Abstract: A system for applying a polymer (hydrogel) to the inner surface of a vessel by photopolymerization includes an inner catheter received within an outer catheter and a fluid channeling structure mounted on the catheters with its proximal end attached to the outer catheter and its distal end attached to the inner catheter. The fluid channeling structure includes an elastomeric sleeve sandwiched between an inner elastic coil and an outer light emission coil. Light emission coil loops are interspaced with elastic coil loops. The light emission coil has a smaller diameter than the elastic coil, drawing the elastomeric sleeve down between loops of the elastic coil to form a helical channel. The coils and sleeve are stretched to provide a narrowed crossing profile for delivery, and are contracted at a treatment site to form a helical cavity between the sleeve and the vessel wall within which to perform interfacial photopolymerization.

Abstract: An implantable medical device includes a substrate, a drug-impregnated layer deposited over the substrate, and a barrier layer at least partially covering the drug-impregnated layer. The barrier layer may be a biodegradable metal, biodegradable metal oxide, or biodegradable metal alloy, such as, magnesium, a magnesium oxide or a magnesium alloy. The drug-impregnated layer includes a therapeutic substance, such as, antineoplastic, anti-inflammatory, antiplatelet, anticoagulant, fibrinolytic, thrombin inhibitor, antimitotic, antiallergic, and antiproliferative substances.

Abstract: An NMR probe contains a metallic dewar for use in a high field magnet, the dewar characterized as having a major fraction of its inner wall made from an alloy whose weight composition includes at least 70% copper, less than 20% zinc, less than 10% nickel, less than 8% Cr, less than 4% Pb, less than 0.15% iron, less than 0.15% cobalt, and at least 3% from the set comprised of tin, silicon, aluminum, and chromium, and said inner wall further characterized as being plated with a pure metal on at least one surface.

Abstract: Bioabsorbable magnesium-reinforced polymer stents are disclosed. Additionally, bioabsorbable magnesium-reinforced polymer stents are disclosed which elute therapeutic agents.

Abstract: The MRI rf coil known as the balanced high-pass-weighted hybrid birdcage is modified to obtain two homogeneous degenerate resonances, capable of generating circular polarization at widely separated frequencies, by including inductors in parallel with the ring (high-pass) tuning capacitors such that their isolated parallel resonant frequency is greater than the desired low-frequency (LF) homogeneous resonance and not greater than 10% more than the desired high-frequency (HF) homogeneous resonance. The coil is advantageous for the frequency-diameter product range of 10 to 60 MHz-m. The coil is preferably balanced at both frequencies such that the electric potentials vanish on the central axial plane at both the LF and HF homogeneous modes. Additional parasitic-mode-shifting reactive elements, either capacitors or inductors, may be added between adjacent rungs near their ends, and the rungs may each consist of two parallel bands shorted together at their ends, as in the Crozier birdcage.

Abstract: “An MAS probe is disclosed for obtaining a substantial improvement in signal to noise (S/N) in triple-resonance high-resolution (HR) magic-angle-spinning (MAS) NMR of samples near room temperature (RT) in high-field magnets where the magnet's RT shim bore is greater than 60 mm. All critical circuit components, including the sample coils, are located along with the spinner assembly in a thermally insulated cold zone pressurized with helium gas. The spinner assembly attaches to a sealed, curved, rotor-loading tube to permit automatic sample change, and it is surrounded by a partially insulated jacket cooled with a cryogenic fluid, generally nitrogen gas. The MAS probe is also compatible with magic angle gradients, variable temperature operation, field locking, and commonly available closed-cycle cold fingers.

