All The Claims

1. A corpectomy cage, comprising:
an inner member having a cylindrical sidewall, a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the cylindrical sidewall having a circumferential groove;
an outer member having a cylindrical sidewall, a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the cylindrical sidewall having a circumferential groove, wherein the cylindrical side wall and the second end of the inner member is at least partially disposed within the cylindrical side wall and the second end of the outer member in a telescoping, non-load bearing engagement to allow axial movement between extendable and retractable positions, wherein the first end of the inner member is located opposite to the first end of the outer member; and
a cylindrical sleeve configured to bear axial loads on the cage and having a fixed length, a first end, a second end, a first lip extending radially inward proximate the first end of the sleeve, and a second lip extending radially inward proximate the second end of the sleeve, the sleeve fit over the outer member with the first lip engaging the circumferential groove on the inner member and the second lip engaging the circumferential groove on the outer member.
2. The corpectomy cage of claim 1 wherein the sleeve is snap fit onto the outer member.
3. The corpectomy cage of claim 1 wherein the sleeve comprises resilient sidewalls such that the sleeve can be snap fit over the inner and outer members.
4. The corpectomy cage of claim 1 wherein the inner member, outer member, and sleeve have a substantially round cross-section when assembled.
5. The corpectomy cage of claim 1 wherein the sleeve has an axial opening for receiving the inner member and outer member.
6. The corpectomy cage of claim 1 wherein the sleeve is selected from a set of sleeves each having a different length.
7. The corpectomy cage of claim 1 wherein the inner member and the outer member have a circular profile, and the sleeve has a C-shaped profile.
8. The corpectomy cage of claim 1 wherein the inner member comprises an end plate disposed at the first end thereof, the outer member comprises an end plate disposed at the first end thereof.
9. The corpectomy cage of claim 8 wherein each of the end plates comprises a perimeter groove configured to be engaged by a tool.
10. A corpectomy cage for use between a first vertebra and a second vertebra in place of removed intervertebral discs and at last a portion of a vertebral body of a third vertebra located between the first vertebra and the second vertebra, the corpectomy cage comprising:
a first segment with a cylindrical sidewall, a circumferential groove, and an end plate, the end plate configured to engage the first vertebra;
a second segment with a cylindrical sidewall, a circumferential groove, and an end plate, the end plate configured to engage the second vertebra;
a C-shaped cover with a fixed length, the cover having a first radial lip and a second radial lip extending inwardly and spaced apart from the first radial lip;
the first and second segments being slidably assembled; and
the cover removably mounted over the assembled first and second segments between the end plates so as to support physiologic loads on the cage, wherein the first radial lip engages the circumferential groove on the first segment and the second radial lip engages the circumferential groove on the second segment.
11. The corpectomy cage of claim 10 wherein the cover is snap fit onto one of the segments.
12. The corpectomy cage of claim 10 wherein the cover has resilient side walls.
13. The corpectomy cage of claim 10 wherein the cover is selected from a set of covers each having a different length.
14. The corpectomy cage of claim 10 wherein the assembled first and second segments have an adjustable length.
15. The corpectomy cage of claim 14 wherein the first and second segments are free from mechanical fasteners connecting the segments together.
16. The corpectomy cage of claim 10 wherein the cover is load bearing and the first and second segments are non-load bearing.
17. The corpectomy cage of claim 10 wherein the cage has an unobstructed internal cavity.

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 self-driven synchronous DC-DC converter circuit, comprising:
an input circuit comprising a switching device configured for selectively generating a pulsed DC input voltage responsive to an input switch control signal, said pulsed DC input voltage comprising a plurality of DC voltage pulses;
an output circuit coupled to said input circuit, said output circuit comprising an active device having a device input node, a device output node, and a device control node, said device control node responsive to a control voltage for selectively varying a conductivity between said device input node and said device output node; and
a control circuit coupled to said device control node and configured for generating said control voltage responsive to said pulsed DC input voltage;
wherein said control voltage is synchronized with said pulsed DC input voltage, and varies non-linearly during an interval between said DC voltage pulses for selectively reducing said conductivity in accordance with a non-linear function following each of said voltage pulses.
