Abstract: This invention relates to a gynecologic instrument comprising a stem, a uterine hook, said uterine hook being pivotally mounted adjacent one of its ends to an end of said stem for angular adjustment with respect to the stem, and control means connecting with said uterine hook and extending therefrom to a location adjacent the end of said stem that is remote from the end where said uterine hook is connected for controllably turning said hook about its connection with said stem. There is also disclosed a method of using this instrument.

Abstract: The present invention provides a throat pack comprising a resilient moulding of polymeric foam material shaped and adapted for insertion into and occlusion of the oro-pharynx or laryngo-pharynx or both.An exposed region of the foamed material, at least in the anterior surface of the moulding, may be useful in absorbing fluids. One or more safety tapes are incorporated in the pack so as to extend outwards through the mouth.

Abstract: An elongate blunt-ended hollow tube is affixed on the distal end of a flexible catheter. A cutting edge along one side of a lengthwise slot in the tube wall cuts off irregularities from the inside of a vessel and feeds them into the hollow interior of the tube as the catheter is rotated.

Abstract: An instrument for removing splinters embedded in skin has a pair of pincers that extend generally in a first direction and are mutually spaced apart in a second direction transverse to the first direction. Each pincer is substantially broader in a third direction orthogonal to the first and second directions than in the second direction. A free or working end of each pincer, also broader in the third direction than the second direction, converges convexly to a tip. The leading edges of the working ends, defined by the junction of the interior facing surfaces of the working ends and the outwardly facing exterior surfaces, are sharpened to facilitate the penetration of the instrument to the embedded splinter. The interior facing surfaces of the working ends adjacent the leading edges are preferably hollowed to prevent blocking.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for piercing ear lobes and inserting therein two-piece ornaments. First and second jaws are adapted to receive the mating portions of the ornaments and each jaw positively positions the received portion of the ornament to insure precise alignment. The motion of the jaws relative to each other is restricted to one dimension and an actuator spring urges the first jaw toward the second. A trigger apparatus selectively overcomes the force of the actuator and thus controls the closing of the jaws. An auxiliary closure system, responsive to an auxiliary trigger, selectively linearly moves the second jaw so as to draw the jaws toward one another for proper positioning prior to piercing the ear in response to actuation of the trigger.

Abstract: An apparatus for ligation of affected part in coeloma comprises an inner and an outer flexible tube. A ligature or tie-up thread is provided with a loop formation, one end of which is disposed within the inner tube. The outer tube houses the loop formation, the inner tube and a pair of holding wires which are associated with the loop formation. In use, the outer tube is inserted into a coeloma and then retracted relative to the inner tube to move the loop formation out of the outer tube, whereupon the holding wires cooperate with the loop formation to extend it into an enlarged loop, which is then engaged with an affected part in the coeloma. Subsequently, one end of the loop formation is externally pulled through the inner tube, reducing the area of the loop for the purpose of ligation of the affected part.

Abstract: A cryosurgical instrument having a purge cycle of indeterminate duration, separate and apart from its cooling and warming modes, which can be conducted with a refrigerant consisting of a low pressure unsaturated or saturated gas. During the purge cycle, the pressure of the refrigerant gas is regulated to a level below that which is required to effect a Joule-Thomson expansion of the gas upon its entrance into an expansion chamber adjacent the tip of the instrument while simultaneously exhausting the effluent to the atmosphere through an exhaust valve actuated by a footswitch.

Abstract: A surgical punch instrument having an elongated, hollow sleeve with an elongated rod sliding therein and extending through one end of the hollow sleeve. The elongated rod has a narrowed end portion and fixed cylindrical blade attached thereto while the open end of the hollow sleeve has a hollow, cylindrical blade removably attached thereto. The sliding rod may be actuated by a handle attached thereto and extending through the elongated sleeve to pull the blade on the end of the rod into the hollow blade in the hollow sleeve thereby shearing or punching an opening in tissue therebetween.

Abstract: A cervical dilator is formed of a mushroom shaped elastic sack having inelastic members embedded therein configured to maintain the general shape and limit the size of the sack during expansion under internal pressure.The dilator is inserted with the head portion folded and fluid is introduced to unfold it and expand it.

Abstract: This invention relates to a medical clamp for controllably occluding extremely small body vessels such as blood vessels within the intracranial or intraspinal areas of the human body. The disclosed clamp is preferably formed from a U-shaped unitary body of transparent, resilient elastomeric biologically inert material such as Tygon or Silastic wherein the leg members of the U-shaped body are controllably brought together to occlude a vessel placed therebetween by means of a flexible line or spring. Several embodiments are disclosed illustrating various expedients for securing the flexible line such as a sliding friction device or latch plate, and for operating and securing the string mechanism. All embodiments include means for measuring and detecting the termination of fluid flow through a vessel being occluded. Such measuring or detecting means permit the use of only that amount of pressure and no more than is necessary to cause vessel occlusion.

