Abstract: An intravascular drug delivery balloon catheter incorporating a highly compliant balloon having a plurality of infusion holes. The highly compliant balloon elastically expands at a low inflation pressure (e.g., less than 1.0 ATM), and preferably has a compliance of 2.0 mm/ATM or more at pressures less than 2.0 ATM. A pressure relief valve may be incorporated into the catheter to avoid over pressurization. The infusion holes may be open when the balloon is deflated and may enlarge when the balloon is inflated. The balloon may define a single lobe or two inflatable lobes with the infusion holes disposed therebetween.

Abstract: A balloon catheter having a balloon formed at least in part of a blend of a first polymeric material having a first Shore durometer hardness, and at least a second polymeric material having a second Shore durometer hardness less than the Shore durometer hardness of the first polymeric material. The balloon of the invention has enhanced softness and flexibility due to the presence of the second polymeric material, and a lower than expected compliance. In a presently preferred embodiment, the balloon is formed of a blend of polymeric materials comprising polyether block amides.

Abstract: Continuous internal peritoneal dialysis prosthesis and method employing an abdominal sac adapted to be retained in the abdominal region of a patient's body and including dialyzate therein for permitting unconcentrated urine within the peritoneal region to pass through a semi-permeable membrane wall of the abdominal sac. The unconcentrated urine within the abdominal sac is directed through a section of the patient's bowel and is communicated with the internal wall of the bowel to thereby concentrate the urine. The concentrated urine is then directed into the urinary bladder for subsequent excretion from the patient's body. In the preferred prosthesis and method of this invention the normal breathing pattern of the patient is employed to assist in the circulation of the unconcentrated urine from the abdominal sac into and through the section of the patient's bowel.

Abstract: The invention concerns a device for administering an injectable product in doses, wherein the device includes a casing, comprising a reservoir for the product, a piston, which when moved in a feed direction towards an outlet of the reservoir forces product from the reservoir, a gear rack, moving the piston in the feed direction, comprising a first series of teeth and a second series of teeth, a drive member, movable relative to the casing in and counter to the feed direction, and slaving the gear rack when moved in the feed direction, and a blocking means, arranged secured against shifting relative to the casing and cooperating with one of the series of teeth such that it prevents the gear rack from being moved counter to the feed direction and allows the gear rack to be moved in the feed direction.

Abstract: A mechanism for the deployment of an endovascular device having a coupling element attached to its proximal end, includes a deployment tube having a proximal end, a distal section, open distal end, and a lumen extending between the proximal and distal ends. A retention sleeve, fixed around the distal section, includes an extension extending past the distal end of the tube. The retention sleeve is fixed around the coupling element, so that the coupling element is releasably held within the extension. In use, the deployment tube, with the implant attached to its distal end, is passed intravascularly until the device is deployed within a target site. A liquid is injected through the lumen so as to push the coupling element out of the retention sleeve by fluid pressure, thereby detaching the endovascular device from the deployment tube.

Abstract: A method and device for volumetric measurement of a drop of fluid administered in a gravity intravenous set. Radiation, preferable infrared light is passed through from the exterior of the drip chamber of the intravenous set and is detected and quantified by a receiver on the other exterior side of the chamber. The radiation passing through the chamber when a drop is not passing through the radiation path is taken as the background radiation level. When a drop passes through the chamber, a loss in radiation passing through the receiver occurs. This relative loss is converted into volume with the aid of a lookup table.

Abstract: Injector devices and methods for their operation for containers having an opening with or for an injection needle. The container is optionally of syringe type with a barrel of substantially constant axial cross-section. In one embodiment, the devices include a penetration arrangement operable to move the needle from a rear position to a forward position, an injection arrangement operable at least to expel container content through the needle, and a transmission and a switch system allowing manual energy applied to the device to manually operate the penetration arrangement and then manually operate the injection arrangement.

Abstract: A syringe has a retractable needle and a barrel having an open proximal end and an open distal end defining a receiver with an inward shoulder. The barrel has a hollow bore, an elongate plunger with a proximal end and a distal open end with a cavity therewithin. A stopper occludes the open end of the cavity. The syringe has an elongate hub with a proximal flange. The hub is within and sized for slidable movement within the receiver at the distal end of the barrel with the flange defining a distal end of a chamber. There is a sleeve sized to fit with a clearance about the hub disposed between the shoulder and the flange when the hub is in the receiver, the sleeve having a sharpened proximal end disposed against the flange. The needle has a pointed distal end and a proximal end connected to the passageway of the hub with the pointed end of the needle extending outwardly.

Abstract: Devices and methods for delivering therapeutic or diagnostic agents to a target tissue of a human body are disclosed. A catheter in accordance with the present invention includes an elongate shaft having a distal end, a proximal end, and a lumen therethrough. The elongate shaft includes a first curved portion proximate the distal end of the elongate shaft. The first curved portion of the elongate shaft defines a first plane. The elongate shaft also includes a second curved portion disposed between the distal end of the elongate shaft and the first curved portion of the elongate shaft. The second curved portion of the elongate shaft defines a second plane. The second plane intersects the first plane at an angle.

