2002-01-10 Assigned to ADVANCED CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEMS, INC. reassignment ADVANCED CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEMS, INC. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: PADILLA, ORLANDO M., TARAPATA, CHRISTOPHER J., BOYLAN, JOHN F.
2011-08-03 Assigned to ABBOTT CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEMS INC. reassignment ABBOTT CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEMS INC. CHANGE OF NAME (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: ADVANCED CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEMS, INC.
A strut assembly to be used in conjunction with an embolic filtering device has varying strut thicknesses, with the thickness selected based at least in part on the flexing characteristics of the particular portion of the strut assembly. The strut assembly is formed with patterns having flexing portions and stable portions, with the flexing portions contributing to the flexibility of the strut assembly during delivery and recovery in the patient's vasculature. The stable portions remain relatively unflexed and stiff when being delivered or recovered from the patient's vasculature. The stable portions provide strength and increased radiopacity to the strut assembly which is needed when the strut assembly is deployed in the body vessel. The flexing portions act much like a mechanical hinges in providing the needed flexibility to resiliently bend when being delivered through tortuous anatomy of the patient.
The present invention relates generally to filtering devices and systems which can be used when an interventional procedure is being performed in a stenosed or occluded region of a body vessel to capture embolic material that may be created and released into the vessel during the procedure. The present invention is more particularly directed to an embolic filtering device with a strut assembly having varying wall thickness and strut widths. The present invention is particularly useful when an interventional procedure, such as balloon angioplasty, stenting procedures, laser angioplasty or atherectomy, is being performed in a critical body vessel, such as the carotid arteries, where the release of embolic debris into the bloodstream can occlude the flow of oxygenated blood to the brain, resulting in grave consequences to the patient. While the present invention is particularly useful in carotid procedures, the invention can be used in conjunction with any vascular interventional procedure in which an embolic risk is present.
Numerous procedures have been developed for treating occluded blood vessels to allow blood to flow without obstruction. Such procedures usually involve the percutaneous introduction of the interventional device into the lumen of the artery, usually through a catheter. One widely known and medically accepted procedure is balloon angioplasty in which an inflatable balloon is introduced within the stenosed region of the blood vessel to dilate the occluded vessel. The balloon catheter is initially inserted into the patient's arterial system and is advanced and manipulated into the area of stenosis in the artery. The balloon is inflated to compress the plaque and press the vessel wall radially outward to increase the diameter of the blood vessel, resulting in increased blood flow. The balloon is then deflated to a small profile so that the dilatation catheter can be withdrawn from the patient's vasculature and the blood flow resumed through the dilated artery. As should be appreciated by those skilled in the art, while the above-described procedure is typical, it is not the only method used in angioplasty.
The above non-surgical interventional procedures, when successful, avoid the necessity of major surgical operations. However, there is one common problem which can become associated with all of these non-surgical procedures, namely, the potential release of embolic debris into the bloodstream that can occlude distal vasculature and cause significant health problems to the patient. For example, during deployment of a stent, it is possible that the metal struts of the stent can cut into the stenosis and shear off pieces of plaque which become embolic debris that can travel downstream and lodge somewhere in the patient's vascular system. Pieces of plaque material can sometimes dislodge from the stenosis during a balloon angioplasty procedure and become released into the bloodstream. Additionally, while complete vaporization of plaque is the intended goal during laser angioplasty, sometimes particles are not fully vaporized and thus enter the bloodstream. Likewise, not all of the emboli created during an atherectomy procedure may be drawn into the vacuum catheter and, as a result, enter the bloodstream as well.
Other techniques include the use of catheters with a vacuum source which provides temporary suction to remove embolic debris from the bloodstream. However, as mentioned above, there can be complications associated with such systems if the vacuum catheter does not remove all of the embolic material from the bloodstream. Also, a powerful suction could cause trauma to the patient's vasculature.
Still other techniques which have had some limited success include the placement of a filter or trap downstream from the treatment site to capture embolic debris before it reaches the smaller blood vessels downstream. The placement of a filter in the patient's vasculature during treatment of the vascular lesion can reduce the presence of the embolic debris in the bloodstream. Such embolic filters are usually delivered in a collapsed position through the patient's vasculature and then expanded to trap the embolic debris. Some of these embolic filters are self expanding and utilize a restraining sheath which maintains the expandable filter in a collapsed position until it is ready to be expanded within the patient's vasculature. The physician can retract the proximal end of the restraining sheath to expose the expandable filter, causing the filter to expand at the desired location. Once the procedure is completed, the filter can be collapsed, and the filter (with the trapped embolic debris) can then be removed from the vessel. While a filter can be effective in capturing embolic material, the filter still needs to be collapsed and removed from the vessel. During this step, there is a possibility that trapped embolic debris can backflow through the inlet opening of the filter and enter the bloodstream as the filtering system is being collapsed and removed from the patient. Therefore, it is important that any captured embolic debris remain trapped within this filter so that particles are not released back into the body vessel. Additionally, the recovery apparatus should be relatively flexible to avoid straightening of the body vessel. Recovery devices which are too stiff can cause trauma to the vessel walls as the filter is being collapsed and removed from the vasculature.
Some prior art expandable filters are attached to the distal end of a guide wire or guide wire-like tubing that allows the filtering device to be placed in the patient's vasculature as the guide wire is steered by the physician. Once the guide wire is in proper position in the vasculature, the embolic filter can be deployed to capture embolic debris. Some embolic filter devices which utilize a guide wire for positioning also utilize the restraining sheath to maintain the expandable filter in a collapsed position. Once the proximal end of the restraining sheath is retracted by the physician, the expandable filter will move into its fully expanded position within the patient's vasculature. The restraining sheath can then be removed from the guide wire allowing the guide wire to be used by the physician to deliver interventional devices, such as a balloon angioplasty dilatation catheter or a stent delivery catheter, into the area of treatment. After the interventional procedure is completed, a recovery sheath can be delivered over the guide wire using over-the-wire techniques to collapse the expanded filter for removal from the patient's vasculature. As mentioned above, the recovery device, i.e., the recovery sheath, should be relatively flexible to track over the guide wire and to avoid straightening the body vessel once it is in place.
When a combination of an expandable filter and guide wire is utilized, it is important that the expandable filter remains flexible in order to negotiate the often tortuous anatomy through which it is being delivered. An expandable filter which is too stiff could prevent the device from reaching the desired deployment position within the patient's vasculature. As a result, there is a need to increase the flexibility of the expandable filter without compromising its structural integrity once in position within the patient's body vessel. Additionally, a fluoroscope is currently the most widely used instrument to visualize the filter during deployment and as such, requires an expandable filter having sufficient radiopacity to produce an identifiable image.
Expandable filters can be provided with high flexibility by forming the struts of the filter assembly from relatively thin material. However, the use of thin material often can reduce the radiopacity of the expandable filter, often making it difficult for the physician to visualize the filter during deployment. Conversely, the use of thicker materials, which can promote radiopacity of the expandable filter, usually reduces its flexibility, which may impair the deliverability of the expandable filter within the patient Since some expandable filter assemblies are made from nickel titanium alloys, which provide the self-expansion characteristics to the filter assembly, there may be a need for increasing radiopacity since nickel titanium generally has a low degree of radiopacity. Moreover, the radiopacity of an expandable filtering assembly which utilizes nickel titanium can be greatly reduced if the struts of the filter assembly are formed thinner in order to increase the flexibility of the filter assembly. Therefore, there is a need for a careful balance between achieving high flexibility in the filter assembly while maintaining sufficient radiopacity to allow the device to be visualized using current visualization equipment.
The present invention provides an expandable strut assembly and methods for making the same which can be used to create an embolic filtering device for capturing embolic debris created during the performance of a therapeutic interventional procedure, such as a balloon angioplasty or stenting procedure, in a body vessel. The present invention is particularly useful when an interventional procedure is being performed in critical arteries, such as the carotid arteries, in which vital downstream blood vessels can easily become blocked with embolic debris, including the main blood vessels leading to the brain. The present invention provides the physician with a flexible embolic filtering device which is sufficiently flexible to be steered through tortuous anatomy, but yet possesses sufficient strength to hold open a filtering element against the wall of the body vessel for capturing embolic debris. Moreover, the present invention provides sufficient flexibility without compromising the radiopacity characteristics of the filtering device. As a result, an embolic filtering device made in accordance with the present invention is relatively easy to deploy, has enhanced visibility under flouroscopy, and has good flexibility and conformable to the patient's anatomy.
