Abstract: An implantable medical device such as a stent may be implanted within a patient by the steps of advancing a catheter having a balloon into the patient, in which the catheter carries the medical device in a position surrounding the catheter balloon. The catheter also carries an outer, semi-flexible sheath surrounding at least part of the catheter and the medical device. The medical device and flexible sheath are advanced together into a patient with the catheter, to position the device at a desired location while the device is enclosed in the sheath. Then, the sheath is retracted to expose the medical device to the exterior. The balloon is inflated to radially expand the device. Then the catheter and sheath are withdrawn from the patient. The catheter described can be used to implant a stent without the need for a guiding catheter. Also, x-ray contrast media can be applied to the vicinity of the medical device without removal of the guidewire.

Abstract: A supplemental label may be attached to a bag having a wire loop closure by the steps of: forming a bag neck of a filled, flexible bag by collapsing bag material about the mouth of the bag. The filled, flexible bag is advanced along a process line to a wire loop closure applying station. An elongated neck of a label is placed against the bag neck, and the wire loop closure is applied tightly around the bag neck and the elongated label neck to close the bag, and to simultaneously attach the label to the bag by wire loop closure attachment. The labels may be fed to the system in strip form. Also, they may be printed after being unwound from a storage roller assembly and before being applied to the bag.

Abstract: Blood lines for hemodialysis and other blood handling procedures may be reused by placing connectors intermediately along the length of the blood lines so that the lines can be disconnected to separate out reusable portions thereof. Specifically, the bulk of the blood lines used may comprise branchless lengths of tubing which are easily reusable, and may be cleaned and stored along with a dialyzer or similar device by connection to a conventional reuse machine. Also, the connectors on the blood lines which are reused may have first and second sealing surfaces. The first sealing surfaces are used in the connections made to form the blood line in its normal form for use. Then, during cleaning and sterilization for reuse, the reusable connectors can connect first and second lengths of blood lines together making use of a second sealing surface, in which the first sealing surfaces are exposed to cleaning/storing solution to cause cleaning and antibacterial action on the first sealing surfaces.

Abstract: A medical needle protector sheath having slotted sidewalls to receive a winged needle. The sidewalls define at least one catch projection and preferably one in each sidewall, spaced from closed ends of the slots in the sidewalls, to prevent needle wings occupying the sheath adjacent the closed ends from easily sliding away. The catch projection defines an elongated member having a first end that defines a wing catching tip extending into one of the slots. The elongated member is attached to the sidewall only at an elongated member end that is opposed to the first end. This permits the elongated member to flex in the sidewall plane, providing improved receipt and retention of the needle wings.

Abstract: The quantitative determination of various materials in highly scattering media such as living tissue may be determined in an external, photometric manner by the use of a plurality of light sources positioned at differing distances from a sensor. The light from said sources is amplitude modulated, and, in accordance with conventional frequency domain fluorometry or phosphorimetry techniques, the gain of the sensor is modulated at a frequency different from the frequency of the light modulation. Data may be acquired from each of the light sources at differing distances at a frequency which is the difference between the two frequencies described above. From these sets of data from each individual light source, curves may be constructed, and the slopes used to quantitatively determine the amount of certain materials present, for example glucose, oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin in living tissue.

Abstract: A plastic blood chamber comprises a chamber-defining wall having a first blood inlet port adjacent to the end of the chamber and a blood outlet port adjacent typically the opposed end of the chamber. The inlet port is positioned in separate, lateral relation with the chamber, and has a conduit extending longitudinally of the chamber from the inlet port toward a central chamber portion in such separate, lateral relation to the chamber. The conduit curves into communication with the chamber in a transverse direction at an inlet position in the central chamber portion. A second portion of the chamber which is laterally opposed to the inlet position of the conduit defines a sloping shoulder to turn lateral blood flow from the conduit gently upwardly to define a gentle, circulatory flow of blood in an upper portion of the chamber. The chamber upper portion has a wall that carries projections to create blood flow eddys that slow the upward motion of bubbles present.

