Abstract: A bottle is provided with a dislodgeable container to hold two components of a medicament free of contact with each other until mixing is desired. One component may be a solid and the other a liquid, or both may be liquids. Mixing is accomplished by removing a locking ring and depressing the holder means.

Abstract: As assembly is provided utilizing a combined catheter and introducer which cooperate to provide efficient infusion of drugs from the in-place assembly even on an intermittent basis with no return blood flow and without the need for any kind of involved valve assembly, or expensive heparin or saline blocks. The introducer is a short thin walled device which receives the catheter therein. The catheter has a plurality of very fine openings in the front end thereof with the openings having a dimension preventing blood backflow, but which allow passage of infusing medication for therapy because of the pressure imparted in the infusion flow of the drugs. The catheter is long enough so that the portion having the openings extends from the front end of the introducer. The front end of the catheter is blunt-ended to decrease trauma during insertion. The openings in the single lumen version extend around the entire circumference of the catheter to prevent the catheter tip from being blocked on one side and closed off.

Abstract: An elastomeric member for occluding a medical terminal such as a junction terminal to provide a seal and penetratable to establish fluid connection by a blunt needle or cannula in which improved security against passage of contamination is provided. The needle or cannula preferably passes through a perforated passage. The passage can have at least two portions, one having a slit for normally sealing tightly in the absence of a cannula or needle and the other having a bore communicating with the slit and closely conforming to the cannula surface. Other sealing arrangements are detailed.

Abstract: There is disclosed a catheter device with easily deployed retainer useful in securing medical appliances such as catheters, sensors, tubing, or the like, to a human or other patient. The device includes a catheter, or the like, with a self-adhesive tape which is attached and extends perpendicularly thereto. The self-adhesive tape may be a strip of conventional surgical or first aid adhesive tape and has each of its ends rolled towards the catheter in a scroll-like fashion; the tape preferably is pre-attached to the catheter by adhesive, heat sealing, or the like, and may have a medicine saturated pad on the bottom side to help prevent infection at the wound area. The adaptation of the device with any intravenous catheter does not change standard use in any way in relation to preparation of the site, or actual insertion of the catheter. After the vein has been accessed, the tape is simply unrolled by the thumb and index finger with moderate pressure to secure the catheter to the patient's skin.

Abstract: To securely introduce the distal tip of a spinal cannula through an epidural cannula into a spinal canal, a mandrel is placed in the epidural cannula. The mandrel is provided with a recess or guideway extending over its length. The guideway is aligned with an axial opening in the epidural cannula, so that the spinal cannula, when pushed forward through the recess, is guided positively to the axial opening and can pass through it unhindered, in order to get into the spinal canal. The mandrel includes a radially offset distal portion which enters and seals a curved, offset portion of the epidural cannula to avoid coring of tissue and to snap fittedly connect the mandrel and epidural cannula.

Abstract: A device for connecting a catheter to an injection tube, which is provided with an elastic tube into which an open end of the tubular catheter having electrodes disposed at the closed end thereof and also having conductive wires connected to said electrodes and taken out at the open end thereof and an open end of the injection tube having a mechanism for fluid injection at the other end thereof are inserted so that both open ends are connected end-to-end and the conductive wires are taken out through a gap between the elastic tube and the injection tube; and a sealing agent to cover respective surfaces of the catheter, injection tube, and elastic tube which surfaces are coated with an adhesive. The catheter, injection tube, and elastic tube, when coated with an adhesive of high viscosity, are compatible with the hard sealing agent lying thereabove.

Abstract: A catheter for the opening of occlusions in blood vessels and for similar purposes has a distal end with a one-piece or composite sleeve which can be inserted into an occlusion and thereupon expanded by a balloon or a spring. The sleeve is sufficiently stiff to resist localized deformation by hard regions of an occlusion, and such sleeve is withdrawn from the blood vessel when the opening step is completed. The sleeve can constitute a scroll, a longitudinally slotted hose or a combination of a scroll or hose with an elastic jacket which tends to reduce the diameter of the scroll or hose.

Abstract: A surgical closure device comprises an elongate tubular member having a pair of balloons attached in a collapsed configuration to the tubular member at the distal end thereof. During a surgical operation the distal end of the instrument, including the distal-most balloon, is inserted through a perforation in an internal body organ of a patient. The distal-most balloon is inflated while inside the organ, the proximal balloon being inflated outside the organ. In their inflated states, the balloons press against one another and sandwich the wall of the organ between them to effectively close the perforation. The tubular member may then be subjected to a suction force to enable evacuation of liquid from the organ. After the suctioning operation, the tube is clamped and severed, the balloons remaining at least temporarily attached to the organ.

