Abstract: A method of using a protective apparatus with an intravenous system and especially an implanted intravenous needle assembly or a Y-junction of a piggy back intravenous system. The protective apparatus includes a protective sheath having an open end and a second end suitable for connection with a fluid introduction source. The sheath includes a slot along its lowest surface and can include a needle extending within a hollow interior defined by the sheath. The sheath features two curved runner sections or a pair of wing-shaped runners which extend from a channel section defining a portion of the slot. The curved runner sections and wing-shaped runners allow for easy insertion of a needle into a taped receptive port of an implanted intravenous needle assembly. An alternate embodiment features two slits with or without an additional channel/elongated aperture combination.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a self-contained, totally disposable apparatus for the collection and reinfusion of blood which is suitable for use with a chest drainage unit to provide for the autotransfusion of autologous blood and the method of suing the apparatus. The blood collection and reinfusion apparatus is separate in structure from the chest drainage unit and comprises a rigid outer container and an inner flexible container in conjunction with portals for blood collection, reinfusion, and attachment to a vacuum source. The apparatus and method of the invention provides a closed system, requires minimal handling of the blood, and provides for greater patient safety in that no interruption of the operation of the chest drainage unit is required.

Abstract: A device for holding a heparin lock secured to a catheter that has been previously disposed through a body portion and into an artery of a patient. The device has a cover having a wall constructed of generally flexible material. The wall includes a face having a continuous periphery and an aperture off-set from the continuous periphery. The wall additionally has a generally oval-shaped body integrally secured to the face along a substantial portion of the continuous periphery. The face and the oval-shaped body may include flanges secured at a lowermost portion thereof. The inside surface of the wall may be coated with a composition of matter that maintains the transparency of a transparent wall. The wall may also include one or more openings that are covered with one or more air permeable sheet members which are impenetrable by a liquid but allow vapor and moisture to pass through from the insides of the oval-shaped body when in a covering relation to a catheter in a body portion of a patient.

Abstract: A bag or pouch for receiving discharge from the human body is made of two superposed sheets of synthetic plastics material joined around their edges and has a filter attached to an upper part of an interior surface of one of the walls, there being a hole or slit in the wall to allow gases exiting the filter to pass to the exterior of the bag or pouch, and an intervening wall is included to separate the filter region from the remainder of the interior of the bag or pouch, said wall being characterized by having a series of scattered holes therein, there being from 100 to 300 holes per square inch (155000 to 465000 holes per square meter) and each hole having a maximum dimension of from 130 to 340 microns.

Abstract: A Y-adapter (2) includes a check valve (22) having an entrance section (24) and a sealing section (26). The sealing section includes two or more flexible, thin, conformable sheets (48, 50) having normally abutting sealing surfaces extending axially at least twice the diameter of the therapeutic catheter (6). The sealing section collapses onto the catheter so that the patient's blood pressure seals the sheets against the catheter to prevent blood loss even during insertion and removal of the catheter. The main bore (10) is sealed adjacent the side port (20) to eliminate dead space where blood clots can form. The flexible, conformable sheets provide very little resistance to the insertion of the catheter to minimize damage to the catheter.

Abstract: Disclosed is an angioplasty catheter comprising a catheter shaft having a distal end and at least one, and preferably two, angioplasty balloons on the distal end of the catheter shaft, wherein the distal end of the catheter and the balloons are formed from a single monolithic piece of polymer material. The distal end of the catheter may also include additional balloons formed from the same piece of polymer material. Each of the balloons is separately inflatable and deflatable by virtue of a separate lumen running through the catheter shaft to the balloon.

