Abstract: An apparatus for recovering and recycling refrigerant from an air conditioning unit. The apparatus includes a combined oil separator and heat exchanger for condensing purified refrigerant and for vaporizing contaminated refrigerant. The combined oil separator and heat exchanger includes a canister having a top wall, a bottom wall, and a substantially cylindrical side wall. The canister further includes a high pressure region comprising heat exchange coils and having high pressure inlet for providing purified refrigerant vapor and high pressure outlet for removing purified refrigerant liquid, and a low pressure region having low pressure inlet for introducing contaminated refrigerant proximate the heat exchange coils, low pressure outlet through the top wall for removal of refrigerant vapor, and condensed oil outlet for removal of condensed oil. By introducing the contaminated refrigerant proximate the heat exchange coils, improved separation efficiency is obtained.

Abstract: The present invention is a retrievable umbrella sieve for removing blood clots and other debris in blood vessels. The umbrella sieve also functions to prevent blood clots and other derbies from reaching the heart of a human or animal. One of the main uses of the umbrella sieve is for the insertion of the Inferior Vena Cava to prevent and remove blot clots before the clots reach the heart. There are two embodiments of the umbrella sieve. The umbrella sieve provides a method and apparatus for used during the medical surgical treatment phase of thrombophlebitis and venous thrombosos in the precautionary prevention of pulmonary emboli. The umbrella sieve provides a method and apparatus for routinely placing a preventive device in lower extremity fractures, especially that of the hip, in anticipation of preventing pulmonary emboli. The umbrella sieve provides a method and apparatus that is retrievable.

Abstract: A transcatheter occluding implant (50) is used to seal off a vessel lumen such as for arterial and venous embolization, cutting off of supply to tumors, male and female sterilization. There is illustrated a plug member of an open foam plastics material having good hysteresis properties in the form of a shaft 51 carrying annular supports. The implant (50) can be compressed into a very small size and then will expand to contact the internal bore of the vessel to form a force fit within the vessel lumen for secure anchoring of the implant. The open cell foam construction encourages tissue growth and thus further contributes to the stabilization of the implant.

Abstract: An emboli capturing system captures emboli in a body lumen. A first elongate member has a proximal end and a distal end. An expandable emboli capturing device is mounted proximate the distal end of the first elongate member, and is movable between a radially expanded position and a radially contracted position. When in the expanded position, the emboli capturing device forms a basket with a proximally opening mouth. A second elongate member has a proximal and a distal end with a lumen extending therebetween. The lumen is sized to slidably receive a portion of the first elongate member. An expandable delivery device is mounted to the distal end of the second elongate member and is movable from a radially retracted position to a radially expanded position. The delivery device has a receiving end configured to receive the emboli capturing device, and retains at least the mouth of the emboli capturing device in a radially retracted position.

Abstract: A tube and shell evaporator operable at near freezing includes a temperature sensor that senses the temperature of chilled water discharging from one or just a few of the very coldest tubes, whereby the sensed temperature is less than the average leaving chiller water temperature (LCWT). The result provides an exceptionally low LCWT, which can be especially desirable in district cooling systems where the chilled water is usually piped a great distance.

Abstract: On opening and closing the louvers, provided at the air suction port in the front panel of the interior-side heat exchange unit, an arm is provided on the side of the rear surface of each of the louvers, and each of those arms is collectively driven by an interlocking plate which is reciprocatively moved linearly through the driving lever by a motor, whereby each louver is accurately interlocked to reliably open and close without the aid of the gear mechanism of pinion-rack.

Abstract: A hingeless type intraocular lens microcartridge for use with a surgical insertion instrument. The hingeless microcartridge has a fixed configuration with a transition portion extending between a lens receiving portion and a nozzle portion.

Abstract: A beverage bottle holder system that includes insulated structures for surrounding a beverage bottle and insulating the beverage bottle to reduce the rate of warming of the beverage bottle. The top insulated structure includes an easily operated flip top dispensing spout for sealing a beverage bottle. A number of freezable ice rod elements are provided which are insertable into one of the insulated structures.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a medical device for endoscopically ligating and cutting a body vessel. The device may be percutaneously inserted into a patient to perform several possible procedures. The improvements to the device include a hinged jaw capable of grasping and crimping body vessels. An improved clip delivery system and an improved clip which ligate body vessels are also described. The instrument includes a rotating cutting member which provides more efficient body vessel cutting means. Furthermore, the entire system allows a simplified and more efficient method of operation.

Abstract: A bioabsorbable rivet and pin fastening device that may be used for attachment of a fixation plate to bone is described herein. The rivet having a head that is mechanically connected to two or more legs that extend generally distally from the head. The pin being radially compressible and less compliant than the legs of the rivet. The pin when inserted into the rivet will contact the internal surface of said legs to apply force on said legs in a direction perpendicular to the central axis to frictionally engage with the adjacent bone.

