Med General, Inc.

Micromedics, Inc.

Curtis H Miller

Robert A Arp

Mark R Kaldun

Alan Lonneman

John H Altshuler

James M Weinzetl

Brian McLevish

I Kaufman Arenberg

Howard F Carpenter

W Patrick Conroy

A fluid delivery device for delivery and mixing of fibrin glue components at a treatment site during surgery includes a slidable sleeve for controlling interaction of fluid dispensed from a pair of adjacent tubes. A pair of syringes are attached to a fluid separation control attachment which allows the fluids from each of the syringes to be forced into the adjacent tubes. When the fluids exit the free ends of the adjacent tubes, they interact and mix when the slidable sleeve thereon is in one position, but are inhibited from interacting and mixing when the slidable sleeve is in another position.

Fluid separation control attachment for physiologic glue applicator

An instrument tray assembly including a tray and an optional cover for the storage, transport and sterilization of medical instruments is disclosed. Each tray and cover is perforated to permit the flow of sterilizing medium therethrough, and each is comprised of materials which will withstand soaking and steam or gas autoclaving. Interchangeably disposed along the surfaces of the tray and cover are a plurality of support members, each including variously dimensioned notched receptacles for receiving medical instruments. Each tray may also include a set of handles which may be extended at a variety of angles, thereby avoiding contact and possible contamination between gloved hands and instruments, depending upon the orientation of each handle. Alternative embodiments for resilient instrument support members are disclosed. One embodiment includes resilient projections which are insertable directly into the perforations on the trays and covers. An alternative embodiment further includes a rigid extrusion. The extrusion is screwed to the surface of the tray or cover and the instruments are inserted into variously dimensioned receptacles on the support mounts. The trays may be used independently, interlockingly stacked one upon another, used in association with a locking cover, or covered then stacked together. The unique structure of the feet permits the trays to interlock in any of these combinations, to prohibit damage to the instruments contained therein. Optional locks which engage the cover further secure the instruments.

Instrument tray

An improved sprayer assembly for delivery of physiologic glue, including fibrin glue, is disclosed. The sprayer assembly is comprised of at least one female receptacle rigidly affixed to a base member and a sprayer member having at least one atomizing ejection port on an external surface opposing the base member. Within the sprayer member, a system of fluid channels permits each reservoir to be emptied into a well from angular connecting channels, which causes enhanced turbulence within each well. A vortex is created which propagates through an exit port and down an exit channel, causing each solution to exit the sprayer member at each ejection port in a swirling pattern. The spray patterns emitted from each syringe or reservoir overlap, causing droplets of solution to contact one another and commence a clotting reaction at a wound surface. The sprayer assembly is joined to a conventional syringe, a catheter or other solution reservoir. Thus, quickly reacting substances are stored apart from one another and only come into contact while airborne. The positioning of the ejection ports is selected to prevent droplets exiting one port from contaminating the contents within the neighboring port and channel. Thus, propagation of the reaction within the device, and subsequent plugging of the assembly is avoided.

Sprayer assembly for physiologic glue

An improved fibrin glue delivery system is disclosed. The delivery system is comprised of a pair of syringe tubes which can be actuated by plungers simultaneously or independently, a connecting member which holds the syringe tubes in parallel alignment and a unique needle assembly which ensures the components in the syringe bodies will not be comingled until they reach the treatment site. The unique needle assembly also permits the user to manipulate the needles to enhance visibility when the surgeon is working through a speculum or when direct access is difficult.

Fibrin glue delivery system

A surgical instrument storage and transporting assembly which facilitates the sterilization, storage, protection, handling and presentment during surgery of a variety of surgical instruments and devices. An outer box-like enclosure having a removable top, contains a wire basket in which are placed a plurality of instrument carrying modules. The individual modules are provided with an instrument gripping member which positively, but releasably, holds the instruments in a first predetermined order and orientation when being stored in the box-like enclosure, but which permits placement of the instruments in the same order, but in a second orientation to facilitate the location and selection of given instruments during the course of a surgical procedure when the modules have been removed from the basket and placed on the surgical stand. When the instruments, instrument modules and basket are placed in the enclosure and covered with the removable top, the entire unit can be put in an autoclave and subjected to sterilizing steam which, because of the proper attention to hole patterns in the enclosure, the modules and the instrument supports, a free flow of steam takes place to ensure total sterilization. Because the individual instruments are positively held, they do not become loose and scrambled even during rough handling.

