Abstract: A liquid crystal polyester resin composition having an apparent melt viscosity of 10 to 100 Pa ·sec at a shearing rate of 1000 sec−1 and at a flow temperature +40° C., obtained by compounding 10 to 100 parts by weight of an inorganic filler in the form of fiber and 10 to 100 parts by weight of an inorganic filler in the form of plate based on 100 parts by weight of a liquid crystal polyester resin, wherein the liquid crystal polyester resin contains at least 30% mol of a repeating structural unit of the following formula A1 and has a flow temperature of 270° C. to 400° C., the inorganic filler in the form of fiber has an average fiber diameter of 0.

Abstract: A catheter introducer sheath comprises a polyimide tube manufactured by a dispersion coating process. The inner diameter of the tube is constant over its entire length. The thickness of the tube is 0.005 inches which is an optimal compromise between the size or outer diameter of the sheath and its ability to resist kinking when inserted into the patient's vasculature.

Abstract: A continuous peritoneal dialysis is carried out by providing a dialyzer element having a filter membrane for being exposed within the peritoneal cavity and an interior dialysate passageway, the membrane having pores sufficient to allow diffusion of blood toxins, implanting the dialyzer element in the peritoneal cavity of a patient, infusing a transfer fluid into the patient's peritoneal cavity and continuously supplying substantially fresh dialysate fluid into interior dialysate passageway of the dialyzer element, directing the fluid along the passageway whereby it is exposed to the transfer fluid by diffusion through the membrane and whereby toxins from said transfer fluid are diffused into the dialysate in the dialyzer element to form toxic dialysate fluid, and continuously removing the toxic dialysate from said dialyzer element.

Abstract: A method and device for injecting fluid into a treatment area of a vessel wall is provided herein. A first version of the device includes an inflatable balloon mounted on a catheter and a plurality of injectors extending outwardly and moving with the balloon. At least one fluid passageway connects each injector in fluid communication with a fluid source. During use of the device, the balloon is first positioned in a vessel proximate the treatment area. Next, the balloon is inflated to embed the injectors into the vessel wall. Subsequently, the fluid from the fluid source is introduced into the fluid passageway and through the injectors into the treatment area. A second version of the device includes a plurality of flexible tubes mounted between a multi-lumen catheter and a grommet. A push-pull wire is connected to the grommet and passed through a lumen of the multi-lumen catheter. The injectors are mounted on each of the flexible tubes. During use, the device is first positioned in a vessel.

Abstract: Balloons for medical devices, particularly balloon angioplasty catheters, are made from particular block copolymer thermoplastic elastomers in which the block copolymer is made up of hard segments of a polyester or polyamide and soft segments of polyether; the polyester hard segments are polyesters of an aromatic dicarboxylic acid and a C.sub.2 -C.sub.4 diol; the polyamide hard segments are polyamides of C.sub.6 or higher carboxylic acids and C.sub.6 or higher organic diamines or of C.sub.6 or higher aliphatic .omega.-amino-.alpha.-acids, and the polyether soft segments are polyethers of C.sub.2 -C.sub.10, diols; the block copolymer has a low flexural modulus, namely less than 150,000 psi; the block copolymer has a hardness, Shore D scale, of greater than 60; and the percentage by weight of the block polymer attributable to the hard segments is between about 50% and about 95%. The polymers provide high strength, thin wall, compliant and semi-compliant balloons, which leads to a low profile catheter.