Abstract: A planar cervical-vaginal cytological spatula includes a flat manipulating stem with an endocervical sampling head at one end and a broad vaginal sampling head at the other end. The endocervical head includes a wedge shaped forward protuberance adapted for insertion into the endocervical canal. A first edge of the protuberance is coincident with a straight lateral edge of the stem and terminates at a rounded tip of a diameter approximating that of a normal cervical canal. The other edge of the protuberance slopes angularly away from the tip toward the stem at an angle in the order of 18.degree. from the first edge and terminates with a transverse base dimension in the order of twice the diameter of a normal cervical canal at the cervical portio. From the wedge base the sloped edge leads to an undulated transverse squamous sampling surface extending perpendicular to the axis of the stem.

Abstract: The instrument is used in laparoscopic tubal cauterization whereby a fallopian tube is completely blocked by coagulation and comprises: an elongated narrow sheath; an electrically insulated separator means slidably mounted in the sheath; and a pair of bipolar electrodes secured in diametrically opposite grooves extending longitudinally of the sheath. Each electrode defines at one end thereof a prong extending outwardly from one end of the sheath; the prongs are spaced from one another to define a first tube-receiving position whereby a tube may be received therebetween; the prongs may be moved to a second tube-squeezing position by slidably retracting the separator means in the sheath. The opposite end of each electrode is adapted for electrical connection to an external source of cauterizing current.

Abstract: Inflatable cuff-type catheters, e.g., endotracheal and tracheotomy tubes, with cuff pressure indicators are provided. One indicator means comprises an expandable chamber with an open-ended spring about the mid-section of the chamber. As the chamber expands, the spring also expands to indicate the gas pressure in the cuff.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are disclosed for use in surgically removing tumorous neurological tissue which apparatus comprises a handpiece mounting a hollow tool tip vibrating transversely to its long axis in the ultrasonic range, means for introducing fluid adjacent the tool tip to flush the operative site area, and means adjacent the tool tip for withdrawing the fluid mixture from the site. The method comprises applying an ultrasonically vibrated tool to tumorous nerve tissue, while simultaneously introducing irrigation fluid to flush the area of the tissue and withdrawing the resulting mixture from the area adjacent the tool.

Abstract: A cryosurgical probe has a refrigerant supply conduit for conducting refrigerant to the hollow thermally-conductive probe tip. A refrigerant exhaust conduit extends through the probe into the tip and the end of the exhaust conduit in the tip is positioned a selected distance proximally of the end of the supply conduit. Thus, when refrigerant flows through the supply conduit to the tip, it tends to follow a flow path taking it more or less directly to the exhaust conduit. This creates a dead gas space inside the tip proximally of the end of the exhaust conduit, thereby minimizing direct cooling of portions of the probe adjacent to and proximally of the dead gas space and confining the freeze zone distal to that space. By adjusting the height of the exhaust conduit end proximally of the supply conduit end, the size of the freeze zone at the tip can be controlled. Further, if the probe has a defrost mode, defrost is enhanced because only the working end of the tip need be warmed.

Abstract: A surgical instrument comprising a housing with a motor and source of power contained in the housing. A removable sheath is placed over the housing and a cutter assembly is removably mounted to the housing so that the housing is protected from external materials and contamination. The cutter assembly has a body, a tube projecting from the body, a blade positioned in the tube and a drive transfer mechanism mounted in the cutter body, connecting the blade to the motor. The tube defines an aperture and the blade in combination with the walls defining the aperture shears tissue entering the hole. A second passage is formed in the cutter body communicating with the tube to allow pressure differentials to be exerted to the tube.

Abstract: A protective device for preventing the development of postoperative adhesions between a patient's dura and spinal nerves and other anatomic structures after spinal surgery. Preferably, the protective device provides an intervening barrier between portions of the patient's dura and spinal nerves in the patient's spinal canal following intervertebral disc surgery in which a portion of one of the patient's intervertebral discs and a portion of the patient's vertebra adjacent the disc are removed.

Abstract: A cutting instrument is provided, particularly applicable to vitreous surgery, having an elongated, tubular housing formed with a cutting orifice near its end. A resilient, inner tubular member is slidably mounted coaxially within the tubular housing. The tubular housing is bent in a manner to displace the cutting orifice in a direction toward the resilient, inner tubular member. As the end of the resilient, inner tubular member passes across the cutting orifice, it is resiliently urged into shearing contact with the cutting orifice.

Abstract: A surgical instrument for ligatures is disclosed herein consisting of a hollow handle in the inside of which thread spools are mounted rotatably, the hollow handle extending into a tube, the lower end of which has a curved portion which ends in a point, a flattened portion provided in the area of curvature, and exit openings for the unwound threads provided on both sides behind the point of the instrument.

Abstract: An ear lobe piercing device is employed to drive a headed pin through an ear lobe and into a lock nut disposed on the other side of the ear lobe. In one form the device includes a pair of separable jaws which receive the ear lobe therebetween, one of the jaws having a pin driving mechanism and the other jaw having means for holding the lock nut in a position to receive the sharp end of the pin. Both the pin and nut are individually pre-packaged, each in its own holder. The pin holder is received by one jaw in alignment with the pin driving mechanism, and the nut holder is received by the other jaw. After insertion of the two holders into the device and operation of the device to pierce the ear lobe, the holders are disposable. The device can also be in the form of a gun having a fixed means for receiving the pin holder and a slidable means for receiving the nut holder.