Abstract:
A unique device for long term percutaneous enteral feeding through a surgically formed stoma, such as a gastrostomy, includes a tubular member having a fluid lumen and an inflation lumen. One end of the tubular member is perpendicularly joined to a retention platform through which passes an ambient air port for the inflation lumen and an inlet for the fluid lumen. An other end of the tubular member is provided with an outlet for the fluid lumen. A one-way valve on the outlet prevents reflux of gastric contents into the fluid lumen. Disposed near the one end of the tubular member is an inflatable member, inflatable and deflatable through the inflation lumen. The inflatable member provides retention and anchoring of the device within the patient's stomach.
Abstract:
An enteral feeding tube adapted for transpyloric passage and duodenal intubation of a distal end of the feeding tube in a patient capable of peristaltic contractions of the stomach wall. A flexible bolus is located at the distal end of the feeding tube, which has a feeding bolus and connected thereto by a linking means. The flexible bolus is of such length, diameter and deformability to initiate peristaltic movement of the stomach wall. The linking means is of outer dimensions smaller than the outer dimensions of the flexible bolus and the feeding tube, and is of a length, diameter and deformability selected to initiate and maintain peristaltic contractions in the stomach walls around and behind the flexible bolus. The continued peristaltic contractions act upon the flexible bolus and linking means, thereby drawing the feeding bolus and distal end of the feeding tube through the pylorus to achieve duodenal intubation.
Abstract:
The invention is a device for angular fixation of a delivery or drainage tube at, for example, the point where that tube exits through the skin from a body cavity. The tube may be used for delivery, extraction, or evacuation of fluids or gases through a surgically formed stoma in a patient. In the enteral feeding, or delivery, embodiment, an enteral feeding tube extends outwardly from the patient to support the components of the device. The components include a sleeve disposed along and movable along the feeding tube and a base elbow unit through which the feeding tube passes. The base elbow unit includes a subdermal portion, a sleeve engaging portion, and a generally cylindrical tube-engaging portion. The feeding tube is movable from a first, substantially straight position to a second, acutely angled position. In this second, acutely angled position, the tube is immobilized by locking engagement to the tube engaging portion. The device includes an interlocking tab at one end of the sleeve, which tab enables locking engagement of the sleeve engaging portion of the base elbow unit when the tube is in its second, acutely angled position.
Abstract:
A balloon catheter for use in angioplasty and the like includes a shaft made of an elastomeric tube reinforced with longitudinally inelastic filaments. In the distal balloon portion of the unpressurized shaft, the filaments lie at an angle which is less than a predetermined critical angle. In the adjacent movable portion of the shaft, the filaments lie at an angle which is greater than the critical angle. When the shaft is pressurized, the balloon portion expands in diameter and the balloon portion contracts in diameter until the filaments in each portion lie at the critical angle. At the same time, the length of the movable portion increases so as to offset the reduction in length of the balloon portion.
Abstract:
An apparatus for peeling shrimps comprises two rollers each associated with a concave shrimp supporting surface extending approximately along 180.degree. in parallel with the roller surface. Cutting elements extend from the supporting surface into the elongated gap between each supporting surface and the opposed roller, and rods, which are radially movable in apertures in the roller, extend into the gap from the opposite side. Due to centrifugal action resulting from rotation of each roller, some of the rods engage shrimps fed into one end of the gap and press them against the cutting elements while other rods act to advance the shrimps longitudinally of the gap and expose one lateral surface of each shrimp to a shell cutting action. The rollers are arranged and driven such that both sides of each shrimp are subsequently acted upon in the first and second gap, respectively.
Abstract:
A network device for scheduling packets in a plurality of queues. The network device includes a plurality of configurable mechanisms, each of which is configured to process information in one of a plurality of queues based on a predefined bandwidth. A scheduler services an associated one of the plurality of queues based on the predefined bandwidth. The network device also includes means for tracking whether or not the plurality of queues has exceeded a predefined threshold. If the plurality of queues has exceeded the predefined threshold, a new bandwidth allocation is calculated for each of the plurality of queues. The new bandwidth allocation replaces the predefined bandwidth and is proportional to the predefined bandwidth for each of the plurality of queues.
Abstract:
A method of handling data in a memory of a network device is disclosed. The method includes the steps of storing portions of a datagram, being handled by a network device, in a memory, where the memory comprises two logic memory blocks, storing at least two pointers with the portions of the datagram in the memory, where one of the at least two pointers points to a next portion of the memory to be accessed, retrieving the portions of the datagram and the at least two pointers when the network device is ready to act on the datagram, polling a register to determine which of the at least two pointers actually points to the next portion, retrieving the next portion, when necessary and acting on the datagram based on the processing of the datagram by the network device.
Abstract:
A stiffenable balloon catheter assembly capable of being converted from an “over-the-wire” mode with respect to a guidewire extending therethrough to a “rapid-exchange” mode with respect to a guidewire extending therethrough, and vice versa. The catheter has a plurality of lumens, one lumen however, having a side opening with an obstructable galp, the orientation of which, determines the utilization “mode” of the catheter assembly. Stiffening stylets may be adjustably locked into the lumens, depending upon the “mode”, to control the stiffness of the catheter assembly during its utilization within a patient.
Abstract:
A network device for scheduling packets in a plurality of queues. The network device includes a plurality of configurable mechanisms, each of which is configured to process information in one of a plurality of queues based on a predefined bandwidth. A scheduler services an associated one of the plurality of queues based on the predefined bandwidth. The network device also includes means for tracking whether or not the plurality of queues has exceeded a predefined threshold. If the plurality of queues has exceeded the predefined threshold, a new bandwidth allocation is calculated for each of the plurality of queues. The new bandwidth allocation replaces the predefined bandwidth and is proportional to the predefined bandwidth for each of the plurality of queues.
Abstract:
A network device for correcting corrupted memory locations. The network device includes a plurality of free pointers, each of which points to a free memory location. The network device also includes a plurality of cell locations for storing information, each of the plurality of cell locations comprising a field for storing a pointer to another cell location. Upon retrieving information from one of the plurality of cell locations, the device includes means for determining if the pointer to the current cell location is valid and for storing a valid pointer with the plurality of free pointers.