Abstract: A syringe pump has a drive mechanism for moving the plunger of a syringe along a barrel. Ears at the rear of the barrel engage against a wall on the pump and an L shape clamp arm is urged against the ears by a spring. The clamp arm is mounted about an axis at right-angles to the syringe and is articulated at a point along its length. A lever having a flag at one end is pivoted about a horizontal axis by movement of the arm and moves relative to an optical sensor so that the output of the sensor indicates whether the syringe is correctly loaded in the pump. The clamp arm is rotated away from the barrel by the drive mechanism during loading of the syringe.

Abstract: An injection device houses a syringe and contains a drive spring, to urge the syringe forwards to project its needle and then eject the dose, and a return spring, to push the syringe back into the housing and retract the needle. A trigger is operated in one way to release the drive spring and in another way to release the return spring, these operations being mutually exclusive and there being parts for ensuring they are performed in the correct order.

Abstract: Methods of peritoneal dialysis are disclosed including draining spent peritoneal dialysis solution from a patient to a drain bag, passing the spent peritoneal dialysis solution from the drain bag through a filter so as to separate a protein rich fraction and a protein lean fraction therefrom, and supplying the protein enriched fraction to the fresh peritoneal dialysis solution for supply to the patient. Apparatus for peritoneal dialysis is also disclosed.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for expressing and collecting mother's milk from a donor utilizing an adapted breastpump assembly. The method includes providing a breastpump assembly having a flexible membrane engaged upon a breast shield of the breastpump assembly. The breast shield is adapted for engagement with a donor's breast to facilitate the expression of mother's milk therefrom. A temporary fluid reservoir is established between the flexible membrane and a portion of the breast shield, the temporary fluid reservoir is provided to initially collect mother's milk upon expression from the donor's breast. This configuration enables the donor to assume a reclined position during the expression process and at least initially collect expressed mother's milk in the temporary fluid reservoir. Supplementarily, a bypass assembly maybe provided for conveying mother's milk from the temporary fluid reservoir to a collection receptacle.

Abstract: An improved tamper evident end cap assembly for a drug loaded syringe which assembly includes a syringe cap to close the discharge port in the nozzle of the syringe and an indicator ring about the nozzle connected by chads or tabs to a tubular shield which chads or tabs are adapted to break freeing the ring from the shield to loosely wobble on the nozzle indicating tampering if an axial force of separation is applied to the syringe cap to remove it from the syringe and a one way drive mechanism engaging both the shield and syringe cap so the shield may be rotated to advance the assembly onto a syringe nozzle but which is not responsive to counter rotation to withdraw the syringe cap to open the discharge port and gain access to the drug.

Abstract: A medical device such as an endoscope has an elongated flexible sheath. A first sleeve has a passage there through which snugly receives the sheath, the first sheath being slide-able from its proximal end to its distal end. The sleeve is a thin-walled tube having a constant inner diameter so as to minimize the increase the outer dimension of the device at the portion upon which the sleeve is positioned. The sleeve has a length of approximately one-half the length of the sheath and may have greater stiffness than the sheath. A second sleeve may be slide-ably mounted on the first sleeve and has a snug fit therewith. The second sleeve is also a thin-walled tube having a constant outer dimension. The second sleeve has a length of approximately one-half the length of the first sleeve and may have greater stiffness than the first sleeve.

Abstract: A system and method for pressurizing bags of physiological fluids include a control valve for providing deflation of a bladder that compresses the bags. The toggle portion of the control valve is movable between a first and second position respectively for inflation and deflation of the bladder. When the toggle portion is in the first position, the control valve connects a source of pressurized air to the bladder, and when the toggle portion is in the second position, the control valve allows the bladder to exhaust directly to the atmosphere through an outlet port in the valve. The size of the outlet port is so large that it creates only very little resistance to the discharged air.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a self-zeroing dosage syringe comprising: (a) a syringe barrel which forms a volume sufficient to contain a required dosage of a fluid, a discharge end at one end of the barrel length, a plunger receiving end at the opposite end of the barrel length, (b) said plunger is movably disposed within the barrel and has a length greater than the length of the barrel, and further has at a set of multiple closely spaced indentations disposed along the length thereof, and (c) a movable dosage selection ring which is disposed around the plunger and rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the plunger; characterized in that the dosage selection ring has (1) a sleeve disposed inside the barrel, (2) a calibration on the sleeve thereof for setting the desired dosage by turning the ring until the calibration for a desired dose is reached, (3) a means for engaging the ring with the plunger allowing it to be moved cooperatively with the plunger until the ring dead ends against the syringe barrel thereby rele

Abstract: Disclosed is an implant device adapted to implant medicaments into the subcutaneous portion of the patient's tissue comprising a housing having a central chamber generally in which a pusher assembly maneuvers.

Abstract: Novel ports to be placed within medical patients for dispensing liquid medication and related methods are disclosed, each port comprising an interior variable volume reservoir for receiving and temporarily storing the liquid medication.

Abstract: A mixing/charging port for medical treatment capable of reliably mixing/charging solutions or collecting the solutions in a medical instrument equipped with a solution feed passage, comprising a disc-like valve (1) having an insertion hole at the center, a cover (2) for restraining the valve (1) by covering at least the upper part of the periphery of the valve (1) with the center on the front surface side of the valve (1) left uncovered, and a round fitting hole (6) formed at the center of the cover (2) as anchor means for anchoring an insertion member to a mixing/charging port, the fitting hole (6) and the insertion member being so fitted to each other as to be capable of anchoring.