Abstract: The invention discloses a device for closing the inlet of a containment well of a blood centrifugation cell in the body of a centrifugation machine. A plate is supported at one end of the inlet of the containment well and is rotatable about the horizontal axis. The plate has a pair of parallel pins extending perpendicularly from the surface. A pair of half-lids are each pivotably supported at one end thereof by one of the pins, and have matable inner edges. The closing device includes apparatus for locking the half-lids into a closure position, whereby the half-lids are rotated downwardly against the inlet with the half-lids pivoted together, thereby closing the inlet of the containment well.

Abstract: The specification discloses a tracheostomy tube which includes an outer cannula which has a tubular wall, a distal end for placement within the trachea of a patient and a proximal end for placement outside of the trachea. The outer cannula has an inflatable cuff attached near the distal end thereof for forming a seal with the tracheal wall. A flexible inflation tube extends from within the cuff and has a portion fixedly secured along the wall of the outer cannula to a point that is near, but not at, the proximal end of the outer cannula and further extends unsecured. An annular retaining collar, has a flange with an aperture in longitudinal alignment with the secured portion and which is adapted to receive the inflation tube, and is attached to the proximal end of the outer cannula.

Abstract: A peristaltic pump is described for operating simultaneously on two fluid lines having different wall thicknesses comprising a rotatable head having rollers and enclosed within a hollow body. The hollow body has a central axis with an internal first cylindrical surface portion at a first radius R from the axis, and a second cylindrical surface portion at a second radius r from the axis. The interspace between the periphery of the respective roller and the respective cylindrical surface portion is arranged to perfectly occlude the respective different sized fluid line.

Abstract: The invention provides a device for locking the base of a blood centrifugation cell on a rotatable generally disc shaped chuck plate. The chuck plate encloses a plurality of elastic locators which extend radially a slight distance from the periphery of the plate. The plate further encloses a plurality of locking means which are biased to remain within the dimensions of the plate at rest and which are radially extendable by centrifugal force to extend beyond the periphery of the plate. An annular locking ring engages the base of the cell and extends around the periphery of the chuck plate. The locking ring has a plurality of internal recesses for initially receiving the elastic locators, and the locking means during centrifugation to secure the cell to the chuck plate.

Abstract: The specification discloses a tracheostomy tube which is specifically designed for percutaneous insertion into a patient's trachea through a stoma in the neck between adjacent cartilages. The tracheostomy tube is inserted with an inner obturator as an assembly in conjunction with the Seldinger technique utilizing a guide wire, a guiding catheter, and dilators. The tracheostomy tube includes a soft, flexible tubular cannula which has a distal portion for insertion within the trachea and a proximal end remaining outside the trachea. The assembly includes a tubular obturator adapted to fit over the guiding catheter and adapted to closely fit within the cannula, and has a tapered distal end which extend beyond the distal end of the cannula. The distal end of the cannula is gradually tapered to form a smooth transition between the cannula and the obturator.

Abstract: A chuck device comprises clamp elements having, at one end, an underlying tooth and a conical surface conjugated with the surface of a centrifugation cell. The clamp elements are uniformly distributed on the circumference of a plate including a surface upon which the bottom of the cell rests. The clamp elements are pivoted on the plate so as to be rotatable in radial planes, and can be locked in the closed position.

Abstract: A vascular catheter for cannulating arterial or venous vessels, for example in the fermoral region, or the vena cava and/or the right auricle of the heart, comprises a flexible tube having blood passage orifices in the nature of holes at its anterior and insertion end to be inserted in the vessel or the auricle, which tube is directly or indirectly connectable at its other open end to a conduit or appliance. A piston-like closure member is movable to and fro in the tube in lengthwise direction thereof, such that it covers and thereby closes at least same of the blood passsage orifices in one position in the tube and clears these orifices in other positions. Preferably, the closure member is so fashioned that in its closure position, it covers all blood passage orifices in the insertion end of the cathether tube.

Abstract: A device for releasably holding an object, particularly a prosthetic heart valve, comprising a handle member integral with a key member which releasably engages a holder member having an interacting engaging screw which controls and limits the movement of integral cooperating fingers for holding and releasing said object; and a package assembly for storing under sterile conditions a holder member of said device attached to a prosthetic heart valve comprising a clam shell mechanism for releasably holding said holder member and valve.

Abstract: A unitary device for the treatment and collection of blood from two different sources during a surgical procedure comprises a hollow housing made of a rigid, preferably transparent, material, first and second blood inlets in the housing, a first blood treatment element inside the housing comprising a layer of porous defoaming material and a layer of non-woven depth filter material, and a second blood treatment element inside the housing comprising a layer of porous defoaming material and free of any depth filter material. The novel device also includes internal walls for providing two blood flow paths therein, one through the first inlet, the first blood treatment element, a blood collection reservoir defined within the device and a treated blood outlet in the bottom wall of the housing, and the other through the second inlet, the second blood treatment element, the blood collection reservoir and the blood outlet.

Abstract: An apparatus for directing laser energy to a vascular occlusion comprises a catheter and a plurality of optical fibers disposed in an annular array about a central axis at the outer wall of the catheter. The distal end of each fiber is beveled at an angle and is oriented away from the central axis and perpendicular to a plane formed by the central axis and the center of the distal end of the respective fiber, whereby the output of the fibers are directed toward the central axis and converge at a common focal point.

