Abstract: A closed suction catheter includes a valve assembly and a manifold. A catheter tube is attached to the valve assembly and slidably secured within the manifold. The closed suction catheter may include one or more features for promoting an effective, safe, and efficient process for suctioning mucus and other fluids from a patient's lungs, and for cleaning the various components of the catheter system. For example, the closed suction catheter may include a tube wiper having a reinforced leading ridge and/or an internal ledge for efficiently wiping the catheter tube. The valve assembly may include a locking mechanism having a slider unit, a cam arm, and/or ribs that engage openings in the slider unit for maintaining a valve stem in proper alignment and an actuator on the valve assembly in a locked position. The closed suction catheter may include several other features, as well.

Abstract: An armrest assembly includes an armrest platform with hand and elbow extensions which is mounted to a swivel base unit that tilts, turns and rotates under the control of a single load control knob to permit placement of a patient's arm in several positions as needed to draw blood. The swivel base unit is mounted on the distal end of a cylindrical riser that can be raised and lowered to a desired elevation by a single load control lever supported by a base securing device that is adapted to be secured to different types of surfaces configurations.

Abstract: A nasal cannula system includes a nasal cannula for the delivery of and collection of gases, wherein the nasal cannula is coupled to a pair of extension tubes which are slidingly received within right and left earpieces respectively for retaining and securing the extension tubes to fix the cannula in a desired position for use by a patient. Each nasal cannula includes an open recessed channel disposed between a pair of bridges for retaining the extension tube within the earpiece and an locking exit hole at its distal end for helping to secure therein the extension tube to provide a fixed distance adjustment between the nasal cannula and the ears of the patient.

Abstract: An air delivery system includes a coupling mechanism that is adapted to be connected between a source of oxygen-enriched air and an air cannula that can be worn by a user. The coupling mechanism includes a spool assembly for paying out and for winding up a predetermined length of tubing coupled between the air cannula and the source of oxygen-enriched air. The spool assembly has a sufficiently low drag factor to allow complete mobility of a user wearing the cannula without causing it to be dislodged during pay out of the predetermined length of tubing and without causing it to be dislodged during take up of the predetermined length of tubing.

Abstract: An armrest assembly includes an armrest platform with hand and elbow extensions which is mounted to a swivel base unit that tits, turns and rotates under the control of a single load control knob to permit placement of a patient's arm in several positions as needed to draw blood. The swivel base unit is mounted on the distal end of a cylindrical riser that can be raised and lowered to a desired elevation by a single load control lever supported by a base securing device that is adapted to be secured to different types of surfaces configurations.

Abstract: A medical knife assembly includes an outer clamp assembly and an inner clamp blade assembly having a cutting blade assembly. The inner and outer clamp assemblies are pivotally connected at about their proximate ends so they may be squeezed together with one hand to affect a novel method of clamping and cutting in a single motion operation. A set of shear pins holds the component parts of the inner and outer assemblies together in a ready position that enables a user to properly position the knife assembly for severing an umbilical cord at the time of birth. Once the umbilical cord is severed, the component parts of the inner and outer assemblies separate providing independent clamps, one staying with an infant segment of the umbilical cord and one staying with a maternal segment of the umbilical cord.

Abstract: A venipuncture site protector having a slotted securement, which has mounted thereto, a transparent tapered body member defined by a slotted rear wall at its proximal end and a perforated front wall at its distal end. The rear wall and front wall are integrally connected to a flange having a tube receiving slot that is aligned with another tube receiving slot disposed in the rear wall as well as a slot within the slotted securement. The rear wall and the front wall rise up to a dome apex from which an internal wall depends into the interior space of the dome. The internal wall is disposed between the rear wall and the front wall and includes yet another tube receiving slot that is sufficiently wide to receive therein an I.V. tube associated with an I.V. connected catheter but not sufficiently wide to allow the I.V. connected catheter to pass therethrough.

Abstract: A fluid delivery system includes a nasal delivery tube and an ear hook support tube that facilitates the delivery of fluids to the lungs of a user. The ear hook support tube is plugged at its distal end with an elongated flexible ear hook that is adapted to be hooked over one ear of the user. A slider support tube having an ear hook slider mounted thereon is coupled in an airtight manner to an opposite end of the nasal support tube and is adapted to be coupled to a supply of fluid, such as a supply of air. Another ear hook is mounted to the ear hook slider and is adapted to be hooked over the other ear of the user.

Abstract: A venipuncture site protector having a slotted securement, which has mounted thereto, a flexible tapered body member defined by a slotted rear wall at its proximal end and a perforated front wall at its distal end. The rear wall and front wall are integrally connected to a flange having a tube receiving slot that is aligned with another tube receiving slot disposed in the rear wall as well as a slot within the slotted securement. The rear wall and the front wall rise up to a dome apex from which an internal wall depends into the interior space of the dome. The internal wall is disposed between the rear wall and the front wall and includes yet another tube receiving slot that is sufficiently wide to receive therein an I.V. tube associated with an I.V. connected catheter but not sufficiently wide to allow the I.V. connected catheter to pass therethrough.

