Abstract: A pinch valve includes a housing, first and second pinch bars, an actuator, a first front roller and a first rear roller. The actuator translates the first and second pinch bars relative to one another along a translation axis to pinch a flexible tube extending through an opening of the housing. The first front roller and the first rear roller are spaced from one another in the direction of a longitudinal axis. The first front roller extends transverse the opening and is positioned longitudinally upstream from the first and second pinch bars and the first rear roller extends transverse the opening and is positioned longitudinally downstream from the first and second pinch bars. The housing includes a first wall bordering the opening. A first plane lying tangent to the first front roller and the first rear roller is spaced inward from the first wall of the housing.

Abstract: A sterilization challenge device for verifying the efficacy of a gas sterilization process includes an outer container, an inner container, a chemical indicator, and a cap. The outer container includes an open end, a closed end, a chamber configured to contain the inner container containing the chemical indicator, and at least one hole arranged proximate the open end. The cap is configured to engage with the outer container to close the open end, and the at least one hole is configured to provide a flow path for the gaseous sterilant into the chamber.

Abstract: A liquid sporulation method is described. A first liquid culture is prepared by adding bacterial cells to a sporulation broth, wherein an optical density (OD600) of the first liquid culture is in a range of 0.001 to 0.01. The first liquid culture is incubated and an optical density (OD600) thereof is increased to be in a range of 0.2 to 2.0. Second liquid culture is prepared by adding the incubated first liquid culture to a predetermined amount of additional sporulation broth, wherein an optical density (OD600) of the second liquid culture is in the range of 0.001 to 0.1, and a ratio of a volume of the second liquid culture to a volume of the first liquid culture is in a range of 10:1 to 150:1. The second liquid culture is incubated so an optical density (OD600) thereof is increased to be in a range of 1.0 to 4.0.

Abstract: A decontamination system for a lumen device is depicted. The decontamination system, in some embodiments, includes a lumen device container, a pump, and a sealed container with decontamination fluid. The lumen device container defines a lumen device receiving area. The pump is configured to reduce pressure within the lumen device receiving area. The sealed container is configured to release the decontamination fluid into the lumen device receiving area responsive to a pressure drop applied to the sealed container.

Abstract: A device and method for testing for the presence of liquid in a cannula of a medical instrument is described. The device includes a flexible guide member having a first end, a second end and a length extending from the first end to the second end, an elongated member arranged within the flexible guide member, and an absorbent material attached to one of the elongated member. The flexible guide member is inserted into the cannula, the flexible guide member is manipulated to cause the absorbent material to move through the cannula. The absorbent material is analyzed for the presence of liquid.

Abstract: A patient warming system includes a control unit coupled to one or more warming devices. The control unit may control application of power to the heating elements of the warming devices. The control unit may provide hardware and/or software approaches to monitor and detect an overtemperature situation and/or fault of a given warming device.

Abstract: A handle assembly for an accessory of a medical device support system. The handle assembly includes a handle, an interface device, a conductive coating, and a connector. The interface device is in an outer surface of a generally tubular section of a handle housing of the handle and is configured to receive an input or transmit an output associated with the medical device support system. The conductive coating is on the inner surface of the generally tubular section and is configured to transmit one or more of power, ground, control signals, and communication signals corresponding to the input or the output of the interface device. The connector is connected to the conductive coating and is configured to transmit the one or more of the power, ground, control signals, and communication signals from the conductive coating to another part of the accessory and/or the medical device support system.

Abstract: A positioning aid that is attachable to a handle of an endoscope control handle having air/water and suction valve cylinder ports and operable to guide a tool into at least one of the air/water or suction valve ports has a body for coupling to the endoscope control handle, the body including at least one guide port. The guide port includes an input port for receiving an instrument to be inserted into the air/water or suction valve cylinder ports, an output port configured to correspond with one of the air/water or suction valve cylinder ports, and a guide channel coupled between the input port and the output port.

Abstract: A sterilization process test device for verifying the efficacy of a sterilization process includes a tubular body defining a chamber for containing at least one sterilization indicator and a cap to sealingly close the tubular body. The tubular body includes at least one hole, which is covered by a gas and steam permeable cover. The only flow path into the chamber is provided through the steam and gas permeable cover and the at least one hole, which when combined are configured to control and restrict a flow of steam or a gaseous sterilization medium from an external environment.

Abstract: A single-step absorbent wipe for cleaning and disinfecting medical instruments includes various active ingredients as well as compounds that increase the efficacy profile of the product against various organisms, improve the buffering capacity of the formulation, enhance the antimicrobial efficacy against mycobacteria, increases the wetting and cleaning profile of the formulation, as well as adjusts the PH thereof. The disinfectant wipe provides a procedure to suitably clean and intermediate level disinfect medical instruments that are heat liable as well as non-submersible.

