Schering Corporation

Howmedica Corp.

Pfizer Corporation

Ethicon, Gmbh

Figgie International, Inc.

Ssi Medical Services, Inc.

Charles M Huck

Charles R Ashley

Henry R Sochon

Ken Wilkinson

Edward W Larrabee

John E Studer

Philip H Sauer

Joseph Guglielmelli

Alan J Bilanin

Tsong-Toh Yang

Andrew E Kaufman

Thomas J Ambrosio

Harvey B Mandel

Srinivas Manthena

Edward J Johnson

David J Kenyon

James V Zappa

Jeremiah A Lott

Ina L Williams

Inhaler for powdered medications

A powder dispenser includes a powder housing for holding a supply of powdered material to be dispensed, the powder housing including an inhalation conduit provided displaced relation to the powdered material supply; a metering plate including a metered dose hole for holding a metered amount of the powdered material, and positioned below the powdered material supply, the metering plate and the powder housing being relatively rotatable with respect to each other about a common central axis; a counter providing a visual count of the number of doses of the powdered material that have been dispensed or remain to be dispensed in response to the relative rotation, the counter including counter rings providing the visual count, the counter rings being rotatable about the common central axis and having indicia thereon which display the visual count, and an actuating mechanism rotatable about the central axis for incrementally rotating the counter rings in response to the relative rotation; a nozzle for breaking up agglomerates of powdered material from the inhalation conduit to form micronized powdered material, the nozzle including a cavity for changing the direction of flow of the powder from the direction of the inhalation conduit to a second different direction, and a curved wall for substantially continuously changing the direction of flow of the powder in a spiral manner in the second direction in the cavity; and a closure cap covering the powder housing and priming the powder dispenser for use automatically upon removal thereof.

Inhaler for powdered medications with gear-teeth counter assembly

A storage canister apparatus (10,110) particularly useful for housing a Protective Breathing Equipment (PBE) device therein, is described. A first embodiment of the storage canister comprises a container (12) provided with a removable closure means in a vacuum sealed relationship therewith to prolong the useful life of the PBE device housed therein. The closure means is secured to the container by a gasket seal (44) such that a pulling force on a handle (64) causes the closure means to move with respect to the container to release a plug (44) provided in an inner cover (16) to thereby break the vacuum seal to access the PBE device. A second embodiment comprises a 'peel top' closure means that is peeled from the container in response to a pulling force applied to a handle (156) to release the vacuum sealed relationship between a container (114) and the closure means to thereby access the PBE device housed therein. Both embodiments of the storage canister provide for instant access to the PBE device which is important when the breathing equipment must be donned quickly in an emergency situation.

Storage canister for protective breathing equipment

Combined inhaler and cover

Inhaler

A side guard apparatus for a bed can be selectively depoloyed between a retracted position alongside the bed and an upright position above the support surface of the bed. A side guard member is pivotally connected to a base support member, which is pivotally connected to the side of the bed. A chain and sprocket linkage constrains rotation of the plane in which the side guard member is disposed during pivoting movement of the side guard member relative to the base support member and the pivoting movement of the base support member relative to the bed. The constant angle of orientation of the side guard member can be selectively changed. The side guard member and the base support member are locked into position and unlocked from this position by a pair of locking members resiliently urged by a pair of springs to insert their respective locking pins into openings defined in a pair of oppositely disposed mounting blocks. An alignment plate defines alignment slots which engage the locking members to ensure aligned translational movement of the locking members in a locking housing during the locking and unlocking movements of the locking members.

Side guard for patient support

A surgical stapler includes a supply of staples which are fed one at a time to the discharge opening where a driver in the stapler housing bends the staple around the anvil, the anvil being retracted within the housing away from the discharge opening as the driver completes the bending operation.

Surgical stapler with retractable anvil

Combined pill dispenser and cover

A device for removing fluids from a wound includes a housing and a resilient bellows inside the housing. The bellows can be collapsed and retained in a collapsed or activated state. Upon release from its activated state, the bellows is expanded so as to create a negative pressure therein whereupon fluids are automatically drawn into and collected within the bellows. Preferably the bellows is expanded by a variable force ribbon spring so that the resultant or combined restoring force provided by the resilient bellows and the variable force ribbon spring allows for the creation of a substantially constant level of negative pressure within the bellows so as to provide for a substantially constant level of suction of the device throughout the range of evacuation of fluids therein. The housing is preferably transparent with graduations provided thereon permitting the visible inspection and measurement of the fluids collected therein. A method for operating the device is also disclosed.

Wound drainage device

A device for storing and dispensing a suture includes an outer envelope formed of two panel layers which are sealed along their peripheries so as to hermetically enclose a region therebetween. An inner container positioned within the region includes a rectangular center panel which has a pocket formed by an overlaying window to snugly retain a needle therein. A second panel foldably secured to one longitudinal edge of the center panel receives on its left-half the major portion of the suture. The right-half of the side panel is then folded over the suture and again is folded over onto the upper surface of the center panel. A tab formed of the center panel is provided so as to lock the side panel when positioned on the center panel. A window is provided in the upper panel layer and overlies the window of the center panel so that the needle and a portion of the thread are viewable therethrough. After tearing or removing a portion of the two panel layers so as to expose the window on the center panel, the envelope and center panel are folded in half so as to expose a portion of the needle together with a portion of the suture free of the surface of the center panel. The center panel has a score line centrally positioned along the longitudinal axis thereof to aid in the folding of the center panel. A method for storing and dispensing the suture and respective needle is also disclosed.

Linear fold armed suture

A device for removing fluids from a wound. The device includes a housing having therein an expandable and collapsible passive member which divides the interior of the housing into a first and a second chamber. A vacuum is applied to the second chamber to draw the passive member so as to increase the volume of the first chamber and create a negative pressure therein. Conventional wound tubing connected to the first chamber permits fluids to be drawn from the wound into the first chamber. In one exemplary embodiment a bellows is placed in communication with the second chamber.

Disposable wound drainage device

A device for removing fluids from a wound includes a housing and a passive bellows inside the housing. The bellows can be collapsed and retained in a collapsed or activated state. Upon release from its activated state, the bellows is expanded so as to provide a substantially constant level of negative pressure whereupon fluids from a wound are automatically drawn into and collected within the bellows at a substantially constant rate of suction throughout the range of evacuation. Preferably the bellows is expanded by a constant force ribbon spring which provides a constant force of expansion. Additionally, the housing is preferably transparent with graduations etched thereon permitting the visible inspection and measurement of the fluids removed from the wound.

A receiver for disposing of used surgical sharps particularly needles and scalpel blades, comprising an adhesive-coated, rectangular backing panel having a cover panel and two matrix panels attached along the sides thereof. The matrix panels have cut-out windows of different sizes to accommodate the surgical sharps. In use, one matrix panel is removed and discarded while the other is folded over and secured to the adhesive-coated side of the backing panel. Used surgical sharps deposited in matrix panel windows are retained on the adhesive coating of the backing panel which forms the floor of the matrix window. When all matrix windows are used, or the surgical procedure is complete, the adhesive coated cover panel is folded over the matrix panel to seal the matrix windows and the sharps contained therein. Preferably, the cover panel is transparent to allow the sharps to be visually identified and counted after the receiver is sealed.

Receiver for disposable surgical sharps

Growing community of inventors

Gladstone, NJ, United States of America

Charles M Huck