37 results about "Sternal body" patented technology

A clamp designed for use in the heart-surgery field for osteosynthesis following on sternotomy has a roughly C-shaped configuration with a core (11) terminating at opposite ends with hooks (12) set opposite to one another. In the centre, the said core (11) extends vertically according to a plane which is substantially perpendicular to the one on which the end hooks (12) lie, with a loop (13) which is elastically compliant. The said clamp is made of a so-called “shape-memory” metallic alloy, i.e., an alloy which is malleable at a low temperature and which re-acquires its original form at body temperature, exerting a semi-rigid compression on the ends or edges of the bones requiring synthesis.

A portable thoracic impedance monitor for monitoring thoracic fluid levels, an electrode array assembly having a single linear electrode array lead with first, second, third, and fourth electrodes arranged sequentially and axially along the linear electrode array lead, and a method of use of the thoracic impedance monitor. A measurement of the user's thoracic impedance is obtained by connecting the second electrode to the user's body at the junction of the clavicles, superior to the sternum, the third electrode to the user's body at the xyphiod-sternal junction, and the first and fourth electrodes to the user's body substantially along a centerline of the user's sternum respectively at a first pre-determined distance above the second electrode and a second predetermined distance below the third electrode, followed by initiating operation of the monitor.

In a sternum closure device for fixing two sternum portions to be connected to one another, comprising an inner contact element for abutment on the inner surface of the sternum, at least one clamping element fixed to this contact element and projecting transversely from it and at least one outer contact element for abutment on the outer side of the sternum which can be clamped against the inner contact element by means of the clamping element guided through the intermediate space between the sternum portions, it is suggested in order to hinder the separation of the sternum as little as possible during any renewed operation that the inner contact element consist of two parts which are separate from one another and each of which is designed to abut on one of the two sternum portions and that connecting means be provided for the releasable connection of the two parts arranged next to one another.

A device and method for joining a severed sternum is disclosed. The device includes first and second bearing members, a sternum joining member having an axis and first and second ends, the first end connected to the first bearing member, the second bearing member adapted to engage the sternum joining member, and the sternum joining member is adapted to traverse the exposed cancellous surfaces of the sternal portions. The method includes moving the second bearing member along the axis of the sternum joining member toward the first bearing member, with the sternum joining member traversing the cancellous surfaces of both sternal portions, and securing the second bearing member on the axis of the sternum joining member so that the severed sternum is securely closed. A kit including sternal closure devices and other tools for closing a sternotomy is also disclosed.

A head support system for supporting the user's head in an at least generally upright disposition, while the user, for example, naps or sleeps or otherwise rests while traveling sitting in a seat. The head support element (1) interfaces with the underside of and, preferably, up and around the front of the chin, i.e., the mental proturberance with its central clef, and underneath the user's chin and from side-to-side of and along side the chin, i.e., the mandible body, in “face-to-face” surface engagement over a relatively large area, essentially forming a supportive cup for the chin, with a self-supporting but soft, solid block of molded, supportive material having an oblong shape with a reduced sized central portion (10) for hand grasping, with its angled, flat bottom (31) resting centrally on the central upper chest area of the user, preferably over and across the manubrium sterni area, with an anchoring strap (41) positioned, for example, around and about the back of the user's neck. The support element is at least generally “Y” shaped with a laterally enlarged base (30) when viewed from the front (FIG. 2). The anchoring strap subsystem (40) includes a “break-away” string-like line (42) attached to the strap with terminal ends (42a / 42b) that extend to the front loosely connected to the block and extend through and past a push-button / barrel lock (43).

A portable thoracic impedance monitor for monitoring thoracic fluid levels, an electrode array assembly having a single linear electrode array lead with first, second, third, and fourth electrodes arranged sequentially and axially along the linear electrode array lead, and a method of use of the thoracic impedance monitor. A measurement of the user's thoracic impedance is obtained by connecting the second electrode to the user's body at the junction of the clavicles, superior to the sternum, the third electrode to the user's body at the xiphoid-sternal junction, and the first and fourth electrodes to the user's body substantially along a centerline of the user's sternum respectively at a first pre-determined distance above the second electrode and a second predetermined distance below the third electrode, followed by initiating operation of the monitor.

