text:
Comment Re:Meanwhile (Score 1) 295 295
Do you have a 10 kV, 100 A electrical service to your home?
If I did, would I be able to recharge my Leaf in a reasonable amount of time? Seriously, where I work, we move a lot of radar data. Everything now is gigabit. Do we need 10Gb? No, but if it were available at a reasonable price it would allow us to change the operating parameters of the radars and do new things with them. So, while we don't need it, we could use it, but the price needs to come down first, and the only way that will happen is if it becomes common.
Comment Re:I changed my name... (Score 1) 190 190
My new name is +
Pronounced as the programmer formally known as alta.
Ooh! Ooh! Sing "Raspberry Beret"!
Comment Re:Released where? And what is Code? (Score 1) 190 190
Comment Re:G'DAY MATE (Score 1) 231 231
Comment Re:That explains it (Score 4, Funny) 231 231
Comment Re:Summary misleading - and so is TFA (Score 2) 221 221
. It's sort of a televised daily propaganda broadcast that gets the audience worked up and involves chanting, screaming and throwing things at the screen.)
Like Monday Night Football when Cosell was still in the booth.
Comment Re:Waiting for SCOTUS to notice the 10th Amendment (Score 1) 173 173
Comment Re:Missing option as usual (Score 1) 173 173
Comment Re:Missing option as usual (Score 1) 173 173
Comment How many think they were switched? (Score 1) 260 260
Comment Re:Mixed-handedness (Score 1) 260 260
Comment Re:ballistic missile defense is impossible (Score 1) 266 266
I call shenanigans. The experts concluded that intercepting ballistic missiles was impossible back in the 80's when Ronald "Ray Gun" proposed it.
Experts have concluded all kinds of things were impossible, until someone else found out how to make them possible. You aren't trying very hard.
Comment Re:Oh right... (Score 1) 266 266
Comment Re:Why ban in cars? (Score 3, Funny) 417 417
Well, then I suppose I could have soup while driving in Alberta. It's not a meal, after all.
Stay away from the Campbell's Chunky Soup. You know, the soup that eats like a meal.


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Event Name- OR - Select an option below
Part of a family steeped in the Italian cooking tradition, Dan and Sue Arcobasso started Concetta Italian Restaurant in. 1985. In 2007, Italia Pasta Company opened and is now known as Arcobasso's. The restaurant features a cost-effective menu of the staples, including T-ravs and breaded mushrooms, as well as plenty of pastas. The pasta dishes are separated by tomato-sauce options such as spaghetti and ravioli, cream-sauce choices such as steak fettuccine and linguine carbonara and baked pastas, including manicotti and cannelloni. The south St. Louis County joint also serves a variety of chicken entrèes, pizza and a small selection of sandwiches. Arcobasso's offers a kids' menu, takeout and catering.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Gen. Alexander Vandegrift's family sees Camp Pendleton for first time
Vandegrift lead 1st Marine Division into battle
CAMP PENDLETON - There are many in terms of Marine Corps legends, and Gen. Alexander Vandegrift is certainly one of them.
He was the first to lead the 1st Marine Division at the then newly-formed Camp Pendleton into battle in the Pacific, specifically Guadalcanal.
"I knew my great-grandfather had a presence but I never realized the magnitude until I came here," said Serina Vandergrift, the great-great-granddaughter of the late general who along with great-granddaughter Valerie visited Camp Pendleton for the first time.
"You know, growing up I would see the Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross and all the other medals, but seeing the 1st Marine Division is incredible, it really is," she said.
The first thing Vandegrifts noticed were the huge signs bearing the family name.
"I didn't know there was a street, let alone a boulevard that seemed to go on forever at the base," Valerie Vandergrift said.
The two were also shown the historic Ranch House on the base which became the residence for base commanders until 2007.
The Vandergrifts would later go to Naval Base San Diego to see the guided missile frigate that bears the family name.


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Editorial: Global education rankings show pockets of progress
Recent studies of reading, math and science tests administered to students in dozens of countries show that the United States is far from regaining its former dominance in student achievement, but the nation is moving forward in some areas.
The global math and science results were for fourth- and eighth-graders, while fourth-grade students only participated in the study of reading scores. The star performers, in the U.S., were fourth-graders, who showed solid gains in reading and math scores from the last reviews in 2006 and 2007.
The U.S. fourth-graders' average scores in reading and math were markedly higher than they were in similar reviews in 2006 and 2007. Their rank among countries was essentially the same as before in both subjects, meaning the nation didn't lose ground.
Unfortunately, eighth-graders showed little progress in both the math and science comparisons from previous tests, and fourth-graders did little better than before in science.
Among the good news is American students still perform better than the global average in all subject areas, the study found.
The relative better performance by U.S. fourth-graders compared with eighth-graders could suggest that education approaches implemented in recent years may be making a difference.
The outcomes for U.S. students are still far from what is desired, particularly because of the implications for the nation's economic competitiveness in the years ahead. At the least, though, the nation appears to be making some headway on the education front.
The Herald-Dispatch welcomes your comments on this article, but please be civil. Avoid profanity, obscenity, personal attacks, accusations of criminal activity, name-calling or insults to the other posters. Herald-dispatch.com does not control or monitor comments as they are posted, but if you find a comment offensive or uncivil, hover your mouse over the comment and click the X that appears in the upper right of the comment. If you do not want your comment to post to your personal Facebook page, uncheck the box below the comment.


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Millions pour into 3rd District race
CHARLESTON (AP) — Facing his toughest re-election in decades, Democratic U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall sat down three supporters outside an idyllic general store in West Virginia for a TV ad.
Miffed, the pro-coal trio lamented that wealthy out-of-towners keep spending millions of dollars to blast their congressman.
"New York City?!" they cried. "They're not telling me how to vote."
For Rahall, it's something of a double standard. Similar help has lined up for him in a money-flushed race.
Four months from Election Day, outside liberal and conservative groups have already infused about $3.3 million in ads blasting Rahall and his Republican opponent Evan Jenkins.
Three well-heeled groups — the liberal House Majority PAC; and the conservative Americans for Prosperity and American Energy Alliance — are making Rahall's race a top target. The groups can't work directly with candidates, but are feverishly spending on their behalf.
A 19-term Democrat, Rahall has locked down southern West Virginia and its coalfields since 1977. Called "Nick Joe" and "congressman" almost interchangeably, Rahall has longstanding community in-roads, congressional seniority and a track record of bringing home federal cash.
He has a delicate dance to pull off in West Virginia, however. The state's stances on gun rights, social issues like abortion and coal policies clash with the national Democratic establishment. That's why West Virginia is taking a sharp turn to the political right, particularly at the federal level.
President Barack Obama lost West Virginia badly twice and remains remarkably unpopular there — especially in Rahall's coal-centric district. Obama's push to limit carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants, which Rahall opposes, is at the crux of his election. The rule is viewed as an affront to West Virginia's signature industry.
"It would be a trophy not only in the fact that he was defeated," said Robert Rupp, a political science professor at West Virginia Wesleyan College. "But it would be a sign of the transition of the state to Republican."
Conservative groups orchestrated by the billionaire businessmen Koch brothers, whom Rahall's ad decried as rich New Yorkers, have converged on West Virginia.
Americans for Prosperity and American Energy Alliance have shoveled about $2 million combined into ads, many hitting Rahall on coal. In January, Americans for Prosperity unleashed a ground game in West Virginia with a handful of paid staffers.
Rahall, who has received coal industry donations, is painstakingly trying to separate himself from Obama energy policies.
"In the alternate Koch Universe, I'm a coal-fighting, job-killing, far-left loony," Rahall wrote in a recent fundraising email plea. "Well, that's some serious nonsense."
Democrats are defending Rahall's seat through the House Majority PAC, which has spent $1.1 million on ads against Jenkins, a state senator who turned from Democrat to Republican to run. Democrats are calling Jenkins a puppet for the Koch brothers.
Critics point out some of House Majority PAC's biggest donors favor a carbon-cutting mandate. The group also doesn't list any donations from West Virginians this cycle.
"If Rahall wants to try and prove that he isn't just a lying politician who will say anything to get elected, he will publicly demand that the anti-coal House Majority PAC stop airing ads on his behalf," said Ian Prior, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Campaign Committee.
Comparatively, candidate spending has been dwarfed. Rahall has shelled out $509,000 through April. Jenkins has spent $174,500.
