1. A method of treating heart failure comprising:
(a) identifying a patient having heart failure; and
(b) administering to said patient a histone deacetylase inhibitor.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said histone deacetylase inhibitor is selected from the group consisting of trichostatin A, trapoxin B, MS 275-27, m-carboxycinnamic acid bis-hydroxamide, depudecin, oxamfiatin, apicidin, suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid, Scriptaid, pyroxamide, 2-amino-8-oxo-9,10-epoxy-decanoyl, 3-(4-aroyl-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)-N-hydroxy-2-propenamide and FR901228.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein administering comprises intravenous administration of said histone deacetylase inhibitor.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein administering comprises oral, transdermal, sustained release, suppository, or sublingual administration.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising administering to said patient a second therapeutic regimen.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein said second therapeutic regimen is selected from the group consisting of a beta blocker, an iontrope, diuretic, ACE-I, AII antagonist, and Ca++-blocker.
7. The method of claim 5, wherein said second therapeutic regimen is administered at the same time as said histone deacetylase inhibitor.
8. The method of claim 5, wherein said second therapeutic regimen is administered either before or after said histone deacetylase inhibitor.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein treating comprises improving one or more symptoms of heart failure.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein said one or more symptoms comprises increased exercise capacity, increased blood ejection volume, left ventricular end diastolic pressure, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, cardiac output, cardiac index, pulmonary artery pressures, left ventricular end systolic and diastolic dimensions, left and right ventricular wall stress, or wall tension, quality of life, disease-related morbidity and mortality.
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 rupture detection system comprising:
an outer shell configured for implantation within a subject;
an inner shell contained within the outer shell, where the inner shell is filled with
a first volume of fluid or gel and is suspended within the outer shell via a second volume of the fluid or gel;
at least one optical waveguide incorporated into the inner shell andor outer shell; and,
a radio-frequency identification (RFID) circuit secured within or along the inner shell and in optical communication with the at least one optical waveguide, wherein the RFID is configured to provide an indication of receipt of an optical signal indicative of a discontinuity in the optical waveguide.
2. The rupture detection system of claim 1, wherein the RFID circuit comprises:
a photo emitter;
a photo detector; and
a light guiding and concentrating mechanism,
where the at least one optical waveguide is in optical communication between the photo emitter and the photo detector such that the photo emitter is configured to emit an optical signal directed through the light guiding and concentrating mechanism and into the waveguide.
3. The rupture detection system of claim 2, wherein the photo emitter and photo detector are attached to the inner shell of a breast implant.
4. The rupture detection system of claim 3, wherein the optical waveguide is made of a material with similar mechanical properties as the shell of the breast implant such that the optical waveguide will break when the shell ruptures.
5. The rupture detection system of claim 3, wherein the optical waveguide is configured to break when the shell is subjected to mechanical stresses that will eventually lead to its rupture.
6. The rupture detection system of claim 4, wherein the optical waveguide is a silicone-based optical fiber.
7. The rupture detection system of claim 6, wherein the at least one optical fiber is distributed across the inner shell.
8. The rupture detection system of claim 2, wherein the photo detector comprises a noise reduction sub-circuit.
9. The rupture detection system of claim 8, wherein the noise reduction sub-circuit is configured to reduce noise and bias that originates in the photo detector circuitry.
10. The rupture detection system of claim 2, wherein the light guiding and concentration mechanism comprises a lens.
11. The rupture detection system of claim 2, where in the photo emitter is configured to directly guide and concentrate light.
12. A rupture detection system comprising:
a photo emitter;
a photo detector;
a light guiding and concentrating mechanism; and
a single optical waveguide between the photo emitter and the photo detector, wherein the photo emitter is configured to emit an optical signal directed through the light guiding and concentrating mechanism and into the waveguide, and
wherein the photo detector is configured to provide an indication of the receipt of the optical signal to detect a discontinuity in the optical waveguide.
13. The rupture detection system of claim 12, further comprising a radio frequency identification (RFID) circuit in communication with the photo emitter and the photo detector, wherein the RFID circuit is configured to issue commands to the photo emitter and to wirelessly transmit the indication from the photo detector to a RFID reader.
14. The rupture detection system of claim 13, wherein the photo emitter, photo detector, optical waveguide, and RFID circuit are attached to a shell of a breast implant.
15. The rupture detection system of claim 14, wherein the optical waveguide is made of a material with similar mechanical properties as the shell of the breast implant such that the optical waveguide will break when the shell ruptures.
16. The rupture detection system of claim 14, wherein the optical waveguide is configured to break when the shell is subjected to mechanical stresses that will eventually lead to its rupture.
17. The rupture detection system of claim 15, wherein the optical waveguide is a silicone-based optical fiber.
18. The rupture detection system of claim 17, wherein the single optical fiber is distributed across the shell.
19. The rupture detection system of claim 18, wherein the single optical fiber is distributed across the shell such that the optical fiber does not cross itself more than twice.
20. The rupture detection system of claim 18, wherein the single optical fiber is distributed across the shell in two or more separate layers of the shells.
21. The rupture detection system of claim 13, wherein the photo detector comprises a noise reduction sub-circuit.
22. The rupture detection system of claim 21, wherein the noise reduction sub-circuit is configured to reduce noise and bias that originates in the photo detector circuitry.
23. The rupture detection system of claim 22, wherein receiver comprises a photo detector having a dark current, and wherein the noise reduction sub-circuit reduces a bias in the photo detector by compensating for the dark current.
24. The rupture detection system of claim 22, wherein the noise reduction sub-circuit is configured to reduce noise and bias that is introduced into the single optical waveguide.
25. A device for detecting a discontinuity in a shell comprising:
a microcontroller;
a photo emitter in communication with the microcontroller;
a photo detector in communication with the microcontroller;
a light guiding and concentrating mechanism;
a single optical fiber embedded in the shell, wherein a first end of the optical fiber is optically coupled through the light guiding and concentrating mechanism to the photo emitter and a second end of the optical fiber is optically coupled to the photo detector; and
an RFID circuit in communication with the microcontroller, wherein the RFID circuit is configured to communicate wirelessly with a RFID reader.
26. The device of claim 25, wherein the optical fiber is made of a material with similar mechanical properties as the shell such that the optical fiber will break when the shell ruptures.
27. The device of claim 26, wherein the optical fiber is made of a silicone-based material.
28. The device of claim 26, wherein the single optical fiber is distributed across the shell such that the optical fiber does not cross itself more than twice.
29. A method of detecting a discontinuity in a breast implant shell comprising:
holding a RFID reader close to a breast implant that comprises a detection system, wherein the detection system comprises a photo emitter, a photo detector, a single optical waveguide therebetween, and a light guiding and concentrating mechanism optically coupling the photo emitter and a terminal end of the single optical waveguide;
sending a signal from the RFID reader to the detection system to emit an optical signal from the photo emitter to the single optical waveguide; and
interrogating the detection system with the RFID reader to query the photo detector to detect a discontinuity in the optical waveguide based on the reception of the optical signal.
30. The method of claim 29, wherein the breast implant is external to a patient.
31. The method of claim 29, wherein the breast implant has been implanted in a patient.