Abstract: In a sanitary article having as a core material a super water absorbing polymer and two layers of fluff pulp to envelop the polymer, the improvement comprises that said layer of fluff pulp is composed of a compressed first site and a further compressed second site, the density of said first site ranging from 0.04 to 0.15 g/cm.sup.3, the density of said second site ranging from 0.06 to 0.4 g/cm.sup.3, and the area of said second site ranging from 10 to 50% of that of the entire article.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for injecting viscous material into the body. In the case of injection into the eye, sufficient material is injected to separate a membrane from the retina so that intraocular scissors may be manipulated between the membrane and the retina to cut the attachment points. The membrane is then aspirated away. The injection is done using a standard glue injector with a one-shot and a continuous mode. The glue injector is pneumatically coupled through a sterile filter and a custom adaptor to a sterile syringe storing the material to be injected.

Abstract: A device for fastening a catheter to an osteofibrous wall, for example, to a cranial theca (6) for draining cerebro spinal fluid or any other serous fluid therefrom, particularly for use in pediatric neurosurgery, comprising a tubular body (1) arranged to receive a catheter (10), at least one transverse end foot (2) for insertion into an aperture (7) in the cranial theca (6), and a locking element (4) which can be fitted in opposite relationship with the foot (2) so as to bear on the outer surface of the cranial theca (6) in close liquid-tight contact therewith.

Abstract: A guidewire for use with a catheter has varying radiopacity at its distal end. The guidewire includes a shaft having an outer helical coil attached to the distal region of the shaft, the coil extending distally beyond the distal end of the shaft and terminating in a tip weld. The outer coil is formed from a small diameter highly radiopaque wire. A smaller diameter inner helical coil, formed from a larger diameter highly radiopaque wire is disposed within the outer coil and is attached at its proximal end to the distal end of the shaft and at its distal end to the tip weld. The guidewire thus defines an arrangement which when viewed fluoroscopically will have a highly radiopaque distal portion and a moderately radiopaque proximal portion.

Abstract: A drug delivery system for implantation into a living body having a pressure actuated infusion pump and an adjustable flow regulator. The regulator comprises a body having a regulator cavity divided by a diaphragm into two chambers. One chamber serves as a pressure sensor and the other as a conduit through which fluid flows. The outlet from the conduit chamber can be sealed by diaphragm movement as a function of pressure increase or the flow restricted. The outlet itself is mounted on an adjustable fitting that is movable relative to the diaphragm. The distance between the outlet and the diaphragm may be set as a calibration of the regulator.

Abstract: Method for irrigating a wound and/or abrasion with a liquid wound cleansing solution dispensed from a hand-held container with the liquid wound cleansing solution disposed therein and to be dispensed through a manually operable valve. The method includes the steps of providing a propellant in the container which provides a pressure for propelling the wound cleansing solution through the valve, actuating the manually actuated valve to provide a stream of liquid wound cleansing solution which is substantially equivalent in volume and in pressure to that generated by a human hand-held 30 to 60 milliliter syringe having an 18 gauge needle mounted thereon and directing the stream toward the wound or abrasion to irrigate and cleanse the wound and/or abrasion.

Abstract: An enteral feeding tube adapted for transpyloric passage and duodenal intubation of a distal end of the feeding tube in a patient capable of peristaltic contractions of the stomach wall. A flexible bolus is located at the distal end of the feeding tube, which has a feeding bolus and connected thereto by a linking means. The flexible bolus is of such length, diameter and deformability to initiate peristaltic movement of the stomach wall. The linking means is of outer dimensions smaller than the outer dimensions of the flexible bolus and the feeding tube, and is of a length, diameter and deformability selected to initiate and maintain peristaltic contractions in the stomach walls around and behind the flexible bolus. The continued peristaltic contractions act upon the flexible bolus and linking means, thereby drawing the feeding bolus and distal end of the feeding tube through the pylorus to achieve duodenal intubation.

Abstract: A unitary adapter is disclosed for placing a catheter in fluid communication with a syringe or other source of liquid medication. The adapter has a catheter connector for releasably securing the proximal end of a catheter extending from a patient's body and a connector releasably engaging the liquid medication source, the connectors being attached to one another and movable between an open position for inserting the catheter end and a closed position for securing the catheter end within the connector.The adapter is designed to prevent accidental opening and the resulting falling out of the catheter when the connectors are in the closed position.