Millions of dollars more in outside ads are already booked, like the $1.2 million the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has reserved in September and October. That makes for a long, negative political season in a usually state known for door-to-door retail campaigns, Rupp said.
"We've been fortunate to avoid the large-scale, expensive ads of the campaigns that have gone on in other states," Rupp said. "And that era is passing."


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Early Explorers (Key Words/Topic Sentences) (Resource Book Only) eBookGrade 4|Grade 5|Grade 6|Grade 7|Grade 8
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This writing unit provides four activity pages in which students identify key words and ideas about Sir Francis Drake and other early explorers (Cortes, Cabot, Columbus, Cook, Hudson). Students then write topic sentences with details and create summary paragraphs. (Find other units by searching 'Organize & Write 4.')
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text:
The present invention provides devices and methods for decalcifying an aortic valve. The methods and devices of the present invention break up or obliterate calcific deposits in and around the aortic valve through application or removal of heat energy from the calcific deposits.
1. A method for treating a cardiac valve having one or more calcific sites, said method comprising:
creating an embolic containment region over a single valve leaflet having a calcific site while the remaining leaflets continue to function; and
delivering energy to the calcific site to disrupt calcifications at said site under conditions expected to create emboli which are contained in said containment region,
wherein creating the embolic containment region comprises positioning a structure over the region, wherein the structure does not span an associated blood vessel,
wherein positioning the structure comprises approximating the structure against the periphery of the single valve leaflet,
wherein delivering energy comprises rotating an element within the structure to mechanically remove the calcifications without delivering electrical current to the valve leaflet, and
wherein the structure delivers energy to said single valve leaflet only within said containment region.
2. The method as in
3. The method as in
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13. The method as in
stopping or slowing rotating the element when element becomes loaded with the calcification.
14. The method as in
injecting a cooling fluid to the valve leaflet while delivering energy.
15. The method as in
pacing a heart of the valve leaflet at an increased rate to hold valve leaflet in a relatively fixed position.
16. The method as in
17. The method as in
18. The method as in
19. The method as in
20. The method as in
The present application claims the benefit and priority of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/635,275, filed Dec. 9, 2004; U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/662,764, filed Mar. 16, 2005; and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/698,297, filed on Jul. 11, 2005; the complete disclosures of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference.
Aortic valve stenosis is a common cardiac disease resulting in approximately 65,000 aortic valve replacement surgeries in the United States annually. Aortic valve stenosis can occur via several etiologies including rheumatic disease, congenital and degenerative calcific stenosis. In developing countries, rheumatic fever results in thickening and progressive immobility of the valve tissues. Calcific disease accounts for almost all of the cases of aortic stenosis in the United States and in developed nations where rheumatic disease is rare.
Over time, a build up of calcium can occur in the annulus of the valve, along the leaflet cusps and on or within the leaflets. This calcific material such as nodular calcific deposits may be superimposed on an underlying fibrotic aortic valve leaflet or calcific deposits may be diffusely distributed throughout the body (spongiosa) of the aortic valve leaflets. Although distribution and type of deposits may differ depending on valve geometry (bicuspid, tricuspid), the deposits generally contribute to leaflet immobility, thickening and other pathologies that lead to degenerative valve function. The presence and progression of this disease leads to a decreased functional area of the valve and dramatically reduced cardiac output.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s balloon dilation of the aortic valve, or valvuloplasty, became a popular therapy for aortic valve stenosis. Dilation of the aortic valve using large angioplasty balloons from either an antegrade (transeptal) or retrograde (aortic) approach resulted in improvements in left ventricular ejection fractions (increased cardiac output), decreases in pressure gradients across the valve, and increases in valve cross-sectional area. Various valvuloplasty balloon designs and other approaches, including energy based therapies, have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,667,474 Lapkin, U.S. Pat. No. 4,484,579 Meno, U.S. Pat. No. 4,787,388 Hoffman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,777,951 Cribier, U.S. Pat. No. 4,878,495 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,796,629 to Grayzel, U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,751 Shimada, U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,830 Owens, U.S. Pat. No. 5,443,446 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,958 to Schturman, U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,679 Clayman, U.S. Pat. No. 5,352,199 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,746,463 to Tower, the disclosures of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference.
In addition, various surgical approaches to de-calcify the valve lesions were attempted utilizing ultrasonic devices to debride or obliterate the calcific material. Such devices include the CUSA Excel™ Ultrasonic Surgical Aspirator and handpieces (23 kHz and 36 kHz, Radionics, TYCO Healthcare, Mansfield, Mass.). Further work, approaches and results have been documented in "Contrasting Histoarchitecture of calcified leaflets from stenotic bicuspid versus stenotic tricuspid aortic valves," Journal of American College of Cardiology 1990 April; 15(5):1104-8, Ultrasonic Aortic Valve Decalcification: Serial Doppler Echocardiographic Follow Up" Journal of American College of Cardiology 1990 September; 16(3): 623-30, and "Percutaneous Balloon Aortic Valvuloplasty: Antegrade Transseptal vs. Conventional Retrograde Transarterial Approach" Catheterization and Cardiovascular interventions 64:314-321 (2005), the disclosures of which are expressly incorporated by reference herein.
Devices and techniques have suffered from only a modest ability to increase valve cross-sectional area, however. For instance, many studies showed that a pre-dilatation area of about 0.6 cm2 could be opened to only between about 0.9 to about 1.0 cm2. It would be desirable to open such a stenosis to an area closer to about 1.2 to about 1.5 cm2. In addition to opening the cross-sectional area, it may be desirable to treat the leaflets and surrounding annulus to remove calcific deposits that stiffen the valve, impair flow dynamics, and otherwise degenerate valve function. Toward this end, other techniques such as direct surgical ultrasonic debridement of calcium deposits have had some success, but required an open surgical incision, thereby increasing the risk to the patient.
Although balloon dilatation offered patients a viable, less invasive alternative, it fell into disfavor in the early to mid 1990s primarily as a result of rapid restenosis of the valve post treatment. At six months, reports of restenosis rates were commonly in excess of 70-80%. Today, balloon valvuloplasty is primarily reserved for palliative care in elderly patients who are not candidates for surgical replacement due to comorbid conditions.
Recent clinical focus on technologies to place percutaneous valve replacement technologies have also caused some to revisit valvuloplasty and aortic valve repair. Corazon, Inc. is developing a system which isolates the leaflets of the aortic valve so that blood flow through the center of the device is preserved while calcium dissolving or softening agents are circulated over and around the leaflets. See for example, United States Patent Application Publication 2004/0082910, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference. The hope is that reducing the stiffness of the leaflets by softening the calcium will allow for more normal functioning of the valve and increased cardiac output. The system is complex, requires upwards of 30 minutes of softening agent exposure time, and has resulted in complete AV block and emergency pacemaker implantation in some patients.
In addition, other technologies have been documented to address aortic stenosis in various ways. U.S. Patent Application Publication 2005/007219 to Pederson discloses balloon materials and designs, as well as ring implants for use in valvuloplasty and treatment of aortic stenosis, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference. Further, Dr. Pederson recently presented initial results of the RADAR study for aortic valve stenosis therapy. This study combines traditional balloon valvuloplasty with external beam radiation to try to prevent the restenosis which occurs post-dilatation. While radiation therapy has been shown to have a positive impact on restenosis in coronary angioplasty, the methods employed in the RADAR study require that the patient undergo a minimum of 4-6 separate procedures, the initial valvuloplasty plus 3-5 separate radiation therapy sessions. These radiation therapy sessions are similar to those used for radiation treatment for cancer.
Over the past three years, dramatic advances in the prevention of restenosis after coronary balloon angioplasty and stenting have been made by the introduction of drug-eluting stents by companies like Boston Scientific and Johnson & Johnson. These devices deliver a controlled and prolonged dose of antiproliferative agents to the wall of the coronary artery in order to manage the sub-acute wound healing and prevent the long-term hyperproliferative healing response that caused restenosis in bare metal stents or in stand-alone angioplasty. Furthermore, various advances have been made on the administration of anti-calcification drugs, including ACE inhibitors, statins, and angiotensins, specifically angiotensin II, as detailed in United States Patent Application Publication 2004/0057955, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference.
