Abstract: A tracheal tube has a sealing cuff towards its patient end and a suction aperture just above the cuff. The suction aperture connects via a lumen with a suction line terminated by a connector. One end of the connector is tapered and has a port for connection to a suction source. The connector also has a side port in which the nose of a syringe can be inserted to inject a lavage fluid out of the suction aperture to help loosen secretions. When not in use, the side port is closed by a valve or by a closure cap with formations for sealing the two ports.

Abstract: An arrangement for automatic suctioning above the cuff of a tracheal tube has a suction lumen extending along the tube and opening at one end at an opening on the outside of the tube just above the cuff. A suction line connects with the other end of the lumen and extends to a source of suction. A timer is connected in the line, between the tube and the suction source. The timer may be clockwork and is arranged to prevent suctioning flow along the suction line except for short periods, so that secretions that collect above the cuff are suctioned periodically without the need for intervention by a nurse or clinician.

Abstract: An HME for a tracheostomy tube has a flexible outer housing of a gas-permeable material containing an HME element of discrete particles, granules or the like of a hygroscopic material. The particles are contained between the outer housing and an inner wall of a foam. The inner wall has a ciliated surface facing the end of the tube, which acts to distribute gas over the surface of the HME element. The HME is attached to a flange on an inner cannula by means of a removable adhesive. The HME may include a suction port through a self-closing aperture, which makes a wiping seal with a suction catheter inserted in the tube.

Abstract: A laryngeal mask has an inflatable annular sealing cuff extending around a mount at the patient end of a tube. The mask also has an annular collar on the cuff extending around its opening. The collar is triangular in section with an inflated height of about 10 mm and is soft and floppy when not inflated. The cuff and collar are separately inflatable via separate inflation lines.

Abstract: An embryo transfer catheter or the like has electrical resistance heating elements extending along its shaft and connected to a battery in the catheter hub or to a separate power source via a cable. Alternatively, the shaft may be extruded with two channels in its wall connected with inlet and outlet connectors on the hub. Pipes connected with the connectors supply warmed fluid from a heat exchanger to one channel and return fluid to the exchanger from the other channel.

Abstract: A tracheostomy device has a short tube terminating adjacent the internal end of an opening into the trachea. A flange secures the external end of the tube and a retainer secures the internal end of the tube against the surface of the trachea. The device also includes a seal, which engages the surface of the trachea above the opening, and a suction passage extending externally by which secretions can be removed.

Abstract: A surgical drape for use in tracheostomy procedures has a main body region and a transparent region arranged to extend over the head of the patient. An incise aperture is formed in the body region close to the transparent head region. An adhesive border around the patient side of the aperture enables the drape to be secured to the skin around the tracheostomy. A perforated tear line extends laterally from the aperture to the edge of the drape to enable the drape to be torn easily so that it can be removed from around any tubing projecting through the aperture.

Abstract: An electrical connector for high current applications has a mating plug and socket assembly. The socket assembly has two sockets arranged coaxially of one another and electrically interconnected. The central socket receives and contacts a pin on the plug assembly; the other socket contacts the external surface of a tubular sleeve surrounding and integrally electrically connected with the pin. The socket assembly also has a third socket electrically insulated from and arranged coaxially outwardly of the other two sockets. The third socket makes electrical contact with the outer surface of a tubular contact extending coaxially of the pin and electrically insulated from it. The sockets each have a hyperboloid configuration of multiple resilient wires to make contact with the pin, sleeve and outer contact.

Abstract: An instrument for providing ventilation access to the trachea has a hollow needle with a sharp tip, a tube extending within the needle and a spring urging the tube to project a short distance from the patient end of the needle. The rear end of the tube carries two colored flags one of which is visible at a time in a transparent window towards the machine end of the needle. When the patient end of the instrument is pushed through neck tissue overlying the trachea the inner tube is pushed rearwardly so that a flag of one color is visible. When the patient end of the instrument enters the trachea the spring can push the inner tube forwardly so that the other flag is visible. In one embodiment the instrument carries a dilator and tracheostomy tube that can be slid off the needle after penetration. In another embodiment, ventilation equipment is connected to the rear of the inner tube and the patient is ventilated through the instrument itself.

