Abstract: An intravascular stent includes an eluting sheath fabricated from a mesh for controlled release of therapeutic drugs and for delivery of the therapeutic drugs in localized drug therapy in a blood vessel. The eluting sheath is attached to at least a portion of an outside surface area of the stent structure and is fabricated from a mesh designed to neck down in response to a radially outward directed force resulting in the uniform expansion of the stent. The eluting sheath can be loaded with at least one therapeutic drug for the release thereof at a treatment site to facilitate repair of a damaged vessel. The stent has a high degree of flexibility in the longitudinal direction, yet has adequate vessel wall coverage and radial strength sufficient to hold open an artery or other body lumen.

Abstract: An intravascular stent includes an eluting sheath fabricated from a mesh for controlled release of therapeutic drugs and for delivery of the therapeutic drugs in localized drug therapy in a blood vessel. The eluting sheath is attached to at least a portion of an outside surface area of the stent structure and is fabricated from a mesh designed to neck down in response to a radially outward directed force resulting in the uniform expansion of the stent. The eluting sheath can be loaded with at least one therapeutic drug for the release thereof at a treatment site to facilitate repair of a damaged vessel. The stent has a high degree of flexibility in the longitudinal direction, yet has adequate vessel wall coverage and radial strength sufficient to hold open an artery or other body lumen.

Abstract: A balloon catheter having a balloon with a porous polymer layer and one or more filamentary members which are on or in the porous polymer layer and which form ridges protruding outwardly from a surface of the balloon in the inflated configuration. In a presently preferred embodiment, the balloon has a wingless noninflated configuration.

Abstract: An intravascular stent includes an eluting sheath fabricated from a mesh for controlled release of therapeutic drugs and for delivery of the therapeutic drugs in localized drug therapy in a blood vessel. The eluting sheath is attached to at least a portion of an outside surface area of the stent structure and is fabricated from a mesh designed to neck down in response to a radially outward directed force resulting in the uniform expansion of the stent. The eluting sheath can be loaded with at least one therapeutic drug for the release thereof at a treatment site to facilitate repair of a damaged vessel. The stent has a high degree of flexibility in the longitudinal direction, yet has adequate vessel wall coverage and radial strength sufficient to hold open an artery or other body lumen.

Abstract: An intravascular stent includes an eluting sheath fabricated from a mesh for controlled release of therapeutic drugs and for delivery of the therapeutic drugs in localized drug therapy in a blood vessel. The eluting sheath is attached to at least a portion of an outside surface area of the stent structure and is fabricated from a mesh designed to neck down in response to a radially outward directed force resulting in the uniform expansion of the stent. The eluting sheath can be loaded with at least one therapeutic drug for the release thereof at a treatment site to facilitate repair of a damaged vessel. The stent has a high degree of flexibility in the longitudinal direction, yet has adequate vessel wall coverage and radial strength sufficient to hold open an artery or other body lumen.

Abstract: An intravascular stent includes an eluting sheath fabricated from a mesh for controlled release of therapeutic drugs and for delivery of the therapeutic drugs in localized drug therapy in a blood vessel. The eluting sheath is attached to at least a portion of an outside surface area of the stent structure and is fabricated from a mesh designed to neck down in response to a radially outward directed force resulting in the uniform expansion of the stent. The eluting sheath can be loaded with at least one therapeutic drug for the release thereof at a treatment site to facilitate repair of a damaged vessel. The stent has a high degree of flexibility in the longitudinal direction, yet has adequate vessel wall coverage and radial strength sufficient to hold open an artery or other body lumen.

Abstract: Systems and methods for designing and manufacturing customized prefabricated buildings in optimized modules.

Abstract: A tape transducer comprising an inner conductive strip laminate sandwiched between and totally enclosed by identical outer conductive strip laminates. The inner laminate has an inner conductive strip having opposite sides to which thin dielectric layers are bonded, the layers being electrically charged to form electrets having electrical charges of the same polarity on their outer surfaces. Each outer laminate has a conductive foil with marginal side portions overlying the side edges of the inner laminate and sealed together. The portions of the outer laminates aligned with the inner laminate are capable of simultaneously moving toward and away from the inner laminate for advantageously generating sonic waves in a transmitting mode and for efficiently generating an electrical signal in a receiving mode.

Abstract: A method of continuously making a composite tape transducer consisting of the steps of electrically charging dielectric layers on opposite sides of a conductive inner strip to form electrets, applying wider outer laminates symmetrically to opposite sides of the electret-covered inner strip and sealing together the marginal edge portions of the outer laminates to enclose the electret-covered inner strip.

Abstract: Apparatus for continuously producing an elongated composite tape transducer having an inner laminate with a conductive dielectric-covered strip and two outer laminates each with a conductive foil comprises two reels containing the outer laminates and one reel containing an inner laminate, a station for electrically charging the dielectric layers on opposite sides of the inner strip, a mold for applying and sealing the outer laminates to opposite sides of the inner laminate to form the composite transducer, and a mechanism for pulling the three laminates through the apparatus. The lead end of the inner strip is electrically grounded. The charging station has two electrodes connected in parallel to a source of high DC voltage and physically positioned to make electrical contact with the dielectric layers, respectively, on opposite sides of the inner strip.