Abstract: Containment sacs insertable into a body cavity through a minimal access incision for purposes of containing, manipulating, treating and/or extracting material from the body cavity. The sac may comprise a flexible sac body having at least one opening thereinto and a resilient or spring loaded rim member disposed about the opening to urge the opening to an open configuration when deployed in the body cavity. The containment sac may be further utilized in combination with a dedicated introducer sheath through which the containment sac may be inserted and extracted. A valving member may be positioned on the introducer sheath to prevent escape of gas from a pressurized body cavity such as a pneumoperitoneal. The containment sac may incorporate a grasping member whereby the containment sac may be grasped and inserted using a standard forecep/grasper instrument. Alternatively, the containment sac may be attached to an elongate rod member usable to insert and extract the containment sac.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a device for deploying and retrieving a flexible tissue containment sac within a body cavity, through a minimal access incision. The device generally includes a tubular introducer having a flexible tissue containment sac disposable in a compressed configuration within the lumen of such tubular introducer. An elongate plunger shaft or pushing member is insertable or passable through at least a portion of the introducer lumen to push the containment sac out of the distal end of the lumen. Attached to the containment sac and extending through the lumen of the introducer is a tether. A portion of the tether may extend out of the proximal end of the introducer. The proximal end of the tether may be grasped and pulled in a proximal direction to pull the containment sac to a retrieved position on the end of an extractable shaft or, in embodiments absent such extractable shaft, to pull at least a portion of the containment sac into the introducer lumen.

Abstract: Devices and a system for passing instruments into a body cavity and/or for containing, manipulating, treating and removing matter from the body cavity, through a minimal access incision typically no greater than 1 cm in length. In one embodiment, the device of the invention includes an upper valving member with a plurality of interchangeable lower trocar members such as a) a short trocar member of 0.5-0.3 inches in length, b) a long trocar member greater than 3.0 inches in length and/or c) a trocar member having a protective cage disposed about its distal end attachable thereto. The lower trocar members are insertable into the body cavity. Further, in accordance with the system of the present invention, various instruments are independently insertable through the upper valving member and lower trocar portions of the device to perform various functions.

Abstract: An infusion system includes an implantable housing having a storage reservoir that is dimensioned and arranged to contain a supply of a medication and a holding reservoir that is dimensioned and arranged to receive a dosage of the medication from the storage reservoir. A pump assembly is included for enabling a patient to cause a dosage of the medication to be transferred from the storage reservoir to the holding reservoir, and pressurizing components maintain the dosage under pressure within the holding reservoir in order to cause the dosage to discharge through an output port to the infusion location. One embodiment accomplishes this with an elongated bladder of elastomeric material in fluid communication with the storage reservoir and the output port. The bladder inflates as it fills with the dosage to maintain the dosage under pressure, and a capillary element disposed intermediate the bladder and the output port restricts the rate of discharge.

Abstract: An implantable fluid delivery device having a deformable casing containing a fluid reservoir, a compressible pump housing, and inlet and outlet valves for controlling the flow of metered amounts of fluid from the reservoir to a catheter when a target zone of the casing's top wall is depressed. The construction and operation of the outlet valve result in the generation of a tactile feedback signal transmitted through the target zone to inform a user that a measured amount of fluid has been discharged from the device.

Abstract: An implantable fluid delivery device for dispensing metered aliquots of liquid medication upon finger-pressure activation of the device by a patient. The device includes a soft, deformable needle-piercable casing having a fluid reservoir in which is located a relatively-rigid, apertured support plate that divides the reservoir into upper and lower chambers. A compressible, positive displacement pump chamber or housing is mounted upon the plate within the upper chamber and includes passages communicating with both the lower chamber and an outlet port. Force applied to a central target zone of the top wall causes compression of the pump housing and delivery through the outlet port of an amount of fluid equal to the displacement of the pump housing. The same target zone of the top wall serves as a self-sealing injection site for replenishing the fluid supply of the reservoir.

Abstract: An implantable fluid delivery device for dispensing metered amounts of liquid medication when a pump assembly within its casing is operated by finger pressure applied to a central target zone of the casing's top wall. The top wall also includes an injection site spaced from the central target zone for use when a bolus of medicament is to be injected into the device and delivered directly to the patient without passing through the pump assembly. The flattened pear shape of the casing and the location of the sites for pump activation and refilling on one hand, and for bolus injection on the other, facilitate errorfree use and operation of the device. Although limited fluid backup may occur during bolus injection, a valve arrangement within the device prevents intermixing of the bolus medicament with the liquid medication in the reservoir. In a second embodiment, a supporting grid prevents possible injury to the backup-restraining valve during bolus injection.

Abstract: A peristaltic pump equipped with a series of rollers eccentrically mounted upon a drive shaft, the pump also includes an elastomeric fluid delivery tube supported to extend in a direction parallel with the axis of the drive shaft. Each roller has a generally cylindrical outer surface equipped with a concentric annular rim that projects radially outwardly beyond the cylindrical surface and is rounded and smoothly tapered when viewed in longitudinal section. The rims of successive rollers are equally spaced and the rim diameter of each eccentric roller is sufficiently large to occlude a section of the tube when that roller is at its perigee with respect to the tube, at which time the adjacent cylindrical surface of the same roller also engages the tube but causes only limited non-occlusive deformation of that tube. The apparatus is particularly useful as a blood pump.

