Abstract: The invention provides a vessel for biological materials comprising a multilayer polymeric barrier material that has very low permeability to small molecules, such as water and oxygen, high flexibility and softness, and is resistant to tearing. The invention is particularly useful for forming vessels that receive biological fluids, such as ostomy bags and bags for storing blood, blood products, and IV solutions. The vessel comprises a flexible, multilayer, polymeric barrier material comprising (1) a first sandwich polymer layer, (2) at least one sandwiched, oriented liquid crystal polymer layer, and (3) a second sandwich polymer layer, the first and second sandwich layers disposed to sandwich the liquid crystal layer therebetween.

Abstract: A water soluble film having a thickness of from 0.03 mm to 0.5 mm comprising a water soluble polymer and an active substance.

Abstract: An absorbent, composite fibre comprising a matrix of from 10% to less than 50% of water insoluble alginate having dispersed therein at least 40% of another polysaccharide.

Abstract: A low overhead controller for microstepping a stepper motor and a low overhead method for microstepping a stepper motor. The reduction in overhead in system processor is accomplished by the control circuit which dynamically interpolates motor positions between steps commanded from the processor. Also, the reduction in overhead is accomplished by a microstepping method used to effect microstepping resolution control by employing a stored look-up table which gives a resolution value at a given speed according to a predetermined function.

Abstract: An apparatus is adapted to centrifuge and furthermore automatically handle a container (10) for separating a component, such as fibrin monomer, from plasma. The container (10) comprises a cylindrical member (11) and a piston (25) displaceable therein and comprising a tubular piston rod (12), which extends through the top wall. The piston (25) divides the cylindrical member (11) into a first chamber positioned above said piston (25) between said piston and said top wall and a second chamber positioned below said piston (25). The apparatus comprises a supporting turntable (1) with means for releasably retaining the cylindrical member (11), said supporting turntable being connected to a first activating mechanism (5) for rotating the supporting turntable (1) with the container (10) about the central axis thereof. The apparatus comprises furthermore a rotatably journalled piston activating mechanism (13, 15, 16) adapted to activate the piston by means of a second activating means (21).

Abstract: An apparatus for separating a blood component, e.g., fibrin monomer, from blood or plasma comprises a container (110) with a reaction chamber for receiving the plasma, where said reaction chamber is defined by an outer wall and comprises means for supplying said reaction chamber with an agent for converting the fibrinogen content of the plasma into a non-cross-linked fibrin polymer. The apparatus comprises furthermore a device for centrifuging the reaction chamber with the plasma and said agent to a degree sufficient for separating the non-cross-linked fibrin polymer from the plasma, for depositing said polymer on the outer wall of the reaction chamber, and for expelling the remaining plasma from the reaction chamber. The container (110) comprises means for supplying the reaction chamber with a solvent for dissolving said non-cross-linked fibrin polymer.

Abstract: A method is provided by blocking or preventing the prenylation of CAAX box containing proteins including ras oncogene products thereby preventing and/or treating ras-related tumors which includes the step of administering a therapeutically effective amount of a protein-prenyl transferase inhibitor.

Abstract: The invention is directed to fibrin materials for use in fibrin compositions and methods that avoid the need to use thrombin as an activating agent for fibrin monomer-based sealants. The invention provides for substantially pure fibrin chains, fibrin chain precursors, fibrin chains with other N-terminal extensions, fibrin monomer, fibrin-homolog and fibrin-analog. The invention further provides for variant fibrin .gamma.-chains. The variant gamma-chain contains one or more mutations and/or deletions in the C-terminal region following the coiled-coil forming region such that, when incorporated into fibrin-homolog, the homolog lacks the ability to self-polymerize but has the ability to form non-covalent bonds, and thereby form mixed polymers useful as sealants, with fibrinogen. The invention also provides nucleotide sequences encoding fibrin chains or fibrin chain variants and cells expressing fibrin chains, fibrin chain variants, fibrin monomer, fibrin precursor or fibrinogen-analog.

Abstract: An emulsifying system for elemental diet compositions is provided that comprises a protein source that may be a extensively hydrolyzed protein, free amino acids, short-chain peptides, or a mixture thereof; a lipid source; a carbohydrate source; and an emulsifying system comprising an ocentyl succinic anhydride modified starch and an acetylated monoglyceride emulsifier. The composition may be prepared as a powder or liquid nutritional composition for formulas prepared for infant, pediatric and adult populations in need of an elemental diet. The invention provides a commercially acceptable product in terms of desired stability and physical characteristics and is particularly useful for hypoallergenic infant formula preparations.

Abstract: The subject invention relates to fibrin sealants. More specifically, the subject invention relates to the use of a fibrin sealant wherein a composition comprising fibrin monomer or a composition comprising noncrosslinked fibrin is utilized as a component of the fibrin sealant.