While the conventional methods have proven to be reasonably successful, the problem of aortic valve stenosis and subsequent restenosis after valvuloplasty or other intervention still requires better solutions. The present invention provides various devices and methods that create more effective treatments for aortic stenosis and prevent or reduce the incidence and/or severity of aortic restenosis. In addition, the present inventions provides methods and devices for decalcification or debridement of aortic stenosis, either as a stand alone therapy or in conjunction with conventional techniques, such as traditional valvuloplasty, stenting, valve repair, and percutaneous or surgical valve replacement.
The present invention relates to the repair of aortic and other cardiac valves, and more particularly devices and methods for calcium removal and anti-restenosis systems for achieving such repair. The invention can take a number of different forms, including apparatus, acute interventions performed at the time of the aortic repair or valvuloplasty, or temporary or permanent implant, and the like.
In one aspect, the methods and devices of the reduce or remove calcifications on or around the valve through application or removal of energy to disrupt the calcifications. The present invention may apply ultrasound energy, RF energy, a mechanical energy, or the like, to the valve to remove the calcification from the valve. Alternatively, it may be desirable to instead remove energy (e.g. cryogenically cooling) from the calcification to enhance the removal of the calcification from the valve. In all cases, it will be desirable to create an embolic containment region over a localized calcific site on or near the cardiac valve. Such containment may be achieved by creating a structure about the localized site and/or by actively aspirating embolic particles from the site as they are created. Suitable structures include filters, baskets, balloons, housings and the like.
In another aspect of the present invention, treatment catheters are provided to deliver a working element to the vicinity of the diseased valve. Working element can include an ultrasonic element, or any other delivery mechanism or element that is capable of disrupting, e.g., breaking up or obliterating calcific deposits in and around the cardiac valve. Such devices may be steerable or otherwise positionable to allow the user to direct the distal end of the catheter grossly for initial placement through the patient's arteries to the valve, and then precisely adjust placement prior to and/or during treatment.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a treatment catheter that comprises a mechanical element that can disrupt, e.g., mechanically break up, obliterate, and remove the calcific deposits in and around the aortic valve. Similar to the ultrasonic-based catheters, the catheter comprising the mechanical element may be steerable or otherwise articulable to allow the user to direct the distal end of the catheter grossly for initial placement, and then fine tune placement during treatment.
In a further aspect of the present invention, systems including a guide catheter may also be employed to position the treatment catheter at the site of the disease to be treated, either as a separate catheter or as part of the treatment device. In one embodiment, a main guide catheter may be used to center a secondary positioning catheter that contains the treatment catheter over the aortic valve. The treatment catheter may then be further articulated to provide even further directionality to the working end. Various other apparatus and methods may be employed for positioning and stabilizing the treatment catheter, including shaped balloons, baskets or filters and methods of pacing the heart.
In a further aspect of the present invention, methods may be used to disrupt the calcified sites and trap and evacuate emboli and other debris from the treatment site, using filters located on the treatment catheter, suction housings located on the treatment catheter, perfusion balloons linked with aspiration devices, separate suction catheters, separate filter devices either at the treatment site or downstream from the treatment site, and/or external filter and perfusion systems. Certain filter embodiments may be shaped to allow the treatment catheter to access the location to be treated, while still allowing flow through the valve (e.g. treating one leaflet at a time).
In particular, methods for treating cardiac valves according to the present invention comprise creating an emboli containment region over a calcific site and delivering energy (including cryotherapy) to disrupt said site and potentially create emboli which are contained in the containment region. The containment regions will typically be localized directly over a target site, usually having a limited size so that the associated aorta or other blood vessel is not blocked or occluded. The containment region may be created using a barrier, such as a filter structure, basket, or balloon over the calcified site. Alternatively or additionally, the containment region may be created by localized aspiration to remove substantially all emboli as they are formed. The energy applied may be ultrasound, radiofrequency, microwave, mechanical, cryogenic, or any other type of energy capable of disrupting valve calcifications.
In a further aspect of the present invention, the methods may virtually disintegrate the calcification through the use a media that contains microspheres or microbubbles, such as Optison™ sold by GE Healthcare (www.amershamhealth-us.com/optison/). Delivery of an ultrasound energy (or other form of energy, for example, laser, RF, thermal, energy) to the media may cause the microspheres to rupture, which causes a release of energy toward the valve, which may help remove the calcification around and on the valve. Bioeffects Caused by Changes in Acoustic Cavitation Bubble Density and Cell Concentration: A Unified Explanation Based on Cell-to-Bubble Ratio and Blast Radius, Guzman, et al. Ultrasound in Med. & Biol., Vol. 29, No. 8, pp. 1211-1222 (2003).
Certain imaging and other monitoring modalities may be employed prior to, during or after the procedure of the present invention, utilizing a variety of techniques, such as intracardiac echocardiography (ICE), transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), fluoroscopy, intravascular ultrasound, angioscopy or systems which use infrared technology to "see through blood", such as that under development by Cardio-Optics, Inc.
Various energy sources may be utilized to effect the treatment of the present invention, including RF, ultrasonic energy in various therapeutic ranges, and mechanical (non-ultrasound) energy. The distal tips of the RF, ultrasonic treatment catheters, and mechanical treatment catheters of the present invention may have a variety of distal tip configurations, and be may be used in a variety of treatment patterns, and to target specific locations within the valve.
In addition, intravascular implants are contemplated by the present invention, including those placed within the valve annulus, supra annular, sub annular, or a combination thereof to assist in maintaining a functional valve orifice. Such implants may incorporate various pharmacological agents to increase efficacy by reducing restenosis, and otherwise aiding valve function. Implants may be formed of various metals, biodegradable materials, or combinations thereof.
These devices may all be introduced via either the retrograde approach, from the femoral artery, into the aorta and across the valve from the ascending aorta, or through the antegrade approach—transeptal, across the mitral valve, through the left ventricle and across the aortic valve.
In other aspects, the present invention provides an anti-restenosis system for aortic valve repair. Acute interventions are performed at the time of the aortic repair or valvuloplasty and may take the form of a temporary or permanent implant.
These implant devices may all be introduced via either the retrograde approach, from the femoral artery, into the aorta and across the valve from the ascending aorta, or through the antegrade approach—trans-septal, across the mitral valve, through the left ventricle and across the aortic valve, and will provide for delivery of anti-restenosis agents or energy to inhibit and/or repair valve restenosis.
Treatment Catheter Design—General
Treatment catheters 10 (
Typically, the treatment catheters 10 of the present invention are configured to be introduced to the target area "over the wire." The treatment catheters may be positioned adjacent the aortic valve through a guide catheter or sheath. As such, the treatment catheters of the present invention may comprise a central guidewire lumen 20 for receiving a guidewire GW (
As noted above, the treatment catheters 10 of the present invention may comprise a suction housing positioned at the distal end of the catheter body having an expanded configuration and a retracted configuration and configured to conform to the valve leaflet to be treated. While the suction housing 22 may be fixedly attached at the distal end, in preferred embodiments, the suction housing is movable between a retracted configuration (
In the embodiment of
The depth of the suction housing may take many forms such that it is compatible with the valve to be treated. For example, the suction housing 22 may be shallow (
The suction cups/housings may also have rigid or semi-rigid members around the circumference or part of the circumference of the housing to preferentially align the cup on certain valve features, such as the annulus. The suction cup housings have a depth range of 0.1″ to 0.5″ and a diameter of 15 mm to 30 mm. The cup or housing may have fingers 30 or longitudinal stabilizing elements 32 to assist in placing the housing against the valve as shown in
Such stabilizing elements may also be in the form of pleats, rings or hemispherical elements, or other reinforcements to assist the device to seat within the annulus of the valve or against the leaflet. Such reinforcements or stabilizing elements may be formed of stainless steel, NiTi (superelastic or shape memory treated), Elgiloy«, cobalt chromium, various polymers, or may be in the form of an inflatable ringed cup. The cup or housing of the present invention is intended to function to provide sufficient approximation with the treatment area so as to stabilize or localize the working element while also minimizing embolic events. It that sense, it is substantially sealing against the treatment region, but such seal is not necessarily an "airtight" seal, but an approximation that performs the desired functions listed above.
In addition, certain stabilizing devices 36, 38 may be located on the main catheter shaft 12 to provide stability within the aorta, and may, in some cases, extend through the valve leaflets L below the valve to further stabilize the treatment device, as shown in
Given the variety of leaflet geometries (e.g. size, curvature) from leaflet to leaflet, and patient to patient, it may be desirable to provide a main treatment catheter through which a variety of sized and shaped cups or housings can be passed, depending on the particular geometry to be treated. For example, a system could include a main guide catheter GC placed over the treatment area as depicted in
It is within the scope of the present invention to use any one of these steps, in any order to treat the targeted region, for example, one leaflet may be treated only, more than one leaflet, and in any order according to the type of calcification, health of the patient, geometry of the target region or preference of the operator.
