Abstract: A guide for guiding a needle for insertion into a patient during a surgical procedure has a main guide body, a mounting arrangement for attaching the main guide body onto an ultrasound probe, and a needle cap that fits removably onto the needle guide. At least one channel is located between the main guide body and the needle cap. The needle cap is preferably made of a magnetic metal, and a magnet is preferably mounted in the main guide body. The needle cap is thus removably held on the main guide body by the force of the magnet. A multi-angle embodiment of the invention has a plurality of channels, each having a different, predetermined guide angle. The mounting arrangement preferably is in the form of a adjustable clamp, with a first and a second arm, which engage the housing of the ultrasound probe. The second arm preferably pivots in the main guide body depending on the position of an adjustment arrangement such as a thumbscrew.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention is a disposable/reusable needle guide which can be: (a) utilized with many ultrasound probes; (b) attached and detached from such ultrasound probes easily and rapidly; and (c) utilized with biopsy needles. In particular, an embodiment of the present invention is a needle guide for use with an ultrasound probe which includes: (a) a clip for detachably affixing the needle guide to the ultrasound probe; (b) a clip lock for detachably locking the clip to securely affix the needle guide to the ultrasound probe; (c) a needle support, affixed to the clip, for supporting and positioning a needle; and (d) a needle cap, detachably affixed to the needle support, for supporting and positioning the needle; wherein the needle support and the needle cap include a snap locking for detachably affixing the needle support and the needle cap to each other.

Abstract: Bi-directional, constant velocity, carriage shuttling mechanisms particularly suitable for use in dot matrix line printers, are disclosed. The carriage shuttling mechanisms comprise a pair of identically sized bi-lobed, second order elliptical gears (41, 45) connected together in a 90.degree. phase relationship either directly or via a belt. One of the bi-lobed gears is rotated at a constant velocity and the other is eccentrically linked (47) to the carriage (11) to be bi-directionally shuttled at a constant velocity.