Abstract: The invention provides a variety of surgical instruments for forming a liquid jet, which are useful for performing a wide variety of surgical procedures. In some embodiments, the invention provides surgical liquid jet instruments having a pressure tube and an evacuation tube, where the pressure tube includes at least one nozzle for forming a liquid jet and where the evacuation tube includes a jet-receiving opening for receiving the liquid jet when the instrument is in operation. In some embodiments, the surgical liquid jet instrument is constructed to minimize damage to the tissue surrounding the tissue that is desired to be removed. In some embodiments, the outer surface of the distal tip of the evacuation tube wall and/or the pressure tube wall is blunted to minimize tissue damage. The invention also provides surgical methods utilizing the inventive surgical liquid jet instruments for cutting or ablating a selected tissue within portions of a patient's spine, such as within the intervertebral disc.

Abstract: The invention provides a variety of surgical instruments for forming a liquid jet, which are useful for performing a wide variety of surgical procedures. In some embodiments, the invention provides surgical liquid jet instruments having a pressure tube and an evacuation tube, where the pressure tube includes at least one nozzle for forming a liquid jet and where the evacuation tube includes a jet-receiving opening for receiving the liquid jet when the instrument is in operation. In some embodiments, the distal ends of both the pressure and evacuation tubes have a first configuration in a non-relaxed state and a second configuration in a more relaxed state. In some embodiments, a straightener is constructed to selectively control the configuration of the distal ends of both the pressure and evacuation tubes.

Abstract: Certain embodiments of the invention provide a variety of methods of manufacturing a liquid jet-forming surgical instrument. According to these methods, a nozzle assembly of the instrument is electroformed on a mandrel. The nozzle assembly includes a nozzle providing a jet-opening, wherein the nozzle is shaped to form a liquid jet. In some embodiments, the mandrel includes a first mandrel portion and a second mandrel portion. Once the nozzle assembly is formed, the mandrel may be removed from the nozzle assembly. The nozzle assembly may in certain embodiments be coupled to an outlet of the pressure tube. In certain embodiments, an inlet of an evacuation tube is positioned such that a jet-receiving opening of the evacuation tube is positioned opposite the jet-opening of the nozzle.

Abstract: A selectively controllable inflation-deflation device for use with a balloon catheter during angioplasty procedures is disclosed. The device is constructed so that the piston shaft can be 1) locked and then rotatably and incrementally moved within the syringe cylinder to enable controlled pressurization, or 2) unlocked and moved within the cylinder to enable fluid purging of the cylinder and retraction of the piston shaft to a vacuum position. The device has a cylinder with proximal and distal ends and a fluid conduit adapted for communication with a balloon. A piston shaft is received within the proximal end of the cylinder. The piston shaft includes a piston mounted on the distal end of the shaft and the shaft is movable in one direction during inflation and in a second direction during deflation of the balloon. Screw threads are positioned on at least a portion of the piston shaft. A cam mechanism in the preferred form of a flexible arm and half nut member is mounted within the cylinder.

Abstract: A cardiac pacing catheter system includes a main guiding catheter and a pair of electrical leads adapted to make direct electrical contact with the ventricle and the atrium of the patient's heart. The main catheter has a pair of lumens which guide and contain the ventricular and atrial leads. Each of the leads can be advanced and manipulated separately and independently within the main catheter body. The lumen for the ventricular lead exits at a port at the distal end of the main catheter body. The lumen for the atrial lead exits along a port at the side of the catheter, at a location proximal of the distal end. The atrial lead is spring-like and is formed with a J-shaped curve at its distal end which, when it exits from the catheter lumen, will assume the J-shaped configuration so that it may be manipulated into direct contact with the more upwardly disposed roof regions of the atrium.

Abstract: A penile prosthesis adapted for the surgical implantation in the penis for the treatment of erectile impotence is provided, which penile prosthesis comprises an elongated gooseneck-type shell element, for example, composed of a helically wound strip material, the gooseneck-type element stiff in character to retain its position and which resists flexure, but which flexure may be overridden manually; end cap means positioned at each end of the gooseneck-type element to provide protection therefor; and sheathing means integral with the end cap means to enclose and seal the gooseneck-type rod element and end cap means, thereby providing an implantable penile prosthesis, whereby upon implantation an erect or flaccid penile posture can be obtained at will by overriding manually the resistance to flexure of the rod-like element.

Abstract: A device for blowing powder onto teeth, the device consisting of a handpiece in the form of a housing connected to a compressed air source and having a discharge nozzle member which can be inserted in a patient's mouth and can be directed towards the patient's teeth. The housing has a powder reservoir with a bottom supply duct. An apertured shuttle bar is reciprocably slidably mounted beneath said duct and has a metering hole registrable with said supply duct and then, by longitudinally moving the bar, with a discharge conduit arranged to receive compressed air from the source so as to discharge a metered amount of powder in said hole into the nozzle member for delivery to the patient's teeth.

Abstract: A device for the delivery of a tubal-occluding polymer for sterilization of females, which device comprises a plurality of concentric tubes with a two-compartment balloon at the one end thereof.

Abstract: A mechanical penile prosthesis designed to be surgically implanted in the penis for the treatment of erectile impotence or as a functional component of a penile replacement prosthesis. The penile prosthesis comprises a pre-stretched, flexible, elastic, tubular component or sheath closed at each end thereof, and a plurality of cylindrically shaped segments or links, each having one or more convex ends and/or a concave end, enclosed within the tubular component. The pre-stretched tubular sheath maintains the segments in reference to one another, i.e. link-to-link contact, so that on straightening of the normally curved tubular enclosure a concave end of a segment mates with a convex end of an adjacent segment whereby the segments are aligned into a straight rod configuration resulting in an erect penis.

Abstract: A penile prosthesis adapted for surgical implantation in the penis for the treatment of erectile impotence is provided, which penile prothesis comprises a bundle of parallel flexible, plastic, rod-like elements which, due to internal surface friction between the individual rod elements, resist flexure, the rod elements tightly wrapped in a flexible sheath element, each end of the rod elements having a plastic cap means to protect the prosthesis from damage by the bundled plastic rod elements and a flexible medically acceptable material which sheaths the rod elements to seal out body fluids and tissue, whereby on implantation an erect or flaccid penile posture can be obtained at will.

Abstract: A two-stage, sterilizable connector for use in processing blood, which connector assures sterility when entering a blood bag to add agents required in processing blood, the connector designed to comprise a male and female body element which, in a first extended position, are partially joined, which connector is sterilizable, and which, after sterilization, the male and female body elements are joined in a secured, engaged position to effect the puncturing of the male and female septa to provide a fluid passageway therethrough.