Author: claimsbot

It is claimed:

1. A liposome composition for use in localizing a compound in a solid tumor via the bloodstream comprising,
liposomes (i) composed of vesicle-forming lipids and between 1-20 mole percent of an amphipathic vesicle-forming lipid derivatized with a hydrophilic polymer, and (ii) having a selected mean particle diameter in the size range between about 0.07-0.12 microns, and
the compound in liposome-entrapped form.
2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the hydrophilic polymer is polyethyleneglycol having a molecular weight between about 1,000-5,000 daltons.
3. The composition of claim 2, wherein the hydrophilic polymer is selected from the group of polylactic acid, polyglycolic acid, and copolymers thereof.
4. The composition of claim 1, wherein the compound is an anti-tumor agent, and at least about 80% of the compound is in liposome-entrapped form.
5. The composition of claim 4, wherein the anti-tumor agent is an anthracycline antibiotic, and the concentration of compound which is entrapped in the liposomes is greater than 50 g compoundmole liposome lipid.
6. The composition of claim 4, wherein the anthracycline is selected from the group consisting of doxorubicin, epirubicin, and daunorubicin, including pharmacologically acceptable salts and acids thereof.
7. A liposome composition for use in localizing an anthracycline anti-tumor drug in a solid tumor via the bloodstream comprising,
liposomes (i) composed of vesicle-forming lipids and between 1-20 mole percent of an amphipathic vesicle-forming lipid derivatized with polyethyleneglycol, and (ii) having an average size in a selected size range between about 0.07-0.12 microns, and
the drug, at least about 80% in liposome-entrapped form, and having a concentration in the liposomes is greater than 50 g agentmole liposome lipid.
8. The composition of claim 7, wherein the drug is selected from the group consisting of doxorubicin, epirubicin, and daunorubicin, including pharmacologically acceptable salts and acids thereof.
9. For use in localizing a compound in a solid tumor by IV administration of the agent, a liposome composition characterized by:
(a) liposomes composed of vesicle-forming lipids and between 1-20 mole percent of an amphipathic vesicle-forming lipid derivatized with a hydrophilic polymer,
(b) a blood lifetime, as measured by the percent of a liposomal marker present in the blood 24 hours after intravenous administration which is several times greater than that of liposomes in the absence of the derivatized lipids;
(c) an average liposome size in a selected size range between about 0.07-0.12 microns, and
(d) the compound in liposome-entrapped form.
10. The composition of claim 9, wherein the hydrophilic polymer is polyethyleneglycol having a molecular weight between about 1,000-5,000 daltons.
11. The composition of claim 9, for use in treating such tumor, wherein the compound is an anthracycline antibiotic, and the concentration of compound entrapped in the liposomes is greater than about 50 g compoundmole liposome lipid.
12. The composition of claim 11, wherein the anthracycline is selected from the group consisting of doxorubicin, epirubicin, and daunorubicin, including pharmacologically acceptable salts and acids thereof.
13. For use in treating a solid tumor by intravenous administration of an anthracycline antibiotic drug, a liposome composition characterized by:
(a) liposomes composed of vesicle-forming lipids and between 1-20 mole percent of an amphipathic vesicle-forming lipid derivatized with a polyethyleneglycol,
(b) a blood lifetime, as measured by the percent of a liposomal marker present in the blood 24 hours after IV administration which is several times greater than that of liposomes in the absence of the derivatized lipids;
(c) an average liposome size in a selected size range between about 0.07-0.12 microns,
(d) at least about 80% of the drug in liposome-entrapped form, and
(c) a concentration of drug in the liposomes of at least about 50 g drugmole lipid.
14. A method of preparing an agent for localization in a solid tumor, when the agent is administered by IV injection, comprising
entrapping the agent in liposomes which are characterized by:
(a) a composition which includes between 1-20 mole percent of an amphipathic vesicle-forming lipid derivatized with a hydrophilic polymer, and
(b) an average liposome size in a selected size range between about 0.07-0.12 microns.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the agent is an anthracycline antibiotic drug, and said entrapping includes loading the agent into preformed liposomes by remote loading across an ion or pH gradient, to a final concentration of liposome-entrapped material of greater than about 50 g agentmole liposome lipid.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the drug is selected from the group consisting of doxorubicin, epirubicin, and daunorubicin, including pharmacologically acceptable salts and acids thereof.
17. A method of localizing a compound in a solid tumor in a subject comprising,
preparing a composition of liposomes (i) composed of vesicle-forming lipids and between 1-20 mole percent of an amphipathic vesicle-forming lipid derivatized with a hydrophilic polymer, (ii) having an average size in a selected size range between about 0.07-0.12 microns, and (iii) containing the compound in liposome-entrapped form, and
injecting the composition intravenously in the subject in an amount effective to localize a therapeutically effective quantity of the agent in the solid tumor.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the hydrophilic polymer is polyethyleneglycol having a molecular weight between about 1,000-5,000 daltons.
19. A method of treating a breast or colin carcinoma in a subject with an anthracycline antibiotic drug, comprising comprising
entrapping the drug in liposomes (i) composed of vesicle-forming lipids and between 1-20 mole percent of an amphipathic vesicle-forming lipid derivatized with a hydrophilic polymer, and (ii) having an average size in a selected size range between about 0.07-0.12 microns, at a concentration of entrapped agent of greater than about 50 g agentmole liposome lipid, with at least about 80% of the agent entrapped in the liposomes, and
injecting the composition intravenously in the subject in an amount effective to localize a therapeutically effective quantity of the agent in the carcinoma.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein the hydrophilic polymer is polyethyleneglycol having a molecular weight between about 1,000-5,000 daltons, and the agent is selected from the group consisting of doxorubicin, epirubicin, and daunorubicin, including pharmacologically acceptable salts and acids thereof.

