Abstract: A pulsed fluid jet surgical instrument includes a cannula extending from a handpiece, the cannula emitting a pulsed fluid jet for cutting and emulsification purposes, and also providing suction for aspiration and evacuation of the fluid and tissue. A pressure intensifier piston arrangement receives fluid at relatively low pressure, and operates reciprocally and reiteratively to pump the fluid through the jet needle in a series of high pressure pulses, each having a nearly rectangular pressure waveform. The pressure intensifier piston is T-shaped, including a broad end which divides a drive bore into a driving chamber and a retracting chamber. A bistable valve is connected to admit high pressure gas into the actuating chamber, driving the piston to translate. The narrow end of the piston is disposed in a fluid pumping chamber connected to a supply of fluid.

Abstract: The invention features a catheter and methods for delivering drug to tissue at a desired location of the wall of a body lumen. The catheter is constructed for insertion in a body lumen and has a catheter shaft and an expandable portion mounted on the catheter shaft. The expandable portion is expandable to a controlled pressure to fill the cross-section of the body lumen and press against the wall of the body lumen. In one embodiment, at least a portion of the exterior surface of the expandable portion is defined by a coating of a tenaciously adhered swellable hydrogel polymer. Incorporated in the hydrogel polymer is an aqueous solution of a preselected drug to be delivered to the tissue or plaque. The hydrogel polymer and drug are selected to allow rapid release of a desired dosage of the drug from the hydrogel polymer coating during compression of the hydrogel polymer coating against the wall of the lumen when the expandable portion is expanded.

Abstract: A portable osmotic pump, having two pouches (4,3) in pressure-transmitting relationship, the first (4) containing a pumped fluid, such as infusate (5), and the second (3), a driving fluid (36). The driving fluid is created and pressurized by activation of an osmotic pump, and the rate of infusion is controlled by a semipermeable membrane (10). Activation can be by rupturing a seal (11) or by opening a closed tube (58) to permit permeant (2) to contact the semipermeable membrane. Pulses of the pumped fluid can be achieved by delivery pulses of the permeant to the second pouch. The pouches can be designed to resist collapse of the first pouch by external forces on the pumped liquid, such as gravity, movement of the first pouch and negative pressures applied to the pumped liquid. The infusate pouch is manufactured separately and can be stored apart from the rest of the system.

Abstract: There is disclosed an apparatus for applying a multiple component tissue adhesive, which apparatus has component conveying channels for the components of the tissue adhesive, extending in a one-piece construction part from a connecting part to a delivery part, and a gas conveying channel for a medicinal gas serving for atomizing the tissue adhesive components, wherein all the conveying channels end in separate exit openings at a front side of the delivery part and extend parallel to one another over at least that part of their longitudinal extension which is immediately upstream of the exit openings, and wherein the component conveying channels together are enclosed by the gas conveying channel at least on that part of their longitudinal extension immediately in front of their exit openings.

Abstract: A protective barrier assembly for shielding a piercing element such as a pointed needle cannula or blunt ended cannula during or after use of a medical implement. The piercing element includes a longitudinal axis, a length, a distal end which may be pointed or blunt, a proximal end and a passageway therethrough. The assembly may include a hub configured for mounting to a medical implement such as a syringe or evacuated tube holder and having an axial opening through it for receiving the needle so that the distal end of the needle projects outwardly. The assembly also includes a shield with an open end, a closed end, and a sidewall portion with a longitudinal slot extending from the open end toward the closed end. The shield has a first position exposing the needle and a second position wherein the shield obstructs unintentional access to the needle.

Abstract: A syringe for administering a medicament having a barrel provided with a needle attachment member to which a needle may be mounted and which is retained by a catch at one end of the barrel, and a plunger which is movable in the barrel to expel medicament through the needle attachment member and needle. The plunger is hollow and contains a vacuum and is provided with a gripping member at one end which closes one end of the plunger and which when the plunger is advanced can engage the needle attachment member to releases its catch and withdraw the needle attachment member and mounted needle into the plunger.

Abstract: A needle apparatus for intravenous applications which helps prevent needlesticks. The invention includes a needle housing to which a standard hypodermic needle is attached. The needle housing can then be attached to standard syringes via a base. A protective housing surrounds the needle housing which provides two locking positions with the protective housing extended over the needle: the first, is "temporary" which can be removed to restore the needle but still encases the needle, protecting medical personnel from a needlestick; the second is "locked" where the needle cannot be re-exposed, again protecting medical personnel. The protective housing is fitted with a Luer lock so that the apparatus can be used to connect to an I.V. line without requiring the removal of the needle.

Abstract: An aspiration needle apparatus for collecting cell samples from tissue by the use of a vacuum container having an enclosed evacuated space sealed by a penetrable diaphragm. An adapter has a recess to receive the vacuum container. A needle is carried by the adapter and serves as an aspiration needle to collect a cell sample and penetrates the diaphragm to couple the evacuated space to the flow passage of the needle means.

Abstract: An ampule filling device having an ampule for jet injection attached to a transfer apparatus having a housing, a barrier within the housing, and a push rod attached to the housing to drive the medication from a medication vial. Further, the ampule filling device is advantageously bulk sterilized during assembly, and, assembled and packaged in an aseptic manufacturing environment.

Abstract: A subcutaneous infusion port comprising a three-piece removable unit including a self-sealing, needle penetrable diaphragm having a composite membrane comprising a bottom layer that has the properties of being inert, being impermeable to fluid and preventing tissue in-growth and a middle layer laminated to the bottom layer that has the properties of promoting tissue in-growth into the middle layer.

