Abstract: A catheter clamp. The clamp comprises a snap-acting device which contains a rotatable inner and outer member. The inner member has an inner passageway for a catheter and an outer surface containing at least one protrusion. The outer member has an interior beveled sidewall. When the outer member is twisted or rotated in a first direction relative to the inner member, the protrusion on the inner member is compressed by the beveled sidewall, thereby compressing the inner member and the catheter. When the outer member is twisted in the opposite direction relative to the inner member, the protrusion disengages from the beveled sidewall and the catheter is decompressed. Use of the clamp in conjunction with a catheter contamination sleeve is disclosed.

Abstract: A gastrostomy tube including a tube with a plurality of flexible legs, each leg having an end joined to an exit end of the tube and another end joined to other ends of the legs to form an expandable Malecot tip. A cord is slideably positioned in each tube with one cord end secured to the joined ends of the legs and another end threaded through the respective leg, through the tube and into a housing located on the entrance end of the tube where it is secured to a capstan. The capstan is secured in a housing attached to the entrance end of the tube. When the capstan is turned, the cords are wrapped around the capstan and pull on the joined ends of the legs so as to cause the legs to buckle and expand laterally, thereby securing the gastrostomy tube in the wall of the abdomen. A one-way valve is located in the tube which permits nutrients to pass from the entrance end, through the tube, and into the stomach but will prevent flow of contents of the stomach in the opposite direction.

Abstract: A delivery catheter for introducing living matter into a body passageway or cavity of a female mammal comprises a hollow, flexible, dual lumen catheter having substantially tubular-shaped collection chamber for holding the living matter. An ejection port is formed adjacent to the distal end of the collection chamber and an actuator port is formed at its proximal end. A guide tube having a lumen, is positioned coaxially within the collection chamber with the respective distal and proximal ends of the guide tube and the collection chamber joined together in fluid-tight sealing engagements. In an alternate embodiment, the lumina are separated to create a guide wire lumen which is substantially parallel to a transfer lumen. Also, the distal end of the catheter is beveled to recess the opening of the guide wire lumen from the port of the collection chamber in the transfer lumen. In operation, the delivery catheter is inserted into the body passageway over a prepositioned guide wire.

Abstract: A double lumen gastric tube including a valve to prevent gastric reflux or leakage through the vent lumen thereof. The gastric tube also includes an adaptor which allows fluid injection through the tube without removing the valve. The valve allows the passage of air into the vent lumen when atmospheric pressure exceeds stomach pressure. When stomach pressure exceeds atmospheric pressure the valve prevents flow of fluid through the tube. The adaptor allows fluid to be injected into the vent lumen through the valve.

Abstract: An improved intravascular device (20) is adapted for use in treating hypothermia in a patient. The improved device includes an elongated flexible catheter (21) having a distal end piece (26) arranged in spaced relation to a catheter main body portion (32). The distal end piece and catheter main body portions are joined by a wire stylet (33) and by a flexible wall portion (43). The stylet is adapted to be rotated relative to the catheter main body portion to selectively furl and unfurl the flexible wall portion. Once inserted into a patient blood vessel, a pump (25) is arranged to circulate heated fluid (e.g., heated saline solution) through communicating chambers (45,44) in heat exchange relation to blood flowing past the catheter. The pressure of fluid supplied by pump 25 may be caused to pulsate to prevent blood from clotting on the catheter.

Abstract: A closed system suction catheter assembly has a valve which controls suction applied at the patient end of the assembly. The valve has a barrel with a bore through it which is rotatable in a housing between an open position, in which the bore is aligned the inlet and outlet of the valve and a closed position, in which it is out of alignment. The barrel has teeth on its outer surface forming a pinion which are engaged by teeth on the underside of a slidable switch. Sliding of the switch rotates the barrel and controls flow through the valve.

Abstract: A balloon catheter which is assembled by a process of selectively concentrating laser energy along an annular fusion bond site at contiguous surface portions of a length of catheter tubing and a shaft or neck portion of a dilatation balloon. The laser energy wavelength, and the polymeric materials of the balloon and catheter, are matched for high absorption of the laser energy to minimize conductive heat transfer in axial directions away from the bond site. This minimizes crystallization and stiffening in regions near the bond site, permitting fusion bonds to be located close to the proximal and distal cones of the dilatation balloon while preserving the soft, pliant quality of the cones.

Abstract: A multi-stepped adapter for accommodating a wide range of diameters of access ports of enteral feeding devices. The leading step of the adapter is sized in length and diameter to prevent a secure connection to an IV access port, such as an intravenous needle or luer connection.

Abstract: An angioplasty catheter, comprising a catheter shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, with a balloon inflation lumen extending therethrough, a fixed, steerable torquewire extending through at least a portion of the shaft and out of the distal end thereof, an angioplasty balloon on the distal end of the catheter operatively communicating with the balloon inflation lumen for inflation and deflation of the balloon, wherein the proximal end of the balloon is attached to the distal end of the catheter shaft and the distal end of the balloon is attached to the torquewire, and a bailout lumen extending along the catheter shaft from a point ordinarily outside the patient during use to a point proximal of the balloon and normally inside the patient during such use, the bailout lumen adapted to receive a removable guidewire and having an outer wall, with the outer wall preferably including a means such as a longitudinally extending slit for laterally removing the catheter from the patient and off of the guidewir

Abstract: A vascular catheter having an expandable cage mounted on the distal end of a tubular member which is radially expanded and contracted by means of a control wire which is secured to the distal end of the expandable cage. The control wire extends through a first inner lumen within the tubular member which extends along essentially the entire length thereof. A second inner lumen is provided in the distal portion of the tubular member which has a proximal port at least 15 but not more than 60 cm from the distal end of the catheter and a distal port which opens into the interior of the expandable cage. A guidewire or a low-profile steerable catheter is slidably disposed within the second lumen and a tubular member such as a slightly expanded coil through the expandable cage interior to facilitate the rapid exchange of the catheter. The catheter assembly is particularly adapted to hold open a blood vessel after a vascular procedure therein such as an angioplasty.

