Abstract: The surgical instrument for stapling and cutting a blood vessel or other organic structure utilizes surgical staple clips. The surgical instrument includes an elongated tube having a longitudinally movable rod disposed therein. A handle is mounted on the proximal end of the tube. The handle has a movable member which causes the movable rod to longitudinally shift positions in the tube. A pair of surgical staple clip-carrying jaw sets are pivotally mounted on a common lateral axis located at the distal end of the elongated tube. A scissor jaw set is disposed intermediate the pair of clip jaw sets and is also pivotally disposed on the same common lateral axis. The surgical instrument includes a laterally extending cam that is mounted on the distal end of the movable rod. The cam moves within cam follower channels defined in the clip jaw sets and the scissor jaw set.

Abstract: A surgical instrument for stapling and cutting a blood vessel or other organic structure utilizes at least two surgical staple clips. The surgical instrument in one embodiment includes an elongated tube with a longitudinally movable rod disposed therein. A handle, mounted on a proximal end of the tube, includes a movable member which causes the movable rod to move longitudinally. In one embodiment, a pair of surgical staple clip carrying jaw sets are pivotally mounted on a common lateral axis located at the distal end of the elongated tube, each clip jaw set includes at least two jaw members, and each jaw member defines a clip action cam following channel. In a further embodiment, jaw members are ganged together and move as a unit based upon a cam follower surface motivated by a cam actuator member.

Abstract: The self securing suture includes a suture having at least one terminal end and a toggle, formed of suture material, at the suture's terminal end. In one embodiment, the suture toggle is a bar. In another embodiment the suture is a wire and the toggle is a wire element toggle. The wire element toggle is a double strand segment or an open loop segment. The suture delivery system includes a slotted needle configured such that a protruding tab or leg of the toggle bar fits within slot of the needle. For wire sutures, the open loop wire element toggle fits within the slotted needle. In another embodiment, a depending wire tip, from the wire element toggle, fits within the slot in the needle.

Abstract: The compact disk carrying case includes, in one embodiment, an outer enclosure which is defined by two clam-shell members. Each clam-shell member has an interfacing edge which mates with the corresponding interfacing edge on the other clam-shell member. A mechanism is provided, such as a zipper, for closing the interfacing edges thereby forming a closeable outer enclosure within which is captured a plurality of compact disks. The clam-shell members are hinged together along a portion of each respective interfacing edge. The carrying case includes a plurality of compact disk carrying plates which are grouped together into n pairs of plates by n hinges. Each hinge has a progressively increasing span distance between the respective connected plates. Accordingly, these hinges establish at least a minimum and a maximum span distance between the respective connected plates.

Abstract: The automobile window shade system is adapted to be removably mounted at an interior of an automobile window. The automobile window shade system of the present invention includes a plurality of shades and each shade includes a web of shade material and a continuous loop spring mounted therewith. Preferably, the spring material is sewn within the web of shade material. A plurality of pivots rotatably link adjacent shades together such that the plurality of shades has a fully extended longitudinal position or mode and a compact stacked position or mode wherein respective continuous loop springs are substantially vertically aligned in the stacked position. In the stacked position, the plurality of shades may be twisted and folded to form a sub-compact, twisted and folded position or mode. In the sub-compact mode, the entire shade can be placed in a bag or can be wrapped with an elastic strap to maintain the sub-compact positional mode.

Abstract: The suture clip includes a pair of plates joined together at one end to form a vertex having an acute angle. Each plate, at its remote terminal end, defines an inwardly facing hook. The hook end members establish a clip mouth slightly larger than the diameter of the suture thread such that when the thread is passed through the clip mouth, the thread cannot easily escape entrapment from the central region of the clip. The suture clip may be C-shape, V-shape, broken leg V-shape, heart shape or pentagonal shape. In another embodiment, the clip is a closed loop or elliptical in shape. To enhance operability, the hooks on the C, U or V shaped sutures are disposed on tabs which are laterally displaced with respect to each other such that, upon collapse and closure of the clip plates, the tabs interleave each other and interlock over the opposite clip plate. This feature enhances attachment to suture thread.

Abstract: The calibrated method for characterizing blood flow in a limb of a patient during reactive hyperemia utilizes a blood pressure cuff. The method establishes a predetermined, near diastolic, pressure in said blood pressure cuff during the reactive hyperemic episode, continually senses the pressure in the cuff and periodically changes the internal volume of said blood pressure cuff by a predetermined volumetric amount to calibrate the system. The resultant change in the pressure is a calibration pressure pulse and is used to calculates pulsatile blood volume through the blood vessel. A calibrated method for determining the condition of blood vessels and endothelium includes determining, for each calibration cycle, a respective peak value for the blood volume and comparing the peak blood volume values with peak blood volume values for healthy blood vessels and endothelium. The comparison preferably utilizes a waveform.