Abstract: An electronic license plate and information processing system allows for a vehicle license plate to serve not only the purpose of identifying a specifically associated vehicle, but to also serve as a media for publishing temporal messages specifically associated with the vehicle or its locale. A license plate assembly consisting of a microprocessor chip in communication with a radio frequency transponder serves to control a light emitting diode matrix or other similar display and to publish messages therethrough in accordance with data and commands received from the transponder. The various information sources, including a department of motor vehicles, law enforcement, insurance records, and public service agencies are capable of communicating with the electronic license plate through encrypted transmission. The control server is interposed between these various sources and the interactive license plate for effecting the desired transmission and receipt of data and commands.

Abstract: An irrigation dressing is provided including a hollow inflatable tubulardam with a central opening adapted to surround the wound of the individual. A semi-hard resilient clear plastic window is attached to the dam, such that the central opening is completely enclosed on a front surface of the dam. The dressing includes an inner peripheral ridge and an outer peripheral ridge extending beyond a bottom or back body-engaging surface of the dam which facilitates drawing a vacuum. A plurality of connectors are attached to a front planar face surface of the clear plastic window. At least one connector is pivotable about an axis parallel to the front planar surface of the window. A self-sealing plug is disposed inside the dam so that the dam can be inflated to selected pressures using an associated hypodermic needle or the like.

Abstract: An irrigation dressing is provided for protecting and enclosing a wound on an individual that allows for frequent irrigation of the wound with irrigation solution and frequent drying of the wound, while also providing for selected drainage of the irrigation solution. The wound shield includes a hollow inflatable tubular dam with a central opening adapted to surround the wound of the individual. A semi-hard resilient clear plastic window is attached to the dam, such that the central opening is completely enclosed on a front surface of the dam. The wound shield includes an inner peripheral ridge and an outer peripheral ridge extending beyond a bottom or back body-engaging surface of the dam which facilitates drawing a vacuum. The wound shield includes a plurality of connectors attached to a front planar face surface of the clear plastic window. At least one connector is pivotable about an axis parallel to the front planar surface of the window.

Abstract: A unitary intravascular microcatheter with a continuous embedded helical coil reinforcement member and a method for making same are provided. Multiple catheters are manufactured from a continuous feedstock to reduce manufacturing time and labor cost. A selected length of a cylindrical tube is held stationary between a pair of spaced apart chuck members while a reinforcement wire is wrapped onto the stationary portion. The wire wrap portion of the cylindrical tube is advanced relative to the chuck members to hold a second selected length of no-wrap cylindrical tube stationary for wire wrapping of the second portion. The steps of advancing the cylindrical tube through the chuck members and then wrapping the reinforcement wire onto the tube is repeated for substantially the entire length of the elongate cylindrical tube to form a wire wrapped cylindrical tube with multiple wire wrapped sections spaced from one another by unwrapped sections.

Abstract: A reinforced catheter stock and a reinforced catheter are provided, along with an apparatus and methods for making same. The reinforced catheter stock includes a length of cylindrical tubing and a reinforcement member. During manufacture, the cylindrical tubing is continuously advanced from a pay-out spool to a take-up spool while the reinforcement member is wrapped onto the cylindrical tubing to form the reinforced catheter stock. Thereafter, first and second outer finish coatings are applied to the reinforced catheter stock. The coated catheter stock is cut to desired lengths to form multiple reinforced catheters. A portion of each catheter is ground to provide a soft tip portion having a desired flexibility and finish. One or more marking bands may be disposed near the distal end of each catheter.