Abstract: A foot protection kit includes a flat planar storage container for transporting and displaying a right foot protector and a left foot protector that are substantially identical in construction, each having a protuberance marker that facilitates proper footwear orientation. An instruction sheet is included in the kit for guiding a user relative to placing the right foot protector and the left foot protector in mirror image orientation so that they can be distinguished from one another for proper footwear orientation purposes. For assembly purposes after orienting the foot protectors in a mirror image orientation, the user lifts a foot hook portion of a foundation planar sheet upwardly from the sheet, bending it forward and away from a heel portion of the foot protector until the foot hook portion is parallel and slightly spaced apart from a platform area so that a slit in the foot hook portion is in alignment with a marker disposed in the platform area.

Abstract: A rescue device and kit for ventilating a patient incapable of normal ventilation or intubation techniques includes a single-lumen nasopharyngeal nasal trumpet having a beveled shaped opening at its distal end and a flared proximal end. An eye opening is disposed slightly proximal to the beveled shaped opening and an air delivery extension tube is secured within the single-lumen opening at the flared proximal end of the nasal trumpet. The distal end of the extension tube secured within the nasal trumpet cooperates with the flared proximal end of the nasal trumpet to provide a soft non-tissue irritating nose plug when the nasal trumpet is fully inserted into a nostril opening of the patient. The kit further includes a tube of lubricant, an air bag, and a soft nose plug for blocking the other nostril opening of the patient during the novel rescue process.

Abstract: A venipuncture site protector having a slotted securement, which has mounted thereto, a flexible tapered body member defined by a slotted rear wall at its proximal end and a perforated front wall at its distal end. The rear wall and front wall are integrally connected to a flange having a tube receiving slot that is aligned with another tube receiving slot disposed in the rear wall as well as a slot within the slotted securement. The rear wall and the front wall rise up to a dome apex from which an internal wall depends into the interior space of the dome. The internal wall is disposed between the rear wall and the front wall and includes yet another tube receiving slot that is sufficiently wide to receive therein an I.V. tube associated with an I.V. connected catheter but not sufficiently wide to allow the I.V. connected catheter to pass therethrough.

Abstract: An aerosol delivery system includes an endotracheal tube with a sub-port having a sufficient diameter to permit the passage of a sub-port tube therethrough. The sub-port tube passes within the interior of the endotracheal tube via the sub-port and includes a passageway that terminates in an atomizer nozzle at the distal end of the sub-port tube. The atomizer nozzle and the endotracheal tube are integrally connected to one another at a distal end base outlet of the endotracheal tube. A delivery conduit having an atomizer connector at its distal end is adapted to be connected to a canister for delivering fluid under pressure. The delivery conduit has a sufficient length to pass within the sub-port tube to lockingly engage the atomizer nozzle atomizer, whereby fluid delivered under pressure from the canister flows to the atomizer nozzle causing an aerosol mist to be dispensed outwardly from the base outlet of the endotracheal tube.

Abstract: A stress reduction kit includes a display package holding a pair of perforated reflex pin holders each with a printed foot reflexology chart integrally formed thereon. To facilitate creating pressure points on the feet of a user, the stress reduction kit also includes a bag of reflex pins, where each pin is dimensioned to be received in a friction tight fit into any one of the perforations disposed in the reflex pin holders and a set of instructions that guide a user on the placement of individual ones of the reflex pins in respective ones of the reflex pin holders. In accordance with the method of the present invention, when the user inserts the reflex pins in selected ones of the perforations and places the reflex pin holders within his or her shoes, desired body responses are achieved relative to the pressure points created by the pins against the feet of the user.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for improving the hearing of a hearing-impaired subject who, if anatomically normal, possesses a tympanic membrane intended for generating mechanical tympanic vibrations in response to sound waves impinging thereon, an inner ear responsive to mechanical vibrations, and an ossicular chain intended to communicate mechanical vibrations from the tympanic membrane to the inner ear; wherein the ossicular chain is interrupted to preclude transmission of mechanical vibrations between the tympanic membrane and the inner ear of the subject and an implant is surgically interposed within the ossicular chain to form an independent link between the tympanic membrane and the inner ear, which implant is comprised of a transducer for converting mechanical signals generated at the tympanic membrane into electrical signals for direct electrical stimulation of the inner ear.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for improving the hearing of a hearing-impaired subject who, if anatomically normal, possesses a tympanic membrane intended for generating mechanical tympanic vibration in response to sound waves impinging thereon, an inner ear responsive to mechanical vibrations, and an ossicular chain intended to communicate mechanical vibrations from the tympanic membrane to the inner ear; wherein the ossicular chain is interrupted to preclude transmission of mechanical vibrations between the tympanic membrane and the inner ear of the subject and an implant is surgically interposed to bridge the interruption in the ossicular chain to form an independent link between the tympanic membrane and the ear, which implant is comprised of input and output transducers for mediating mechanical/electrical signals to constitute that independent link.