Abstract: A delivery system and method are provided for accurately locating, orienting, and implanting expandable tissue supporting devices at a lumen junction or bifurcation in a body lumen. For example, the system may be used to deliver a tissue supporting device to a bifurcated artery such that, on expansion, the tissue supporting device provides side ports of a specific size and geometry to accommodate bifurcations in the artery. The delivery system is capable of accurately orienting these side ports both radially and longitudinally with respect to branch lumen openings of the artery. The delivery system achieves orientation by utilizing a guide member which is positioned to extend from the side port feature of the tissue supporting device. The guide member is tracked along a guidewire which extends into the branch lumen, ultimately orienting the side port of the tissue supporting device properly at the branch lumen opening.

Abstract: The present invention provides a deflectable catheter having a catheter body, a tip section attached at a distal end of the catheter body and a control handle attached at a proximal end of the catheter body. A puller wire, anchored at its proximal end to the control handle and at its distal end to the tip section is provided in the catheter for deflecting the tip section. Longitudinal movement of the puller wire relative to the catheter body, resulting in the deflection of the tip section, is accomplished by a suitable manipulation of the control handle. To eliminate the “residual tip curve” problem arising out of the deflection, and especially repeated deflection, of the tip section a straightening element is carried by the catheter tip section. The straightening element consists of a short section of a flexibly resilient material and may be any suitable shape. The material of the straightening element is capable of returning to its original shape after plastic deformation.

Abstract: A method for placing various types of catheters into the pericardial space takes advantage of the fact that the right auricle is a thin-walled, low-pressure structure which can be readily penetrated without damaging the pericardium or the epicardium. A guide catheter is passed through a selected peripheral vein to establish a transvenous route to the right auricle of the heart. A needle catheter is then passed through the guide catheter and into the right auricle so that a distal end of the needle catheter is positioned against a wall of the right auricle. The wall of the right auricle is then pierced with the needle catheter. A guide wire is advanced through the needle catheter and into the pericardial space. Once in position, the guide wire can be used as a conduit over which a desired catheter may be introduced for performing a specific medical procedure.

Abstract: A hypodermic dosage measuring device to be utilized with a hypodermic syringe and a conventional drug vial, the dosage measuring device including a vial holding portion adapted to hold a head of the drug vial non-slidably therein, a syringe holding portion adapted to hold the syringe in a non-slidable position with a needle of the syringe disposed within the drug vial, and a dose adjustment portion, the dose adjustment portion including an elongate plunger holder and gear element, the plunger holder and gear element each including a plurality of teeth thereon such that movement of the gear element results in an elongate track segment of the plunger holder sliding in a longitudinal direction parallel to a length of the syringe.