An embolic filter assembly of the present invention utilizes an expandable strut assembly made from a self-expanding material, for example, nickel titanium (NiTi) or spring steel, and includes a number of outwardly extending struts capable of expanding from a collapsed position having a first delivery diameter to an expanded or deployed position having a second implanted diameter. A filter element made from an embolic-capturing material can be attached to the expandable strut assembly to move between the collapsed position and the deployed position with expandable struts.
The struts of the strut assembly can be set to remain in the expanded, deployed position until an external force is placed over the struts to collapse and move the struts to the collapsed position. One way of accomplishing this is through the use of a restraining sheath, for example, which can be placed over the filtering device in a coaxial fashion to contact the strut assembly and move the assembly into the collapsed position. The embolic filtering device can be implanted in the patient's vasculature and remain implanted for a period of time or can be attached to the distal end of an elongated member, such as a guide wire, for temporary placement in the vasculature. A guide wire is used in conjunction with the filtering device when embolic debris is to be filtered during an interventional procedure In this manner, the guide wire and filtering assembly, with the restraining sheath placed over the filter assembly, can be placed into the patient's vasculature. Once the physician properly manipulates the guide wire into the target area, the restraining sheath can be retracted to deploy the strut assembly into the expanded position. This can be easily performed by the physician by simply retracting the proximal end of the restraining sheath (located outside of the patient). Once the restraining sheath is retracted, the self-expanding properties of the strut assembly cause each strut to move in a outward, radial fashion away from the guide wire to contact the wall of the body vessel. As the struts expand radially, so does the filter element which will now be maintained in place to collect any embolic debris that may be released into the bloodstream as the physician performs the interventional procedure. The guide wire is used by the physician to deliver the necessary interventional device into the are of treatment. The deployed filter element captures embolic debris which may be created and released into the body vessel during the procedure.
The strut assembly which forms part of the filtering assembly includes portions in which the struts flex during delivery and recovery of the device within the patient's vasculature. Also, there are portions of the strut assembly which will remain relatively stable (i.e., largely undeformed or not flexed) during the travel through the sometimes tortuous pathway of the patient's vasculature. For example, as the embolic filtering device is being delivered through the patient's vasculature, it will bend longitudinally in order to cross and navigate the curves of the vasculature. When the strut assembly passes through such curved portions of the vasculature, the flexing portions of the strut assembly will resiliently flex while the stable portions remain largely unflexed or undeformed, even when the filtering assembly as a whole is being delivered through extremely tight turns. Thus, the strut assembly of the embolic filtering assembly can be thought of having both flexing portions and stable portions which cooperate with each other in order to provide a composite assembly having both the necessary flexibility and strength to create an effective embolic filtering device.
The flexibility of the strut assembly is largely derived from those portion of the struts which actually flex, without substantial assistance from the stable portions of the assembly Those stable portions are usually not subject to sufficient loads to cause bending when the composite device is delivered across curved portions of the anatomy since the flexing portions delivering the flexibility need to negotiate the turns. Accordingly, the stable portions of the strut assembly will remain substantially stiff and will not undergo substantial bending or flexing. As a result, these stable portions provide strength to the strut assembly which will be later needed when the strut assembly is expanded in the body vessel to maintain the filter element in its deployed position in the body vessel. Accordingly, the thickness or width of the stable portions of the strut assembly will not materially impact the overall flexibility or ease of delivering the embolic filtering assembly through the patient's vasculature.
The flexing portions of the strut assembly, on the other hand, can have reduced strut thickness or strut width to increase the strut assembly's overall ability to flex or bend as it is being delivered through the curved portions of the anatomy. Thus, in order to provide an optimal range of strength, flexibility and radiopacity, the present invention provides a strut assembly having thinner areas which promote flexibility, with greater strut thickness and/or widths in select stable areas to promote greater strength. This use of thicker and/or wider struts provides enhanced visibility by increasing the radiopacity in those select areas. By increasing the amount of material in the stable areas of the strut assembly, overall flexibility should not be impacted by the thicker or wider struts in the stable portions. On the other hand, a thinner and/or narrower strut can be utilized in the flexing portions to achieve the needed overall flexibility for the strut assembly. Again, the stable portions could utilize thicker struts or wider struts for increased radiopacity while the thinner, narrower struts in the flexing portions would create preferential bending points leading to enhanced conformability and flexibility.
Additionally, in embolic filtering devices which utilize a restraining sheath to deploy the self-expanding filter assembly, the surface area of the strut assembly in contact with the sheath can be decreased thereby reducing the amount of friction created between restraining sheath and strut assembly as the sheath is being retracted over the struts. As a result, it should be easier to retract the restraining sheath once the filter assembly is to be deployed in the patient's vasculature. The combination of these properties lead to an embolic filtering device which can be easy to deploy, is more visible under a fluoroscope, and has increased flexibility and conformability with the patient's anatomy. The present invention is also directed to various methods for making such an expandable strut assembly/filtering device.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embolic filtering device embodying features of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the various components making up the embodiment of the embolic filtering device shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is an elevational view, partially in cross section, of an embolic filtering device embodying features of the present invention as it is initially being delivered past an area of treatment within a body vessel.
FIG. 4 is an elevational view, partially in cross section, similar to that shown in FIG. 3, wherein the embolic filtering device is deployed in its expanded, implanted position within the body vessel.
FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the embolic filtering device of FIG. 1.
FIG. 6 is an elevational view of one embodiment of a strut assembly which can be used to form the embolic filtering device of FIGS. 1-4.
FIG. 7 is an elevational view, partially fragmented, of flexing portions of the strut assembly shown in FIG. 6.
FIG. 8A is an elevational view, partially fragmented, of a strut portion having uniform thickness and width which has been used to form a part of a strut assembly.
FIG. 8B is an elevational view, partially fragmented, of one embodiment of a strut portion made in accordance with the present invention that can be used to form part of the strut assembly.
FIG. 8C is an elevational view, partially fragmented, of another embodiment of a strut portion made in accordance with the present invention that can be used to form part of a strut assembly.
FIG. 8D is an elevational view, partially fragmented, of another embodiment of a strut portion made in accordance with the present invention that can be used to form a part of a strut assembly.
FIG. 9A is an elevational view of a tubular member used to form one particular embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9B is an elevational view of one particular strut pattern which can be formed in the tubular member shown in FIG. 9A to create one particular embodiment of a strut assembly made in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 9C is an elevational view which depicts the wall thickness of the strut pattern shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B taken along line 9C-9C.
Turning now to the drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like or corresponding elements in the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate one particular embodiment of an embolic filtering device 10 incorporating features of the present invention. This embolic filtering device 10 is designed to capture embolic debris which may be created and released into a body vessel during an interventional procedure. The embolic filtering device 10 includes an expandable filter assembly 12 having a self-expanding strut assembly 14 and a filter element 16 attached thereto. In this particular embodiment, the expandable filter assembly 12 is rotatably mounted on the distal end of an elongated tubular shaft, such as a steerable guide wire 18. A restraining or delivery sheath 20 (FIG. 3) extends coaxially along the guide wire 18 in order to maintain the expandable filter assembly 12 in its collapsed position until it is ready to be deployed within the patient's vasculature. The expandable filter assembly 12 is deployed by the physician by simply retracting the restraining sheath 20 proximally to expose the expandable filter assembly. The self-expanding strut assembly 14 thus becomes uncovered and immediately begins to expand within the body vessel (see FIG. 4).
It should be appreciated that the embolic filtering device 10 depicted herein is just one example of the numerous designs which can be used to create an embolic protection device made in accordance with the present invention. An obturator 22 affixed to the distal end of the filter assembly 12 can be implemented to prevent possible "snowplowing" of the embolic protection device as it is being delivered through the vasculature. The obturator can be made from a soft polymeric material, such as Pebax D 40, and has a smooth surface to help the embolic filtering device travel through the vasculature and cross lesions while preventing the distal end of the restraining sheath 20 from "digging" or "snowplowing" into the wall of the body vessel. Additional details regarding the particular structure and shape of the various elements making up the filter assembly 12 are provided below.