Abstract: A back flow preventing valve is formed of a valve main body and a valve member. The valve main body includes a fluid inlet at one side, a fluid outlet at the other side having a valve seat at an end surface thereof, a flange extending outwardly from an outer periphery thereof and located between the fluid inlet and outlet, and a bent portion situated inside the valve main body near the fluid outlet for changing a flowing direction of a fluid flowing through the valve main body. The area of the fluid outlet is greater than that of the fluid inlet. The valve member is pivotally connected to the valve main body and urged toward the valve seat. The valve member is opened when a fluid entering from the fluid inlet is ejected from the fluid outlet, and closed when the fluid does not flow from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet.

Abstract: A tension-adjusting device for sutures comprising a body through which sutures tend to be knotted at the top of the body with a plurality of flexible legs extending outwardly and downwardly from the body to rest on the body of a patient. In one embodiment, the body of the top half and the bottom half can be rotated with respect to each other to tighten the sutures passing therethrough.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes a Parylene micro check valve including a micromachined silicon valve seat with a roughened top surface to which a membrane cap is anchored by twist-up tethers. The micro check valve is found to exhibit low cracking pressure, high reverse pressure, low reverse flow leakage, and negligible membrane-induced flow resistance when used as a valve over a micro orifice through which flow liquid and gas fluids.

Abstract: A refrigerant relief device for a vehicle air conditioner according to the present invention is provided with a detection section detecting an impact applied to the vehicle and a relief section relieving a refrigerant at a high pressure side of an air conditioning cycle of the vehicle air conditioner to the outside of the vehicle air conditioner when the sensor detects the impact.

Abstract: A fail-safe HVAC damper apparatus comprises a duct channel with a closure comprising one or more quadri-panel hinged elements, each with four panels connected by four parallel hinge pins. A gear shaft with a toothed gear is controllably rotated to linearly drive a spring-biased plate to move one of the hinge pins of each quadri-panel element between an open and a closed position. A drive motor may be activated to open or close the closure, e.g. by a smoke detector or other controller. A meltable fuse in the duct channel may be connected to a disconnect which uncouples the gear shaft and toothed gear, and a spring moves the closure to a default closed or open position.

Abstract: A medical device delivery system, having a rolling retractable sheath covering a medical device mounting region on the system is disclosed. The rolling retractable sheath comprises an inner wall and an outer wall and may be formed of one or more materials, optionally porous. Optionally, a lubricant may be applied selectively to the interior and exterior walls of the stent.

Abstract: A spine distraction implant alleviates pain associated with spinal stenosis and facet arthropathy by expanding the volume in the spine canal and/or neural foramen. The implant provides a spinal extension stop while allowing freedom of spinal flexion.

Abstract: An orthopaedic device for the gradual correction of angular and longitudinal defects of elongated bones, comprising at least one first clamp for a first group of screws insertable in a proximal portion of a bone, and at least one second clamp for a second group of screws insertable in a distal portion of the bone, a longitudinal guide bar positioned externally of the limb to be corrected for slidably supporting the clamps; at least one of the clamps is selectively orientable about a substantially transverse axis for carrying out angular corrections of the bone. There are provided a compression/distraction device movably coupleable with the clamps for carrying out longitudinal corrections of the bone. The orientably clamp is adjustable angularly in a predetermined geometric plane, as well as adjustable transversely for the group of bone screws carried by the clamp parallel to themselves for compensating the lateral movement induced by the angular correction.

Abstract: A thermoelectric module unit is provided with a thermoelectric module that comprises a partitioning plate, a thermoelectric semiconductor element fixed to the partitioning plate in a state passing through the partitioning plate but also in a state that is electrically insulated from the partitioning plate. A first metal electrode is connected to a first surface of the thermoelectric semiconductor element, and a second metal electrode is connected to a second surface of the thermoelectric semiconductor element. A first confined portion encloses a region from the partitioning plate towards the first surface and is also connected to a first heat pipe. An operating fluid is vacuum-sealed within the first confined portion and the first heat pipe.

Abstract: An ablation catheter system for capturing and removing necrotic tissue and thrombi generated during an ablative procedure is disclosed. The catheter typically includes an elongate member, a filtration assembly disposed within the distal region, and an ablation instrument at the distal end. Alternatively, the ablation instrument is carried on the distal end of an ablation catheter, which is disposed within a lumen of the catheter system. The catheter may further include an aspiration port and lumen. Methods of using the devices in preventing distal embolization during ablative procedures are disclosed.