Abstract:
Featured is a vascular access device such as an IV catheter device including a housing, a tubular member and a seal member, and a securing mechanism. The housing includes a proximal and distal portion and a chamber that extends between the proximal and distal portions. The tubular member is coupled to the housing distal portion so it is fluidly coupled to the chamber. The seal member is disposed within the chamber and the securing mechanism secures the seal member distal end to the housing proximal portion so the seal member is sealingly and compressibly retained between a chamber proximal end and the securing mechanism. Such a seal member also is constituted so a portion of the seal member moves axially responsive to an axial force applied to the proximal end.
Abstract:
A stereotactic head frame localizer having a plurality of fiducial rods disposed in a plurality of sides is disclosed. The stereotactic head frame localizer includes five connected sides with each side including a plurality of the fiducial rods. One of the sides may be removably attached to the stereotactic head frame localizer. The fiducial rods include a material or may be formed from a material that, in cooperation with a selected imaging modality (i.e. CT, MRI, or PET), will appear on the resulting image scan as image points. The fiducial rods may be disposed in an orientation that is horizontal, vertical, or diagonal to an axis of a body of a patient. The stereotactic head frame localizer may be used in cooperation with a head ring attached to a patient for determining the location of a target in an x, y, and z coordinate system.
Abstract:
An infection-preventing gastrostomy catheter kit to be used in the gastrostomy, which can pass an intragastric retainer of a catheter easily and reliably through an infection-preventing sheath by an easy maneuver, and which can reduce the diameter of the infection-preventing sheath. The catheter kit comprises: a gastrostomy catheter (20) including a flexible, hollow PEG tube (21) reinforced with filaments (24), an deformable intragastric retainer (23) positioned at the trailing end of the PEG tube (21), and a tapered member (22) positioned at the leading end of the PEG tube (21) for retaining the leading end portion (40a) of a guide wire (40) inserted from a leading end hole (22a) thereof; and an infection-preventing sheath (1) including a flexible, hollow tubular body (2), and a socket member having a socket (4) positioned at the trailing end of the tubular body (2) for retaining the intragastric retainer (23), and pins (5), thereby removably sheathing the gastrostomy catheter (20). The gastrostomy catheter (20) may be provided with a housing sheath (60) for deforming and housing the intragastric retainer (23).
Abstract:
An electrode assembly for use with an instrument for sealing vessels includes a pair of opposing first and second jaw members which are movable relative to one another from a first position wherein the jaw members are disposed in spaced relation relative to one another to a second position wherein the jaw members cooperate to grasp tissue therebetween. Each jaw member includes an electrically conductive tissue contacting surface which is connected to an electrosurgical energy source such that the tissue contacting surfaces are capable of conducting electrosurgical energy through the tissue held therebetween to effect a seal. The first jaw member has an electrically conductive cutting element dielectrically disposed within the first tissue contacting surface and the second jaw member includes an insulator disposed therein directly opposite the cutting element. Preferably, the cutting element extends from the first tissue contacting surface towards the second tissue contacting surface to create a gap between the tissue contacting surfaces during sealing and the cutting element and the first tissue contacting surface are independently activatable by the surgeon.
Abstract:
A needle hub is disclosed which includes a needle support having a wall that defines a needle cavity. The wall further defines at least one wall cavity that facilitates fluid communication with the needle cavity. A needle cannula may be disposed within the needle cavity and in fluid communication therewith. The wall may define a plurality of wall cavities. The cavities may include a pair of diametrically opposed wall cavities. At least one wall cavity can be formed in a proximal face of the wall. The proximal face may be transversely oriented relative to a longitudinal axis defined by the needle support. The at least one wall cavity includes a radial slot formed adjacent a proximal end of the needle support. In an alternate embodiment, the needle hub includes a needle support defining a needle cavity which includes a proximal opening and a distal opening. A barrel of a syringe defining an inner cavity may have the needle hub mounted to a distal end thereof. A plunger is slidably received within the inner cavity of the barrel and has a distal end configured to engage the proximal opening of the needle cavity such that the at least one radial slot facilitates fluid communication between the inner cavity of the barrel and the needle cannula. The needle hub may further include a hub skirt disposed about the needle support and defining an annular interior cavity therebetween, wherein at least one fin is disposed within the interior cavity.
Abstract:
An improved ultrasonic surgical apparatus includes an ultrasonic handpiece. An ultrasonic fragmenting tool is mountable within the handpiece, the tool having a vibratable tip adapted for ultrasonically fragmenting tissue at a surgical site of a patient. A transducer is mounted within the handpiece and coupled to a connector body. The connector body is coupled to the tip for transmitting ultrasonic waves to the tip from the transducer, the tip and the connector body being constructed of titanium or its alloys. An aspirating system is connected to the handpiece for aspirating fluid and tissue fragmented by the tip from the surgical site. An irrigation system is connected to said handpiece for supplying irrigation fluid to the surgical site for suspending fragmented tissue by the tip. Preferred embodiments include operational frequencies of about 36 kHz.
Abstract:
Featured is a vascular access device such as an IV catheter device including a housing, a tubular member, a seal member, a compression member, and a securing mechanism. The housing includes a proximal and distal portion and a chamber that extends between the proximal and distal housings. The tubular member is coupled to the housing distal portion so it is fluidly coupled to the chamber. The seal member is disposed within the chamber and the securing mechanism secures the seal member distal end to the housing proximal portion so the seal member is sealingly and compressibly retained between a chamber proximal end and the securing mechanism. Such a seal member also forms a septum, which is compressed by the compression member to prevent seepage upon removal of a stylet.
Abstract:
A syringe assembly is provided comprising an annular syringe body, a plunger adapted to travel therein in response to manual force, said plunger terminating in an elastomeric seal in sealing engagement with the interior surface of the syringe body, said seal having admixed therein a lubricant capable of migrating through the elastomeric seal to bloom on the surface thereof, thereby imparting enhanced lubricity thereto reducing the movement forces necessary to enable controlled plunger movement.
Abstract:
There is disclosed a flow control apparatus (10) comprising a housing (20) adapted to load an administration feeding set (14), and a means for driving fluid (26) through the administration feeding set (14) operatively engaged through the housing (20) and adapted to engage tubing (56) of the administration feeding set (14). A single motor source (44) is operatively engaged to the means for driving fluid (26), such as a rotor (26), and adapted to be engaged to a means for controlling fluid flow (28), such as a valve mechanism (28). The single motor source (44) is adapted to control operation of the means for driving fluid (26) or the means for controlling fluid flow (28) through a gear arrangement (34). The gear arrangement (34) is operatively engaged with the single motor source (44) and the means for driving fluid (26), as well as adapted to operatively engage the means for controlling fluid flow (28), and is adapted to non-simultaneously operate the means for driving fluid (26) or the means for controlling fluid flow (28) using a microprocessor (62) that controls operation of at least the single motor source (44).
Abstract:
A flow control apparatus (10) adapted to load a re-certification feeding set (14) is disclosed. The flow control apparatus (10) comprises a sensor (30) for sensing the loading of the re-certification feeding set (14) to the flow control apparatus (10), and a software subsystem (36) in operative association with the sensor (30) that includes a re-certification procedure for verifying that at least one component of the flow control apparatus (10) is functioning within a predetermined operational range. Also disclosed is a method for verifying that at least one component of a flow control apparatus (10) is functioning within a predetermined operational range.