An upper body garment which selectively supports the muscles used during inhalation without hindering the movement of the spinal column. The upper body garment is constructed by stitching, to a shirt that adheres closely to the body, a plurality of band-form fabrics having a stretchability lower than that of the shirt. The stitching of the band-form fabrics occurs along several defined anatomical lines such as: the first lines that extend from the left and right acromia to a portion that corresponds to the center of the sternum, second lines which extend from this portion corresponding to the center of the sternum, pass beneath the breast area, and extend to the left and right armpit areas, and third lines which connect the left and right armpit areas of the second lines to each other on the back surface.

In an improved method for surgically treating a sleep-related breathing disorder, comprising hyoid distruction / expansion and hyo-mandibular suspension, an implant comprises a polypropylene and / or reticulated elastomeric biostable polyurethane matrix. The matrix is positioned between two or more segments of the distructed hyoid bone. A single or multiple midline or paramedian incisions are made under a patient's chin; soft tissues overlying the mandible are cleaned; a first screw is inserted into the edge of the mandible; a second screw is inserted into the inferior edge of the mandible; a second horizontal incision is made over the body of the hyoid; the infrahyoid muscles are separated from the body of the hyoid bone; the hyoid is refracted and stabilized; the sternohyoid and thyrohyoid muscles are detached from the body of the hyoid between the lesser cornuae; the hyoid bone is divided midline or paramedian into two or more segments; and an absorbable or nonabsorbable, rigid or semirigid, implant is positioned between segments of the hyoid bone. The hyoid bone is stabilized by the implant; and sutures or portions of polypropylene and / or polyurethane matrix are passed around the hyoid bone segments and implant to connect to muscle still attached to the upper portion of the hyoid bone, wherein the hypopharyngeal airway is expanded.

A sternum retractor device is disclosed suitable for temporarily maintaining a selected gap between two sternal stumps during cardiac surgical procedures. The device comprises a pair of jaws configured so as to be inserted between the stumps and shaped for firmly engaging the stumps, an actuator connected to the jaws for controlling their mutual closing and opening movements, and a member for controlled feed or withdrawal of a selected biocompatible actuator fluid in / from the actuator, thereby enabling the achievement and maintenance of the gap required between the stumps as well as the progressive reduction of the gap as a function of a patient's condition.

This invention relates to a method of catheter and radiating coil location in a human body and in particular to the determination over time of the location of the tip of a catheter as it is inserted and during its use in the body. In particular when a radiating coil is used in conjunction with a catheter, a coil locating device can be used to determine the distance the coil is from the device and hence its depth in the body of a patient. To assist a clinician using the coil-locating device, a display is provided that shows both a reference image of a part or portion of a body (non-subject body) and an image of the coil located on the display with reference to the reference image. This is achieved by locating the coil-locating device on or over a predetermined landmark on the patient's body. The coil and its associated signal wires can be incorporated into a stylet, guide wire or a catheter. The coil locating device has a preferable triangular shape in plan view that allows it uppermost apex to be orientated towards the head of the patient and for an axis of the device to be aligned with the mid sagittal plane of the patient. Preferable landmarks on a human body include the xiphoid sternal junction and the caudal / mid sagittal aspect of the jugular sternal notch.

A method to manufacture a neck sash of elastic insulating material unitarily formed with a face-mask so as to contour and comfortably shelter the user's throat and upper sternum area against adverse weather conditions.

A top garment for waterfowl hunters and other outdoorsmen that has the attributes of breathable layering garments beneath the sternum (where waders are generally worn) and the attributes of a coat above the sternum (where waders do not extend). The top portion of the top garment, above the sternum, is made of waterproof and noiseless materials, such as micro-fleece, with an insulated inner lining and a tailored action back and underarm gussets for a full range of motion in the arms and shoulders. The bottom portion, beneath the sternum, is made of a breathable layering material, such as fleece. The upper portion includes an option array of magnetic storage pocket(s) (or hand warmers) designed to provide the hunter with easy access to items when needed, yet to maintain the items in a secure position when not in use.

A compression bra for addressing and / or correcting synmastia complications in reconstructive breast surgeries has: (i) a wide, cotton-lined, unidirectional elastic, torso band adjustably encircling a woman's thoracic torso immediately below the inframammary skinfold; (ii) a trapezoidal shaped, sternum compression panel secured at its base to the upper edge of torso band below the inframammary skinfold and at the top by a pair of adjustable over-the-shoulder straps for elastically compressing sternum tissues while restraining, shaping and separating the inside conically rising, side portions of a woman's breasts; (iii) a pair of breast support cups / flaps also fastened to the upper edge of the torso band each similarly secured at the top by an adjustable over-the-shoulder support strap; and (iv) elastic side panels fastened to the breast cup / flaps and the upper edge of the torso band for anchoring the respective shoulder straps of the sternum compression panel and breast cups / flaps supporting, restraining and shaping the outside, conical rising side portions of the woman's breasts.

