1. A method for increasing the absolute claudication distance in a patient suffering of peripheral arterial diseases andor intermittent claudication, said method comprising administering to said patient, as a therapeutically active agent for increasing the maximal walking distance, a composition comprising as a single active ingredient a therapeutically effective amount of at least one therapeutically active compound selected from the group consisting of betaine of formula (CH3)3N+(CH2)COO\u2212, pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof, so as to increase said absolute claudication distance.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the absolute claudication distance of said patient is increased by at least 10% with respect to the average walking distance of said patient before his treatment, said 10% increase corresponding to at least 20 meters and wherein the walking distance is determined by assessing the patient using a constant-load treadmill testing at a 12% grade inclination and speed of 3.2 kmh.
3. The method of claim 1, in which a therapeutically effective amount of at least one therapeutically active compound selected from the group consisting of (CH3)3N+(CH2)COO\u2212, pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof is daily administered to said patient for at least 4 weeks.
4. The method of claim 1, in which an effective therapeutic amount of at least one therapeutically active compound selected from the group consisting of (CH3)3N+(CH2)COO\u2212, pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof is orally administered to said patient.
5. The method of claim 1, in which the therapeutically active compound selected from the group consisting of (CH3)3N+(CH2)COO\u2212, pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof is administered to said patient with a dosage form selected from the group consisting of the once daily administration forms and the twice daily administration forms.
6. The method of claim 1, in which the therapeutically active compound selected from the group consisting of (CH3)3N+(CH2)COO\u2212, pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof is administered to said patient with an extended release dosage form.
7. The method of claim 1, in which at least 1000 mg of the therapeutically active compound selected from the group consisting of (CH3)3N+(CH2)COO\u2212, pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof is daily administered to said patient as an immediate release dosage form.
8. The method of claim 1 in which at least 250 mg of the therapeutically active compound selected from the group consisting of (CH3)3N+(CH2)COO\u2212, pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof is daily administered to said patient as an extended release dosage form.
9. The method of claim 1, in which from 250 mg to 3000 mg of the therapeutically active compound selected from the group consisting of (CH3)3N+(CH2)COO\u2212, pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof is daily administered to said patient as an extended release dosage form.
10. The method of claim 1, in which from 250 mg to 1000 mg of the therapeutically active compound selected from the group consisting of (CH3)3N+(CH2)COO\u2212, pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof is daily administered to said patient as an extended release dosage form.
11. The method of claim 1, in which at least 250 mg of the therapeutically active compound selected from the group consisting of (CH3)3N+(CH2)COO\u2212, pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof is daily administered to said patient as an extended release dosage form, and at least 250 mg of the therapeutically active compound selected from the group consisting of (CH3)3N+(CH2)COO\u2212, pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof is daily administered to said patient as an immediate release dosage form.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein said therapeutically active compound selected from the group consisting of (CH3)3N+(CH2)COO\u2212, pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof is daily administered to said patient as at least one unit dosage comprising an immediate release dosage portion of at least 250 mg of the therapeutically active compound and an extended release dosage portion of at least 250 mg of the therapeutically active compound.
13. A method for increasing the initial claudication distance in a patient suffering from peripheral arterial diseases andor intermittent claudication, said method comprising administering to said patient, as a therapeutically active agent for increasing the initial walking distance, a composition comprising as a single active ingredient a therapeutically effective amount of at least one therapeutically active compound selected from the group consisting of betaine of formula (CH3)3N+(CH2)COO\u2212, pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof, so as to increase said initial claudication distance.
14. A method for increasing the absolute claudication distance and for preventing stroke in a patient suffering of peripheral arterial diseases andor intermittent claudication, said method comprising administering to said patient, as therapeutically active agent for increasing the absolute walking distance, a therapeutically effective amount of at least one therapeutically active compound selected from the group consisting of betaine of formula (CH3)3N+(CH2)COO\u2212, pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof.
15. A method for increasing the absolute claudication distance and preventing stroke in a patient suffering of peripheral arterial diseases andor intermittent claudication and at risk from suffering of thrombosis, said method comprising administering to said patient, as therapeutically active agent for increasing the absolute walking distance, a therapeutically effective amount of at least one therapeutically active compound selected from the group consisting of betaine of formula (CH3)3N+(CH2)COO\u2212, pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof.
16. A method for increasing the absolute claudication distance and preventing stroke in a patient suffering of peripheral arterial diseases andor intermittent claudication and at risk from suffering of headaches due to a treatment for his peripheral arterial disease, said method comprising administering to said patient, as therapeutically active agent for increasing the absolute walking distance, a therapeutically effective amount of at least one therapeutically active compound selected from the group consisting of betaine of formula (CH3)3N+(CH2)COO\u2212, pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof.