Abstract: A surgical lighting system includes a light head housing, a handle, and a camera. The light head housing includes a plurality of light emitting elements therein that are arranged to emit light downward to a region of interest. The handle is mounted to the light head housing and protrudes downward from the light head housing, the handle including a handle housing having a sufficient size to be gripped by the human hand. A camera is mounted within the handle housing, the camera having a field of view that encompasses at least a portion of the region of interest. The handle housing has an upper generally tubular section mounted to the light head housing and a lower generally tubular section extending downward from a bottom of the upper generally tubular section. The outer perimeter of the lower generally tubular section is relatively wider in axial cross section than the outer perimeter of the upper generally tubular section over a portion of the upper generally tubular section.

Abstract: A load balancing arm for a medical device support system includes a proximal hub, a support arm, a link, and a distal end vertical block. The components together may form a four bar linkage. The proximal hub is configured for pivotable movement about an axis P-P. The distal hub is configured to support a medical device load for pivotable movement about an axis D-D. The distal hub is mounted to the distal end vertical block for pivotable movement between a first position in which the axis D-D is at a first angle relative to the axis P-P and a second position in which the axis D-D is at a second angle relative to the axis P-P, wherein the first angle is different than the second angle. A parallelism adjustment mechanism enables the axis D-D to be adjusted so as to be substantially parallel to the axis P-P.

Abstract: A heating element includes an electrically insulating layer; resistive layer formed of a positive temperature coefficient material; and an electrically conductive layer disposed between the electrically insulating layer and the resistive layer and including a first bus and a second bus that is spaced apart from the first bus, the resistive layer electrically connecting the first bus and the second bus. The electrically insulating layer, the electrically conductive layer, and the resistive layer are stacked to form a lamination and the lamination having a thickness and a width and length extending orthogonal to the thickness. The lamination may have slits extending through the thickness thereof and along a portion of the length thereof. Terminals may be connected to the buses and arranged to provide a counter current flow pattern across the lamination. The lamination may be used in a warming device and in connection with a patient warming system.

Abstract: A load balancing arm for a medical device support system includes a proximal hub, a support arm, first and second springs, and a link. The link has a proximal end pivotably mounted to a link bearing element for pivotable movement about a link pivot axis, and a distal end pivotably mounted to a distal end of the first spring and a proximal end of the second spring. The link and first and second springs are configured such that the biasing forces exerted by the first and second springs are transmitted through the link to the link bearing element thereby to generate a moment about a main pivot axis of a proximal hub that counters a moment generated by a medical device load at a distal end of the support arm.

Abstract: A patient warming system includes a control unit coupled to one or more warming devices. The control unit may control application of power to the heating elements of the warming devices. The control unit may provide hardware and/or software approaches to monitor and detect an overtemperature situation and/or fault of a given warming device.

Abstract: A medical device support system including a shaft, an extension arm, and a free rotating ring. The shaft includes an elongated peripheral cavity that defines first and second contact faces at opposite peripheral ends. A hub of the extension arm is pivotably mounted for a range of at least 360 degrees rotation about a rotation axis of the shaft. The at least 360 degrees rotation range is based on a compound of a first rotation range and a second rotation range. The first rotation range is defined by a fixed stop of the hub configured to move between first and second contact faces of a radially outward protruding member of the free rotating ring. The second rotation range is defined by a radially inward protruding member of the free rotating ring configured to move between the first and second contact faces of the elongated peripheral cavity of the shaft.

Abstract: Dynamic systems and methods for fixed noise pattern calibrations and image corrections are provided. Imaging devices may be calibrated via the system by adjusting an imaging sensor exposure to acquire one or more black images. A global average pixel value is calculated to accumulate pixel values per column of the acquired image. The calculated global average pixel value is then saved as offset imaging data. An average pixel value per column of the imaging data based on the accumulated pixel values may also be calculated, and stored as offset imaging data. A correction matrix may be recomposed based on the offset imaging data and used for calibrating the imaging sensor, and for creating corrected images in or near real time.

Abstract: A multi-channel selector valve includes a housing, a rotor at least partially disposed within the housing and rotatable about an axis of rotation, the rotor having a first cam surface, and a stator at least partially disposed within the housing. The housing includes a plurality of flow controllers arranged about the axis of rotation of the rotor, each flow controller including an aperture, and a blocking member disposed adjacent to the cam surface, the blocking member selectively movable relative to the aperture to open and permit flow through the aperture.