Abstract: A catheter includes a spring having a plurality of convolutions disposed along a longitudinal axis, and a first modulus. A sheath overlying the spring engages the convolutions of the spring and imparts to the spring axial compressive stresses which increase the modulus of the spring. The catheter can be manufactured by inserting the spring into a tube of Hytrel.RTM. material, stretching the tube at a transition region which advances along the tube causing the tube to neck down onto the spring. The stretching develops internal stresses which are ultimately imparted to the spring thereby increasing the modulus of the catheter.

Abstract: A hand-held and operated pneumatically powered device for injecting fluids, such as in medical applications, consisting of a housing that is sized and shaped to be hand held, and connected power and infusion assemblies contained within the housing. The power assembly includes a sealed vessel containing pressurized gas, a lever-needle vessel-puncturing mechanism, a gas flow path leading from the needle to the infusion assembly, and pressure regulator and pressure relief mechanism (which may include a pneumatic flow control orifice) interposed in the flow path.

Abstract: A manually driven syringe for injecting fluids under high pressure is described that includes a barrel (12), a plunger (13) that is received within the barrel and extends rearwardly through an aperture (28) in the body (27) of a handle (14) which carries a pair of opposed finger grips (19, 22). The finger grips are located rearwardly of the barrel and laterally of the shaft (19) of the plunger, elongated so as to each accommodate two fingers, and angled rearwardly. This design minimizes the distance between (a) the inner edges of the grips and (b) the grips and the head of the extended plunger, thus making the syringe easier to grip in the palm of the hand and enabling the syringe to be gripped strongly between the fingers and the palm.