Kontron Instruments, Inc.

Opportunity/discovery LLC

Other

Kontron Inc.

Edward J Lombardi

Wayne P Griffin

John M Hegarty

Gerald J Cicciu

Ira M Lisook

A disposable sheath device for use with an endoscope is disclosed. The endoscope has a body with an insertion tube having optics at its distal end. The disposable sheath device has a primary lumen and at least one secondary lumen attached to the primary lumen along a length of the lumen. The primary lumen is for covering and protecting the insertion tube from bodily contamination. The secondary lumen is for accommodating a desired tool. The secondary lumen has an insert substantially commensurate in length to the secondary lumen and the insert has a slit longitudinally along its length. The slit permits radial expansion to accommodate tools having a radius larger than that of the secondary lumen, which preferably is made of a flexible material that expands. A connector is attached to the proximal end of the primary lumen and connects to he body of the endoscope. The connector extends longitudinally to accommodate different length insertion tubes. Optionally, an adapter can be used to attach the connector to the body of the endoscope. Varying the adapter permits the sheath device to be attached to various endoscope bodies.

Disposable sheath device

A disposable sheath device for use with an endoscope is disclosed. The endoscope has a body with an insertion tube having optics at its distal end. The disposable sheath device has a primary lumen and at least one secondary lumen attached to the primary lumen along a length of the lumen. The primary lumen is for covering and protecting the insertion tube from bodily contamination. The secondary lumen is for accommodating a desired tool. The secondary lumen has an insert substantially commensurate in length to the secondary lumen and has a slit longitudinally along its length. The slit permits radial expansion to accommodate tools having a radius larger than that of the secondary lumen, which preferably is made of a flexible material that expands. A connector is attached to the proximal end of the primary lumen and connects to the body of the endoscope. The connector extends longitudinally to accommodate different length insertion tubes. Optionally, an adapter can be used to attach the connector to the body of the endoscope. Varying the adapter permits the sheath device to be attached to various endoscope bodies.

An apparatus and a method for conserving the volume of water consumed during the flushing of waste deposited in the bowl of a toilet. A secondary water reservoir is mounted externally on the primary water reservoir of a conventional toilet. The primary water reservoir holds a first body of water whose volume is greater than a second body of water held by the secondary water reservoir. The first body of water may be discharged from the primary water reservoir directly into the bowl. Alternatively, the second body of water may be discharged from said second water reservoir into a water feed member which is mounted externally on the rim of the bowl and which directs said second body of water into said bowl along its perimeter in a slight downwardly direction.

Toilet bowl water conservation unit

A balloon catheter with an inner elongated member having an inner layer of a soft elastomeric polyurethane material and an outer layer of a hard plastic nylon material, which is formed by forming the outer layer onto the inner layer by coextrusion.

Balloon catheter having a dual layer inner member

An intra-aortic balloon assembly which includes an hemostasis device slidably mounted to a balloon catheter, and method for percutaneous insertion of such assembly. The hemostasis device provides a distal constant diameter segment dimensioned to minimize initial resistance to the insertion of the hemostasis device, integrated with a second proximal segment of larger constant diameter via a transition segment. The second constant diameter segment is proportioned to fill the opening in the patient's skin created by the insertion of the intra-aortic balloon and thereby stop any bleeding from the femoral artery at the insertion site. The method includes the steps of (1) percutaneously inserting the intra-aortic balloon into the femoral common artery, with or without the use of a tear-away insertion sheath, (2) removing the insertion sheath (if one is used) after insertion of the intra-aortic balloon assembly, and (3) inserting the hemostasis device into the patient's skin at the insertion site to stop bleeding which may occur upon sheathless insertion of the wrapped balloon or removal of the insertion sheath.

Intra-aortic balloon assembly with hemostasis device

A method for inserting an intra-aortic balloon device into a patient without using an insertion sheath is provided. Additionally, a hemostasis sheath is described for use with the insertion method. The hemostasis sheath may be incorporated onto the balloon catheter during manufacture before attachment of the intra-aortic balloon bladder. The hemostasis sheath is tapered from a smaller outside diameter at the point closest to the balloon bladder gradually increasing in diameter towards a large outside diameter at the end opposite the balloon bladder. The hemostasis sheath may also have an extended tip of constant outside diameter at its proximal end to facilitate insertion through the skin. If bleeding occurs after insertion of the intra-aortic balloon according to the invention, the hemostasis sheath is slid into the insertion site to stop the bleeding.

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Derry, NH, United States of America

Edward J Lombardi