Abstract: Food products and methods of making having a high dietary fiber content and unexpected organoleptic characteristics, the invention takes the form of a substantially solid or semi-solid substrate formed primarily of dietary fiber soaked in or permeated by a flavorful material such as a natural juice, liquefied or pureed fruit or the like, the combination then being at least partially lyophilized to a solid or semi-solid consistency. The concentration of the natural juice or other flavorful material within a framework or lattice provided by the dietary fiber causes a burst of flavor to be experienced when eaten. While the lyophilized substrate can preferably be consumed as a bar-like comestible with or without the addition of other materials such as coatings, fillers and the like, the invention contemplates the formation of the substrate as flakes, as a cookie, as a candy such as a semi-soft roll or sheet consumed flat or as a rolled sheet among other forms.

Abstract: A syringe which can be filled immediately before use or which can be pre-filled and which is rendered inoperative after a single use without requiring a deliberate action by the user, the invention has certain critical portions formed of a material which degrades at least partially upon contact with the medication or solution injected on a first use through the syringe, thereby rendering the syringe unusable after the first use. In a primary embodiment, portions of the present syringe which mount a needle to the main body of the syringe are formed of a material which is at least partially soluble in the medication or solution used with the syringe or which absorbs the medication or solution, thereby preventing the needle from being retained in an operative position on the syringe.

Abstract: The invention provides containers useful for freezedrying of biological and other materials which can be advantageously subjected to a lyophilization process, such materials including proteinaceous materials from which moisture is removed in order to preserve the material in a dry, shelf-stable form. The present containers allow lyophilization of the contained material with a minimum of time and energy expenditure by forming the material into a frozen shell to increase the surface area of the material and to minimize the thickness of a given quantity of material which is to be lyophilized. In a typical embodiment of the invention, a container is provided with a congruent, flexible core which is inserted into the container to force the material into the space lying between the container and the core. Expansion of the material on freezing acts to deform the flexible core rather than to break the container.

Abstract: The invention provides compositions of matter having pharmacological activity and which are useful in the treatment of the symptoms of neurological and other disorders, particularly those disorders which are caused by malfunction of the immune mechanism. The present compositions include venoms and/or venom fractions extracted from various elapid and viperid snakes and generally include a postsynaptic component capable of binding to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors of cells, a presynaptic component capable of inhibition of acetylcholine release, and a viperid component stimulative of the immune system. According to the present invention, the viperid component of the present compositions of matter preferably constitutes a venom fraction which is absent certain enzymes such as L-amino acid oxidase and phosphodiesterase, these compositions being of particular utility due to the absence of a hemorrhagic effect when used in the treatment of mammals.

Abstract: The present invention provides stable compositions of matter including venoms and/or venom fractions extracted from various elapid and viperid snakes, the present compositions of matter having pharmacological activity and being further useful in treating the symptoms of neurological and other disorders, particularly disorders which are caused by malfunction of the immune mechanisms. The present compositions of matter generally include a post-synaptic component capable of binding to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors of cells, a pre-synaptic component capable of inhibition of acetylcholine release, and a viperid component considered to be stimulative of the immune system. Methods of preparation and use of the present compositions of matter are also disclosed.