2. The converter circuit of claim 1, wherein said control voltage varies exponentially during said interval.
3. The converter circuit of claim 1, wherein said control circuit is a reactive network.
4. The converter circuit of claim 1, said active device further having at least one capacitive element between said device control node and said device output node, and wherein said control circuit comprises a resistor-capacitor network.
5. The converter circuit of claim 4, wherein said active device is a MOS transistor.
6. The converter circuit of claim 4, said control circuit further comprising:
a switch having a switch control node and first and second switch nodes, said switch control node coupled to said device input node, and said first node coupled to a reference voltage, said switch device switching between a current blocking state and a current conducting state between said first and said second switch nodes responsive to said pulsed DC input voltage.
7. The converter circuit of claim 6, wherein said resistor-capacitor network is comprised of:
a first resistor coupled from said device output node to said device control node, and
an impedance network coupled to from said device control node to said second switch node, said impedance network comprising one or more capacitive elements and one or more second resistor elements.
8. The converter circuit of claim 7, wherein said second resistor elements are connected in parallel with said capacitor elements.
9. The converter circuit of claim 8, wherein a capacitance of said capacitor elements is greater than a capacitance of said capacitive element in said active device.
10. The converter circuit of claim 8, wherein a resistance of said second resistor elements is greater than a resistance of said first resistor.
11. A method for converting a first DC voltage to a second DC voltage, comprising:
generating a pulsed DC input voltage responsive to an input switch control signal, said pulsed DC input voltage comprising a plurality of DC voltage pulses;
generating a control voltage at a device control node of an active device responsive to said pulsed DC input voltage;
selectively varying a conductivity between a device input node and a device output node of said active device in response to said control voltage; and
synchronizing said control voltage with said pulsed DC input voltage, and varying said control voltage non-linearly during an interval between said DC voltage pulses for selectively reducing said conductivity in accordance with a non-linear function following each of said voltage pulses.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein varying step further comprises varying said control voltage exponentially during said interval.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein said generating step further comprises generating said control voltage using a reactive network.
14. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing an active device having at least one capacitive element between said device control node and said device output node, and wherein said generating step further comprises generating said control voltage by using said capacitive element and a control circuit comprising a resistor-capacitor network.
15. The method of claim 14, further comprising selecting a MOS transistor for said active device.
16. The method of claim 14, further comprising selecting a switch for said control circuit, said switch having a switch control node and first and second switch nodes, said switch control node coupled to said device input node, and said first node coupled to a reference voltage, said switch device switching between a current blocking state and a current conducting state between said first and said second switch nodes responsive to said pulsed DC input voltage.
17. The method of claim 16, further comprising selecting for said resistor-capacitor network a first resistor coupled from said device output node to said device control node, and an impedance network coupled to from said device control node to said second switch node, said impedance network comprising one or more capacitive elements and one or more second resistor elements.
18. The method of claim 17, further comprising arranging said second resistor elements and said capacitor elements in parallel.
19. The method of claim 18, further comprising selecting said capacitor elements to have a capacitance greater than a capacitance of said capacitive element in said active device.
20. The method of claim 18, further comprising selecting said second resistor elements to have a resistance greater than a resistance of said first resistor.

1. A method of selecting a population of ex-vivo expanded hematopoietic stem cells suitable for transplantation, the method comprising:
(a) determining prior to administration in a candidate population of expanded hematopoietic cells at least one of the following parameters:
(i) proportion of CD34+ cells in said population;
(ii) fold expansion of total cells in said population;
(iii) viability of said cells in said population; and
(iv) total number of viable cells; and

(b) selecting or excluding said candidate population according to predetermined values of at least one of said parameters,
thereby selecting a population of ex-vivo expanded hematopoietic stem cells suitable for transplantation.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said proportion of said CD34+ cells is at least about 4 percent of total cells.
