Abstract: A light weight, portable thermal rescue/recovery system for mammals up to 300 lbs. In in weight, comprising of a mummy bag which contains a circulating liquid which is either heated when the mammal needs to be warmed as in the case of, for example, a mammal suffering from hypothermia, or cooled when the mammal's body temperature or skin temperature needs to be lowered as in the case of a burn, stroke and some heart attack victims. The mammal is placed into the mummy bag of the portable thermal rescue/recovery system which also has a pump to circulate the liquid and a heat exchanger to cool or heat the liquid. This portable thermal rescue/recovery system is suitable for all rescue vehicles including helicopters, boats, EMS ambulances, fire trucks, police cars, avalanche rescues, ice rescues and air cushion vehicles, as well as stretchers and other manual transport means, among others.

Abstract: An endoscopic instrument of the present invention comprises a flexible insert section capable of being passed through a forceps channel of an endoscope, an operating wire located in a bore of the insert section and movable in the axial direction of the insert section, an operating section connected to the proximal end side of the insert section and used to move the operating wire forward and backward, and a treatment section attached to the distal end of the insert section and adapted to be operated as the operating wire is moved forward and backward. The operating wire is composed of at least one wire member, a resin member is located on or adhered to at least a part of the outer surface of the operating wire, at least the inner surface of the insert section is formed of a metallic coil, and a micro-flat portion is provided at least on that surface portion of an element wire of the coil which faces the operating wire.

Abstract: A catheter system for removing occlusive materials from a targeted endoluminal site, such as a vascular graft. The catheter system utilizes an electrical source and a controller to deliver sequences of very small electrical discharges between paired electrodes in a fluid-jet arrangement (i) to cause high fluid flow velocities in the catheter's fluid extraction pathway based on Bernoulli's Law of Pressure Differential, (ii) to create a selected level of turbulent fluid flows within the targeted site to remove occlusive material from the vessel walls and to thereafter suction fluids and entrained embolic particles into the extraction pathway, and (iii) to emulsify any embolic particles having a cross-sectional dimension larger than a couple of hundred micrometers to allows passage of the embolic particles through the elongate catheter to the catheter handle.

Abstract: A system for fixation of a soft tissue tear includes a flexible, generally helical fixation element biased to a predetermined pitch. A hollow, generally helical insertion element is dimensioned to admit at least a distal portion of the fixation element into a lumen thereof. The insertion element's pitch along a central portion is larger than that of the fixation element. The insertion element is insertable in a screwing motion across the soft tissue tear and is positionable with the central portion bridging the tear. The fixation element is insertable into the insertion element, and the insertion element is removable in a reverse screwing motion, leaving the fixation element positioned across the tear. The positioning of the central portion permits the fixation element to contract following removal of the insertion element to bring the two bridged sides of the tear together, permitting them to heal.

Abstract: A cardiac ablation apparatus for producing a circumferential ablation that electrically isolates a heart chamber wall portion from vessel such as a pulmonary vein extending into a wall portion comprises (a) an elongate centering catheter having a distal end portion; (b) an expandable centering element connected to the centering catheter distal end portion and configured for positioning within the vessel when in a retracted configuration, and for securing the elongate centering catheter in a substantially axially aligned position with respect to the vessel when the centering element is in an expanded configuration; (c) an ablation catheter slidably connected to the centering catheter the ablation element having a distal end portion, and (d) an expandable ablation element connected to the ablation catheter distal end portion.

Abstract: An endoscope has a first bending portion, a second bending portion, and a hand-held unit. The first bending portion is the distal portion of an elongated insertion member. The second bending portion is located at the proximal end of the first bending portion. The hand-held unit is located at the proximal end of the insertion member and has a control section that is used to bend the first bending portion and second bending portion. In the endoscope, the control section of the hand-held unit includes a bending knob, a second bending lever, a first locking lever, and a second locking lever. The angling knob is used to bend the first bending portion, and the second angling lever is used to bend the second bending portion. The first locking lever is used to lock the angling knob at a predetermined angular position, and the second locking lever is used to lock the second angling lever at a predetermined angular position.

Abstract: A notched void portion 29 is provided in a rigid casing block 20 of a rigid tip end section 2c of an endoscopic insertion instrument 2. For spurting a cleaning fluid toward an observation window 11, a cleaning supply passage is constituted by a cleaner nozzle 13, a connector pipe 27 and a flexible tube 26. A cleaner nozzle 13 is partly fitted in the notched void portion 29 which is formed in the rigid casing block 20. The connector pipe 27 is formed in a staggered shape having an angularly bent intermediate pipe section 27c between straight and parallel front and rear pipe sections 27a and 27b. The straight front pipe section 27a is at least partly fitted in the rigid casing block 20 and its fore distal end portion is fitted in the cleaner nozzle 13 over a predetermined length.

Abstract: A structure includes a film having a pair of opposed surfaces wherein the film is liquid impermeable and electrically charged and an arrangement carried by the film and having first and second compartments separated from one another by a rupturable wall. First and second compositions are disposed in the first and second compartments whereby the rupturable wall may be ruptured to permit mixing of the first and second compositions.

Abstract: An exchangeable tool assembly is provided for an endoscopic treatment device, comprising a flexible shaft connected at its distal end to a tool unit and at its proximal end to a coupling element for coupling the tool assembly to a motor of the treatment device. The flexible shaft transmits a rotary movement of the motor to the tool unit. The flexible shaft is connected to said tool unit such that said flexible shaft and said tool unit form a jointly exchangeable unit. Further, a locking mechanism for releasably holding said tool assembly at said treatment device comprises a locking element arranged at said tool unit and a locking member arranged at said treatment device which is engageable in said locking member to releasably hold said unit formed by said tool unit and said flexible shaft at the treatment device, which can be withdrawn as a whole after this engagement of said locking member from said locking element.

