Abstract: This invention provides a urine leg drainage bag supporter comprising a waist encircling belt; a pouch for holding a urine bag, the pouch being formed of front and back panels connected at the vertical edges to define an opening in the top and bottom portions of the pouch, the front panel being formed of a stretchable material to firmly hold the bag within the pouch; a plurality of vertical straps connecting the pouch to the belt; and a plurality of horizontal straps extending from the pouch for encircling the leg of the wearer.

Abstract: There is disclosed a protective shield assembly for positioning about an area of an animal to be protected and comprised of semicylindrically-shaped sections or elongated sleeve members hingeable mounted to one another and provided with inwardly extending mounting elements for supportably engaging portions of the leg of the animal about the area to be protected.

Abstract: A liquid drainage system comprising, a receptacle having a chamber to receive liquid, and a depending annular wall defining a valve seat at a lower portion thereof and an opening in the region of the seat. The system has a valve element comprising a sheet of flexible relatively stiff material being sufficiently large to extend across the opening and sealingly engage against the seat peripherally around the wall. The system has a device for retaining a central portion of the valve element adjacent the seat.

Abstract: Apparatus for the collection of fluids, particularly body fluids in a disposable container with a removable lid to which suction is applied. In order to avoid contamination of the suctional system from the fluids being collected, a removable filter chamber, with a hydrophobic filter element, is interposed in a suctional tube that extends downwardly from the lid to the cut-off level of the fluid in the container. When the fluid collected in the container rises to the cut-off level, it is sucked against the filter and the outlet is sealed.

Abstract: A patient-care apparatus is disclosed for providing a biocide for controlling the presence of unwanted pathogens in a liquid. The patient-care apparatus comprises a container having means for maintaining a biocide dispensing device in a position in the container such that it dispenses an amount of biocide relative to the amount of liquid present in the container.

Abstract: An aspiration instrument for the aspiration of liquids in a surgical operation takes the form of an aspiration pipe. This aspiration pipe has a check valve, which may be opened by way of a lever, button or the like and by which the aspiration effect may be shut off when the lever or the like is let go of.

Abstract: To make possible the effective immobilization of pieces of bone with an osteosynthesis plate, the proposal is made that the longitudinal edges of the osteosynthesis plate diverge in the manner of a trapezoid, that the osteosynthesis plate be provided with two adjacent rows of slots for its screws, and that the orientations of the longitudinal axes of the slots in both rows diverge in the same directions as the diverging longitudinal edges of the osteosynthesis plate itself.

Abstract: A liquid drainage system comprising, a receptacle having a chamber to receive the liquid, and a drainage tube communicating with the chamber. The system has a formed sheet of flexible material, with the sheet being of one-piece construction. The sheet has an elongated bar received in an upper portion of the receptacle, a first connecting portion extending from one side of the bar at a generally central location thereof, a first hinge extending across the sheet at an outer end of the first connecting portion, and a second elongated connecting portion extending from the first hinge on a side of the first hinge opposite the first connecting portion. The second connecting portion is flexed about the first hinge to align the first and second connecting portions in a facing relationship. The sheet has second and third hinges extending along opposed sides of the second connecting portion, and first and second hook members connected to the second and third hinges.

Abstract: A method for the autotransfusion of blood comprising, collecting the blood from a pool in a patient and subsequently returning the collected blood to the circulatory system of the patient. The method includes applying suction to a collection chamber to remove air from the chamber and aspirate blood into the chamber. After the collection chamber is filled to the desired capacity, pressure is applied to a movable wall of the collection chamber to force the collected blood out of the chamber and back into the circulatory system of the patient.

Abstract: A device to facilitate putting an elastic envelope (1) on a part projecting from a human body, e.g. putting a urinal drop collector onto a penis, consists of a casing (4) with two flexible side walls (5, 6) connected to each other along at least two of their side edges (5a, 6a; 5b, 6b) and with at least one opening (8) between two other side edges of the walls. The envelope is at least partially enclosed between the walls (5, 6) and its portion provided with an opening (2) is removably attached to said opening (8). By pressing the mutually connected side edges towards each other the opening (8) is enlarged between the walls, the opening of the envelope also being enlarged. The casing (4) is substantially flat when it is not used, and the space between it and the envelope (1) is airtight, whereby, when the opening (8) between the walls is extended, the portion of the envelope situated inside the casing is enlarged so that the envelope can be put onto part of the human body.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a driving instrument for driving a spike for thigh-bone necks, for fixing bone fragments (35, 36) at bone fractures, preferably fractures of the thigh-bone neck, whereby the fixing instrument (1) comprises a sleeve (2), a pin (8) provided in the sleeve (2) and a driving device (12, 13) connected to the sleeve (2) for driving the end portion (9) of the pin (8) out of the sleeve (2) via a side opening (7) therein and into a certain part (38) of surrounding bone material. In order to provide a simple way to determine the position of the driving instrument itself and allow for an exact determination of the position of the spike sleeve, whereby eventual adjustment of the position of the spike sleeve to set the opening exactly, may be carried out quickly and without risk of errors in setting or loosening of the instrument, a portion (13) of the driving device (12, 13) connected to the sleeve (2) holds a maneuvering member ( 11) unrotatably connected to the sleeve (2).

