1. A composition of matter comprising in combination:
(a) a 3-(3-dimethylamino-1-ethyl-2-methyl-propyl)-phenol compound corresponding to formula (I):
or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof wherein the 3-(3-dimethylamino-1-ethyl-2-methyl-propyl)-phenol compound corresponding to formula (I) or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is provided in immediate release form, and
(b) at least one antiepileptic selected from the group consisting of pregabalin, gabapentin, topiramate, lamotrigine, lacosamide, levetiracetam and retigabine.
2. A composition of matter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said 3-(3-dimethylamino-1-ethyl-2-methyl-propyl)-phenol compound is present in the form of an isolated stereoisomer.
3. A composition of matter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said 3-(3-dimethylamino-1-ethyl-2-methyl-propyl)-phenol compound is present in the form of a mixture of stereoisomers in any mixing ratio.
4. A composition of matter as claimed in claim 3, wherein said mixture is a racemic mixture.
5. A composition of matter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the compound of formula (I) is selected from the group consisting of:
(1R,2R)-3-(3-dimethylamino-1-ethyl-2-methyl-propyl)-phenol,
(1S,2S)-3-(3-dimethylamino-1-ethyl-2-methyl-propyl)-phenol,
(1R,2S)-3-(3-dimethylamino-1-ethyl-2-methyl-propyl)-phenol,
(1S,2R)-3-(3-dimethylamino-1-ethyl-2-methyl-propyl)-phenol, and
mixtures of two or more of the foregoing.
6. A composition of matter as claimed in claim 5, wherein said compound of formula (I) is selected from the group consisting of:
(1R,2R)-3-(3-dimethylamino -1-ethyl-2-methyl-propyl)-phenol,
(1S,2 S)-3-(3-dimethylamino -1-ethyl-2-methyl-propyl)-phenol, and
mixtures thereof.
7. A composition of matter as claimed in claim 6, wherein said compound of formula (I) is (1R,2R)-3-(3-dimethylamino-1-ethyl-2-methyl-propyl)-phenol of formula (I\u2032),
or an acid addition salt thereof.
8. A composition of matter as claimed in claim 7, wherein said compound of formula (I) is a hydrochloride salt of (1R,2R)-3-(3-dimethylamino-1-ethyl-2-methyl-propyl)-phenol.
9-11. (canceled)
12. A composition of matter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the antiepileptic is pregabalin.
13. A composition of matter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the antiepileptic is gabapentin.
14. A composition of matter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the antiepileptic is topiramate.
15. A composition of matter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the antiepileptic is lamotrigine.
16. A composition of matter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the antiepileptic is lacosamide.
17. A composition of matter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the antiepileptic is levetiracetam.
18. A composition of matter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the antiepileptic is retigabine.
19. A composition of matter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two components (a) and (b) are present in the form of a salt formed from said two components.
20. A composition of matter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said 3-(3-dimethylamino-1-ethyl-2-methyl-propyl)-phenol compound or salt thereof and said antiepileptic are present in a weight ratio such that the composition exerts a synergistic effect upon administration to a patient.
21. A composition of matter as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one pharmaceutical carrier or auxiliary agent.
22. A composition of matter as claimed in claim 21, wherein said composition is formed into a dosage form suitable for oral, intravenous, intraarterial, intraperitoneal, intradermal, transdermal, intrathekal, intramuscular, intranasal, transmucosal, subcutaneous, or rectal administration.
23. A composition of matter as claimed in claim 22, wherein said antiepileptic is present in controlled-release form.
24. A composition of matter as claimed in claim 21, wherein said composition comprises caffeine.
25. A method of treating or inhibiting pain in a subject in need thereof, said method comprising administering to said subject a pharmacologically effective amount of a composition as claimed in claim 1.
26. A method as claimed in claim 25, wherein said pain is selected from the group consisting of inflammatory pain, neuropathic pain, acute pain, chronic pain, visceral pain, migraine pain and cancer pain.
27. A method as claimed in claim 25, wherein said 3-(3-dimethylamino-1-ethyl-2-methyl-propyl)-phenol compound and said antiepileptic are administered simultaneously either by the same or by different pathways of administration.
28. A method as claimed in claim 25, wherein said 3-(3-dimethylamino-1-ethyl-2-methyl-propyl)-phenol compound and said antiepileptic are administered sequentially either by the same or by different pathways of administration, with the 3-(3-dimethylamino-1-ethyl-2-methyl-propyl)-phenol compound being administered before the antiepileptic.
