1047

A method and apparatus for sealing a hole in the spinal canal of a patient made by a needle used to make a spinal tap. An elongated hemostatic thread is inserted into the lumen of the needle before the needle is removed from the patient after making a spinal tap and while the tip of the needle remains disposed in the hole in the spinal canal formed during penetration thereof by the needle. A wire inserted in the lumen of the needle is employed to advance the hemostatic member to the tip of the needle and to prevent withdrawal of the hemo- static member with the needle when the latter is subsequently withdrawn so that the hemostatic member will remain in situ in the hole as a plug to seal the same.

4389417

TREATMENT OF GRAY MATTER EDEMA

Robert S. Bourke, Edward J. Cragoe, assigned to Merck & Co. Inc.

The invention relates to the treatment of gray matter edema in the brain or spinal chord by the administration of (indanyloxy) acetic acids, and analogs and salts thereof.

4388467

CYCLOALKA (4,5) PYRROLO (2,3,-g) ISOQUINOLINES

Leo Berger, Gary L. Olson, assigned to Hof- fmann-La Roche Inc.

Neuroleptically active cycloalka (4,5) pyrrolo (2,3- g) isoquinolines of the formula. A wherein n, R 1, R2 and X are as hereinafter set forth, and inter- mediates therefore are described.

4388325

L-ARGININE D,L-PYRO- GLUTAMATE AS A

PHARMACEUTICAL AGENT HAVING AN ACTIVITY AT THE

NEURO-ENDOCRINAL LEVEL

Giovann Orzalesi, Florence, Italy, assigned to Societa’ ltalo-Britannica L Manetti-H Roberts & C

L-arginine D,L-pyroglutamate has a tonic activity at the neuro-endocrinal level with a specific effect in enhancing sexual behavior of Mammalia males, particularly in individuals of elderly age, humans being included. To be used in the pharmaceutical and veterinary field.

4388237

6(1-PIPERAZINYL), PIPERIDINO AND (l(HOMOPIPERAZINYL) ll-

CYANOMETHYLENE MORPHANTHRIDINES

Gerd Steiner, Albrecht Franke, Dieter Lenke, Hans-Juegen Teschendorf, Wolfgang Worstmann, Horst Kreiskott, Kirchheim, Federal Republic of Germany, assigned to BASF Aktiengesellschaft

6-Substituted 1 I-alkylene-morphanthridines, also referred to as 1 I-alkylene-dibenzo(b,e)-azepines, their pure cis- and trans-isomers, processes for their preparation, and therapeutic agents contain- ing these compounds, which may be used as drugs, in particular neuroleptics, sedatives, hyp- notics, analgesics, antidepressants or agents for treating Parkinson’s syndrome.

4387723

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING THE

LEVEL OF NEUROMUSCULAR BLOCK IN A PATIENT

John Atlee, Maximillian Fiore, assigned to Wis- consin Alumni Research Foundation

Electrical stimulus pulses are provided to the ulnar nerve of a patient and the adduction of the patient’s thumb in response to the pulses is mea- sured by a strain gage force transducer attached to the thumb and wrist of the patient. The force transducer provides an electrical output signal proportional to the magnitude of the thumb response, and this signal is subsequently ampli- fied, filtered, digitized and then provided to a con- troller which includes a microprocesser. In a pre- ferred procedure for determining the level of neu- romuscular block in a patient by estimating twitch height depression without using control responses, a train of four pulses is applied to the patient over a two second interval, and a magnitude of the response as measured by the transducer is received and stored by the microprocessor. The four re- sponse magnitude peaks are then individually compared to preselected threshold values, and the