Abstract: A device is proposed for inserting hemostatic material through a tissue channel and against the outside wall of a blood vessel of a patient, wherein the blood vessel wall has a puncture therein adjacent the tissue channel. The device includes a charge of hemostatic material and a hollow sheath adapted to pass through the tissue channel, the sheath having a cross sectional profile larger than the puncture. The device places the hemostatic material in the hollow sheath and advances the hemostatic material through the sheath to the outside of the vessel wall around the puncture.

Abstract: A nonrefillable syringe including a unique plunger stem/piston arrangement which is designed to disconnect after an injection has been completed. A piston is removably connected to a plunger stem by a first connecting member and a novel nipple assembly. The first connecting member comprises a plurality of circumferentially spaced arms extending longitudinally away from the piston and forming an interior aperture. The nipple assembly includes a tapered nipple removably matable with the aperture formed by the circumferentially spaced arms of the first connecting member, and a cylindrical carrier for slidably positioning the nipple assembly within a hollow end of the plunger stem. The tapered nipple is gradually forced out of the aperture during use of the syringe. When the tapered nipple is forced completely out of the aperture, the piston disconnects from the plunger stem.

Abstract: An injection device is provided for the infinitely variable metering and administering of a liquid preparation from a multi-dose injection cartridge having a rear piston which may be moved forward by means of a piston rod. The longitudinal movement of the piston rod is governed by two couplings arranged along the piston rod and each being capable of releasably gripping the piston rod by a locking device. The piston rod has a wedge-shaped cross section and each of the couplings includes a clamping shoe which has a wedge-shaped groove, the cross section of which is adapted to that of the piston rod, and locking device, by which the piston rod and each clamping shoe may be releasably clamped together to lock the piston rod in the groove of said clamping shoe.

Abstract: A catheter assembly is provided for delivering a diagnostic fluid to a diagnostic site within the vascular system of a patient comprising an elongated central tube that can be routed into and through a vascular system of a patient, the tube including a tube proximal end and a tube distal end, a flexible sleeve defining a space between the interior surface of the sleeve and an exterior surface of the central tube, the sleeve comprising a sleeve proximal end sealably connected to the exterior circumference of the central tube. The sleeve extends along a length of the central tube from the sleeve proximal end to a sleeve distal end, the central tube defining one or more openings that extend through a wall of the central tube so that the interior of the central tube is in fluid communication with the interior of the sleeve.

Abstract: An article of manufacture adapted to be connected to a male thread comprises an exterior surface, a cavity opening away from the exterior surface and defining an interior surface, and a plurality of ribs disposed on the interior surface extending longitudinally away from the exterior surface. The article can be connected to the male thread by threading the cavity onto the male thread. It is a particular advantage that the article of this invention, unlike prior art female threaded articles, can be prepared by conventional simple injection molding techniques not requiring an unscrewing step. In one preferred embodiment, the article is a plunger rod intended to be connected to the male threaded post of a plunger of an associated cartridge-needle unit to form a syringe assembly.

Abstract: A camouflaged injection needle is disclosed including a shaft, a flexible ellipsoid tip at one end of the shaft and a sharp needle tip positioned within the flexible tip and axially aligned with the shaft. The sharp needle tip is capable of piercing through the flexible tip and into an outer human tissue when the flexible tip is positioned on the outer human tissue and the shaft is urged in the direction of the outer human tissue. The injection needle is camouflaged to resemble a cotton swab. This reduces pre-injection anxiety of the patient.

Abstract: A flexible, integral polymer resistance heated conduit is provided that is particularly suitable for use with physiological fluids. The conduit is highly effective in uniformly heating a fluid and in maintaining the fluid at a uniform, predetermined temperature. The conduit is inexpensive and easy to manufacture, and is at least partially transparent or translucent, thereby allowing easy viewing of its contents.

