Abstract: A fluid is injected for a period of 2 to 30 minutes using an intravenous injection ("IV") system which includes a syringe. The syringe includes an internal bag, which receives fluid, a plunger and a finger-operated air valve. The syringe operates by ambient air pressure and does not require hand-pushing or motor operation.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided for delivering oxygenated blood at a first flow rate to a first region of the body and at a second lower flow rate to a second region of the body using first and second balloons and a first lumen that delivers blood to a first plurality of apertures interposed between the first and second balloons. A second lumen is used to deliver blood to a second plurality of apertures disposed proximally of the second balloon. Methods of using the apparatus also are provided.

Abstract: A surgical handpiece having at least two lumens mounted to a body. At least one lumen is used for aspiration and at least one other lumen is used to inject heated surgical fluid for liquefying a cataractous lens. A portion of the second lumen is enlarged to form a pumping chamber. The pumping chamber works by boiling a small volume of the surgical fluid. As the fluid boils, it expands rapidly, thereby propelling the liquid downstream of the pumping chamber out of the second lumen. The pumping chamber may use any type of heater, such as a resistive heater or an induction heater. The handpiece may also contain other lumens for injecting relatively cool surgical fluid.

Abstract: A low profile parenchymal bolt having a cap, a body, and a base with two rods located through the cap that the base. Levers are located at the cap and are interconnected with the rods. Moving the levers outwardly pulls the rods and base towards the cap compressing the body and causing its outer diameter to increase into contact with an opening in the skull of a patient to form a fluid-tight seal and fixing the bolt in position. A lumen permits mounting an instrument through the bolt and when the body is compressed, the lumen reduces in size thus clamping the instrument in place in the bolt and forming a fluid-tight seal. Through use of non-ferric materials, artifacts in MRI are reduced.

Abstract: A needle protector having a body, a needle hub and a needle. The body has a first end and a second end. The body includes a plurality of side walls extending between the first and second ends in a geometric configuration. The side walls define an interior space. The side walls define a first slot and a second slot. The needle hub including a front end, a back end, a first side and a second side is positioned in the interior space of the body. The front end is adapted to receive a needle. The first and second sides each includes a handle device. The handle device extends through the slots to positions outside of the body. The needle is in communication with the front end of the needle hub. Movement of the handle devices causes corresponding movement of the needle. The needle can be retracted into the body and locked in position.

Abstract: A guiding catheter or angiographic catheter for use in cardiovascular interventions which incorporates a low-flexibility multi-layer proximal zone wherein a transition zone separates the proximal zone and a high flexibility distal zone. A mid-region zone transitions the high stiffness of the proximal zone to the higher flexibility of the distal zone to eliminate buckling and kinking. All zones of the catheter have a sufficiently large and substantially similar radiopacity, which allows the entirety of the catheter to be visible in a fluoroscope or other form of x-ray so that the positioning of the catheter can be precisely determined.

Abstract: A medical irrigation pump and pump system utilize a permanent non-sterile drive motor capable of operating disposable sterile single use pump units each of which is specifically designed for a particular medical procedure. The pump units have housings which are adapted to be interchangeable within the permanent controller system. Only the sterilized and disposable pump units come into contact with the fluid pathway during pumping. A pattern of bumps on each pump unit is unique for the medical procedure for which the pump unit was designed. The pattern of bumps engages switches on the controller, enabling the controller to identify what type of pump unit has been installed. After automatically identifying the type of pump unit and the intended medical procedure, the controller automatically selects a default motor speed that will provide an appropriate fluid pressure for that particular procedure. Buttons on a control panel also enable the user to manually adjust the pressure delivered by the pump.

Abstract: Disclosed is a needle assembly to be used with a pen-type injector and a percutaneously placed catheter device for intravenous infusion or a subcutaneously inserted cannula that is part of an injection set. Unlike all prior art needle assemblies which have a sharp point at the needle's distal end, the needle assembly described herein has a blunt tip so as to avoid any inadvertent needle sticks. This invention envisions using such a blunt tipped needle assembly connected to a pen-type injector and used with an injection set that has a cannula placed in the subcutaneous tissue. This invention also envisions using such a blunt tipped needle assembly with a pen-type injector for intravenous injections of medication through any intravenous catheter that has a septum through which the blunt needle of the pen-type injector can be placed.

Abstract: A catheter system has a balloon angioplasty device disposed about a common lumen near its distal end. The balloon catheter is pre-fitted with a stent which is deployed when the balloon is inflated. The common lumen is in communication with multiple lumens within a proximal region of the catheter body to allow for positioning of the catheter over a movable guide wire and convenient delivery of imaging or interventional devices to a desired region of a body passageway being treated. The procedure for stent deployment optionally includes steps of imaging a lumen by ultrasound before and after stent deployment to identify the site at which a stent is needed, to confirm that the stent is being and has been deployed at a longitudinal position which does not overlap a branched segment of the body passageway, and to ensure that the stent has been radially opened to an optimum diameter.

Abstract: A catheter assembly comprising a elongated, flexible support structure having an axis. The assembly also includes an elongated porous electrode assembly carried by the support structure along the axis for contact with tissue. The elongated porous electrode assembly comprises a wall having an exterior peripherally surrounding an interior area, a lumen to convey a medium containing ions into the interior area, and an element coupling the medium within the interior area to a source of electrical energy. At least a portion of the wall comprising a porous material is sized to allow passage of ions contained in the medium to thereby enable ionic transport of electrical energy through the porous material to the exterior of the wall to form a continuous elongated lesion pattern in tissue contacted by the wall. The support structure can have a curvilinear geometry, e.g., a loop shape, and the elongated porous electrode assembly conforms to the curvilinear geometry.

