Abstract: A method and apparatus for implanting seeds in or about a target area, such as a tumor, within a patient. The implantation device includes an implantation needle having a bore extending longitudinally therethrough from a proximal and to a distal end of the needle, the needle bore being adapted to permit at least one seed to pass therethrough. An elongated plunger extends longitudinally through the implantation device in aligned relation to the needle bore and is selectively movable in the longitudinal direction relative the needle from a retracted position spaced apart from the needle to an extended position wherein the plunger is advanced through the needle bore to eject at least one of the seeds through the bore, out of the distal end of needle and into the target area. An optical device is carried by and operatively connected to the plunger to provide visual assistance to an operator of the implantation device to guide and verify implantation of the ejected seed into the target area.

Abstract: Apparatus and a method for depositing multiple implants carrying radioactive isotopes, pharmalogical agents or transgenes, in soft tissue including tumors and organs with precise, selectable spacing between implants includes an introducer in the form of a tube which is inserted into the soft tissue and an obturator for pushing implants out of the introducer one at a time. An operating mechanism incrementally withdraws the introducer while the obturator remains stationary thereby depositing a single implant. The obturator is then coupled to the introducer for the remainder of the stroke to provide the spacing. In a preferred embodiment, the introducer is resequenced to lay down parallel rows of implants. An indicator records the total number of implants deposited. The distal end of the introducer is configured to retain the implants and allow them to be discharged into the soft tissue singly.

Abstract: Described is an adhesive abrasion-resistant protective coating for an ungulate hoof comprising a rapid-setting epoxy resin with a curing agent with the addition of aramid fibers and carbide particles for added strength and abrasion resistance. The composition is flexible, has a hardness of about 85 on a Shore D scale and is very abrasion resistant. The composition is used to protect ungulate hooves from abrasion without the need for nails or other fastening devices. Also described is the use to create traction enhancing features, and to fill cracks in the hoof wall.

Abstract: An implanter for inserting subcutaneous implants includes a handle for grasping the implanter during implantation, a hollow cannula receiving the implant, and a rod for releasing the implant from the cannula. The rod is longitudinally fixed within the handle while the cannula slides over the rod to release the implant. The cannula is moved over the rod by a sliding actuator mounted in a track of the handle. The actuator is locked in an extended position to prevent unintended release of the implant. Preferably, the implanter is a single-use device having a actuator locking feature preventing reuse.

Abstract: The invention features an implantable device for the automatic delivery of an active ingredient according to an adjustable delivery profile. The device includes a housing; a reservoir operatively connected to the housing and arranged to store a solid composition including the active ingredient; an actuator arranged within the housing to move the solid composition from the reservoir to a transit area, wherein the solid composition exits the housing at the transit area; a controller that acts on the actuator to adjust movement of the solid composition out of the housing according to the adjustable delivery profile; and a power source arranged to provide energy to the actuator and the controller. The solid composition can be an elongate, solid composition comprising a drug, and up to 90% of a carrier, wherein the composition has a cross-section of less than 0.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for autologous sequestration of blood from a patient prior to, during and after surgery. Sequestered blood contained in an assembly of oxygenated blood collection bags is kept in fluid contact with the patient throughout surgery, thereby assuring continuity with the patient's circulatory system. The plurality of blood collection bags is interconnected with a corresponding plurality of valves which is interconnected with a plurality of flexible tubes which is attached to a patient's right atrium or a peripheral artery. Following induction of anesthesia in the operating room, a patient's blood is sequestered into a collection bag assembly which forms a closed circuit blood reservoir system. Collected blood during surgery trickles back into the patient's blood system, thereby emulating venous blood flow. The collection bags are agitated and oxygenated to promote the functionality and longevity of the platelets in the sequestered blood.

Abstract: A device for mixing and delivering a curable biomaterial using minimally invasive techniques. The device provides a mixing path that is configured to contribute a longitudinal distance dimension to the device that is considerably less than the length of the mixing path itself. In so doing, the device can provide improved ergonomic control and single-handed operation in the course of mixing biomaterial components, in order to initiate cure, and delivering the mixed biomaterial through a delivery conduit and to a tissue site in vivo. Optional features of the device include the ability to warm the biomaterial components, to position or retract a protective sheath covering the delivery conduit, and the ability to divert or shunt an initial volume of mixed biomaterial.

