Abstract: The present invention provides devices and methods for treating biological tissue. The treatment comprise implanting a scaffold implant device into in combination with a therapeutic material such as cells, tissue or cell components. The scaffold device serves to hold the therapeutic material at the treatment site, protecting it from being squeezed out by surrounding tissue. Additionally the scaffold device is believed to trigger an injury response that leads to angiogenesis in the tissue, which provides blood flow and nutrients to the associated therapeutic material to sustain it for a therapeutically effective amount of time. The devices may also be implanted at a tissue site already treated with a therapeutic material to initiate angiogenesis at the treatment site to sustain the material. The devices and methods also may be used to treat tumors with a necrosis factor.

Abstract: The present invention provides devices and methods for treating biological tissue. The treatment comprise implanting a scaffold implant device into in combination with a therapeutic material such as cells, tissue or cell components. The scaffold device serves to hold the therapeutic material at the treatment site, protecting it from being squeezed out by surrounding tissue. Additionally the scaffold device is believed to trigger an injury response that leads to angiogenesis in the tissue, which provides blood flow and nutrients to the associated therapeutic material to sustain it for a therapeutically effective amount of time. The devices may also be implanted at a tissue site already treated with a therapeutic material to initiate angiogenesis at the treatment site to sustain the material. The devices and methods also may be used to treat tumors with a necrosis factor.

Abstract: The present invention provides devices and methods for inducing fibrin growth in tissue to promote revascularization of that tissue. The devices and methods are useful in ischemic tissue occurring anywhere in the body, and are particularly useful in treating ischemic myocardial tissue of the heart. The device may comprise a frame configured to foster a fibrin growth and configured to permit communication between the fibrin and the tissue into which the frame is implanted. The fibrin may be positioned internally or externally on the frame. The implant should be capable of becoming anchored in the tissue to prevent the formed fibrin from dislodging from the tissue. A fibrin producing substance may be associated with the implant device to help promote and sustain the fibrin growth. Alternatively, a thrombophilic or fibrin producing substance may be introduced into ischemic tissue alone, without an associated device, to induce fibrin growth in vivo.

Abstract: The present invention provides an implant delivery system for placing interior defining implants in the human body. The devices comprise elongate shafts and a mechanism at the distal end of the shaft for engaging and retaining the implant in place on the shaft during delivery through the vessels and insertion of the distal end of the shaft into tissue. Some embodiments of the devices are configured to have a plurality of implants and configured to deliver the implants sequentially to a plurality of locations. One embodiment employs a flexible outer tube at its distal end that compresses and crinkles to a larger diameter upon being compressed lengthwise to engage the inside surface of the implant. Another embodiment utilizes a tubular delivery shaft having a circular cross section with segments of oval shaped cross sections which serve to engage the inside of implant located on the shaft.

Abstract: The present invention provides an implant delivery system for placing interior defining implants in the human body. The devices comprise elongate shafts and a mechanism at the distal end of the shaft for engaging and retaining the implant in place on the shaft during delivery through the vessels and insertion of the distal end of the shaft into tissue. Some embodiments of the devices are configured to have a plurality of implants and configured to deliver the implants sequentially to a plurality of locations. One embodiment employs a flexible outer tube at its distal end that compresses and crinkles to a larger diameter upon being compressed lengthwise to engage the inside surface of the implant. Another embodiment utilizes a tubular delivery shaft having a circular cross section with segments of oval shaped cross sections which serve to engage the inside of implant located on the shaft.

Abstract: A system and method for implanting pellets into myocardial tissue for treatment of coronary artery restenosis, ischemic heart disease, or cardiac conduction of disturbances. The mechanism of delivery can be transcatheter via chambers of the heart, endoscopic pericardial approach via minimally invasive transthoracic access, or intraoperative pericardial approach during open-chest surgery. Noncardiac tissues can also be treated.

Abstract: A system and method for implanting pellets into myocardial tissue for treatment of coronary artery restenosis, ischemic heart disease, or cardiac conduction of disturbances. The mechanism of delivery can be transcatheter via chambers of the heart, endoscopic pericardial approach via minimally invasive transthoracic access, or intraoperative pericardial approach during open-chest surgery. Noncardiac tissues can also be treated.

Abstract: The present invention provides an implant delivery system for placing interior defining implants in the human body. The devices comprise elongate shafts and a mechanism at the distal end of the shaft for engaging and retaining the implant in place on the shaft during delivery through the vessels and insertion of the distal end of the shaft into tissue. Some embodiments of the devices are configured to have a plurality of implants and configured to deliver the implants sequentially to a plurality of locations. One embodiment employs a flexible outer tube at its distal end that compresses and crinkles to a larger diameter upon being compressed lengthwise to engage the inside surface of the implant. Another embodiment utilizes a tubular delivery shaft having a circular cross section with segments of oval shaped cross sections which serve to engage the inside of implant located on the shaft.

Abstract: In a fault-tolerant computer system, a primary replica supervisor is interposed between an operating system and a primary replica of an application program being executed by a primary processor. An object-code editor locates calls to the operating system and loops in the application program and inserts instruction sequences that enable the replica supervisor to intercept the calls to the operating system, results returned by the operating system as a result of the calls and asynchronous events delivered by the operating system to the replica. A backup replica supervisor is similarly interposed between an operating system and a backup replica of the application program being executed by a backup processor. The primary replica interacts with an environment.

Abstract: In a fault-tolerant computer system, a primary replica supervisor is interposed between an operating system and a primary replica of an application program being executed by a primary processor. An object-code editor locates calls to the operating system and loops in the application program and inserts instruction sequences that enable the replica supervisor to intercept the calls to the operating system, results returned by the operating system as a result of the calls and asynchronous events delivered by the operating system to the replica. A backup replica supervisor is similarly interposed between an operating system and a backup replica of the application program being executed by a backup processor. The primary replica interacts with an environment.

Abstract: An actively replicated, fault-tolerant database system based on a state machine approach that supports the concurrent execution of multiple transactions requested by a plurality of application clients communicating with the system. The system includes a plurality of database servers for storing system data and an application server layered over each database server for controlling the access to and the manipulation of data stored at the underlying database server. The application servers replicate system data to at least one other database server and coordinate the execution of transactions at each database server to ensure consistent data replicas across the system. More specifically, the application servers administer one of two preselected, novel coordination protocols governing the execution of each database-dependent transaction.