Abstract: Apparatus for opening an obstructed region of a patient blood vessel comprising a catheter and guidewire. The guidewire is of sufficient length to extend from a region outside the patient to the obstructed region. The catheter acts as a guide tube supporting the guidewire for free axial and rotary movement. A power assembly is positioned outside the patient and has an output shaft joined to the guidewire. The power assembly further includes plural motors drivingly interrelated to move the output shaft to impart simultaneous axial reciprocation and rotary reciprocation to guidewire.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing angiographic catheters comprises providing a length of elastomeric tube of a predetermined outer diameter and braiding multiple strands of wire wrapping about its exterior. A plastic bonding agent is extruded onto the entire length of the wire wrapping to bond the strands to each other. Thereafter, the wire wrapping is ground away at predetermined spaced locations along the length of the elastomeric tube to provide a series of wire wrapped sections joined by non-wrapped sections. An elastomer layer is disposed over both the wire wrapped sections and the non-wrapped sections throughout the length thereof. Subsequently, the coated length is severed into pieces with the pieces each constituting unitary construction including a wire wrapped section that forms a catheter body and a non-wrapped section joined to at least one end thereof to constitute a flexible catheter tip.

Abstract: A hemostasis cannula system includes a cannula, a vessel dilator, an elongate hollow percutaneous needle with clear reservoir, and an obturator. The hemostasis cannula comprises a body having a passage therethrough adapted to receive a catheter as well as a vessel dilator and a specialized obturator. The parts of the system are assembleable in a plurality of configurations including an arrangement for piercing skin, tissue and blood vessels. Another arrangement is adapted for advancing the tubing comprising the cannula, deep within the blood vessel. Lastly, another arrangement is useful for pressure monitoring and fluid introduction directly into the blood vessel of an organism. In the first configuration, the needle is received within the vessel dilator which is in turn received within the tubing comprising the cannula. In the second arrangement, the distal tip needle is withdrawn into the vessel dilator to avoid injury to the vessel when the dilator and cannula are advanced.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing angiographic catheters comprises providing a length of elastomeric tube of a predetermined outer diameter and braiding multiple strands of wire wrapping about its exterior. A bonding agent is applied to the wire wrapping in circumferentially extending bands to bond the strands to each other. Thereafter, the wire wrapping is ground away at predetermined spaced locations along the length of the elastomeric tube to provide a series of wire wrapped sections joined by non-wrapped sections with each of the wire wrapped sections having at least the ends thereof enclosed by at least portions of the circumferentially extending bands of bonding agent. An elastomer layer is located over both the wire wrapped sections and the non-wrapped sections throughout the length thereof.

Abstract: A stairway connects a stationary member, such as a fixed dock, to a member, such as a floating dock or a floating vessel, which moves vertically with respect to the stationary member. The stairway moves with the moving member and includes stringer members connected to hand rail members by picket members and step supporting pivot arms connected to adjustment arms in a manner which forms a compound parallelogram linkage in which the picket members and the pivot arms remain vertical during movement of the stairway whereby the steps remain horizontal and the hand rails remain parallel to the stringer members during such movement. The stairway includes wheels that rollably engage the moving member and moves between angular orientations as the moving member moves with respect to the stationary member. Steps are mounted on the pivot arms and include walking surfaces which remain horizontally oriented during movement of the stairway.

Abstract: A self-sealing valve arrangement for use in a hemostasis cannula includes a distal wiping gasket and an outer proximal tricuspid gasket bonded on a peripheral interface therebetween. The distal wiping gasket strips clots and fibrotic tissue from a catheter or vessel dilator as it is extracted from the hemostasis cannula preventing a disruptive accumulation of clots in the tricuspid valve.

Abstract: A plurality of regions of a first transverse rigidity are formed in the flexible tip portion of a catheter having a second transverse rigidity along its length which is greater than the first transverse rigidity. The regions of the lesser first transverse rigidity are formed by areas of the catheter tip having an average transverse cross-sectional area less than a transverse cross-sectional area of the remainder of the catheter apparatus. The plurality of first transverse rigidity regions are formed by a respective plurality of circumferential cut-out regions in the catheter tip.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for high pressure one-way fluid valving in angiography. The method includes inhibiting the flow of a sterile saline solution through a catheter lumen using the pressure of an opaque dye injected therethrough. A one-way fluid valve connects a pressurized source of saline solution to an inlet fitting of a catheter Y adapter. A second inlet fitting of the Y adapter is connected to a high pressure opaque media source through a gate valve. The one-way fluid valve is sensitive to a pressure differential thereacross to selectively open and close in response to the pressure within the catheter lumen versus the pressure of the saline solution. The one-way fluid valve includes a stainless steel check ball, a stainless steel biasing spring and double sealing O-ring adapted for radial compression by the stainless steel biasing spring and the pressure differential across the valve.