3-4. (canceled)
5. The method of claim 1, wherein said fold expansion of total cells of said population is at least about 10 times.
6-7. (canceled)
8. The method of claim 1, wherein said viability of total cells in said population is at least about 65 percent at 21 days culture.
9-10. (canceled)
11. The method of claim 1, wherein said total number of viable cells of said expanded population is at least about 15\xd7106 viable cells.
12-13. (canceled)
14. The method of claim 1, wherein said selecting is determined according to the values of at least two of said parameters.
15. The method of claim 1, wherein said selecting is according to the values of at least three of said parameters.
16. The method of claim 1, wherein said selecting is according to the values of all four of said parameters.
17. The method of claim 1, wherein said selecting is according to the following values of said parameters:
(i) said proportion of said CD34+ cells being about 4 percent of total cells;
(ii) said fold expansion of total cells of said population is about 50 times;
(iii) said viability of total cells in said population is about 85 percent at 21 days culture; and
(iv) said total number of viable cells of said expanded population is about 23\xd7106 viable cells.
18. The method of claim 1, wherein said hematopoietic stem cells are expanded by propagation ex-vivo by culturing hematopoietic cells in the presence of cytokines and a copper chelator.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein said cytokines are early acting cytokines.
20-22. (canceled)
23. The method of claim 18, wherein said copper chelator is tetrethylenepentamine (TEPA).
24. (canceled)
25. The method of claim 1, wherein said expanded hematopoietic stem cells have been cultured for 21 days.
26. (canceled)
27. The method of claim 1, wherein said hematopoietic cell population is selected from a source consisting of umbilical cord blood, peripheral blood and bone marrow.
28-30. (canceled)
31. The method of claim 27, wherein said hematopoietic cell population has been enriched for CD34+ or CD133+ cells prior to expansion.
32. An expanded hematopoietic stem cell population selected suitable for transplantation according to the method of claim 1.
33. An expanded hematopoietic stem cell population selected suitable for transplantation according to the method of claim 17.
34. A method of treating a hematological disease or condition in a subject in need thereof, the method comprising administering to a subject in need thereof the population of expanded hematopoietic stem cells selected suitable for transplantation of claim 1.
35. A method of treating a hematological disease or condition in a subject in need thereof, the method comprising administering to a subject in need thereof the population of expanded hematopoietic stem cells selected suitable for transplantation of claim 17.
36-43. (canceled)
44. The method of claim 34, wherein said hematological disease is selected from the group consisting of acute myelocytic leukemia (AML), acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), chronic myelocytic leukemia (CLL), Hodgkins lymphoma (HL), non-Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).
45-51. (canceled)
52. An article of manufacture comprising a packaging material and a selected ex-vivo expanded hematopoietic cell population, said hematopoietic cell population selected suitable for transplantation by:
(a) determining prior to administration in a candidate population of expanded hematopoietic cells at least one of the following parameters:
(i) proportion of CD34+ cells in said population;
(ii) fold expansion of total cells in said population;
(iii) viability of said cells in said population; and
(iv) total number of viable cells; and

(b) selecting or excluding said candidate population according to predetermined values of at least one of said parameters,
and wherein said packaging material comprises a label or package insert indicating that said hematopoietic cell population is for treating a hematological disease or condition in a subject in need thereof.
53. The article of manufacture of claim 52, wherein said selecting is according to the following values of said parameters:
(i) said proportion of said CD34+ cells being about 4 percent of total cells;
(ii) said fold expansion of total cells of said population is about 50 times;
(iii) said viability of total cells in said population is about 85 percent at 21 days culture; and
(iv)said total number of viable cells of said expanded population is about 23\xd7106 viable cells.