Ultrasound Treatment Catheters
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention a treatment catheter 50 is provided having an ultrasonic probe for decalcifying the leaflet. An ultrasonic probe 52 may be surrounded by a frame or sheath 54. Both the frame and the sheath may be connected to a source of ultrasonic vibration (not shown). In certain embodiments, the probe 52 is surrounded by a sheath or housing that enables the system to be substantially sealed against the treatment surface via a source of suction attached at the proximal end of the catheter system and connected to the catheter housing via a suction lumen in the catheter body. Alternatively, the system may be placed or localized at the treatment site with a mechanical clip or interface that physically attaches the housing to the treatment area (annulus or leaflet). In operation, the ultrasonic probe 52 is activated to disintegrate the calcium on the leaflets, creating debris that may then be removed through a suction lumen in the catheter body 50. In some cases it may be desirable to also infuse saline or other fluids into the housing area simultaneously or prior to application of suction. It may be advantageous to provide a cooling fluid to the ultrasonic waveguide as well and to other embodiments such as one with a PZT stack at the distal end of the device. It may also be advantageous to infuse anti-calcification therapy to the site of the valve, including a ferric and/or stannic salt, or other solution as in known in the art to tan or otherwise make the leaflets resistant to calcium buildup, such as the type set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,782,931, the contents of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein. Another embodiment of an ultrasonic probe 60 having a silicone cup is shown in
In embodiments where a filter device 74 is disposed on the main catheter shaft (shown in
As shown in
The distal portion 90 of the treatment catheters of the present invention may be shaped to substantially correspond to a shape of the targeted leaflet L (e.g., formed to fit within shape of the leaflet cusp, with the mouth of the housing being shaped to conform to the leaflet shape as shown in
Alternatively, the treatment catheter 100 of the present invention may be formed having a circumferential, annular treatment 102 surface to apply energy/vibration to the annulus to be treated. In this embodiment the catheter may be placed antegrade or retrograde, or two circumferential treatment surfaces may be used in conjunction with each other, as shown in
Various ultrasonic working ends may be used, depending on the type and location of the disease to be treated. For example, the distal tip of an ultrasonic catheter may be coupled to a ultrasound transmission member or waveguide. The distal tip may be chosen from the various examples below, including a blunt tip, a beveled tip, a rounded tip, a pointed tip and may further include nodules or ribs (
The distal tip of the ultrasonic catheters of the present invention may also take the shape of the waveguide tips that are shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,304,115, the contents of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein. U.S. Pat. No. 5,989,208 ("Nita"), the contents of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein, illustrate some additional tips in
The ultrasound transmission members of the present invention may comprise a solid tube that is coupled to an enlarged distal working end. A central lumen may extend throughout the ultrasonic transmission member and may be used for aspiration, suction, and/or to receive a guidewire. In the embodiment illustrated in
In a further embodiment of the distal working end, similar to the embodiment illustrated above, a central lumen may extend through the ultrasound transmission element and through the enlarged distal working end. In the configuration illustrated in
In alternative embodiments, the portion of the ultrasound transmission element (or waveguide) that is adjacent the distal working end may be modified to amplify the delivery of the ultrasonic waves from the working end. The waveguide may comprises a plurality of axial slots in the tubing that act to create a plurality of "thin wires" from the tubing, which will cause the ultrasonic waves to move radially, rather than axially. The enlarged distal working end may then be attached to the plurality of thin wires. Two embodiments of such a configuration are illustrated in
The ultrasonic catheters of the present invention may be adapted to impart motion to the distal tip that is oscillatory, dottering, circular, lateral or any combination thereof. For any of such distal tips described herein, Applicants have found that the use of a small distal tip relative to the inner diameter of the catheter body provides a better amplitude of motion and may provide improved decalcification. In addition, an ultrasonic tip of the present invention can be operated in a variety of treatment patterns, depending on the region of the leaflet or annulus that is being treated, among other things. For example, the treatment pattern, either controlled by the user programmed into the treatment device, may be a circular motion to provide rings of decalcification on the surface being treated, a cross-hatching pattern to break up larger deposits of calcium (
Certain safety mechanisms may be incorporated on the treatment catheter and related components to ensure that the treatment device does not perforate or otherwise degrade the leaflet. In one embodiment, a force limiting feature may be incorporated into the treatment catheter shaft as shown in
In another embodiment, features of the catheter shaft may limit the force that is delivered to the tissues. A soft distal tip 150 (
In addition, the treatment catheter 200 may be advanced through a sheath 202 that acts as a depth limiter to the treatment catheter as shown in
An assembly of an ultrasonic catheter of the present invention is shown in
Another embodiment of an ultrasonic catheter 220 includes a PZT stack 222 and a distal horn 224 at the distal end of the device as shown in
The advantage of the embodiment of
The proximal end of the ultrasonic catheter of the present invention may be configured according to the schematic depicted in
Mechanical Treatment Catheter and Methods
In addition to ultrasound treatment catheters described above, the present invention further provides treatment catheters and methods that use mechanically activatable tips to mechanically disrupt or obliterate the calcium on the leaflets. In general, the catheters will comprise a catheter body that comprises one or more lumens. A drive shaft (or similar element) may extend from a proximal end of one of the lumens to the distal end of the lumen. A distal working element may be coupled to (or formed integrally from) the drive shaft and will be configured to extend at least partially beyond a distal end of the catheter body. The proximal end of the drive shaft may be coupled to a source of mechanical motion (rotation, oscillation, and/or axial movement) to drive the drive shaft and distal working element.
The catheters of the present invention may use a variety of configurations to decalcify the leaflet. Some examples of the working elements and distal ends of the catheter body that may be used are described below.
In one embodiment (
In the configuration of
In another embodiment (
In yet another embodiment (
The working elements may also comprise mechanically rotating devices. In the embodiment of
In alternative methods, it may be possible to position an impeller element 290 (
In another configuration, a rotating grinder head 292 (
In another grinder distal tip configuration shown in
In an alternative configuration as shown in
In another embodiment, the distal working element may comprise a castellated mechanical tip, such as that shown above for the ultrasonic working element. Optionally, the castellated tip may have an impeller that is set back from the distal tip.
In yet another embodiment, the present invention may use the Rotablator device that is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,314,407 or 6,818,001, the complete disclosure of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference, to decalcify a leaflet. The Rotablator (as shown below) may be used as originally described, or the distal tip may be modified by flattening the tip, applying diamond dust on the tip, making the distal tip more bulbous, or the like. See
The air turbine used for the Rotablator may be used to power some or all of the aforementioned mechanically-based treatment catheters. The air turbine provides an appropriate amount of torque and speed for disruption of calcium on the leaflets. The torque and speed, combined with a low moment of inertia of the drive shaft and distal tips of the present invention, reduce the risk of catastrophic drive shaft failure. For example, when the distal tip becomes "loaded" due to contact with the calcific deposits, the speed of rotation will reduce to zero without snapping or wrapping up the drive shaft. As an alternative to the air turbine, it may also be possible to use a motor with an electronic feedback system that can sense torque and speeds such that the motor may be slowed down at appropriate times.
Some embodiments of the treatment catheter may comprise an optional sheath that surrounds the distal working element. As illustrated in
In some embodiments, the sheath may comprise bellows or a flexible portion that allows for the end of the sheath to bend, extend, and/or retract. The sheath will typically not rotate, and the sheath will typically be sized to allow the distal working element and the drive shaft to rotate within the sheath. Rotation of the distal working element within the sheath will articulate the sheath (which will depend on the shape and type of actuation of the drive shaft) and may create a "scrubbing effect" on the calcific deposits. Advantageously, the sheath will transmit the mechanical motion of the drive shaft, while providing a layer of protection to the leaflets by controlling the oscillation of the working element. The sheath may be made of a variety of materials as known in the art and reinforced in such a way as to withstand the friction from the rotation of the distal working element within the spherical distal tip Consequently, one useful material for the sheath is steel, or a braided or other catheter reinforcement technique.
