Abstract: This invention relates to an improved guarded surgical scalpel having a movable guard that can be retracted to expose the blade and that can be extended to cover the sharp cutting edge of the blade. The guard is also mounted for rotatable movement with respect to the handle. A blade carrier is mounted to the guard to allow relative longitudinal movement between the guard and the blade carrier. The blade carrier is also removably mounted to the handle. This mounting arrangement for the handle, guard and blade carrier allows the guard and blade carrier to be rotated away from the handle so the surfaces of the handle, guard and blade carrier can be exposed. This facilitates cleaning of the guarded surgical scalpel after use.

Abstract: A method for introducing an injectable medicament into a subarachnoid space of a patient includes advancing a subarachnoid needle into the subarachnoid space. The subarachnoid needle has an elongate passage with a sidewall, a proximal end and a distal end that has a closed point and at least two openings through the sidewall located at a distance from the closed point. The method includes establishing a fluid communication between the subarachnoid space and the passageway through the openings, then introducing the medicament into the subarachnoid space of the patient through the passageway.

Abstract: A safety needle device which can be used substantially as a regular syringe or with a "y" connector. The device includes an elongate barrel with a longitudinal axis and an inside surface defining a chamber which has an open proximal end and a distal end with a needle cannula. The needle cannula projects distally outwardly, and has a distal tip and a lumen in fluid communication with the barrel chamber. The device has a needle guard with a proximal first end and a distal second end. The guard is mounted for movement relative to the barrel from a retracted position in which the guard does not materially obstruct access to the distal tip of the needle cannula and an extended position where the guard substantially prevents inadvertent access to the distal tip of the needle cannula.The needle guard is releasably retained in the retracted position and locks in the extended position. The guard has at least one open slot which extends proximally from the second end.

Abstract: A needle assembly includes an elongate needle, a needle hub with an axial bore therethrough to receive and hold the needle projecting axially, the needle hub further is releasably mountable on a fluid handling device. The assembly has an elongate shield having an open proximal end, a distal end and a sidewall with an inside surface defining a cavity. There is an elongate aperture into the cavity from about the distal end to the proximal end. The assembly has a hinge that includes a mount for retaining the shield onto the hub, the mount has an opening therein that is sized and shaped to receive at least a portion of the needle hub. The shield is movable about the hinge by an off-axis pivotal movement between an initial closed position, an open position and a latched position. The assembly has a removable cover that is disposed over the elongate aperture in the shield and engaging the shield to hold it in the initial closed position.

Abstract: An assembly for in vitro culture of cells of the present invention includes a culture vessel with at least one well. The well has an open top, a bottom and a wall with an inside surface. The assembly also includes at least one insert sized for placement within the well. The insert has an outside surface, an open end and a closed end. There is a microporous membrane at the closed end of the insert that closes the end and thereby forms a receptacle within the inset. The assembly further includes provisions for adjustably positioning the insert within the well between a first position where the closed end of the insert is a first distance from said bottom of the well and a second position where the closed end of the insert is a second distance from the well bottom.

Abstract: A system for applying labels to objects includes an object supply for supplying objects substantially equally spaced and aligned in single file for labeling. The system also includes a label applicator for applying a label to an object from the object supply and a label supply for supplying the labels to the label applicator. Each of the labels are joined at an end to at least one other of the labels. The system also includes a labeling finisher to detach the end of each label from the at least one other label and to smooth the end of each label onto their respective object.

Abstract: A combination stopper and shield closure for sealing the open end of an evacuated body fluid collection tube to retain the vacuum therein. The stopper is retained within a central aperture in the shield by an upper and lower flange, the upper flange having a convex surface for directing residue body fluid away from the center of the flange to reduce contamination. The closure also includes a gas-barrier bonded to the stopper and/or shield to increase the vacuum seal and cam followers extending from the bottom of the shield to interact with cams on the outer surface of the tube to facilitate closure twist-off. In addition, the closure includes flexible tabs around the bottom of the shield to prevent the tube/closure assembly from being pushed out of a needle holder during body fluid collection.

Abstract: A medical device for protecting a catheter penetration site on the skin of a patient includes a resilient pad having a patient contacting side and at least one void therein for receiving and retaining a catheter at a catheter penetration site. The device has an adhesive on the patient contacting side of the pad for releasably adhering the pad to the patient's skin at the catheter penetration site and also includes a sufficient quantity of an antimicrobial agent to create a zone of microbial inhibition around the catheter penetration site.

Abstract: A needle assembly has an elongate hollow handle with a proximal end with provisions for attaching a fluid handling device and a distal end with an opening. The assembly has a needle with a distal point, a proximal end and an open passageway. The assembly also has an elongate substantially transparent needle hub with a distal end portion that has the needle fixedly attached. The needle hub is disposed for coaxial slidable movement within the hollow handle from a first position wherein the needle projects outwardly from the handle. The needle hub includes an elongate flashback chamber inside that is fluidly connected to the needle for viewing flashback. The needle hub is operatively biased for axial movement from the first position to a proximal rest position within the handle. When the needle hub is in the proximal position, the needle is substantially contained within the handle.

Abstract: This invention relates to an improved guarded surgical scalpel having a movable guard that can be retracted to expose the blade and that can be extended to cover the sharp cutting edge of the blade. The guard is also mounted for rotatable movement with respect to the handle. A blade carrier is mounted to the guard to allow relative longitudinal movement between the guard and the blade carrier. The blade carrier is also removably mounted to the handle. This mounting arrangement for the handle, guard and blade carrier allows the guard and blade carrier to be rotated away from the handle so the surfaces of the handle, guard and blade carrier can be exposed. This facilitates cleaning of the guarded surgical scalpel after use.