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 determining glucose concentration in a tissue fluid in a body, the method comprising the steps of:
measuring a glucose concentration in a sample of the tissue fluid obtained by a technique selected from the group consisting of microdialysis, microperfusion, and ultrafiltration;
measuring a concentration of at least one reference substance in the sample of the tissue fluid; the at least one reference substance including lactate and pyruvate;
determining the glucose concentration of the tissue fluid in the body based upon the measured concentration of the at least one reference substance and glucose in the sample of the tissue fluid.
2. The method as set forth in claim 1 further including the step of determining a concentration ratio of lactate to pyruvate in the sample of the tissue fluid in order to determine the glucose concentration in the tissue fluid in the body.
3. The method as set forth in claim 2 further including the step of utilizing a linear correction factor to determine the glucose concentration in the tissue fluid in the body when the concentration ratio of lactate to pyruvate in the sample of the tissue fluid is within the range between about 10:1 to about 20:1.
4. The method as set forth in claim 2 further including the step of utilizing a constant to determine the glucose concentration in the tissue fluid in the body when the concentration ratio of lactate to pyruvate in the sample of the tissue fluid is about 20:1.

1. A capping system comprising:
a moving portion moving a stem, on which an optical semiconductor element is mounted, horizontally;
a fixer fixing a cap having a window to the stem so the cap covers the stem;
a camera taking an image of the cap and the stem from above the cap and the stem;
a detector detecting whether the optical semiconductor element is present within a visual field of the camera; and
a searching action controller controlling the moving portion to move the stem for searching the optical semiconductor element, wherein the searching action controller controls searching radially and outwardly from a search starting point.
2. The capping system according to claim 1, further comprising:
a memory memorizing detected positions of optical semiconductor elements mounted on respective stems; and
a searching direction priority order determination portion determining priority of searching orientations for the searching, depending upon distribution of the detected positions, wherein the searching action controller controls the searching along the searching orientations in descending order of priority.
3. The capping system according to claim 1, further comprising:
a memory memorizing detected positions of optical semiconductor elements mounted on respective stems; and
a search starting point setting portion setting a distribution center of the detected positions as the search starting point.
4. A capping system comprising:
a moving portion moving a stem, on which an optical semiconductor element is mounted, horizontally;
a fixer fixing a cap having a window to the stem so the cap covers the stem;
a camera taking an image of the cap and the stem from above the cap and the stem;
a detector detecting whether the optical semiconductor element is present within a visual field of the camera;
a searching action controller controlling the moving portion to move the stem for searching the optical semiconductor element;
a layout drawing in which searching range of a two-dimensional plane, centering on a search starting point, is divided into a grid, and tag numbers are allocated respectively; and
a table in which searching orders are allocated to respective tag numbers, wherein the searching action controller controls searching for positions corresponding to the tag numbers allocated by the table referring to the layout drawing.
5. The capping system according to claim 4, further comprising:
a memory memorizing detected positions of optical semiconductor elements mounted on respective stems; and
a search starting point setting portion setting a distribution center of the detected positions as the search starting point.
6. A capping system comprising:
a moving portion moving a stem, on which an optical semiconductor element is mounted, horizontally;
a fixer fixing a cap having a window to the stem so the cap covers the stem;
a camera taking an image of the cap and the stem from above the cap and the stem;
a detector detecting whether the optical semiconductor element is present within a visual field of the camera;
a searching action controller controlling the moving portion to move the stem for searching the optical semiconductor element;
a memory memorizing detected positions of optical semiconductor elements mounted on respective stems; and
a search starting point setting portion setting a distribution center of the detected positions as a search starting point, wherein the searching action controller controls the searching from the search starting point.

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 fixing a piece of tissue in a bone tunnel in a bone, the method comprising the steps of:
advancing a first trocar and sleeve assembly through the bone and toward the bone tunnel;
advancing a second trocar and sleeve assembly through the bone and toward the bone tunnel;
each of the assemblies comprising a trocar disposed within a sleeve and having a sharpened end extending beyond an end of the sleeve, the trocar substantially filling the sleeve within which the trocar is disposed;
the first and second assemblies being advanced spaced apart and generally normal to the bone tunnel;
placing a bone block having the piece of tissue attached thereto in the bone tunnel;
withdrawing the first trocar from the first sleeve, leaving the first sleeve in the bone;
advancing a first bio-absorbable rod into the first sleeve and through the bone block;
withdrawing the first sleeve from the bone block and the bone, leaving the first bio-absorbable rod in place;
withdrawing the second trocar from the second sleeve, leaving the second sleeve in the bone;
advancing a second bio-absorbable rod into the second sleeve and through the bone block; and
withdrawing the second sleeve from the bone block and the bone, leaving the second bio-absorbable rod in place;
wherein the rods retain the bone block, and thereby the piece of tissue, in the bone tunnel; and
wherein the bio-absorbability of the rods is such as to enable absorption of the rods by a body in which the rods are disposed over time, such that the tissue is initially attached to the bone by the rods and, subsequently, the rods are absorbed into the body.
2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the rods are of a material selected from a group consisting of polylactic acid, polyglycolic acid and polydiaxanone.
3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the rods are formed of a material selected from a group consisting of substantially rigid metals, plastics and ceramics.
4. A method according to claim 1 wherein the trocars each define a tip adapted to drill through the bone by rotation about a longitudinal axis thereof.
5. A method for fixing a piece of tissue in a bone tunnel in a bone, the bone tunnel having a substantially closed distal end and an open proximal end, the method comprising the steps of:
placing a bone block having the piece of tissue attached thereto in the bone tunnel adjacent the substantially closed distal end of the bone tunnel, with the tissue extending outwardly from the open proximal end of the bone tunnel; and
advancing a rod through the bone and across the bone tunnel adjacent to a proximal end of the bone block;
whereby to capture the bone in the bone tunnel between the substantially closed end of the bone tunnel and the rod.