In any of the mechanical embodiments, it may be desirable to circulate or inject a cooling fluid may be to decrease the heat energy seen by the tissue, and assist in the removal of debris during debridement. Such a fluid may also assist with tissue fragmentation by providing a cavitation effect in either the ultrasonic embodiments or the mechanical embodiments.
Virtual Decalcification Use of Microspheres and/or Microbubbles
As noted above, most embodiments of the ultrasound treatment catheters and the mechanical treatment catheters comprise a lumen that runs through the catheter body to the distal end. It may be useful to deliver a media, such as a cooling fluid, an ultrasound contrast fluid, or the like, through the lumen to the target leaflet to amplify the effect of the energy delivery to the embedded calcific nodules on the leaflet. In one preferred configuration, the media may comprise microspheres or microbubbles. One useful contrast media that may be used with the methods and treatment catheters of the present invention is the Optison™ contrast agent (GE Healthcare). Various depictions of techniques utilizing cavitation and/or microbubbles to enhance a therapeutic effect may be found in U.S. Pat. RE036939 to Tachibana, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,321,109 to Ben-Haim, the contents of which are expressly incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
Delivery of the ultrasonic wave through the contrast media that contains the microbubbles can increase the amount of cavitation or fragmentation energy delivered to the leaflet. Applying suction during the procedure can also enhance the fragmentation energy as described by Cimino and Bond, "Physics of Ultrasonic Surgery using Tissue Fragmentation: Part I and Part II", Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology, Vol. 22, No. 1, pp. 89-100, and pp. 101-117, 1996. It has been described that the interaction of gas bodies (e.g., microbubbles) with ultrasound pulses enhances non-thermal perturbation (e.g., cavitation-related mechanical phenomena). Thus, using a controlled amount of contrast agent with microbubbles may enhance the removal of the calcification from the leaflets. A more complete description of the use of microbubbles with ultrasound energy is described in Guzman et al., "Bioeffects Caused by Changes in Acoustic Cavitation Bubble Density and Cell Concentration: A Unified Explanation Based on Cell-to-Bubble Ratio and Blast Radius," Ultrasound in Med. & Biol., Vol. 29, No. 8, pp. 1211-1222, 2003 and Miller et al., "Lysis and Sonoporation of Epidermoid and Phagocytic Monolayer Cells by Diagnostic Ultrasound Activation of Contrast Agent Gas Bodies," Ultrasound in Med. & Biol., Vol. 27, No. 8, pp 1107-1113, 2001, the complete disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
It should be appreciated however, that the use of microbubbles are not limited to the ultrasound or mechanical treatment catheters. For example, as shown below, the contrast media may be used with an RF catheter or a piezoelectric-based catheter. In the RF catheter embodiment, the catheter body may comprise two RF electrodes positioned at or near the distal end of the catheter. The media with the microbubbles may be delivered to the target leaflet through the lumen of the catheter, and an RF energy may be delivered between two leads to deliver energy to the microbubbles. In some embodiments, it may be desirable to deliver RF energy to the calcification on the leaflets without the use of the microbubbles. In other embodiments, it may be desirable to use other types of energy sources to deliver energy to the leaflets.
As an alternative to RF electrodes, it may be possible to position a piezo film 330 at the distal tip of the catheter (
In a further aspect of the present invention, protection devices and methods may be used to trap and evacuate debris from the treatment site. In one embodiment shown in
In another embodiment (
It may be advantageous to have filtering applied more locally closer to the treatment site (e.g. one leaflet at a time), to protect local structures such as the ostium of the coronaries located just above the aortic valve. Such a filtering device may be used in conjunction with treatment devices, such as the ultrasonic suction catheter shown in
Numerous features of the present invention aid in directing, positioning and stabilizing the treatment catheter optimally at the site of the disease to be treated. In addition to catheter and guide features, baskets, anchor or filter configurations that seat within the valve, certain methods may be used to position the catheter. For example, the heart may be connected to a pacing lead and the heart then paced at an increased rate, for example 200 beats per minute, which then holds the aortic leaflets in a relatively fixed location arresting blood flow and allowing the treatment catheter of the present invention to be applied to at least one leaflet. Following placement of the catheter, such as a suction housing, pacing is stopped, and the remaining leaflets not engaged by the catheter, function normally. In the event that all leaflets are engaged at once, it may be necessary to provide flow through the treatment catheter, such as in a perfusion balloon or device known in the art, some features of which are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,252 to Goldberg the disclosure of which is expressly incorporate by reference herein.
Features of the present invention include various devices and methods for monitoring and imaging prior to, during and post procedure. Various imaging modalities may be employed for this purpose, including intracardiac echocardiography (ICE), transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), fluoroscopy, intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), angioscopy, infrared, capacitive ultrasonic transducers (cMUTs) available from Sensant, Inc./Seimens (San Leandro, Calif.) or other means known in the art. For example the treatment catheter may have an imaging device integrated into the housing or treatment element catheter shaft, such as a phased array intravascular ultrasound element. In some embodiments it may be advantageous to construct the device of the present invention so that they working element is a separate, removable element that is coaxial with the sheath to enable the operator to remove the working element and place an imaging element in its place.
Imaging may become critical at various stages of the procedure, including diagnosing the type and location of the disease, placing the treatment catheter, assessing the treatment process, and verifying the function of the valve once it is treated. Imaging devices may be placed locally at the treatment site, such as on the catheter tip, or catheter body, alongside the treatment catheter, or in more remote locations such as known in the art (e.g. superior vena cava, esophagus, or right atrium). If the imaging element is placed on the treatment catheter, it may be adapted to be "forward looking" e.g. image in a plane or multiple planes in front of the treatment device.
It is also within the scope of the present invention to employ interrogation techniques or other imaging modalities, such as infrared imaging to see through blood for direct visualization of the treatment site, or elastography, the ultrasonic measurement of tissue motion, to sense what type of tissue is targeted, e.g. leaflet tissue or calcium, or to sense the region of the valve that is most calcified. Elastography in this context may be performed using an intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) catheter, either a mechanical transducer or phased array system, such as those described in "Characterization of plaque components and vulnerability with intravascular ultrasound elastography" Phys. Med. Biol. 45 (2000) 1465-1475, the contents of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein. In practice, the transducer may be advanced to a treatment site on the valve, and using either externally applied force, or "periodic excitation" of the tissue region either by externally applied force or the naturally occurring movement in the tissue itself (such as the opening and closing of the valve leaflets), an initial baseline reading can be taken. This baseline could be set by engaging the region or leaflet to be treated with a suction catheter of the present invention (including circulating fluid within the treatment site), inserting an ultrasound transducer through the treatment catheter up to the treatment site, and interrogating the targeted region with the ultrasound transducer to establish the elasticity of the region (stress/strain profile). For a particular region of the leaflet, infusion can then be stopped, putting the leaflet under additional stress (by suction alone) and the displacement in the stress/strain profile can be noted and evaluated to direct the treatment device to those locations showing less elasticity ("stiffer" regions indicating the presence of calcific deposits. See also those techniques set forth in "Elastography—the movement begins" Phys. Med. Biol. 45 (2000) 1409-1421 and "Selected Methods for Imaging Elastic Properties of Biological Tissues" Annu. Rev. Biomed. Eng. (2003) 5:57-78, the contents of which are expressly incorporated by reference herein.
In some instances, for example with ultrasound or laser, the same transducer or fiber optic that is used to interrogate or image the region may also be used to break up or treat the underlying calcific deposits. Certain parameters may be adjusted to transition the therapy device from diagnostic to therapeutic, including frequency, power, total energy delivered, etc.
In addition, other characterization techniques may be employed to both target the calcific region to be treated or assess the result of a treatment, including MRI, Doppler, and techniques that utilize resistivity data, impedance/inductance feedback and the like. Using imaging and other monitoring techniques such as those described, can result in a more targeted procedure that focuses on removing calcific deposits and limits potential tissue damage to the leaflet and annulus that can lead to an unwanted proliferative response.
