112results about How to "Easily withdrawn" patented technology

An endoluminal stent contains a hollow passageway for the circulation of heated and / or cryogenic fluids to recapture a previously implanted shape memory stent. The hollow passageway stent can have one or a plurality of passageways and is configured in a tubular shape with numerous coils, providing an empty tubular lumen through the center of the stent to allow blood flow. The stent is connected to a removable catheter that conducts fluid to the stent. Fluid flow may be regulated by valves incorporated in either the stent and / or the catheter.

A brachytherapy instrument and method is disclosed for delivering therapeutic substances such as radioactive seeds, to internal organs, such as the prostate. The instrument includes a needle (602) and stylet (604) which are capable of reciprocating relative to one another, but which can be selectively fixed against such movement. The needle (602) is loaded with radioactive seeds, and the stylet (604) advances the seeds to the distal end of the needle.

A device for removing obstructions from vessels or small openings in the body, comprising a rotatable ablator tip which is guided to the obstruction in a reduced diameter configuration, expanded and rotated to remove the obstruction, and contracted to remove the device from the body. The variably expandable abrasive tip coil in one embodiment of the invention is actuated by a piston means disposed within the coil. A pair of collars is attached to the ends of the coil, and the piston effects relative longitudinal axial movement of the collars and, hence, the respective ends of the coil tip. When the ends of the coil tip are so moved with respect to one another, expansion and contraction of the diameter of the coil tip results. In another embodiment of the invention, the expansion tip coil is actuated by an expandable and contractible bellows means disposed within the coil, instead of the piston means. In another embodiment of the invention, the expansion and contraction of the coil tip are effected by longitudinal axial movement of an internal coil attached to one end of the coil tip, within an outer coil attached to the other end of the coil tip. In another embodiment of the invention, expansion and contraction of the coil tip are effected by an inflatable balloon disposed within the coil tip. The balloon expansion means enlarges preferably at the central portion of the coil to make a bulge. +RR The questions raised in reexamination request No. 90 / 003,360, filed Mar. 15, 1994, and 90 / 003,723 filed Feb. 14, 1995, have been considered and the results thereof are reflected in this reissue patent which constitutes the reexamination certificate required by 35 U.S.C. 307 as provided in 37 CFR 1.570(e).

Balloon catheters having the strength and maximum inflated diameter characteristics of an angioplasty balloon and having the recovery characteristics during deflation of an elastic embolectomy balloon. The balloon catheter can be made in very small sizes and has a lubricious and chemically inert outer surface. The balloon catheter is easy to navigate through tortuous passageways, is capable of rapid inflation and deflation and has high burst strengths. Balloon covers having these same characteristics are also described for use with conventional embolectomy balloons or angioplasty balloons.

A biopsy needle and method of using the same. The biopsy needle includes a pair of articulating members that can be moved between a retracted position where the articulating members are contained within the biopsy needle and an extended position where the articulating members extend outwardly from the distal end of the biopsy needle into the pleural cavity of a patient. Once extended, the articulating members have operative surfaces that contact the parietal pleura of the patient such that a biopsy sample can be obtained as the operative surfaces are moved in contact with the parietal pleura. The operative surfaces may be a brush blade or a knife blade. A passageway within the interior of the biopsy needle allows removal of fluids from the patient.

The present invention relates to a puncture seal for sealing a blood vessel having a puncture opening in a body of a human being or an animal. The seal comprises a pressure chamber which can be attached to the body in the area of the puncture opening and subjected to an overpressure, wherein the pressure chamber has a supporting wall in an area opposite to the body. In order to create a puncture seal, in which the pressure chamber can be reliably sealed once the hypodermic needle has been removed, a sealing element made of a material with a certain elastic return force, which is at least 1 mm thick is provided and placed in the area of the support wall to be punctured by the hypodermic needle.