Abstract: An instrument for implanting radioactive and/or thermal seeds in body tissue for radiation and/or heat therapy comprises a tubular hypodermic needle barrel affixed to a pistol-grip shaped handle incorporates a reciprocally movable push rod for stripping one such seed from a cartridge containing a plurality of seeds and advancing it to the end of the barrel. Actuation of a trigger in the pistol grip handle causes the barrel to retract relative to the push rod, causing the seed to be deposited in the channel in the body tissue created by the original puncturing thereof by the instrument's barrel.

Abstract: A gun for dispensing a fluid from a fluid dispenser has a body portion, a plunger assembly and an advancing mechanism. The body portion has a jaw portion for holding the fluid dispenser in a retained position and adapted for releasing the fluid dispenser when a specific pressure is reached in the chamber of the fluid dispenser. The body portion has a catcher portion for catching the fluid dispenser in a caught position upon being released by the jaw portion. The jaw portion has a pair of legs projecting from the body portion. Each leg has a foot projecting inwardly towards each other and spaced from the body portions, therein defining a flange receiving space. The feet are of such a length to overlie and engage a portion of a flange element of the fluid dispenser. The catcher has a pair of parallel plates; each plate has an opening for receiving the flange of the fluid dispenser in both the retained position and the caught position. The plunger assembly has a plunger rod slideably carried by the body portion.

Abstract: A veterinary implanter includes an attached disinfectant dispenser including a reservoir for holding a quantity of disinfectant, a pump attached to the reservoir, and a special needle holder spray tip with the implanter including a conduit which has an inlet opening connected to the disinfectant pump. An exit opening of the conduit is coupled to the needle spray tip which is designed to spray disinfectant 360 degrees about the inlet end of a hypodermic needle cannula which is held in place against the spray tip by a threaded needle holder extension. The inventive disinfectant dispenser thus allows an operator of the implanter to selectively inject a quantity of disinfectant into the needle with each implant, with the disinfectant then being carried by the implanted pellets into a wound created by the needle.

Abstract: A slide action veterinary implanter apparatus includes a tubular housing having a hand grip extending therefrom with a trigger assembly pivotally mounted in the hand grip. A slide member is slidably mounted on the housing and retracts an impeller member to a retracted position, extends the trigger to an armed position, and advances a pellet magazine, extending through the hand grip, by reciprocation of the slide member. Additionally, a latch mechanism engaged with the slide mechanism, the trigger, and the impeller causes an impeller extending force to be stored and retained in an impeller extender spring as the slide member is reciprocated. Pivoting the trigger into the hand grip toward a release position releases the latch mechanism, whereby the extender spring force resiliently urges the impeller through a pellet magazine chamber driving a stack of pellets therefrom and through a needle mounted on the front end of the implanter housing.

Abstract: A device for the implementation of pellets containing medication in animals comprises a housing in the shape of a pistol with a handle, a hollow needle for injecting the body of the animal arranged at the front side of the housing and a push rod adapted to being slid into the hollow needle and supported by the housing so as to be longitudinally displaceable. A shaft is also provided in the housing before the hollow needle for a magazine holding pellets which is displaceable therein. A longitudinally displaceable press-back device is arranged in the housing parallel to the push rod and hollow needle. A drawing mechanism is included in the housing for moving the push rod and press-back device. The mechanism is able to be set in motion by an operating lever fastened at the handle via a toothed segment coupled with the operating lever and via a toothed wheel engaging with the operating lever.

Abstract: Injector for inserting objects such as transponders (4) into a living being. The injector is provided with positioning means for fixing the position of the insertion needle (9) relative to the living being. These positioning means comprise a pin (5) designed to rest with the shank thereof against a part of the living being, such as the head (1) . The position of the insertion needle (9) can thereby be determined irrespective of differences occurring from one animal to another.

Abstract: An implanting gun apparatus (10) is described. A drive rod (23) is linearly moveable in a handle assembly (11) by a first pivotable linkage (16) actuated by a trigger (14), to urge a pellet (101) from a carrier (100) through a head assembly (12) and into a needle (13). A second pivotable linkage (24), also actuated by the trigger, retracts the needle, the head assembly, and the carrier into the handle after the pellet has been urged into the needle. The gun apparatus is particularly adapted to implant pellets in animals, particularly as medicament pellets.

Abstract: A strip carriage adapter and corresponding strip cartridge which allows conversion of a handgun-type implanter which uses cylinder-type pellet cartridges to one which uses strip-type pellet cartridges.

