Abstract: An improved aortic cannula is provided for use in heart by-pass surgery. The cannula includes an elongated tube with a terminal end. The terminal end has a ramped surface leading to the discharge opening. The ramped surface terminates in a spoon-shaped lip. The spoon-shaped lip directs blood out of the cannula opening toward the ascending aorta or aortic arch in a U-shaped dispersion so as to preclude impact on the aortic wall. A bead adjacent the opening facilitates dispersion of the exiting blood. The opening has an upper edge with an inverted V-shaped contour which also facilitates dispersion of the blood.

Abstract: The invention relates to a single-use device for injection, which comprises a conventional syringe (1) and a device for protection of the injection needle (2) of this syringe (1) after use, comprising a protective sheath (7) which consists of two, rear (9) and front (8) bodies, which are designed to be rendered integral, one in the extension of the other, and a ring (24) which is accommodated in the rear body (9) and is provided with means (29, 31) for locking the syringe (1), the said ring being designed to be displaced between a first position, for injection, and a second position, for protection after use of the injection needle (2), by means of a spring (42) which is kept compressed in the position for injection, and is released when injection is completed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a safety cap for sharps which includes a handle which extends away from the sheath holding and covering the sharp.

Abstract: A catheter and method of use as an aortic balloon catheter having an integral expandable/collapsible lumen. The catheter comprises a main catheter body having a plurality of lumens extending therethrough, and further includes an expandable/collapsible lumen disposed thereabout and carried by the main catheter body. The expandable/collapsible lumen has a relatively large diameter when inflated with respect to the main catheter body, and is self-inflating by fluid pressure when the fluid flows therethrough. The large inflatable/collapsible lumen is attached at its distal end to the main catheter body and thus is carried therewith into a body vessel, and thus is also supported by the catheter body to avoid kinking.

Abstract: An irrigator (20) useful for surgical and medical procedures. The irrigator includes a handpiece (22) to which a tip assembly (30) is attached. The handpiece (22) includes a drain tube (50) that extends through the body of the handpiece and outside of the handpiece to the complementary suction system. The tip assembly includes a discharge tube (32) that is snap secured into the front of the handpiece and a suction tube (48) that seats in the open front end of the drain tube. A removable splash shield (181) is attached to the front end of the tip assembly. A trigger (44) allows one-handed control of, the position of the handpiece, the on/off state of the irrigator and the rate at which fluid is discharged from the irrigator. A rechargeable power pack (222) can be used to supply the energization current needed to activate a number of different handpieces at different speeds.

Abstract: A self-occluding catheter includes a body portion for connection to extracorporeal equipment. An elongated tubular extension is provided for insertion into a body cavity. The body portion includes a resiliently biased spool supported therein which is slidable between an open and a closed position for alternately permitting and stopping the flow of blood through the catheter during a given medical procedure. The biasing device for resilient biasing the spool preferably comprises one or more magnets fixed within the body portion which generate a magnetic force for urging the magnetically polarized spool to its closed position.

Abstract: A safety medical device having a sharpened needle is provided. After use, the needle is retracted so that the contaminated needle is shielded to prevent inadvertent contact with the contaminated needle. In one embodiment, the device includes a barrel and a plunger that is slidable within the barrel. The sharpened needle is operable between a projecting position and a retracted position. In the projecting position, the needle projects forwardly from the front end of the barrel. In the retracted position, the needle is shielded to prevent inadvertent contact with the needle. When the plunger is displaced forwardly to expel fluid from the barrel, the plunger actuates retraction so that the needle is automatically retracted after use. The needle may be included as an element of a needle assembly that is connectable with the barrel. The needle assembly includes a spring for biasing the needle toward the retracted position and a connector for attaching the needle to the barrel.

