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.

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 corneal implantation with cross-linking is disclosed herein. In one or more embodiments, the method includes the steps of: (i) prior to implantation, treating an implant formed from donor corneal tissue or a tissue culture grown corneal stroma with a solution of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), Triton X-100, benzalkonium chloride (BAK), Igepal, genipin, 100% glycerol, or alcohol for making the implant acellular, and for killing any bacteria, viruses, or parasites prior to implantation; (ii) implanting the implant into a recipient cornea; (iii) applying laser energy to the implant so as to modify the refractive power of the implant while being monitored using a Shack-Hartmann wavefront system so as to achieve a desired refractive power for the implant; and (iv) applying a cross-linking solution and irradiating the implant to cross-link the implant to prevent an immune response to the implant and/or rejection of the implant by a patient.

Abstract: Cancer treatment methods using thermotherapy and/or enhanced immunotherapy are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the method comprising the steps of: (i) applying controlled thermal energy at 40-43° C. for a first predetermined time period to damage and weaken tumor cells of a tumor in a patient; (ii) administering pulsed high intensity focused ultrasound (pHIFU) in a first ultrasound mode to the tumor cells in the patient so as to damage the tumor cells without increasing the thermal energy; and (iii) administering low intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) in a second ultrasound mode to further damage the tumor cells at a temperature of 39-43° C. for a second predetermined time period while performing observation of the tumor cells by ultrasonic thermometry.

Abstract: An ablatable corneal inlay for correction of refractive errors and/or presbyopia, and a method of correcting refractive errors and presbyopia in an eye of a patient using an ablatable corneal inlay is disclosed herein.

Abstract: A method of lamellar corneal graft implantation is disclosed herein. In one or more embodiments, the method includes the steps of: (i) modifying a genetic component of a lamellar cornea or other tissue of an animal so that the lamellar cornea or other tissue of the animal can be used for human transplantation; (ii) decellularizing the lamellar cornea or other tissue ex vivo using chemical means; (iii) modifying a shape of the lamellar cornea or other tissue before or after transplantation; and (iv) applying a photosensitizer and ultraviolet radiation to the lamellar cornea or other tissue so as to crosslink collagen and intercellular proteins of the lamellar cornea or other tissue, kill the cells exposed to the photosensitizer, and eliminate an immune response by a host to the implanted lamellar cornea or the tissue.

Abstract: Cancer treatment methods using thermotherapy and/or enhanced immunotherapy are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the method comprising the steps of administering a plurality of nanoparticles to target a tumor in a patient, the nanoparticles being coated with an antitumor antibody, cell penetrating peptides (CPPs), and a polymer, and the nanoparticles containing medication and/or gene, and a dye or indicator in the polymer coating, at least some of the nanoparticles attaching to surface antigens of tumor cells so as to form a tumor cell/nanoparticle complex; exciting the nanoparticles using an ultrasound source generating an ultrasonic wave so as to peel off the polymer coating of the nanoparticles, thereby releasing the dye or indicator into the circulation of the patient and the medication and/or gene at the tumor site; and imaging a body region of the patient so as to detect the dye or indicator released into the circulation of the patient.

Abstract: A method for early stage pathology detection, location, imaging, evaluation, and treatment of cells and/or extracellular vesicles in the circulation.

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.