| continuous clasp | A metal bar, usually resting on lingual surfaces of teeth, to aid in their stabilization and to act as indirect retainer's. Synonym: continuous clasp. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| continuous culture | <cell culture> A culture of microorganisms in a liquid medium which is maintained under constant conditions with a constant nutrient supply so that it can grow steadily for an extended period of time. Compare: batch culture. (11 Jan 1998) |
| continuous epidural anaesthesia | Insertion of a catheter into the lumbar or caudal epidural space for the repeated injection of local anaesthetic solutions as a means of prolonging duration of anaesthesia. Synonym: fractional epidural anaesthesia. (05 Mar 2000) |
| continuous loop wiring | The formation of wire loops on both maxillary and mandibular teeth, for the placement of intermaxillary elastics; used in reduction and fixation of fractures. Synonym: Stout's wiring. (05 Mar 2000) |
| continuous murmur | A murmur that is heard without interruption throughout systole and into diastole. (05 Mar 2000) |
| continuous passive motion | A technique in which a joint, usually the knee, is moved constantly in a mechanical splint to prevent stiffness and to increase the range of motion. (05 Mar 2000) |
| continuous phase | The medium or fluid in which a disperse is suspended. Synonym: continuous phase, dispersion medium, dispersion phase, external medium. (05 Mar 2000) |
| continuous positive airway pressure | A technique of respiratory therapy, in either spontaneously breathing or mechanically ventilated patients, in which airway pressure is maintained above atmospheric pressure throughout the respiratory cycle by pressurization of the ventilatory circuit. (05 Mar 2000) |
| continuous positive pressure breathing | Artificial ventilation in which all inspirations are provided by positive pressure applied to the airway. Synonym: continuous positive pressure breathing, continuous positive pressure ventilation, intermittent positive pressure breathing, intermittent positive pressure ventilation. (05 Mar 2000) |
| continuous positive pressure ventilation | Synonym: controlled mechanical ventilation. (05 Mar 2000) |
| continuous processing | A method of bioprocessing in which new materials are added and products removed continuously at a rate that maintains the volume at a specific level. (14 Nov 1997) |
| continuous random variable | Continuous variable that may randomly assume any value in its domain but any particular value has no probability of occurring, only a probability density. (05 Mar 2000) |
| continuous spinal anaesthesia | Insertion of a catheter into the spinal subarachnoid space and leaving it in situ to permit serial intermittent injection of local anaesthetic solution for prolonged spinal anaesthesia. Synonym: fractional spinal anaesthesia. (05 Mar 2000) |
| continuous suture | An uninterrupted series of stitches using one suture; the stitching is fastened at each end by a knot. Synonym: spiral suture, uninterrupted suture. (05 Mar 2000) |
| continuous time model | <epidemiology> A model in which the system changes continuously over time. Derivatives (e.g. DY/dt ) are the mathematical formalism for describing such continuous change. The differential equation which embodies a model provides the values of these derivatives at any particular time point; calculus or a computer can then be used to move the state of the model forwards in time. Continuous models have the advantage over discrete time models in that they are more amenable to algebraic manipulation, although they are slightly harder to implement on a computer. The same as a differential equation model. (05 Dec 1998) |