Recent Patents on Biomedical Engineering (Discontinued) - Volume 1, Issue 2, 2008

Fractionated and low molecular weight heparins comprise the main class of anticoagulants used to prevent and treat thrombosis in patients through catalysis of enzyme inhibition by plasma antithrombin. However, clinical application of heparin suffers several limitations including: reduced venous half-life, uncontrolled anticoagulant effects, hemorrhagic complications and biophysical problems. A novel covalent antithrombin Read More

Cell or organ printing is any technology that enables a user to deposit precise patterns of living cells or cell aggregates throughout three dimensional (3D) tissue engineering scaffolds. Traditional tissue engineering approaches utilize random cell seeding (flooding) of porous scaffolds to promote cell attachment. While this approach does allow cells to diffuse and attach throughout macroscopic scaffolds, there are both bi Read More

In comparison to two-dimensional (2D), three-dimensional (3D) cell culture systems are believed to more closely emulate in vivo conditions, and thus are becoming popular models for screening in drug discovery and other studies related to human diseases. The rising importance of 3D cell cultures is reflected in the four-fold increase of related publications between 1996 and 2006. This paper reviews US patents issued that Read More

Injectable fillers for both bone and soft-tissue are used for a range of medical applications from aesthetic rejuvenation through space filling to functional restoration of structural tissues. Fillers can be classed as biological, synthetic, biosynthetic or composite materials on the basis of their primary components. Most commonly used in practice are the biological fillers such as collagen and hyaluronic acid, however synthetic Read More

With continuously increasing numbers of patients with congestive heart failure (CHF), several alternatives to conventional medical treatment have been developed. Mechanical circulatory support (MCS) systems in the form of ventricular assist devices or artificial hearts are among the widely accepted therapy options. To compensate for the shortage of donor organs, major improvements have been made in MCS systems. Ho Read More

Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT) is a medical procedure which has revolutionized treatment for patients with heart failure. The procedure was first described in 1994. Its benefit relies on the fact that many patients with heart failure have uncoordinated contraction of the left ventricle which results from abnormal electrical activation patterns. This gives rise to inefficient mechanical function. CRT involves transvenous pl Read More

Enzyme replacement therapy is the only authorized method for treating lysosomal storage disorders. During the last ten years, this method has been demonstrated to be both safe and effective for the treatment of many lysosomal storage disorder patients. Recent advances in enzyme replacement therapy address the pressing issues for this therapeutic strategy: high cost and ineffectiveness in certain disease manifesta Read More

To repair dental defects with ceramics, prior to the mid-1960s, dental restorations such as ceramic crowns were fabricated using porcelain. In the 1980s, glass-ceramic dental materials were developed. In recent years, by combining the CAD/CAM system with elements of dental restoration technology, it is possible to make crowns and 3-unit anterior bridges through copy-milling cores from industrially partially sintered alumi Read More

Full text available