Abstract: Each leg of a U tube blanket is configured to have at least one row of holes extending substantially along the length thereof. The size of the holes is incrementally increased from the proximal portion that is closest to the air inlet cross section of the blanket where heated air is input to the blanket for inflating the same to the distal portion of the legs of the blanket. For an embodiment of the inventive blanket, the plurality of vent holes along each leg of the blanket are grouped into a number of sections, for illustration purposes three, with the vent holes in each section having the same dimension. With the size of the holes being incrementally larger along the leg away from the heat source, a greater amount of warm air is output at the distal portion of the blanket to compensate for the distance the warm air needs to travel before it is vented from the blanket.

Abstract: A pump is provided that includes a body made at least partially of an elastomeric material and an inlet port and an outlet port, with each port being coupled to the body. The pump further includes a flow passage formed in the body and extending between the inlet port and the outlet port, with at least a portion of the flow passage being normally closed and with the inlet port being fluidicly uncoupled with the outlet port when the pump is in a free-state condition. An actuating device is coupled to the body and is operable for sequentially deforming the body to create a cavity within the normally closed portion of the flow passage, the cavity being in fluid communication with the inlet port, thereby drawing a packet of fluid from the inlet port into the cavity and propagating the cavity and the packet of fluid contained therein toward the outlet port.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for electrically isolating an ambulatory medical device for infusing treatment materials into a patient when the medical device is connected to a peripheral device via an active communication cable. In one embodiment, the ambulatory medical device include first circuitry controlling infusion of a medicament to the patient by a fluid conduit connectable to the patient and second circuitry controlling communications when an active communication cable is connected to the medical device. The first and second circuitry are electrically isolated using a pair of first and second isolation transceivers, where the first pair of isolation transceivers communicate a control signal and the second pair of isolation transceivers are giant magneto-resistive (GMR) transceivers that communicate at least one data signal.

Abstract: A needle protection assembly has a needle hub with a proximal portion having two sets of spaced flanges and a distal portion having a number of arms for forming at least one catch and one slot. A collar with a needle protection housing has at its inner surface a number of protrusions fittable within the space defined by the two sets of flanges, when the collar is press-fitted to the needle hub, and a number of fingers that removably grasp a needle sheath that covers the needle extending from the needle hub. After the sheath is removed, the needle protection housing may be pivoted to cover the needle. Once the housing fully covers the needle, a spline inside the housing coacts against the catch at the needle hub to enable the needle hub to be removed from a syringe by rotating the housing.

Abstract: This invention relates to a floor construction method and system, and more particularly to a method for producing shallow and ultra shallow steel floor systems.

Abstract: To enable a user to readily determine the gauge of the needle of a needle assembly that has a base and a needle protective housing pivotably attached thereto, the needle assembly is injection molded from a color coded molding material which color was preassigned to correspond to the gauge of the needle. As a result, both the base and the protective housing of the needle assembly have—the same specific color, and reflect or provide an indication of the given gauge of the needle. The needle sheath that covers the needle prior to use may be made of a plastics material that may be clear, or have the same or a different color than that of the needle assembly. The gauge of the needle of a fixed needle syringe could also be ascertained by its color coded needle protective housing. Color coded markings that correspond to the gauge of the needle may also be printed onto the syringe barrel of the fixed needle syringe.

Abstract: A connector assembly for a heat exchanger has a fitting and a mount to which the fitting couples. The fitting has an elongate body having a proximal portion and a distal portion. At the proximal portion there is a crossbar, and at the distal portion there are an inlet and an outlet that protrude away from the body. Two wings extend from the body in a direction opposite to that of the inlet and outlet. There is formed on each of the wings a locking protrusion. The mount has a top portion where there is a groove dimensioned to accept the crossbar of the fitting. A longitudinal channel is formed orthogonal to the groove in the mount. Two sidewalls extend from the mount each for accepting a corresponding one of the wings, when the fitting is coupled to the mount. Apertures are provided at the sidewalls at the wings.

