Abstract: A system is provided that allows completely occluded blood vessels to be crossed. The system includes a pathfinding guidewire that is coupled to the distal end of an ultrasound catheter. The distal section of the pathfinding guidewire acts as a narrow extension of the distal end of the catheter which is effective in transmitting ultrasound energy to cross occlusions. Once the distal section of the guidewire has crossed the occlusion, the distal end of the catheter can be advanced over the distal section of the guidewire and against the occlusion to remove the occlusion.

Abstract: A catheter assembly especially adapted for injecting therapeutic liquids such as DNA solutions to a patient's myocardium comprises an elongated guiding catheter for insertion through a patient's artery to the vicinity of the myocardium, a reservoir for therapeutic liquid at the distal end of the guiding catheter, one or more injection needles protruding from the distal end of the guiding catheter and in fluid communication with the reservoir, the extent of needle protrusion being appropriate for penetration of but not passage through the myocardial wall, and an operating device for delivering a predetermined quantity of therapeutic liquid from the reservoir through the needles.

Abstract: An anchoring system for a urethral catheter (14, 36), and a method of its use, involve a resilient anchor-interval portion (40) of a catheter drainage shaft (42, 42'), positioned between a bladder balloon (26) and a urethral anchoring cuff balloon (44). The anchor-interval portion has a sinusoidal configuration lengthwise thereof which provide a proper linear elastic resilience for allowing the bladder balloon and the urethral anchoring cuff balloon to be separated a substantial distance for impinging against what remains of a prostate gland (20, 28, 32).

Abstract: An injection vessel including a glass cartridge; a rubber stopper (front stopper) and a rubber stopper (end stopper) respectively fitted to a front side and a rear side of the glass cartridge slidably in an axial direction of the glass cartridge in close contact with an inner face of the glass cartridge; a luer lock hub attached to the front end side of the glass cartridge in which a nozzle thereof is protruded outwardly; a finger grip attached to the rear end side of the glass cartridge; a plungerrod for pressing the rubber stopper (end stopper); a nozzle cap covering the nozzle; and wherein a collar consisting of a separate member is protruded equivalently or more than the nozzle or a collar portion with an elevated height attached directly to the luer lock hub is provided at a surrounding of the nozzle of the luer lock hub whereby a front end height of the collar portion is equivalent to or higher than a height of the nozzle.

Abstract: A conformable catheter comprising a catheter handle, an elongated catheter tube, and a distal tip portion of the catheter tube, capable of assuming a desired pre-programmed shape. A wire member is disposed within the core of the catheter's tip portion and is formed of a material, such as, for example, a shape-memory binary nickel-titanium alloy, that will assume a pre-programmed shape after pre-shaping, heat treatment, cooling and subsequent heating. To pre-program the shape of the wire member, prior to assembly of the catheter, the wire member is wound around a shaped, heat resistant fixture, heated until the temperature of the wire member exceeds the temperature at which the shape of the wire member on the fixture becomes programmed into the wire member, and cooled.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a device and method for delivering a therapeutic substance to a bodily tissue in a minimally invasive manner. The device includes an elongate flexible tubular member having a proximal end and a distal end. A control means is provided for enabling the distal end of the tubular member to be controllably flexed in a transverse manner for positioning the distal end of the tubular member proximate to the bodily tissue to be treated. A hollow needle is disposed at the distal end of the tubular member for delivering the therapeutic substance into the bodily tissue. A marking means is also included for indicating when a injection has been made in the tissue. The invention is particularly useful for treatment of ischemic heart disease by gene therapy.

