Author: claimsbot

1. A method of treating pre-malignant and malignant abnormalities and disorders of at least one of a lining of the vagina, cervix or uterus in an animal by photodynamic therapy (PDT), wherein said PDT comprises:
(a) administering to said animal a composition comprising an ester of 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, as a photosensitiser; and
(b) photoactivating said photosensitiser,

and wherein side-effects of said PDT are prevented or reduced by use of (i) in combination with (ii):
(i) said composition comprises said photosensitiser in a concentration of less than 10% wt,
(ii) said photoactivation is carried out with a light source comprising a light emitting diode and having a fluence rate of less than 50 mWcm2.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said PDT has substantially the same therapeutic effect as the corresponding standard PDT treatment.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein said photosensitiser is a compound of general formula I:
R22N\u2014CH2COCH2\u2014CH2CO\u2014OR1\u2003\u2003(I)
(wherein R1 represents a substituted or unsubstituted, straight-chained, branched or cyclic alkyl group; and each R2 independently represents a hydrogen atom) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein in formula I, R1 represents an unsubstituted alkyl group or an alkyl group substituted by an aryl group.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein said composition further comprises a second photosensitiser.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the photosensitizer is hexyl ALA ester (HAL) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the photosensitizer is the hydrochloric acid salt of hexyl ALA ester (HAL).
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the abnormality or disorder is pre-malignant.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the abnormality or disorder is a pre-malignant lesion of the cervix.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the abnormality or disorder is a viral infection.
11. The method of claim 9, wherein the photosensitizer is hexyl ALA ester (HAL) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the photosensitizer is the hydrochloric acid salt of hexyl ALA ester (HAL).
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the photosensitizer is present in the composition at a concentration of 0.05 percent to 8 percent by weight.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the photosensitizer is present in the composition at a concentration of 2 percent to 8 percent by weight.
15. The method of claim 1, wherein the fluence rate is 5 to 40 mWcm2.
16. The method of claim 1, wherein the animal is a human and the lining is the lining of the cervix.

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. An image detection system for detecting an object comprising a defined detection zone in which the object moved through the detection zone is detectable; at least two lighting units for lighting the detection zone with a respective light beam, wherein the light beams intersect; and at least two light reception units for receiving light reflected at the object, wherein one respective lighting unit is associated with a light reception unit, wherein the lighting units each transmit their light beams at a defined light wavelength and the light reception units are configured to receive a respective defined light wavelength of the reflected light associated with them, wherein the one light reception unit receives a different light wavelength than the other light reception unit.
2. The image processing system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the light reception unit comprises a line scan camera having an optical filter for the associated defined light wavelength.
3. The image processing system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the lighting unit and the light reception unit have a reading zone which is defined by the light beam at the defined light wavelength.
4. The image processing system in accordance with claim 3, wherein the lighting units and light reception units are arranged such that the reading zones of the lighting units and light reception units partly cross over so that the object is lighted at the crossover of at least two light beams at different light wavelengths.
5. The image processing system in accordance with claim 5, wherein the lighting units and light reception units are arranged such that the reading zones of the lighting units and light reception units partly cross over at 45\xb0 with respect to one another.
6. The image processing system in accordance with claim 1, wherein a plurality of lighting units and light reception units are provided which are directed toward one another and the object is lighted by a corresponding number of light beams at corresponding light wavelengths so that all the sides of the object are detectable.
7. The image processing system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the light beams comprise light wavelengths of the colors red, blue, yellow andor green.
8. The image processing system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the lighting units whose light beams intersect transmit light beams of different light wavelengths.
9. The image processing system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the lighting units whose light beams do not intersect transmit light beams of the same light wavelengths.