Abstract: An adapter bridging a medication providing device and a fluid connector includes a housing shroud that is fitted at one end with a core and at its other end with an inner shroud. Once fitted to the housing shroud, the core and the inner shroud each are not removable from the housing shroud. A catch hub is provided within the housing shroud for non-removably maintaining the core to the housing shroud. The core is rotatable relative to the housing shroud. Once the medication providing device is coupled to the core, additional rotational movement, in either direction, of the medication providing device would only cause the core to rotate freely relative to the housing shroud, thereby preventing the medication providing device from being removed from the adapter. The inner shroud has a catch mechanism that enables it to mate readily with a connector when rotated in one direction.

Abstract: The present invention safety device is a one-piece needle assembly that has a base and a housing pivotally connected to the base. The base has a distal portion to which a needle is fitted. At the base there is formed longitudinally along its distal portion a catch mechanism that may be in the form of an anchor projection. At the back wall of the housing there is extended another catch mechanism that may be configured in the form of two clasping fingers. Also providing in the housing is an integral hook. As the housing and the base are pivoted relative to each other, and as the needle makes contact with the hook, the respective catch mechanisms at the base and the housing also make contact with each other, resulting in the coupling of the catch mechanisms and the coupling of the needle to the hook. As a result, the catch mechanisms are interlocked and the needle is fixedly retained by the hook within the housing.

Abstract: A lockable mounting mechanism has a hitch portion and a receiver portion, the hitch portion having a hitch member, a locking member being rotatable between an unlocked position and a locked position, and a camming surface being rotatable with the locking member and the receiver portion having a channel, the hitch member of the hitch portion and the channel of the receiver portion sized to slidably receive the hitch member into the channel portion whereby to mount the hitch portion to the receiver portion, the receiver portion further having a reset surface positioned to engage the camming surface as the hitch member is slid into the channel when the locking member is out of the unlocked position, the camming surface and reset surface cooperating to automatically rotate the locking member toward the unlocked position as the hitch member is slid into the channel.

Abstract: A clam shell shaped adapter for retaining a catheter to establish a fluid path between the catheter and a fluid device or line has two shells integrally connected by a living hinge. A first shell has a luer end and a catheter end wherein a catheter is insertable through its aperture. A flexible tube at the inner surface of the first shell connects the luer end to the catheter end. The catheter is inserted through the catheter end to extend along the flexible tubing. A retainer structure is provided at the inner surface of the second shell so that when the first and second shells close upon each other, the retainer structure presses against the flexible tubing to fixedly retain the catheter in a fluidly sealing manner. Respective latch mechanisms provided at the shells lockingly couple the two shells to each other. The latch mechanisms are located remotely from the outer surfaces and peripheries of the shells to prevent inadvertent uncoupling of the shells.

Abstract: An intravenous catheter introducer assembly having a safety feature to prevent accidental needle sticks. The introducer assembly includes a needle assembly having a groove disposed on its outer surface. The introducer includes a protector made of a hollow member having an open distal end and an inwardly disposed resilient flange or a clip disposed thereon. The protector is coaxially slidably disposed around the needle with the flange abutting the outer surface of the needle and adapted to engage the groove when a catheter assembly is removed from the needle.

Abstract: An inflatable convective thermal blanket is designed to have at least one section on its top surface that has securely mounted thereon at least one fluid absorbent mechanism for absorbing fluids from a subject that is placed onto the blanket, or from fluids fallen onto the blanket from other sources. The one section is configured onto the blanket in such a way that it forms a well for collecting the fluids. The fluid absorbent mechanism, which may be in the form of a pad, would absorb the collected fluid to thereby minimize evaporative and cooling effects on the subject. Instead of mounting it on top of the blanket, the fluid absorbent pad may be mounted to the underside of the blanket, with appropriate holes and/or openings provided at the fluid collecting section, so that the collected fluids are drained onto the fluid absorbent pad.