Abstract: A syringe having a casing, a shiftable rod assembly, and a needle foot latched at a first end of the casing is disclosed. The syringe is equipped with a shiftable ring for limiting stroke length of the rod assembly in such a way to maintain the piston at a predetermined distance from the needle foot, and to increase the stroke length after a second outward shifting stroke of the piston for drawing in liquid, in such a way that upon a second inward shifting stroke of the piston for expulsion of the injection liquid, the piston will be coupled with the needle foot.

Abstract: A needle assembly includes an elongate first cylindrical cavity having a first end and a second end, with the second end formed with a conical recess, the conical recess including a through-extending bore in communication with the recess directed into a second cavity, wherein reverse flow of fluid relative to the first cylindrical body is prevented from flow into the second cylindrical body and contamination of intravenous fluid directed into the assembly.

Abstract: This is an all-plastic protective sleeve for the needle of a medical device. It comprises, a plastic base carrying a bottom end of the needle; a plastic end-cap slidably mounted on the needle adjacent a tip end thereof; a plurality of longitudinal plastic slats extending from the base to the end-cap; a cylindrical plastic locking collar disposed over the plurality of longitudinal slats adjacent the end-cap; and, a plastic spring disposed over the plurality of longitudinal slats between the base and the end-cap. The spring is a unitary plastic helical compression spring comprising a cylindrical collar portion disposed over a center portion of the plurality of longitudinal slats with first and second portions of helical compression spring turns extending therefrom toward the base and the locking collar, respectively. The locking collar has an outside diameter larger than the outside diameter of the spring and is of a thickness sufficient to produce a textured grippable area at the periphery thereof.

Abstract: A syringe apparatus for use with balloon-tipped catheters is disclosed having an attached pressure gauge and timer assembly. In one mode, the timer assembly displays the duration of a current event of inflation or deflation, and the duration of the most recent past event of inflation or deflation. In another mode, the timer assembly displays historical information showing the event number and duration of past events of inflation and deflation. The pressure gauge display and the timer assembly display are situated conveniently on the syringe assembly and in proximity to one another so as to enable a syringe operator to substantially simultaneously monitor durations of inflation and deflation without the need for an assistant, yet without requiring purchase or use of computerized monitors.

Abstract: An angioplasty balloon catheter having a balloon carried at the distal end of a catheter shaft. The catheter shaft includes an inflation lumen by which the balloon is inflated and deflated. A guide wire passage extends through the balloon. A guide wire assembly extends through the catheter shaft, through guide wire passage, and out the distal end of the balloon. The guide wire assembly carries, near its distal end, a selectively radially expandable valve which is used to limit or block fluid flow between the shaft lumen and the patient's body during inflation and deflation of the balloon.

Abstract: A method of using an intra-abdominal organ manipulator, irrigator and/or aspirator, which includes a tubular probe member with distal and proximal ends and a through lumen extending the length thereof, is described. A balloon is affixed to the distal end to aid in manipulating organs or parts thereof within the abdominal cavity when inflated through an auxiliary lumen in the probe. A handle attached to the proximal end of the probe has a pair of trumpet valves which allow the user to connect a vacuum source or irrigation fluid source to the through lumen.

Abstract: A disposable physiological fluid warmer formed as a small compact box which may be attached to a patient's arm. The warmer includes two chambers within the box containing a heat exchanger element constructed from a continuous length of stainless steel tubing in the form of two parallel coils which are connected to one another by a straight length of tubing. A passage is provided along one side of the box between the chambers such that a warming fluid may be introduced through an aperture in the box into one of the chambers, flow into the other chamber, and then exit the warmer through another aperture in the box. A physiological fluid to be warmed is supplied to the coils through a first flexible plastic inlet tube and discharged for infusion into a patient through a second flexible plastic tube. The second tube has a length of less than one foot in order to minimize the amount of heat lost from the fluid as it travels from the warmer to the patient.

Abstract: This invention is directed to covers for holding and protecting needles of medical devices prior to use. It includes covers for holding and protecting needles of medical devices in which the needles are, in turn, contained within a retractable protective sleeve. In such case, the needle and its protective sleeve are held within the cover by a wedging action of a base portion with the cover. The cover contains projections which grip the base so that the needle and its protective sleeve can be turned with the cover to twist them on and off of the medical device safely. Longitudinal vanes in the cover can be included to hold a spring and locking collar over the protective sleeve in a retracted state prior to use. A cap with a flat end and square shoulders is aligned with a flat side of the cover and the entirety closed with a frangible security strip to indicate any possible tampering prior to use. A soft rubber seal inside the cover's closed end seals the needles of pre-filled devices against leakage.

Abstract: A balloon catheter with an inner elongated member having an inner layer of a soft elastomeric polyurethane material and an outer layer of a hard plastic nylon material, which is formed by forming the outer layer onto the inner layer by coextrusion.

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.