Abstract: A medical device for deploying surgical fabric at an operative site within a body cavity of a patient. The device includes a deploying member in the form of an elongated inserter shaft with a supporting member in the form of a sheet of plastic attached to a distal end of the shaft. A sheet of surgical fabric is placed on the supporting member and rolled around the inserter shaft. An introducer tube surrounds the rolled-up fabric and supporting member to prevent them from unrolling. The introducer tube may then be inserted into the body cavity and retracted to allow the supporting member to self-unwind the fabric sheet within the body cavity. The device may also provide for irrigation of the surgical site.

Abstract: An intubation device comprises an imaging conduit including an illumination conduit for delivering illumination to a distal end of the device and an image-receiving conduit for communicating images from the distal end of the device to the proximal end of the device. The device also comprises a flushing conduit for delivery of fluids and/or gases to the distal end of the device. The image conduit and the flushing conduit are attached at the distal end of the device. The distal end of the device can be manipulated by advancing the imaging conduit in an axial direction while maintaining the flushing conduit fixed in place. Furthermore, a length adjustment member is provided for adjusting the extent to which the distal end of the device extends beyond a distal end of an endotracheal tube which is inserted over the imaging and flushing conduits. The illuminating conduit and the image-receiving conduit terminate in separate ports at the distal end of the device.

Abstract: A female incontinence device according to the present invention includes one or more rings of water swellable gel forming material mounted on a female incontinence plug or catheter. The water swellable ring swells upon insertion of the device into the urethra and non-traumatically secures the device in the urethra while providing a seal between the device and the walls of the urethra. The water swellable ring may be replaced by other stimuli sensitive materials which allow the ring to be swollen and later reduced in volume for removal of the device. The stimuli sensitive materials which may be used in the invention include materials sensitive to light, pH, electrical field, mechanical stress, temperature, and solvent interaction.

Abstract: A tissue segmentation device incorporated in an isolation bag for segmenting tissue during an operation such as in laparoscopic surgery. The device includes one or more loops of high strength wire which can be mechanically reduced in size to cut the tissue into smaller pieces. The wire loops can be heated electrically to aid in cutting through hard-to-cut parts of the tissue. The wire can be of a shape memory alloy which shrinks when heated to form a smaller diameter loop.

Abstract: An expandable and collapsible isolation bag having at least two layers which are bonded together at a plurality of connection sites distributed over a surface of the bag and a system for supplying a fluid between the two layers and opening the isolation bag. The two layers preferably include polyurethane film and the bag may further include a lubricous outer surface, such as a nylon mesh layer, bonded to the polyurethane film. A neck channel may be formed around the openable end of the isolation bag for supporting a drawstring which is movable through the neck channel to close the open end of the bag. The bag can be made by bonding the nylon mesh layer to two layers of polyurethane film using a radio frequency welder to form a plurality of weld sites distributed across the surface of the laminate. The drawstring is then introduced into the neck channel. The finished laminate with the drawstring is welded to form a bag assembly having an opening at one end.

Abstract: A suture device including a hook needle, a body portion which fits within a wound site and a handle portion pivotally attached to the body portion. The needle is J-shaped with a long straight part and short curved part terminating in a pointed end. The long part of the needle slides in a channel in the handle portion and the pointed end moves axially toward and away from the handle with the curved part of the needle facing internal organs during closure of a wound site in an abdominal cavity.

Abstract: A surgical knot pusher, including a body shaft, a tip arranged on one end of the body shaft, and a slot in a sidewall of the tip for manipulating suture material extending through an opening in an endwall of the tip. A notched slit is connected to the opening and the opening has a diameter which is larger than the width of the slit. The slot may include two channels which intersect each other with a first channel of the slot parallel to a long axis of the body shaft. The surgical knot pusher may also include a blade slidable in the slot for shearing the suture material after the knot pusher is used to advance and tighten a slip knot in the suture material. The blade may be attached to an end of a spring-biased cutter shaft slidable inside the body shaft.

