What is claimed is:
1. A process for regulating air temperature in an incubator, which accommodates a patient, can be closed, is transparent to heat radiation and is exposed to radiation of a heat radiation source, with an air temperature sensor in the incubator and with an evaluating and control unit, which evaluates signals received from the air temperature sensor and controls a radiation dose delivered by the heat radiation source, the process comprising the steps of:
sensing the air temperature with the air temperature sensor to provide an actual air temperature value TI and sending the actual air temperature value to the evaluating and control unit;
comparing with the evaluating and control unit the actual value TI with an internally preset set point TS for the air temperature, forming a difference TSTI from the two values and generating a manipulated variable from the difference TSTI for the heat radiation source;
increasing the radiation dose of the heat radiation source if TSTI>0; and
decreasing the radiation dose of the heat radiation source if TSTI<0, the radiation dose of the heat radiation source is reduced until TSTI0 is reached.
2. A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein the heat radiation source has a constant distance from the incubator.
3. A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein the heat radiation source emits uninterrupted radiation.
4. A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein the incubator can be closed by a hood that is transparent to the radiation of the heat radiation source.
5. A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein the air temperature sensor has a screen that is nontransparent to the radiation of the heat radiation source.
6. A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one body temperature sensor first determines a patient’s body temperature value and sends it to the evaluating and control unit, which determines therefrom the set point TS for the air temperature in such a manner that this set point corresponds to a desired body temperature value of the patient.
7. A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein a means for regulated air humidification is provided in the incubator.
8. A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein a means for regulated enrichment with oxygen is provided in the incubator.
9. A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein continuous enrichment with fresh air is performed with such an amount that a slight overpressure is generated ranging from fractions of one Pascal to a few Pascals in the incubator.
10. A process in accordance claim 1, wherein a heating mattress is provided in the incubator and is controlled by the evaluating and control unit.
11. A system for regulating the air temperature in an incubator, the system comprising:
an incubator which accommodates a patient, the incubator being openable and closable and having at least a portion transparent to heat radiation;
a heat radiation source, the portion of the incubator transparent to heat radiation being exposed to radiation of the heat radiation source;
an air temperature sensor in the incubator; and
an evaluating and control unit for evaluating air temperature signals representing an actual air temperature value TI received from the air temperature sensor, comparing the actual value TI with an internally preset set point value TS, forming a difference TSTI , from the two values and generating a manipulated variable from the difference TSTI for controlling the heat radiation source and controlling a radiation dose delivered by the heat radiation source by increasing the radiation dose of the heat radiation source if TSTI>0 and decreasing the radiation dose of the heat radiation source if TSTI<0, the radiation dose of the heat radiation source is reduced until TSTI0 is reached.
12. A system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the heat radiation source is positioned at a constant distance from the incubator.
13. A system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the heat radiation source emits uninterrupted radiation.
14. A system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the incubator includes a hood forming the incubator portion transparent to the radiation of the heat radiation source.
15. A system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the air temperature sensor has a screen that is nontransparent to the radiation of the heat radiation source.
16. A system in accordance with claim 11, further comprising a body temperature sensor for first determining a patient’s body temperature value and sending the body temperature value to the evaluating and control unit, the evaluating and control unit determining a set point TS for the air temperature in such a manner that the set point corresponds to a desired body temperature value of the patient.
17. A system in accordance with claim 11, further comprising a regulated air humidification unit for the incubator.
18. A system in accordance with claim 11, further comprising means for regulated enrichment of the interior of the incubator with oxygen.
19. A system in accordance with claim 11, wherein continuous enrichment with fresh air is performed to generate a slight overpressure ranging from a fraction of one Pascal to a few Pascals in the incubator.
20. A system in accordance claim 11, further comprising a heated mattress in the incubator controlled by the evaluating and control unit.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
We claim:
1. A method of treating a patient requiring long-term therapy following hematopoietic cell transplantation having graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) or folowing organ allograft transplantation having host-yersus-graft disease (HVGD)c the method comprising long term topical oral administration of a topically active corticosteroid.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the topically active corticosteroid is administered orally at a dosage of 4 mg per day to 12 mg per day.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the patient has tissue damage and the tissue is intestinal mucosa.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the patient has tissue damage and the tissue is small bile ducts in the liver.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the patient has tissue damage and the tissue damage is inflammation.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the patient has tissue damage and the tissue damage is destruction of the mucosa of the intestine.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the topically active corticosteriod is administered orally from day 29 to day 56 following hematopoietic cell transplantation.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the topically active corticosteriod is administered in combination with prednisone or prednisolone at 2 mgkg.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the topically active corticosteroid is formulated for oral administration in the form of a pill, capsule or microsphere.
10. The method of claim 7 wherein the of topically active corticosteroid is formulated such that the pill, microsphere, or capsule dissolves in the stomach, small intestine or colon.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein the topically active corticosteroid is formulated for oral administration in the form of an emulsion.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein administration of the topically active corticosteroid initiates following infusion of the hematopoietic cells.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein administration of the topically active corticosteroid ceases after 80 days following infusion of the hematopoietic cells.
14. The method of claim 1 wherein the patient is the recipient of HLA-mismatched hematopoietic stem cells.
15. The method of claim 1 wherein the patient is the recipient of unrelated donor hematopoietic stem cells, umbilical vein hematopoietic stem cells, or peripheral blood stem cells.
16. The method of claim 1 wherein the topically active corticosteroid is administered in combination with other prophylactic agents.
17. The method of claim 1 wherein the topically active corticosteroid is beclomethasone dipropionate.
18. The method of claim 1 wherein the topically active corticosteroid is alclometasone dipropionate, busedonide, 22S busesonide, 22R budesonide, beclomethasone-17-monopropionate, clobetasol propionate, diflorasone diacetate, flunisolide, flurandrenolide, fluticasone propionate, halobetasol propionate, halcinocide, mometasone furoate, or triamcinalone acetonide.