Energy Sources/Methods of Treatment
A variety of energy modalities may be used in the treatment catheters envisioned by the present invention. Those modalities more specifically useful for breaking down or obliterating calcific deposits may be ultrasonic energy, laser energy and the like. Specifically, some Er:YAG lasers may specifically target calcium when operated in appropriate ranges. Some detail of targeted bone ablation supports this as found in "Scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy analysis of bone removal using Er:YAG and CO2 lasers" J Periodontol. 2002 June; 73(6):643-52, the contents of which are expressly incorporated by reference herein. Alternatively, energy may be delivered to selectively remove tissue from around or over a calcium deposit by employing a resurfacing laser that selectively targets water-containing tissue resulting in controlled tissue vaporization, such as a high-energy pulsed or scanned carbon dioxide laser, a short-pulsed Er:YAG, and modulated (short-and-long-pulsed) Er:YAG system. This application of energy may be useful for accessing plaque or calcium that is distributed between the leaflets (spongiosa). In practice, it would be desirable to remove the layer of tissue covering the deposit so that the majority of the leaflet remained intact and shielded from unnecessary thermal damage. Further, such specific tissue destruction may also be applied to the removal of scar tissue or regions of hypertrophy within the valve annulus as part of the treatment of the present invention.
The ultrasonic treatment catheters of the present invention may be operated in ranges between 5 and 100 kHz, for example 10-50 kHz, with an oscillation rate in the range of 10-200 microns, for example 75-150 microns (maximum travel between 20-400 microns). In addition, to minimize potential for thermal damage or other tissue damage, it may be advantageous to operate the treatment devices in a pulsed manner, such as a 5-50% duty cycle, for example a 5-20% duty cycle, and to minimize the tissue that is exposed to the energy application by carefully targeting the delivery of energy to the most diseased regions.
In addition, it may be advantageous to focus the treatment on certain locations of the diseased valve where removing or reducing calcium deposits result in the greatest amount of restored leaflet mobility and resulting valve function. For example, deposits within the annulus of the valve, at the nadir of the leaflet, in the mid-section of the leaflet, or at the commissures may be initially targeted. A schematic depiction of these various positions with the valve are depicted in
Depending on the type and frequency of energy used, the treatment catheters of the present invention may also be utilized to not only remove calcium, but also to remove or obliterate the leaflet itself, such as in preparation for implantation of a minimally invasive prosthetic valve, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,840,081 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,582,462 to Anderson, US Patent Application 2004/0092858 to Wilson, PCT Publication WO 2004/093728 to Khairkhahan, WO 2005/009285 to Hermann and the like, the disclosures of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference. Pre-treatment with devices of the present invention may facilitate placement of such prosthetic valves since removing calcium from the site of implantation may reduce perivalvular leak, dislodgement, and may result in a larger prosthesis being implanted due to an increased effective valve orifice.
Implantable Devices
A. As an alternative or adjunct to the devices described above which are removed once the repair is achieved, devices may be provided which are temporarily or permanently implanted across or within the aortic valve. The devices which appear below are all intended to remain for at least a period of time within the body after the repair of the stenosis has been completed in order to prevent or delay the valves from degenerating, by either recalcifying, fusion of leaflets, and restenosing. An implant of the present invention is depicted in
In some embodiments, it may be desirable to place an implant such as the coil depicted below, to extend both sub annular and supra annular to provide additional support to the valve and provide a greater treatment area across the valve. The coil design of this embodiment has a single strut that joins the two ring portions but is low profile enough that is does not occlude the coronaries just above the valve annulus. See,
In a further embodiment, the implant may be formed of a wire, series of wire, or cellular structure similar to that used in peripheral or coronary stents. To better seat in the valve annulus, or below the valve, it may be advantageous to form the implant ring to follow the cusps of the valve, in a sinusoidal form. In addition, the implant ring may have struts that extend to seat against the annulus of the valve to provide structure or further disseminate a pharmacologic coating at specific valve sites. See,
In yet another embodiment, the implant may be formed of multiple loops, such as three loops 120 degrees from each other. See,
In this embodiment, and others depicting wire forms, the wire may have a diameter between 0.020″ and 0.250″ depending on the force desired. In addition, the wire may be flat and the structure may include a mesh between the loops to provide a larger surface area for supporting the valve or delivery the pharmacologic agent. The loops of this device may be moved distally and proximally in a cyclic way to further open the valve leaflets and disrupt plaque as a stand alone therapy. The device may then be permanently implanted as detailed above. It may be desirable to recapture the device, either once the valve has been treated, or during positioning of the permanent implant to ensure proper placement. A recapture device may be the delivery catheter from which the implant is deployed, or may include an expandable funnel on the distal end of a retrieval catheter or may include any number of mechanical devices including a grasper or a hook that mates with a hook on the implant, or grasps the implant at some point such that it may be drawn into the delivery sheath and removed from the body.
The structure of any of the implants described herein may have surface enhancements or coatings to make them radiopaque or echogenic for purposes of procedure assessment as is known in the art. As is further known in the art in the field of coronary artery stenting, the devices described may be permanent, removable, or bio-erodable. They can incorporate anti-restenosis agents or materials such as those set forth above, in the form of coatings, holes, depots, pores or surface irregularities designed into or applied onto the devices. In addition, the implants can be formed of certain calcification resistant materials such as those set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 6,254,635, the contents of which are expressly incorporated by reference herein. Further, implants of the present invention may be configured to emit a slight electrical charge. Since calcium is positively charged, it may be advantageous to repel calcium by positively charging the surface of the aortic implant. In addition, electrical energy may be supplied by the implant to minimize calcification by an implantable pacemaker type device as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,505,080, which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
Further, it is within the scope of the present invention to combine certain mechanical procedures and implants with various appropriate pharmacologic agents such as those listed previously. Anti-restenosis agents which may be useful in this application may be chosen from any of the families of agents or energy modalities known in the art. For example, pharmaceutical agents or their analogues such as rapamycin, paclitaxel, sirolimus or nitric-oxide enhancing agents may be coated onto these devices using drug eluting coatings, incorporated into intentionally created surface irregularities or specific surface features such as holes or divots. The devices may be designed for drug infusion through the incorporation of coatings or other surfaces to adhere the agents to the implants utilized to perform the procedures of the present invention, or may be prescribed for oral administration following procedures of the present invention. For example, following a treatment of the present invention, a patient may be prescribed a dose of statins, ACE inhibitors or other drugs to prolong the valve function provided by the intervention.
The device of
The device of
Anti-restenosis agents which may be useful in this application may be chosen from any of the families of agents or energy modalities known in the art. For example, pharmaceutical agents or their analogues such as rapamycin, paclitaxel, sirolimus or nitric-oxide enhancing agents may be coated onto any of the inventive devices using drug eluting coatings, incorporated into intentionally created surface irregularities or specific surface features such as holes or divots. As described, the devices may be designed for drug infusion through the incorporation of infusion channels and infusion holes in the work-performing elements of the devices such as the balloons or commissurotomy vanes shown in the drawings.
Energy delivery may be achieved by several different modalities and for different purposes. Radiofrequency energy can be applied by energizing the commissurotomy vanes or by using the pores on the balloons to achieve a wet electrode. Microwave, ultrasound, high frequency ultrasound energy or pulsed electric fields (for the purpose of inducing cellular electroporation) might be used by incorporating antennae or electrodes into the vanes, balloons or catheter shafts that support these work performing elements. Cryotherapy can be achieved by circulating cooling fluids such as phase-change gases or liquid nitrogen through the work performing elements. Multiple modalities might be incorporated into a single device for achieving the goal of durable aortic valve repair.
This energy may be used to facilitate the valve repair, for instance by making easier the parting of fused leaflets. Alternatively, the energy may be used to delay or prevent restenosis of the treated valve. One example of the use of energy delivery for the prevention of restenosis is the use of pulsed electric fields to induce cellular apoptosis. It is known in the art that the application of pulses of electricity on the order of nanosecond duration can alter the intracellular apparatus of a cell and induce apoptosis, or programmed cell death, which is known to be a key aspect of the mechanism of action of the clinically proven anti-restenosis drugs such as paclitaxel or sirolimus.
These agents or energy applications might be administered while the patient is in the catheterization lab, over the course of minutes to hours. Alternatively, the devices may be designed to allow the patient to return to the hospital floor with the device in place, so that the infusion of agents or the application of energy could proceed over the course of hours or days.
B. As an alternative or adjunct to the devices described above which are removed once the repair is achieved and administration of the anti-restenosis agents is completed, devices may be provided which are temporarily or permanently implanted across or within the aortic valve. The devices which appear below are all intended to remain for at least a period of time within the body after the repair of the stenosis has been completed in order to prevent or delay the valves from readhering to one another and restenosing.
