Abstract: A thrombus filter configured for placement within a blood vessel lumen. The filter having a longitudinal axis. The filter includes first and second units, each unit including a plurality of elongated struts. Each strut has a joining end where the respective struts of each unit are joined together. Each strut also has a free end opposite the joining end. The struts have at least two curves such that in a longitudinal planar projection of the filter, each strut has a first direction of curvature proximate the joining end and an opposite direction of curvature closer to the free end. In a transverse planar projection of the filter, the strut has a first direction of curvature proximate the joining and an opposite direction of curvature closer to the free end.

Abstract: The apparatus comprises a wheeled base, a vertical pole mounted on the base, and upper and lower, elongate, horizontal arms extending from the support member. The apparatus can be rolled up to a surgical bed so that the outer end of the upper arm is positioned over the patient on the bed and the outer end of the lower arm is located beneath the bed below the patient. Each arm is slidably mounted on the pole. Each arm carries quick-acting first means for disengagably locking the arm to the support member to prevent sliding movement and quick-acting second means for temporarily disengaging the first means and incrementally advancing the arm along the support member. Thus the arms can be quickly moved to bracket the patient and bed underside, then locked and advanced incrementally to clamp against the bed and patient. The apparatus is useful for clamping open arterial incisions to stop bleeding.

Abstract: An intraluminal stent for implanting in a body lumen in which a plurality of connecting members are deformed radially outwardly to form projecting barbs for attaching the stent to a body lumen. The stent has a first, unexpanded low profile diameter for intraluminal delivery, and a second, larger expanded diameter for implanting in a body lumen in which projecting barbs are formed and which penetrate the body lumen to assist in attaching the stent to the walls of the body lumen.

Abstract: An endosurgical cutting instrument includes a hollow tube having a distal end with a radial slot and an interior deflection surface, a push rod extending through the tube and having a proximally directed sickle blade coupled to its distal end, and a manual actuator coupled to the proximal ends of the tube and the push rod for imparting relative axial movement to the tube and push rod. The sickle blade is a curved member having a sharp concave edge and a dull convex edge and is coupled to the distal end of the push rod with its sharp concave edge facing the push rod. The blade is dimensioned such that it may be substantially completely contained within the tube. The push rod is oriented so that its distal end is free to move in a radial direction as it moves axially. Movement of the push rod against the deflection surface urges the push rod in a radial direction thereby causing the sickle blade to exit the tube through the radial slot.

Abstract: The invention is a device for medical applications for differentially cutting abnormal deposits from within a patient's vessels. The device comprises one or more diamond plated burrs or cuffs attached to a flexible drive shaft which rotates at a high speed. The drive shaft is placed over a preformed shaped guidewire so that the drive shaft conforms to the shape of the guidewire, which has been preformed into a gentle "S" or "cork-screw" shape. The guidewire may be rotated at low speed.

Abstract: Trocar for inserting endoscopy instruments into cavities, the trocar having a cleanable hollow body, a disposable tip which is equipped with a swivel valve that can be retracted by inserting the instrument through an internal channel in the tip that communicates with the hollow body. The disposable tip is also equipped with externally operable features capable of modifying the diameter of channel in order to match it to the diameter of the instrument to be inserted.

Abstract: The marker is a hollow cylindrical member having a given height between two opposite ends and a given radius with an opening extending therethrough between the two ends and a central axis extending through the opening. One of the ends is a cornea engaging end and the other end is a viewing end. Two aligned spaced apart pointing members extend radially inward to the central axis of the opening from one side of the member such that when viewed from either end, from the central axis, the two pointing members are radially aligned. The pointing member closest to the viewing end has a width not greater then the width of the other pointing member. In another embodiment, a solid pointing plate is employed instead of the two pointing members.

Abstract: A biopsy forceps having a disposable cable formed by helically wound wire with distal and proximal ends. The helically wound wire forms a passage therethrough from the distal to the proximal end. The biopsy forceps includes a reusable forceps instrument assembly which has a control wire passing through the passage. A pair of sharpened jaws are located at the end of the control wire and are joined to a jaw mount by means of pivot. The jaw mount includes a socket for selective coupling and uncoupling to the distal end of the helically wound wire, by rotating the distal end of the helically wound wire into or out of the socket so that the helically wound wire of the support cable can be uncoupled from the jaw mount and discarded, while the forceps assembly, including the jaw mount together with the control wire and pivotally mounted jaws can be removed as an entire assembly and resterilized for use with another support cable.

Abstract: An improved biopsy forceps for retrieving a tissue sample from an internal organ is provided with flexible resilient means for ejecting a tissue sample from the cups after the sample is retrieved from the internal organ. The ejector means can comprise a leaf spring extending between the cups and biased in a convex distal direction so that it springs outward when the cups are fully opened, ejecting the tissue sample. An actuating wire has a spring latch for moving the leaf spring to the ejection position and for returning it to a position inside the cups. The wire disengages from the cups so that it can extend distally no eject the sample. A latch mechanism at the proximal end of the wire selectively prevents actuation.

Abstract: An improved system for removing atheromas in a blood vessel or ablating tissue of a gland that includes a catheter with a housing containing a cutout or window at its distal end, and an excising or ablating element disposed therein. The excising or ablating element is characterized by at least one cutting blade with a relatively straight cutting edge, that has a length approximately the same as the length of the cutout when measured along a longitudinal axis of the system. In operation, the cutout is positioned at the site at which treatment is to be rendered using a guiding element. Each cutting blade then is caused to reciprocate by a driving element and to move back and forth by an actuating element to alternately cover and uncover the cutout. In the process of reciprocating and traversing the cutout the cutting blade or cutting blades remove the target atheroma or tissue.