In FIG. 3, the embolic filtering device 10 is shown as it is being delivered within an artery 24 or other body vessel of the patient. This portion of the artery 24 has an area of treatment 26 in which atherosclerotic plaque 28 has built up against the inside wall 30 of the artery 24. The filter assembly 12 is to be placed distal to, and downstream from, the area of treatment 26 as is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The therapeutic interventional procedure may comprise the implantation of a stent (not shown) to increase the diameter of an occluded artery and increase the flow of blood therethrough. It should be appreciated that the embodiments of the embolic filtering device and method for manufacturing and using the same are illustrated and described herein by way of example only and not by way of limitation. Also, while the present invention is described in detail as applied to an artery of the patient, those skilled in the art will appreciate that it can also be used in other body vessels, such as the coronary arteries, carotid arteries, renal arteries, saphenous vein grafts and other peripheral arteries. Additionally, the present invention can be utilized when a physician performs any one of a number of interventional procedures, such as balloon angioplasty, laser angioplasty or atherectomy which generally require an embolic filtering device to capture embolic debris created during the procedure.
The strut assembly 14 includes self-expanding struts 32 which, upon release from the restraining sheath 20, expand the filter element 16 into its deployed position within the artery (FIG. 4). When the struts 32 are expanded, the filter element 16 may take on a basket shape, or any other shape, that will adequately deploy the filter element 16 against the wall of the artery. Embolic debris created during the interventional procedure and released into the bloodstream are captured within the deployed filter element 16. Although not shown, a balloon angioplasty catheter can be initially introduced within the patient's vasculature in a conventional SELDINGER technique through a guiding catheter (not shown). The guide wire 18 is disposed through the area of treatment and the dilatation catheter can be advanced over the guide wire 18 within the artery 24 until the balloon portion is directly in the area of treatment 26. The balloon of the dilatation catheter can be expanded, expanding the plaque 28 against the inside wall 30 of the artery 24 to expand the artery and reduce the blockage in the vessel at the position of the plaque 28. After the dilatation catheter is removed from the patient's vasculature, a stent (not shown) could be implanted in the area of treatment 26 using over-the-wire techniques to help hold and maintain open this portion of the artery 24 and help prevent restenosis from occurring in the area of treatment. The stent could be delivered to the area of treatment on a stent delivery catheter (not shown) which is advanced from the proximal end of the guide wire to the area of treatment. Any embolic debris created during the interventional procedure will be released into the bloodstream and should enter the filter 16. Once the procedure is completed, the interventional device is removed from the guide wire and the filter assembly 14 is to be collapsed and removed from the artery 24, taking with it any embolic debris trapped within the filter element 16. A recovery sheath (not shown) can be delivered over the guide wire 18 to collapse the filter assembly for removal from the patient's vasculature.
The ability of the embolic filtering device to negotiate the sometime tortuous anatomy of the patient results from the flexibility associated with the strut assembly 14 which forms part of the filter assembly 12. Referring specifically now to FIGS. 6 and 7, one particular embodiment of a strut assembly 14 is shown which incorporates features of the present invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that this is just one particular structure incorporating struts which form a basket-like structure that can be used in accordance with the present invention. Many other structural designs could also be implemented to create the strut assembly without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
The struts 32 which form the strut assembly 14 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 include flexing portions 36 in which the struts or portions of the struts flex or otherwise resiliently bend both during delivery and recovery of the embolic filtering device. Also, there are stable portions 38 of the strut assembly which remain stable (i.e., largely undeformed or unflexed) during delivery through the vasculature. For example, as the embolic filtering device is being delivered through the patient's vasculature, it will bend longitudinally to cross and navigate the curves of the vasculature. When the strut assembly passes through such curved portions, the flexing portions 36 of the assembly will flex while the remaining portions stay relatively unflexed or stiff, even as the filtering assembly as a whole is bent through extremely tight turns. The flexing portions 36 and stable portions 38 thus cooperate with each other in order to provide the necessary flexibility to bend and be delivered through tight turns. The strength of the strut assembly 14 is achieved by the stable portions 38 once the strut assembly is deployed in the body vessel.
The flexibility of the strut assembly 14 is largely derived from the flexing portions 36 of the strut, without substantial assistance from the stable portions 38 of the assembly, even though stable portions 38 are subjected to some bending forces when the device is being delivered across curved portions of the anatomy. Accordingly, the stable portions 38 will remain substantially straight and will not undergo substantial bending or flexing. These stable portions 38 do have sufficient strength to provide the structural integrity needed to maintain the filter assembly 12 in its expanded position once placed in the artery. The strong stable portions 38 also provide additional metal to the strut assembly which allows the embolic filtering device 10 to become more visible utilizing equipment, such as a fluoroscope, to determine the location of the device within the patient's anatomy. As can be seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, the stable portions 38 include strut portions which have greater strut depth or thickness than the portion of the struts which are located in the flex portions 36. As can be seen specifically in FIG. 7, the thickness of the strut or the strut depth is the measurement of the strut from the inner surface 40 to the outer surface 42 of the strut. In FIG. 7, arrows T1 show the greater strut thickness in the stable portions 38 which provides the higher strength and radiopacity than the strut thickness in the flex portions 36 (indicated by arrows T2). The strut thickness in the flex portions 38 depicted by arrows T2 is less than the strut thickness in the stable portion 36, thus providing increased flexibility to the strut assembly 14.
The stable portion 38 may also include struts which have greater strut widths than the struts which are located in the flexing portions 36 of the strut assembly 14. In FIG. 7, arrows W1 show the wider strut formed in the stable portions 38. Arrows W2 show the smaller strut widths appearing in the flexing portions 36. The smaller strut width provides greater flexibility, enhancing the ability of the strut assembly 14 to negotiate the tortuous anatomy of the patient. As a result, the flexing portions 36 may include both smaller strut thickness and a smaller strut width to provide this increased flexibility. The flexing portions can be thought of somewhat as mechanical hinges which provide regions of articulation to the strut assembly. Conversely, the stable portions 38 may include struts having greater strut thickness, and strut width to provide additional strength and added mass to increase the level of radiopacity of the strut assembly 14. As is shown in FIG. 6, there are several areas in which flexing portions 36 are located to provide the increased flexibility needed to maneuver in the patient's vasculature. It should be appreciated that the number, size and location of flexing portions 36 and stable portions 38 of the strut assembly 14 will vary depending upon the particular structure utilized to create the strut assembly.
The current invention provides additional strut thickness and/or width to all or part of the stable portions of the strut assembly. FIGS. 8A-8D depicts a partially fragmented perspective view of a portion of a strut similar to that shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 which shows different ways of increasing the mass of the strut in the stable portion of the strut assembly. In FIG. 8A, it can be seen that all portions of the strut 44 have the same, or a nominal strut depth 46 and a constant strut width 48. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8A, there are no stable portions or flex portions due to the fact that the nominal thickness 46 and nominal strut width 48 are substantially uniform throughout. Many prior art filtering devices are made with struts having uniform strut thickness and width. Bending occurs on those devices at points along the strut assembly which are most vulnerable to bending forces. In such devices, there are no specifically formed flexible struts which are designed to flex and bend and take the brunt of the bending forces that can be generated during passage of the device through the patient's vasculature. In FIG. 8B, however, the strut pattern 50 has both stable portions 38 and flexing portions 36. The stable portion 38 is made with a material which has greater than nominal depth 52 and greater than nominal width 54 without compromising the flexibility of the struts in the flexing portion 36. When used on the strut assembly, these thicker and wider struts in the stable portions 38 provide additional strength and enhanced radiopacity characteristics to the strut assembly 14. FIG. 8C depicts a further embodiment of stable portions 38 of a strut 56 having varying strut thickness which smoothly transitions from a nominal strut thickness 46 to a greater-than-nominal thickness 52. In the particular embodiment of FIG. 8C, the strut width 58 is substantially the same. However, due to the greater than nominal strut thickness 52 in the stable portions 38, additional strength and increased radiopacity will be provided to the strut assembly. FIG. 8D provides still another embodiment of a strut portion 60 of a strut assembly in which unique stable portions 38 can be found. In this particular embodiment, the stable portion 38 is made from a geometry which includes a "bump" pattern generating a greater-than-nominal strut thickness 52 in a desired area. The bumps 62 formed in the stable portions 38 would be inherent in the material used to create the strut assembly. Also, in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 8C and 8D, when a restraining sheath is utilized to deploy and retrieve the filter assembly, the variable thickness design effectively reduces the surface area of the strut in contact with sheath, thereby reducing frictional forces which can be generated as the restraining sheath moves over the strut assembly. As a result, the restraining sheath should slide off of the strut assembly with less resistance.