Abstract: A pump module is provided for use in a medical fluid dispensing system that includes a pump body made of a non-compliant material and first and second pump chambers formed in the body. Each of the chambers has a first, open end and an opposite, closed end. The pump module further includes first and second pistons in the first and second pump chambers, respectively. At least one fluid inlet and a fluid outlet are selectively in fluid communication with the first and second pump chambers. Each of the pistons extends through the open end of a respective one of the pump chambers, with each of the pistons being operably translatable within the pump chamber toward and away from the closed end of the chamber. The pistons are translatable independently of one another.

Abstract: A site for a subcutaneous infusion device includes a base positionable relative to skin of a patient, and a cannula extending from the base and configured to be introduced into a subcutaneous layer of skin of the patient at a generally ninety-degree angle with respect to the skin using a needle. The cannula includes first and second ends and defines a bore extending from the first end to the second end, the first end being coupled to the base. The cannula includes a tapered wall portion formed between the first and second ends and extending from adjacent to the base towards the second end of the cannula, the tapered wall portion being tapered from a greater wall thickness to a lesser wall thickness as the tapered wall portion extends from the base towards the second end.

Abstract: A heater system is provided for a respiratory system having a PID feedback control in which the coefficients are adjusted, such as in a warm-up process, to correspond to a likely flow rate of gas through a chamber of heated water based on the difference between heat input and heat output in relation to a temperature set point without the need to directly monitor flow rate or humidity level. A steady-state adjustment of the coefficients based on the behavior of the measured temperature in relation to the set point is also disclosed.

Abstract: A disposable medical cassette apparatus and method for housing medication in a tamper resistant enclosure for selective coupled attachment to an ambulatory infusion pump. In some embodiments, the device may include a first assembly comprising a rear housing and a pressure plate affixed to one another, as well as a second assembly comprising a cover that includes a plurality of lock feature protrusions and at least one slotted aperture. The first assembly and second assembly are adapted for permanent coupling by a first and second lock arrangements. Generally, the first lock arrangement includes lock feature protrusions of the second assembly engaging within the lock receiving structures of the first assembly. Further, the second lock arrangement includes at least one tabbed snap member of the first assembly engaging within at least one corresponding slotted aperture of the second assembly.

Abstract: An intravenous catheter introducer assembly having a safety feature to prevent accidental needle sticks. The introducer assembly includes a needle assembly having a groove disposed on its outer surface. The introducer includes a protector made of a hollow member having an open distal end and an inwardly disposed resilient flange or a clip disposed thereon. The protector is coaxially slidably disposed around the needle with the flange abutting the outer surface of the needle and adapted to engage the groove when a catheter assembly is removed from the needle.

Abstract: A pump module is provided for use in a medical fluid dispensing system that includes a pump body made of a non-compliant material and first and second pump chambers formed in the body. Each of the chambers has a first, open end and an opposite, closed end. The pump module further includes first and second pistons in the first and second pump chambers, respectively. At least one fluid inlet and a fluid outlet are selectively in fluid communication with the first and second pump chambers. Each of the pistons extends through the open end of a respective one of the pump chambers, with each of the pistons being operably translatable within the pump chamber toward and away from the closed end of the chamber. The pistons are translatable independently of one another.

Abstract: A method and system to update a syringe pump is provided. The pump supports a syringe having a plunger and includes a piston drive to couple to the plunger, a processor to control movement of the piston drive, and a memory to store syringe profiles for different syringes. Each syringe profile contains data for the processor to control the piston drive to expel fluid from a respective syringe at a rate. The method includes, with a computing system containing a database of data correlated to an array of syringes for which the pump could be used, culling from the database a syringe profiles for the syringes to be used by the pump within the facility or portion thereof, and updating the memory of the pump while in the facility with the culled syringe profiles whereby to update the pump for operation with syringes to be used with the syringe pump.