Abstract: A conically helically shaped embolization coil (10) for occluding a blood vessel, aneurysm, and the like. The embolization coil includes a continuous platinum-tungsten alloy wire strand (11) wound into a longitudinally extending coil (12) having a plurality of tightly spaced turns (13). The longitudinally extending coil is wound into a conically helically shaped coil (15) with a plurality of radially expanding turns (16) that has spacing that increases proximally from the distal end (29) of the coil. Distal turn (17) of the radially expanding turns has a minor diameter (18) less than a minimum diameter (34) of a vessel (32) of which the embolization is to be positioned therein. Uncompressed proximal turn (19) of the radially expanding turns has a major diameter (20) greater than a maximum diameter (33) of the vessel in which the coil to be positioned.

Abstract: Disclosed are tools and methods for assisting in the manual insertion of a needle into a medical device implanted under the skin of a patient and for assisting in the manual removal of the needle from this implanted medical device. The same tool may be used for both accessing and deaccessing the needle, or a special tool may be used for just assisting in the insertion of the needle into the implanted medical device. This special tool includes a holder section with a pair of fork elements spaced apart a distance which is slightly greater than the width of the implanted medical device. The tool for assisting in the manual removal of the needle from the implanted medical device includes an elongated body having a handle section and an enlarged guard section with an elongated slot extending from an edge of the guard section into the guard section, terminating at an internal portion of the guard section.

Abstract: A system for providing pierced-ear instruments. A sealed blister pack creates and maintains a sterile environment in which an earring cartridge with a pierced-ear earring stud may be transported and stored. An earring-cartridge stud gun provides a cradle into which the earring cartridge may fit. Upon removal of backing paper imperviously sealing the blister pack, the cradle provided by the earring-cartridge stud gun is accommodated by and fits within the blister pack to engage and remove the sterile earring cartridge from the blister pack. Upon sterilization of the ear tissue, the ear may be pierced. Once the ear has been pierced, the pierced-ear earring stud is easily disengaged from the earring cartridge. The blister pack may then re-engage the now-used earring cartridge to remove it from the stud gun cradle. The earring-cartridge stud gun is then available to receive another sterile earring cartridge to repeat the ear-piercing process on the same or other ear.

Abstract: A novel intravascular occlusion material removal device for removing vascular occlusion material in a vascular lumen comprises a prime mover and an expandable material removal element insertable intravascularly into the vascular lumen. A hollow drive shaft operatively connects the prime mover to the expandable material removal element for rotating the expandable material removal element intravascularly. A guidewire is insertable through the distal end of the expandable material removal element and the hollow drive shaft, and is shiftable within the drive shaft and the expandable material removal element. The expandable material removal element is expandable responsive to shifting of the guidewire.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming multiple cavities in the tissue of a patient into which hair transplant grafts are placed is disclosed. The apparatus comprises interengaging plates. A first plate includes a number of downwardly extending spikes for extension through a number of downwardly extending hollow catheters of a second plate. The first and second plates are pressed together with the interengaging spikes and catheters penetrating the tissue. The first plate is removed, leaving cavities formed by the hollow catheters of the second plate. A third plate having downwardly extending hollow catheters filled with hair grafts is sleeved into or aligned with the catheters of the first plate. The hair grafts are pressed downward through the third plate, through the first plate, into the scalp, preferably by use of rods extending down from a fourth plate.

Abstract: The surgical apparatus comprises a needle extending from an end of an elongated shaft and having a sharpened tip. A cylindrical sleeve is concentrically disposed around the shaft and is adapted to move in sliding engagement with the shaft along an axial extent thereof. The needle and the cylindrical sleeve further have respective facing surfaces that are adapted to come into direct contact by movement of the cylindrical sleeve into close proximity with the needle. The facing surfaces define a gripping region therebetween, and by moving the cylindrical sleeve relative to the shaft, the length of gripping region can be varied. The needle permits the formation of an incision through a skin layer adjacent to a varicose vein, and the gripping region can selectively engage the varicose vein to permit removal of a selected portion thereof through the incision.

Abstract: A surgical instrument having a body with a proximal end and a distal end, a working element, first structure for mounting the working element on the body for movement relative to the body between first and second positions, and second structure on the body for a) moving the working element selectively between the first and second position from a location remote from the working element and b) maintaining the working element in each of the first and second positions. The second structure includes an actuating element and third structure for mounting the actuating element on the body for movement relative to the body.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for implanting a radially expandable stent and separate film within a body vessel. The film is separate from the stent and releasably retained thereon during advancement of the stent to the body vessel. Some methods according to the present invention include steps of providing a collapsed, radially expandable stent; providing a film that is separate from the stent, the film being provided in sheet form; wrapping the film around at least a portion of the stent; and releasably securing the film around the stent with at least one suture or by releasably attaching the first end of the film to a second end of the film. The apparatus according to the present invention include a collapsed, radially expandable stent and a film separate from the stent. The film is releasably attached around the stent by a suture or by releasably attaching the first end of the film to the second end of the film.

Abstract: The present invention provides a piercing member adapted for use with a flow channel. The piercing member has a penetrating member for piercing a solid closure, and is retained to the flow channel, but still allows fluid to flow through the flow channel while retained to the flow channel.

Abstract: A product and method are provided for piercing an ear with an ornamental earring using a conventional stud gun. An earring retainer is provided with an interior cavity sized and shaped to conform generally to the outer dimensions of the ornamental portion of a post-type earring so that when the earring is enclosed within the retainer, the retainer will prevent pivoting of the earring relative to the retainer. The retainer has an outer diameter dimensioned to fit snugly in the plunger of a conventional stud gun and prevent the retainer from pivoting or shifting significantly with respect to the plunger or retainer during use. The retainer can also have a physical feature, such as a notch or ridge, so that it can be releasably mounted on a carrying block and placed in the plunger of the stud gun without the need for a user to touch any portion of the retainer or earring prior to use.

