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: 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 system for preventing motion sickness resulting from virtual reality or augmented reality is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the system includes a virtual reality or augmented reality headset configured to be worn by a user, the virtual reality or augmented reality headset configured to create an artificial environment and/or immersive environment for the user; at least one fluidic lens disposed between an eye of the user and a screen of the virtual reality or augmented reality headset; and a fluid control system operatively coupled to the at least one fluidic lens. In another embodiment, the system includes at least one tunable prism disposed between an eye of the user and a screen of the virtual reality or augmented reality headset, the at least one tunable prism configured to correct a convergence problem associated with the eye of the user.

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 method of corneal and scleral inlay crosslinking and preservation is disclosed herein. The method includes cross-linking at least a portion of a donor cornea or a donor sclera so as to kill cellular elements in the portion of the donor cornea or the donor sclera, and make the portion of the donor cornea or the donor sclera less antigenic to a body portion of a recipient patient in which the portion of the donor cornea or the donor sclera is to be implanted; and storing the cross-linked donor cornea or the donor sclera for a long period of time prior to implanting the portion of the donor cornea or the donor sclera into the body portion of the recipient patient.

Abstract: A telemedicine system with dynamic imaging is disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the telemedicine system comprises a laser imaging and treatment apparatus, and associated systems and methods that allow a physician (e.g., a surgeon) to perform laser surgical procedures on an eye structure or a body surface with a laser imaging and treatment apparatus disposed at a first (i.e. local) location from a control system disposed at a second (i.e. remote) location, e.g., a physician's office. Also, in some embodiments, communication between the laser imaging and treatment apparatus and control system is achieved via the Internet®. Further, in some embodiments, the telemedicine system includes a dynamic imaging system and/or a facial recognition system that verifies the identity of a patient, and is capable of being used for other important applications, such as tracking and analyzing trends in a disease process.

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 forming and implanting a synthetic corneal lenslet in an eye of a patient includes the steps of: forming a synthetic lenslet from a collagen solution using a mold or a 3-D printer that are configured to form the synthetic lenslet into a predetermined shape for correcting a particular refractive error of the patient; forming a cavity for receiving the synthetic lenslet in the cornea of the eye of the patient; inserting the synthetic lenslet into the cavity of the eye; applying a photosensitizer into the cavity of the eye so that the photosensitizer permeates at least a portion of the tissue surrounding the cavity and at least a portion of the synthetic lenslet; and irradiating the cornea so as to activate cross-linkers in the synthetic lenslet and cross-linkers in the portion of the tissue surrounding the cavity, and thereby prevent an immune response.

Abstract: An apparatus has 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.

Abstract: A method of therapy for a tumor or other pathology by administering 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. With respect to gene delivery, the inventive method may be used in cancer therapy, but is not limited to such use; it will be appreciated that the inventive method may be used for gene delivery in general. The controlled and precise application of thermal energy enhances gene transfer to any cell, whether the cell is a neoplastic cell, a pre-neoplastic cell, or a normal cell.

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.

Abstract: Cancer treatment and imaging methods using thermotherapy and drug delivery are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of administering a plurality of antibody or aptamer-conjugated nanoparticles, liposomes, and/or micelles containing a medication and/or gene to a patient in need thereof so as to target a tumor in the patient, at least some of the antibody or aptamer-conjugated nanoparticles, liposomes, and/or micelles attaching to surface antigens of tumor cells of the tumor so as to form a tumor cell/nanoparticle/liposome/micelle complex; and heating the antibody or aptamer-conjugated nanoparticles, liposomes, and/or micelles using an energy source so as to raise the temperature of the tumor cell/nanoparticle complex, micelle complex, and/or liposome complex, thereby releasing one or more medications from the antibody or aptamer-conjugated nanoparticles, liposomes, and/or micelles, and damaging one or more tumor cell membranes at the tumor site.