Abstract: A syringe having a bearing divided at least once in the axial direction of a threaded rod into bearing parts. The bearing parts are held at a distance from one another and at a distance from the threaded rod by at least one expanding part. The bearing parts, on their surfaces facing the threaded rod, have surfaces which can be brought by external pressure into engagement with the threaded rod against the resistance of the bearing parts.

Abstract: A sheath holds a device against a balloon catheter for delivery in the lumen of a patient. The device can be a stent and graft combination. The stent is kept properly centered over the balloon catheter by the sheath as the graft is placed in a blood vessel. The smooth outer surface of the sheath protects the vessel wall from the rough surface of the stent. A notch is formed in the end of the sheath where the free end of a strand of thread protrudes from the sheath. The sheath is removed from the graft by pulling on the free end of the strand otherwise located distally from the outer surface of the sheath. The strand cuts through and splits open the sheath as a result of the force applied on the free end of the strand. The other end of the strand is attached to a reinforced collar at the other end of the sheath. The strand does not cut through the collar.

Abstract: A medication delivery pen is provided with an indicator that displays the time of last injection through interaction between a cap and pen body assembly. When a user requires an injection the cap is removed from the pen and a dose is set by turning a dose setting knob to the desired dose as displayed in a window in the pen. After the desired dose is set using the dose setting knob, injection is achieved by pushing an actuator button. After injection the user replaces the cap on the pen such that indicia on the cap align with indicia on the body of the pen to display the day and time of day of the last injection, thereby providing the user with means for remembering when the last injection was administered by aligning indicia on the cap with indicia on the pen body assembly, without having to otherwise write or record the day and time of the last injection.

Abstract: A parenteral device having a body slidably supporting a hollow needle. The needle is slidable between a first position in which it is completely retracted within the body and a second position wherein a portion of the needle projects outside of the body. The body further houses a chamber isolated from the needle when the needle is in the first position. Movement of the needle into the second position causes an end of the needle to pierce a wall of the chamber thereby establishing communication between the chamber and needle.

Abstract: An aspiration needle for use with a syringe for fine needle aspiration cytology comprising a rigid elongate tubular member having distal and proximal extremities. The distal extremity is formed to provide a sharp point. The tubular member has a bore extending therethrough from the distal extremity to the proximal extremity. A body is secured to the proximal extremity of the tubular member and forms a chamber therein in communication with the bore of the tubular member. The chamber is formed by a sloping uninterrupted side wall leading to the bore of the tubular member. The body includes a fitting for receiving the syringe and for establishing communication between the syringe and the chamber.

Abstract: A safety needle assembly includes a needle having a longitudinal axis, a length, a pointed distal end, a proximal end and a passageway therethrough. The assembly includes a hub having a longitudinal axis, a proximal end, a distal end and an outside surface with an outside diameter. The hub has an axial opening through it for receiving the needle so that the distal end of the needle projects outwardly. The hub has a circumferential groove in the outside surface and a raised annulus located proximally to the groove. The assembly includes a shield with an open end, a closed end, a sidewall with a longitudinal slot extending from the open end toward the closed end. The shield has a first position exposing the needle and a second position wherein the shield obstructs unintentional access to the needle. The shield has a mounting for holding the shield onto the hub with a first portion having an opening for placement on the hub at the groove.

Abstract: The invention relates to a safety valve plug to be used in pre-filled syringes, of the kind comprising a cylindrical hollow body into which a coaxial plunger is displaced, projecting outwardly from one of the bases; while a conical portion is defined at the opposite base, the conical portion receiving the injection needle and being called "plugging cone", the valve plug being snug fit inside said "plugging cone" with its end head bearing on the mouth thereof, said valve plug comprising a substantially cylindrical solid body having a conical end portion and the other portion, defining its head, being cylindrical and of a cross section larger than the rest of the body; the cylindrical body having, following said conical end, two faceted faces extending adjacent the head.

Abstract: A system for backflushing an irrigation-aspiration handpiece tip includes a source of backflushing fluid, a syringe for injecting the fluid through an aspiration tube of an irrigation-aspiration handpiece, the aspiration tube of the handpiece being connected to an aspiration tube of the irrigation-aspiration handpiece tip, and a coupling device for connecting the syringe to the aspiration tube of the irrigation-aspiration handpiece. The coupling device includes an inlet end and an outlet end, a receptacle at the inlet end for receiving the syringe and a passageway extending between the receptacle and the outlet end for passage of the backflushing fluid. The outlet end of the coupling device connects to the aspiration tube to complete the connection between the syringe and the aspiration tube of the irrigation-aspiration handpiece.

Abstract: A self-sealing valve arrangement for use in a hemostasis cannula includes a distal wiping gasket and an outer proximal tricuspid gasket bonded on a peripheral interface therebetween. The distal wiping gasket strips clots and fibrotic tissue from a catheter or vessel dilator as it is extracted from the hemostasis cannula preventing a disruptive accumulation of clots in the tricuspid valve.

Abstract: A prefilled, two-constituent system is provided with a syringe barrel having a dispensing end with an inwardly directed, stationary, piercing cannula. Within the syringe barrel is a first, sealed, collapsible container holding a first constituent at subatmospheric pressure. The first container is slidably disposed within the syringe barrel adjacent the piercing cannula. A second, sealed, collapsible container holding a liquid second constituent is slidably disposed within the syringe barrel spaced from the first container. A carrier is slidably disposed within the syringe barrel between the first and second containers. The carrier has a double-ended, hollow, piercing needle with oppositely extending first and second ends for piercing the first and second containers, respectively. A plunger is slidably mounted within the syringe barrel for applying a force to the second container.