Abstract: A temporary transnasal lacrimal insert is used in a surgical procedure for improving drainage from a patient's lacrimal sac to his or her nasal cavity. The insert includes a tubular member with a proximal end and an enlarged distal end. The insert also includes an attachment element about which ends of a tube can be fastened. In the procedure, a hole is created extending from the lacrimal sac into the nasal cavity using surgical techniques or a laser probe. Then, opposite ends of a tube are introduced through the patient's upper and lower puncta, through the patient's upper and lower canaliculi, through the lacrimal sac, through the hole, and into the nasal cavity. The ends of the tube are then threaded through the passage in the insert. The insert is then placed from the nasal cavity into the hole by forcing the proximal end of the insert through the hole and into the lacrimal sac, and abutting the enlarged distal end, which is larger than the hole, against a surface in the nasal cavity surrounding the hole.

Abstract: A needle cover assembly is provided that incorporates a drug applicator therein. The needle cover assembly includes an inner sleeve and an outer sleeve. The inner sleeve is formed from a hard material and acts as a needle shield. The inner sleeve also includes an absorbent material thereon that can absorb a drug such as an antimicrobial agent. This allows the absorbent material to be swabbed on the patient's skin prior to puncturing with a needle. The outer sleeve covers the absorbent material and prevents evaporation of the drug from the absorbent material.

Abstract: This invention provides prosthesis delivery systems with atraumatic tips that can be dislodged from the catheter so that the catheter can be easily removed from the body after expanding the prosthesis, by pulling the catheter proximally. With the tip dislodged, the catheter, which is of smaller diameter than the tip can be removed even in instances where the prosthesis does not expand the lumen to a large diameter. This invention also provides prosthesis delivery systems with a contoured protective outer sheath having smaller diameters in proximal portions that normally are acutely bent when the system is in the body, than in distal portions corresponding to the position of the prostheses. These systems are more flexible and the sheaths less likely to kink, especially when configured as part of a large delivery system.

Abstract: A syringe for the injection or taking of fluids having a needle mounting endpiece which is detachably coupled to barrel by mating features. A plunger and a coupled seal are guided by flanges sliding within guides and are further guided by protrusions so as to prevent rotation of the plunger and prevent unwanted contact between the flanges and the barrel. The plunger exhibits a bayonet-type fixture which upon rotation engages within the endpiece and allows retraction of the endpiece and coupled needle within barrel. Following engagement and retraction, the plunger may be prevented from movement by the engagement of protrusion on the barrel protrusions and abutment of radial protrusions against annular protrusions. Further embodiments and improvements are provided.

Abstract: A method for treating a patient for adult-onset dementia of the Alzheimer's type by removing a portion of the patient's cerebrospinal fluid, preferably (although not necessarily) by transporting the fluid to another portion of the patient's body. The invention also provides an apparatus for removing cerebrospinal fluid including (1) a conduit with a first opening and a second opening, the first opening of the conduit being adapted to be disposed in fluid communication with a space within a patient's arachnoid membrane, the second opening being adapted to be disposed in fluid communication with another portion of the patient's body; and (2) a flow rate control device attached to the conduit.

Abstract: An improved aortic cannula is formed from a cannula body and a tip provided on the distal end of the cannula body wherein the tip is designed to accommodate the fluid flow requirements of an extracorporeal bypass system while simultaneously minimizing any possible adverse impact of the cannula and fluid flow on the vessel in which the cannula is received. The tip has an axial fluid discharge aperture provided at the distal end thereof through which a portion of the fluid exiting the cannula flows. In addition, at least one lateral fluid discharge aperture is provided in the sidewall of the tip. A scoop or other diverting member is formed in the sidewall to direct a portion of the fluid flowing through the tip to exit the cannula through the lateral fluid discharge apertures.

Abstract: A magazine for storing and final disposal of a snap-on needle unit has a compartment having a bottom, a cylindrical side wall, and an access opening, which compartment accommodates the needle unit with a gap between the outer side wall of this needle unit and the inner side wall of the compartment. A circle of tongue-shaped protrusions are at one end thereof hinged at the inner surface of the side wall of the compartment and are at their other ends free. The length of the protrusions exceeds the width of the gap so that the protrusions are deflected to assume an oblique position with their free ends pointing towards the access opening of the compartment when the unused needle is stored in the magazine and pointing towards the bottom of the compartment when the needle unit is reinserted into the magazine.

