Abstract: Cancer imaging methods and cancer treatment methods using thermotherapy and drug delivery are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the temperature of heated tissue is determined from radio-frequency data from an ultrasound transducer based upon a change in backscattered energy of acoustic harmonics. In another embodiment, a plurality of nanocarriers containing an anti-tumor medication are administered to a patient, and are excited in a first non-thermal ultrasound mode and/or a second thermal ultrasound mode using an ultrasound source. In yet another embodiment, a plurality of nanoparticles are administered to a patient, then at least some of the nanoparticles are heated along with tissue at a site of a tumor, and a photoacoustic imaging unit is used to determine a temperature of the heated tissue at the site of the tumor.

Abstract: An apparatus has a central lens body for providing vision correction for a patient. The lens body has a central aperture and is configured as one of: a diffractive lens or a refractive lens. The lens body has at least one haptic extending from the lens body, and the central aperture has a form of a circular hole extending fully through the lens body when the apparatus is implanted in the eye. The lens body is formed from a substantially transparent material and the central aperture includes a darkened perimeter. The darkened perimeter of the central aperture includes a darkened internal wall extending through the lens body from an anterior surface to a posterior surface of the lens body.

Abstract: A polymeric transitional lens is disclosed herein. The polymeric lens includes a lens body formed from a polymeric material, the lens body comprising a central pinhole, the central pinhole being surrounded by a permanently darkened wall defining a visual axis, and the polymeric material outside the central pinhole comprising at least one light-activated, uniformly distributed chromophore that results in a darkening of the lens body outside the central pinhole when the chromophore is activated by light.

Abstract: A scleral lens for correction of keratoconus and/or presbyopia is disclosed herein. The scleral lens includes a lens body for providing vision correction for a patient, the lens body having a central virtual pinhole, and a peripheral portion of the lens body configured to rest against a sclera of an eye such that a cavity is defined between a posterior surface of the lens body and an anterior surface of a cornea of the eye. The lens body is formed from a substantially transparent material and the central virtual pinhole includes a darkened perimeter, and the darkened perimeter of the central virtual pinhole includes a darkened internal wall extending through the lens body.

Abstract: A plungerless aspiration and/or injection device and a method of using the same are disclosed herein. The plungerless aspiration and/or injection device includes a housing with an end portion extending outwardly from the housing, the end portion having an outer edge; a needle portion disposed in the housing, the needle portion including a needle tip, and the needle tip configured to be extended beyond the outer edge of the end portion of the housing; and a bulb portion disposed in the housing, the bulb portion defining a fluid containing cavity that is fluidly coupled to the needle portion, and the bulb portion being elastically deformable to perform aspiration, injection, and/or implantation on a patient. The outer edge of the end portion of the housing is configured to be pressed against a body portion of the patient prior to insertion of the needle tip so as to reduce a pain sensation.

Abstract: Cancer imaging methods and cancer treatment methods using thermotherapy and drug delivery are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the temperature of heated tissue is determined from radio-frequency data from an ultrasound transducer based upon a change in backscattered energy of acoustic harmonics. In another embodiment, a plurality of nanocarriers containing an anti-tumor medication are administered to a patient, and are excited in a first non-thermal ultrasound mode and/or a second thermal ultrasound mode using an ultrasound source. In yet another embodiment, a plurality of nanoparticles are administered to a patient, then at least some of the nanoparticles are heated along with tissue at a site of a tumor, and a photoacoustic imaging unit is used to determine a temperature of the heated tissue at the site of the tumor.

Abstract: A method of using a vitrectomy instrument are disclosed herein. This method comprises the steps of: (i) providing a vitrectomy instrument; (ii) operating the vitrectomy instrument in a first mechanical cutting mode where a cutting power generator of the vitrectomy instrument is used to reciprocably drive the tubular body portion for shearing the tissue, the vitreous, and/or the silicone oil; and (iii) operating the vitrectomy instrument in a second ultrasonic cutting mode where the cutting power generator is inactive, and an ultrasonic generator of the vitrectomy instrument is used to vibrate the tubular body portion for vibratory fragmentation and/or cutting of the tissue, the vitreous, and/or the silicone oil.