Abstract: An embryo-transfer catheter has an extruded shaft with a gas-filled lumen that extends helically along the catheter to provide an ultrasound marker. The catheter has a side opening close to a closed rounded patient end. The catheter could be completely transparent to x-rays or the plastics from which it is formed could incorporate an x-ray opaque filler, such as barium sulphate.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner hose has a rigid cleaning wand (21) with a valve (26) and a flexible hose (30) that can be retracted by suction pressure when the valve (26) is closed. The hose (30) extends within the wand (21) and is secured at its forward end (31) adjacent the forward end of the wand. A flexible sleeve (40) is joined at one end with the vacuum cleaner (1) and extends along the rear part of the hose (30) so that it can be attached to the rear end of the wand (21) when the hose is retracted, to retain it in a retracted state.

Abstract: An ultrasonic fuel-gauging system has several probes each having a transducer mounted at the lower end of a still well. The transducers are connected to a processor, which measures the height of fuel above the transducers within the still wells. The processor also measures the resonant frequency of each transducer and from this calculates fuel density. The system calculates the mass of fuel in the tank from the density and the volume as calculated from the heights.

Abstract: A portal (1) has a millimetric wave imager (10, 11) arranged to detect articles concealed on the person. A pump (21) supplies jets of air through gas outlets (20) in the lower part of the portal (1), which are directed onto the feet of the person being screened. A second pump (25) pumps air with substances released by the jets via inlets (22) to an ion mobility spectrometer (24) arranged to detect the presence of explosives or narcotics. A screen (12) indicates the presence of any suspect article or substance on the person being screened.

Abstract: An optical connector assembly has several optical and electrical connectors mounted in mateable rectangular housings. Each optical connector is resiliently mounted in an alignment sleeve by means of a spring clip encircling the connector and contacting the sleeve. The alignment sleeves are themselves resiliently mounted in passages through the housings by spring clips encircling the sleeves and contacting passages within which the sleeves are mounted.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner hose assembly (3; 3?; 3?, 3??) has a flexible hose (5) that can be retracted by suction applied by the vacuum cleaner (1). The forward end of the hose (5) extends within a rigid cleaning wand (6, 6?, 6?, 6??) and is attached to it close to its forward end so that a part of the hose can be stowed within the wand. The wand has two sections (64 and 65, 64? and 65?), (64? and 65?, 64?? and 65??) telescopically slidable one within the other so that the wand can have an extended length or a shorter retracted length. Both sections of the wand have an open wall structure with one or two longitudinal struts (66 and 67, 72) and (73, 66?, 73?, 66?, 73?) and one or two open windows (70, 76, 70?, 76?) in order to reduce the weight of the wand.

Abstract: A thermal probe system has a Wollaston thermal sensor connected in one arm of a bridge. The other arms of the bridge are provided by resistors and a voltage is applied from a low-noise source via several op-amps. The output of the bridge is connected with a primary winding of a step-up transformer, the output of which connects with the input of an output amplifier, which, in turn, provides an output to a display.

Abstract: A face mask comprises a sealing collar (1) extending around the mouth with a shelf (4) extending under the nose supporting a gel insert (7) that makes sealing contact between the nostrils and a passage (6) through the shelf. A curved, rigid window (30) is a push fit in a central opening (2) of the collar (1) and has a gas inlet (33) attached with it so that the window can be removed or connected with the sealing collar as necessary. The collar (1) supported on the head by a harness (20) having two triangular portions (21) on opposite sides encircling respective ears.

Abstract: A laryngeal mask airway has a main tubular shaft (1) with a mask portion (5) attached at its patient end (3). The mask portion (5) comprises a mount (50) and a sealing cuff (60) attached to the mount. The interior of the mount (50) defines a large volume atrium (54) communicating with the bore of the shaft (1) at one end and with an opening (61) through the cuff (60) at its other end. The join between the shaft (1) and the mount (50) is located above the rear part (63) of the cuff (60). The height of the atrium (54) is between 2.5 and 3.5 the internal diameter of the shaft. The volume of the atrium (54) is such that the ratio of the internal diameter of the shaft cubed to the internal volume of the atrium is between 50 and 68.

Abstract: An imaging infraed spectrometer system includes an ATR unit (10) having a sample window (12) above an optical system (19) that directs radiation through the window onto the sample and directs radiation from the sample via corrective optics (40) to an imaging detector (4). The corrective optics is in the form of a wedge-shape prism (40) with a reflective surface (28) and is located near a focus of the optical system (19). The wedge prism (40) is effective to correct the focal plane orientation and anamorphic magnification at the sample.