Abstract: An intravenous infusion set for administering drugs to a patient, typically in an operating theatre or under intensive care conditions. The infusion set is of the winged needle type and it has been developed with the object of reducing the risk of so-called needlestick injury for medical professionals. The infusion set incorporates a hypodermic needle to which infusant is delivered and the needle is located within a small diameter cannula in the form of a plastics material sleeve which is intended to be inserted into a patient's vein. The needle is slidable axially between two limiting positions within the sleeve such that, when in a first of the positions, a sharp tip end of the needle projects beyond the sleeve and, when in the second position, the sharp tip end of the needle is retracted relative to the sleeve and is located wholly within the sleeve. In use of the infusion set, after the needle has been inserted into a vein the tip end of the needle is retracted into and remains within the sleeve.

Abstract: A flowmeter which is connectable in series with a fluid supply line and which functions to meter the rate of fluid flow through the supply line. The flowmeter incorporates a chamber into and through which fluid is passed, and an acousto-electrical transducer is located within the chamber for exposure to acoustical energy which is emitted by fluid passing through the chamber. The transducer is connected in circuit with a detector which is arranged to provide an output which follows the peak voltage of an amplified output signal generated by the transducer as a consequence of the transducer being exposed to acoustical energy of the fluid. A display device is incorporated in the flowmeter for providing a measure of the detector output, and hence of the amplitude of the transducer output, in terms of fluid flow rate.

Abstract: An electrically powered mechanical ventilator for use in medical applications. The ventilator comprises a bellows-form expansible chamber which communicates with a gas inlet/delivery port and at least one electric motor which is energised to effect cyclic expansion and compression of the chamber by way of a motion translating mechanism. In a preferred form of the ventilator, two electric motors are mounted to a common shaft and means are provided for effecting cyclic energisation of the respective motors whereby the shaft is driven cyclically in opposite directions to effect the expansion and compression of the chamber.