Abstract:
An extracellular material in freeze-dried form obtained from skeletal cells which has osseoinductive bone repair and regeneration activity in vivo, and compositions and methods involving the material.
Abstract:
An apparatus, method and system for cannulation of blood vessels. The apparatus comprises a sensor assembly including two linear transducer arrays oriented perpendicular to each other to form a “T” shape to provide ultrasound images of at least one blood vessel in a portion of a patient's body in two perpendicular planes and optionally determine flow direction within the at least one blood vessel. The sensor assembly may be disposed within a graphically marked cover to facilitate orientation of the sensor assembly on the patient and guidance of a needle towards a desired target vessel during the cannulation procedure. The cover may also include associated structure to cooperate with a reference location element to place, align and secure the sensor assembly to the patient's skin at a desired location.
Abstract:
The invention relates to chondrocytes and chondrocyte cell-lines for use especially in studying arthritic conditions and also for developing skeletal tissue for use in repair and/or replacement surgery. The use of articular chondrocyte cell-lines which mineralise calcium to determine potentially beneficial therapeutic agents is disclosed. Further, the means for producing such cell-lines is also disclosed as well as the characteristics of such cell-lines. The use of hypertrophic chondrocyte cell-lines to produce matrix tissue is also disclosed. Further means of producing hypertrophic chondrocyte cell-lines is also disclosed as well as the characteristics of such cell-lines.
Abstract:
An apparatus is provided for cannulation of blood vessels. The apparatus comprises a sensor assembly including two linear transducer arrays oriented perpendicular to each other to form a “T” shape to provide ultrasound images of at least one blood vessel in a portion of a patient's body in two perpendicular planes. The sensor assembly includes a housing having a graphically marked surface to facilitate orientation of the sensor assembly on the patient and guidance of a needle towards a desired target vessel during the cannulation procedure. The housing is configured to engage a frame element having a pair of wings extending laterally therefrom, the wings each bearing a magnet to cooperate with a reference location element secured to a patient's skin and bearing magnetically responsive shims thereon to place, align and secure the sensor assembly to the patient's skin at a desired location.