29. A method as claimed in claim 25, wherein said 3-(3-dimethylamino-1-ethyl-2-methyl-propyl)-phenol compound and said antiepileptic are administered sequentially either by the same or by different pathways of administration, with the 3-(3-dimethylamino-1-ethyl-2-methyl-propyl)-phenol compound being administered after the antiepileptic.
30. A composition of matter comprising in combination:
(a) a 3-(3-dimethylamino-1-ethyl-2-methyl-propyl)-phenol compound corresponding to formula (I):
or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof wherein the 3-(3-dimethylamino-1-ethyl-2-methyl-propyl)-phenol compound corresponding to formula (I) or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is provided in immediate release form, and
(b) at least one antiepileptic selected from the group consisting of pregabalin, gabapentin, topiramate, lamotrigine, lacosamide, levetiracetam and retigabine andor at least one compound selected from the group consisting of voltage dependent calcium channel blockers, voltage dependent t-type calcium channel blockers, voltage dependent sodium channel blockers, compounds that exhibit enhancement of fast or slow inactivation of voltage dependent sodium channels, KCNQ channel openers, SV2A ligands, modulators of collapsin response mediator protein-2, glutamate release inhibitors, AMPA receptor antagonists, GABA aminotransferase inhibitors, GABA reuptake inhibitors and carbonic anhydrase inhibitors.
31. A composition of matter as claimed in claim 30, wherein said 3-(3-dimethylamino-1-ethyl-2-methyl-propyl)-phenol compound is present in the form of an isolated stereoisomer.
32. A composition of matter as claimed in claim 30, wherein said 3-(3-dimethylamino-1-ethyl-2-methyl-propyl)-phenol compound is present in the form of a mixture of stereoisomers in any mixing ratio.
33. A composition of matter as claimed in claim 32, wherein said mixture is a racemic mixture.
34. A composition of matter as claimed in claim 30, wherein the compound of formula (I) is selected from the group consisting of:
(1R,2R)-3-(3-dimethylamino-1-ethyl-2-methyl-propyl)-phenol,
(1S,2S)-3-(3-dimethylamino-1-ethyl-2-methyl-propyl)-phenol,
(1R,2S)-3-(3-dimethylamino-1-ethyl-2-methyl-propyl)-phenol,
(1S,2R)-3-(3-dimethylamino-1-ethyl-2-methyl-propyl)-phenol, and
mixtures of two or more of the foregoing.
35. A composition of matter as claimed in claim 34, wherein said compound of formula (I) is (1R,2R)-3-(3-dimethylamino-1-ethyl-2-methyl-propyl)-phenol of formula (I\u2032),
or an acid addition salt thereof.
36. A composition of matter as claimed in claim 30, wherein the antiepileptic is selected from the group consisting of methylphenobarbital, phenobarbital, primidone, barbexaclone, metharbital, ethotoin, phenytoin, amino(diphenylhydantoin)valeric acid, mephenytoin, fosphenytoin, paramethadione, trimethadione, ethadione, ethosuximide, phensuximide, mesuximide, clonazepam, carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, eslicarbazepine, rufinamide, valproic acid, valpromide, aminobutyric acid, vigabatrin, progabide, tiagabine, sultiame, phenacemide, lamotrigine, felbamate, topiramate, gabapentin, pheneturide, levetiracetam, brivaracetam, selectracetam, zonisamide, pregabalin, stiripentol, lacosamide, beclamide, mexiletin, retigabin and ralfinamide.
37. A composition of matter as claimed in claim 30, wherein the two components (a) and (b) are present in the form of a salt formed from said two components.
38. A composition of matter as claimed in claim 30, wherein the two components (a) and (b) are present in a weight ratio such that the composition exerts a synergistic effect upon administration to a patient.
39. A composition of matter as claimed in claim 30, further comprising at least one pharmaceutical carrier or auxiliary agent.