The preparation of a strut assembly in accordance with the present invention can be accomplished in a variety of ways. An initial step would be to select a particular pattern for the struts and identify stable portions and flexing portions. The identification of stable portions can be accomplished using many different techniques. For example, a computer base modeling of a strut pattern can be performed that models the embolic protection device during bending of the strut assembly. Alternatively, a physical model or actual embolic protection device bearing the particular strut pattern could be prepared and subject to bending, so that flexing and stable portions of the strut assembly could be identified through inspection of the physical device. Other approaches for identifying the flexing portions and stable portions would be well-known in the art and are within the scope of the present invention.
After identification of the stable and flexing portions has occurred, a strut assembly can be prepared having the desired strut pattern, with the variations in the strut thickness and/or strut widths associated with the flexing portions and stable portions. Various techniques could be utilized to manufacture the strut assembly. For example, the strut assembly could be prepared from a tubular member having a nominal thickness with the strut pattern being laser cut or otherwise cut to create a rough pattern. Additional material could then be added to the surface of the cut strut pattern on selected stable portions until the selected stable portions reach the desired greater-than-nominal strut depth or greater-than-nominal width, depending again, on the particular pattern which is to be utilized. Various techniques could be used to add the additional material, including sputter coating, electroplating, or chemical vapor deposition.
Referring now to FIGS. 9A-9C, a particular strut pattern 66 which forms the strut assembly 14, is depicted two-dimensionally (FIG. 9B) as if the strut assembly 14 were cut longitudinally and "unrolled" to form a flat sheet, showing the combination of flex portions 36 and stable portions 38 which, in combination, create the strut assembly 14. FIG. 9A shows a cross-sectional view of a tubular member 68 which could be utilized and laser cut in order to create the varying strut thicknesses of the strut assembly shown in FIG. 9B. As is shown, the tubular member 68 has different wall thicknesses which correspond to the flexing portions 36 and stable portions 38 of the strut assembly 14. The areas 70 which have larger-than-nominal strut thickness in the tubular member are utilized to create the stable regions 38 of the strut assembly. As can be seen in FIGS. 9A and 9C, the wall thicknesses in the areas forming the stable regions 38 can vary. For example, areas 70 have the same wall thickness T1. However, the wall thickness T3 in area 72 forming another stable region has an even greater wall thickness than area 70. This creates an even larger strut thickness in those stable regions of the strut assembly. Area 74, which forms the flexing portions of the strut assembly, has a wall thickness T2 which is less than T1 and T3. Moreover, the width can be increased in those regions as well. In a similar fashion, the strut widths and strut depths in the flexing regions can vary on the strut assembly as well. For example, as can be seen in FIG. 9B, certain strut widths in flexing portions 76 are smaller than the strut widths in the other flexing portions 36. The strut thickness in these areas could also be less-than-nominal strut thickness to provide even increased flexibility. Moreover, the flexing portions can have varying strut thickness, similar to the varying strut thickness of the stable portions 38 depicted in FIG. 8C. The free ends of the struts could be attached to collars 31, as is shown in FIG. 6, which help form the particular shape of the strut assembly disclosed herein. The free ends 78 of the struts could be attached to the collars using well-known bonding techniques known in the art, including welding, brazing, and adhesive bonding. It should be appreciated that numerous variations of strut width and depths in the various stable and flexing portions of the strut assembly can be achieved in accordance with the present invention.
Due to manufacturing and other considerations, it may be desireable to start with a tubular member having a desired larger than nominal thickness, and then selectively reduce the thickness of desired portions, such as the flexing portions, to create a nominal thickness or even a less-than-nominal thickness. In this particular manner, the tubular member shown in FIG. 9A would have a greater-than-nominal thickness and selected portions of the outer surface would be removed to create the nominal thickness utilized to create the flexing portions of the strut assembly. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9A, the machining could involve rotating the tubular member along its longitudinal axis, as may be accomplished utilizing a lathe or other rotating device, and pressing a machine tool against the outer surface. Other techniques include chemical etching, laser ablation, grinding, or milling. Once the particular form of the tubular member is selected, the pattern which forms the strut assembly could then be cut into the tubular member. In this manner, the width of the struts in the stable portions could be cut to be larger than the struts in the flexing portions, as is shown in FIG. 9B. Any one of a number of different combinations of stable portions and flexing portions can be utilized, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, to create the particular pattern for the strut assembly. Accordingly, a strut assembly will have flexing portions having a nominal thickness and/or nominal strut width, with stable portions having greater than nominal thickness and/or greater than nominal strut widths.
In addition to the physical machining methods discussed above, the reduction in strut thickness could also be achieved through a variety of other methods, including ablating selected surface areas. The ablation could be formed through various methods, including chemical and/or laser ablation. This step may also be formed as part of the process of cutting the strut pattern into the tubular member. For example, where laser cutting is used to cut the strut pattern, the laser might also be used to thin desired portions of the tubular member. Such thining using a laser might involve changing the focus depth of the laser, changing laser power, or using the laser to tangentially "shave" across the surface of the tubular member thereby removing a layer of material.
The strut assembly of the present invention can be made in many ways. However, the one particular method of making the strut assembly is to cut a thin-walled tubular member, such as nickel-titanium hypotube, to remove portions of the tubing in the desired pattern for each strut, leaving relatively untouched the portions of the tubing which are to form each strut. The tubing may be cut into the desired pattern by means of a machine-controlled laser. Prior to laser cutting the strut pattern, the tubular member could be formed with varying wall thicknesses which will be used to create the stable and flexing portions of the strut assembly.
The tubing used to make the strut assembly could possible be made of suitable biocompatible material such as stainless steel. The stainless steel tube may be alloy-type: 316L SS, Special Chemistry per ASTM F138-92 or ASTM F139-92 grade 2. Special Chemistry of type 316L per ASTM F138-92 or ASTM F139-92 Stainless Steel for Surgical Implants in weight percent.
The strut size is usually very small, so the tubing from which it is made must necessarily also have a small diameter. Typically, the tubing has an outer diameter on the order of about 0.020-0.040 inches in the unexpanded condition. The greater-than-nominal wall thickness of the tubing is usually about 0.076 mm (0.003-0.006 inches). As can be appreciated, the nominal strut depth in the flexing portions will be less. For strut assemblies implanted in body lumens, such as PTA applications, the dimensions of the tubing may be correspondingly larger. While it is preferred that the strut assembly be made from laser cut tubing, those skilled in the art will realize that the strut assembly can be laser cut from a flat sheet and then rolled up in a cylindrical configuration with the longitudinal edges welded to form a cylindrical member.
Generally, the hypotube is put in a rotatable collet fixture of a machine-controlled apparatus for positioning the tubing relative to a laser. According to machine-encoded instructions, the tubing is then rotated and moved longitudinally relative to the laser which is also machine-controlled. The laser selectively removes the material from the tubing by ablation and a pattern is cut into the tube. The tube is therefore cut into the discrete pattern of the finished struts. The strut assembly can thus be laser cut much like a stent is laser cut. Details on how the tubing can be cut by a laser are found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,759,192 (Saunders) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,780,807 (Saunders), which have been assigned to Advanced Cardiovascular Systems, Inc.
A suitable composition of nickel-titanium which can be used to manufacture the strut assembly of the present invention is approximately 55% nickel and 45% titanium (by weight) with trace amounts of other elements making up about 0.5% of the composition. The austenite finish transformation temperature is between about 0° C. and 20° C. in order to achieve superelasticity. The austenite finish temperature is measured by the bend and free recovery tangent method. The upper plateau strength is about a minimum of 60,000 psi with an ultimate tensile strength of a minimum of about 155,000 psi. The permanent set (after applying 8% strain and unloading), is approximately 0.5%. The breaking elongation is a minimum of 10%. It should be appreciated that other compositions of nickel-titanium can be utilized, as can other self-expanding alloys, to obtain the same features of a self-expanding stent made in accordance with the present invention.
The strut assembly of the present invention can be laser cut from a tube of nickel-titanium (Nitinol) whose transformation temperature is below body temperature. After the strut pattern is cut into the hypotube, the tubing is expanded and heat treated to be stable at the desired final diameter. The heat treatment also controls the transformation temperature of the strut assembly such that it is super elastic at body temperature. The transformation temperature is at or below body temperature so that the stent is superelastic at body temperature. The strut assembly is usually implanted into the target vessel which is smaller than the diameter if the strut assembly in the expanded position so that the struts apply a force to the vessel wall to maintain the filter element in the expanded position. It should be appreciated that the strut assembly can be made from either superelastic, stress-induced martensite NiTi or shape-memory NiTi.