1. A particle with a maximum diameter of 1 mm comprising:
a) a polymer X functionalized with at least one peptide Y, wherein peptide Y is selected from the group of a peptide derived from the region of the tenth type III repeat of fibronectin containing the RGD peptide, a peptide derived from the region of the fourteenth type III repeat of the fibronectin containing the IDAPS peptide, a peptide derived from the CSI region of fibronectin containing the LDV peptide and a peptide derived from the CS5 region of the fibronectin containing the REDV peptide,
b) at least one cell having on its surface specific binding sites for said peptide Y, wherein the cell is bound to polymer X by means of the interaction between peptide Y and the specific binding sites for said peptide Y on the surface of the cell.
2. The particle according to claim 1, wherein said polymer X is alginate.
3. The particle according to claim 1, wherein peptide Y is a peptide containing the RGD sequence.
4. A microcapsule comprising
a) a particle according to claim 1 and
b) a semi-permeable membrane surrounding the particle
5. The microcapsule according to claim 4, wherein said membrane is a polylysine membrane.
6. The microcapsule according to claim 4, containing, surrounding the membrane on the outside thereof, a second membrane made of a material inhibiting cell adhesion.
7. The microcapsule according to claim 5, wherein the second membrane is made of alginate.
8. The particle according to claim 1, wherein the cells are genetically modified cells.
9. The particle according to claim 8, wherein said cells express a peptide compound with biological activity.
10. The particle according to claim 8, wherein said cells express a peptide compound with biological activity under the control of a constitutive or inducible expression promoter.
11. The particle according to claim 8, wherein said compound is erythropoietin (EPO).
12. The particle according to claim 8 for the use thereof in medicine.
13. A method for the treatment and prevention of diseases in which a supply of the peptide compound with biological activity is required which comprises the administration to said subject of a therapeutically effective amount of microcapsules as defined in claim 4 wherein said microcapsules express said peptide compound with biological activity.
14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the peptide compound has a short elimination half-life.
15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the peptide compound with a short serum half-life is erythropoietin and the disease to be treated or prevented is a disease selected from the group of anemia associated to chronic renal failure, anemia relating to therapy with AZT in AIDS patients, anemia in patients with non-myeloid type malignant diseases receiving chemotherapy, anemia associated to cancer, anemia associated with chronic inflammatory diseases, particularly rheumatoid arthritis, who have undergone a surgical treatment to eliminate the need for allogeneic transfusions, sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, anemia associated to cystic fibrosis, menstrual disorders, acute losses of blood, anemia resulting from radiotherapy or from a reduced oxygen uptake associated to altitude, schizophrenia and neurodegenerative diseases.
16. A method for the release of a peptide compound with biological activity which comprises the use of a device comprising a particle or microcapsule according to claim 8.
17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said compound is a compound showing a short elimination half-life.
18. The method according to claim 16, wherein said release occurs in a controlled manner under the application of an external stimulus.
19. A method for producing a particle according to claim 1, comprising the steps of
a) Contacting a polymeric substance which is modified with a peptide Y with at least one cell having on its surface specific binding sites for said peptide Y, wherein peptide Y is selected from the group of a peptide derived from the region of the tenth type III repeat of fibronectin containing the RGD peptide, a peptide derived from the region of the fourteenth type III repeat of the fibronectin containing the IDAPS peptide, a peptide derived from the CSI region of fibronectin containing the LDV peptide and a peptide derived from the CS5 region of the fibronectin containing the REDV peptide, and
b) applying conditions allowing the formation of particles of polymeric material having less than 1 mm in diameter.
20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the polymeric substance modified with peptide Y is an alginate and the conditions used in step (b) consist of contacting the modified polymer and cell mixture with a divalent cation solution.
21. A method for preparing a microcapsule according to claim 4 comprising the steps of
a) Contacting a polymeric substance which is modified with a peptide Y with cells having the capacity to bind to said peptide Y wherein peptide Y is selected from the group of a peptide derived from the region of the tenth type III repeat of fibronectin containing the RGD peptide, a peptide derived from the region of the fourteenth type III repeat of the fibronectin containing the IDAPS peptide, a peptide derived from the CSI region of fibronectin containing the LDV peptide and a peptide derived from the CS5 region of the fibronectin containing the REDV peptide,
b) applying conditions allowing the formation of particles of polymeric material having less than 1 mm in diameter
c) coating the microparticle formed in step (b) with a membrane made of a material different from the polymer used in step (a).
22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the polymeric substance modified with peptide Y is an alginate and the conditions used in step (b) consist of contacting the modified polymer and cell mixture with a divalent cation solution.
23. The method according to claim 21, additionally comprising the step of coating the microcapsules with an additional layer of material different from the material forming the membrane formed during step (c).
24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the additional layer contains mostly alginates.

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. Data storage medium having a semiconductor chip which has at least one memory in which an operating program is stored which contains a number of commands, with each command producing signals which can be detected from outside the semiconductor chip, characterized in that the data storage medium is designed to use different functions to scramble data which is used more than once for a calculation process.
2. Data storage medium according to claim 1, characterized in that the data to be scrambled comprises the message to be encrypted.
3. Data storage medium according to claim 1, characterized in that the data used is an intermediate result, and a subsequent squaring operation is in the form of a multiplication process, with the intermediate result having previously been scrambled using different functions.
4. Data storage medium according to claim 1, characterized in that the data used is an intermediate result, and the intermediate result is subsequently duplicated as an addition process, with the intermediate result having previously been scrambled using different functions.
5. Data storage medium according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the calculation comprises an encryption process by means of modulo operations, in which the message M is used if there is a 1 in the exponent d, and the message M is varied using a different function for each use.
6. Data storage medium according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a factor ri*n is added to the message M for each use i (i1 . . . k), where r is a random number and n is the modulus.
7. Data storage medium according to claim 6, characterized in that ri is the same for all i.
8. Data storage medium according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the calculation comprises a modulo operation in which the powers of the message are used, with these powers of the message being varied using a different function for each use.
9. Data storage medium according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the modulus n is multiplied by a constant factor k, and a further modulo operation is carried out with the modulus n.
10. Method for protection of secret data in data storage media having a semiconductor chip which has at least one memory in which an operating program is stored which contains a number of commands, with each command producing signals which can be detected from outside the semiconductor chip, characterized in that data which is used more than once for a calculation process is scrambled using different functions.
11. Method according to claim 10, characterized in that the data to be scrambled comprises a message which is to be encrypted.
12. Method according to claim 10, characterized in that the data used is an intermediate result, and a subsequent squaring operation is in the form of a multiplication process, with the intermediate result having previously been scrambled using different functions.
13. Method according to claim 10, characterized in that the data used is an intermediate result, and the intermediate result is subsequently duplicated as an addition process, with the intermediate result having previously been scrambled using different functions.
14. Method according to one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that the calculation comprises an encryption process by means of modulo operations, in which the message M is used if there is a 1 in the exponent d, and the message M is varied using a different function for each use.
15. Method according to one of claims 10 to 14, characterized in that the calculation comprises a modulo operation in which the powers of the message are used, with these powers of the message being varied using a different function for each use.
16. Method according to one of claims 10 to 15, characterized in that a factor ri*n is added to the message M for each use i (i1 . . . k), where ri is a random number and n is the modulus.
17. Method according to claim 16, characterized in that ri is the same for all i.
18. Method according to one of claims 10 to 17, characterized in that the modulus n is multiplied by a constant factor k, and a further modulo operation is carried out with the modulus n.
19. Method according to one of claims 10 to 18, characterized in that security-critical computation operations f(z) which have a correlation between z and f(z) are split into computation operations g1(z) and (g2f(g1(z)), so that g1(z) and (g2f(g1(z)) are not correlated with one another.