Abstract: A system is provided for accommodating the use of a syringe pump to inject a liquid agent into a patient from a vial having an internal chamber occluded at one end by a stopper located in the chamber to sealingly engage the vial and slide within the chamber. The system includes a plunger having a bearing end to be engaged by a movable pushing member of the syringe pump and having a drive end adapted to engage the stopper. A hollow piercing needle is mounted to the plunger to be connected in fluid communication with the patient and has a piercing end to penetrate the stopper. The needle moves with the plunger and stopper relative to the chamber as the liquid is discharged from the vial.

Abstract: An automatic medicament injector employing a non-coring needle having side port geometry optimized to minimize or eliminate the coring of a rubber seal or septum when impaled by the internal needle tip of the cannula. The geometry avoids direct exposure of the butt end face of the needle to the rubber seal by providing a crimp to the material at the butt end and openings in the side thereof using electro-discharge machining (EDM) processes providing plural openings therein for introduction of medicament or aspiration through the side port geometry. The automatic medicament injector structure facilitates administration of a medicament to a predetermined target tissue avoiding exposure of the medicament or drug to tissues which would undesirably be damaged by such exposure.

Abstract: An anti-infective medical article has chlorhexidine bulk distributed throughout a polyurethane base layer and may have a coating layer on the base layer. The coating layer may be chlorhexidine permeated into the surface or it may be an antibiotic, antithrombogenic agent or a polymeric surface layer laminated onto the base layer. The invention includes a method for preparing the article wherein a homogeneous melt of polymer and chlorhexidine is prepared by twin screw compounding and the melt is extruded to give a medical article having bulk distributed chlorhexidine.

Abstract: Medical instrument for injecting liquids into a hollow organ and/or drawing off liquids from a hollow organ, in particular a bile duct. Clamping apparatus are associated with the hollow needle of the instrument, this instrument being constructed as a tubular shaft, and the tissue of the hollow organ can be securely enclosed by these clamping apparatus between an entrance opening in the hollow organ and an outlet opening of the hollow needle in such a way that no liquid can escape between the tissue and the hollow needle.

Abstract: An improved male luer connector assembly including a central elongated male luer connector tapering from a distal end to a locking collar disposed approximately at the mid-point of the connector. A recessed section is disposed between the first collar and a second collar. Locking teeth are disposed on a proximal face of the locking collar in spaced relation. A threaded lock nut is mountable on the male luer connector. An inner peripheral end wall of the lock nut surrounds the male luer connector and carries a ratchet at an inner end face thereof. In the connection of the male luer connector assembly to a complementary female threaded luer connector, the engaging teeth on the proximal face of the locking collar are drawn into engagement with the ratchet on the inner face of the lock nut to ensure and maintain a locking fluid-tight connection between said male luer connector assembly and the female luer connector.

Abstract: This invention relates to a holder for use in combination with a pre-filled cartridge-needle unit, the holder comprising a hollow body sized for housing the cartridge-needle unit therein, and provision for allowing the body to move axially relative to the cartridge-needle unit. In one preferred embodiment, the distal end of the body is elliptical in cross section and the proximal end of the body is circular in cross section. In another preferred embodiment, the body comprises a pair of cam slots at the distal end and a pair or retaining slots at the proximal end, the slots being sized to accept a circumferential ring on the cartridge-needle unit and positioned to hold the cartridge-needle units in use and safe positions. The holder is easier to use and manufacture and reduces the susceptibility of health care workers to accidental needle strikes.

Abstract: Safety connector for infusion therapy for supplying several lines and having a casing (1) in which there is a chamber (4) that is bordered by an essentially cylindrical inside wall (5) of the casing into which several connecting channels (2) for joining infusion lines open and which has an outlet channel (9) for attaching an outlet line. The cylindrical outside wall of an elastic ring-shaped valve body is in contact with the inside wall (5) of casing (1) that surrounds chamber (4). The safety connector is simple and inexpensive and has an uncomplicated design. The cylindrical contact surfaces between the ring-shaped valve body and the cylindrical inside wall (5) surrounding chamber (4) result in a good seal for the non-return valves even at a low contact pressure. The sealing force can be determined even down to a very low pressure. Thus, for the first time a safety connector suitable for gravity infusion systems is available.