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 isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a synthetic nucleotide sequence encoding a firefly luciferase comprising a fragment of at least 300 nucleotides having 80% or less nucleic acid sequence identity to a parent nucleic acid sequence having SEQ ID NO:43 or 85% or less nucleic acid sequence identity to a parent nucleic acid sequence having SEQ ID NO:14 and having 99% or more nucleic acid sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:21, SEQ ID NO:22 or SEQ ID NO:23 or the complement thereof, wherein the decreased sequence identity is a result of different codons in the synthetic nucleotide sequence relative to the codons in the parent nucleic acid sequence, wherein the synthetic nucleotide sequence encodes a firefly luciferase which has at least 85% amino acid sequence identity to the corresponding luciferase encoded by the parent nucleic acid sequence, and wherein the synthetic nucleotide sequence has a reduced number of regulatory sequences relative to the parent nucleic acid sequence.
2. The isolated nucleic acid molecule of claim 1 wherein the regulatory sequences include transcription factor binding sequences, intron splice sites, poly(A) sites, promoter modules, andor promoter sequences.
3. The isolated nucleic acid molecule of claim 1 wherein a majority of the codons of the synthetic nucleotide sequence which differ from the corresponding codons of the parent nucleic acid sequence are ones that are preferred codons of a desired host cell andor are not low-usage codons in that host cell.
4. The isolated nucleic acid molecule of claim 3 wherein the majority of the codons of the synthetic nucleotide sequence which differ from the corresponding codons of the parent nucleic acid sequence are those which are employed more frequently in mammals.
5. The isolated nucleic acid molecule of claim 3 wherein the majority of the codons of the synthetic nucleotide sequence which differ from the corresponding codons of the parent nucleic acid sequence are those which are preferred codons in humans.
6. The isolated nucleic acid molecule of claim 3 wherein the majority of codons which differ are the codons CGC, CTG, AGC, ACC, CCC, GCC, GGC, GTG, ATC, AAG, AAC, GAG, CAC, GAC, TAC, TGC and TTC.
7. The isolated nucleic acid molecule of claim 1 wherein the synthetic nucleic acid molecule is expressed in a mammalian host cell at a level which is greater than that of the parent nucleic acid sequence.
8. The isolated nucleic acid molecule of claim 1 wherein the synthetic nucleic acid molecule has an increased number of AGC serine-encoding codons, an increased number of CCC proline-encoding codons, an increased number of ATC isoleucine-encoding codons andor an increased number of ACC threonine-encoding codons relative to the number of these codons in the parent nucleic acid sequence.
9. The isolated acid molecule of claim 1 wherein the synthetic nucleotide sequence has at least 10% fewer transcription regulatory sequences relative to the parent nucleic acid sequence.
10. The isolated nucleic acid molecule of claim 1 wherein the codons in the synthetic nucleotide sequence which differ from the corresponding codons of the parent nucleic acid sequence encode the same amino acids as the corresponding codons in the parent nucleic acid sequence.
11. The isolated nucleic acid molecule of claim 1 wherein the nucleic acid molecule encodes a fusion of the luciferase with one or more other peptides or polypeptides, wherein at least the luciferase is encoded by the synthetic nucleic acid sequence.
12. The isolated nucleic acid molecule of claim 1 wherein one or more other peptides are peptides having protein destabilization sequences.
13. A plasmid comprising the nucleic acid molecule of claim 1.
14. The plasmid of claim 13 which further comprises a multiple cloning region.
15. The plasmid of claim 13 which further comprises a promoter operatively linked to the synthetic nucleotide sequence.
16. An expression vector comprising the nucleic acid molecule of claim 1 linked to a promoter functional in a cell.
17. The expression vector of claim 16 wherein the promoter is functional in a eukaryotic cell.
18. The expression vector of claim 16 wherein the expression vector further comprises a multiple cloning site.
19. The expression vector of claim 16 wherein the promoter is functional in a mammalian cell.
20. The expression vector of claim 16 wherein the synthetic nucleotide sequence is operatively linked to a Kozak consensus sequence.
21. An isolated host cell comprising the expression cassette of claim 16.
22. An isolated host cell comprising the plasmid of claim 13.
23. A kit comprising, in suitable container means, the plasmid of claim 13.