The devices described may be permanent, removable, or bio-erodable. They can incorporate anti-restenosis agents or materials into coatings, holes, depots, pores or surface irregularities designed into or applied onto the devices
The struts 430 may be made of any suitable metal, plastic or combination as shown in
The implantable and bio-erodable devices might all feature pharmaceutical agents or their analogues such as rapamycin, paclitaxel, sirolimus or nitric-oxide enhancing agents, which may be coated onto any of the inventive devices using drug eluting coatings, or incorporated into intentionally created surface irregularities or specific surface features such as holes or divots.
Additional anti-restenosis agents or energy modalities might be delivered separate from and/or in addition to those agents that are incorporated onto the implant, for instance as a feature of the delivery system.
While the invention is susceptible to various modifications, and alternative forms, specific examples thereof have been shown in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not to be limited to the particular forms or methods disclosed, but to the contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the disclosure and appended claims.
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Govt airstrikes in Iraq's Anbar kill 50 while Obama meets with MPs on Sunni integration
At least 50 militants were killed in Iraq's Anbar Wednesday while U.S. President Obama met with Iraqi parliamentarians to discuss Sunni leadership integration into the government, according to various agencies.
Agence France Presse reported that Iraqi security authorities "received accurate information and carried out painful and effective air strikes against terrorist gatherings in Anbar yesterday, January 21, that killed more than 50 terrorists."
A large amount of ammunition was destroyed in the strikes and some foreign fighter militants were also killed, according to the Ministry of Defense.
The Iraqi government has been trying to regain control of Anbar in recent weeks vis-a-vis targeting militant groups how took control of parts of the province earlier this year, including part of the provincial capital of Ramadi and the entire city of Fallujah.
While the government launched attacks on the primarily Sunni populated province, U.S. President Barack Obama met with Iraqi parliamentarians on the issue of Sunni tensions with the government in a bid to encourage MPs to integrate more Sunni tribal leaders into the governing fold, according to Al-Arabiya.
"The President encouraged Iraq's leaders to continue dialogue to address the legitimate grievances of all communities through the political process," AFP quoted the White House in a statement.
Obama met with the Sunni speaker of Iraq's parliament, Osama Al Nujaifi, to discuss greater Sunni integration into both the government and military, and further added that Washington will continue to "help Iraq quell Al Qaeda upsurge[s]."
"Both sides agreed on the need for both security and political measures to combat terrorism, and discussed efforts to formally integrate local and tribal forces into the state security structures consistent with the Government of Iraq's public commitments in recent days," a statement from the White House read.fcgarehbtrw


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Happy Birthday Jason
Happy Birthday Jason
i guess the line starts here, have a good one my friend!Originally posted by dolphan39
Happy Birthday Jason
WOW 23!! :eek: I remember 23 :cool:
Happy Birthday!!
***Unleash the Killer DOLPHINS***
... all the BEST and unlike MD13 I do not remember 23.Originally posted by dolphan39
Happy Birthday Jason
Ah to be 23 again. That's 1/3 of my favorite number..69:happydrin
When I was a kid, my favorite relative was Uncle Caveman. After school
we'd all go play in his cave, and every once in awhile he would eat one
of us. It wasn't until later that I found out that Uncle Caveman was a


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Jetstar alleged to have used Thai budget crew
Airline cabin crew recruited in Thailand have allegedly been staffing domestic routes in Australia for Jetstar – for half the cost of the budget airline's local staff.
The Gillard government's workplace ombudsman has today taken the airline to the Federal Court, saying the pay rate offered to the eight workers involved is not good enough.
The Federal Court action may ultimately involve 300 international cabin crew rostered across Jetstar's domestic routes.
Jetstar has refuted the claims, and a spokeswoman said today it would contest them vigorously when the matter goes to court in August.
The Fair Work Ombudsman is also arguing that the practice of using Asian-owned companies that recruit cabin crew to work exclusively for Jetstar on international and domestic flights should be banned.
Singapore company Valuair Limited and Thai company Tour East Limited – which recruit crew exclusively for Jetstar on both international and domestic flights – are both accused of the practice.
Both firms are part-owned by Qantas.
The Fair Work Ombudsman wants Valuair and Tour East to reimburse the eight cabin crew more than $7500 it alleges they are owed in back-pay. It also wants the Federal Court to fine Jetstar.
It says the cabin crew employees are entitled to be paid under the Aircraft Cabin Crew Award 2010, and not the wage they would be entitled to in Asia.
The ombudsman's writ alleges that Jetstar's contracts with Valuair and Tour East give the airline power to control the cabin crew members' salary, performance reviews and rostering.
Jetstar Airways was also allegedly involved in interviewing and recruiting the workers in Singapore and Thailand.
In April, the ombudsman also commenced action against Jetstar for allegedly hiring trainee pilots from New Zealand on individual contracts, not paying them superannuation, and charging them for training in Australia.
Jetstar released a statement this afternoon that said, while Jetstar did not use overseas-based crew on purely domestic flights, it did use a mix of Australian-based and overseas-based cabin crew on its international services.
"These crew are paid based on the terms and conditions in the country in which they are employed, whether they are flying in Singapore, Thailand, or Australia," the statement said.
It said the main issue in dispute was "tag flying – an industry term used to describe an international flight that includes a stopover in more than one domestic city, such as Singapore-Darwin-Cairns."
Jetstar operates about 40 "tag flights" a week out of a total schedule of up to 3000 flights, the statement said.
A directions hearing for the case is listed for August 17.
The Australian and International Pilots Association said today that the Fair Work Ombudsman's announcement once again illustrated the worrying workplace management at the budget airline.
TAIPA President Captain Barry Jackson said: "We have known for some time that Jetstar has cynically used Thai cabin crew, paid subpar wages, to undercut Australian staff on Jetstar domestic routes.
"They are able to do this by flying an aircraft from Thailand to Australia and then using that aircraft, with crew, to service domestic routes… I am very grateful to see the Fair Work Ombudsman intervening."
Senator Nick Xenophon said the Ombudsma's announcement was a fantastic step in the right direction.
"I have had serious concerns about this issue and the people it affects for some time," he said.
"The allegations against Jetstar – paying international staff a fraction of Australian wages on domestic routes – is very concerning.
"This sort of alleged behaviour could not only exploit those workers, but it costs Australian jobs."
Category: Regional


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Jesus Musik
A blog about Christian hip-hop with Sketch the Journalist
Posts filtered on Tag
Houston Christian rapper Bizzle teams with Grammy-winning super producer Boi-1da (Drake/Eminem) for upcoming album
Bizzle, the MC who created a massive online buzz with his Jay-Z's got some "Explaining to Do" track/video, has teamed with super producer Boi-1da for his next album.
The project, entitled The Good Fight is slated to be released Spring 2013. The Good Fight will contain roughly 11 to 12 beats (out of 16 total songs) created by the Toronto musician who has won Grammys for songs he produced for Eminem and Drake.[Read More]


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Islands For Sale in 37, 34
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Pumpkin Key is an extraordinary private island totaling 26 acres in the tropics of Card Sound Bay located in the Florida Keys. This is a rare offering.
26 acres / 10.52 ha | Freehold | Private Island


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La Trobe Melbourne is committed to providing equal opportunities for students with disabilities and promotes strategies to develop a flexible teaching and learning environment which is able to meet the needs of a diverse range of students.
La Trobe Melbourne encourages students to provide information (including medical or other professional advice) regarding the nature of their disability and special needs during the application and enrolment process. It is important that students provide La Trobe Melbourne with these details as early as possible so that we can assess students' support needs and ensure that they are able to succeed in their chosen program of study.
La Trobe Melbourne is committed to providing a teaching and learning environment which promotes dignity, acknowledges students' rights to privacy and confidentiality, and promotes an awareness of students' needs and rights. Therefore, La Trobe Melbourne is able to make reasonable accommodations to support students with disabilities throughout their studies and ensure that they have equal access to the teaching and learning environment.


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Privacy and Cookies
Scaled Composites' X-Prize contender SpaceShipOne did not reach its intended altitude on its first space voyage on 21 June because it was assembled incorrectly, says Dick Rutan, brother of the vehicle's designer Burt Rutan.
The rocket motor was not installed on the centreline of the vehicle and the resulting thrust asymmetry caused the vehicle to start rolling 45-90û to the left about 7s after rocket ignition, between 48,000ft (14,600m) and 53,000ft.