Abstract: An infuser for continuously infusing a solution of medicine includes a tubular main body having a flow path which extends along the longitudinal axis of the body. An inlet portion having a check valve, an injection port, or a one-way cock is connected to one end of the body. A cylinder with a closed bottom is slidably connected to the other end of the body. The bottom of the cylinder is directed outwardly. The cylinder or the other end of the body is provided with a plurality of holes. A change-over valve is provided in the flow path at an intermediate portion of the body. An outlet portion is connected to the change-over valve. A control portion for controlling the outflow of the solution of medicine is provided in the outlet portion. A balloon made from an elastic material surrounds the holes.

Abstract: A catheter adapter of the type wherein compression applied to the catheter provides a retention force thereon and wherein notches are provided on the adapter for wrapping the catheter around the adapter in a manner such that a force applied to the catheter does not constitute a catheter separating force.

Abstract: A catheter is made by extrusion of flexible plastic to form a tubular basic catheter body with a central channel. A curved end part is formed in one end thereof, with the central channel lying in eccentric relation inwardly toward the inside of the curved part to define a relatively thin catheter wall inwardly of the curve and a relatively thicker catheter wall outwardly of the curve of the curved part. Side holes may be punched into the curved part, with the side holes being of larger size without buckling of the side holes as the curved part of the catheter is straightened out.

Abstract: A multiple lumen, intravenous catheter for hemodialysis or the like defines a distal end portion in which at least a pair of the catheter lumens each communicates with the exterior through aperture means. By this invention the aperture means of one of the lumens defines a first port at essentially the distal catheter end, and the aperture means of the other of the lumens defines a second port spaced proximally along the catheter from the distal end and first port. The second port is positioned to face radially inwardly to at least a slight degree to avoid engagement of the wall of the blood vessel that the catheter occupies. Additionally, the tip of the catheter distal of the second port is preferably of substantially helically shape, being sized to assist in keeping the second port away from the blood vessel wall. As another feature, the catheter may be angled in its as-manufactured, unstressed condition to avoid pressing by elastic memory against internal blood vessel walls.

Abstract: A cardiovascular outdwelling, normally closed, pressure-responsive slit valve liquid flow control and related methods wherein a diaphragm having a slit therein is flexed distally by hydrostatic pressure and proximally by negative pressure at different points in time to selectively open the slit and accommodate the flow of IV solution to a medical patient through a cannula and blood sampling from the cardiovascular system of the patient through the cannula in such a way as to prevent bleed-back and clotting of blood within the cannula.

Abstract: A novel cardiovascular outdwelling, normally closed, pressure-responsive slit valve liquid flow control and related methods wherein a diaphragm having a slit therein is flexed distally by hydrostatic pressure and proximally by negative pressure at different points in time to selectively open the slit and accommodate the flow of IV solution to a medical patient through a cannula and blood sampling from the cardiovascular system of the patient through the cannula in such a way as to prevent bleed-back and clotting of blood within the cannula.

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 autotranfusion of autologous blood and the method of using 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: Disclosed is a method of using a connector for introducing medication into a patient in a safe, convenient way. It comprises a pair of plastic tubular members adapted to be manually pushed together to engage in a male-female relationship, and a locking mechanism that detachably secures the members together. The male member is a piggyback connector with a sealed entry port at its end, and the female member safely houses within it a needle which centrally pierces the seal of the port upon engagement of the members. Preferably, the locking mechanism provides a "click" sound when it locks the members together.

Abstract: Bird's neck vaccine injector has fixed tubular guard around an injection needle. The guard is adapted to have a bird's neck pulled against it by pulling loose skin from the neck, and to have the pulled skin drawn over the projecting end of the guard and pressed against the guard so that the needle may be advanced to pierce the skin next to the projecting end of the guard and then inject vaccine into the cavity resulting from pull on the skin.

Abstract: A device for irrigation and suction removal of blood, bodily fluids and debris during surgery. A hollow tube is provided which contains an interior bore such that a vacuum force may be applied therethrough. The hollow tube also contains a secondary channel such as to allow sufficient quantities of water to dislodge any debris that may clog the interior bore during use in surgical procedures. A pivoting scraper is provided for facilitating the traction of an opening or wound.

Abstract: An intra-abdominal organ manipulator, irrigator and/or aspirator is described which includes a tubular probe member with distal and proximal ends and a through lumen extending the length thereof. 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: Trocar assembly devices are disclosed that include an improved seal assembly that accommodates instruments having a wide range of diameters. The seal assembly includes a universal seal member that is generally of hourglass shape defining converging and diverging side walls that form a constricted center bore portion therebetween. Various alternative means are provided to either increase or decrease the inner diameter of the center bore portion of the seal member.