Abstract: In a tube connecting structure of an endoscope, a fluid supply tube is connected to a gas supply tube and a liquid supply tube via a tube joint. The tube joint is arranged at the inside of an insertion part of the endoscope, and is constructed of a main tube and a branch tube. The branch tube is provided next to the main tube, while an end of the branch tube protrudes to be longer than an end of the main tube.

Abstract: An endoscope is provided with an operation unit provided with at least one operation member, an insertion section to be inserted in a human cavity, the operation unit being connected with a proximal end of the insertion section, a direction setting table provided at a distal end portion of the insertion section, the direction setting table adjusting a direction in which a distal end of a treatment instrument inserted through an instrument-inserting channel protrudes from a distal end portion of the insertion section of the endoscope, and an operation wire that moves along the axis thereof upon operation of the operation member, the operation wire being connected to the direction setting table so that the direction setting table is moved in accordance with operation of the operation member. With this structure, the distal end portion of the insertion section and the operation unit is electrically insulated.

Abstract: A medical device for cryotreatment of bodily regions is disclosed. The device comprises an inflatable support structure coupled to the distal end portion of a catheter shaft, the support structure being further enveloped by an expandable membrane to define an expansion chamber between the support structure and the membrane. An inflation lumen is coupled to the support structure to inject an inert, insulating fluid in the support structure, thereby expanding the support structure and the expandable membrane, wherein the resultant expansion chamber formed therebetween is substantially conical in shape. Refrigerant is injected into the expansion chamber, thereby creating localized cooling of tissues adjacent to the expansion chamber, the cooling region being substantially conical in shape.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reshaping cartilage using radiofrequency heating. The cartilage temperature is raised sufficiently for stress relaxation to occur in the cartilage, but low enough so that significant denaturation of the cartilage does not occur. The RF electrodes may be designed to also function as molds, preses, clamps, or mandrills to deform the cartilage tissue. Changes in various properties of the cartilage associated with stress relaxation in the cartilage may be measured in order to provide the control signal to provide effective reshaping without denaturation.

Abstract: The endoscope comprises a flexible insertion member with different hardness for bending in a predetermined area of longitudinal direction thereof. This insertion member includes a flexible tube having resin sheathing layer on the outside and slender inner parts passing through the flexible tube. An amount of change in hardness level for bending of the inner parts in a longitudinal direction is designed larger than an amount of change in hardness level for bending of the sheathing layer of the flexible tube in a longitudinal direction.

Abstract: A flexible tube having a laminated multi-layer structure including an outer layer composed of a main tube body layer formed of thermoplastic synthetic resin in a predetermined thickness and a reinforcing layer provided on the inner side of the main tube body layer, and an inner layer formed of a thin film sheet of air tight and low friction material. The inner layer is formed by rolling an elongated strip of a thin film sheet into a tubular form such that opposite lateral sides of the thin film sheet are overlapped one on the other to provide a thick wall portion extending longitudinally of and at one angular position of the inner layer.

Abstract: An elongated built-in component formed with a hollow resin tube is passed through a flexible tube that is an integral part of a soft insertion member of an endoscope. Assuming that a critical radius of curvature the flexible tube exhibits after completion of sterilization with high-temperature high-pressure steam is Rj, and a critical radius of curvature the elongated built-in component exhibits after completion of the sterilization is Rn, the condition of Rj≧Rn is met. Unless the flexible tube is bent to exhibit so small a radius of curvature as to cause the flexible tube to buckle, the built-in component will not buckle.

Abstract: An endoscope having resistance to high-temperature and high-pressure steam including an optical unit having at least one optical member; and optical unit supporting frame for supporting the optical unit so that its position can be adjusted in the direction of the optical axis; and a hermetic optical covering member joined to the optical unit supporting frame and having an optical window for covering at least an end portion of the optical unit when it is joined.

Abstract: The invention discloses a reusable heat pack comprising a soft sealed plastic bag containing a mixture of supercooled supersaturated recrystalizable solution of inorganic substance, alcohol, chemical compound additives, and means to trigger recrystallization of supercooled supersaturated recrystalizable solution of inorganic substance.

Abstract: In an endoscopic insertion instrument having a rigid tip end section, an elongated flexible body, and an angle section connected between the rigid tip end section and the flexible body, a joint construction connects an angle section to the fore end of the flexible body. A couple of connecting rings are provided opposingly at joining ends of the angle section and the flexible body. At least one aperture is provided in an outer one of the connecting rings to feed a flux. At least one angle section operating is passed through the connecting ring. The operating wire is encased in a sheathing coil, the fore end of which is fixed to the inner one connecting rings. To prevent flux from getting into the closed sheathing coil, a shield portion is formed around an outer periphery of the sheating coil over a predetremined range in axial length.

Abstract: A connection assembly between a spinal implant rod and a vertebral anchor. The assembly has a longitudinal member, a housing, a rod interface washer, and a compression member. The longitudinal member has an aperture at one end and a wedge at the other. The housing has a passageway to accept the shank of a bone screw and a bore to accept the wedge. The bore is open to the passageway so that when the wedge is pulled from the bore it pushes against the shank of the bone screw, trapping the bone screw between the wedge and the sidewalls of the passageway. Threading a setscrew into the aperture presses a spinal rod against the washer, presses the washer against the housing, and pulls the wedge against the shank of the bone screw. Further tightening of the setscrew then locks the bone screw and rod together.