The present invention is directed to an assembly and method of use thereof for reducing microbial load in an airway of a patient. The assembly includes a miniature vacuum unit. The miniature vacuum unit includes a housing, at least one air inlet configured in the housing for air intake; a vacuum motor for sucking the air through the at least one air inlet; vents configured in the housing for blowing the sucked air out of the housing, a filter media covering inner side of the vents, such as the sucked air passes through the filter media, the filter media configured to retain microbes suspended in the sucked air; and at least one suction tube. The suction tube is having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the at least one suction tube configured to sealably and releasably coupled to the at least one air inlet, a plurality of apertures configured in the wall of the suction tube near its distal end. The suction tube configured to be positioned within the mouth of the patient.

An apparatus for exchanging small molecules with a fluid includes a small-molecule conduit for providing a first fluid having a first type of small molecule, a target fluid conduit for providing a target fluid having a second type of small molecule therein, and a carrier fluid conduit for providing a carrier fluid that is configured (i) to receive at least some of the first type of small molecule from the first fluid and transfer at least some of the first type of small molecule to the target fluid and (ii) to receive at least some of the second type of small molecule from the target fluid and transfer at least some of the second type of small molecule to the first fluid. The apparatus further includes an exchange module having an exchange chamber in fluid communication with the small-molecule conduit, the target fluid conduit and the carrier fluid conduit.

Dressings, systems, and methods for treating a tissue site on a patient involve allowing liquids from the tissue site or a priming fluid to evaporate and exit the dressing through a liquid-impermeable, vapor-permeable membrane. The dressing is able to process more liquids than would otherwise be possible without evaporation and potentially to create reduced pressure. Other dressings, systems, and methods are disclosed.

Systems and methods for nitric oxide (NO) generation systems are provided. In some embodiments, an NO generation system comprises at least one pair of electrodes configured to generate a product gas containing NO from a flow of a reactant gas. The electrodes have elongated surfaces such that a plasma produced is carried by the flow of the reactant gas and glides along the elongated surfaces from a first end towards a second end of the electrode pair. A controller is configured to regulate the amount of NO in the product gas by the at least one pair of electrodes using one or more parameters as an input to the controller. The one or more parameters include information from a plurality of sensors configured to collect information relating to at least one of the reactant gas, the product gas, and a medical gas into which the product gas flows.

Systems and methods for generating nitric oxide are disclosed. A nitic oxide (NO) generation system includes at least one pair of electrodes configured to generate a product gas containing NO from a flow of a reactant gas; and a controller configured to regulate the amount of nitric oxide in the product gas produced by the at least one pair of electrodes by utilizing duty cycle values of plasma pulses selected from a plurality of discrete duty cycles to produce a target rate of NO production based on an average of discrete production rates associated with each of the plurality of discrete duty cycles.

Architectures for production of nitric oxide (NO) include systems and methods for generating NO having one or more plasma chambers configured to ionize a reactant gas to generate a plasma for producing a product gas containing NO using a flow of the reactant gas through one or more plasma chambers; a controller configured to regulate the amount of nitric oxide in the product gas using one or more parameters as an input to the controller, one or more parameters including information from a plurality of sensors configured to collect information relating to at least one of the reactant gas, the product gas, and a medical gas into which product gas flows; and a flow divider configured to divide a product gas flow from the plasma chamber into a first product gas flow to provide a variable flow to a patient inspiratory flow and a second product gas flow.

Injection devices for delivering pharmaceutical compositions into the eye are described. Some devices include a resistance component for controllably deploying an injection needle through the eye wall. The resistance component may be disposed on the injector device, or on a portion of the injection device housing, or on a drug reservoir. Some devices may be removably attached to a drug reservoir, for example, through a luer connector. Other devices may comprise internal luer seal for securely connecting a drug conduit of the device to the luer cavity of a drug reservoir. Yet other devices may comprise a priming-enabling element to facilitate the drug priming of a shielded needle. Related methods and systems comprising the devices are also described.

A washout vent formed of or treated with hydrophobic or hydrophilic material, or a vent coated with hydrophobic or hydrophilic material, reduces noise and/or minimizes or precludes the formation of blockage in the vent pathway due to outflow of gas from a respiratory mask. One or the other or combinations of hydrophobic and hydrophilic materials may be used to repel or wick moisture away to minimize or preclude moisture buildup on vent surfaces and/or clogging of vent pathways, particularly when using humidified air. Sintered porous plastic hydrophobic or hydrophilic materials are utilized and the porosity may be varied integrally within the vent membrane or by forming the vent from layers of materials having different porosities.

A device for injecting a therapeutic agent into an ocular implant at least partially implanted in an eye including an injection lumen providing a pathway for injecting the therapeutic agent into the implant; an outlet lumen providing a pathway for pre-existing fluid in the ocular implant to exit the implant; and a collection chamber fluidly coupled to the outlet lumen that provides a first fluid outflow resistance and a second fluid outflow resistance. The first fluid outflow resistance is lower than a first resistance to outflow of the implant. The second fluid outflow resistance is greater than a force imparted onto the implant by intraocular pressure of the eye. Injection of therapeutic agent into the implant via the injection lumen causes the pre-existing fluid to exit the implant and enter the collection chamber via the outlet lumen and causes a second pre-existing fluid to displace from the collection chamber.

Provided is a fluid supply unit (2), a micro-droplet ejection driving device (1) and a micro-droplet ejection generating device (4). The fluid supply unit (2) comprises a fluid ejecting portion (210) and an energy conducting sheet (220), the fluid ejecting portion (210) and the energy conducting sheet (220) constituting at least part of a container wall of a container to be injected with a fluid; the energy conducting sheet (220) is used in close contact with an end surface of a piezoelectric actuator (120) and is driven to generate vibrations, thereby causing the fluid to be ejected by means of the fluid ejecting portion so as to form a directional micro-droplet stream. The micro-droplet ejection driving device (1) comprises: a housing (110) in which the fluid supply unit (2) may be accommodated; the piezoelectric actuator (120), which is fixed on the housing (110) and which is configured to be in close contact with an outer wall of the fluid supply unit (2) and to drive the outer wall to vibrate. The micro-droplet ejection generating device (4) comprises the fluid supply unit (2) and the micro-droplet ejection driving device (1).