Abstract: This invention pertains to blood vessel cannulation devices and methods for sensing the location of a blood vessel. The blood vessel cannulation device preferably comprises a mounting assembly for securing the device to a patient in the vicinity of a blood vessel, a rotating assembly mounted to the mounting assembly, and a guide housing mounted to the rotating assembly. Sensing guides in the guide housing receive one or more sensors which sense the blood vessel. Rotating the rotating assembly, and traversing the guide housing, enable bringing the bottom ends of the sensing guides into alignment with the blood vessel, correspondingly also bringing a cannula guide, in the guide housing, into alignment with the blood vessel. Cannulation, is improved by the alignment of the bottom end of the cannula guide with respective bottom ends of the sensing guides.

Abstract: The present invention is generally directed to a strain relief device which assists in resisting bending and/or torsional forces while at the same time resisting axial pull forces to avoid separation of the strain relief device from the catheter tube during use. By way of example, the strain relief device of the present invention preferably includes an elongate body formed of an elastomeric material having a lumen formed therethrough along its entire length. The strain relief device lumen may be generally divided into proximal, central and distal portions which may each be of varying and/or different diameters. The strain relief device is preferably placed about a selected portion of the catheter tube, and the proximal and distal portions are bonded to the catheter tube.

Abstract: The present invention discloses catheter tube retaining devices having a disk rotatably coupled to the base, and a strap (or equivalent) for attaching such a device to the human body. The disk is capable of rotation relative to the base through at least a 90 degree arc. Further, the disk has formed upon a top surface at least one U-shaped retaining channel or groove of sufficient diameter as to retain a catheter tube in interference fit, without restricting the passage of fluid through such tube. Preferably, at least one pair of opposing tabs (or equivalent) protrude over the retaining channel to assist in the retention of the catheter tube. The disk can accommodate four channels, for different sizes of catheter tubes.

Abstract: A heart muscle irrigation device comprises a short rivet like member with one closed and one open end, and a barrel including a plurality of holes, slots, an area mesh, or a grid. The irrigation device is inserted into the heart muscle so as to provide a channel from, for example, the left ventricle, to provide ad adequate oxygenated blood supply to a starved muscle. The irrigation device is inserted from either outside or inside the rib cage by an insertion device. The insertion device comprises a plunger and barrel assembly adapted to contain the irrigation device. The tip of the insertion device includes members adapted to penetrate the heart muscle. If the irrigation device is inserted through an insertion into the rib cage, an applicator comprising a tubular member with a planar tip including a soft elastomeric seal can be used whereby a portion of the heart muscle is held more or less rigidly for the short period during which the irrigation device is inserted.

Abstract: A syringe is provided with a Luer-Lok portion for connecting an extension tube or the like. The Luer-Lok portion is arranged upright on a plane of truncation of a conical-frustum-shaped free end portion of the syringe, and includes an inner cylindrical portion and an outer cylindrical portion surrounding the inner cylindrical portion and having at least two projecting helical ribs formed in parallel with each other on an inner peripheral surface thereof. The extension tube or the like can be connected to the Luer-Lok portion by screwing at least two projecting helical ribs of a cylindrical connector, said at least two projecting helical ribs being formed in parallel with each other on an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical connector, in corresponding grooves defined between the helical projecting ribs of the outer cylindrical portion.

Abstract: A fixed wire balloon catheter for use in angioplasty includes an elongated flexible thin walled metal tube which carries an inflatable balloon at its distal end. A metal core member of smaller outer diameter than the metal tube is attached to the distal end of the tube to provide support for and guiding of the balloon section. The proximal end of the balloon is connected either to the distal end of the metal tube or to an intermediate waist tube, with the core extending distally from the metal tube through the balloon. The distal end of the balloon is secured to the core. A vent arrangement is provided to purge the catheter of gases prior to use.

Abstract: Lubricious medical devices such as catheters and stents which minimize friction and retain lubricity and dimensional properties for a long period of time. The devices are made by coextrusion wherein the inner layer is a hydrophobic polymer and the outer layer is a blend of a hydrophilic polymer and hydrophobic polymer. Devices made by extrusion of a blend of hydrophobic polymer with a blend of hydrophobic/hydrophilic polymer are described also.

Abstract: Catheter system consisting of a sleeve, a catheter and a membrane partially arranged in the sleeve, which can be fixed in a skin passage unit in such a way that the catheter protrudes from the skin passage unit towards the interior of the body, wherein the individual components of the catheter system are inseparably connected to one another.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an apparatus for the oral administration of a flowable material to an animal. The apparatus may be useable in artificial feeding or administration of medication to an animal, and in general includes a container to hold a predetermined amount of the liquid or flowable material to be administered. The container has a discharge opening through which the liquid is selectively discharged to a feeding tube selectively coupled to the discharge opening. The tube is in fluid tight relationship to receive liquid or flowable material discharged from the container, and has a predetermined length and a distal discharge end through which the material is transmitted. A nipple which can be associated with the tube is selectively positioned at a predetermined location relative to the distal end of the tube. The nipple is configured to limit the extent to which the tube can be inserted into the mouth of the animal and to facilitate proper administration of the material to the animal.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method for treating erectile dysfunctionality by injecting pharmacological agents into the corpora cavernosa of the penis. The present invention employs an improved method for injecting pharmacological agents into the corpora cavernosa of the penis which does not require a hypodermic needle and the attendant problems associated with the use of hypodermic needles to inject pharmacological agents into the penis and to provide a new treatment option to many patients with erectile dysfunctionality.