Abstract: An adjustable foot or head portion of a hospital stretcher or bed with improved construction for easy manipulation without binding. A pair of hinged braces have a series of notches along one edge which engage protruding lugs on the stretcher for various height adjustments. A transverse spacer joins the braces adjacent the notches to insure sufficient lateral clearance for smooth movement between various height adjustments of the mattress support. Also, a separately formed U-shaped retention member connected to each brace maintains the lug in close proximity to the brace notches during adjustment.

Abstract: A highly stretchable latex rubber glove for use by physicians during surgery and the like. This glove has fingers, each of which have generally parallel sides, and are ovaled from front to back at a mid joint area of the fingers, and are ovaled from side to side at a tip section in an area of the wearer's finger directly beneath an approximate midpoint of the wearer's fingernail. This finger structure provides added flexibility and tactile sensitivity at tip sections of the glove fingers during delicate manuevers, such as tying sutures, etc. The glove also has an exaggerated undercut thumb ball area to provide improved stretchability diagonally across the glove's palm.

Abstract: An ophthalmic endothelial microscope assembly capable of determining a predetermined dimension, namely the thickness, of the cornea portion of an eye of a living patient. The present assembly includes a casing having an illumination directing means including a plurality of optical elements disposed between an illumination source and an objective lens. Sighting means, also optically aligned with the illumination directing assembly, is further optically aligned with the objective lens so as to attain proper sighting of the predetermined portion of the eye. A focusing assembly includes a plurality of linkage elements drivingly interconnected to both a gauge member and the objective lens whereby manipulation of the focusing assembly causes proper positioning and focusing of the objective lens relative to the cornea of the eye under examination concurrently to activation of the gauge member so as to determine accurately the actual thickness or other predetermined dimension of the cornea.

Abstract: A hanger for securing a urinary drainage container to various sizes and shapes of bed rails. The hanger includes a hook with an inner lug which engages such rails and positions a container support that is connected to the hook.

Abstract: An expansion device for temporary implantation beneath the skin and subcutaneous layer, there to be enlarged whereby to increase the surface area of tissue which overlays it, to provide a flap for use in plastic and reconstructive surgery. The device comprises an envelope with a substantially non-extensible base and a cover. Together the base and cover form an envelope. The cover is flexible, and when empty it is slack. The volume of the envelope is adjustably variable as a function of the amount of fluid it contains. Means is provided for admitting fluid to the envelope without puncturing the base or the cover.

Abstract: A pumping system with inlet and outlet check valves for delivering measured doses of liquid from a reservoir container, which might include sterile normal saline solution, to a series of smaller vials or hypodermic syringes. This pumping system has an improved valve system that includes a heavily biased check valve and a lightly biased check valve. An embodiment of the system has a valve body with an inlet passage surrounded by a valve seat, and an outlet valve member is biased against this valve seat by a pressure that is substantially greater than a pressure biasing an inlet check valve against its valve seat. A heavy bias at only one valve both (1) prevents valve leakage from the system due to a liquid pressure head from the reservoir container and (2) reduces operator fatigue.

Abstract: A probe for monitoring gas concentration, such as oxygen, in an anesthesia respiratory therapy circuit which includes an improved membrane support structure. This structure includes an electrode supporting post having a roughened end and also interconnecting grooves and channels to insure electrolyte contact with the electrode. Also, there is a retaining member having an upstanding annular rib which uniformly presses the membrane against the electrode support.

Abstract: A highly stretchable latex rubber glove for use by physicians during surgery and the like. This glove has fingers, each of which have generally parallel sides, and are ovaled from front to back at a mid joint area of the fingers, and are ovaled from side to side at a tip section in an area of the wearer's finger directly beneath an approximate midpoint of the wearer's fingernail. This finger structure provides added flexibility and tactile sensitivity at tip sections of the glove fingers during delicate manuevers, such as tying sutures, etc. The glove also has an exaggerated undercut thumb ball area to provide improved stretchability diagonally across the glove's palm.

Abstract: An adjustable column with a pair of telescopically coupled members with a spring biased latch on an inner member which selectively engages notches along a longitudinal slot in the outer member. A manually tightenable lock secures the members together in a direction approximately parallel to the latch's movement. The lock also includes the protruding head to act as a pushbutton for disengaging the latch.

Abstract: A puncturable resealable housing for surgical implantation beneath the skin and which is adapted to receive repeated hypodermic punctures through the skin and into the housing. The housing has an improved dimensional and shape configuration of a sealant layer to receive hypodermic punctures from widely angled positions.

Abstract: A urine collection bag with a rigid handle connected to the bag, and this handle has a pair of spaced apart openings with lead-in slots oriented relative to the openings for easy nonthreading insertion of a flexible suspension line which is retained in the opening for hanging the container.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for sequentially inflating and deflating a compression device or the like to stimulate blood flow and prevent deep vein thrombosis. The apparatus includes an air compressor with a regulator valve providing fast inflation of such device to a pressure of approximately 60 mm Hg (1.2 psi) within 3 to 7 seconds. A pulse timer and a delay timer in the system are coupled together for actuating the compressor and a pressure relief valve to peak and maintain a pressure in the device for a measured period of time.

Abstract: A patient restraining rail system for a bed, stretcher, or the like which includes a rail pivotally connected to a vertically adjustable rail support.

Abstract: A treatment table with a tiltable top for veterinary or hospital use. The tiltable top has a tilt locking mechanism that rigidly anchors the top with two pairs of laterally spaced pivot joints that prevent twisting of the table top when in a tilted position. A third pair of laterally spaced pivot joints connects the top to the base.

Abstract: A fume hood with an air actuated valve system for directing a mixture of room and external air in front of a horizontal sash when such sash is open, and behind this sash when it is closed.

Abstract: A laboratory fume hood that has a lower baffle, intermediate baffle, and upper baffle spaced from each other and from a floor of the fume hood for directing fumes upwardly to an exhaust opening. The baffle system provides an inverted funnel configuration with the hood wall for improved gas sweeping action adjacent the hood floor.

Abstract: A device for measuring a hand which is particularly useful for a surgeon in selecting a particular size of latex surgeon's glove. The device has structure for measuring the length of a finger and coordinating it with a width of a palm of the hand to select a glove size.

Abstract: A dispensing syringe that has a slidable dose control rod with an adjustable cam locking stop on the rod.

Abstract: A system for storing a dry powdered drug component and a liquid in separate containers and mixing them immediately prior to injection. The system has a hypodermic syringe with an axially slidable stopper, and the syringe is coupled to a rigid tubular housing with a low friction vacuum movable piston. Simple reciprocation of the syringe stopper with an attached plunger having a laterally extending thumb pad or other graspable slip resistant surface automatically reciprocates the housing's low friction piston and causes quick and complete turbulent mixing. There is no need to turn the device over and over in the operator's hands to alternately squeeze or push opposite ends of the device.

Abstract: A method of treating an intraocular lens or ophthalmic surgical tool with a water-soluble adherent film forming material, such as polyvinyl alcohol, in a liquid media after which the liquid media is evaporatively removed to provide a dehydrated coating that is both water-soluble and liquid swellable. The device is packaged and sterilized, such as by ethylene oxide, and supplied to the ophthalmologist. Immediately prior to its use in surgery, the ophthalmologist rehydrates the coating by submerging in a sterile aqueous bath causing the coating to swell into a soft sluffable cushion for protecting a corneal endothelium during both static touch contact and dynamic sliding contact with the coated lens or tool.