Abstract: A device for releasably holding an object, particularly a prosthetic heart valve, comprising a handle member integral with a key member which releasably engages a holder member having an interacting engaging screw which controls and limits the movement of integral cooperating fingers for holding and releasing said object; and a package assembly for storing under sterile conditions a holder member of said device attached to a prosthetic heart valve comprising a clam shell mechanism for releasably holding said holder member and valve.

Abstract: An insulation displacement connector is disclosed which is particularly adapted for use with flat cable having very closely spaced conductors. The connector contains two rows of contacts. The contacts in the two rows are staggered relative to each other. Each contact has a slotted plate for engaging one of the conductors of the cable. Adjacent contacts in each row of contacts are rotated 180.degree. relative to each other so that the slotted plates of the contacts in each row are also staggered relative to each other for facilitating feeding every second conductor of the flat cable laterally between the slotted plates of one row of contacts to the slotted plates of the other row.

Abstract: A unitary device for the treatment and collection of blood from two different sources during a surgical procedure comprises a hollow housing made of a rigid, preferably transparent, material, first and second blood inlets in the housing, a first blood treatment element inside the housing comprising a layer of porous defoaming material and a layer of non-woven depth filter material, and a second blood treatment element inside the housing comprising a layer of porous defoaming material and free of any depth filter material. The novel device also includes internal walls for providing two blood flow paths therein, one through the first inlet, the first blood treatment element, a blood collection reservoir defined within the device and a treated blood outlet in the bottom wall of the housing, and the other through the second inlet, the second blood treatment element, the blood collection reservoir and the blood outlet.

Abstract: A transducer for sensing the angular position of a shaft over a limited angle (e.g., .+-.30.degree.) uses a printed circuit board mounted perpendicular to the shaft between capacitor plates of a bifurcated vane clamped to the shaft. The board has two pairs of symmetrical capacitor plates, one pair on each side with each plate of a pair located symmetrically with respect to the midposition of the vane plates, and corresponding plates of each pair connected together at a junction to place the two corresponding variable capacitors in parallel. Circuitry produces a Mark-Space signal proportional to the position of the bifurcated vane. Using the total Mark-Space period to continually derive a midposition reference, and comparing that midposition reference to any deviation of equal Mark and Space periods provides a position signal proportional to deviation from midposition of the bifurcated vane.

Abstract: A connector assembly is described for fitting in a small space between a display panel device and a printed circuit board device, to electrically connect a multiplicity of closely-spaced conductors on the devices. The connector assembly includes a row of contact elements with opposite ends for contacting the conductors of the devices, and with curved middle portions that are nested in one another. The middle portions of the elements are sandwiched between the substantially flat faces of a housing, and the opposite ends of the elements project through openings in the housing.

Abstract: A connector is described, of a type which can be connected to a circuit board by merely laying it on the board and soldering it in place by a reflow solder technique. The connector includes a housing assembly with a substantially flat bottom that includes a solderable portion that can lie on a metal trace of a circuit board to be soldered thereto. The connector includes a row of contacts, each having a main portion within the housing and a tail extending at a downward incline from the housing so the lower end of the tail can contact a metal trace on the circuit board and become soldered thereto.

Abstract: An improvement is described in a low insertion force connector system wherein an insertable circuit assembly is inserted into a housing against an inplace circuit assembly, with the terminals adjacent but out of contact, at which time a cam is actuated to move a device that deflects one set of terminals against the other. In the present system, the cam includes a portion that deflects against an auxillary terminal to make contact with it before the main terminals are in contact.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling the rate at which a defoaming agent is supplied to a processing vessel. A first sensing element senses the quantity of liquid in the vessel. A second sensing element senses the position of the upper surface of the foam. A signal processing circuit combines the outputs of the first and second sensing elements to produce a signal that is used to optimize the rate at which defoaming agent is supplied to the vessel. In this manner, the amount of defoaming agent that is used is reduced, thereby reducing the cost of operating the process.

Abstract: A connector is described, of a type which has contacts at opposite ends that are of the same gender (male plug or female receptacle) and with each end having contacts arranged in the same pattern with respect to the key at that end, wherein the connector is of simple and low cost construction. The connector includes a plate of insulative material having a row of conductive traces thereon, each trace having upper and lower holes. Two corresponding pin contacts have inner ends received in different holes of the same trace, with the outer end of one pin projecting into a first end of the connector and the outer end of the other pin projecting into the second end of the connector. A key in the form of a shell with wide and narrow sides, is oriented at one end of the contact with its wide side uppermost and is oriented at the other end of the connector with its wide side lowermost.

Abstract: An electrical connector backshell which is divided longitudinally into a pair of separable parts. The longitudinal edges of the two parts embody interlocking means allowing longitudinal sliding engagement of the parts, but preventing lateral separation of the parts even if one or both of the parts is flexed. The backshell housing may be formed from sheet metal. The two parts of the housing may be assembled over a cable after the conductors thereof have been connected to the contacts in a connector shell.