Abstract: A laparascopic incision closure device comprised of an ejector housing having finger holding rings and a thumb ring attached to a plunger shaft and plunger for sequentially ejecting T-bar sutures into a trocar site incision through a needle. T-bar sutures are ejected by operation of a trigger mounted in the ejector housing for quick and easy operation to eject a T-bar through fascia adjacent to a trocar site incision. Multiple T-bar sutures are stored in the interior of the ejector housing and needle for quick and easy placement through fascia on opposite sides of a wound. In the preferred embodiment the device is constructed of a disposable plastic material with sutures being formed of an absorbable material.

Abstract: A medical device assembly is adapted to isolate the heart from systemic circulation while perfusing oxygenated blood to the systemic arterial circulation during a minimally invasive bypass procedure. The assembly includes an arterial catheter with an external shunt valve which forms an anchor to secure the distal end portion within the aortic arch and which also forms a funnel which shunts antegrade aortic blood flow from the aortic root, into a distal flow port and through an internal flow lumen in the catheter, out an intermediate flow port along the catheter proximally of the anchor, and into the systemic arterial circulation. A distal internal valve is further provided within the internal flow lumen between the distal and intermediate flow ports. The distal internal valve selectively occludes the shunted antegrade aortic blood flow between the distal flow port and the intermediate flow port and isolates the left heart chambers from the systemic arterial circulation.

Abstract: A stethoscope device assembly which is adapted to monitor a surface sound on a body surface of a mammalian body and includes an earpiece assembly which is acoustically coupled to a sound receiver assembly. A sound transmission member is coupled to and extends between the earpiece assembly and the sound receiver assembly. An arm which includes at least a portion of the sound transmission member and also a superelastic member is coupled to and extends between the earpiece assembly and the sound receiver assembly. The superelastic member has a resting shape, such as a helical shape, which is adjustable under an applied force to a strained shape, and also has an elastic memory to the resting shape after being adjusted to the strained shape.

Abstract: A sanitization system for cat litter boxes is presented which is composed of a scoop device for straining cat litter where the scoop device has a handle member from which a scoop region extends axially. At a predetermined distance axially from the scoop region, a containment member extends laterally of the handle where the containment member has a multiplicity of venting orifices extending therethrough. A fluid reservoir is removably attachable to the cat litter box. The fluid reservoir is defined by a housing having an open end and a cavity chamber where the cavity chamber is so dimensioned and constructed to be in fluid communication with the open to permit the passage of fluid through the open end. A deodorizing and disinfectant fluid is carried in the reservoir.

Abstract: A sanitization system for cat litter boxes is presented which is composed of a scoop device for straining cat litter where the scoop device has a handle member from which a scoop region extends axially. At a predetermined distance axially from the scoop region, a containment member extends laterally of the handle where the containment member has a multiplicity of venting orifices extending therethrough. A fluid reservoir is removably attachable to the cat litter box. The fluid reservoir is defined by a housing having an open end and a cavity chamber where the cavity chamber is so dimensioned and constructed to be in fluid communication with the open to permit the passage of fluid through the open end. A deodorizing and disinfectant fluid is carried in the reservoir.

Abstract: The railroad power switch operates from the energy stored in a hydraulic accumulator. A pump charges the accumulator and keeps it charged. A power cylinder acts on the moveable rail of a railroad switch through this hydraulic energy. The energy opens the switch, closes it, and stabilizes it during train trailing through the switch. A spring pack supplements this hydraulic energy in stabilizing the switch.

Abstract: A portable system for delivering a drinking beverage to a user is presented which has a carrier fabric made at least in part of a flexible material that has a pocket and a conduit sheath where the conduit sheath communicates with the pocket. A flexible beverage reservoir which has a sealed chamber therein is removably mounted to the carrier fabric and captively held in the pocket. Disposed in the beverage reservoir is a connector which has an intake port and exhaust port where the ports are located externally of the sealed chamber and in communication with the sealed chamber. The connector contains a two-way valve for admitting of beverage through the intake port into the sealed chamber and for removing beverage from the sealed chamber through the exhaust port. A beverage delivery lumen has a first end and a second end where the first end is connected to the exhaust port and the second end has an opening with a one-way valve for the sucking of beverage through the lumen into the mouth of a user.

Abstract: An explosive cartridge actuated cable cutter device is presented which has a housing with a longitudinal axis and an axially extending bore therein where the bore has a circumferential step extending radially into the bore defining a reaction shoulder and a frame carried by the housing which extends axially at the cutting end of the device. A reaction blade is carried by the frame and extends laterally across the longitudinal axis and acts in conjunction with a cutting blade to shear power transmission line or underground cable. The shearing action is achieved through the use of a piston member which has a piston head and piston rod and is slideably mounted within the bore.

Abstract: An autoclaving collar having a distal end and a proximate end is presented for fastening to the proximate end of a conventional dental handpiece to protect the impeller of the handpiece from the corrosive environment of autoclaving or sterilization. The collar has an opening at its distal end and an axially extending cavity that communicates with the opening and an annular shoulder which is concentric with the longitudinal axis of the collar for captively holding an O-ring member which seals the proximate threaded end of the conventional dental handpiece when the collar having internal mating thread is sufficiently threaded onto the proximate end of the dental handpiece.

Abstract: A knot-pushing instrument consisting of an elongated member that has an axis of elongation and an axially extending cavity therein where the cavity is bounded at the distal end of the elongated member by the proximate face of a laterally extending distal wall. The distal wall has a transverse slit which extends through the wall and communicates with the cavity. A first axially extending slot communicates with both the cavity and the transverse slit and is so dimensioned and proportioned to permit a strand of suture to pass laterally through the first axially extending slot and into the cavity. The transverse slit is so dimensioned and proportioned to permit the strand of suture to advance axially through the transverse slit when a slip-type knot is pushed by the distal wall along the strand of suture.

Abstract: A shoulder rest for a violin or viola musical instrument having a support member made of an elastic polyurethane foam material and having opposing surfaces where said surfaces have a multiplicity of regions of depressions and regions of elevations and are so dimensioned and proportioned to permit the regions of elevation to exclusively and compressively bear against the back of the violin such that external forces transmitted to the support member are resiliently transferred through the regions of elevation thereby reducing the bearing surface area against the back of the musical instrument and consequently minimizing the dampening effect the support member has on the sound of the violin or viola. The shoulder rest is removably mounted to the musical instrument by a continuous elastic band carried by the support member and having opposing bights for compressively engaging the lower bout and end peg of the instrument.

Abstract: A tool rack suspendable from a wall by attachment to vertical wall studs which incorporates a frame member having a plurality of holes spaced for alignment with the standardly spaced vertical wall studs. Cantilever pins are permitted to be removably mounted to the frame member by accessibility to the rear planar surface of the frame member through a multiplicity of void regions located in the lower flange. The lower flange projects laterally from the frame member and is integral therewith. An upper flange member projects substantially parallel to and in the same direction as the lower flange and the upper flange has a width which is less than that of the lower flange such that when the tool rack is mounted to the vertical wall studs the frontal planar surface of the frame member is rearwardly sloped with respect to the vertical.