Abstract: A gas-tight seal module is incorporated in a trocar system to form a gas-tight seal about an instrument inserted into the cannula of the trocar system. The module incorporates an apertured disc. The aperture in the disc can be stretched to accommodate a seal about an instrument inserted into the cannula. The disc is carried by a flaccid membrane which extends across the module. A pair of rigid washers clamped on opposite sides of the disc are constrained for movement between two parallel spaced surfaces. The disc is thus freely moveable in its own plane to accommodate off-axis movement of the instrument thus avoiding the breakage of the seal with the instrument which would otherwise occur if the disc did not have the same freedom of movement. The disc also acts to clean the surface of the instrument when withdrawn so as to avoid contamination of a flap valve upstream of the disc.

Abstract: A syringe pump having a drive head (1) mounted on a lead screw (2) which drives the drive head (1) to cause the plunger (P) of the syringe (S) to be advanced to deliver the contents of the syringe in a controlled manner. The drive head (1) supports a sensing module (3) having a cylindrical outer metallic body supporting a sensor disk (9) to which a sensing button (10) is attached. The disk (9) has a central insulating disk (15) supporting copper plates (16 and 17) and thin layers of dielectric (18, 19) separated from ground plates (20, 21) by an air gap (22) defining separate electrical capacitors each having a significantly different value of capacitance such that a large fall in capacitance occurs in the first capacitor while a large rise in capacitance occurs in the second capacitor.

Abstract: The present invention is a stent for insertion into an artery or other vessel. The stent is formed from a series of tubular shaped bands each formed with a first end which overlaps a second end. The overlap between the first and second ends is variable and allows each band to move between a contracted configuration and a fully expanded configuration which are within the elastic limits of the band. Each band includes a plurality of receivers and a first tab on a first edge of the band to secure each band at or near the fully expanded configuration and allow the stent to conform to the contours of the vessel. The bands are distributed along a substantially common axis to form a tube interconnected by a pair of elongated strips. In use, the stent is placed over a balloon catheter and compressed to adopt the contracted configuration. The stent may be maintained in the contracted configuration by a retainer.

Abstract: A surgical apparatus and method for incising an aperture in the anterior capsule of the human eye are disclosed. The apparatus or capsulorhexitome, comprises a hollow shaft, a concentric cutting member with a annular channel and orifice, and means for injecting a substantially incompressible fluid through the apparatus to incise a smooth, continuous, curvilinear aperture in the anterior capsule of the eye.

Abstract: An automatic blood sampling device is provided with a housing (12, 14, 18, 20), a reciprocable shaft (50) disposed in the housing (12, 14, 18, 20), and a lancet (40) operatively coupled to the shaft (50). The lancet (40) is movable between a retracted position in which the lancet (40) is disposed within the housing (12, 14, 18, 20) and an extended position in which the lancet (40) extends outside of the housing (12, 14, 18, 20).

Abstract: A pre-slit injection site includes a housing with a flow path therethrough. A first end of the housing carries a pre-slit septum. One form of a blunt cannula, usable with the injection site, carries a locking member. When the pre-slit injection site slidably receives the blunt cannula, the locking member latches to the injection site and creates a mechanically coupled unit. Another form of the cannula includes a tube having a tapered distal end region and having elongate discharge slots for reducing contact surface area and for directing the flow laterally out of the cannula. The cannula may also include a rounded lead post, an annular barb, and axially oriented grooves.

Abstract: The childbirth-assisting device uses an automatically synchronized expandable pneumatic girdle to externally augment the secondary force of labor. The girdle through which the pressure is applied is fitted around the abdomen of the woman. An inflatable bladder within the girdle is inflated to create a downward pressure on the abdomen upon detection of a contraction. An external pressure monitor is used to detect contractions to provide a signal for synchronizing inflation of the girdle. The external pressure monitor includes a solid state force sensor embedded within a pliable housing which is conformable to the patient's abdomen to improve accuracy.

Abstract: A stent is provided which may be mechanically locked in an expanded diameter. The stent may have several locked diameters or may be locked at different diameters along the axial length of the stent.

Abstract: A method, device and kit for preforming multiple hair transplant grafts disclosed. The device includes a plurality of cutters adapted to make a pattern of incisions in the tissue to receive the grafts. A dilator device preferably 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 to define dilators of a pattern corresponding to the pattern of incisions. The dilators are inserted into the incisions and the first plate is removed, leaving the hollow catheters of the second plate in the tissue. A third plate 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 catheters, into the tissue. The kit includes the incision device and dilator device.

