1. (canceled)
2. (canceled)
3. (canceled)
4. (canceled)
5. (canceled)
6. (canceled)
7. (canceled)
8. (canceled)
9. (canceled)
10. (canceled)
11. (canceled)
12. (canceled)
13. (canceled)
14. (canceled)
15. (canceled)
16. (canceled)
17. (canceled)
18. (canceled)
19. (canceled)
20. (canceled)
21. A method of hand exercising and massaging by means of an apparatus having a substantially hollow housing defined by at least a wall portion formed with at least two pairs of apertures, at least two elongated rods slidably movable within the respective pairs of apertures; said at least two elongate rods positioned at an angle with respect to each other and arranged in such a manner that said rods frictionally engage each other so as to resist the slidable movement of the rods within the respective pairs of apertures, said method comprising the steps of:
positioning said housing within a hand of a user; and
applying longitudinal pressure by the hand on said rods, so as to force said rods to slide within the respective pairs of apertures from an expanded position to a contracted position and to overcome said resistance to the slidable movement.
22. The method according to claim 21, wherein in said step of applying pressure, the pressure is applied along longitudinal axes of said rods by fingers of said hand resulted in exercising of said fingers.
23. The method according to claim 21, wherein in said step of applying pressure on said rods, the pressure is applied by a palm of a user resulted in massaging of the palm.
24. The method according to claim 21, wherein in said step of applying pressure on said rod, the user holds said housing by one hand and said pressure is applied by the other hand of the user.
25. The method according to claim 21, further comprising a step of rotating said housing, so as to change position of the housing within the hand of the user and to expose opposite ends of said rods to the respective pressure.
26. The method according claim 21, wherein said elongate rods are formed of a resilient material, the rods are deformed upon insertion into the respective apertures, so as to provide additional frictional engagement between the rods and said apertures and to generate additional resistance to the slidable movement of the rods within said apertures.
27. The method according to claim 21, wherein said housing is formed so as to support a non-parallel orientation of said rods during their slidable movement.
28. The method according to claim 21, wherein in said step of applying pressure on said rods, said pressure is applied by means of engaging the ends of said elongated rods with a palm of a user, whereby a pinch action is generated to the skin of a the user by ends of the rods upon the slidable movement thereof from the expanded to the contracted position.
29. The method according to claim 21, wherein said at least two elongate rods are arranged within the housing in a non-parallel manner, so that when the pressure is applied by a palm of the user against said rods causing a slidable motion thereof from the expanded to the contracted position thereof a pinch action and deformation of the skin occurs at a part of the palm engaging the rods, so as to provide massaging function to the palm.
30. The method according to claim 21, wherein in said step of applying pressure, the pressure is generated by pressing said rods against skin of a user.
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 method comprising identifying an infarct region within the ventricle of a subject; and
delivering near or in the infarct region material comprising aloe-derived pectin.
2. A method comprising identifying an infarct region within the ventricle of a subject; and
delivering to the infarct region material comprising aloe-derived pectin.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein delivering aloe-derived pectin prevents thinning of the ventricle.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein delivery of the aloe-derived pectin occurs within 2 weeks of a myocardial infarction (MI).
5. The method of claim 1 wherein delivery of the aloe-derived pectin occurs within 5, 10, 15, or 20 weeks of a myocardial infarction (MI).
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the aloe-derived pectin material further comprises at least one of cells, proteins, peptides, growth factors or microparticles containing at least one of cells, proteins, peptides, or growth factors or nanoparticles containing at least one of cells, proteins, peptides or growth factors.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein the aloe-derived pectin material comprises cells and proteins, cells and growth factors, or proteins and growth factors.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein said subject with the MI displays at least 20 percent ventricular damage.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the aloe-derived pectin displays a pseudoplastic characteristic.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein delivering aloe-derived pectin comprises: delivering the aloe-derived pectin material to the infarct region in a liquid phase and once delivered the aloe-derived pectin material is capable of transitioning to a solid phase in the presence of an endogenous material.
11. The method of claim 1 further comprising delivering at least one matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor (MMPIs) to the ventricle.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein delivering the aloe-derived pectin comprises introducing the aloe-derived pectin to the ventricle through a procedure.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the procedure to the ventricle region is selected from at least one of minimally invasive such as sub-xiphoid, percutaneous, or surgical approach such as open-chest procedure in conjunction with Coronary Bypass Graft (CABG).
14. The method of claim 13 wherein the percutaneous introduction of the aloe-derived pectin into the ventricle comprises at least one of the following modes consisting of intracoronary infusion, intraventricular catheter, intravenous pressure perfusion, transvascular needle catheter, and retrograde venous perfusion.
15. The method of claim 1 wherein delivering the aloe-derived pectin comprises delivering a composition suspended in a solution.
16. The method of claim 1 wherein delivering aloe-derived pectin near the infarct region is capable of increasing the compliance of the ventricle.
17. A kit comprising a delivery lumen; agents delivered from the delivery lumen; and at least one agent comprising a structural reinforcing agent wherein said structural reinforcing agent is capable of forming a matrix product within a ventricle wherein the structural re-inforcing agent comprises a material comprising aloe-derived pectin.
18. The kit of claim 17 further comprising forming a matrix product within or near an infarct region of a ventricle.
19. The kit of 17 further comprising a delivery device.
20. The kit of 17 wherein the structural reinforcing agent comprises a material in a liquid phase and once delivered the material is capable of transitioning to a solid phase in the presence of an endogenous material in or near an infarct region.
21. A kit comprising a delivery lumen and agents comprising aloe-derived pectin, wherein the agents are capable of increasing the compliance of a ventricle.
22. The kit of claim 21 further comprising a delivery device.
23. A method comprising delivering a liquid phase of a structural reinforcing agent to a ventricle wherein the structural reinforcing agent is capable of transitioning to a solid when an environmental temperature is approximately a body temperature of a mammalian subject and wherein the structural reinforcing agent comprises a material comprising aloe-derived pectin.
24. The method of claim 23 wherein delivering a liquid phase of a structural reinforcing agent to a ventricle comprises delivering a liquid phase of a structural reinforcing agent to or near an infarct region of a ventricle.
25. A method comprising delivering a first material and a second different material to a ventricle wherein a first material and a second different material are components of a final product and wherein the first or second material comprises aloe-derived pectin.
26. The method of claim 25 wherein the final product prevents thinning of the ventricle.
27. A kit comprising at least two delivery lumen; agents delivered from each delivery lumen; and a first material and a second different material wherein the first material and the second different material are components of a final product and are capable of forming the final product within a ventricle and wherein the first or second material comprises aloe-derived pectin.
28. The kit of claim 27 wherein the first material and the second material are housed in separate lumen.
29. The kit of claim 27 wherein a final product is formed within or near an infarct region of a ventricle from the first material and the second material.
30. The kit of claim 27 further comprising a delivery device.
31. The kit of claim 30 wherein the delivery device comprises a dual chamber delivery device comprising separate chambers for the first material and the second different material.