Abstract: A tubular conduit formed of resilient, flexible, thermoplastic material having an intermediate portion with at least one enlarged section that has a flow passage of substantially greater cross-sectional area, and a wall portion of lesser thickness and lower resistance to deformation, than found in the remainder of the conduit. The method of making the collapsible conduit, involving the steps of reshaping a preformed thermoplastic tube by molding it under heat and internal pressure, and the utilization of such a formed conduit in a linear peristaltic pump, are also disclosed.

Abstract: A device for electrosurgery includes a curved-tip probe adapted for insertion into an incision, and a resiliently deformable electrode movable longitudinally within the probe so that the distal end can be projected in an offset direction out of the tip of the probe between a closed position wherein the terminal end of the electrode is closely adjacent the tip to an extended position wherein the terminal end is a greater distance from the tip. A shielding member of flexible and resilient composition extends alongside the probe for shielding the terminal end of the electrode from tissue during surgery. The shielding member may be spring biased toward the closed position and include various electrode engaging arrangements that inhibit lateral movement of the electrode relative to the probe. One embodiment includes a slidable shielding member that enables the device to be used for lateral release or meniscal surgery.

Abstract: Controlling maximum fluid pressure at the outlet end of a peristaltic pump of the general type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,482,347 is achieved by supporting the resilient tubing of the pump in the trough of a rigid but movable platen mounted upon a compression pad or spring arrangement that resists platen movement until a back pressure of predetermined magnitude occurs, at which time the plate is displaced to reduce pumping efficiency and prevent further increases in outlet pressure.

Abstract: A surgical illuminator comprising a plurality of elongated, flexible, optical fibers having proximal and distal end portions and a strip of tape for retaining at least the distal end portions of the optical fibers in a ribbon-like pattern. A connector is coupled to the proximal end portions of the optical fibers, and the connector is adapted to optically couple the optical fibers to a light source. The tape has adhesive on both of its faces so that the tape can also be adhered to a surgical instrument to provide illumination from the light source.

Abstract: A linear peristaltic pump, and a disposable casette therefor, particularly suitable for the infusion of parenteral fluids. The pump includes a housing having a power-driven shaft and a series of small bearing assemblies having their inner members eccentrically mounted upon that shaft. A thin elastomeric membrane extends along the series of bearing assemblies for engagement with the outer members thereof along a first band or linear zone of contact lying in the same plane as the axis of the shaft. The disposable casette is removably supported by the housing and takes the form of a rigid, planar, perimetric frame having an opening across which is stretched a section of elastomeric tubing.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a compact, portable peristaltic pump particularly suitable for medical use in infusing or removing fluids. The pump includes a series of small bearing assemblies each having concentric inner and outer members capable of free rotation with respect to each other. The inner members are eccentrically mounted upon a power-driven shaft with their centers arranged in a helix about the axis of the shaft. A thin elastomeric membrane is disposed along the series of bearing assemblies with the outer members having their surfaces tangentially engaging one side of the membrane along a first band or linear zone of contact. An elastomeric tube extends along the opposite side of the membrane, engaging that membrane along a second band or linear zone of contact directly opposite the first band of contact.

Abstract: A mass transfer apparatus for use in hemodialysis and ultrafiltration wherein a semi-permeable membrane is folded to form a stack of accordion pleats and is arranged within a ported housing to form two separate fluid chambers for blood and dialysate. A plurality of discrete planar support members of open-mesh plastic material are associated with the membrane, such support members each being flat and unfolded, and preferably being arranged to provide a pair of such members in superimposed contiguous relation within each pleat only on the dialysate side of the membrane. One of the support members of each contiguous pair has at least one transverse slot which extends the full thickness of that member and in which the plastic material of that member is completely absent. The transverse slot extends away from an edge of the one support member facing towards a blood flow port of the housing and terminates short of the opposite edge of that support member.

Abstract: The present invention relates to mass transfer apparatus e.g., artificial kidney in which a semipermeable membrane is folded or pleated between top and bottom rectangular plates. Support members are disposed within each pleat on one side only of the membrane. The top and bottom plates are held under a predetermined compressive load while a connecting means with ports is bonded to the opposite side edges of the top and bottom plates. The whole pleated membrane assembly is secured within a housing, with the ports protruding through the housing. The apparatus has reproducible performance characteristics from one device to another.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are described for converting a continuous fluid stream into a succession of discrete fluid segments or boluses traveling independently of each other in a capillary passage, the menisci of the boluses so generated providing a clear basis for observing, accurately measuring, and controlling fluid flow. The meniscus generator is surrounded by a second fluid immiscible with the first fluid, and the wall of the capillary passage is provided with a longitudinal slit for reducing the effect of surface tension, for the spontaneous formation of boluses of the first fluid, for eliminating the effect of differential pressure on the boluses, and for maintaining separation of the boluses.

Abstract: A two-section implantable catheter for peritoneal dialysis is disclosed, the catheter having a retainer section which permanently ingrows into the abdominal wall and a catheter tube section. The two sections are normally connected together in a fluid-tight seal but may be separated to permit replacement of the tube section of an indwelling catheter without necessitating surgical removal of the retainer section.

Abstract: A mass transfer apparatus is disclosed comprising a housing, preferably rectangular, a semipermeable membrane disposed within said housing, said membrane being folded to form a stack of accordion pleats over the whole internal surface of the bottom of said housing, one or more support members being disposed within every pleat on one side only of said membrane, all edges of said membrane being embedded in plastic embedding material within said housing so that the membrane thereby forms two fluid compartments with ports allowing the flow of a fluid in each compartment, the creases of said membrane pleats being collapsed upon said support members and, at their ends, being sharply folded upon themselves and deeply penetrating into the embedding material along a longitudinal side of the housing. The creases which sharply fold upon themselves have a bi-concave external shape.