Abstract: An angioscope has irrigation system with at least two presettable irrigant flow rates. A footswitch under manual control is operatively connected to a roller pump for switching from a high first flow rate to a low second flow rate. Upon an initial filling of a blood vessel under observation with clear irrigant at the high flow rate, the operator switches to the low flow rate. The rate of fluid flow may alternatively be continuously variable under manual control.

Abstract: A balloon catheter comprises a catheter shaft which typically defines a first inflation lumen and a first, inflatable balloon mounted on the shaft in communication with the first inflation lumen. By this invention a second inflation lumen is typically provided, spaced from the first lumen and defined by the catheter shaft. A second balloon is mounted on the shaft in communication with the second inflation lumen. The second balloon defines apertures which are sized to permit liquid flow outwardly through the balloon. Thus, medication may be delivered in a controlled manner. Alternatively, the second balloon for medication administration may be the only balloon present on the catheter.

Abstract: A balloon catheter is provided, which comprises a catheter body made of a flexible tube provided with at least one inner channel and with an annular groove formed on an outer surface near the distal end portion of the tube, and a balloon covering the annular groove in such a manner that the outer diameter of the balloon is equal to or smaller than a maximum diameter of the distal end portion of the tube, the balloon being expanded or shrunk through another inner channel. A method of manufacturing the balloon catheter which comprises the steps of reducnig an outer diameter of a distal end portion of the catheter body while keeping a desired inner channel undamaged, mounting a tubular heat-resistant member to a prospective balloon mounting portion of the reduced diameter portion, molding a reduced diameter portion extruded from the heat-resistant member into a spherical shape, and mounting an inflatable balloon to the balloon mounting portion after removing the heat-resistant member.

Abstract: The catheter includes a user controlled incontinence portion that is combinable with a combination inflation/drainage member. The inflation/drainage member can be detached from the incontinence portion to provide a user controlled device. A magnetic valve is incorporated in the user controlled incontinence portion for magnetic actuation with an external magnet. The valve is normally closed and magnetically actuatable to an open condition. Removal of the external magnet from proximity to the penis enables the valve to assume its normally closed position. In one embodiment of the invention the valve includes a pressure relief feature. In another embodiment of the invention there is no pressure relief feature.

Abstract: Apparatus for administering liquid medication to an animal is provided and includes an elongated administering rod having a first one way valve adjacent to the tip thereof and which rod is connected to a hollow housing in which there is located a barrel syringe so that measuring indicia thereon is visible, a hollow piston mounted for reciprocal movement in the barrel syringe, a closure member for holding the barrel syringe in place and through which a hollow piston rod having the piston attached thereto reciprocates. Apparatus is provided for reciprocating the piston rod and piston. A fitting is attached to the piston rod and is connected by a flexible tube to a supply of liquid medication and a second one way valve is mounted in the fitting. When the liquid medication is being administered, the first one way valve is open and the second one way valve is closed. When the liquid medication is being aspirated into the barrel syringe, the first one way valve is closed and the second one way valve is open.

Abstract: An eyedrop applicator attachment for attachment to a bottle having a large or small threaded neck. The applicator attachment is provided with a hollow cylindrical body, and an eyecup integral with the body at one end. The other end of the body has an opening, and interiorly of the body are two female threads, located coaxially and of different diameters, the threads with the larger diameter being adjacent the open end of the body. Thus, the applicator attachment may be attached to a squeeze bottle with a larger diameter neck, or to a squeeze bottle with a smaller diameter neck. In an alternate embodiment, axially of the threads for engagement with the neck of a bottle, there is an extension having a third female thread, into which a plug is threaded to provide a closure for the nozzle of a bottle attached to the cylindrical body.