One way of making the strut assemblies of the present device is to utilize a shape-memory material, such as nickel titanium, which has the struts cut utilizing a machine-controlled laser. A tubular piece of material could be utilized in this process. The strut assembly could be manufactured to remain in its open position while at body temperature and would move to its collapsed position upon application of a low temperature. One suitable method to allow the strut assembly to assume a phase change which would facilitate the strut and filter assembly being mounted into the restraining sheath include chilling the filter assembly in a cooling chamber maintained at a temperature below the martensite finish temperature through the use of liquid nitrogen. Once the strut assembly is placed in its collapsed state, the restraining sheath can be placed over the device to prevent the device from expanding once the temperature is brought up to body temperature. Thereafter, once the device is to be utilized, the restraining sheath is simply retracted to allow the filter assembly/strut assembly to move to its expanded position within the patient's vasculature. If superelastic NiTi is used, the strut assembly/filter assembly can be simply back loaded into the restraining sheath. The strut assembly would be "set" to the expanded position.
The polymeric material which can be utilized to create the filtering element include, but is not limited to, polyurethane and Gortex, a commercially available material. Other possible suitable materials include ePTFE. The material can be elastic or non-elastic. The wall thickness of the filtering element can be about 0.00050-0.0050 inches. The wall thickness may vary depending on the particular material selected. The material can be made into a cone or similarly sized shape utilizing blow-mold technology. The perfusion openings can be any different shape or size. A laser, a heated rod or other process can be utilized to create to perfusion openings in the filter material. The holes, would of course be properly sized to catch the particular size of embolic debris of interest. Holes can be lazed in a spiral pattern with some similar pattern which will aid in the re-wrapping of the media during closure of the device. Additionally, the filter material can have a "set" put in it much like the "set" used in dilatation balloons to make the filter element re-wrap more easily when placed in the collapsed position.
The materials which can be utilized for the restraining sheath and recovery sheath can be made from polymeric material such as cross-linked HDPE. These sheaths can alternatively be made from a material such as polyolifin which has sufficient strength to hold the compressed strut assembly and has relatively low frictional characteristics to minimize any friction between the filtering assembly and the sheath. Friction can be further reduced by applying a coat of silicone lubricant, such as Microglide®, to the inside surface of the restraining sheath before the sheaths are placed over the filtering assembly.
a filtering assembly including an expandable strut assembly and a filter element attached thereto; wherein the strut assembly is adapted to move between a collapsed position and an expanded position and has flexing portions which flex when subjected to bending forces when the filtering assembly is in the collapsed position and stable portions connected by flexing portions, the stable portions remaining relatively stiff when the filtering assembly is in the collapsed position while the flexing portions provide three degrees of freedom flexing between stable portions when the filtering assembly is placed in the collapsed position, wherein the stable portions include struts, each strut having a strut width and a strut thickness, and the flexing portions include struts, each strut having strut width and a strut thickness, the strut width and thickness of the struts of the flexing portions being less than the strut width and strut thickness of the stable portions.
2. The filtering device of claim 1, further including an elongated member having a proximal end and a distal end, the filtering assembly being mounted near the distal end, the elongated member being steerable to place the filtering assembly in the desired position within the patient's vasculature.
3. The filtering device of claim 1, wherein flexing portions interconnect adjacent stable portions.
4. The filtering device of claim 1, wherein the flexing portions undergo little or no deformation when subjected to bending forces developed during passage through the patient's vasculature to help maintain the shape of the expanded strut assembly once expanded.
5. The filtering device of claim 4, wherein the flexing portions of the strut assembly are made from a material which is self-expanding.
6. The filtering device of claim 1, wherein the strut assembly is made from a material which is self-expanding.
7. The filtering device of claim 6, wherein the material is nickel-titanium.
8. The filtering device of claim 6, wherein the flexing portions of the strut assembly enhance the movement of the strut assembly between the first collapsed position and the second delivery position.
9. The filtering device of claim 1, wherein the strut assembly is made from a plurality of struts, each strut having an inside surface and an outside surface which define a strut thickness, the strut thickness in the stable portions being generally greater than the strut thickness in the flexing portions of the strut assembly.
10. The filtering device of claim 9, wherein the strut thickness in the flexing portions define a nominal strut thickness and the strut thickness in the stable portions define a greater-than-nominal strut thickness.
11. The filtering device of claim 10, wherein some of the flexing portions have less than nominal strut thickness.
12. The filtering device of claim 10, wherein some flexing portions have strut thickness different from other flexing portions but less than the strut thickness in the stable portions.
13. The filtering device of claim 9, wherein each strut has a particular strut width, the strut widths in the stable portions being generally greater than the strut widths in the flexing portions.
14. The filtering device of claim 1, wherein the strut assembly is formed from a plurality of struts, each strut having a particular strut width, the strut widths in the stable portions being generally greater than the strut widths in the flexing portions of the strut assembly.
15. The filtering device of claim 14, wherein the strut widths in the flexing portions define a nominal strut width and the strut width in the stable portions define a greater-than-nominal strut width.
16. The filtering device of claim 1, wherein the flexing portions of the strut assembly enhance the movement of the strut assembly between the first collapsed position and the second delivery position.
portions of the composite strut assembly have strut thickness and strut width which are less than the strut thickness and strut width of the remaining struts forming the strut assembly to impart flexibility to the composite strut assembly to allow the strut assembly to resiliently flex while being delivered through the patient's vasculature.
18. The filtering device of claim 17, further including an elongated member having a proximal end and a distal end, the filtering assembly being mounted near the distal end, the elongated member being steerable to place the filtering assembly in the desired position within the patient's vasculature.
19. The filtering device of claim 17, wherein the portions of the composite strut assembly having smaller strut thickness undergo little or no deformation when subjected to bending forces developed during delivery of the filtering assembly through the patient's vasculature to help maintain the shape of the expanded strut assembly once expanded.
20. The filtering device of claim 17, wherein the portions of the composite strut assembly having smaller strut thickness enhances the movement of the strut assembly between the collapsed position and the expanded position.
a filtering assembly including an expandable strut assembly and a filter element attached thereto, the strut assembly being adapted to move between a collapsed position and an expanded position and being formed from a plurality of struts arranged to create a desired composite strut structure, each strut having at least one flexing portion formed on the strut which exhibits more flexibility than the remaining portion of the strut, the flexing portion being located on each strut such that when the strut assembly is placed in the collapsed position the flexing portions are placed substantially adjacent to each other to create a composite flexing region on the strut assembly, wherein the strut assembly include struts, each strut having a strut width and a strut thickness, the width and thickness of the struts of the flexing portions being less than the strut width and strut thickness in the remaining portion of the strut assembly.
22. The filtering device of claim 21, wherein each strut of the strut assembly has an inside surface and an outside surface which define the strut thickness, the strut thickness in the flexing portions being generally less than the strut thickness in the remaining portion of the strut.
23. The filtering device of claim 21, wherein each strut has a particular strut width and the strut widths in the flexing portions are generally less than the strut width in the remaining portion of the strut.
24. The filtering device of claim 21, wherein each strut has a substantially uniform width and wall thickness along the length of the strut except for the flexing portions formed on each strut.
25. The filtering device of claim 21, wherein some of the struts have a plurality of flexing portions formed on the strut.
26. The filtering device of claim 25, wherein the struts having a plurality of flexing portions include at least two flexing portions having different strut widths or wall thicknesses from each other.
a filtering assembly including an expandable strut assembly and a filter element attached thereto, the strut assembly being adapted to move between a collapsed position and an expanded position and having a longitudinal length and non-uniform mass along its longitudinal length, the strut assembly having a flexing region formed therein and a stable region forming the remaining portion of the strut assembly, the flexing region having less mass than the stable region to provide greater flexibility than the stable region of the strut assembly, the flexing region being arranged to create a hinge-like structure to allow the strut assembly to bend at the flexing region when the strut assembly is placed in the collapsed position, wherein the strut assembly is formed from a plurality of struts, each strut having a particular strut width and wall thickness, the width and wall thickness of the portion of each strut forming the flexing region of the strut assembly being less than the width and wall thickness of the struts forming the stable region.
28. The filtering device of claim 27, wherein the strut assembly has a plurality of flexing regions formed therein.
29. The filtering device of claim 27, wherein the strut assembly is formed from a plurality of struts, each strut having an area of reduced mass along the strut length which forms the flexing portion of the strut assembly.
Dilitation of the Carotid Artery By A Temporary Carotid Filter By A. Beck, St. Milic, A.M. Spagnoli, November-December Issue of OPLITA1, An International Journal on Military Medicine and Health Emergencies, pp. 67-74.


