Abstract: Aspects of distributed ledger technology are leveraged to verify subrogation settlements. In particular, two parties to a subrogation claim provide cryptographic hashes to a subrogation demand smart contract stored at an address on a blockchain. The subrogation demand smart contract determines that the parties have reached an agreement by determining that the cryptographic hashes match. A settlement amount from the subrogation claim may be appended to a set of settlement amounts to determine a net settlement amount to facilitate a single payment between the parties on a periodic basis, such as daily, to alleviate the need for the parties to send or receive a payment for each individual settlement amount.

Abstract: A device to reduce left ventricle afterload in a target blood vessel in a mammal includes a cushion configured for positioning within a lumen of the target blood vessel and receipt of a fluid and configured to contract during systole and expand during diastole, a reservoir having a cavity for receiving the fluid, and a conduit extending between and fluidically coupling the cushion and the reservoir, whereby during use fluid in the cushion is transferred to the reservoir during systole and returned to the cushion during diastole. The cushion has an annular cross section defining a central lumen for blood flow and is configured for positioning in the lumen of the target vessel abutting an inner wall of the target vessel, whereby during use blood flow is directed through the central lumen of the cushion.

Abstract: A smartphone case system includes an electronic device that has a transceiver. The transceiver is in electrical communication with a communication network. A case is provided and the electronic device is positioned in the case. Thus, the case protects the electronic device. A strap is coupled to the case and the strap is spaced from the case. Thus, a hand may be passed between the strap and the case thereby facilitating the case to be gripped. A security chip is embedded within the case. The security chip is electrical communication with the communication network. Moreover, the security chip inhibits an unauthorized user from electronically gaining identity data from the electronic device.

Abstract: A collapsing structure for collapsing the crowns of a stent and method of use thereof are described. The collapsing structure comprises an inner filament engaged to an outer filament. The outer filament is interwoven through at least a portion of the crowns of the stent end so as to create a plurality of loops. The inner filament is interwoven through at least a portion of the loops of the outer filament. Pulling on the inner filament causes the loops of the outer filament to be pulled radially inward, thereby pulling the crowns towards each other to collapse the stent end.

Abstract: A dual lumen catheter may be provided with one or more stents in a stent-deployment lumen and a wire guide disposed through a wire guide lumen. The wire guide may be directed to a target site in a patient body such as a biliary stricture. The catheter may be directed along the wire guide until it is in or adjacent the target site. A distalmost stent may be advanced out a distal side-facing aperture of the stent-deployment lumen into the target site by a pusher member that advances the stent or that holds the stent in place while the catheter is proximally withdrawn from around the stent. With the wire guide remaining substantially in place, the stent-deployment lumen can be reoriented and the steps repeated to place a second (and, if desired, subsequent) stent(s) next to—and generally parallel with—the first stent.

Abstract: A seamless self-insulated foam duct made from a single continuous homogenous member of polymeric foam and an apparatus and methods for making such ducts. The homogenous foam member may be transformed to include a plurality of layers such as a densified inner foam layer surrounded by an outer insulating foam layer. The outer insulating foam layer may be partially densified to form a densified outer foam layer. In one embodiment the foam member may be wrapped and bonded to an external layer coating that provides additional protection to the duct. In one embodiment the foam duct is modified to have nestable ends whereby one end of a first foam duct is sized and shape to fit within and snugly engage a compatible end of a second foam duct. The duct may be manufactured by an apparatus capable of implementing a series of cutting and densifying steps that result in custom-sized foam ducts having one or more densified foam layers.

Abstract: A dual lumen catheter may be provided with one or more stents in a stent-deployment lumen and a wire guide disposed through a wire guide lumen. The wire guide may be directed to a target site in a patient body such as a biliary stricture. The catheter may be directed along the wire guide until it is in or adjacent the target site. A distalmost stent may be advanced out a distal side-facing aperture of the stent-deployment lumen into the target site by a pusher member that advances the stent or that holds the stent in place while the catheter is proximally withdrawn from around the stent. With the wire guide remaining substantially in place, the stent-deployment lumen can be reoriented and the steps repeated to place a second (and, if desired, subsequent) stent(s) next to—and generally parallel with—the first stent.

Abstract: A collapsing structure for collapsing the crowns of a stent and method of use thereof are described. The collapsing structure comprises an inner filament engaged to an outer filament. The outer filament is interwoven through at least a portion of the crowns of the stent end so as to create a plurality of loops. The inner filament is interwoven through at least a portion of the loops of the outer filament. Pulling on the inner filament causes the loops of the outer filament to be pulled radially inward, thereby pulling the crowns towards each other to collapse the stent end.