Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to systems and methods for locating an anomaly along an inside surface of a conveyance pipe containing two mediums separated by a two medium interface. The systems and methods include an assembly transportable within the conveyance pipe. The assembly includes an enclosure that is at least partially transparent and is positionable to be located both above and below the two medium interface. An upper camera and a lower camera enclosed within the enclosure are operable to capture images of the inside surface of the conveyance pipe above and below the two medium interface. A data acquisition unit is in electronic communication with the upper camera and the lower camera, and includes a processor programmed to determine a presence and a location of the anomaly by analyzing the captured images.

Abstract: A medical device for implantation into vessels or luminal structures within the body is provided, which stimulates positive blood vessel remodeling. The medical device, such as a stent and a synthetic graft, is coated with a pharmaceutical composition consisting of a controlled-release matrix and one or more pharmaceutical substances for direct delivery of drugs to surrounding tissues. The coating on the medical device further comprises a ligand such as a peptide, an antibody or a small molecule for capturing progenitor endothelial cells in the blood contacting surface of the device for restoring an endothelium at the site of injury. In particular, the drug-coated stents are for use, for example, in balloon angioplasty procedures for preventing or inhibiting restenosis.

Abstract: Therapeutic and drug delivery systems are provided in the form of medical devices with coatings for capturing and immobilizing target cells such as circulating progenitor or genetically-altered mammalian cells in vivo. The genetically-altered cells are transfected with genetic material for expressing a marker gene and a therapeutic gene in a constitutively or controlled manner. The marker gene is a cell membrane antigen not found in circulating cells in the blood stream and therapeutic gene encodes a peptide for the treatment of disease, such as, vascular disease and cancer. The coating on the medical device may be a biocompatible matrix comprising at least one type of ligand, such as antibodies, antibody fragments, other peptides and small molecules, which recognize and bind the target cells. The therapeutic and/or drug delivery systems may be provided with a signal source such as activator molecules for stimulating the modified cells to express and secrete the desired marker and therapeutic gene products.

Abstract: A medical device for implantation into vessels or luminal structures within the body is provided, which stimulates positive blood vessel remodeling. The medical device, such as a stent and a synthetic graft, is coated with a pharmaceutical composition consisting of a controlled-release matrix and one or more pharmaceutical substances for direct delivery of drugs to surrounding tissues. The coating on the medical device further comprises a ligand such as a peptide, an antibody or a small molecule for capturing progenitor endothelial cells in the blood contacting surface of the device for restoring an endothelium at the site of injury. In particular, the drug-coated stents are for use, for example, in balloon angioplasty procedures for preventing or inhibiting restenosis.

Abstract: Therapeutic and drug delivery systems are provided in the form of medical devices with coatings for capturing and immobilizing target cells such as circulating progenitor or genetically-altered mammalian cells in vivo. The genetically-altered cells are transfected with genetic material for expressing a marker gene and at least one therapeutic gene in a constitutively or controlled manner. The marker gene is a cell membrane antigen not found in circulating cells in the blood stream and therapeutic gene encodes a peptide for the treatment of disease, such as, vascular disease and cancer. The coating on the medical device may be a biocompatible matrix comprising at least one type of ligand, such as antibodies, antibody fragments, other peptides and small molecules, which recognize and bind the target cells.

Abstract: A medical device for implantation into vessels or luminal structures within the body is provided. The medical device, such as a stent and a synthetic graft, is coated with a pharmaceutical composition consisting of a controlled-release matrix and one or more pharmaceutical substances for direct delivery of drugs to surrounding tissues. The coating on the medical device further comprises a ligand such as an antibody or a small molecule for capturing progenitor endothelial cells in the blood contacting surface of the device for restoring an endothelium at the site of injury. In particular, the drug-coated stents are for use, for example, in balloon angioplasty procedures for preventing or inhibiting restenosis.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for healing blood vessels by stimulating the formation of a confluent endothelial autologous cell layer in vivo on an implantable metallic stent having a lumen and a luminal surface, and an exterior surface. More specifically, the method includes implanting the stent with a coating in a patient in need of thereof; wherein the coating includes one or more layers of a matrix covalently adherent on said luminal and exterior surface of said stent containing one or more pharmaceutical substances on said exterior surface and a therapeutically effective amount of a single type of antibody, antibody fragments or combinations thereof being compatible to binding selectively to a specific cell surface antigen of circulating autologous endothelial progenitor cells in peripheral blood. In addition, genetically engineered endothelial progenitor cells can be captured on said luminal surface of stent in vivo, to proliferate to form rapidly a confluent endothelium in situ.

Abstract: Compositions and methods are provided for producing a medical device such as a stent, a stent graft, a synthetic vascular graft, heart valves, coated with a biocompatible matrix which incorporates antibodies, antibody fragments, or small molecules, which recognize, bind to and/or interact with a progenitor cell surface antigen to immobilize the cells at the surface of the device. The coating on the device can also contain a compound or growth factor for promoting the progenitor endothelial cell to accelerate adherence, growth and differentiation of the bound cells into mature and functional endothelial cells on the surface of the device to prevent intimal hyperplasia. Methods for preparing such medical devices, compositions, and methods for treating a mammal with vascular disease such as restenosis, artherosclerosis or other types of vessel obstructions are disclosed.

