Abstract: A method of varying the appropriate muscle strength of a person to at least alleviate urinary or fecal urgency or incontinence, or vaginal or bladder spasms, includes placing a surface electrode of electromyographic measuring apparatus at an appropriate position on the person and/or inserting a probe electrode of electromyographic measuring apparatus and/or pressure transducer probe of pressure measuring apparatus into the vaginal or anal passage of a person and measuring with the electromyographic or pressure measuring apparatus the appropriate muscle strength of the person while the person is tensing the appropriate muscles in a urine or feces stopping manner to obtain an EMG or pressure signal. The threshold value of a portable electromyographic or pressure measuring unit is then adjusted to enable the person to repeat the measurement at different times to attempt to obtain better EMG or pressure signals in an urge, incontinence or spasm reducing sense.

Abstract: In one of its aspects, the invention provides a catheter of a selected length, and having a main body of a first cross-section and a tip section of smaller cross-section, the tip section being formed integrally with the main body from a catheter blank having a length less than the selected length. Also, in another of its aspects, the invention provides a method of making a catheter tip on a main body of thermoplastic synthethic plastics material and having a first cross-section. A progressive forming technique is used to reduce the cross-section of the body to create a tip section of smaller cross-section.

Abstract: The invention provides a catheter assembly having an elongate main body extending longitudinally between proximal and distal ends. A tip structure is attached to the distal end of the main body and also extends longitudinally. The main body and tip structure combine to define side-by-side intake and return lumens and the intake lumen terminates at a transverse intake opening at the distal end of the main body. The return lumen terminates at the distal end of the tip structure at a transverse return opening and a side opening is provided adjacent the return opening. A tubular applicator passes through the intake lumen, through the side opening and into the return lumen. This permits the assembly to be passed over a guide wire by engaging the wire inside the tubular applicator.

Abstract: A catheter is provided having a main body defining two lumens and a connection structure at a proximal end of the main body. This structure includes a housing attached directly to the main body and defining a pair of passages connecting one to each of the lumens, and a pair of rotary valves operable to open and close the passages. The rotary valves are operable manually about individual axes by operators attached to the valves to turn the valves. The operators may be ganged for movement together to move both valves simultaneously between open and closed positions.

Abstract: The invention provides a catheter having a main body extending longitudinally between proximal and distal ends and including a tip structure at the distal end, a transition portion extending from the tip structure, and a shaft extending from the transition portion to the proximal end. The main body defines first, second and third lumens, the first and second lumens extending from the proximal end to the transition portion, and the third lumen extending from the proximal to the distal end. The side lumens are separated from the central lumen by parallel walls. In a preferred embodiment for use in dialysis, the side lumens are coupled to one another at the proximal end so that both side lumens receive intake blood and the treated blood is returned through the central lumen. Because the first and second lumens have intakes at different locations about the periphery of the main body, there is less likelihood that these lumens will be occluded by engagement with the wall of a blood vessel.

Abstract: A method and device are provided for generating energy from the motion of waves. Fluid is conveyed through stages in series, each stage having at least one unit, and each unit incrementally increasing the energy available. The fluid passes under the forces created by differential pressure within that unit and energy from a preceding stage is input into the succeeding stage in series. Preferably, each unit includes a first member and an associated second member, the first member being immersed in or floating on the surface of a body of water, the first member rising and falling with the rise and fall of wave motion, and the second member being anchored. Energy is created as the result of the relative movement between the first and second members as the fluid passes through a unit. The fluid may then be used to drive turbines and electric generators or other energy conversion devices.

Abstract: Woven plastic material is formed from woven strips of laminated multi-layer plastic film. Each strip has an inner layer of synthetic plastic material with a first melting temperature and two outer layers of synthetic plastic material on opposite sides of and bonded to the inner layer, the outer layers being of a synthetic plastic material with a second melting temperature lower than the first melting temperature. The woven strips comprise longitudinally-extending strips and transversely-extending strips interwoven therewith, and the outer layers of crossing longitudinally-extending strips and transversely-extending strips are bonded together at crossing locations.

Abstract: An arch wire is provided with one or more sleeves, each of which is a close fit on the wire and in turn fits closely into the bracket slot in which it is inserted. The wire/sleeve combination and the bracket cooperate to produce the desired rotation and tipping of the tooth while, if required, the sleeve/bracket combination can slide freely along the wire. This permits the use of very light moving forces and the use of a wire of uniform cross-section along its length while permitting changes of the wire cross-section for each and any bracket to provide the desired orthodontic action. Preferably the wire and sleeve cross-sections cooperate to hold the sleeve against rotation about a mesial-distal axis. The ends of the sleeve may be splayed to limit its endwise movement in the bracket slot. A sleeve may extend over more than one bracket. The sleeve may be a continuous tube, or it may be slit mesially-distally along its lingual face that is within the slot.

Abstract: Personal flotation equipment has a housing securable on a wearer, the housing having a gas chamber containing gas under pressure and a flotation bag chamber containing a flexible inflatable bag having an inlet. The housing also has a passage extending from the gas chamber to the flotation bag chamber, the inflatable bag inlet being connected to the passage. A normally closed valve in the passage prevents flow of the gas under pressure from the gas chamber through the passage into the inflatable bag. A cover is secured to the housing and retains the inflatable bag in the bag chamber, the cover being manually operable to cause the cover to cease retaining the inflatable bag in the bag chamber.

