A vessel harvesting apparatus for removing a blood vessel from a patient includes collection and conditioning (i.e., treatment) of expelled insufflation gas prior to releasing the gas into the air of the operating room. An endoscopic instrument has a distal end with a vessel harvesting tip and has a proximal end with a handle. An insufflation channel is configured to convey an insufflation gas subcutaneously into a dissected space within the patient. A removal channel is configured to evacuate fluidic contents from the dissected space, wherein the fluidic contents include insufflation gas and biological impurities. A processor/separator is coupled to the removal channel to process the fluidic contents to retain at least some of the biological impurities and to exhaust the insufflation gas.

Methods and devices use one or more of pressure, pressure drop, increased temperature, rate of temperature increase, and inert gas to kill microbes. Utilizing a method or device, liquid is subjected to a pressure drop and heated either during and/or after the pressure drop. The liquid may be heated while in droplet phase, in a liquid volume, or both. Inert gas may be dissolved into the liquid at a pressure greater than 1 Bar. The pressure is later reduced, which causes inert gas to be released from the liquid. Other method steps and processes are also disclosed.

The invention provides a method, apparatus and system for separating blood and other types of cellular components, and can be combined with holographic optical trapping manipulation or other forms of optical tweezing. One of the exemplary methods includes providing a first flow having a plurality of blood components; providing a second flow; contacting the first flow with the second flow to provide a first separation region; and differentially sedimenting a first blood cellular component of the plurality of blood components into the second flow while concurrently maintaining a second blood cellular component of the plurality of blood components in the first flow. The second flow having the first blood cellular component is then differentially removed from the first flow having the second blood cellular component. Holographic optical traps may also be utilized in conjunction with the various flows to move selected components from one flow to another, as part of or in addition to a separation stage.

Disclosed herein is a photochemical preparation method of an autologous plasma inactivated vaccine for the treatment of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), including the following steps: drawing autologous blood from an AIDS patient to form blood to be treated; separating the blood to obtain plasma to be treated; adding a photosensitizer into the plasma to be treated to form plasma to be inactivated; and subjecting the plasma to be inactivated to photochemical inactivation to obtain the autologous plasma inactivated vaccine.

Methods and for treatment of cancer and other diseases including complications from late stage viral infections by inducing hyperthermia in a patient relying on withdrawing blood from the patient and returning the withdrawn blood to the patient to establish an extracorporeal flow circuit. Blood is heated by passing through the extracorporeal circuit at a controlled rate until a target body core temperature in is achieved. Usually, the blood will be subjected to a continuously re-circulating dialysis to balance electrolytes. Additionally, the blood will be subjected to a continuously recirculating regeneration through a carbon sorbent column where toxins and contaminants are removed. The blood temperature is maintained at the target blood temperature for a treatment period, and the blood is cooled after the treatment period has been completed. The method can also be effective in treating rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, hepatitis, sepsis, the Epstein-Barr virus, and patients with life threatening complications from other viruses, including the COVID-19 virus. A method for removing viruses from the blood supply in an external circuit is also presented.

A method of sanitizing liquid for use in a. medical device, the method comprising the steps of providing a medical device defining a water circuit with a volume of liquid, sensing the temperature of the volume of liquid with a sensor, heating the volume of liquid from an initial temperature to exceed a threshold temperature, maintaining the volume of liquid above the threshold temperature, determining a time-temperature value for the volume of liquid periodically once the threshold temperature has been exceeded, calculating a. cumulative time-temperature value and providing an output signal once the cumulative time-temperature value has reached a level indicative of a sanitizing dose. A medical device and a liquid sanitizer are also disclosed.

Products, compositions, systems, and methods for modifying a target structure which mediates or is associated with a biological activity, including treatment of conditions, disorders, or diseases mediated by or associated with a target structure, such as a virus, cell, subcellular structure or extracellular structure. The methods may be performed in situ in a non-invasive manner by placing a nanoparticle having a metallic shell on at least a fraction of a surface in a vicinity of a target structure in a subject and applying an initiation energy to a subject thus producing an effect on or change to the target structure directly or via a modulation agent. The nanoparticle is configured, upon exposure to a first wavelength λ.sub.1, to generate a second wavelength λ.sub.2 of radiation having a higher energy than the first wavelength λ.sub.1. The methods may further be performed by application of an initiation energy to a subject in situ to activate a pharmaceutical agent directly or via an energy modulation agent, optionally in the presence of one or more plasmonics active agents, thus producing an effect on or change to the target structure. Kits containing products or compositions formulated or configured and systems for use in practicing these methods.

This invention relates to a method, process and apparatus for disinfecting and sterilizing all types of surfaces contaminated with microorganisms and toxic substances to render both inactive. Furthermore, this invention relates to both a method and apparatus for disinfecting and/or sterilizing breathable air and then using this air to protect a confined space from external contamination. The apparatus consists of a new ultra-violet (NUV) source that is more effective than mercury based 254 nm light for destroying DNA of virus, bacteria, spores and cists. It is most effective in breaking chemical bonds in toxic gases and Biotoxins that are useful to terrorists. It is combined with other apparatus that remove particulates and byproducts sometimes produced by the NUV source and maintains positive pressure of the confined space so as to prevent the influx of air from outside the protected zone.

The invention relates to sterilizing one or more samples of an organic product placed in a chamber of a sterilization device. The method includes, introducing a specified quantity of a gaseous composition comprising a predefined proportion of ozone and carbon monoxide through at least one inlet of the chamber. The method includes, subjecting each sample with ultraviolet light and the gaseous composition for predefined time period in a controlled atmosphere maintained at 90-100% humidity level and a temperature of −10 to 5 degree Celsius within the chamber. The method includes releasing the gaseous composition through at least one outlet from the chamber upon completion of the predefined time period, while simultaneously introducing purified air into chamber through the at least one inlet, until presence of the gaseous composition in the atmosphere of the chamber reaches below a threshold value.

Disclosed is a pet care robot station including: a housing including an entrance allowing a pet care robot to enter and exit, and an accommodating space to accommodate the pet care robot; a door provided in the housing to open and close the entrance; and a sterilizer provided in the accommodating space to remove foreign materials from an outer surface of the pet care robot.