A handheld spraying device having a quick disconnect assembly for releasably securing a spray body having a valve mechanism therein to a water line. The device includes a nozzle assembly affixed to a water line that includes a pair of opposed projecting wing portions that are spring biased into a pair of opposed seats formed in the spray body. An elongated opening transversely aligned with the seats is provided in the spray body for the passage of the nozzle assembly therethrough upon the wing portions thereof being aligned with the opening. Upon urging the nozzle assembly inwardly within the spray body against an interior spring so as to raise the wing portions off the seats and rotating the line and affixed nozzle assembly approximately 90° with respect to the spray body, the line and nozzle assembly can be withdrawn, disconnecting the spray body from the line.

A piercing station for piercing sample container caps or thick stoppers. The piercing station has a structural frame with two vertical guide rods. A carriage assembly is slidably mounted on the guide rods and is further driven to move up and down along the guide rods. The carriage assembly carries a blade holder, which in turn holds a piercing blade assembly. The blade assembly includes a center blade and two cross blades interlocked together, such that the blade assembly has a generally modified "H"-shaped cross section for piercing a cap on the sample container. Lubricant left in or on the sample container cap by the piercing station reduces the force required by the sample probe to penetrate thick stoppers for sample aspiration and level sensing. The "H"-shaped cut helps to equalize the pressure in the sample container during sampling, so that clot detection is more effective.

A method to retrieve a deployed stent in a blood vessel. In one embodiment, the method includes the introduction of a retrieval stent within the lumen of the deployed stent, enlarging the retrieval stent to contact a surface of the deployed stent and contracting the retrieval stent which in turn causes the deployed stent to contract for removal from the blood vessel. The retrieval stent may contain one or more fluid passageways through which heated or cooled fluid can circulate and may be connected to a catheter for circulation of the fluid. Fluid flow may be regulated by a valve or valve assembly incorporated in the stent and / or the catheter.

There is disclosed a filter package comprising a housing and a cover that is adapted to enclose a sterile disposable filter wherein the package cover is penetrable at a point axially aligned with the filter and has at least one pre-formed break line along which the package cover, when subjected to appropriate force, ruptures so as to permit withdrawal of the filter by a syringe coupled thereto.

Balloon catheters are provided having the balloon length is substantially surrounded by an elastic cover. The balloon and the cover maintain a substantially and circular cross-section along the balloon length during inflation. The cross section is able to maintain a uniform size down the length of the balloon during inflation.

A tray for the display and dispensing of products in blister packages. Side guide elements, of wire or sheet material, are provided in forward portions thereof with retaining elements formed integrally and in one piece therewith. The retaining elements engage side margins of a forwardmost package well below the tops of the packages and preferably below the tops of the blisters thereof. A forwardmost package is gripped by its exposed and unobstructed upper portions and pulled forwardly to remove a package. Integral, one-piece construction of the side guide elements and the retaining elements provides for economical manufacture with superior performance. Optionally, space may be provided in front of the retaining portions to accommodate return of packages by a customer who has changed his or her mind. In one embodiment, a wire retaining portion of inverted U-shaped configuration is positioned with wire ends concealed and protected by the tray side.

Apparatus and methods are provided for forming a working space on the interior wall of a blood vessel, such as the aorta. The working space is isolated from blood flow and permits creation of an anastomotic hole and subsequent suturing of the hole to form an end-to-side anastomosis, even while the heart is beating. The apparatus comprises tools including inflatable barriers, such as cup-shaped balloons, which engage the inner wall of the blood vessel with minimum trauma and maximum sealing. In a first embodiment, the inflatable barrier is introduced through a penetration at the site of the anastomotic attachment. In a second embodiment, the inflatable barrier is introduced through a second penetration axially spaced-apart from the site of the anastomotic attachment.

A method of appropriately positioning a surgical mesh relative to body tissue during surgery, using at least two magnets or alternatively, at least a magnet and a magnetically responsive material. The magnet or magnetically responsive materials are delivered to the surgical site for example through a laparoscope. A magnet or magnetically responsive material may be in sheet form and coiled or otherwise made compact to accommodate the laparoscope, then expanded to a final effective configuration. If the surgical mesh is not appropriately located relative to the body tissue, it may be appropriately repositioned by urging it using a tool, which may act by magnetic attraction, such that the mesh slides along the body tissue. The surgical mesh may then be fixed to body tissue using conventional surgical fasteners.