17. A method for increasing the initial claudication distance without headache side effect in a patient suffering from peripheral arterial diseases andor intermittent claudication and at risk from suffering headache due to a treatment for his peripheral arterial occlusive disease, said method comprising administering to said patient a therapeutically effective amount of at least one therapeutically active compound selected from the group consisting of (CH3)3N+(CH2)COO\u2212, pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof.
18. A method for increasing the absolute claudication distance in a is patient suffering of peripheral arterial diseases andor intermittent claudication, said method comprising administering to said patient a therapeutically effective amount of a first active agent effective for treating peripheral arterial diseases andor intermittent claudication and a therapeutically effective amount of a second active agent different from the first active agent, whereby said second effective agent is selected from the group consisting of (CH3)3N+(CH2)COO\u2212, pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof.
19. The method of claim 18, in which the first active agent is selected from the group consisting of cilostazol, pentoxifylline, prostaglandins, naftidrofuryl, aspirin, clopidogrel, levocarnitine, propionyl levocarnitine, and mixtures thereof.
20. A method for increasing the absolute claudication distance in a patient suffering of peripheral arterial diseases andor intermittent claudication, said method comprising administering to said patient a therapeutically effective amount of a first active agent effective for treating peripheral arterial diseases andor intermittent claudication, said first active agent having at least one side effect selected from the group consisting of thrombosis, stroke, palpitation, headache, loose stool samples, soft stool samples, and a therapeutically effective amount of a second active agent different from the first active agent for preventing said at least one side effect of the first active agent, whereby said second effective agent is selected from the group consisting of (CH3)3N+(CH2)COO\u2212, pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof.
21. The method of claim 20, in which the first active agent is selected from the group consisting of Cilostazol, pentoxifylline, prostaglandins, naftidrofuryl, aspirin, clopidogrel, levocarnitine, propionyl levocarnitine, and mixtures thereof
22. A method for increasing the absolute claudication distance in a patient suffering of peripheral arterial diseases andor intermittent claudication, said method comprising administering to said patient a therapeutically effective amount of a first active agent effective for treating peripheral arterial diseases andor intermittent claudication for increasing the absolute claudication distance, and a therapeutically effective amount of a second active agent different from the first active agent, whereby said second effective agent is selected from the group consisting of betaine of formula (CH3)3N+(CH2)COO\u2212, pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof, said second agent improving at least one effect selected from the group consisting of the absolute claudication distance achieved by the first active agent taken alone, the initial claudication distance achieved by the first active agent taken alone, the time onset for achieving a 10% improvement of the walking distance with respect to the walking distance achieved without pain by the patient not treated for his peripheral arterial occlusive diseases, the time onset for achieving a 20 m improvement of the walking distance with respect to the walking distance achieved without pain by the patient not treated for his peripheral arterial occlusive disease, and combinations thereof.
23. The method of claim 22, in which the first active agent is selected from the group consisting of cilostazoi, pentoxifylline, prostaglandins, naftidrofuryl, aspirin, ciopidogrel, levocarnitine, propionyl levocarnitine, and mixtures thereof.
24. A method for increasing the initial claudication distance in a patient suffering of peripheral arterial diseases andor intermittent claudication, said method comprising administering to said patient a therapeutically effective amount of a first active agent effective for treating peripheral arterial diseases andor intermittent claudication for increasing a claudication distance selected from the group consisting of the absolute claudication distance and the initial claudication distance, and a therapeutically effective amount of a second active agent different from the first active agent, whereby said second effective agent is selected from the to group consisting of betaine of formula (CH3)3N+(CH2)COO\u2212, pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof, said second agent improving at least one effect selected from the group consisting of the absolute claudication distance achieved by the first active agent taken alone, the initial claudication distance achieved by the first active agent taken alone, the time onset for achieving a 10% improvement of the walking distance with respect to the walking distance achieved without pain by the patient not treated for his peripheral arterial occlusive diseases, the time onset for achieving a 20 m improvement of the walking distance with respect to the walking distance achieved without pain by the patient not treated for his peripheral arterial occlusive disease, and combinations thereof.
