Abstract: A prosthesis consisting of a flexible thin-walled sleeve for reinforcing and repairing a damaged vessel and a process of placing the flexible sleeve in the vessel by collapsing the sleeve radially onto an expandable and contractable member and encasing the member and sleeve in a sheath; and then sliding the sleeve in place in a vessel covering the damaged area of the vessel and removing the sheath; then expanding the expandable member and the sleeve so that the sleeve covers the damaged area and forms a sealed interface on its outer peripheral ends with the inner peripheral surface of the vessel to thereby provide a bridging passage across the damaged area in the vessel. The device provides a process to reinforce or repair weakened, damaged, narrowed blood vessels or to divert flow in branching vessels. The sleeve is a flexible, plastic, thin-walled sleeve molded with various types of ribs and reinforcements to be used as an endovascular prosthesis.

Abstract: A safety syringe includes a protective sheath disposed within the interior of the body portion of the syringe. A needle extends from the body portion of the syringe when the syringe is in an armed condition. A biasing mechanism, such as a stretched coiled spring, is connected to the upper end of the needle and tends to draw the needle into the protective sheath. A releasable retainer mechanism engages a detent formed on the upper end of the needle to retain the needle in its extended position against the biasing force of the spring. After use, the releasable retainer mechanism is actuated either by the user or in response to movement of the syringe plunger, to release the detent formed on the needle and to cause the needle to be withdrawn into the protective sheath to prevent accidental contact with the sharpened end of the needle.