Described embodiments include apparatus (28) that includes a shunt (26). The shunt includes a flared distal portion (40), a flared proximal portion (44), and an intermediate portion (42), disposed between the distal portion and the proximal portion. The apparatus further includes a constricting flexible longitudinal element (38) passing circumferentially along the intermediate portion of the shunt, configured to constrict the intermediate portion of the shunt, and one or more proximal-portion-collapsing flexible longitudinal elements (36) configured to collapse the proximal portion of the shunt. Other embodiments are also described.

Balloon catheters having the strength and maximum inflated diameter characteristics of an angioplasty balloon and having the recovery characteristics during deflation of an elastic embolectomy balloon. The balloon catheter can be made in very small sizes and has a lubricious and chemically inert outer surface. The balloon catheter is easy to navigate through tortuous passageways, is capable of rapid inflation and deflation and has high burst strengths. Balloon covers having these same characteristics are also described for use with conventional embolectomy balloons or angioplasty balloons.

Corpuscles for implantation into or at body tissue have carriers of biologically inert material, and such carriers contain medicine which is distributed therein for release into body tissue upon completion of the implanting operation. The configuration of the carriers departs from a spherical or an exact spheroidal shape. The end sections of the carriers can have conical, frustoconical, semiellipsoidal, or semispherical shapes and can consist of pairs of identical or different segments. The central sections of the carriers can resemble barrels, or their central longitudinal cross sections can have conical, elliptical, straight or other outlines. The carriers have central or substantially central longitudinal passages for a filament which supports a surgically implantable composition constituting a row or file or string of two or more identical and / or different carriers. The transverse cross sections of the carriers can have circular, elliptical, polygonal and / or other outlines. An advantage of the corpuscles is that the surface-to-volume ratio of their carriers is more satisfactory than that of the carriers forming part of conventional corpuscles so that they can be readily withdrawn from the body.

This laptop computer case takes advantage of the clamshell opening construction and the relatively stiff, mutually engaging frames (13) forming the clamshell closure construction. A pair of gripping elements engages a laptop computer (L) by its major surfaces. The gripping elements preferably comprise an upper gripping bar (16) and lower bars (20) or tray support (18). These elements move towards and away from one another and thus into engagement with the laptop computer (L) being carried. These elements are moved and forced to clamp the computer (L) by the clamshell frames. High friction materials of the gripping elements engage the upper and lower surface of the laptop computer (L) to prevent the laptop computer from being dashed against the sides and top of the case. The gripping force is enhanced by a linkage system and torsion spring providing a significant mechanical advantage.

Described embodiments include apparatus (28) that includes a shunt (26). The shunt includes a flared distal portion (40), a flared proximal portion (44), and an intermediate portion (42), disposed between the distal portion and the proximal portion. The apparatus further includes a constricting flexible longitudinal element (38) passing circumferentially along the intermediate portion of the shunt, configured to constrict the intermediate portion of the shunt, and one or more proximal-portion-collapsing flexible longitudinal elements (36) configured to collapse the proximal portion of the shunt. Other embodiments are also described.

The disclosure relates to a sandwich arrangement having at least two peripheral disposed ceramic panels and a ceramic felt which is inserted between a first and second ceramic panel, The material of the first ceramic panel is equal or different to the material of the second panel, wherein the ceramic felt is formed by a textile structure with a regularly or quasi-regularly structured woven fibres. The fibres are made of at least one material and / or composition, wherein at least one adhesive is provided between an underside of the panels and adjacent fibres.

A tray for the display and dispensing of products in blister packages. Side guide elements, of wire or sheet material, are provided in forward portions thereof with retaining elements formed integrally and in one piece therewith. The retaining elements engage side margins of a forwardmost package well below the tops of the packages and preferably below the tops of the blisters thereof. A forwardmost package is gripped by its exposed and unobstructed upper portions and pulled forwardly to remove a package. Integral, one-piece construction of the side guide elements and the retaining elements provides for economical manufacture with superior performance. Optionally, space may be provided in front of the retaining portions to accommodate return of packages by a customer who has changed his or her mind. In one embodiment, a wire retaining portion of inverted U-shaped configuration is positioned with wire ends concealed and protected by the tray side.