Abstract: A method of placing a catheter into a patient while preventing disadvantageous escape of fluid from the patient comprises providing a catheter secured to a valve hosing. The catheter has a proximal end, a distal end and an interior lumen. The valve housing has a first port, a second port, and a fluid path running between the first and second ports. The catheter and the valve housing have a hollow needle extending therethrough. The method further comprises piercing the patient's skin, thereby inserting the catheter into the patient. The method further comprises holding the catheter and valve housing in place while removing the hollow needle through the catheter and valve housing. The hollow needle passes through the first and second ports of the valve housing.

Abstract: A beverage container, such as a beverage can, having a floatation device enclosed therein to provide the beverage container with positive buoyancy so that the container will float when discarded into a body of water. In one arrangement, the floatation device is a gas-filled element enclosed within the beverage container. Preferably, the floatation device is larger than the opening of the container so that the device is prevented from exiting the container after the container has been opened.

Abstract: An infusion device comprises an elongate housing member and a slider member. The housing member comprises a hollow cavity extending therethrough and a front plate secured to a first end of the housing. The slider member is positioned within the hollow cavity of the housing so as to be axially slidable therein. The slider member comprises a needle extending from a first end and through an aperture in the front plate. The slider is configured to slide in a direction away from the front plate to a position in which the needle is retained within the housing member. The needle is configured to be inserted into a patient to infuse fluids to the patient. The needle can be subsequently removed from the patient either before or while holding the housing member stationary and moving the slider member rearwards until the sharp tip of the needle is completely retracted within the housing.

Abstract: A two-vessel continuous reactor system is used to make a uniform acrylonitrile copolymer containing 65 to 85% by weight acrylonitrile polymerized units and 35 to 15% by weight of styrene polymerized units. Into a first reactor are fed a free radical initiator together with an emulsified feed containing acrylonitrile, styrene and a chain transfer agent. Formation of polymer seed particles takes place in the first reactor and an outlet stream is continuously introduced into a second reactor together with added free radical initiator and a second aqueous emulsified feed containing acrylonitrile, styrene, and a chain transfer agent to continue growth of the seed particles. Conditions of particle initiation in the first reactor as opposed to particle growth in the second reactor are carefully separated to obtain noncyclical operation with low levels of coagulum formation in both reactors together with a final low emulsifier content in the polymer.