Abstract: A hollow needle for use in measurement of viscosity of liquids, includes at least one small and slender straight tube and a hub fixed thereto and provided with a connector member. The tube includes a piercing portion and a suction portion extending therefrom to form an opening for suction of a liquid to be measured. The piercing portion has a sharp edge at its one end and is fixed to the hub at the other end, the inside diameter (D) of a bore of the tube including the edge of the piercing portion being made uniform over a specified length (L) of the tube defined by equation: L/D=50 to 500.

Abstract: A system for electrically measuring certain chemical characteristics of electrically-conductive fluids, such as blood, located within a tube and subject to electrical current interference. The measurements are made by measuring the voltage potential between a reference electrode and a sensor electrode sensitive to a particular blood parameter such as pH or calcium, potassium or chloride concentration. A bypass path for the electrical current interference is provided by a pair of noise-reduction electrodes located on opposite sides of the reference and sensor electrodes and interconnected by an amplifier having a relatively low output impedance and a relatively high input impedance. The electrical current interference bypasses the signal electrodes by flowing directly into the amplifier's output terminal, such that the reference and sensor electrodes develop a potential between them that is independent of the electrical current interference.

Abstract: A lithotripter is provided with the usual open ended reflector covered by a diaphragm and filled with a conductive liquid such as salinated water. A spark gap is provided at the focus point of the reflector, and a spark generator is connected thereto for providing a succession of sparks across the spark gap, wherein the light guide has an entering end positioned within the reflector and adjacent the spark gap to convey a representation of the spark outside of said reflector. The light guide has an exit end to which a light sensitive device is connected for converting the light signal to an electric signal. The electric signal is connected to means for providing a visual display of the electric signal.

Abstract: An apparatus for use in measuring the chemical constituents of a patient's breath, such as CO.sub.2, O.sub.2 or the like in the form of an airway adapter having opposed circular ends for installation in a patient's ventilation tubing, the adapter having an intermediate portion, a window formed in the intermediate portion of the type, such as of sapphire, to permit light of the required frequency to pass therethrough, and a mirror within the adapter immediate portion opposite of the window and arranged so that at least a portion of the patient's ventilation gases pass between the mirror and the window so that light may be directed through the window and received back therefrom as reflected from the mirror to permit an analysis of the absorption of light by the patient's breath for determination of the constituents of the patient's breath.

Abstract: An electrosurgical instrument for the removal of tissue polyps and the like is disclosed. It features a bipolar pair of conductive electrodes for the cutting of tissue in which at least one electrode is moveable in relation to the other. These electrodes are mounted relative to an insulating plug, which is secured at the distal end of a tubular member. Pressure exerted on a thumb loop shifts the position of one electrode relative to the other. Upon application of RF voltage, the distance at which the electrodes are placed controls the amount of arcing which will occur between electrodes, when placed within a proper range. The electrodes are supplied with power from a standard RF energy source, controlled from a foot or hand switch. The insulating plug may further include metal traces disposed on the peripheral surface. When energized, these traces function as a bipolar pair of electrodes for effecting electrocoagulation of tissue and blood.

Abstract: An electrosurgical cutting instrument with bipolar electrodes integrally formed into a pivoting ceramic working head. The ceramic head is pivotable about a pivot point by selectively retracting a substantially rigid wire internal to a working element which is slidably and rotatably received within an introducer and connected to a point on the ceramic head offset from a longitudinal axis. Radial incisions are induced into a prostate gland during a transurethral resectioning of the prostate gland (TURP) by applying an RF energy across the bipolar electrodes from an external power source and drawing the electrodes across prostate gland tissue. The pivotal head can be selectively reciprocated to approximately a 90.degree. angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the introducer to effectively cauterize tissue during surgery to perform resectioning of the prostate. Increased maneuverability of the instrument allows a surgeon to more quickly and effectively complete a TURP.

Abstract: A noncontact type tonometer projects a fluid toward an eye-to-be-tested and obtains a measured value of eye pressure from a relation between transfigurations of the eye due to the fluid projection and the pressure projecting the fluid. A detecting circuit senses a pulse wave of the person-to-be-tested and a calculating circuit determines at least one of the maximum eye pressure value, minimum eye pressure value and average eye pressure value of the eye dependent on the maximum fluctuation width of the detected pulse wave, a fluctuating quantity of the detected pulse wave, and the measured eye pressure value. The calculation circuit determines the pulse wave fluctuating quantity at the time point when the eye pressure is measured. The pulse wave of the person may be measured at a position remote from the eye. The tonometer may also include a display for displaying the pulse wave and a display controller for displaying the time point when the eye pressure is measured.