Abstract: An apparatus has a central lens body for providing vision correction for a patient. The lens body has a central aperture and is configured as one of: a diffractive lens or a refractive lens. The lens body has at least one haptic extending from the lens body, and the central aperture has a form of a circular hole extending fully through the lens body when the apparatus is implanted in the eye. The lens body is formed from a substantially transparent material and the central aperture includes a darkened perimeter. The darkened perimeter of the central aperture includes a darkened internal wall extending through the lens body from an anterior surface to a posterior surface of the lens body.

Abstract: A method of using a plungerless aspiration and/or injection device is disclosed herein. The method includes providing a plungerless aspiration and/or injection device; administering to a patient in need thereof, using the plungerless aspiration and/or injection device, a plurality of nanoparticles coated with a biocompatible molecule for cell uptake, the nanoparticles conjugated with at least one gene, an antibody that targets the nanoparticles to a target cell, and a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) editing complex forming a complex of coated nanoparticle-gene-DNA editing complex; delivering the coated nanoparticle-gene-DNA editing complex to the target cell using the nanoparticle of the complex as a carrier of the complex to the target cell without using a viral vector and without using a plasmid vector; and stimulating the coated nanoparticle-gene-DNA editing complex with one or more energy sources under conditions sufficient to introduce the at least one gene into the target cell.

Abstract: A tissue-augmented corneal inlay surgery technique is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the surgery method includes the steps of: (i) implanting a corneal inlay into a recipient cornea of an eye of a patient; (ii) applying laser energy to a central portion of the corneal inlay and a portion of stromal tissue of the recipient cornea underneath the corneal inlay so as to modify the refractive power of the eye; (iii) applying a cross-linking solution that includes a photosensitizer to the recipient cornea of the eye of the patient; and (iv) irradiating the corneal inlay and surrounding corneal tissue so as to activate cross-linkers in the corneal inlay and the surrounding corneal tissue. In this embodiment, the central portion of the corneal inlay remains clear for the patient without being obstructed by swollen tissue so that the patient is able to see immediately after the corneal inlay surgery.

Abstract: A tunable prism for vision correction of a patient and other applications is disclosed herein. The tunable prism includes a first transparent plate; a second transparent plate; and a transparent balloon, a transparent ball, a transparent gel, or a transparent bag filled with a transparent gel disposed between the first and second transparent plates. A tilt of at least one of the first and second transparent plates is configured to be modified so as to adjust a prism diopter of the tunable prism.

Abstract: A method for producing an immunogenic composition includes growing viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites, or tumor cells on a cell culture or other appropriate medium; harvesting the viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites, or tumor cells; killing the viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites, or tumor cells with one or more medications that damage the RNA and/or the DNA of the viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites, or tumor cells; separating the dead viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites, or tumor cells; depending on the type of organism, adding antivirals, antibacterials, antifungals, antiparasitics, and/or anti-neoplastic medications at non-toxic concentrations to the dead viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites, or tumor cells so as to form an immunogenic composition; and administering the immunogenic composition and an adjuvant to a patient in need thereof.

Abstract: The invention relates to cylindrical tunable fluidic lenses. The cylindrical optical power of the lenses may be continuously tuned within at least ±10 diopters, without inducing any significant spherical aberration, or any other significant aberrations. The lenses feature a geometry that produces minimal or no spherical defocus. These cylindrical tunable fluidic lenses could be used to induce and/or correct cylindrical optical aberrations in adaptive optical systems, particularly in ophthalmologic applications related to objective and automatic assessment of the refractive error of the eye, without the need of receiving feedback from the subjects.

