Abstract: A surgical tool for extracting varicose veins includes an elongate handle with a hook at one end and a piercing/dilating head at the other end. The piercing/dilating head is bulbous in shape and has both a sharp tip and a dilating surface that can be used to dilate an opening without making a longitudinal incision. The hook can be used to extract the vein through the dilated opening. Sculpted sections on the piercing/dilating head help to prevent the tool from rolling on flat surfaces, and alternating sections of relieved surfaces and surfaces with polygonal cross-sections make it easier to grip.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and device for harvesting a vessel. The vessel harvester comprises an internal stenting catheter with proximal and distal ends, a sheath catheter with proximal and distal ends, and a cylindrical cutting tube that is attachable to the distal end of the sheath catheter. The vessel harvester is used to harvest vesseal such as the greater and lesser saphenous veins, the basilic vein, the cephalic vein, and the radial artery.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of testing, and a kit therefor, a cellular hematologic fluid derived from a mammal to determine the existence in the mammal of a pathological state or condition wherein an immunomodulator is admixed with the cellular hematologic fluid of the mammal and a reaction parameter determined and compared with known reaction parameters of cellular hematologic fluids of mammals of known healthy states to like immunomodulator. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the reaction parameter is a clotting parameter as determined as fibrin levels.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of testing a cellular hematologic fluid derived from a mammal to determine the existence in the mammal of a pathological state or condition wherein an immunomodulator is admixed with the cellular hematologic fluid of the mammal and a reaction parameter determined and compared with known reaction parameters of cellular hematologic fluids of mammals of known healthy states to like immunomodulator. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the reaction parameter is a clotting parameter as determined as fibrin levels.