Abstract: An improved automatic pellet carrier (100) fed pellet implanting gun apparatus (10) is described. The carrier is mounted in an opening (12b) through a front side (12c) of a retractable head (12) which is linearly moveable in a nose end (11c) of a handle assembly (11) along a longitudinal axis a--a. The carrier relies upon an internal spring (107) to automatically register a pellet (101) in a bore (12a) in the retractable head so that by actuating a trigger (14), a drive rod (23) which travels linearly along the axis a--a and through the bore in the retractable head and through the carrier, can move the pellet into the barrel (13a) of a needle (13) that has been inserted into an animal or the like. After the pellet enters the needle, the needle, the retractable head and the carrier are mechanically retracted into the gun with the carrier retracting along a slot (11f) in the nose so that the pellet is deposited in the animal, unobstructed by the needle.

Abstract: An injection gun especially useful for injecting low volume, high pressure shots of bone cement. The gun includes a cylindrical housing with a plunger including a plunger rod extending axially through the housing. The plunger rod includes a segment which is provided with an axial series of notches. A ratchet block is slidable axially within the cylindrical housing and is concentric with the plunger rod. The ratchet cylinder mounts at least a ratchet pawl urged against the plunger rod and adapted to engage and lock into the series of notches for forward movement. A pistol grip extends from the cylindrical housing, and a lever is pivoted thereto with an extension of the lever engaging the ratchet cylinder for advancing the plunger. A second ratchet pawl is mounted on a fixed member of the cylindrical housing for retaining the plunger against rearward movement when the pawl in the ratchet cylinder is disengaged from the rod.

Abstract: An implanting gun apparatus (10) is described. A rod (31) is linearly moveable in a pistol grip (11) so as to move a pellet out a barrel (13). A pivotable linkage (34) between a trigger (36) and a holder (32) for the rod is actuated by the trigger. The gun apparatus is particularly adapted to implant pellets in animals, particularly as medicament pellets.

Abstract: An implant gun for implanting an insert or pellet into or below tissue of an animal. The gun has a body comprising a barrel, a hand grip and a trigger mounted on the hand grip for successive manual firing operations. At least a portion of the barrel defines a guideway along which a series of pellets are movable to present each, in turn, to a discharge position from which it can be discharged from the gun. The body houses discharge and advance mechanisms, with the discharge mechanism being operable by manual operation of the trigger in a firing operation, to discharge from the barrel a pellet presented to the discharge position and the advance mechanism being operable to index the series of pellets along the guideway.

Abstract: In pistol grip medicament implanter devices, wherein a trigger coupled to a plunger causes plunger advance movement that expels the medicament from the device when the trigger is pulled, a spring that forms part of the coupling and a lost motion arrangement controlled by the spring that converts trigger pull movement into spring take-up of the trigger movement when the plunger encounters resistance to advance movement greater than the spring bias. The trigger continues to move but the plunger does not, then when resistance to movement of the plunger becomes less than the spring bias, the spring force serves to advance the plunger, recovering the trigger pull motion previously lost.The greatest force that can be applied by the plunger to the medicament implant has become whatever bias is selected for the spring.

Abstract: An automatic clip or carrier 100 fed pellet implanting gun apparatus 10 is described. The gun uses a pivotable lever 15 with a projection 15e on arm 15b which engages an arcuate surface 101a of a cam 101 on the carrier and snaps into place adjacent a drive surface 101b of the cam when the trigger 36 is depressed and then the projection engages the drive surface to move a next adjacent a new chamber 100a into line with a barrel 13a of needle 13 and opening 14k in a head means so that rod 31 can again insert a pellet. The gun apparatus is particularly adapted to implant pellets in animals, particularly as medicament pellets.

Abstract: A tape dispenser having a hollow body to receive a supply of medicated tape to be dispensed in predetermined lengths into the mouth of an animal, the tape dispenser is trigger operated and is provided with a barrel along which a delivery head moves, a predetermined length of tape is delivered into the barrel and severed from the supply by said delivery head, which predetermined length is then delivered into the mouth of the animal via the terminal end of the barrel.

Abstract: An implanter for implanting treatment pellets beneath the skin of animals comprises a hollow needle (52) through which a drive pin (26) is displaceable to drive a pellet (64) through the needle and in use to a controlled depth below the skin. A forked abutment (54) straddles the needle, being spring urged into a normal location near the rear end of the needle. The abutment (54) is carried by a rearwardly extending rod (56) having a drive member (62) engagable by a thrust member (63) on the drive pin during part of the forward movement of the latter. In use, when the abutment member is against the animal being treated, the final part of the forward movement of the drive pin effects a retraction of the needle, leaving the pellet implanted at the correct depth (FIGS. 4 to 6).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a pistol grip implanter device adapted for insertion of a solid or semi-solid pellet form medicament into a domestic animal, associated with a hub for an encasement containing a multiplicity of dosage unit pellets of the medicament.

