Abstract: A stomach tube having an inflatable balloon for closing the stomach opening and an indicator for indicating the balloon pressure at first and second predetermined pressure levels. After the stomach tube is inserted, the stomach balloon is inflated without the stomach tube under tension until the lower pressure level is indicated. The stomach tube is then tensioned until the higher pressure level is indicated. A nose stop is used to maintain the stomach tube tension.

Abstract: A contrast agent adapted for magnetic resonance imaging of a sample, the contrast agent comprising a suspension in a medium acceptable for magnetic resonance imaging of (a) coated particles of a contrast agent possessing paramagnetic characteristics and (b) coated particles of a contrast agent possessing diamagnetic characteristics, each of the coatings being selected from a group of materials which [I] renders the coated particles (a) and (b) substantially comparable with and substantially biologically and substantially chemically inert to each other and the environments to which the contrast agent is exposed during magnetic resonance imaging and [II] which substantially stabilizes the suspension; the nature of each of the coatings and the relative amounts of (a) and (b) in the suspension being such that the positive magnetic susceptibility of (a) substantially offsets the negative magnetic susceptibility of (b) and the resulting suspension has substantially zero magnetic susceptibility and, when employed in

Abstract: The present invention is directed to methods and cardioplegic solutions for improving cardiac function and recovery of a mammal after surgical procedures which arrest the heart. In particular the present invention provides methods of improving recovery of a mammal after surgery involving cardiopulmonary bypass when the heart of the mammal is subjected to cardioplegia which include infusing the mammal's heart for a sufficient time at the onset of cardioplegia with a cardioplegic solution which contains an sufficient amount of a zinc-ligand conjugate.

Abstract: An intravascular catheter, comprising a catheter shaft having a proximal end, a distal portion, and a distal end, having diagnostic or therapeutic means mounted on the distal portion, 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 guidewire while maintaining the position of the guidewire in the patient, and optionally including a side port through the outer wall of the bailout lumen through which a guidewire can be inserted. Methods for using the catheter are also disclosed.

Abstract: A handle/actuator for use with a steerable catheter having a tip assembly and four pull cables for bending said tip assembly, comprises a housing containing rotary and linear actuators. The rotary actuator is in the form of a wheel rotatably supported in said housing with a portion of said wheel being accessible from the exterior of said housing. Two of the pull cables are anchored to the wheel such that clockwise rotation of the wheel applies tension to one pull cable and counter-clockwise rotation of the wheel applies tension to the second pull cable. The linear actuator comprises a slider mounted in said housing and means exterior of the housing for moving the slider linearly. The third and fourth pull cables are anchored to the slider such that linear movement of the slider in one direction applies tension to the third cable and linear movement of the slider in the opposite direction applies tension to the fourth cable.

Abstract: The invention relates to an ablation catheter which controls the temperature and reduces the coagulation of biological fluids on a tip of a catheter, prevents the impedance rise of tissue in contact with the catheter tip, and maximizes the potential energy transfer to the tissue, thereby allowing an increase in the lesion size produced by the ablation. The ablation catheter includes a catheter body. The ablation catheter also includes a tip for monitoring electrical potentials, and applying electrical energy to a biological tissue. A fluid source is positioned at one end of the catheter for supplying a fluid flow through the catheter to the tip means. Passages are positioned within the tip in a variety of manners for directing the fluid flow through the tip means to the exterior surface of the tip to control the temperature and form a protective fluid layer around the tip. Monitoring structure is also positioned within the tip structure for measurement of the electrical potentials in a biological tissue.

Abstract: This invention is a surgical instrument and specifically is a catheter for treating a target site by delivering a controlled amount of a therapeutic or diagnostic agent (the target site being accessible by a tortuous path through the vasculature), the perfusion tip assembly on first catheter, and a process of using that catheter to deliver fluids to the selected vascular site.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a catheter device for treatment of disease in biological conduits. The device has inner and outer coaxial catheter members, each having an inflatable balloon attached near its distal end. When the balloons are inflated, a sealed treatment chamber is created between the balloons. The length of the treatment chamber is adjustable by sliding the coaxial catheter members with respect to each other to obtain a desired separation between the attached balloons before inflation. Biological debris is trapped within the chamber and removed by infusion and aspiration of a flushing fluid, reducing the risk of myocardial infarction. Adjunctive treatment devices can be inserted into the sealed treatment chamber through a lumen of the outer coaxial member.