Abstract: Disclosed is an endoscopic cutting device for severing tissue, such as organs, parts of organs or the like, havinga cutting tool, which is attached at the distal end of said cutting device and which is provided with a cutting blade, andan actuating unit which is used to operate said cutting tool and which is attached at the proximal end of said device.The invented device is distinguished by the cutting blade being disposed approximately parallel to a longitudinal unit which can be varied in length.

Abstract: A manual dilating trocar uses an automatically retracting stylet. The stylet is threaded through a dilating obturator which is, in turn, inserted into a trocar sheath. A spring near the handle of the stylet serves to urge the stylet cutting tip into a retracted position so that it can be held within the dilating tip of the dilating obturator. When a surgeon seeks to pierce a body cavity so as to perform laparoscopic surgery or the like, the handle is engaged to overcome the bias of the spring so that the stylet's cutting tip is exposed. Upon piercing of the exterior body-cavity layer, the stylet may be withdrawn to ensure that no underlying organs or tissue are damaged by the sharp stylet tip. Once the dilation of the initial stylet wound has been completed and the trocar sheath has been introduced into the body cavity, the dilating obturator may also be removed from within the trocar sheath in order to provide a channel into the body cavity.

Abstract: A rotatable shaver having inner and/or outer non-metallic elongated blades for use in endoscopic surgical procedures. In one embodiment a rotatable, elongated non-metallic inner tubular member is disclosed for use with a non-rotatable elongated metallic outer tubular member, the inner member having a flexible, non-metallic tubular body, a proximal hub and a distal tip provided with a cutting edge. The elongated tubular body of the inner member may be extruded or molded from a polymeric or composite material and may be bonded to or integrally formed with either the hub, the distal cutting tip or both. In one embodiment, the entirety of the rotatable inner tubular member (i.e. hub, tubular body and cutting tip) may be integrally formed as a single unit. In another embodiment, the outer tubular member is formed with a non-metallic tubular sheath within which a metallic or non-metallic inner member may rotate.

Abstract: A plurality of cuff rings for an endotracheal tube for intubation of a trachea. At least one of the cuff rings is inflatable and deflatable independent of the other cuff ring so that at least one of the cuff rings may always remain inflated to maintain an airtight seal between the cannula of the endotracheal tube and a patient's trachea. Each cuff ring is successively inflated and deflated during the period the endotracheal tube is in a patient's trachea, thereby intermittently relieving the trachea of pressure on its inner wall. The intermittent relief of pressure by periodic deflation of each cuff ring reduces damage to the trachea. The cuff rings each have a surface associated therewith to lubricate the area of the trachea in contact with the cuff ring to substantially reduce the occurrence of damage to the trachea from abrasion by the cuff rings.

Abstract: A device and method for removing ingrown biological tissue from the fluid passageway of a drainage shunt which has been implanted in a patient to relieve a hydrocephalic condition, includes a tubular catheter which is slidably insertable through the passageway of the drainage shunt. A blade extends from the distal end of the catheter and, as the tubular catheter is rotated, the blade cuts away any biological tissue which has ingrown in the passageway. A viewing element is insertable through the tubular catheter to view the blade's progress through the tubular catheter and determine its relationship with any tissue that has ingrown in the passageway.

Abstract: A medical instrument with a steerable distal end, having a handle for actuating the instrument, a distal operating section for performing a medical procedure, a middle section connecting the handle with the operating section, at least a portion of the middle section being bendable, and steerable means within the bendable portion for permitting the operating section to be controlled in direction at an angle with respect to the axis of the middle section. There are means for rotating the distal operating section into any desired angular position with respect to the longitudinal axis of the middle section. A control member control the direction of movement of the bendable section in three dimensions whereby the distal end may be positioned in any place on or off of the longitudinal axis of the middle section. A protective sheath may be disposed over the bendable section.

Abstract: There is provided a blade type lancet assembly of which sterile condition is readily to be kept.A lancet assembly is composed of a lancet structure and a holder which is combined with the lancet structure, the lancet structure includes a lancet member having a pricking member and an ejector which ejects the lancet member, and an exposed portion of the pricking member is covered with a resin.

Abstract: A surgical instrument includes an inner member having a plurality of interengaging segments that are disposed within a bend region of an elongated outer member. The interengaging segments transmit force applied to a proximal region of the inner member through the bend region to cause a cutting implement at a distal region of the inner member to move and cut tissue admitted through an opening at the distal end of the outer member.

Abstract: A modular surgical instrument includes a handle, an end effector, and an elongate tubular sleeve extending between and opposing the end effector and the handle, a reciprocating actuator rod disposed within the sleeve, the end effector being operably connected to a distal end of the actuator rod and having opposed members, at least one of which is movable with respect to another upon sliding movement of the actuator rod within the sleeve, and a handle including a pair of opposing actuating members, the handle having a first end connected to a proximal end of the tubular sleeve, and a second end releasably snap connected to a proximal end of the actuator rod. Compression of the actuating members toward each other causes the actuator rod to move at least one of the opposing members of the end effector with respect to the other.

Abstract: A surgical instrument includes a plastic hub which is received by a handpiece for operating the instrument. The plastic hub includes a wall that encloses a passage that receives a surgical tool-carrying member, and at least one detectable coding element is embedded at a selected circumferential position in the wall. For example, the coding element is embedded in a hole disposed in the wall. Alternatively, the coding element is molded into the wall during injection molding of the hub. The coding element is, for example, a magnet.