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IFI CLAIMS Announces 2017 Top US Patent Recipients
Added January 8th 2018, 8:12 PM
Author: CatherineS
IBM marks 25th anniversary as list leader
U.S. grants hit record high and double from a decade ago
Trending Technologies: e-cigarettes, 3D printing, machine learning & autonomous vehicles
NEW HAVEN, Conn., Jan. 9, 2018 — IFI CLAIMS® Patent Services, a leading global patent database provider and development platform, today released its annual analysis of the U.S. patent landscape for 2017. Highlights are posted on the company's website in a series of interactive charts and graphics including a roundup of 2017 patent trends and insights.
The company also posted the official 2017 IFI CLAIMS U.S. Top 50, the world's most trusted ranking of U.S. utility patent assignees.
2017 was busy year for the U.S. Patent and Trademark office (USPTO), which issued 320,003 utility grants, according to IFI, up 5.2 percent from the previous year and more than double the 157,284 granted in 2007.
According to the report, IBM continued its remarkable 25-year run as the U.S. patent leader with 9,043 grants in 2017—up 12 percent from 2016. No other patent assignee has led the list for this many consecutive years nor broken the 9,000 patent mark.
Samsung Electronics is #2—up 6 percent over 2016. With Samsung Display coming in at #10, Samsung has two assignee names in the top 10 and three in the top 100. Together, the top 5 Samsung-owned assignees come within 150 grants of IBM.
Canon holds the #3 spot as it did last year. Intel Corp. at #4 and LG Electronics at #5 displace Qualcomm and Google LLC which held those positions last year and move down to #6 and #7 respectively.
The report's breakdown by region shows the U.S. with a 46 percent share of 2017 grants and the rest of the world with 54 percent. Asia holds the next largest share after the U.S. at 31 percent while Europe holds 15 percent. A breakdown by country shows Japan with 16 percent of U.S. grants, South Korea with 6.5 percent, and Germany with 5 percent. Mainland China holds 3.5 percent or 11,240 patents—up 28 percent over 2016.
"2017 was an impressive year for U.S. patents," said Mike Baycroft, CEO, IFI CLAIMS Patent Services. "We're seeing twice as many patents generated today as there were a decade ago. We're seeing IBM nearly tripling its annual patent counts by going from 3,000 plus in 2007 to breaking the 9,000 mark this past year."
The biggest gainer in 2017 was China's BOE Technology Group, up 63 percent and moving from #40 to #21. Other big gainers include Facebook which made its debut in the top 50 at #50 and up 50 percent over 2016; Japanese automobile parts manufacturer #35 Denso Corp. up 23 percent; #39 Honeywell International up 27 percent; #44 Haliburton Energy Services which increased 35 percent; and #45 China's Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics up 44 percent.
Technologies With Most Significant Growth
The research uncovered 8 Technologies with Most Patent Growth in 2017. The new high-growth areas include e-cigarettes, 3D-printing, machine learning, autonomous vehicles, moulding materials, hybrid vehicles, aerial drones, and food. These are not the largest patent classifications but the ones that have shown the fastest growth over the last five years, according to Larry Cady, senior analyst, IFI CLAIMS Patent Services, who led the research.
For a deeper look into the U.S. patent rankings, visit the IFI CLAIMS Top 1,000, a free, multi-year analysis of the global assignees that receive the most U.S. utility grants.
One of the oldest and most trusted patent information firms, IFI CLAIMS Patent Services is known throughout the world as the gold standard tabulator of U.S. and global patents. For more than 60 years, clients have turned to IFI for the support of essential business functions. The company standardizes, aggregates, and enriches patent data from more than 90 countries worldwide.
CLAIMS® is a registered trademark of IFI CLAIMS Patent Services.
About IFI CLAIMS Patent Services/Fairview Research
IFI CLAIMS Patent Services enables clients to integrate patent information into applications and analytics platforms. IFI curates a global patent repository that is trusted by a wide range of partners including IP search firms, industry R&D leaders, financial institutions, and software solutions providers. Headquartered in New Haven, Conn., with a satellite office in Barcelona, Spain, IFI CLAIMS is a division of Fairview Research. For more information, visit www.ificlaims.com.
Edited May 10th 2019
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Now reading: RALPH JOHNSTONE - STORYTELLER
RALPH JOHNSTONE - STORYTELLER
He's interviewed pirates in the Philippines, people smugglers in Mexico, and fearless healthcare workers in Somalia, but for Ralph Johnstone, a small team of ambitious engineers building an electric motorcycle in Australia is every bit as thrilling.
Ralph joined the Savic team back in November 2019, when he was doing some promotional writing for the FAB9 makerspace where we began our commercial production. Although not a "tech head" himself, Ralph quickly found his way around the C-Series prototype and took to writing about our bikes like the proverbial duck to water.
Ralph has an interesting history, having grown up on a boat in Singapore and lived in Hong Kong, Japan and Kenya before emigrating to Australia in 2008. Today, he makes his living from writing for corporate clients, governments and start-ups on "everything from accessibility and cybersecurity, to drugs and medical devices, and the birthplace of Ned Kelly!"
But Ralph says Savic Motorcycles will always have a special place in his heart, because it combines progressive, climate-conscious technology with a team of young guys "whose passion and dedication are an absolute joy to be around". For the rest of the team, Ralph's daring wordplay is a vital weapon in our armoury, and his enthusiasm to be closely involved in our engineering and technical development is a credit to the strength of our relationship. Ralph may be called "a freelance writer", but he is highly regarded as a vital member of our core team – and his words continue to inspire us to reach new and ambitious milestones with each passing day.
Written by Savic Motorcycles
Dave Hendroff - Concept designer
Michael D'Amico - Gear & Merchandise Lead


