1. A finger cuff apparatus for selective occlusion of finger blood vessels for measuring blood pressure by inflation and deflation of an air inflatable finger cuff, the apparatus being adjustable to vary the diameter of the cuff to accommodate different diameter fingers; the apparatus comprising:
an inflatable finger cuff having an air tube affixed to a source of controlled air pressure and wrapped into a cylindrical configuration within the interior of a pair of rings, one fixed and the other a rotatable ring;
a pull-tab adhered to the finger cuff along its entire length in the wrap direction and having a tab end extending beyond the finger cuff wrap through a slit in the fixed ring and into a retaining member in said rotatable ring interior;
wherein rotation of the rotatable hollow cylindrical ring relative to the fixed ring pulls or pushes said pull-tab to alter the shape of the finger cuff.
2. The apparatus recited in claim 1 further comprising an indexing flange and a pointer on said rotatable ring for indicating a number corresponding to the rotatable ring position.
3. The apparatus recited in claim I further comprising a locking flange for retaining said rotatable ring in a selected position.
4. The apparatus recited in claim I further comprising a computer mouse having an accessible interior compartment for storing said finger cuff.
5. The apparatus recited in claim I further comprising a computer mouse having at least one air flow port for receiving said air tube of said finger cuff.
6. An adjustable finger cuff assembly for use with a blood pressure measurement device wherein a user’s finger is inserted into a finger cuff for selective occlusion of blood flow in the user’s finger; the finger cuff assembly comprising:
an air inflatable finger cuff configured as a hollow cylinder the diameter of which is controlled by a pull tab adhered to said cuff and having a tab end;
a pair of co-axial cylindrical rings, one ring fixed and one ring rotatable, said tab end of said pull tab being threaded between said fixed and rotatable rings with said finger cuff residing within said fixed ring so that rotation of said rotatable ring pulls or pushes said tab end to adjust said finger cuff cylinder diameter according to the size of a user’s finger.
7. The assembly recited in claim 6 further comprising an indexing flange and a pointer on said rotatable ring for indicating a number corresponding to the adjusted rotatable ring position relative to said fixed ring.
8. The assembly recited in claim 6 further comprising a locking device for retaining the rotatable ring in an adjusted position.
9. The assembly recited in claim 6 further comprising a computer mouse having an accessible interior compartment for storing said finger cuff.
10. The assembly recited in claim 6 further comprising a computer mouse having at least one air flow port for connection to said inflatable finger cuff.
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 for preparing a granulate composition of Alpinia galanga or Alpinia conchigera, said method comprising the steps of:
a. providing a dry preparation of Alpinia galanga or Alpinia conchigera which is milled;
b. suspending said dry preparation in an essentially pure organic solvent,
c. wet granulation of said dry preparation with a binder dissolved in an essentially pure organic solvent, said binder solution being essentially devoid of water;
d. removing the organic solvent;
e. providing a final milling;
said steps b-d) being performed at a temperature lower than 50\xb0 C., such as lower than 40\xb0 C., such as lower than 35\xb0 C., such as 30\xb0 C.
2. The method of claim 1, in which the organic solvent is ethanol.
3. The method of claim 1, in which one or both of steps b) and c) is performed at a temperature of 30\xb0 C. or less.
4. The method of claim 1, in which step d) is performed under vacuum.
5. The method of claim 1, in which steps b) and c) are combined, such that the dry preparation of Alpinia galanga or Alpinia conchigera is directly mixed with a binder solution instead of first being suspended in an essentially pure organic solvent.
6. The method of claim 1, in which step a) comprises a down-sizing step.
7. The method of claim 1, in which the dry preparation of step a) has been prepared from the rhizomes of Alpinia galanga or Alpinia conchigera.
8. The method according to claim 7, in which all the steps are performed at a temperature of 30\xb0 C. or less.
9. A granulate composition of rhizomes from Alpinia galanga or Alpinia conchigera, said dry preparation comprising:
i) all the constituent parts of Alpinia galanga or Alpinia conchigera in essentially anhydrous, or desiccated form;
ii) at least 1% 1’S-1\u2032-acetoxychavicol acetate.
10. The granulate composition according to claim 9, comprising at least 1.5% 1’S-1\u2032-acetoxychavicol acetate, such as at least 2% 1’S-1\u2032-acetoxychavicol acetate, such as at least 2.5%, such as at least 3%, such as at least 3.5%, such as at least 4%, such as at least 4.5%, such as at least 5%, such as at least 5.5%, such as at least 6%, such as at least 6.5%, such as at least 7%, such as at least 7.5%, such as at least 8%.
11. The granulate composition according to claim 9, obtainable by the method according to claim 1.
12. The granulate composition according to claim 10, formulated as an ingestible preparation, such as a tablet, a pill, a capsule, a powder or a suspension in an edible oil such as flaxseed oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, peanut oil, rapeseed oil, grape seed oil, annatto oil, avocado oil, food grade linseed oil, macadamia nut oil, rice bran oil, walnut oil or Perilla seed oil.
13. The granulate composition according to claim 10, formulated as a dietary supplement, a food additive or as a medical food.
14. The granulate composition according to claim 10, optionally together with an extract of Punica granatum, for use as a medicament or as a medical device.
15. The granulate composition according to claim 10, optionally together with an extract of Punica granatum, for use in the treatment of male infertility caused by low sperm count andor by low sperm motility.
16. A kit for use in the treatment of male infertility caused by low sperm count andor by low sperm motility, comprising two components contained in separate containers;
a. the first component comprises the granulate composition according to claim 10, and
b. the second component comprises an extract of Punica granatum, and
c. optionally a set of instructions.
17. The kit according to claim 16 in which the first component contains at least 5 mg 1’S-1\u2032-acetoxychavicol acetateday, such as between 5 and 50 mg 1’S-1\u2032-acetoxychavicol acetateday and preferably at least 10 mg 1’S-1\u2032-acetoxychavicol acetateday, and the second component contains at least 75 mg punicalaginsday, such as between 75 mg punicalaginsday and 600 mg punicalaginsday, such as between 100 mg punicalaginsday and 500 mg punicalaginsday, preferably at least 300 mg punicalaginsday.