Abstract: A photopolymerization system includes a catheter having a proximal inflatable member, a distal inflatable member, a fluid delivery lumen, and a fluid drainage lumen. The fluid delivery lumen includes at least one delivery port and the fluid drainage lumen at least one drainage port. The ports are positioned between the proximal inflatable member and the distal inflatable member. A light emission member is positioned adjacent the catheter. In a method of treating a vascular condition, the catheter is delivered to a treatment site within a vessel. The first and second inflatable members are expanded to form an enclosed treatment space within the vessel. Fluid is delivered to the treatment space through fluid delivery lumen. Excess fluid is removed from the treatment space through the fluid drainage lumen. The treatment space is exposed to light. A portion of the fluid is polymerized within the treatment space upon exposure to the light.

Abstract: A stent, a stent delivery system, and a method of treating a vascular condition. The system includes a catheter, an inflatable member operably attached to the catheter, and a biodegradable stent disposed on the inflatable member. The stent includes a biodegradable flexible elongate member including an elongate member wall surrounding a cavity. A biodegradable reinforcing member is positioned within or adjacent the elongate member wall to support the biodegradable sleeve. A biodegradable photo-curable polymer positioned within the cavity. The method includes delivering a biodegradable stent having a cavity filled with a pre-polymer to a treatment site. A balloon is expanded to position the stent at the treatment site. The pre-polymer positioned within the stent cavity is photopolymerized. The deployed stent is supported in a radial direction with a biodegradable reinforcing member.

Abstract: A material having a permanent external diametrical electric field is included within an NMR MAS spinner. Such materials include ferroelectret porous films, in which the electric polarization arises from opposite mono-polar charges on separated surfaces within a structured material containing voids. Rotation of electrically polarized material produces a time-dependent electric field, modulated at the rotational frequency, so that a simple antenna achieves high sensitivity and phase stability in spin rate detection. The electrically polarized material is also of sufficiently high resistivity that modulation of the external NMR polarizing magnetic field B0 is negligible.

Abstract: Intravascular devices and a method of delivering at least one therapeutic agent. The device includes an elongate element with proximal and distal portions and at least first and second lumens provided therein. The first lumen is adapted for delivering at least one therapeutic agent. The second lumen is adapted for allowing fluid therethrough. An expandable member is disposed adjacent to the distal portion of the elongate element. At least one tip cut is provided in a distal tip portion of the elongate element. The at least one tip cut is adapted for providing flexibility to the elongate element. The method includes providing an elongate element. Spacing of at least one tip cut is varied during positioning of the elongate element within a vessel. The vessel is occluded with the elongate element. The at least one therapeutic agent is delivered to tissue adjacent the occluded vessel.

Abstract: An improved axial gas bearing for a gas-driven NMR MAS sample rotor is disclosed that utilizes inward flow with a low rotational component over a rotor conical end. A conical flow region is formed between the rotor conical end and a conical stator bearing surface such that the included angle defining the stator surface is not less than the included angle defining the rotor conical end. Gas is injected radially inward with a significant axial rearward component from a number of small holes at high velocity from the periphery into the conical flow region. Compared to the radial velocity components, the tangential flow components of the injected gas are small and preferably opposed to the direction of the rotor rotation.

Abstract: A system for applying a polymer (hydrogel) to the inner surface of a vessel by photopolymerization includes a catheter having a first inflatable member and a guidewire having a second inflatable member. The catheter has an extended tip distal to the first inflatable member that includes multiple perfusion ports. A light emission coil is disposed on the extended tip with individual coil loops interspaced with the perfusion ports. In a method, the guidewire is delivered to a treatment site within a vessel. The catheter is delivered to the treatment site over the guidewire. The inflatable members are inflated to form an enclosed treatment space within the vessel. A photoinitiator is delivered to the enclosed treatment space. Excess photoinitiator is flushed from the treatment space, and a prepolymer is delivered. The prepolymer is cured by light delivered by the light emission coil.