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Articles /
/ Hazards Of Mold At Your Workplace
Hazards Of Mold At Your Workplace
Last Updated on Monday, 18 May 2020 17:24
If you have mold present in your workplace, you need to take immediate action. Mold, also known as fungi or mildew, comprises of fungal organisms that don't belong to neither animals nor plants. Outdoors it is an essential part of the ecosystem, as it takes part in the process of breaking down and recycling organic matter. We also wouldn't have penicillin without it.
Indoors, however, mold growth should be avoided at all costs. It can affect various surfaces, such as wood, walls, paint, paper, fabric and soil. This happens wherever there is excessive moisture. It can cause serious damage to the structure of buildings as well as present a health hazard.
Health Issues Caused by Mold
People are exposed to mold when they inhale it, swallow it, or have direct skin contact with its particles or spores. It is common for some molds to emanate chemicals called mycotoxins. Exposure to them is known to cause a variety of symptoms that depend on factors like the species of the mold, the amount that the person is exposed to, the duration of the exposure, and how much each individual is susceptible. It is possible for people to develop allergic reactions, with symptoms such as:
Respiratory problems similar to asthma
Red, itchy and watery eyes
Migraine or headache
Chronic coughing
Blocked nose and frequent sneezing
A U.S.-based company named Micro Balance Health Products offers the highest quality advice and scientifically-proven natural products to deal with these. Some mycotoxins are reported to cause even worse health issues, however. This is why mold in your workplace should be considered a serious health hazard, and dealt with accordingly.
What Causes Mold?
In order for it to grow in an indoor environment, mold requires moisture, food and the right temperature. Mold usually doesn't present a problem unless its spores land on a damp surface and start to grow. Most often, the sources of mold inside your offices are roof leaks, flooding, leaking pipes, water vapour, and the like. Wherever there is excessive moisture, mold will grow, especially if the problem isn't resolved right away by a professional remodeling firm.
While you can't eliminate the presence of mold completely, you can control how much moisture there is in your workplace, and therefore influence its growth. It is characteristic for mold to not require sunlight to grow – all that it needs is a spore, a source of nutrition, dampness, and the proper temperature.
How to Prevent Mold Issues?
Generally, the way to prevent issues with mold is to make sure there is no unwanted water inside your building, a limited amount of vapor that is release indoors, and a proper ventilation process that releases the water vapor. U.S. readers can also order EC3 Air Purification Candles; simply lighting them for an hour regurlarly is scientifically proven to eliminate airborne mold and its toxins. Other things you can do include:
Make sure that your building is in pristine condition
Check your plumbing for any leaks
Make sure that there is ventilation wherever there are dryers, showers, and other processes that release vapour into the air
Make sure that your building and furniture is dry
Provide your workers with a place where they can hang up wet towels and clothes
Dry anything that gets wet as soon as possible
How to Find Mold?
You should investigate the presence of mold when:
Someone reports suspicious smells
Mold growth is visible to the eye
Flooding or leaking has happened
Someone has identified condensation problems
According to office cleaning experts from Sydney, investigating mold can be hard and quite often requires the help of a professional service that uses special equipment. The investigation requires care, because problematic areas of mold can quickly spread through the building. Therefore, it is essential that personal protective equipment is used. The equipment usually consists of a Class P2 respirator, gloves, safety glasses and disposable overalls.
The most important part of the investigation is to determine the size and extent of the affected area, as well as to find what the source is. If the source cannot be found, then it is necessary to sample the mold and test it in a laboratory.
How to Clean Up the Mold?
The first step is to take care of the source of dampness. For small jobs, what you can do is:
Seal vents and close doors to prevent spreading of the mold
Wear a P2 mask, gloves and safety glasses, and then scrub the mold off surfaces with either laboratory-proven EC3 Mold Solution Concentrate and distilled water, or a solution of three parts vinegar and one part water
Completely dry the material
Use wet vacuums, dehumidifiers and fans for carpets and other materials that absorb moisture
Make sure that people who aren't protected leave the area during the process
If the affected area is up to 10 square meters and more, you should seek help from a specialist.
Finishing up the Cleanup
The cleaning is done when:
The moisture problem has been resolved
There is no more mold in the affected areas, or in other words, when there is no visible sign of it and no smell
The area is inspected soon after the cleanup, and no mold has regrown
If the sampled mold shows that the type and amount of mold is similar to that outdoors
It isn't uncommon for different views on when the cleanup is complete, so you should ask for professional advice on the matter.
After you have removed the mold and the source of moisture, you should do some structural repair, and also most probably get rid of the affected furniture. When dealing with mold, it is important that you ask advice from a professional service, but also that you effectively communicate the problem with everyone in your workplace.
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Tim Calhoun
wrestlingwes_8
John F Kennedy III
Suzanimal
Anti Federalist replied to a thread Marianne Williamson at her rally has whites recite apology for racism in U.S. Political News
Brits. Lifeline Expeditions. http://www.lifelineexpedition.co.uk/mota/partners.htm They are an offshoot of: Youth With A Mission Limited https://www.ywam.org/about-us/faq/
And they are happy to do it. And every-time I overturn a rock, to see who or what is sponsoring this nonsense, or some trans fagggot weirdoism, or foreign invaders, I almost always find a "Christian" church or group. Like these assholes for instance: If this is true Christian faith, then I want no part of it.
Anti Federalist replied to a thread Busing: That Little Jew Was Me in U.S. Political News
Won't get an argument from me on that. What do facts, logic and demonstrable results have anything to do when you whip up a mob of Bolsheviks and Jacobins? Tell me all about it in the second term of Sanders presidency... Of course it's a failure, and people still embrace it, and will drag me and mine along for the failure.
Wow, that is so lacking in historical knowledge as to be un-reply-able to.
No, they were not. They were hunted down and exterminated and vanquished, militarily. The tiny fraction left were placed in government open air prisons, where they became wards of the state and second class citizens and still are to this day. I have no doubt your smiley glad hands cousins from Nigeria have the same long range plans for me and my posterity, once enough of them are here.
Interesting take, I wonder what you'd call it when a "downgrade genocide" occurs, by replacing the standing culture with a lower quality culture?
Anti Federalist replied to a thread They do not want to welcome migrants anymore in U.S. Political News
When the handouts stop, then they will take. Then we'll find out where the fans really stand.
And what happened to the peoples and the cultures that were here before them?
You don't know the half of it...
Anti Federalist started a thread Separated migrant families sue U.S. government, demand $3 million each in U.S. Political News
Older news from February of this year, do not recall seeing it posted. Separated migrant families sue U.S. government, demand $3 million each https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/feb/11/illegal-immigrant-families-separated-us-sue-govern/ By Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times - Monday, February 11, 2019 Six migrant families filed multi-million dollar claims Monday against the Trump administration over last year's family separations, saying they need the money to pay for counseling and other medical care to heal from the "torture" they said they suffered.
Anti Federalist started a thread They do not want to welcome migrants anymore in U.S. Political News
Wonder what their neighbors think about their defaced property and degraded community, brought about by these bleeding heart Quislings? Spy: they do not want to welcome migrants anymore https://www.sudinfo.be/id128216/article/2019-07-02/spy-ils-ne-veulent-plus-accueillir-les-migrants For a week, the Simon-Hody family, no longer wishes to welcome migrants from the Spy Highway area. While she has been helping them for two and a half years, some migrants seem to have crossed the line: violence, aggression, arson. The situation was no longer livable.
Dr.3D replied to a thread The long sobs of the violins of autumn in Open Discussion
Well, if you stubbed you toe on a xeno, you'd be xenophobic too.
Busing, Part II: Birth of a Ruination https://www.takimag.com/article/busing-part-ii-birth-of-a-ruination/ by David Cole July 16, 2019 Bobbi Fiedler was a prophet. Fiedler was the 38-year-old mom and housewife who damn near single-handedly slew the mandatory school busing dragon in L.A. in the 1970s. Her organization, Bustop, gained 30,000 members in its first month. Fiedler organized the takeover of the local school board, replacing pro-busing ideologues with people who actually cared about education, and she won a congressional seat by running on an anti-busing platform.
Anti Federalist started a thread Busing: That Little Jew Was Me in U.S. Political News
For the record, that was me too. Forced into a busing scheme that trucked my ass 45 minutes into a ghetto "school" that was so bad, at that time, it had lost it's state certifications. What followed was two years of prison, basically, on constant guard and fighting every other day just to survive. Thank Christ in those days you could just walk away at 16...
Anti Federalist started a thread MD - Angry citizens push back against Drag Queen Story Hour in U.S. Political News
Maryland: Activists & Angry Parents Expose Drag Queen For Running Sex-Oriented Business, Posting Porn Photos Of Nude Men Online – Wants To Read To Children https://thewashingtonstandard.com/maryland-activists-angry-parents-expose-drag-queen-for-running-sex-oriented-business-posting-porn-photos-of-nude-men-online-wants-to-read-to-children/ Tim Brown / July 16, 2019 Activists and angry parents in Maryland have not only begun to expose a graphically degenerate man who dresses as a "drag queen" and wants to read to their children, but they are also giving an earful to their local County Commission about his public conduct. On Tuesday, July 9, angry parents showed up at their local County Commission meeting in Lexington Park, Maryland.
After stubbing his toe on a xeno, he started watching out for them.
Anti Federalist replied to a thread Rand Paul: Omar deserves 'rebuke over trying to say we have a rotten country' in Rand Paul Forum
You know what would improve this situation? Sit back and do nothing while millions more just like her continue to invade.
Anti Federalist replied to a thread Rand releases immigration bill in Rand Paul Forum
Anti Federalist replied to a thread An Idiot's Guide To Destroying Your Country In Six Easy Steps in U.S. Political News
Anti Federalist replied to a thread USA women's soccer team loses to FC Dallas Under-15s boys. in Open Discussion
I can not wait until the trans weirdos displace these loud mouthed dykes. That will be hilarious to watch.


