Abstract: The hydrodissection needle has a sharp tip end and at least two elongated outlet openings which are located at or near the needle tip with their elongated axes extending rearward. In another embodiment, at least one elongated helical outlet opening is provided near the needle tip end.

Abstract: An intraveneous catheter placement system is provided which includes an insertion tool/guard assembly and a flexible catheter having an attachment fitting at one of its ends. The insertion device includes a needle and a needle holder. The guard includes an elongate sleeve telescoped over the needle shaft, the sleeve having a blunt distal end and a fitting attached to its proximal end. When assembled, the needle holder, the fitting of the guard and the attachment fitting of the catheter interrelate with one another in mutually telescoping relation such that the needle cannot be removed from the lumen of the catheter prior to the locked deployment of the distal end of the guard sleeve distally of the pointed tip of the needle.

Abstract: A needle system including a plastic cannula and a stylet, and a procedure utilizing the needle system for positioning the end of a spinal catheter within the subarachnoid space surrounding a patient's spinal cord for continuous administration of anesthetics and/or analgesic medications. The stylet has a pencil-point sharpened end for forming a minimal size opening in the dura defining the subarachnoid space to minimize the loss of cerebrospinal fluid therefrom during this procedure. The cannula has a hub formed of glass-clear plastic, which is provided with viewing recesses.

Abstract: Extruded catheters and other flexible plastic tubing may be manufactured with improved rotational and/or longitudinal stiffness, compared with catheters made of more conventional plastics. A tubing of liquid crystal polymer plastic-containing material may be extruded through a tube extrusion die while rotating the inner and outer die walls to provide circumferential shear to the extruded tube. Thus the liquid crystal polymer is oriented in a helical manner to provide improved properties, including greater rotational stiffness.

Abstract: A method of sequentially analyzing various body conditions with a plurality of probes is disclosed. Also disclosed, is a catheter which can be used to practice the method. The catheter has several independent lumens extending longitudinally therethrough for accepting probes and for introducing fluid therethrough and into a body cavity. The catheter outer body has a cross-sectional maximum outer dimension. The first lumen is circular in cross-section, and has a cross-sectional dimension of approximately half the maximum outer dimension of the catheter body. The first lumen is capable of accepting various probes, as well as allowing simultaneous fluid flow through the lumen. The second lumen is crescent-shaped in cross-section and occupies at least a quarter of an arc around the cross-section of the catheter body. The large cross-section of the second lumen allows for a high fluid flow rate through the lumen.

Abstract: A surgical endoscope includes an elongated cannula having a distal end for insertion into the body of a patient, and a proximal end having a valve assembly mounted thereon to selectively and alternatively connect the cannula to a source of irrigation fluid, or to an aspirator. The valve assembly includes a pair of valve members adapted for manual operation one at a time to permit irrigation or suction fluid flow to a central flow chamber disposed at the proximal end of the cannula. The valve members are symmetrically mounted at opposite sides of the central flow chamber for movement between opened and closed positions without occluding the proximal end of the cannula. An instrument access port on the valve assembly at a position in-line with the cannula permits introduction of a surgical instrument through the central flow chamber and cannula, independently of the valve members and manipulation thereof.

Abstract: An infusion site for infusing fluids into a patient is disclosed. The infusion site has a housing which supports a pre-slit resealable septum which is held in radial compression in the housing. The septum is opened by the insertion of a cannula. The housing also accommodates a valve which is held in tension in the housing and is opened by the insertion of the cannula into the septum.The valve is closed when the cannula is withdrawn. The septum and valve are linked by an elastic member which interacts with the cannula to open and close the valve.

Abstract: A valve element adapted to be positioned in the infeed for a catheter is disclosed. By slits in Y arrangement relative to each other, an automatically closable passage opening is formed therein. The passage is especially easy to locate for the catheter tip due to the fact that the valve element is provided on its proximal side with a truncated cone-shaped recess. In addition, due to the recess the flexibility of the gussets of material defined by the slits is enhanced, which gussets sealingly hug the outside of the catheter when the catheter is present The distal face of the valve may be provided also with a truncated cone-shaped recess.

Abstract: A cholangiography catheter for injecting dye into a cystic duct during laparoscopic cholangiography. The catheter includes a bifurcated connector having a length of tubing and a check valve mounted to each arm of the connector. A saline syringe is coupled to one check valve and a dye syringe is coupled to the other check valve. The check valves and respective syringes are color coordinated to preclude inadvertently using the wrong syringe. The catheter is fabricated from a medical grade polymer having a preselected degree of compliant memory and includes indicia for providing a visual indication of the depth of penetration of the tip of the catheter into the cystic duct.

Abstract: A device for infusion or transfusion can be connected to a flexible tube line (16). The regulating arrangement (8, 9, 10, 12) for regulating the flow rate of the fluid through the flexible tube line (16) is a rigid structural member of the intravenous drip chamber (1) containing the infusion or transfusion liquid. The flow rate is regulated by means of a regulating nut (12) which effectively connects the regulating knob (10) with a flexible tube line (16). The structural member has a tubular connection piece (2) provided with a closed end (3) and having lateral perforations (4). The tubular connection piece (2) is coaxially spaced by a surrounding tubular threaded pipe (6) divided into segments (8, 9) separated by dividing points (7). The lateral perforations (4) open into downwardly directed grooves (5) which establish a flow path.