Abstract: A scalpel handle is provided having the physical and ergonomic characteristics of a conventional surgical scalpel handle, but which houses a retractable blade support adapted for engaging scalpel blades having standard mounting posts. The scalpel blade is extended and retracted by the surgeon's index finger as a natural part of the motion of receiving and handing off the scalpel handle, which features few moving parts to thereby provide ease of disassembly and sterilization. Methods are also provided for replacing scalpel blades that are essentially the same as used for conventional non-retractable scalpel handles.

Abstract: A penetrating instrument for penetrating an anatomical cavity wall to gain access to the anatomical cavity includes a penetrating member having a distal end for penetrating the anatomical cavity wall, a plurality of probes disposed in the penetrating member, and an indicating mechanism operatively associated with the probes for displaying a sequence of sensible signals in response to movement of the probes during penetration of the anatomical cavity wall. Each of the probes has a distal end movable relative to the penetrating member between an extended position where the distal end of the probe protrudes from the distal end of the penetrating member and a retracted position where the distal end of the probe recedes into the penetrating member.

Abstract: A surgical resection tool of the type having a rotary motor, a dissecting tool and a bearing tube is provided with dual quick releases for quickly releasing and latching dissecting tools and bearing tubes to expedite tooling changes during surgical procedures. The surgical resection tool preferably has a canted centerline in which the centerline for the rotary motor is canted with respect to the centerline for the dissecting tool and the bearing tube to provide an ergonomic shape for holding the resection tool. In a preferred embodiment, the two quick releases are provided by collet type latches having latching balls and slidable sleeves. The slidable sleeves are coupled together for selectively moving to a latching position where latching balls are pressed into grooves formed into dissecting tools and bearing tubes to latch a dissecting tool and a bearing tube into the resection tool.

Abstract: A retractable "ball-pen" like tool/scalpel, provided with a latch mechanism, is automatically retracted when not in use by pushing the latch mechanism and is extended when in use by pushing a tool/blade support member of the tool/scalpel. The latch mechanism is engaged with the tool/blade support member when the tool/blade support member is pushed to an operative position wherein a tool/blade is exposed from a sheath member. The latch mechanism is pushed transversely and disengaged with the tool/blade support member whereby the tool/scalpel is retracted into the sheath member.

Abstract: This invention relates to devices and methods for accessing the spinal epidural space via the neural foramen. In one aspect of this invention a deflecting conduit needle device is disclosed having an elongated body extending substantially along a first axis. The device has a proximal end and a distal end, and a transverse conduit, positioned along the distal one-eighth of the device and extending substantially along a second axis, wherein the second axis is positioned at an acute angle relative to the first axis. In another aspect of the invention a method is disclosed for accessing the spinal epidural space via the neural foramen.

Abstract: A physiologic tourniquet includes a safety interlock system for detecting any potentially hazardous attempt to change tourniquet cuff pressure during a procedure involving the use of two cuffs for intravenous regional anesthesia. The attempt to change pressure is prevented until the operator provides a timely and separate confirmation action.

Abstract: Surgical apparatus including a support rod having proximal and distal ends; at least one articulated finger at the distal end of the support rod; a handle at the proximal end of the support rod, the handle having a finger grip adapted to be actuated by the hand of a user; a connecting member connecting the finger grip and the finger; a thumb being disposed at the distal end of the support rod opposite the finger, a spring biasing the finger toward a retracted position; and the finger being responsive to a tension in the connecting member exerted by movement of the finger grip whereby the finger moves in a defined manner toward the thumb for grasping an object. In a modified embodiment, a plurality of fingers are provided for opening up an internal space in a body or to grasp a body part to facilitate other surgical procedures.

Abstract: A permanent tissue supporting device, and a method for supporting tissue, wherein a stent-like member comprising a shape-memory alloy is permanently positioned to support the tissue of a tubular organ of a living body. The shape-memory alloy of the positioned stent-like member is in the martensitic state and exhibits a strain on a horizontal plateau of a stress-strain curve of the shape-memory alloy when permanently positioned in the tubular organ.

Abstract: An endoscopic biopsy forceps mechanism encompassing a device of integrally designed parts for selectively opening and closing the biopsy forceps cutting jaws of the forceps and dramatically reduce the number of individual parts in the entire device thereby rendering a forcep mechanism of a more simplified construction, more reliable in operation and concurrently reduce the manufacturing and assembly costs.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved stent delivery catheter. The stent delivery system comprises a catheter having a stent receiving portion adapted to receive a stent near the distal end of the catheter and a stent concentrically arranged around the catheter within the stent receiving portion. The stent delivery system further comprises a proximal outer sheath, a retractable distal sheath surrounding at least a portion of the stent and containing the stent in its reduced delivery configuration and a pull back means connected to the retractable distal sheath. The system further comprises a collapsible sheath concentrically arranged around the catheter and located between the retractable distal sheath and the proximal outer sheath, whereby when the pull back means is pulled proximally the distal sheath is retracted, causing the collapsible sheath to collapse and freeing the stent for delivery.