Modular sterilizing system

A disposable vascular tourniquet for controlling the constriction of a blood vessel during surgery. The vessel occluder comprises a flexible tubular sheath having a clamping structure disposed at its proximal end. The clamping structure is a unitary molded plastic part which has a tubular base portion adapted to be inserted into the proximal end of the flexible sheath and projecting from this base portion are bifurcated fingers, one of which includes a transversely extending latch portion which is adapted to mate with a recess on the other finger. A retractor or snare having a hook at one end and a ring-type handle at the other end may be inserted between the fingers of the clamp when in its unlatched condition and through the tubular base of the clamp and the sheath so as to extend outwardly from the distal end of the sheath. A cord may be looped around a vessel to be constricted and the ends of the loop are captured in the hook of the retractor. When the retractor is drawn outward from the sheath, the ends of the loop pass between the fingers of the clamp such that when the fingers are pinched together and latched, axial movement of the cord with respect to the tubular sheath is prevented.

Vessel occluder

An electronic peripheral nerve stimulator which may be used to monitor the type of neuromuscular blocks present in a patient following the administration of a muscle relaxant drug. An integrated circuit monostable multivibrator or one-shot is coupled to an amplifier and output stage. Plural integrated astable multivibrators are provided which may be selectively employed to trigger the one-shot circuit to thereby produce stimulating impulses of several predetermined repetition rates and duty cycles useful for producing the so-called 'twitch' and 'tetanus' responses of a patient's digital members. The peripheral nerve stimulator also includes indicating means for the power-on condition of the unit as well as for a low battery charged condition.

Peripheral nerve stimulator

A charging stand for a rechargeable battery pack having a receptacle for receiving a battery pack to be charged and/or tested and having indicator means for providing a visual indication of the condition of the battery pack. The charging stand is adapted to be connected to the output of a standard AC to DC converter and includes a circuitry for applying a charging current to the battery pack as well as sensing and indicating that charging is in progress and that the battery potential is low or fully charged. A manually operated switch is also provided to permit the testing of the condition of a battery pack. When the pack to be tested is inserted into the receptacle in the test stand and the switch is operated, a battery, which is partially discharged, will result in a 'low' indication being given, but if fully charged, a 'high' indication will result.

Battery pack charger and tester

A female receptacle for a male pin-type coaxial jack of the type having first and second cylindrical conductive segments coaxially aligned and having ends thereof separated by an insulating segment and having an annular detent notch formed in the endmost conductive segment. The receptacle comprises a conductive sleeve having a generally U-shaped cross-section, the sleeve being of a predetermined length. The sleeve is adapted to be mounted on a printed circuit board which has a pattern of electrical conductors thereon and an aperture formed therethrough inwardly of one side edge of the printed circuit board. The conductive sleeve is connected to the printed circuit board by means of projections which extend through holes drilled in the board and when so mounted, has a first open end proximate the side edge of the board and its opposite open end proximate the edge of the aperture. The receptacle further includes a leaf-type spring having first, second and third integrally formed segments which is adapted to be attached to the side of the board opposite to the one on which the cylindrical sleeve is mounted.

Coaxial jack for printed circuit boards

A transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator in which a unijunction transistor relaxation oscillator is used to produce variable frequency, variable width pulses. The relaxation oscillator drives a two stage transistor amplifier and the output therefrom is transformer coupled to a set of output electrodes which are adapted to be placed on the area of a patient to be treated. The amplitude of the signals applied to the patient as well as the rate and duration thereof are controllable so that the patient may adjust the nerve stimulation to suit his particular needs.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator

Transcutaneous nerve stimulating apparatus wherein a portable, battery-operated variable pulse width, variable pulse rate oscillator is coupled through a variable amplitude current amplifying device to a set of electrodes adapted to be positioned upon the skin of a patient in proximity to a pain exhibiting area. The electrical signals or impulses are transmitted through the skin to the underlying nerves and serve to block the pain.

Growing community of inventors

Burnsville, MN, United States of America

Curtis H Miller