Abstract: A well plate assembly useful for laboratory-scale cell culture and diagnostic tests of the present invention includes a substantially planar base with at least one well and a top surface. A lid is joined to the base by a hinge as part of the assembly. The hinge allows the lid to be moved between a closed position, where the lid covers the top surface, and a plurality of open positions where the top surface is uncovered. The assembly includes provisions for releasably retaining the lid in the closed and plurality of open positions.

Abstract: An insert of the present invention for a tissue culture bottle with a neck includes a neck adapter with provision for mounting a suspending arm. One end of the suspending arm mounts in the insert and the other end has a holder for a specimen or a plurality of specimens. When the adapter is placed in the neck of the bottle, a specimen in the holder is suspended within the bottle. The neck adapter may also be incorporated into a cap for the bottle. In the case where the tissue culture bottle is a roller bottle with a longitudinal axis, the neck adapter may include rotatable elements so that the suspending arm and specimen holder remain in a substantially constant position with respect to the rotation of the bottle about the axis. In an alternate embodiment of the insert of the present invention, the insert may be a generally cylindrical member for placement on the interior surface of a tissue culture roller bottle for at least a portion of the cell growth period.

Abstract: A tissue biopsy cell suspender device includes a receptacle having a sealable opening. The receptacle contains a sufficient quantity of an aqueous medium to support an enzymatic dissociation of cells from a tissue biopsy sample. The device has a removable closure with a first sealing position and a second sealing position for sealing the opening in the receptacle. The device further includes a frangible container having a sufficient quantity of an enzyme therein to dissociate cells from the tissue biopsy sample. The frangible container is covered with a membrane that is permeable to water and to the enzyme. The frangible container is disposed within the receptacle so that the container is intact when the closure is in the first sealing position and the container is breached when the closure is in the second sealing position. When the frangible container is breached, the enzyme is released to permeate into the medium and for dissociation of the cells from the tissue sample.

Abstract: A method for visualization of a lubricant coating on a surface of an article includes dissolving a fluorescent agent into a lubricant. The method then includes applying the fluorescenated lubricant to coat a surface of the article. The coated article is then irradiated with an electromagnetic radiation capable of inducing a fluorescent emission in the fluorescent agent and the fluorescent emission is observed to detect the coverage of the lubricant on the surface of the article.

Abstract: A two piece co-culture device having receptacles for containing fluid on two sides of a porous membrane includes an insert with a passageway therethrough with a longitudinal axis. The insert has a first end, a second end and a sidewall, the second end has an outside diameter and a porous membrane with a first side and a second side bonded thereover substantially perpendicular to the axis. The membrane closes the second end of the insert forming a a first receptacle for containing fluid on the first side of the porous membrane within the insert that is open to the first end. The first end has a flange extending outwardly from at least a portion of the sidewall substantially perpendicular to the axis for suspending the insert in a well. The device also includes an adapter for forming a second receptacle for containing fluid on the second side of the porous membrane. The adapter has an open end, an insert end and a passage with a longitudinal axis extending therethrough.

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: A holder useful for supporting a coverslip above the bottom surface of a vessel includes a lower portion with a surface for supporting a coverslip and an upper portion with at least one protuberance. The holder has an opening intermediate the lower portion and the protuberance for receiving the coverslip.

Abstract: A shielded needle assembly has an elongate needle with a proximal end, a distal end and a passageway therethrough. The assembly has a needle hub that has a proximal end, a distal end and an outside surface with an axial opening therethrough to receive and hold the needle with the distal end of the needle projecting distally axially. The assembly also has an elongate shield with a proximal end, a distal end and a sidewall with an elongate opening from its distal end to its proximal end. At least a section of the shield is substantially cylindrical and has an exterior surface. The shield is operable between an open position, where the needle is exposed for use by passage through the elongate opening, a closed position, where the shield substantially obstructs access to the needle, and a latched position, where the elongate opening is substantially obstructed and the shield is prevented from inadvertent movement to the open position.

Abstract: A body fluid collection assembly includes a tube having an outside surface, an open end and a closed end forming a chamber having an inside wall for holding a body fluid, the tube has a raised annulus at the open end. The assembly includes a closure with a shield having a top, an opening therethrough and a cavity for receiving the open end of the tube. The cavity has an inside surface having at least one protuberance projecting inwardly from the inside surface so that when the open end of the tube is in the cavity, the protuberance engages said annulus retaining said shield on the tube. The assembly includes a sealing element having a top surface and a lower flange and a gas barrier member bonded to the lower flange to form a primary seal with the inside wall of the tube and a secondary seal at the open end of the tube. The assembly further includes a plug housing having a passage and a resilient plug mounted in the passage, and elements for releasably mounting the plug housing on the shield.

Abstract: This invention relates to an improved guarded surgical scalpel having a movable guard that can be retracted to expose the blade and that can be extended to cover the sharp cutting edge of the blade. The guard is telescopically mounted inside the blade handle and includes a deflectable top wall portion that holds a detent pin. This detent pin engages a slot having upturned ends that is formed in at least one side wall of the blade handle. The detent pin is biased upwardly into the upturned ends to hold the guard in the retracted or extended position.