Abstract: Apparatus used with a seated patient for separately catching successive streams of urine for taking samples for laboratorial and bacteriological examination. The apparatus enables an automatic separation of initial, median, and final streams caught in a vessel. The vessel also is used to transport the sample from the patient to a laboratory.

Abstract: A one-piece external female urine collection device is disclosed. The device is adapted to be positioned within the labia folds of the user, and to be in contact with the vestibular tissue around the meatus defining the urethral opening. The device includes a generally ovoid and cup-shaped member, and has a generally centrally disposed bore opening so that urine can flow through the member and the device. The upper periphery of the member has a generally convexly curved exterior surface and a substantially continuously curved ridge extending upwardly therefrom defining upper portions of a cavity within the member. The upper periphery and the ridge define a generally adjacent pair of sealing surfaces. The inner surface is generally disposed farther upwardly relative to the outer. The adjacent surfaces permit the device to sealingly and continuously make contact with the female by engaging with the labia folds and the above-mentioned vestibular tissue.

Abstract: A device insertable in the anal orifice of a patient for collecting excretions from the orifice comprises an excretion receiving tube with open and closed ends, a ring of resilient material fixed to the tube open end, and a thin, elongated flexible member. The flexible member has one end secured to the ring and extends exteriorly of the tube such that the device can be easily removed from the orifice in the patient by pulling the flexible member.

Abstract: A drainage bag having one wall of substantially rigid liquid-impermeable material and a second wall of flexible liquid-impermeable material secured thereto to define a container. The rigid sheet has at least two apertures with an inlet fitting fixed to one and an outlet fitting fixed to the other. The bottom portion of the rigid sheet extends below the lower edge of the flexible wall to provide a drip tray.

Abstract: An instrument for removing liquid and other material from an operating site through an evacuation line under the control of a pump, in which the fluid flow in the line is sensed and a control signal produced when material blocking the line is cleared thereby creating a surge in the fluid flow coming into the line, wherein the control signal operates to apply fluid from a separate source into the line and to stop the pump motor to thereby rapidly equalize the pressure between the operating site and the line. An arrangement is also provided to sense evacuation flow in the line when the pump is not operating and to apply the fluid from the separate source into the line to equalize the pressure.

Abstract: A surgical cutting instrument that is particularly adapted to lift individual ones of sutures from the skin of a patient and to hold each suture by means of a knot at one end thereof while cutting the suture to free it from the skin. The instrument comprises a longitudinally extended body having a generally straight handle portion at one end and a pair of tines at the other end. Both tines are upturned and are of unequal length with blunt innermost edges defining a narrow slot open at one end to snare the knot of a suture. The tine ends are blunt and rounded, the longer of which is insertable under the suture. A longitudinal sharp, thin cutting edge, which comprises a replaceable steel blade in a polycarbonate plastic embodiment, is disposed along a portion of the outermost edge of the longer tine adjacent the junction of both tines and the body.

Abstract: In a apparatus for aspirating material into an opening into a passage and along the passage, the apparatus has at least one additional opening or orifice for admitting (pre-aspirating) a fluid into the passage. The fluid facilitates aspirating the material along the passage and thus is preferably adjacent the opening through which the material enters the passage to facilitate the aspiration all along the passage. The apparatus is particularly for surgical use. In surgical uses the material to be aspirated contains blood which tends to coagulate in the passage and block it. The fluid which enters the passage through the orifice then dilutes the blood to reduce coagulation, lubricates the passage for better material flow therealong, and flushes the material along the passage.

Abstract: A method is disclosed in which the suctioning of materials from a surgical zone, such as the human eye, is automatically controlled linearly by means of a pressure transducer continuously sensing the vacuum level of a debris receptacle (for collecting suctioned materials from the surgical zone) when material is being suctioned from the zone. The vacuum level in the debris receptacle is linearly varied when the vacuum level in the receptacle is either raised or lowered depending on the suctioning requirements from the surgical zone and whether or not the vacuum level in the receptacle is greater or lower than a previously determined and desirable vacuum level. The vacuum level of the receptacle may, in part, be controlled and varied, by means of a foot pedal operated by the surgeon.

Abstract: A microsurgery system comprising an instrument including a source of vacuum and control means, a remotely connected handpiece adapted to be disposed in the vicinity of the situs of the surgery and including an inlet and suction conduit means coupled to the inlet and to the vacuum source for carrying material away from the surgery situs. The system also includes a cassette assembly arranged for releasable securement to the instrument. The control means of the instrument includes an interrupter bar which cooperates with the cassette assembly for selectively isolating the vacuum source from the suction conduit means. The cassette assembly comprises a body portion, a collection vessel, a first port communicating with the suction conduit and a second port communicating with the vacuum source. Occludable conduit means are coupled between the first and second ports and are arranged to be engaged by the interrupter bar in response to a first signal to isolate the vacuum source from the suction means.