Abstract: Presented is a preoperatively designed guidance tool for intraoperative use during bone or joint surgery wherein the guidance tool is specific to the anatomy of the patient being treated. The guidance tool comprises a body portion, a mating surface provided on the body portion for positioning the guidance tool on a corresponding registration surface of a patient's anatomy. The guidance tool further comprises at least one guide mechanism provided on the body portion for guiding a medical instrument at one or more preoperatively defined trajectories relative to a patient's anatomy. In the event of misalignment, the at least one guide mechanism is adjustable to alter the one or more preoperatively defined trajectories if necessary during intraoperative use. Also presented is a preoperative process for designing the guidance tool.

Abstract: Provided are adjustable sutures comprising a suture thread 1 attached to one or more tension-releasing portion(s) 2, wherein the suture thread 1 and the tension-releasing portion(s) 2 are joined together at two or more joining zones 3, and a spanning segment 4 extends between the joining zones 3, and wherein the adjustable suture is breakable, mechanically or by applying laser energy. The adjustable sutures may be used in surgical methods where intra-operative and/or post-operative adjustment of the suture is required.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for detecting a biological molecule associated with enzyme activity in a sample. The invention is applicable to detecting a microorganism associated with an enzyme in a sample such as water, food, soil, or a biological sample. According to a preferred embodiment of the method of the invention, a sample containing an enzyme of interest or a microorganism associated with the enzyme is combined with a suitable substrate, and a fluorescent product of the enzyme-substrate reaction is selectively detected. The fluorescent product is detected with a partitioning element or optical probe/partitioning element of the invention. In one embodiment the partitioning element provides for partitioning of only the fluorescent product molecule into the probe. The invention also provides an automated system for monitoring for biological contamination of water or other samples.

Abstract: The present application provides switchable cationic surfactants based on tertiary amines, and methods and systems of use thereof. The tertiary amine structure allows these switchable surfactants to reversibly switch from a non-surfactant form to a surfactant form by simple introduction of an ionizing trigger gas that comprises CO2, CS2, COS, or a mixture thereof, at a pressure and an amount sufficient to convert all or a substantial portion of the amine to said salt, where the total pressure of the ionizing trigger gas is approximately ambient pressure. These tertiary amine-based switchable surfactants are further characterized by facile switching from the surfactant form to the non-surfactant form.

Abstract: A method of differentiating between supraventricular tachyarrhythmia (SVT) and ventricular tachyarrhythmia (VT) is disclosed. A post pacing interval (PPI) is determined based on a biomarker dataset. The post pacing interval is statistically analyzed relative to a threshold to differentiate between SVT and VT. A further method of differentiating between SVT and VT is disclosed. A PPI is determined based on a biomarker dataset. A tachycardia cycle length (TCL) is also determined based on the biomarker dataset. A difference of the PPI minus the TCL is statistically analyzed relative to a threshold to differentiate between SVT and VT. A non-transitory computer readable medium and a system are also disclosed for differentiating between SVT and VT.