Abstract: A unitary, flexible, substantially noncollapsible catheter tube of biocompatible material is comprised of hard and soft regions. The hard regions can be ring shaped or helical. The hard regions provide sufficient rigidity to the tube to prevent collapse under normal usage as the interior and exterior pressures vary. The soft regions provide sufficient flexibility to allow contoured placement of the tube. The hard regions can be created by exposing a polymer in the tube to radiation. The hard regions can also be created by periodically adding a harder material to the tube.

Abstract: Syringe apparatus is provided which can be used in multiple ways such as injecting patients with various medications, taking blood samples, or in IV (intravenous) applications. The apparatus includes an outer sleeve slidably positioned over an inner sleeve which includes a penetrable member thereon. The penetrable member allows needle injection of a fluid from another syringe into the inner sleeve. One embodiment of the apparatus has a single pointed needle attached to the inner sleeve and a second embodiment has a double pointed needle for use in blood collection or the like. The syringe apparatus has a built-in safety feature by the use of a coiled spring which causes the needle to retract within the outer sleeve when released to prevent accidental needle puncture.

Abstract: An expansible balloon catheter has at least a first exterior surface with a given coefficient of friction and a second exterior surface with a greater coefficient of friction. In a compact form only the first exterior surface is exposed to produce a low coefficient of friction during transfer of the collapsed or uninflated balloon to and across a lesion. When inflated, the second surface dominates the first surface and produces an increased coefficient of friction overall thereby to stabilize the balloon in the lesion.

Abstract: An apparatus for infusion monitoring including a pressure transmission line branched from the infusion hose and a diaphragm connected with the infusion hose, the diaphragm being able to be connected with a pressure sensor for registering a change in curvature of the diaphragm. In order to achieve the aim of providing an apparatus of this type which renders possible on the one hand a reliable monitoring of infusion and on the other hand a way of preventing the production of a false alarm in a substantially reliable fashion, the apparatus of this type is so designed that in the infusion hose between the branch point of the pressure transmission line and the free end, adjacent to the patient, of the infusion hose a one-way valve is arranged, which permits a direction of flow to the patient.

Abstract: A needle-syringe assembly, operable in a normal mode and convertible to a retraction mode, comprises an elongated, generally cylindrical barrel, a plunger slidably mounted in the barrel, and a needle holder carrying a hollow needle on the distal end thereof. The barrel forms a hollow nozzle located at the distal end of the barrel. The plunger forms a coaxial cavity extending therethrough, and the plunger includes a helical slot exposing a proximal portion of the coaxial cavity. The needle holder is slidably mounted in the coaxial cavity of the plunger. During the normal mode, a distal portion of the needle holder is engaged within the nozzle by a taper lock. To switch from the normal mode to the retraction mode, the taper lock is disengaged by rotary movement of the plunger relative to the barrel.

Abstract: A non-contaminating surgical introducer/dilator includes a variably inflatable tubular balloon membrane. The leading section of the membrane is circumferentially folded back over, forming a double walled tubular membrane. The open end of the tubular membrane is fixed to the stem of the guide. The stem of the guide is placed over the body cavity while the guide is slid over the introducer tube, thereby forcing the membrane through the guide and into the body cavity while simultaneously inverting the membrane over itself. Contact between the introducer tube and the abdominal/body cavity is inhibited and the passive transportation of pathogens into the cavity concomitantly prevented. The inflator tube is used to variably inflate the tubular balloon with sterile water or gas via a syringe/pump device to the desired pressure. Various methods of making and using the introducer/dilator of the present invention are also disclosed.