraventricular balloon is located at the distal end of the catheter. The interior of the intraventricular balloon communicates with the first lumen of the catheter. An inflatable intraaortic balloon is located between the proximal and distal ends of the catheter. The interior of the intraaortic balloon communicates with the second lumen of the catheter. The heart assist device also includes a pumping mechanism that inflates and deflates both the intraventricular balloon and the intraaortic balloon. The improved heart assist device is inserted into the heart so that the intraventricular balloon is positioned in the left ventricle and so that the intraaortic balloon is positioned in the aorta. The intraventricular balloon is inflated during left ventricular systole, and the intraaortic balloon is deflated during left ventricular systole.

Abstract: Improved heart assist devces are disclosed. An improved heart assist device includes a catheter having a first lumen and a second lumen. An inflatable intraventricular balloon is located at the distal end of the catheter. The interior of the intraventricular balloon communicates with the first lumen of the catheter. An inflatable intraaortic balloon is located between the proximal and distal ends of the catheter. The interior of the intraaortic balloon communicates with the second lumen of the catheter. The heart assist device also includes a pumping mechanism that inflates and deflates both the intraventricular balloon and the intraaortic balloon. The improved heart assist device is inserted into the heart so that the intraventricular balloon is positioned in the left ventricle and so that the intraaortic balloon is positioned in the aorta. The intraventricular balloon is inflated during left ventricular systole, and the intraaortic balloon is deflated during left ventricular systole.

Abstract: A left ventricular assist device consisting of a balloon inflated and deflated sequentially to coincide with ventricular systole and diastole, respectively, placed within the left ventricle, thereby augmenting ejection of blood.

Abstract: A device for use primarily in medical applications to locate, analyze, illuminate and destroy obstructions in a tube. The device includes a fiberoptics bundle for insertion to the tube in a flexible conduit. The conduit includes a connection to a suction source at one of its ends, a valved means of controlling the application of suction, which functions also to control the injection of locating material, and a connection to the fiberoptics bundle. The fiberoptics bundle is divided into an illuminating source bundle portion, a viewing bundle portion and a laser bundle portion. The device functions to remove obstructions in tube structures, both biological and non-biological, by insertion of the conduit sheathed device into the tube structure, distal to the obstruction. A dye, or the like, is injected and the site of the obstruction thereby determined under the guidance of image-intensified fluoroscopy.