40. A composition of matter as claimed in claim 22, wherein component (b) is present in controlled-release form.
41. (canceled)
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 detecting silent failures in a system, comprising the steps of:
identifying an operational signature of said system, said operational signature being representative of the system when it is operating properly;
obtaining samples of operational service measurements;
comparing said samples with said operational signature; and
performing a corrective measure if said comparison of said samples with said operational signature indicates the probability of a silent failure of said system.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said system comprises a processing system having at least one Active Unit (AU) and at least one Standby Unit (SU), and wherein said step of performing a corrective measure comprises at least the steps of:
automatically activating said at least one SU if said comparison indicates that a silent failure has occurred with respect to said at least one AU.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of performing said corrective measure further comprises at least the step of:
automatically initiating an alert indicating that a silent failure of said system is probable.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein said alert process comprises automatically communicating with a technician electronically.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifying step comprises at least the steps of:
monitoring said system during an index period to obtain a set of index service measurements;
evaluating said index service measurements and determining said operational signature based on said index service measurements.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein said identifying step is instituted during a period when said system is actively online.
7. The method of claim 5, wherein said identifying step is instituted during a period when said system is not actively online.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein said index service measurements are updated at predetermined times to incorporate said operational service measurements therein.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein said system comprises a telecommunications system that includes a call processing function, said operational characteristics comprising:
call requests; and
successful call requests.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein said system comprises a telecommunications system that includes a mobility function, said operational characteristics comprising:
attempted handovers;
successful handovers; and
paging requests.
11. A system for detecting silent failures in a system, comprising:
means for identifying an operational signature of said system, said operational signature being representative of the system when it is operating properly;
means for obtaining samples of operational service measurements;
means for comparing said samples with said operational signature; and
means for performing a corrective measure if said comparison of said samples with said operational signature indicates the probability of a silent failure of said system.
12. The system of claim 11, wherein said system comprises a processing system having at least one Active Unit (AU) and at least one Standby Unit (SU), and wherein said means of performing a corrective measure comprises:
means for automatically activating said at least one SU if said comparison indicates that a silent failure has occurred with respect to said at least one AU.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein said means of performing said corrective measure further comprises:
means for automatically initiating an alert indicating that a silent failure of said system is probable.
14. The system of claim 13, wherein said alert process comprises means for automatically communicating with a technician electronically.
15. The system of claim 11, wherein said identifying means comprises:
means for monitoring said system during an index period to obtain a set of index service measurements;
means for evaluating said index service measurements and determining said operational signature based on said index service measurements.
16. The system of claim 15, wherein said identifying means is instituted during a period when said system is actively online.
17. The system of claim 15, wherein said identifying means is instituted during a period when said system is not actively online.
18. The system of claim 17, wherein said index service measurements are updated at predetermined times to incorporate said operational service measurements therein.
19. The system of claim 11, wherein said comparing means is performed using hypothesis testing.
20. The system of claim 11, wherein said comparison means is performed using change-point detection.
21. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon data representing sequences of instructions, the sequences of instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform detection of silent failures in a system using subsets of instructions, comprising:
a first subset of instructions for identifying an operational signature of said system, said operational signature being representative of the system when it is operating properly;
a second subset of instructions for obtaining samples of operational service measurements;
a third subset of instructions for comparing said samples with said operational signature; and
a fourth subset of instructions for performing a corrective measure if said comparison of said samples with said operational signature indicates the probability of a silent failure of said system.
22. The machine-readable medium of claim 21, wherein said machine-readable medium comprises a processing system having at least one Active Unit (AU) and at least one Standby Unit (SU), and wherein said fourth subset of instructions comprises:
a fifth subset of instructions for automatically activating said at least one SU if said comparison indicates that a silent failure has occurred with respect to said at least one AU.
23. The machine-readable medium of claim 22, wherein said fourth subset of instructions further comprises:
a sixth subset of instructions for automatically initiating an alert indicating that a silent failure of said system is probable.
24. The machine-readable medium of claim 23, wherein said sixth subset of instructions comprises a seventh subset of instructions for automatically communicating with a technician electronically.
25. The machine-readable medium of claim 21, wherein said first subset of instructions comprises:
a fifth subset of instructions for monitoring said system during an index period to obtain a set of index service measurements;
a sixth subset of instructions for evaluating said index service measurements and determining said operational signature based on said index service measurements.
26. The machine-readable medium of claim 25, wherein said first subset of instructions is instituted during a period when said system is actively online.
27. The machine-readable medium of claim 25, wherein said first subset of instructions is instituted during a period when said system is not actively online.
28. The machine-readable medium of claim 27, wherein said index service measurements are updated at predetermined times to incorporate said operational service measurements therein.
29. The machine-readable medium of claim 21, wherein said third subset of instructions is performed using hypothesis testing.
30. The machine-readable medium of claim 21, wherein said third subset of instructions is performed using change-point detection.