Abstract: A liquid cooled nozzle for emitting a medium has a housing with a coolant inflow chamber having a first side wall for attachment to a coolant inflow pipe, and a coolant outflow chamber having a second side wall for attachment to a coolant outflow pipe and a base merging with the second side wall. The second wall is spaced from and surrounds the first wall, and the said base is spaced from the coolant inflow chamber and is beneath the coolant inflow chamber. At least two supply ports are provided for conducting the medium through the nozzle, the supply ports being laterally spaced from one another to define a central axis between the ports and extending through the coolant inflow chamber, the coolant outflow chamber and the base. At least one deflector is located between adjacent supply ports and terminates at a central passage extending from the coolant inflow chamber to the coolant outflow chamber.

Abstract: A device is provided for feeding a guide wire into a hollow needle inserted into a patient's blood vessel to facilitate use of the wire for sliding a catheter over the wire into the blood vessel. The device includes an elongate coiled tube adapted to retain the wire with the wire in sliding engagement with the tube, and a discharge head coupled to one end of the tube. The head includes a guide opening adjacent the end of the tube, a platform having a surface adjacent the guide opening, and an outlet tip having a discharge opening. The platform is between the guide opening and the discharge opening the guide opening and discharge openings are proportioned to guide the wire in sliding contact with the wire and positioned to guide the wire over said surface.

Abstract: A packaged roll of paper or other sheet material has a protective sheet of material wrapped around the circumference of the roll with overlapping longitudinally-extending edge portions secured together. The said protective sheet extends beyond the roll at opposite ends to provide projecting protective sheet portions which are crimped radially inwardly over the outer annular portions of the ends of the roll and a header assembly is located internally of the crimped over projecting protective sheet portion at at least one end of the roll.

Abstract: A spring-loaded bracket includes a first part securable to a support, a second part mounted on the first part for angular movement relative thereto in opposite directions from a neutral position and a spring assembly biasing the second part to the neutral position. The spring assembly has a helical torsion spring carried by the first part and having first and second end portions at opposite ends. A first stop is carried by the first part to limit movement of the first spring end portion in a spring unwinding direction, and a second stop is carried by the first part to limit movement of the second spring end portion in a spring unwinding direction.

Abstract: A tubular core assembly for a roll of paper or other sheet material has a hollow cylindrical core member formed by multiple wraps of paperboard material. An annular collar is located within each opposite end portion of the core member, each collar being a rigid body of non-isotropic material and having an outer annular surface secured to the inner annular surface of the core member and an inner annular surface shaped to receive a roll supporting chuck. The ratio of collar wall thickness to core member wall thickness is in the range of from about 1.3:1 to about 2:1.

Abstract: A miniature building has walls surrounding an area and forming corners where pairs of adjacent walls meet. Each wall is formed by a series of horizontal elongated wall members stacked one upon the other, the wall members of each wall being interlocked with adjacent wall members of an adjacent wall at each corner formed by a pair of adjacent walls. A pair of opposed walls has upper portions extending above at least one other wall, and a roof is mounted on the upper portions of the pair of opposed walls. The roof is formed by a series of horizontal elongated roof members located one above the other in stepped formation, the wall members of the upper wall portions being interlocked with the elongated roof members. The building also has at least one retaining assembly retaining the elongated members of the roof and walls in position.

Abstract: A cross-oriented multi-layer laminated plastic film is produced by first providing a flattened tubular plastic film having a outer plastic film layer with a first melting temperature and an inner plastic film layer with a second melting temperature lower than the first melting temperature, the outer plastic film layer having a molecular orientation substantially in the direction of the length of the tubular plastic film. The flattened tubular plastic film is passed from an expanding station in an expanded condition along a predetermined path in the direction of the length of said film to a collapsing station in a continuous manner. The expanded tubular plastic film is rotated about the predetermined path as the film passes from the expanding station to the collapsing station to effect cross-orientation of the outer film layer in directions inclined to the direction of travel of the tubular plastic film.

Abstract: The invention provides a co-axial dual lumen catheter having a main section, a tip section, and a U-shaped proximal portion extending from the main section, and ending at a junction where intake and outlet tubes are connected to the proximal portion. An inner tube extends from the junction to the tip of the catheter to define a return lumen, and combines with outer tubes in the main section and the proximal portion to define an intake lumen. The inner tube is thin walled relative to the wall thickness of a first outer tube used in the main section, and a second outer tube used in the proximal portion has a greater cross-sectional area than the first outer tube. A proximal end structure is also described in which the intake and outlet tubes extend generally parallel with the main body and to one side of the main body.

Abstract: A garbage container has a housing with a rear wall, opposite side walls extending forwardly therefrom and a lid hingedly connected to the top of the rear wall and extending forwardly therefrom so as to rest on the top of the side walls in a closed position. A waste supporting platform is located within the housing and is pivotally connected adjacent its front edge to the opposite side walls for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis. A front wall extends upwardly from the front edge of the platform and has a top edge level with the top of the side walls in the closed position. A connecting member is pivotally connected to a rear portion of the platform and to a rear portion of the underside of the lid to cause upward opening movement of the lid to pivot the platform upwardly about its pivotal connection to the side walls with resultant forward pivotal movement of the front wall to facilitate access to the interior of the container.

Abstract: A new multi-strand orthodontic arch wire comprises a plurality of wire strands of superelastic shape recovery metal alloy wrapped helically parallel to one another along the length of the wire, the ratio of the longitudinal pitch P of the wire to the external diameter D of the wire being between six and twelve. Such a wire is able to slide more freely in the bracket slots, and is less likely to breakage, than the short pitch wires previously used. A wire with a hollow central core, can also operate as a compression spring by frictionally engaging it with adjacent orthodontic elements, such as brackets, and arranging that its strands are spread radially apart from a neutral configuration, or it can operate as a traction spring by arranging that its strands are closed radially inward from a neutral configuration, the spring action being produced by the urge of the strands to return to the neutral configuration. Cored wires can act as a compression spring, but not as a traction spring.