Abstract: A needle unit comprises a needle mounted in a hub having a sleeve made from a deformable material and surrounding an end of the needle at a radial distance from that needle. The sleeve is designed to be snap-locked onto a connecting piece at the outlet end of a syringe by protrusions on the inner wall of the sleeve engaging a circumferential recess in the outer wall of the connecting piece. It is also designed such that the locking engagement between the protrusions of this sleeve and the recess of the connecting piece is released when certain zones of the outer sleeve wall are pressed inwardly. A magazine for storing the needle unit comprises a compartment which can receive the needle unit in a plurality of rotational positions.

Abstract: An improved medication delivery pen is provided for injecting fluids such as insulin within body tissue. The medication delivery pen includes a mechanism that prevents the removal of a cartridge unless an injector button on the medication pen is in a predefined position, a bayonet attachment and an improved clutch assembly in a dose setting mechanism that provides improved control over the torque necessary to rotate a units counter ring in the medication delivery pen using a dose setting knob.

Abstract: The invention provides a nested tubing cannula which comprises outer and inner elongate tubular members, both having a proximal end, a distal end, and a lumen therebetween. The inner tubular member is sealed at its distal end and is nested substantially coaxially within the lumen of the outer tubular member, so that the gap between the inner and the outer tubular member defines a second lumen whereas the first lumen is the lumen of the inner tubular member. A tubular sleeve is disposed coaxially between the inner and outer tubular members. A balloon is mounted on a distal region of the outer tubular member and is in communication with the first lumen. The cannula further comprises a port proximal or distal the balloon occluder and is in communication with the second lumen. Methods for making the devices herein are disclosed.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for applying a particulate hemostatic agent to living tissue are disclosed. The apparatus includes a particulate hemostatic agent source (22) and a continuous gas source (14). A continuous gas stream from the continuous gas source is turbulently combined with the particulate hemostatic agent within the hemostatic agent source from a finely dispersed fluid stream of the particulate hemostatic agent in the continuous gas stream. An outlet conduit (34) extends from where the gas and particulate hemostatic agent are combined through an outlet (36) of the conduit, whereby the fluid stream is conducted through the outlet conduit and is discharged from the outlet conduit onto proximate living tissue, thereby applying the particulate hemostatic agent o the living tissue.

Abstract: A drug delivery system provides sustained-release delivery of therapeutic biologically active compounds administered epidurally. In the preferred embodiment the biologically active compound is an opioid, which is encapsulated within the non-concentric internal aqueous chambers or bilayers of multivesicular liposomes. The opioid is released over an extended period of time when the liposomes are introduced epidurally as a single dose for sustained analgesia.

Abstract: Balloon catheters are prepared to include body affecting chemicals within microcapsules on the exterior of the balloon either alone or with a stent. The coating releases from the balloon when the balloon is inflated into contact with the lumen to be treated. The device provides accurate placement of the dosage required at the location in need of treatment. A sheath may be employed over the balloon and microcapsules to prevent the microcapsules from being rubbed off during delivery through a body lumen. The catheters are especially useful in balloon angioplasty procedures.

Abstract: A balloon catheter includes an elongate pliable catheter tubing with a dilatation balloon fixed to the catheter tubing near its distal end. The dilatation balloon includes a first wall for dividing the balloon into a plurality of dilatation compartments adjacent one another and arranged angularly about the catheter tubing. Each dilatation compartment is fluid tight and in fluid isolation from other compartments. The compartments are individually controlled so the pressure within each balloon compartment may be adjusted as determined by the operator. The dilatation balloon includes a second wall composed of the respective outer wall portions of the dilatation compartments which defines an outer transverse profile of the dilatation balloon and adapted to form surface engagement with the tissue segments surrounding the balloon when the compartments are dilatated.