Abstract: A MAS probe offers a substantial improvement in signal to noise (S/N) in triple-resonance high-resolution (HR) magic-angle-spinning (MAS) NMR of samples near room temperature (RT) in high field magnets, especially where the RT shim bore is less than 55 mm. Critical circuit components other than the sample coils, including both high-power capacitors and inductors for one or more channels are located in a small, thermally insulated, cold zone immediately below the sample spinner assembly. Cooling these components to 100 K allows their thermal noise power to be conveniently reduced by a factor of three or more. Variable capacitors for fine tuning are located in an RT tuning zone below the cold zone. The circuit is designed such that the currents, voltages, and standing wave ratio (SWR) in circuit tuning elements in the RT tuning zone are relatively low, so rf losses and noise contributions below the cold zone may be only a few percent.

Abstract: A system for applying a polymer (hydrogel) to the inner surface of a vessel by photopolymerization includes an inner catheter received within an outer catheter and a fluid channeling structure mounted on the catheters with its proximal end attached to the outer catheter and its distal end attached to the inner catheter. The fluid channeling structure includes an elastomeric sleeve sandwiched between an inner elastic coil and an outer light emission coil. Light emission coil loops are interspaced with elastic coil loops. The light emission coil has a smaller diameter than the elastic coil, drawing the elastomeric sleeve down between loops of the elastic coil to form a helical channel. The coils and sleeve are stretched to provide a narrowed crossing profile for delivery, and are contracted at a treatment site to form a helical cavity between the sleeve and the vessel wall within which to perform interfacial photopolymerization.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system for packaging a drug coated stent, including a transport package body including an arcuate catheter guide and a catheter. The catheter has a drug coated stent disposed thereon to be received in the catheter guide. A sheath including at least one reduced thickness region therein to increase flexibility of the sheath is disposed on the catheter, which encloses the drug coated stent.

Abstract: A flexible, low-loss, low-capacitance, high-voltage, high-current, moderate-impedance, unshielded, balanced, rf-pulse transmission twinline is produced by etching parallel copper traces on opposite sides of a flexible substrate, spaced apart such that the distance between the conductors is greater than four times the substrate thickness and at least one of the conductors has a width greater than half of the separation between the conductors. A second, similar twinline may be etched on the same substrate beside the first twinline and paralleled at both ends with the first twinline to form a lower-impedance quadline such that alternate conductors in the quadline are on alternate sides of the substrate and have opposite current phases. Both surfaces may be coated with a thin, flexible dielectric to increase the voltage rating for a given conductor separation with minimal affect on propagation factor, attenuation constant, or flexibility.

Abstract: The two halves of a conventional RF saddle coil, such as spirals or other related structures for use in high resolution NMR or MRI, are disposed on opposite sides of a cylindrical coilform, and rotated from the conventional orientation 90 degrees about the B1 axis, so that the leads are paralleled near the axial center of the RF coil.

Abstract: A method of positioning chip capacitors in the Alderman-Grant and related Half-Turn coils is disclosed that permits substantially improved main field homogeneity in HR MAS and conventional "wideline" NMR coil geometries. Eight capacitors are positioned at the complements of the magic angle with respect to the B1 axis at each end of the coil.

Abstract: An edge-wound NMR solenoidal sample coil is made by winding at least two turns of flattened wire around a cylindrical coilform such that the major cross-sectional axis of the flat wire is perpendicular to the axis of the solenoid. The space between turns near the center is greater than the space between turns at the ends but less than the major cross-sectional dimension of the flat wire. The flattened wire is magnetically compensated by forming copper tubing around paramagnetic wires. The resulting solenoid has considerably higher .eta..sub.F Q and B.sub.1 homogeneity than prior-art solenoids of comparable size and transverse transparency. Similar principles may be used to improve the segmented, transparent, loop-gap resonator for breast and other imaging applications by using segmented planar ring resonators, tightly coupled by means of balanced transmission lines at the magic angle, with outermost conductive surfaces oriented more in the radial than axial direction.

Abstract: A family of NMR coils based on Litz foil conductor groups is disclosed. The simplest embodiment is a two-element Litz foil coil. The foils are joined at node (1) and node (2) and are electrically insulated at crossover (3). When the coil is positioned in a plane perpendicular to a uniform magnetic field, the areas (A) defining two flux sub-windows must be equal.