What is claimed is:
1. An oximeter sensor comprising:
a light emitting element;
a light detecting element; and
a memory device for storing digital data comprising expiration data relating to the oximeter sensor.
2. The oximeter sensor of claim 1 wherein said expiration data comprises a sensor warranty expiration date.
3. The oximeter sensor of claim 1 wherein said expiration data is an expiration date after which time said sensor can no longer be certified as being effective.
4. The oximeter sensor of claim 3 wherein an oximeter monitor coupled to said oximeter sensor briefly drives a high current through said light emitting element to disable said light emitting element after said expiration date.
5. The oximeter sensor of claim 3 wherein an oximeter monitor coupled to said oximeter sensor refuses to function after said expiration date.
6. The oximeter sensor of claim 3 wherein an oximeter monitor coupled to said oximeter sensor displays a sensor expiration message after said expiration date.
7. The oximeter sensor of claim 1 wherein said expiration data is a date after which time sterilization should not be performed on said sensor.
8. The oximeter sensor of claim 1 wherein said expiration data comprises:
a counter that encodes the number of sterilization cycles that have been performed on said sensor; and
a maximum number of sterilization cycles allowed for said sensor.
9. The oximeter sensor of claim 1 wherein said expiration data comprises a maximum usage time for the use of said oximeter sensor.
10. The oximeter sensor of claim 9 wherein said expiration data further comprises a total usage time to date for said oximeter sensor.
11. The oximeter sensor of claim 10 wherein an oximeter monitor coupled to said oximeter sensor encodes the total usage time for said sensor in said memory device and compares the total usage time to said maximum usage time to determine when said sensor has expired.
12. A method for storing data in an oximeter sensor, the method comprising:
emitting light from a light emitting element;
detecting light from the light emitting element using a photodetector; and
storing digitally encoded data in a memory in the sensor, the digitally encoded data comprising expiration data relating to the oximeter sensor.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein storing said digitally encoded data further comprises storing a sensor warranty expiration date in said memory.
14. The method of claim 12 wherein storing said digitally encoded data further comprises storing an expiration date in said memory after which time said sensor cannot be certified as being effective.
15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:
driving a high current through said light emitting element to disable said light emitting element after said expiration date.
16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:
displaying a sensor expiration message after said expiration date on an oximeter monitor coupled to said sensor.
17. The method of claim 12 wherein storing said digitally encoded data further comprises storing an expiration date after which time sterilization cycles should not be performed on said sensor.
18. The method of claim 12 wherein storing said digitally encoded data further comprises storing a counter that encodes the number of sterilization cycles that have been performed on said sensor and a maximum number of sterilization cycles allowed for said sensor in said memory.
19. The method of claim 12 wherein storing said digitally encoded data further comprises storing a maximum usage time for the use of said oximeter sensor.
20. The method of claim 19 wherein storing said digitally encoded data further comprises storing a total usage time to date for said oximeter sensor.
21. The method of claim 20 further comprising:
displaying a sensor expiration message on a display screen when the total usage time for said sensor reaches the maximum usage time.
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. A composition for treating or preventing a flavivirus or pestivirus infection, comprising a Jab1 (Jun-activation binding protein 1) protein.
2. The composition as set forth in claim 1, wherein the Jab1 protein has an amino acid sequence designated as SEQ ID No. 2.
3. The composition as set forth in claim 1, wherein the Jab1 protein is encoded by a nucleotide sequence designated as SEQ ID No. 1.
4. A composition for treating or preventing a flavivirus or pestivirus infection, comprising a nucleic acid having a nucleotide sequence coding for a Jab1 protein.
5. The composition as set forth in claim 4, wherein the nucleic acid having the nucleotide sequence coding for the Jab1 protein is a recombinant vector having a nucleotide sequence coding for an amino acid sequence designated as SEQ ID No. 2.
6. The composition as set forth in claim 4, wherein the nucleic acid having the nucleotide sequence coding for the Jab1 protein is a recombinant vector having a nucleotide sequence designated as SEQ ID No. 1.
7. The composition as set forth in claim 5 or 6, wherein the recombinant vector is a recombinant viral vector.
8. The composition as set forth in claim 7, wherein the recombinant viral vector is selected from among recombinant retrovirus, adenovirus, adeno-associated virus and herpes simplex virus.
9. A composition for treating or preventing a flavivirus or pestivirus infection, comprising a recombinant virus expressing a Jab1 protein.
10. The composition as set forth in claim 9, wherein the recombinant vector expressing the Jab1 protein is a recombinant virus expressing a Jab1 protein having an amino acid sequence designated as SEQ ID No. 2.
11. The composition as set forth in claim 9, wherein the recombinant vector expressing the Jab1 protein is a recombinant virus expressing a Jab1 protein encoded by a nucleotide sequence designated as SEQ ID No. 1.
12. The composition as set forth in claim 9, wherein the recombinant vector is selected from among adenovirus, adeno-associated virus and herpes simplex virus.
13. The composition as set forth in claim 12, wherein the recombinant vector is selected from among retrovirus and adenovirus.
14. The composition as set forth in any one of claims 1, 4 and 9, wherein the infection is a flavivirus infection.
15. The composition as set forth in claim 14, wherein the flavivirus is West Nile virus.
16. The composition as set forth in any one of claims 1, 4 and 9, wherein the infection is associated with fever, rash, bleeding, jaundice, arthralgia, myalgia, encephalitis or meningitis.
17. A method of screening a compound stimulating expression of a Jab1 protein, comprising:
(a) culturing a cell expressing the Jab1 protein;
(b) contacting the cell cultured at (a) with candidate compounds for stimulating expression of the Jab1 protein;
(c) comparing an expression level of the Jab1 protein at (b) with that in a control not contacted with the candidate compounds; and
(d) identifying a compound increasing expression levels of the Jab1 protein.
18. A method of screening a compound stimulating interaction between a Jab1 protein and a capsid (Cp) protein, comprising:
(a) culturing a cell transformed with both a recombinant vector expressing the Jab1 protein and another recombinant vector expressing the Cp protein of flavivirus or pestivirus;
(b) contacting the cell cultured at (a) with candidate compounds for stimulating interaction between the Jab1 protein and the Cp protein;
(c) comparing an expression level of the Cp protein at (b) with that in a control not contacted with the candidate compounds; and
(d) identifying a compound reducing expression levels of the Cp protein.
19. The method as set forth in claim 17 or 18, wherein the comparison of expression levels at (c) is carried out in protein or mRNA levels.
20. The method as set forth in claim 19, wherein the comparison of expression levels is carried out by an immunoassay method.
21. The method as set forth in claim 19, wherein the comparison of expression levels is carried out in mRNA levels by RT-PCT (Reverse Transcription-Polymerization Chain Reaction).