Abstract: A plungerless aspiration and/or injection device and a method of using the same are disclosed herein. The plungerless aspiration and/or injection device includes a housing; a needle portion disposed in the housing, the needle portion configured to be selectively retracted and extended by a user, the needle potion comprising a needle tip configured to be inserted into tissue of a patient for aspiration, injection, and/or implantation; and a bulb portion disposed in the housing, the bulb portion defining a fluid containing cavity that is fluidly coupled to the needle portion, and the bulb portion being elastically deformable so that the user is able to perform the aspiration, the injection, and/or the implantation on the patient by manipulating the bulb portion.

Abstract: A therapeutic vaccination method includes growing and harvesting viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites, or tumor cells on a cell culture or other appropriate medium; killing the viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites, or tumor cells in the cell culture or other appropriate medium with a dose of methylene blue; separating the dead viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites, or tumor cells from a remainder of the cell culture or other appropriate medium using a filter and/or centrifuge; adding antivirals, antibacterials, antifungals, antiparasitics, and/or anti-neoplastic medications at non-toxic therapeutic concentrations to the dead viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites, or tumor cells so as to form a therapeutic vaccine; and administering the therapeutic vaccine to a patient in need thereof to simultaneously produces a therapeutic response and a humoral and cellular immune response in the body of the patient without resulting in deleterious side effects to the patient.

Abstract: The invention relates to cylindrical tunable fluidic lenses. The cylindrical optical power of the lenses may be continuously tuned within at least ±10 diopters, without inducing any significant spherical aberration, or any other significant aberrations. The lenses feature a geometry that produces minimal or no spherical defocus. These cylindrical tunable fluidic lenses could be used to induce and/or correct cylindrical optical aberrations in adaptive optical systems, particularly in ophthalmologic applications related to objective and automatic assessment of the refractive error of the eye, without the need of receiving feedback from the subjects.

Abstract: An apparatus has a central lens body for providing vision correction for a patient. The lens body has a central aperture and is configured as one of: a diffractive lens or a refractive lens. The lens body has at least one haptic extending from the lens body, and the central aperture has a form of a circular hole extending fully through the lens body when the apparatus is implanted in the eye. The lens body is formed from a substantially transparent material and the central aperture includes a darkened perimeter. The darkened perimeter of the central aperture includes a darkened internal wall extending through the lens body from an anterior surface to a posterior surface of the lens body.

Abstract: A photodynamic therapy technique for preventing damage to the fovea of the eye or another body portion of a patient is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a treatment laser is applied to a body portion of a patient using a painting technique, the treatment laser being configured to provide paint brush-type photodynamic therapy (PPDT) using the painting technique to the body portion of the patient by emitting light of a predetermined wavelength that is absorbed by tissue of the body portion of the patient to which a photosensitizer has been applied, the body portion of the patient being afflicted by a medical condition. The application of the treatment laser to the body portion of a patient using the painting technique treats the medical condition, reduces the symptoms associated with the medical condition, and/or alleviates the medical condition.

Abstract: A method of therapy for a tumor or other pathology by administering thermotherapy or a combination of thermotherapy and immunotherapy optionally combined with gene delivery. The combination therapy beneficially treats the tumor and prevents tumor recurrence, either locally or at a different site, by boosting the patient's immune response both at the time of original therapy and/or for later therapy. The therapy may further include the administration of a vaccine.

Abstract: A method of treating, reducing, or alleviating a medical condition in a patient is disclosed herein. The method includes administering to a patient in need thereof a biocompatible drug comprising one or more antiviral medications together with one or more cell pathway inhibitors, the patient having at least one of a respiratory tract inflammatory disease, a central nervous system inflammatory disease, and vasculitis. The one or more antiviral medications preventing an attachment of viruses to cell walls, blocking a penetration of the viruses into cells, and/or inhibiting virus replication by damaging nucleic acids of the viruses. The one or more cell pathway inhibitors blocking an inflammatory response of inflamed tissue without inhibiting an immune response of the patient.