Abstract: A stent system and method for use in the prostate gland. The stent is made of a shape memory alloy such as nitinol, and has a low temperature martensite state, with a martensite transition temperature below body temperature, and a high temperature austenite state, with an austenite transition temperature at or above body temperature, and a memorized shape in the high temperature austenite state which is a helical coil of diameter large enough to hold the prostatic urethra open. The stent is used to heat the prostate and is left in the prostatic urethra while the prostate heals. After the prostate is substantially healed, the stent is cooled to its martensite state and is easily removed from the urethra.

Abstract: A dual use needle cap having a before use portion and an after use portion. The before use portion including an outer surface and an interior surface defining a chamber sized to enclose a needle of a syringe. The after use portion includes a clamp and a hood attached to the outer surface of the before use portion at opposite ends thereof. The clamp is configured to fit on to at least one of a barrel of a syringe or a needle assembly connected to the syringe and the hood is configured to cover a tip of the needle.

Abstract: An improved structure syringe needle cover comprised of a sleeve, a coil spring, and a mount, wherein the sleeve is installed over the syringe needle and has minute hole disposed through it and, furthermore, a press release section is situated along the two exterior sides of the protective head thereby formed, with a hollow expandable and contractible space having a number of break lines along the two sides extending through its center section. Formed in the lower section is a passage that is aligned with the minute hole of the upper section and has an annular groove disposed around the exterior and, furthermore, there is a conjoinment section at the two sides of the annular groove.

Abstract: A retractable syringe characterized by a syringe needle which can be retracted into the barrel of the syringe and locked therein after use, to prevent accidental needle sticks or re-use of the syringe. In a preferred embodiment the syringe barrel is terminated by a tapered barrel neck which communicates with the syringe barrel interior and threadibly receives the needle hub of a cannulated syringe needle. A syringe plunger, slidably disposed in the syringe barrel, is terminated by a plunger nipple for threadibly engaging the interior of the needle hub. After the syringe plunger is operated to expel the liquid contents of the syringe barrel through the syringe needle, the plunger is rotated in the barrel to threadibly seat the plunger nipple in the needle hub. Continued rotation of the plunger in the barrel threads the attached needle hub and needle into the syringe barrel. In a preferred embodiment a pair of flexible plunger lock tabs is fitted on the plunger.

Abstract: A filter flush system for temporary placement of a filter in an artery or vein is disclosed. The system typically includes a guidewire insertable within a guiding catheter, which has an occlusion balloon disposed about its distal end. The guidewire has an expandable filter, which can be collapsed to pass through a lumen and distal port of the guiding catheter. The lumen is adapted to receive a variety of endovascular devices, including angioplasty, atherectomy, and stenting catheters. Fluid medium or blood can be infused through the lumen of the guiding catheter to flush embolic material or mobile plaque generated during the endovascular procedures toward the expanded filter deployed downstream from the region of interest. Methods of using the filter flush system to entrap and remove embolic material from the vessel are also disclosed.

Abstract: This is a catheter assembly which may be used in accessing a tissue target within the body, typically a target which is accessible through the vascular system. Central to the invention is the use of a braided metallic reinforcing member, typically of a stainless steel or super-elastic alloy ribbon, situated within the catheter body in such a way to create a catheter section having a thin wall, controlled stiffness, and high resistance to kinking. The distal-most section of the catheter is much more flexible than are other braided catheters of the genre due to choice of braid construction features of that distal-most section. The distal-most braid, and optionally, intermediate braid components are constructed to be more flexible than the more proximal sections due to deletion of ribbons from the braid structure, change of ribbon material, and change of pitch. The various sections include braids which may have a consistent pitch or may vary in pitch along the axis of the catheter or catheter section.

Abstract: A cassette for controlling the flow of IV fluid from a patient to a source. The cassette preferably includes, along the fluid passage through the cassette, first and second membrane-based valves (6, 7) on either side of a pressure-conduction chamber (50), and a stopcock-type valve (20). The stopcock valve is preferably located downstream of the second membrane-based valve (7), which is preferably located downstream of the pressure-conduction chamber (50). The membrane defining the valving chamber of the second membrane-based valve (7) is preferably large and resilient, so that the valving chamber (75) may provide a supply of pressurized intravenous fluid to the patient, when the valve is closed and the stopcock valve provides a restriction downstream of the valve. The pressure-conduction chamber (50) preferably has a membrane (41) that is stable in the empty-chamber position but relatively unstable in the filled-chamber position.