This invention relates to a method of catheter and radiating coil location in a human body and in particular to the determination over time of the location of the tip of a catheter as it is inserted and during its use in the body. In particular when a radiating coil is used in conjunction with a catheter, a coil locating device can be used to determine the distance the coil is from the device and hence its depth in the body of a patient. To assist a clinician using the coil-locating device, a display is provided that shows both a reference image of a part or portion of a body (non-subject body) and an image of the coil located on the display with reference to the reference image. This is achieved by locating the coil-locating device on or over a predetermined landmark on the patient's body. The coil and its associated signal wires can be incorporated into a stylet, guide wire or a catheter. The coil locating device has a preferable triangular shape in plan view that allows it uppermost apex to be orientated towards the head of the patient and for an axis of the device to be aligned with the mid sagittal plane of the patient. Preferable landmarks on a human body include the xiphoid sternal junction and the caudal / mid sagittal aspect of the jugular sternal notch.

A neck sash of elastic insulating material unitarily formed with a face-mask so as to contour and comfortably shelter the user's throat and upper sternum area against adverse weather conditions.

An electrically non-conductive back plate for supporting the back of a patient in a supine position comprises on its front face facing the back of the patient a pair or more of ECG electrodes capable of maintaining electrically conductive skin contact with the patient's back. The pair of ECG electrodes is disposed at a sharp angle with the mean heart vector, in particular so as to form an angle β of about 45°±25° with the projection S of the patient's spine on the back plate. Also disclosed is an ECG electrode for mounting in a recess of the back plate and an apparatus for treating cardiac arrest by compression of the sternum comprising the back plate.

A respiration suppressing member includes a main body of an elastic material which is formed into a shape having a pressurizing portion for pressurizing that portion of the abdomen of a subject under imaging diagnosis by a medical modality which is located below the sternum and between the right and left ribs of the subject.

The invention provides a respiratory depression component, a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and a magnetic resonance imaging method. The respiratory depression component is provided with a body shaping elastic materials into the following shape, that is, a shape for pressing the press part of abdomen of the checked subject is arranged at the lower part of the sternum of the checked object imaged by medical form equivalently and the location between the left and the right ribs.

A method and apparatus for temporarily immobilizing a local area of tissue. In particular, the present invention provides a method and apparatus for temporarily immobilizing a local area of heart tissue to thereby permit surgery on a coronary vessel in that area without significant deterioration of the pumping function of the beating heart. The local area of heart tissue is immobilized to a degree sufficient to permit minimally invasive or micro-surgery on that area of the heart. The present invention features a suction device to accomplish the immobilization. The suction device is coupled to a source of negative pressure. The suction device has a series of suction ports on one surface. Suction through the device causes suction to be maintained at the ports. The device further is shaped to conform to the surface of the heart. Thus, when the device is placed on the surface of the heart and suction is created, the suction through the ports engages the surface of the heart. The suction device is further fixed or immobilized to a stationary object, such as an operating table or a sternal or rib retractor. Thus, the local area of the heart near the suction device is temporarily fixed or immobilized relative to the stationary object while suction is maintained. In such a fashion, the coronary artery may be immobilized even though the heart itself is still beating so that a bypass graft may be performed. In addition the suction device may be used in either a conventional, open-chest environment or in a minimally-invasive environment, e.g. endoscopic.

A negative pressure ventilation system comprising a dynamically movable, multi-component artificial rib cage configured to fit snugly around the patient's own chest wall and abdomen is disclosed. The shape, dimensions and the dynamic movement of the artificial rib cage are designed to mimic those of the patient's own chest wall. The artificial rib cage includes an artificial spine to which are connected artificial ribs for forming an artificial chest wall including a sternum component. An abdominal component for placement on the patient's abdomen is connected to the chest wall component through a translating element which allows the abdominal component to move towards and away from the chest wall component. The chest wall and abdominal components cooperatively interact to allow the ventilator to move both the chest wall and abdomen during inspiration and expiration, mimicking the patient's own natural breathing pattern.