Abstract: An adhesive coated label can be adherent to untreated polyolefin containers, and can be significantly oil resistant to avoid staining of the label if brought into contact with oil. The label comprises a label body of a clay-reinforced paper. The label body carries an adhesive layer on one side which preferably comprises from 0.3 to 10 weight percent of wood rosin or wood rosin ester, to provide a desired adhesion to polyolefin. A removable backing layer typically covers the adhesive layer before use. The backing layer has a release layer positioned against the adhesive layer, which comprises a silicone resin cross linked by the reaction of Si-H linkages with silanol or silicone-olefin linkages. The release layer may comprise a polypropylene sheet, particularly a polypropylene strip on which many labels are carried, to facilitate the manufacture and storage of the labels.

Abstract: A connector is provided for attaching and mounting a first electrical device, such as a carbon monoxide detector (36) or a motion detector, to a second electrical device such as a smoke detector (34) or another source of electrical power premounted on the ceiling or wall. The connector comprises an elongated member defining spaced first and second apertures (18,28). At least a portion of the first aperture (18) may extend only partway through the elongated member to provide a back wall which is used for securing the connector to the wall or ceiling. The second aperture (28) extends completely through the elongated member, for receiving the preinstalled second electrical device (34). A channel (32) is defined in the elongated member extending between the first and second apertures, to provide an enclosed space for electric wire (38) to connect between the respective electrical devices mounted in the respective apertures.

Abstract: A method of making melt-controlled cheese and a melt-controlled cheese are described. The method includes mixing a curd produced by adding acid to hot milk and a curd product by rennet coagulation. A cheese with taste and texture similar to natural cheese but with desirable melting properties is produced.

Abstract: A rotatable drum for winding cable with an automatic cable lock. The rotatable drum comprises a rotatable shaft which has a first transverse aperture, and an outer drum member having an outer cable winding surface, which outer drum member is carried on the shaft and freely rotatable rotation therewith. The outer drum member defines a second transverse aperture which is positioned to align with the first transverse aperture in a first rotational position of the outer drum member. The two apertures can also be spaced in other rotational positions. Thus insertion of the cable end into the aligned first and second transverse apertures, plus rotation of the shaft to wind the cable about the outer drum member, can cause spontaneous locking of the cable between the first and second apertures by opposed walls of the respective apertures pinching against the cable.

Abstract: A water softening apparatus is provided including a water tank, a brine tank, chlorination electrodes for providing chlorination to water flowing in the water tank and a circuit for providing electrical energy to the chlorination electrodes. A microprocessor controls the circuit, with the microprocessor being software controlled to determine when regeneration should commence, when backwash should terminate, when brine/slow rinse should commence, when the chlorination electrodes should be energized, when the chlorination electrode energization should terminate, when brine/slow rinse should terminate, when fast rinse should commence, and when fast rinse should terminate.

Abstract: Surgical crimping pliers have operating handles and connected, opposed jaws. The jaws define opposed recesses for carrying and crimping a tubular crimp member, which is preferably of oval configuration for carrying a plurality of multistrand cable sections so that, upon crimping, the cable sections are secured together. A capstan is carried on one of the handles for winding a plurality of cable portions so that tension may be placed on both ends of a cable loop array wound about a bone structure, to provide a predetermined, quantitative tension. Then the cable sections within the crimp are secured together by collapse of the crimp. A multistrand cable is preferably used, which exhibits great advantage over single strand wire, and which carries surgical needles of differing type secured to each end thereof.

Abstract: An intravascular catheter carries a helical reinforcement member embedded within at least a portion of the tubular wall of the catheter. The helical reinforcement member comprises a helical first portion having coils of greater pitch than the pitch of helical coils of a second portion. Preferably, the catheter is for insertion into brain arteries, and comprises a flexible tube having an outer diameter of no more that about 0.05 inch, for example 3 French or smaller. The flexible tube defines outer and inner tubular layers. The inner tubular layer surrounds a catheter lumen and comprises chemically inert fluorinated polymer such as PTFE. The outer tubular layer comprises at least three longitudinally spaced, connected tubular sections. The sections are of successively increasing flexibility from the proximal toward the distal catheter end.