Abstract: A single-use syringe assembly is provided and includes an elongated syringe barrel with a plunger assembly disposed therein. The plunger assembly includes an elongated plunger rod having a plunger tip located distally. The plunger tip contains a locking detent disposed a the distal end of the tip. The syringe barrel has a nozzle at the substantially closed distal end, the nozzle adapted to conform to the plunger tip. The distal end of the nozzle contains an annular inward biased ring adapted to mate with the locking detent of the plunger tip. Upon usage of the syringe and application of force to apply the liquid, the locking detent is irreversibly mated with the nozzle inwardly biased ring, thereby preventing reuse of the syringe assembly.

Abstract: A hand held device for loading a hypodermic syringe from a medicine vial is configured for easy placement of the syringe into a closely conforming channel in the proximal end of the device, with the needle end pointing towards the other end. The other end of the device is configured for easy placement of a standard vial into a closely conforming chamber with its penetrable cap facing the needle tip. Closing the device causes or permits the further action required for piercing the vial with the syringe needle. A sliding pull tab engages the syringe plunger so that gripping and pulling on the tab withdraws the plunger from the syringe, thus drawing fluid from the vial. An amplified or enhanced readout capability visually indicates the dosage of fluid withdrawn from the vial. An auxiliary needle mounted so as to be slightly offset from the syringe, provides for a supplemental piercing of the vial so that make-up air is available when large dosages are drawn from the vial with a single pull of the plunger.

Abstract: The present invention provides a syringe including a tubular barrel. The tubular barrel has an open proximal end, a distal end with a fluid expelling passage defined therein, and a barrel chamber. A seal is disposed within the barrel chamber a predetermined distance away from the open proximal end in fluid-tight and axially-sliding engagement with the barrel chamber, so that fluid held in the barrel chamber between the fluid expelling passage and the seal can be expelled from the barrel chamber to the outside via the fluid expelling passage by sliding the seal towards the fluid expelling passage.

Abstract: A relatively inexpensive cannula is sized by including indica on a cannulated dilator that is used to measure the depth of a body cavity, and in one embodiment with the use of a cuttable fixture inserted into an initially enlarged dilator retractor made from a cuttable material the excess of the dilator retractor is snipped by a commercial cutter. A tool engaging the end of the cannulated dilator provides leverage on the cannulated dilator for rotation as it is forced into the body cavity, a pusher tool provides leverage on the dilator retractor for inserting the dilator retractor into the body cavity. A clamp that fits the top of the dilator retractor serves to support the dilator retractor through an arm to a rigid structure. In an alternate embodiment one of a series of sized dilator retractors are selected commensurate with the measurement attained by the scaled cannulated dilator.

Abstract: An injection device has a drive spring which, when released, urges a loaded capsule forwards to project its needle from the end of a barrel and ejects the dose. A light return spring then retracts the needle. The drive spring acts on the capsule plunger through a drive member having a movable barrier against which the rear end of the plunger initially abuts. A first trigger releases the drive member and drive spring and after an injection a second trigger can be actuated to shift the barrier relative to the drive member and allow the return spring to act.

Abstract: Apparatus for providing control of infusion delivery using conventional infusion fluid bags includes an air bag which is pressurised by a pneumatic pump. A digital camera or imaging device is able to analyse drops passing through a drop chamber, by capturing an image of the drop as it passes through the drop chamber. The output of the imaging device is fed to an image processor which calculates the volume of the captured drop using the number of pixels in the image. An infra red detector detects each time a drops passes through the drop chamber, and the outputs of the both the image processor and the infra red detector are passed to a master controller. The master controller controls the fluid delivery process by counting the number of drops passing through the drop chamber and controlling a flow brake to achieve the required flow rate.