Abstract: An infusion pump for delivering a selected medication to a patient is provided with an inductance flow sensor for monitoring and verifying delivery of medication in response to pump operation. The flow sensor comprises a compact inductor coil wrapped about a pump discharge conduit, in combination with a magnetically attractable core pin disposed within the discharge conduit for movement to a position within the inductor coil in response to pump outflow. A control circuit operates with minimal power requirements to monitor coil inductance changes as a result of core pin displacement to confirm medication delivery to the patient in response to pump operation. A magnet mounted at one end of the inductor coil draws and retains the core pin at a position retracted from the coil in the absence of pump outflow.

Abstract: An ultrasonic therapeutic apparatus comprising an apparatus body including a drive source for ultrasonic oscillation, a hand piece including an ultrasonic vibrator and removably connected to the apparatus body, a drive unit in the apparatus body for applying voltage to the ultrasonic vibrator of the hand piece, thereby driving the ultrasonic vibrator, a probe removably connected to the hand piece and adapted to be vibrated by ultrasonic vibration produced as the ultrasonic vibrator is driven, thereby treating organic tissue, a water supply unit for supplying cooling water to cool the probe, a suction unit for removing waste matter by suction from the organic tissue treated by means of the cooling water and the probe, an ultrasonic output setting section for setting a preset value for an ultrasonic output from the ultrasonic vibrator, a feedwater output setting section for setting a preset value for a feedwater output from the water supply unit, a feedwater output control section for controlling the feedwater

Abstract: A device for treating conditions causing obstructions in a body passage, composed of a catheter dimensioned to be insertable into the body passage and having a lateral wall and a distal end via which the catheter can be inserted into the body passage, the catheter being provided internally with fluid conducting passages and a fluid outlet passage which extends through the lateral wall and communicates with one of the fluid conducting passage; and first and second balloons carried by the catheter and extending outwardly from the lateral wall, the balloons communicating with respective fluid conducting passages and being disposed so that the first balloon is located between the fluid outlet passage and the distal end of the catheter, wherein one of the balloons is a high compliance volume balloon and the other of the balloons is a low compliance pressure balloon dimensioned to radially dilate the body when expanded by a fluid under pressure.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for providing liquid to a patient, preventing reflux and permitting venting. Tubes or other suitable apparatus are provided for connecting to the liquid source and the patient. An anti-reflux valve is provided in the hydraulic channel between the source and the patient. A vent is provided in the channel between the anti-reflux valve and the patient. Thus, gas urged from the patient under pressure is urged out of the vent. However, liquid similarly urged from the patient is prevented from overflowing by the anti-reflux valve. In a preferred embodiment, the anti-reflux valve is a flapper valve or a ball valve. In another preferred embodiment, the vent is a gas permeable, liquid impervious fabric. Alternatively, the vent may be a float valve. The invention is useful for gastroenterological feeding, nasogastric feeding and the like.

Abstract: A balloon catheter used for intra-aortic balloon pumping (IABP). In the balloon catheter, an outer diameter of a catheter tube is not made constant in the axial direction. Rather, the outer diameter of the catheter tube from a hemostatic valve to a bifurcation, the portion which is positioned outside the patient's blood vessel, is made 3 to 30 percent larger than the outer diameter of the catheter tube from the balloon portion to the hemostatic valve, which is positioned inside the patient's blood vessel. The bifurcation has a first passage and a second passage. The first passage is communicating with a shuttle gas port and is disposed straight along the direction of the axial center of the catheter tube.