Abstract: Methods for treatment of dry eye and other acute or chronic inflammatory processes are disclosed herein. One method includes administering a drug delivery implant to a patient in need thereof, the drug delivery implant comprising one or more Rock inhibitors and/or one or more Wnt inhibitors, the patient having a medical condition selected from the group consisting of dry eye, lichen planus, arthritis, psoriasis, plantar fasciitis, pars planitis, scleritis, keratitis, chronic meibomian gland inflammation, optic nerve neuritis, uveitis, papillitis, diabetic neural pain, diabetic retinopathy, a cataract, a side effect occurring after refractive surgery, a side effect occurring after corneal transplant, a side effect occurring after retinal detachment surgery, and combinations thereof. The administration of the drug delivery implant to the patient treats the medical condition, reduces the symptoms associated with the medical condition, enhances nerve regeneration, and/or alleviates the medical condition.

Abstract: Fluidic glasses for correcting refractive errors of a human or animal are disclosed herein. The fluidic glasses includes at least one flexible fluidic lens having an outer housing and a flexible membrane supported within the outer housing, the flexible membrane at least partially defining a chamber that receives a fluid therein; and a fluid control system operatively coupled to the at least one flexible fluidic lens, the fluid control system configured to insert an amount of the fluid into the chamber of the at least one flexible fluidic lens, or remove an amount of the fluid from the chamber of the at least one flexible fluidic lens, in order to change the shape of the at least one flexible fluidic lens in accordance with the amount of fluid therein, thereby correcting the refractive errors of an eye of a human or animal.

Abstract: A vitrectomy instrument and a system including the same are disclosed herein. The vitrectomy instrument includes a handpiece having an outer tube and an inner tube coaxially disposed in the outer tube, the inner tube being slidably displaceable relative to the outer tube; a cutting power generator operatively coupled to the inner tube, the cutting power generator configured to reciprocably drive the inner tube for shearing tissue and/or vitreous; and an ultrasonic generator operatively coupled to the inner tube, the ultrasonic generator configured to vibrate the inner tube for vibratory fragmentation and/or cutting of the tissue and/or the vitreous. The vitrectomy system may include the vitrectomy instrument together with a support sleeve for supporting the vitrectomy instrument to provide increased rigidity to the needle of the vitrectomy instrument.

Abstract: A method of lamellar corneal graft implantation is disclosed herein. The method includes the steps of: (i) forming one or more intrastromal incisions in a cornea of an eye of a patient; (ii) removing a cut portion of the cornea defined by the one or more intrastromal incisions from the eye of the patient; (iii) applying laser energy to a lamellar corneal graft using an excimer laser so as to modify the refractive power of the lamellar corneal graft, the lamellar corneal graft being in the form of a autologous corneal graft or a homologous corneal graft; and (iv) implanting the lamellar corneal graft into the eye of the patient in a location previously occupied by the cut portion of the cornea so as to correct the refractive power of the eye of the patient.

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 treatment is disclosed herein. The method includes administering to a patient in need thereof a biocompatible drug by at least one of intravenously, systemically, intravitreally, through the choroid, in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), topically, through the conjunctival mucosa, through the nasal mucosa, through the cornea, through the retinal optic nerve, through the nasal mucosa olfactory nerve, in the brain, in the spinal cord, the biocompatible drug comprising one or more cell pathway inhibitors together with one or more complement pathway inhibitors and/or one or more TGF beta inhibitors, the patient having one or more neurodegenerative disorders. The administration of the biocompatible drug to the patient treats the one or more neurodegenerative disorders, reduces the symptoms associated with the one or more neurodegenerative disorders, and/or alleviates the one or more neurodegenerative disorders.

Abstract: An apparatus (200, 200A, 200B, 200C) has central lens body (212, 212A, 212B, 212C) for providing vision correction for a patient. The lens body (212, 212A, 212B, 212C) has an initial index of refraction and is formed from at least one material configured to have a second index of refraction when subjected to a laser and/or radiation.

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 dissolved in a non-toxic semifluorinated alkane, the patient having one or more respiratory tract inflammatory diseases, the one or more cell pathway inhibitors blocking an inflammatory response of inflamed tissue without inhibiting an immune response of the patient, and the semifluorinated alkane evaporating quickly upon administration to the patient so as to leave the biocompatible drug at a desired treatment location. The administration of the biocompatible drug to the patient treats the one or more respiratory tract inflammatory diseases, reduces the symptoms associated with the one or more respiratory tract inflammatory diseases, and/or alleviates one or more respiratory tract inflammatory diseases.