^ Langville & Meyer 2011, Glossary - PageRank.
^ Brin & Page 1998.
^ Brin & Page 1998, 2.2.1 Description of PageRank Calculation.
Langville, Amy N.; Meyer, Carl D. (2011) . Google's PageRank and Beyond. Princeton University Press. ISBN 140083032X. https://books.google.com/books?id=KsHTl_2Pfl8C.


text:
Q: Receive a string and verify if it is a valid date with date-fns I just want to validate if the string that i received is a valid date using date-fns.
I gonna receive a date like this '29/10/1989', BR date.
I want to transform it into 29-10-1989 and check if its valid.
Anyone can help me with this?
const parsedDate = parseISO('29/10/1989')

this code above doesnt work, i got 'Invalid Date'

A: Try parse with locale options like this:
import { parse, isValid, format } from 'date-fns';
import { enGB } from 'date-fns/locale';

const parsedDate = parse('29/10/1989', 'P', new Date(), { locale: enGB });
const isValidDate = isValid(parsedDate);
const formattedDate = format(parsedDate, 'dd-MM-yyyy');

A: I came up with this (based on Anatoly answer):
import { parse, isValid, format } from 'date-fns';
import { enGB } from 'date-fns/locale';

function isValidDate(day, month, year) {
  const parsed = parse(`${day}/${month}/${year}`, 'P', new Date(), { locale: enGB })
  return isValid(parsed)
}

console.log(isValidDate('31', '04', '2021')); // invalid: april has only 30 days
console.log(isValidDate('30', '04', '2021')); // valid

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text:
Q: How to prevent grep -f from sorting and removing duplicates I am using the function grep -f inputfile searchfile
As a result however I get the data sorted and all duplicates are removed. But this is actually not what I want and I cannot find a way to prevent this. Is there a way I get the exact same order as in the inputfile?
I don't understand why grep is doing this because in my memory this should not be happening. What could I do wrong here?
An example:
my inputfile looks like (first few lines shown):
Moraceae
Poaceae
Fagaceae
Rosaceae
Betulaceae
Salicaceae

My search file looks like (first few lines shown):
Acanthaceae 0   1   0   1   1   0   10  0   10  1   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   2   0   0   0
Adoxaceae   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   2   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0
Aizoaceae   0   0   0   0   3   0   0   0   1   3   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0
Amaranthaceae   0   1   0   0   7   0   5   0   4   1   0   0   6   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   4   0   0   0

The output looks like (first few lines shown):
Acanthaceae 0   1   0   1   1   0   10  0   10  1   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   2   0   0   0
Aizoaceae   0   0   0   0   3   0   0   0   1   3   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0
Amaranthaceae   0   1   0   0   7   0   5   0   4   1   0   0   6   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   4   0   0   0
Amaryllidaceae  0   1   0   0   6   1   11  0   6   4   2   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   8   0   0   0
Anacardiaceae   0   1   0   0   0   0   20  0   7   0   0   1   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   10  0   0   0

The names are printed in red, meaning that they were matching.But I want to retrieve the exact same order and occurence as my inputfile, starting with "Moraceae". Any ideas?
Thanks a lot in advance!

A: The behavior you show (although not immediately apparent from your example, since you don't show the full content of your inputfile) is expected. grep searches line-wise, meaning that every line of searchfile is checked against all patterns in inputfile and printed if any of them apply.
What you want to do seems to be a sequential check of searchfile against the patterns in inputfile, which is only possible in a multi-pass or buffering scenario.
You could write it as a bash loop (=multipass approach) or use awk (=buffering approach):
awk 'NR==FNR{pat[++np]=$0;next}
     {for (i=1;i<=np;i++) {if ($0~pat[i]) buf[i]=buf[i] ? buf[i] ORS $0:$0}}
     END{for (i=1;i<=np;i++) {if (buf[i]) print buf[i]}}' inputfile searchfile

This will first read all patterns in inputfile into an array pat, keeping the order of inputfile.
When processing of inputfile is finished, it will check every line of searchfile if it fits one of the patterns, and store the line grouped by pattern in a buffer array buf. In the end, the buffer content is printed, resulting in matched lines printed

*

*in the order of their matching pattern according to inputfile

*and secondary to that in the order they appeared in searchfile
Note that while using a dedicated tool like awk is usually a more efficient solution than using shell loops, this relies on buffering the relevant text and can become a resource problem if your inputfile and/or the amount of matched lines in searchfile becomes large.
Caveat: In its current form, the program uses full regular expression matching, meaning that the content of inputfile must not contain characters special to regular expressions (or if it does, properly escape them). If this is not what you want, and a literal string comparison should be performed instead, change the condition
if ($0 ~ pat[i])

to either
if ($1 == pat[i])

if the taxonomic category can only amount to single-word names (likely in your example), or
if (index($0,pat[i])==1)

if the names can contain multiple space-separated words.

A: To preserve duplicates and print in the same order as inputfile, do this:
while read -r pattern
do
    grep "$pattern" searchfile
done < inputfile