Purpose of Technology

Surgical deactivation of migraine trigger sites is intended to treat patients with refractory migraine headache disorder that cannot be managed by conventional treatments, and patients who are intolerant of the side effects of conventional treatments. The procedure involves the resection of one or more muscle groups that may be compressing specific nerves causing refractory migraine headache.

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Purpose of Technology

Antibacterial sutures such as Monocryl Plus™, Vicryl Plus™, and PDS™ Plus (Ethicon Inc., a Johnson & Johnson Company) have been developed to reduce the incidence of surgical site infections and infections of other wounds that require suturing.

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Purpose of Technology

Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) for alcohol misuse is a public health intervention aimed at first identifying hazardous drinkers and, when appropriate, providing a brief intervention to offer advice and encouragement to seek treatment, followed by assistance with referrals as needed. The purpose of SBIRT is to promote safer drinking patterns or abstinence in hazardous drinkers, with the assumption that such changes may prevent future alcohol-related medical, social, psychological, or legal problems. Remote SBIRT refers to the use of remote brief interventions; these may be delivered by computer and/or Internet, mail, or telephone. Screening and referral to treatment may be carried out remotely or in-person.

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Purpose of Technology

Accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) is a type of radiation therapy used in patients with early-stage breast cancer who have undergone breast-conserving surgery. With APBI, only the lumpectomy bed plus a 1- to 2-centimeter (cm) margin receives irradiation, generally consisting of daily doses > 2 grays (GY) delivered in < 5 weeks. The goal of APBI is to allow treatment to be accomplished in a shorter period of time through greater radiation fraction size and reduced target volume.

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Purpose of Technology

Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) uses advanced computer technology to tailor the radiotherapy beam to the exact size and shape of a tumor, while minimizing incidental irradiation of surrounding normal tissues. Conformal radiation therapy allows the delivery of higher doses of radiation than would be possible with conventional external beam radiation therapy, with the objective of improving local control and, ultimately, survival. Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), a refinement of conformal radiation therapy, combines two advanced concepts to deliver 3D-CRT to tumors at the higher dosages with enhanced precision: (1) inverse treatment planning with optimization by computer; and (2) computer-controlled intensity modulation of the radiation beam during treatment.

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Purpose of Technology

Massage therapy for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and pervasive developmental disorder is designed to improve abnormalities in sensory processing and sensory integration that are prevalent in these complex disorders, and to ultimately improve cognitive, behavioral, and social functioning of autistic individuals.

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Purpose of Technology

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) involves the electrical stimulation of spinal nerves using electrodes implanted in the epidural space of the spinal column. The goal of SCS is to suppress pain in specific areas for patients with a variety of chronic pain disorders, including chronic, refractory, neuropathic pain.

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Purpose of Technology

Botulinum toxin (BTX), a neurotoxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium (C.) botulinum, inhibits the release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junction and causes muscle paralysis. BTX has been investigated as a treatment for chronic tension-type headache because of the potential for it to reduce muscle tension and modulate pain receptor activity in the central nervous system.

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Purpose of Technology

Botulinum toxin (BTX), a neurotoxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium
(C.)
botulinum, is being evaluated as a treatment for urinary incontinence (UI) due to detrusor overactivity (also known as detrusor instability or detrusor hyperreflexia), involuntary contractions of the detrusor muscle, which causes contraction of the bladder. BTX inhibits muscular contraction so it is being investigated as a means to relieve excessive or uncontrolled contractions of the detrusor and improve urinary control.

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Purpose of Technology

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is the direct application of electric current to intact nerve fibers in a coordinated fashion to cause involuntary but purposeful muscle contraction. FES bypasses the central nervous system and targets motor neurons innervating either skeletal muscle or other organ systems. When used for rehabilitation of patients with spinal cord injury, FES is used to improve general health and fitness through exercise and to enable functional use of partially or completely paralyzed limbs.

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