Abstract: A medical device for implantation into vessels or luminal structures within the body is provided, which stimulates positive blood vessel remodeling. The medical device, such as a stent and a synthetic graft, is coated with a pharmaceutical composition consisting of a controlled-release matrix and one or more pharmaceutical substances for direct delivery of drugs to surrounding tissues. The coating on the medical device further comprises a ligand such as a peptide, an antibody or a small molecule for capturing progenitor endothelial cells in the blood contacting surface of the device for restoring an endothelium at the site of injury. In particular, the drug-coated stents are for use, for example, in balloon angioplasty procedures for preventing or inhibiting restenosis.

Abstract: Compositions and methods are provided for producing a medical device such as a stent, a stent graft, a synthetic vascular graft, heart valves, coated with a biocompatible matrix which incorporates antibodies, antibody fragments, or small molecules, which recognize, bind to and/or interact with a progenitor cell surface antigen to immobilize the cells at the surface of the device. The coating on the device can also contain a compound or growth factor for promoting the progenitor endothelial cell to accelerate adherence, growth and differentiation of the bound cells into mature and functional endothelial cells on the surface of the device to prevent intimal hyperplasia. Methods for preparing such medical devices, compositions, and methods for treating a mammal with vascular disease such as restenosis, artherosclerosis or other types of vessel obstructions are disclosed.

Abstract: The drug delivery stent assembly includes a hollow tubular wire stent which extends in a path defining a generally cylindrical envelope and which has side walls facing outwardly of the cylindrical envelope with holes therein for delivery of liquid to a site in a vessel where the stent is placed.

Abstract: The drug delivery stent assembly includes a hollow tubular wire stent which extends in a path defining a generally cylindrical envelope and which has side walls facing outwardly of the cylindrical envelope with holes therein for delivery of liquid to a site in a vessel where the stent is placed and the stent being constructed in a manner which permits the stent to be placed in one of two states, one state being where the stent assumes the shape of an enlarged generally cylindrical envelope and the other state being where the stent assumes the shape of a contracted smaller cylindrical envelope.

Abstract: The drug delivery stent assembly includes a hollow tubular wire stent which extends in a path defining a generally cylindrical envelope and which has side walls facing outwardly of the cylindrical envelope with holes therein for delivery of liquid to a site in a vessel where the stent is placed.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring radiation at a region of interest inside a body is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a fiber optic equipped-catheter having a distal portion adapted to be inserted in a blood vessel. The apparatus further includes a luminescent scintillation material coupled to the fiber optic light pipe. The scintillation material is disposed in a distal portion of a lumen of the catheter and generates pulses of electromagnetic radiation in response to excitation by radiation rays. The apparatus further includes an index matching material disposed between the scintillation crystal and the fiber optic light pipe facilitating transmission of the pulses of electromagnetic radiation produced by the scintillation material to the fiber optic light pipe. A measuring assembly is coupled to the fiber optic light pipe to convert the pulses of radiation traversing the fiber optic light pipe to a measure of radiation in the region of interest.

Abstract: An infusion catheter is provided for delivering treatment fluids including medicaments, drugs, pharmaceuticals, cancer treatment agents and the like directly to a location within a living body such as within a vessel or body cavity. Electro-osmotic infusion is carried out by iontophoretic and/or iontohydrokinesis procedures. The infusion catheter includes both an internal electrode and an integral electrode, both of which are components of or closely associated with a distal portion of the catheter itself. When electrically joined to an EMF source, the electrodes are oppositely charged. The treatment fluid or components of the treatment fluid have an electrical charge which is the same as the internal electrode, as a result of which the medicament moves away from the internal electrode and to the body component being treated.

Abstract: An infusion catheter is provided for delivering treatment fluids including medicaments, drugs, pharmaceuticals, cancer treatment agents and the like directly to a location within a living body such as within a vessel or body cavity. Electro-osmotic infusion is carried out by iontophoretic and/or iontohydrokinesis procedures. The infusion catheter includes both an internal electrode and an integral electrode, both of which are components of or closely associated with a distal portion of the catheter itself. When electrically joined to an EMF source, the electrodes are oppositely charged. The treatment fluid or components of the treatment fluid have an electrical charge which is the same as the internal electrode, as a result of which the medicament moves away from the internal electrode and to the body component being treated.

Abstract: Metallic surfaces of medical devices or components of medical devices are provided that have enhanced biocompatibility properties. The surfaces are prepared by a two-step procedure including covalently linking an organosilane having amine reactive sites with the surface of the metallic member, typically through a metal oxide thereof. Thereafter, a biologically active agent is covalently linked to the organosilane coating. The two-step process is particularly advantageous for preparing medical devices in the form of stents which need to be bent and flexed during implantation procedures.

Abstract: A treatment for metallic surfaces and devices having metallic surfaces is described. A film of heptafluorobutylmethacrylate (HFBMA) is applied to a surface by radiofrequency (RF) plasma deposition and subsequently treated with a biologically active agent. A water vapor RF plasma treatment of the HFBMA coating provides reactive groups thereon which can covalently bond to the biologically active agent. Alternatively, a spacer group can be bonded to the activated HFBMA and the biologically active agent can then be bonded to the spacer group. Devices coated according to the invention possess enhanced biocompatibility and the HFBMA coatings are durable even under severe crimping and expansion conditions.

Abstract: A friction-reducing coating may be applied to a base material, for example the outer surface of a catheter, to provide a significant reduction in catheter friction, particularly when the friction-reducing coating is hydrated. The coating comprises an intimate mixture of a structural plastic material, for example polyurethane, and high molecular weight poly(ethylene oxide).