Abstract: A thin film device for medical applications such as a wound dressing including an occlusive layer having an edge portion about at least a portion of the thin film device and a non-continuous, hydrocolloid-containing polymeric support layer overlying the edge portion of the occlusive layer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods of preventing, or reducing the severity of, an ischemic injury originating in an animal's dermal tissue by applying to the animal a composition comprising a compound of formula I*: ##STR1## or a nontoxic pharmaceutically acceptable salt, physiologically hydrolyzable ester or solvate thereof, in whichX is --O--CO--, --NH--CO--, --CS--NH--, --CO--O--, --CO--NH--, --COS--, --SCO--, --SCH.sub.2 --, --CH.sub.2 --CH.sub.2 --, --CH.dbd.CH--, --C.tbd.C--, --CH.sub.2 --NH--, --COCH.sub.2 --, --NHCS--, --CH.sub.2 S--, --CH.sub.2 O--, --OCH.sub.2 --, --NHCH.sub.2 -- or --CR.sup.5 .dbd.CR.sup.6 --;n is 1 or 0;R.sup.m and R.sup.k are independently hydrogen, halogen, C.sub.1-6 alkyl, hydroxy, C.sub.1-6 alkyloxy or nitro;R.sup.4 is --(CH.sub.2).sub.t --Y.sup.b, C.sub.1-6 alkyl, or C.sub.3-6 cycloalkyl;R.sup.1 is --CO.sub.2 Z, C.sub.1-6 alkyl, CH.sub.2 OH, --CONHR.sup.y, or CHO;R.sup.a and R.sup.b are independently hydrogen or C.sub.1-6 alkyl, or R.sup.a and R.sup.

Abstract: Compositions and methods for avidin immobilized on an inert support material, e.g. agarose, are disclosed. The compositions have high activity levels of avidin and may further include a bulking agent, e.g., maltose, and a protectant to maintain the stability and integrity of the avidin agarose during lyophilization and terminal sterilization processes. These compositions have applicability in any instance where avidin agarose and/or the avidin/biotin technology are useful. In particular, the present compositions are useful in an enzyme capture system to prepare fibrin monomer useful for fibrin sealants. The fibrin is prepared by subjecting a fibrinogen-containing composition to a biotinylated enzyme to convert the fibrinogen in the composition to a corresponding fibrin monomer. A fibrin monomer/biotinylated enzyme mixture is formed.

Abstract: A leak sensor system for use in liquid processing equipment is disclosed. Liquid is detected by a sensing resistor whose impedance decreases dramatically in the presence of liquid. The effect of this impedance drop on the output voltage of he sensor indicates a wet or moist state which may indicate leakage from the liquid processing. A terminal resistor is in the circuit beyond the sensing resistor ro provide a warning indicator when the sensing resistor is damage or disconnected. The leak sensor system is particularly useful in centrifuge equipment, e.g., for the processing of blood.

Abstract: in a process of separating a liquid sample having phase portions of different densities by centrifugal separation, a phase separator container is employed. The phase separator container comprises a housing having concentric inner and outer cylindrical walls defining a longitudinal axis and a top wall and further a piston body constituting a bottom wall of the housing. The piston body defines together with the outer cylindrical wall, the inner cylindrical wall and the top wall, an annular chamber for receiving the liquid sample. The piston body is displaceable within the annular chamber for draining a phase portion separated from the liquid sample through a drain conduit means communicating with the annular chamber. The phase separation chamber further comprises a reaction chamber to which the phase portions exposed from the annular chamber is processed.

Abstract: An autoadhesive wound dressing which having a pad of highly absorbent alginate fibers, one face of which is provided with an interrupted layer of a pressure sensitive adhesive. Such a dressing has the advantages that a separate dressing need not be used to secure the autoadhesive dressing and the autoadhesive dressing may be cut to fit an irregular wound.

Abstract: An improved wound dressing is provided according to the present invention. In a prefenred embodiment, the dressing comprises an absorbent layer including one or more absorbent and/or superabsorbent materials; a porous, non-stick layer or film larger in size than said absorbent layer and overlying, a wound-facing surface of the absorbent layer such that a portion of the non-stick layer extends beyond the length and width of the absorbent layer; a protective cover layer, which protective cover layer is larger in size than the absorbent layer but generally no greater in size than the non-stick layer; and a cohesive layer of an adhesive material generally being substantially the size and shape of the protective cover layer which is adhered to its non-wound-facing surface and having the absorbent layer and the extending portion of the non-stick layer adhered to its wound facing surface, whereby a substantially non-adherent dressing is provided.

Abstract: Compositions and methods for avidin or protein having affinity for biotin immobilized on an inert support material, e.g., agarose, are disclosed. The compositions have high activity levels for binding biotin and may include a bulking agent, e.g., maltose, and a protectant to maintain the stability and integrity of the composition during lyophilization and terminal sterilization processes. The compositions have applicability in any instance where avidin agarose and/or the avidin/biotin technology are useful. In particular, the present compositions are useful in an enzyme capture system to prepare fibrin monomers useful for fibrin sealants.