Abstract: A catheter apparatus includes an elongate hollow tubular body portion with multiple side holes a sealing member on its distal end for preventing flow from the distal end. All flow is thereby directed through the multiple side holes. The sealing member is designed to be punctured or selectively opened by a guide wire if the need arises. The tip sealing member is further design to "reseal" if it becomes necessary to perforate the seal. This "resealing" greatly reduces the end flow and encourages lateral flow through the multiple side holes.

Abstract: A plurality of regions of a first transverse rigidity are formed in the flexible tip portion of a catheter having a second transverse rigidity along its length which is greater than the first transverse rigidity. The regions of the lesser first transverse rigidity are formed by areas of the catheter tip having an average transverse cross-sectional area less than a transverse cross-sectional area of the remainder of the catheter apparatus. The plurality of first transverse rigidity regions are formed by a respective plurality of circumferential cut out regions in the catheter tip.

Abstract: A specialized control wire for use in the guidance of catheters includes a stainless steel core wire having a ball formed on the distal tip of the wire. The control wire is resiliently biased into a linear orientation for the purposes of selectively deflecting the curved distal portion of a catheter into relaxed and unrelaxed positions. The control wire is covered at least in part with a low friction material. One such low friction material is polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) commonly available as Teflon.RTM. (a registered trademark of e.i. DuPont). Other lubricating materials may also be used such as hydromers and some silicones.

Abstract: A drive catheter having a distal tip for opening a partially or totally obstructed blood vessel. Both manual and motor applied motions are disclosed. In addition to a continuous rotation, two reciprocating motions are disclosed. One reciprocating motion is a back and forth translation of the tip in a ramming motion. A second reciprocating motion is a back and forth rotation about an axis. Different shaped tips are disclosed for the two reciprocating motions.

Abstract: A catheter for insertion into a subject and for use in removing deposits from inner wall linings of a vessel, typically a blood vessel. The catheter includes a cutting member located at its distal end which is used to separate deposits from the inner wall linings of the vessel that have been forced into a cavity at the catheter's distal end. As deposits are separated from the vessel, the cavity can become filled with such deposits and a pumping device can be inserted into the catheter and rotated with respect to the catheter to withdraw the deposits. Further treatment can cause the pumping member to also become filled with the deposits. In the event this occurs, the pumping device is retracted from the catheter, cleaned and reinserted for further treatment.

Abstract: A drive catheter having a distal tip for opening a partially or totally obstructed blood vessel. Both manual and motor applied motions are disclosed. In addition to a continuous rotation, two reciprocating motions are disclosed. One reciprocating motion is a back and forth translation of the tip in a ramming motion. A second reciprocating motion is a back and forth rotation about an axis. Different shaped tips are disclosed for the two reciprocating motions.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for opening a partially or totally occluded blood vessel. A conventional catheter is inserted within a patient and the condition of a blood vessel ascertained. If it is determined that sufficient blockage exists to cannulize the vessel, a small diameter drive catheter having a rotatable head at a distal end is inserted into the conventional catheter in close proximity to the occluded region. The head is rotated at high speeds as dye is injected through the catheter to monitor progress of the procedure. Different sized rotating heads having different blockage removing characteristics are inserted until the procedure has been completed to the physician's satisfaction. The drive mechanism is a small d.c. powered hand-held motor operated by the physician during the procedure.