Abstract: A wearable iontophoresis system includes a control housing having a connector and an iontophoretic drug delivery patch for placement against the skin of a patient. The patch has a device for retaining the control housing connector which permits the connector to be removably attached to the patch. The control housing also has at least a power supply device and a current delivery device. The control housing has top and bottom surfaces wherein the top surface has raised, recessed and sloping regions. The thickness of the connector is tapered from a second end to a first end. Furthermore, the second end of the connector is attached to the control housing and oriented so that the first end is unattached to the control housing and proximate to the control housing bottom surface. The iontophoretic drug delivery patch includes top and bottom surfaces wherein mounted to the top surface is the device for retaining the control housing connector.

Abstract: A catheter device of the type having a plastic sleeve with a central bore and a flexible catheter tube projecting from one end of the sleeve is equipped with a crimping apparatus, to allow a person administering the catheter to selectively crimp the tube to inhibit the flow of blood therethrough. The crimping apparatus includes member mounted for rotational movement with respect to the sleeve and a torsion spring, which normally biases the eccentric member to a "non-crimping" position. The member includes a bottom slot for receiving the catheter tube. When it is desired to crimp the tube, the member is rotated in a predetermined direction, such that the member compresses the catheter tube to inhibit the flow of blood therethrough. By crimping the catheter tube to inhibit the flow of blood therethrough, the likelihood of direct contact between the person administering the catheter and the catheter recipient's blood is substantially diminished.

Abstract: An improved syringe apparatus for use with interchangeable, disposable medicinal ampoules is provided with an advantageous mechanism for facilitated, one-handed operation in the ejection of a spent ampoule. The improved construction also includes a needle ejector projection for one-handed ejection of the used, disposable needle assembly. An improved cap apparatus for covering the needle assembly is also provided.

Abstract: A surgical cannula includes a first valve seal for preventing insufflation gas from escaping from a patient's abdomen when an instrument is inserted or removed through the cannula. The valve seal has a V-shaped cross section and includes two opposing lips which face each other across a slit. Each lip has an internal and external edge separated by an intermediate section. The front surface of the first seal is relatively flat and has a width X. The preferred distance between the internal and external edges is preferably one-half X. This permits the internal edges to absorb the shock and damage from the introduction of a sharp instrument such as a trocar into the cannula without destroying the sealing capability of the external edges. A spring-loaded tubular member is located within the cannula housing and a reducer subassembly and is normally biased away from the interior surface of the first seal.

Abstract: The present invention is accomplished by providing a catheter with a shaft having a balloon affixed to the distal end, a core wire extending throughout the shaft and throughout the balloon, the core wire having a tube surrounding the distal end, a sleeve defining a guidewire lumen extending parallel, and exterior to the shaft and to the exterior to the balloon. In yet another embodiment the catheter shaft has a balloon affixed to the distal end and a sleeve defining a guidewire lumen extending parallel and exterior to the shaft and to the balloon exterior. In yet another embodiment the catheter shaft has a balloon affixed to the distal end and a core wire extending throughout the shaft and throughout the balloon with the core wire having a tube surrounding the distal end. In each embodiment the balloon is compressed to itself to form a compressed area just distal to the distal balloon cone for separating the balloon inflation lumen from a sleeve lumen.

Abstract: A drug delivery apparatus and method for delivering a drug locally to internal body tissue. The invention contemplates positioning a drug delivery device in a body passageway or within body tissue and then selectively wetting a membrane within the device, making the membrane permeable and allowing transport of a drug across the membrane and into the passageway wall or body tissue.

Abstract: A new and improved catheter is disclosed which comprises a tube-like body having a distal end and a proximal end, wherein at least the distal end of the catheter is formed out of a bioabsorbable material, whereby at least the distal end of the catheter will be naturally absorbed by the body after a predetermined period of time has passed so as to eliminated the need for a second, subsequent surgical procedure to remove at least the distal end of the catheter once it is no longer needed. The proximal end of the catheter may or may not be formed out of a bioabsorbable material, and the proximal end of the catheter may be adapted for positioning outside the body, or it may be adapted for positioning subcutaneously within the body.