25. A method for increasing the initial claudication distance and the absolute walking distance in a patient suffering of peripheral arterial diseases andor intermittent claudication, said method comprising administering to said patient a therapeutically effective amount of a first active agent effective for treating peripheral arterial diseases andor intermittent claudication a claudication distance selected from the group consisting of the absolute claudication distance and the initial claudication distance, and a therapeutically effective amount of a second active agent different from the first active agent, whereby said second effective agent is selected from the group consisting of betaine of formula (CH3)3N+(CH2)COO\u2212, pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof, said second agent improving at least one effect selected from the group consisting of the absolute claudication distance achieved by the first active agent taken alone, the initial claudication distance achieved by the first active agent taken alone, the time onset for achieving a 10% improvement of the walking distance with respect to the walking distance achieved without pain by the patient not treated for his peripheral arterial occlusive diseases, the time onset for achieving a 20 m improvement of the walking distance with respect to the walking distance achieved without pain by the patient not treated for his peripheral arterial occlusive disease, and combinations thereof.
26. The method of claim 25, in which the first active agent is selected from the group consisting of cilostazol, pentoxifylline, prostaglandins, naftidrofuryl, aspirin, clopidogrel, levocarnitine, propionyl levocarnitine, and mixtures thereof.
27. A method for treating a patient suffering of peripheral arterial diseases andor intermittent claudication, said method comprising administering to said patient, as a therapeutically active agent, a composition comprising as a single active ingredient a therapeutically effective amount of at least one therapeutically active compound selected from the group consisting of betaine of formula (CH3)3N+(CH2)COO\u2212, pharmaceutically active salts thereof and mixtures thereof.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An ultrasonic acoustic device, comprising:
a signal device; and
a sound wave generator, comprising a carbon nanotube structure;
wherein when the signal device inputs signals to the carbon nanotube structure, the carbon nanotube is capable of converting the signals into heat; and the heat is capable of causing a thermoacoustic effect and generating an ultrasonic sound wave in a liquid medium.
2. The thermoacoustic device of claim 1, wherein the carbon nanotube structure has a heat capacity per unit area of less than or equal to 2\xd710\u22124 Jcm2*K.
3. The thermoacoustic device of claim 1, wherein the carbon nanotube structure has a heat capacity per unit area of less than or equal to 1.7\xd710\u22126 Jcm2*K.
4. The thermoacoustic device of claim 1, wherein the liquid medium has an electrical resistivity of higher than or equal to 1\xd710\u22122 \u03a9*M.
5. The thermoacoustic device of claim 4, wherein the liquid medium is selected from the group consisting of nonelectrolyte solution, pure water, seawater, freshwater organic solvent, and combinations thereof.
6. The thermoacoustic device of claim 4, wherein the liquid medium comprises of a pure water with an electrical resistivity of 1.5\xd7107 \u03a9*M.
7. The thermoacoustic device of claim 1, wherein the carbon nanotube structure is at least partial in contact with the liquid medium.
8. The thermoacoustic device of claim 1, wherein at least a surface of the carbon nanotube structure is in contact with the liquid medium.
9. The thermoacoustic device of claim 1, wherein the carbon nanotube structure is totally submerged in the liquid medium.
10. The thermoacoustic device of claim 1, wherein the carbon nanotube structure comprises of at least one carbon nanotube film, at least one carbon nanotube wire structure, or both at least one carbon nanotube film and at least one carbon nanotube wire structure.
11. The thermoacoustic device of claim 10, wherein the carbon nanotube film comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes disorderly arranged therein.
12. The thermoacoustic device of claim 11, wherein the carbon nanotube film is isotropic and the carbon nanotubes therein are entangled with each other.
13. The thermoacoustic device of claim 10, wherein the carbon nanotube film comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes orderly arranged therein.
14. The thermoacoustic device of claim 13, wherein the carbon nanotubes are joined end to end by the van der Waals attractive force therebetween.
15. The thermoacoustic device of claim 1, wherein the carbon nanotube structure comprises a plurality of stacked carbon nanotube films.
16. The ultrasonic acoustic device of claim 1, wherein the sound wave generator is capable of propagating a sound wave with a frequency response higher than 20 kHz.
17. The ultrasonic acoustic device of claim 1, further comprising at least two electrodes, the signal device coupled to the carbon nanotube structure by the at least two electrodes.
18. The ultrasonic acoustic device of claim 1, further comprising four electrodes; the sound wave generator forms a three dimensional structure; the four electrodes include a first electrode, a second electrode, a third electrode, and a fourth electrode; the first electrode and the third electrode are electrically connected in parallel to one terminal of the signal device; and the second electrode and the fourth electrode are electrically connected in parallel to a different terminal of the signal device.
19. An ultrasonic acoustic device comprising:
a carbon nanotube structure; wherein the carbon nanotube structure is capable of producing ultrasonic sound waves in a liquid medium by causing a thermoacoustic effect.
20. The thermoacoustic device of claim 19, the carbon nanotube structure is a drawn carbon nanotube film.