Posture improvement by conducting a set of stretch protocols with an inelastic strap which lengthen front torso muscles in order to reduce forward head position, and to decrease rounded shoulders. Posture improvement is monitored by periodically taking hip to rib, sternum to shoulder, and shoulder to shoulder measurements. The protocols may be performed at home, or in groups such as company sponsored activity. The strap may include markings to permit a participant to readily determine desired hand positions on the strap for a stretch protocol.

The invention discloses a sternum gathering up holder. The sternum gathering up holder comprises a locking wheel, a male fixing component and a female fixing component, wherein the male fixing component and the female fixing component can be connected together in an inserting mode. The section of the locking wheel is of an olive shape or an oval shape. The male fixing component is provided with an elastic plug and a first paw-shaped hook plate, wherein first saw teeth are arranged at two sides of the elastic plug, a tightening groove is formed in the middle of the elastic plug, and a locking hole which is in transition fit with the outer wall face of the locking wheel is formed in the tightening groove, and the long axis direction of the locking hole is the insert-connect direction of the male fixing component and the female fixing component. The female fixing component is provided with a second paw-shaped hook plate and a plug seat, wherein the plug seat is provided with an inserting groove which is matched with the elastic plug, second saw teeth which are matched with the first saw teeth are arranged on two sides of the inserting groove, the rotatable locking wheel is installed inside the locking hole so as to rotate the locking wheel. When the tightening groove is enlarged, the second saw teeth are meshed with the second saw teeth. When the tightening groove is decreased, the first saw teeth are separated from the second saw teeth. The sternum gathering up holder is not only capable of conveniently adjusting the opened chest gathering up width, but also easy and convenient to fix and stable, and capable of not producing cutting phenomenon to sternum.

The invention provides a sternal prosthesis device, which comprises: a sternal part; a plurality of ribs, which are installed on the sternum, and are arranged one-to-one on the outer side of the plurality of human ribs; a prosthesis fusion part, which is arranged on the inside of one or more ribs. During the period of convalescence, the prosthesis fusion part will be fused with the growing bone substance along with the growth process of the ribs, and eventually develops into a supporting structure, which is not only relatively stable and biologically active, but also can stimulate the blood flow around it and promote the repair of damaged cartilage.

A shoulder strap for devices adapted to carry loads, particularly on the back of a user, has a side widening toward the sternal area of the user and an arched shape, the dimensions and shapes being designed so that in worn condition the side widening can rest on the thorax area, below the cervicothoracic imaginary line and above the breast, while the section extending downward beyond the side widening overlaps the side area of the thorax, the breast being positioned in the area next to a concave side edge that bypasses the breast. A buoyancy compensator for diving comprising equipped may be equipped with one or more shoulder straps as described.

The invention discloses a sternum model device for a median sternotomy incision. The sternum model device comprises a left sternum flap, a right sternum flap and an elastic separating mechanism capable of separating the left sternum flap and the right sternum flap towards the two sides, wherein wire passing channels for allowing binding wires to pass through are reserved in the periphery of the left sternum flap and the periphery of the right sternum flap. The device comprises the left half sternum flap and the right half sternum flap which are longitudinally cut in the center. The left half sternum flap and the right half sternum flap are controlled by the elastic separating mechanism to be in the open state, and the state is similar to that the sternum split in the center is pulled to the two sides by the muscle group of the chest. The sternum model device is used for teaching demonstration of the thoracic and cardiovascular surgical operation; with the model device, the operation process is close to the operation process of annularly binding the sternum for closing the sternotomy incision by using steel wires in the real operation. The operation process can be intuitively conveyed for learning of students or teaching of teachers in medical schools, and thus the understanding of the students is facilitated.

The invention discloses an automatic drag hook device for an open-heart surgery. The automatic drag hook device comprises a breastbone expander and a supporting device arranged on the breastbone expander. A fixed installation strip is arranged at the upper portion of a movable arm and / or a fixed arm of the breastbone expander. The supporting device is clamped on the fixed installation strip. The supporting device comprises a fixed block, a supporting frame and a drag hook slide block, wherein the supporting frame is fixedly installed on the fixed block and provided with a sliding shaft, the drag hook slide block is arranged on the slide shaft, slides on the slide shaft and is provided with an installation hole for installing a hook and a fixed bolt hole, and the drag hook slide block and the slide shaft are connected and fixed through a locking bolt in the fixed bolt hole. After the automatic drag hook device is used, one surgical assistant can be omitted, and work efficiency is improved; influences of the assistant on surgical region exposure can be avoided, and surgical time can be shortened; the assistant can directly view the surgical operation process due to good exposure, and clinical teaching is facilitated.