Abstract: Blood sampling apparatus operative to selectively and removably interconnect a blood sample container with an extracorporeal blood conduit and including a blood interface assembly adapted to securely and removably puncture both said blood conduit and said blood sample container, the blood interface assembly comprising an elongate housing, a needle mount removably mounted in said elongate housing, a double pointed needle fixedly adhesively mounted in said needle mount so as to have portions extending outward of said needle mount in opposite directions and a puncturable resilient sheath formed over at least one portion of said needle and onto at least a portion of said needle mount.

Abstract: Medical infusion apparatus includes a container for a liquid to be infused, tubing leading from the container to the subject to receive an infusion, a pump for pumping the infusion liquid via the tubing to the subject, and a safety valve connected in the tubing between the pump and the subject. The safety valve is normally closed to prevent free-flow of the liquid from the container, but is automatically opened when a predetermined minimum pressure is applied to the liquid by the pump. The safety valve is also manually deformable to open the valve and to permit priming the apparatus.

Abstract: A manually-severable coupling device for coupling two tubes (12a, 12b), particularly useful in peritoneal dialysis, including a flexible plastic member having passageways (30) therethrough and formed with tubular end sections (31, 32) for receiving tubes (20, 24) to be coupled, an annular groove (33) formed intermediate the tubular end sections defining a flexible, weakened, annular web (33) capable of being severed by rotating one of the tubular end sections (31, 32) with respect to the other, and a finger gripping formation (34, 35) integrally formed in each tubular end section (31, 32) on opposite sides of the weakened annular web (33) grippable by a user to rotate the tubular end sections with respect to each other to sever them from each other along the weakened annular web (33).

Abstract: A blood sampling system includes a blood collecting assembly having an in-line blood sampling unit, a blood sampling container, and a fluid coupling device coupled to the in-line blood sampling unit for coupling the in-line blood sampling unit to the blood sampling container. The fluid coupling device has a housing having an anterior section formed with an open end capable of being applied to the blood sampling unit, a posterior section formed with an open end capable of receiving the blood sampling container, and a transversely-extending member between the anterior and posterior sections. A needle is secured to the transversely-extending member so as to extend axially of the housing.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for arterial and venous blood sampling is described. The apparatus includes efficient structure for purging the fluid line and a fluid sampling device chamber of residue heparinized IV solution to obtain a sufficiently undiluted blood sample without excessive blood waste and risk of entry of air, line contamination/nosocomial infection or misdiagnosis. The apparatus is also specially designed to protect the clinician from either self-contamination from patient fluids or accidental injury from needle puncture.