Fabrication and test of a hermetic miniature implant package with 360 electrical feedthroughs.

A fabrication technology for small hermetic implant packages with large numbers of electrical feedthroughs is presented. First prototypes were fabricated on a ceramic substrate of 25·25 mm area, having a metal cup of 5 mm height soldered to it. These prototypes provide 360 feedthroughs.

A device for vacuum drying, inert gas backfilling and solder sealing of hermetic implant packages.

Modern implanted devices utilize microelectronics that have to be protected from the body fluids in order to maintain their functionality over decades. Moisture protection of implants is addressed by enclosing the electronic circuits into gas-tight packages. In this paper we describe a device that allows custom-built hermetic implant packages to be vacuum-dried (removing residual moisture from inside the package), backfilled with an inert gas at adjustable pressure and hermetically sealed employing a solder seal.

Clinical utility of an automated immunochemiluminometric thyroglobulin assay in differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

Background: Thyroglobulin (Tg) measurements are important in the follow-up of patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). We evaluated the analytical and clinical performance of a new automated immunochemiluminometric assay for Tg (Tg-ICMA; Nichols Advantage Tg; Nichols Institute Diagnostics).

Methods: We used the Tg-ICMA to measure Tg concentrations in serum samples from 110 Tg antibody-negative DTC patients undergoing thyroid-hormone suppression therapy.

Thyroglobulin (Tg) recovery testing with quantitative Tg antibody measurement for determining interference in serum Tg assays in differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

Background: Thyroglobulin (Tg) measurements are complicated by interference from Tg autoantibodies (TgAbs) or heterophilic antibodies (HAMAs). We used a new automated immunochemiluminometric assay (ICMA) with Tg recovery (TgR) on the Nichols Advantage platform to reassess the clinical utility of recovery testing in detecting interference in serum Tg measurement in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

Methods: We used 2 TgAb methods to detect Tg measurement interference with TgR and quantitative TgAb measurement in sera from 127 patients.

Mutations in the transketolase-like gene TKTL1: clinical implications for neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes and cancer.

Transketolase proteins or transketolase enzyme activities have been related to neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, and cancer. Transketolase enzyme variants and reduced transketolase enzyme activities are present in patients with the neurodegenerative disease Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. In Alzheimer's disease patients transketolase protein variants with different isoelectric points or a proteolytic cleavage leading to small transketolase protein isoforms have been identified.