Abstract: The invention comprises a syringe for extrusion of a semi-plastic mass, or a mass having a paste-like consistency. In a preferred embodiment, the syringe is so-designed to permit mixing of two components of a plasticizable mixture within the syringe barrel. The bore of the syringe barrel is flared to facilitate extrusion of the plastic mass therefrom. The parts of the syringe ready for use are packaged in a one-piece tray which serves not only for shipping and storing of the syringe, which may be preloaded with one of the components of the plasticizable mixture, together with the associated syringe parts, but which also serves, when opened for use, as a convenient tray for handling the syringe while mixing the two components of the plasticizable mixture prior to extrusion.

Abstract: A medicament discharging device and an expendable clip thereon containing a plurality of medicament cartridges. Each of the cartridges comprises a container, a dosage of medicament in the container, a hypodermic needle sealingly contained in a sterile condition in cooperating relation with the container and a movable wall means at one end of the container operable when moved through a discharging stroke to cause the sharpened end of the needle to move outwardly out of sealingly contained relation and into the muscle tissue of a patient and the medicament dosage to move outwardly of the container into the opposite end of the needle and out of the sharpened end thereof into the muscle tissue of the patient.

Abstract: A dental syringe and a method of packaging and dispensing a dental material wherein the package containing the dental material comprises a cartridge containing a bulk supply of dental material, and which cartridge is constructed so as to function as a syringe for effecting the extrusion of the dental material therefrom as may be needed in a dental restorative procedure. The cartridge comprises an elongated tubular barrel having an open end portion and a forward discharging orifice portion through which the material is extruded. A displaceable piston seals the rear end of the barrel to confine the dental material within the barrel, and which cartridge can be readily attached to a handle and associated plunger to complete a syringe assembly. The plunger is also provided with a device for relieving the back pressure imparted to the cartridge piston during an extruding operation to prohibit any unwanted drooling of the material therefrom.

Abstract: An implanting device for implanting pellets and like subcutaneously or intramuscularly in animals is described which utilizes means for indexing an implant magazine having a plurality of pellet-containing stations therein and means for automatically retracting a needle from about an implant charge to deposit the pellets in an animal. The implant magazine is indexed for sequential applications automatically as the retraction mechanism is cocked. Additionally, means for automatically ejecting a spent or empty implant cartridge are provided to prevent false deposition of implants. An implant cartridge having open channels containing implants can be utilized with the implanting device, the channels having means thereon for increasing the size of the channel during the implanting step to substantially eliminate the crushing or breaking of pellets as they are expelled from the cartridge. Alignment and stabilization means for the implant magazine and the implanting device also are provided.

Abstract: A pistol-shaped medicament implant applicator with a needle mounted on the forward end thereof, and a multichambered medicament cartridge adapted for insertion into the implant applicator wherein the applicator mechanism:transports a plunger through one of the medicament containing chambers in the cartridge into the implant needle and forces medicament out the needle front;moves the needle relative to an abutment on the front face of the applicator adapted to be held against the skin of the animal being implanted, the relative movement forcing withdrawal of the needle, resulting in deposition of the medicament in the needle track;retracts the plunger so as to clear needle and cartridge; and,shifts the cartridge the spacing between adjacent chambers therein and indexes the next medicament containing cartridge chamber to the needle bore and the path of the plunger.

Abstract: A gun adapted to eject pellets into animals and a magazine to contain the pellets, the gun includes an ejector rod which enters the magazine to eject a pellet therefrom, and an indexing rod which engages the magazine to cause indexing thereof.

Abstract: An implanting device for implanting pellets and like subcutaneously or intramuscularly in animals is described which utilizes means for indexing an implant magazine having a plurality of pellet-containing stations therein and means for automatically retracting a needle from about an implant charge to deposit the pellets in an animal. The implant magazine is indexed for sequential applications automatically as the retraction mechanism is cocked. Additionally, means for automatically ejecting a spent or empty implant cartridge are provided to prevent false deposition of implants. An implant cartridge having open channels containing implants can be utilized with the implanting device, the channels having means thereon for increasing the size of the channel during the implanting step to substantially eliminate the crushing or breaking of pellets as they are expelled from the cartridge. Alignment and stabilization means for the implant magazine and the implanting device also are provided.