Abstract: A balloon catheter including a pumping mechanism for inflating the balloon, an actuator and control wire for deflecting a distal tip of the catheter and a luer connection for passing a guidewire through the catheter. The balloon can be inflated with a push button which can be locked when depressed so as to inflate the balloon. The balloon is deflated by rotating the push button so that a return spring expands an air bladder and returns the push button to a non-inflating position. The control wire is manipulated by a pivotal lever or a slidable ring. The ring can include a projection which extends through a slot in the housing or the ring can include a circumferentially extending surface which can be finger actuated at any position around the catheter tube.

Abstract: A medical device such as a retractor or isolation bag including an inflatable member which expands from a collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration when pressurized gas or liquid is supplied thereto. The member can include a plurality of fluid channels, ribs and pre-shaped wire members. The device is inserted into a body cavity through a tube. The device can also be actuated by a honeycomb reinforcing structure with or without the use of pressurized fluid. The device can be manufactured by forming one or more air conduits in a member of expandable material or by enclosing a honeycomb reinforcing structure in a polymer material.

Abstract: A medical device and method of using the device such as during laparascopic procedures for reducing the size of specimens so that they can be removed from the body by a minimally invasive surgical technique. The device is thermally activated and is useable in conjunction with or as part of a tissue isolation bag. The device includes an inner wall defining an empty space for receiving surgically removed tissue. The member is in an expanded condition at body temperature but shrinks to a smaller specimen reducing configuration wherein the empty space becomes smaller when the member is heated to a temperature above body temperature. By careful selection of the material for the specimen reduction device, a range of specific shrink temperatures may be obtained which are suitable for use within the body. For example, the member can be of a shape memory metal or a shape memory polymer.

Abstract: A steerable surgical device including an inner tubular member and an outer tubular member surrounding the inner tubular member. A distal end of the inner tubular member and/or the outer tubular member is prebent in a curved configuration. A distal end of the device can be oriented in a desired direction by rotating the inner and outer tubular members with respect to each other. A tool such as an arthroscopic grasper can be mounted on a distal end of the inner and/or outer tubular members and the tool can be oriented in any desired direction simply by rotating one of the tubular members with respect to the other tubular member.

Abstract: A medical device such as a retractor or isolation bag including an inflatable member which expands from a collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration when pressurized gas or liquid is supplied thereto. The member can include a plurality of fluid channels, ribs and pre-shaped wire members. The device is inserted into a body cavity through a tube. The device can also be actuated by a honeycomb reinforcing structure with or without the use of pressurized fluid. The device can be manufactured by forming one or more air conduits in a member of expandable material or by enclosing a honeycomb reinforcing structure in a polymer material.

Abstract: A uniplanar medical steering device which includes a tubular member of a material such as stainless steel, a hinge formed by a cut-out in a wall of the tubular member and a control wire for bending a first end of the tubular member back and forth in a plane towards and away from a second end of the tubular member. A medical device such as a catheter can be provided within the tubular member and an outer member surrounding the tubular member can be used to cover the cut-out. The steering device allows accurate positioning of a medical device and prevents twisting of the medical device when bent by the control wire.

Abstract: A cross-linked polymeric composition comprises a linear, low density ethylene homo- or copolymer which, prior to cross-linking is characterized by (a) a density at 25.degree. C. of 0.940 gm/cm.sup.3 or less (b) a linearity expressed in terms of pendant methyl groups per 10.sup.3 carbon atoms of the polymeric chain of less than 30 with a substantial absence of long chain branches, and preferably (c) no more than 5 branches greater in length than C.sub.8. The cross-linked polymeric composition is particularly suitable for the production of dimensionally recoverable articles, for the production of insulation material, for the production of semi-conductive or conductive polymers for use in electrical heating materials, and for the production of semi-permeable membranes.

Abstract: A wraparound closure article comprising a slit tubular body having upstanding rails extending along the slit is formed by a combination of blow-and compression-moulding. The rails are formed by compressing a longitudinal edge portion of a parison between two parts of a closed split-mould to form a flange, and the tubular body is formed integrally with the rails by blowing the remainder of the parison into contact with the closed mould. The flange is then cut to provide the slit of the wraparound closure article and to divide the flange into two discrete rails. The slit extends along the pinch-line that forms as a result of compressing the edge portion of the parison in the closed mould.