Abstract: A catheter balloon is prepared for inflation, and the balloon is inflated by the following process. At least a portion of an elastic, thermoplastic tube is radially stretched until the radially stretched tube portion exhibits a desired increase in molecular orientation. The stretching conditions, such as selective heating, preferably cause a central section of the stretched tube portion to have less wall thickness than end sections of the tube portion. At least part of the tube portion may be longitudinally stretched relative to the tube, to create a desired biaxial molecular orientation. Thereafter, the tube portion is optionally placed into a stent, the tube portion being part of a catheter. The tube portion is inserted into a patient to position the stent and tube portion at a desired position, such as a location in the coronary artery.

Abstract: An optical disc changer having an optical disc player and a magazine for holding discs is provided. A disc transporter for transporting discs has a carrier to carry a particular disc from the magazine to the disc player for play, and return the disc to its original position after the disc has been played. The disc is seated in the carrier by gravity and makes contact with the carrier only at its rim.

Abstract: A system is provided for transferring loads between railroad cars on different tracks. If desired the system may be highly automated. A series of parallel, adjacent railcar tracks are provided for carrying separate strings of connected railcars and/or boats or trucks in side-by-side relation. A second series of tracks is positioned parallel to and adjacent the first-named series of tracks. A plurality of load lifting mechanisms are provided, these mechanisms being independently movable along the second tracks. The mechanisms each have at least one and preferably a plurality of grapplers capable of lifting a load from one vehicle such as a railcar on a first of the railcar tracks and placing the load on another vehicle such as a railcar on a second of the railcar tracks. Thus, the plurality of load lifting mechanisms can redistribute the loads of separate strings of connected railcars and other vehicles.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a catheter which comprises a pair of separate lumens defining a higher pressure lumen and a lower pressure lumen, plus a side opening positioned adjacent the distal end of the catheter and communicating with the lower pressure lumen. A relatively thin tube defines the higher pressure lumen. One incorporates the relatively thin tube into a lumen of a relatively thick tube, followed by forming of the distal end of the high pressure lumen to curve rearwardly to form a proximally extending section having a proximal end. One then forms the side opening at a position adjacent the proximal end of the proximally extending section. The relatively thin tube may carry fibrous reinforcement to facilitate its use in defining the higher pressure lumen.

Abstract: An intravascular catheter carries a helical reinforcement member embedded within at least a portion of the tubular wall of the catheter. The helical reinforcement member comprises a helical first portion having coils of greater pitch than the pitch of helical coils of a second portion. Preferably, the catheter is for insertion into brain arteries, and comprises a flexible tube having an outer diameter of no more that about 0.05 inch, for example 3 French or smaller. The flexible tube defines outer and inner tubular layers. The inner tubular layer surrounds a catheter lumen and comprises chemically inert fluorinated polymer such as PTFE. The outer tubular layer comprises at least three longitudinally spaced, connected tubular sections. The sections are of successively increasing flexibility from the proximal toward the distal catheter end.

Abstract: A hollow guard having a wall for receiving and enclosing a medical needle after use. The guard has an open end to allow a needle to be inserted into the guard. An adhesive member has a section typically permanently attached to the wall, with portions of the adhesive member being spaced from the wall, for temporary attachment to a patient's skin to secure the guard on the patient's skin.

Abstract: A medical needle protector sheath which comprises a body having a top wall, side walls, an open first end, and slot formed in each side wall to receive a needle wing extending through each of the slots. The slots extend from the first end toward a second sheath end opposed to the first end, with the slots terminating in the side walls at end points which are spaced from the second end. Typically, first portions of the slots adjacent to the end points slope away from the top wall as the slots extend toward the second end. Other portions of the slots slope toward the top wall as the slots extend to the second end. Various improvements are described which result in safer-and easier use of the needle protector sheath.