Pilot Michael Melvill used the rudder to counter the roll moment, but this early trajectory deviation cost the vehicle 31,500ft of altitude. Instead of reaching 360,000ft it only reached 328,500ft.
"It was thrust asymmetry, the rocket was off centre, so it needed trim to work. When SpaceShipOne was bolted together [the rocket motor] was off centre a little bit," says Dick Rutan. Another problem was the distortion of the carbonfibre engine nozzle fairing during re-entry. Burt Rutan says energy radiating from the nozzle "softened the fairing", adding it was "an oversight on my part".
Aircraft | Aerospace | Aviation | Military | Business aviation | MRO | General aviation | Space | Airports | Engines and propulsion | Flight tests | Accidents and incidents | Flightglobal blogs | E-newsletters |
Flightglobal dashboard | ACAS | MiliCAS | Ascend Fleets | Flightglobal Insight | ICAO | CapStats | Airport charges | Ascend Values | Aviation Exchange | Aircraft Ratings | Helicopter Fleets | Market Commentaries | FlightMaps Analytics | Industry resources
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Vault Guides are THE source for insider insight on career information and employer reviews. Shop Vault Guides
Its parent company may feed award-winning journalism to Beltway insiders, but Cable ONE gives small-town folk CNN and The Cartoon Network. A subsidiary of Graham Holdings, the company provides cable television service primarily to small, non-urban communities. Its core service areas are the Gulf Coast region and western Idaho. More than 590,000 subscribers receive cable television service from Cable ONE, and about half of those are also signed up for broadband Internet access sold under the CableONE.net brand. The company also offers voice-over-Internet-protocol (VoIP) computer telephony and digital video services.
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Pressure from rivals, combined with an unfavorable economic environment, has hurt Cable ONE's television subscriber numbers somewhat.
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Except as otherwise indicated, all product names, slogans and other marks are trademarks of the Valeant family of companies.
© 2014 Solta Medical, a division of Valeant Pharmaceuticals North America, LLC. All rights reserved. DM/VAS/15/0001


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Tea Triangles in a Tin
Posted on: September 25, 2013
Our Tea Triangles in a Tin are the perfect way to share tea with friends and family. This premium gift is filled with loose leaf triangle bags and is easy to steep. The unique triangle design of the tin will look great on every kitchen counter.
Our Tea Triangles come in three different flavors and contains 20 silk bags per tin;
White Chocolate Souffle, Rooibos Tea – A sweet chocolate taste with a refreshing hint of mint that lingers in your mouth. Light and sweet, just like your favorite souffle. Contains nuts. Contains lactose
Harvest Spice, Black Tea – Hints of fruit, cinnamon and cloves are a warming infusion for the holidays. Mix with hot apple cider and a nice crackling fire. Contains caffeine.
Christmas Chai, Black Tea – A blend of warm cinnamon, notes of cardamom and lively ginger. A cozy drink with a sweet finish for the holidays. Contains caffeine.
Yesterday we called out and we wanted to know your questions on our Tea Triangles in a Tin. Here's our answers!
Can you steep the bags more than once?
Our Tea Triangles in a Tin are premium quality loose leaf tea – just like what we have available in bags. So they can definitely be steeped more than once if that type of tea allows.
White Chocolate Souffle is a Rooibos tea and can be steeped up to 2x. We recommend steeping for 4-6 minutes.
Harvest Spice is a Black tea and is not normally steeped more than once. We recommend steeping once for 2-3 minutes.
Christmas Chai is a Black Tea and is not normally steeped more than once. We recommend steeping once for 2-3 minutes.
Are there going to be any more flavors?
Currently our Tea Triangles in a Tin are only carried in these three flavors. However, we do carry Silk Bags in a Tin (page 29 of the 2013 Steeped Tea Catalog) that come in Earl Grey de la Creme, Cherry Rose Sencha and Creme Carmello. Our Silk Bags in a Tin are the same premium quality loose leaf you can expect from Steeped Tea, however they do not come with the Triangle tin. (They come in the square one featured on page 29).
Are they recommended for infusing with beer?
Water, beer, wine, juice – the sky is the limit! For beer we recommend infusing Harvest Spice and Christmas Chai. Fill your glass with your favorite beer and place one tea triangle in your glass for 5 minutes. Voila!
Are the tins stack-able?
They are not stack-able but because of their shape you can fit many of them in your tea cupboard at home. With their beautiful design, they are also great for showcasing on your counter top.
Are they good holiday gifts?
They are great holiday gifts! Gift to your tea loving friends, those who love trying trendy and new flavorful beverages and for teachers at school. They are also great as stocking stuffers. And when you purchase all three, you can gift them as a collection!
How do I keep my tea fresh?
If you're anything like us heavy tea drinkers, your Steeped Tea blends don't last very long in your house. Especially when you have parties and friends over for tea. However, if you are not an avid tea drinker or want to purchase tea to last there are five things you want to keep your tea away from: light, air, heat, odors and moisture.
1) Dark Places – Your tea cupboard is always the perfect place to store your tea. If storing your Tea Triangles in a Tin on your counter make sure it is out of direct sunlight and that the lid is always closed properly.
2) Air – Avoid leaving leaves laying out or in direct sunlight. This will increase the chances of your tea absorbing moisture and unpleasant odors.
3) Heat – Storing your tea leaves in direct heat or sunlight can affect the flavor of your tea. Cool, dark places are the best best to keep your tea fresh, longer.
4) Odors – Avoid keeping your teas away from strong odors so that the tea does not absorb the odor. So keep it out of things like your spice cabinet and away from your trash can.
5) Moisture – It's important to store your tea in dry places and away from humid places in your home. The reason why tea leaves last so long is because they are dried.
Our Tea Triangles in a Tin are perfect because they are opaque and will keep out odors. Be sure to store in dark places or out of direct sunlight, and you will be enjoying your tea for a long time!


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The above image based on land and ocean surface temperatures gives a time series distribution of temperatures by latitude band. Surface temperatures within the tropics (20N-20S) in December were +0.23C above the 1880-1999 average. Temperatures in the Northern Extratropics (20N-90N) were slightly above average and noticeably cooler than warm December's of the 1990's. December 2000 in this band had the coolest positive anomaly (+0.19C) since 1985. Temperatures in the Southern Extratropics (20S-90S) were +0.56C above average, the third warmest on record.
Snow cover was widespread across the Northern Hemisphere this month. See the NOAA Eurasia Daily Snow/Ice Cover Movie Loop for December 2000 for information. Also, the National Weather Service/Climate Predictions Center produces a snow cover frequency map December - Northern Hemisphere . The frequency scale on the map (0-4) refers to the number of weeks during the month that the ground was snow covered. Additional details and global regional information are available in other sections of this report.
Due to problems with the ingest process of satellite data this month, the usual SSMI and blended temperature products are not available. This problem should be resolved in time to have these products available for the January 2001 report.


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Narrow your search
Technically Incorrect: Adult FriendFinder, a site where people seek casual, discreet relationships, suffers a breach, exposing the details of almost 4 million of its members.
Finder acts as the gateway to your Mac's files, folders and drives. Use this collection of tips to become a more efficient finder of things with Finder.
If you dig into the contents of the Dropbox application, you can make a quick tweak to rid yourself of Dropbox's overindulgent green check marks.
Boost your Mac's performance and reclaim hard-drive space with this handful of tips.
Technically Incorrect: Funded by billionaire Yuri Milner, the project will be listening very hard for alien noises, with Hawking and other scientists in support.
If you're confused by the distinction between these two Apple services, well, you're not alone.
Talk about a travel buddy: the Filehub offers just about everything the road warrior needs, all in a compact package.
A series of images have surfaced on the Web showing what one report says is a canceled smartwatch that Microsoft and Nokia were working on.
No more than a dozen Leica Telephoto Assembly Rifles were ever produced. This is a rare chance to own a piece of photographic history.
In light of the Russian hackers recently collecting sensitive data of more than 1.2 billion Internet users, it's all the more important to safeguard your private information with a strong password. In this Tech Minute, CNET's Kara Tsuboi reports on the best password storage programs and applications designed to keep you safe.


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Food and Friendship
09 Nov 12
At Salone del Gusto and Terra Madre, people from different backgrounds meet and exchange ideas and find solidarity through the giving and sharing of food. Here you can see beautiful portraits of some of these moments that celebrate the diversity of people, cultures and foods from across the world.
Click here for the gallery.
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