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 surgical stent (10) is provided which can be radially expanded away from a central axis (2) within a body lumen, such as an artery. The stent (10) is formed from a series of struts (20) circumscribing a cylindrical contour of the stent (10). Each strut (20) has a series of bends (30) formed therein with each bend including at least one trough (32) and at least one crest (36). Gaps (40) are provided between adjacent struts (20). Each gap (40) is spanned by an axial element such as a tie bar (50). Each tie bar (50) attaches to adjacent struts (20) through troughs (32) so that when the stent (10) is radially expanded, the struts (20) are not drawn together, but rather maintain their position and the stent (10) hence maintains its axial length without contracting. Other elements can alternatively be provided between adjacent circumferential elements to provide varying degrees of flexibility between adjacent struts (20).

Abstract: A method and device for cutting venous valve located within the lumen of a vein. The device comprises an elongate shaft of rigid or flexible construction and a valvulotome blade positioned on the distal end of said elongate shaft. The valvulotome blade comprises an elongate shank portion which is disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, and a head portion which extends laterally from the shank portion of the blade. The head portion of the blade comprises an outer venous wall abutment surface and a proximal cutting surface. The venous wall abutting surface is a spaced distance from the proximal cutting surface such that the venous wall abutment surface may be forced into abutment with the venous wall and the device may be drawn through a venous valve such that the proximal cutting surface will cut the venous valve, but will not come into contact with the adjacent vein wall.

Abstract: An endoscopic stomach insert for treating obesity in humans by reducing the desire for eating, comprising a base-sized for passing through a human mouth and esophagus; a plurality of flexible blades coupled at one end thereof to the base and circumferentially arranged about the base central axis, where the blades are biased to extend substantially radially outward and downward from the base; and a retainer for releasably coupling the distal portions of the blades within close proximity to each other about the central axis of the base. The insert is thus adapted to be passed through the mouth and esophagus and into a human stomach, and upon releasing the retainer within the stomach, the blades are biased to flare outwardly into the form of a dome-shaped cage, applying pressure to the stomach, and thus causing a sensation of fullness within the stomach and reducing the desire for eating.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an intravascular universal catheter having interchangeable work elements and methods of use thereof. The catheter comprises a flexible catheter body having a distal end, a proximal end and a lumen extending between the ends. A housing having an open interior and an aperture on a lateral side is attached to the distal end of the catheter body by a coupling element. A work element is movably disposed within the housing and operative through the aperture. A work element connector is disposed in a lumen of the catheter body and has a distal end connected to the work element. At least the distal portion of the lumen defines a receiving space within the catheter body, and the coupling element is configured to allow retraction of the work element from the housing through the open proximal end into the receiving space. In a preferred embodiment, perfusion ports are disposed in the catheter body and the housing proximate to the junctional region of the catheter body with the housing.

Abstract: A kit for use in the surgical implantation of an shaped implant. The kit includes a shaped balloon dissector packaged with an implant which, when inflated, has a shape complimentary with the shape of the dissector. Using orientation indicia for proper orientation, the surgical site is dissected with the shaped balloon dissector. Once so prepared, a shaped deflated implant is positioned within the site and then inflated. Since the implant's shape is complementary with the dissector's shape, the implant fits within the site without requiring excess site preparation.

Abstract: Hand-held surgical assembly for use in performing a laparoscopic medical procedure, comprising a housing. An actuator tube having a bore therein is slidably mounted in the housing. A handle operated mechanism is carried by the housing for causing reciprocatory movement of the actuator tube assembly within the housing.

Abstract: A needle-suture combination includes a suture having first and second portions, the first portion having a pliability greater than that of the second portion. The needle is preferably a double tipped shuttle needle having a lateral aperture into which the suture is affixed. In one embodiment the first portion of the suture is multifilament suture material that is connected to a monofilament second portion by means of shrink wrap type tubing. In another embodiment the entire suture is an integral length of monofilament material, the first portion being a reduced diameter section of the monofilament suture.

Abstract: A device for performing circumcisions comprising two interlockable rings, a larger outer ring which has a continuous groove or channel within its circumference, and a smaller inner ring which has a solid circumference and is sized to fit into the groove or channel of the outer ring so that the two rings can be brought together on the penis during circumcision to form a locking device which clamps the foreskin of the penis into a fixed position inside the groove or channel of the larger outer ring thereby to facilitate the surgical removal of the excess foreskin from the penis by the surgeon.

Abstract: A cutting device for the cutting and reduction of matter from a surgical site having a cutting head having an entry tip and three or more cutting blades positioned on opposed leading edges of a window formed through the interior of the cutting head. The window includes angled walls extending from each cutting blade along the circumference of the window. The cutting head is attached to a shaft for mounting the cutting device to a rotary surgical drill. The cutting head can also have a blade on the outer perimeter of the head. The matter is removed and further reduced as the cutting head is rotated at the surgical site. The geometry of the cutting head and entry tip can be varied for particular surgical procedures. The cutting device can also include a cannula or drill guard.

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.