Abstract: A safety locking device is provided for assuring proper matching relationship between a surgical instrument and a trocar guide tube housing. The safety device is slidably mounted on the elongated portion of the surgical instrument, and includes locking fingers with locking tabs projecting radially inward to releasable a circumferential groove in the surgical instrument elongated portion. The locking fingers include a camming surface to engage a corresponding camming surface associated with an appropriate guide tube housing. As the surgical instrument is inserted into an appropriate guide tube housing, the guide tube housing camming surface engages the locking finger camming surface to disengage the locking tabs from the circumferential groove and permit complete insertion of the instrument. A sleeve surrounds the locking fingers to prevent tampering, and as unlocking tool is provided.

Abstract: A perfusion dilatation balloon catheter is formed by a balloon having opposing intermediate chamber surfaces connected by a seal along the length of the balloon to form two symmetrical, communicating segments of the balloon. The outer surface of the balloon, which is common to both segments, incurves as the balloon is inflated causing the segments to juxtapose. The outer surfaces of the two segments cooperate to dilate the wall of an artery. The outer surfaces of the segments further define two sinuses adjacent to the juxtaposed outer surfaces of the segments, which allow passive perfusion of blood through the balloon during a dilatation procedure.

Abstract: The present invention provides apparatus and methods for introducing spinal anesthesia directly into the subarachnoid space of a patient. One apparatus and method utilizes a small gauge spinal needle for penetrating the dura; the other utilizes a small gauge catheter with an internal stylet having a non-piercing pencil point to spread apart the filaments of the dura wall. An introducer having a rounded tip is also provided for guiding and supporting the spinal needle or catheter, as force is applied thereto, to cause the same to penetrate the dura.

Abstract: A single-use syringe has a piston assembly sealingly slidable within a bal. The piston assembly has a plunger (1) with a divergently tapered portion (4) and a resiliently deformable piston (2) with a through aperture (7), correspondingly tapered so that part of the tapered portion (4) may fit within the aperture, and a tapered skirt portion (6) adapted to surround a further part of the tapered portion (4). The through aperture is adapted to be plugged by the plunger. A locking ring (3) having a tapered aperture to surround said skirt portion is provided to hold the skirt (6) against the plunger end portion (4). When the plunger (1) is depressed within the barrel, the locking ring (3) is delayed by the wall of the barrel while the skirt (6) is pushed inwardly. Once the skirt (6) is unrestrained by the locking ring (3), outward movement of the plunger (1) will cause its end portion (4) to be pulled free from the piston (2 ). The piston (2) is thus non-retractable to prevent a second drawing-in of liquid.

Abstract: An adapter for a catheter having a body member having a bore and a distal opening, an elastic compression member received in the bore of the body member, with the compression member having a channel extending therethrough to receive the catheter and a distal end extending from the opening of the body member to provide a strain relief for the catheter.

Abstract: A guide catheter in which the components of the hub include a ratchet mechanism that is operative to lock the hub components together and compress an integral flange of the catheter shaft therebetween to form a seal between the hub and catheter shaft without the use of bonding agents that will not become loosened accidently or inadvertently.

Abstract: A vascular catheter includes a flexible catheter body having proximal and distal ends and an elongate housing secured to the distal end of the catheter body. An interactional device is disposed on one side of the housing, and at least two spaced-apart inflatable chambers are located on the other side of the housing generally at its proximal and distal ends, respectively. The inflatable chambers may be expanded simultaneously or separately, and the spaced-apart positioning of the chambers provides for stable positioning of the housing during atherectomy procedures, imaging procedures, and the like. The balloon is conveniently connected to the housing by an integral flange structure which is secured through an inflation aperture on the housing side. The balloon may be inflated through an annular inflation which is defined by a separate isolation tube disposed in the central lumen of the catheter body.

Abstract: A combination ureteral stent-ureteral catheter comprising an elongated flexible tubular member which has proximal and distal ends in the form of curls when present in its internalized stent form and which further comprises an elongated tubular rigid extension attached to the distal end of the stent which allows the combination to function as an externalized ureteral catheter. On extracting the rigid extension from the stent while the device is in place, the distal end of the stent reforms itself into a preformed curl and thereafter functions as a Double J internalized catheter or stent.

Abstract: A multiple dose infusion controller for controlling the delivery of multiple dosages of an intravenous fluid from a source to a site comprises a compact, portable housing having a slot for removably receiving a segment of a disposable tubing connected to an IV source for transporting an IV fluid to a site, a valve member mounted in the housing for periodically engaging and compressing the tubing for closing the tubing for preventing flow of fluid therethrough, a motor in the housing for driving the valve member upon energization to selected open and closed positions, and controls in the housing for periodically energizing the motor for selectively controlling the flow of the fluid through the tubing in accordance with predetermined delivery times and duration parameters.

Abstract: A reduction port for a trocar sleeve comprises a plate having an aperture of a predetermined diameter, a pair of doors slidably mounted to the plate for reducing the size of the aperture, and a securing component fastened to the plate for removably attaching the plate to a proximal end of a laparoscopic trocar sleeve. Each plate is provided with a semicircular aperture having a diameter equal to the reduced diameter of the aperture.