Vance Products Inc.

Dentsply Research & Development Corp.

Cook Urological, Inc.

Frederick D Roemer

Louis H Tateosian

Thomas L Foster

Marvin O Andrews

Kazuo Takai

Alvin B Rutner

Greg O Lund

Hrair-George O Mesrobian

Gerald J French

Scott Genty

A back-up retention member drainage catheter (,) for insertion in the bladder and urethra of a patient undergoing a radical prostatectomy surgical procedure. The drainage catheter includes an elongated tubular member (,) having a drainage lumen (,) extending longitudinally therein with an external drainage port (,) disposed near the distal end (,) of the tubular member. A back-up retention member (,) and, in particular, a first balloon (,) is disposed on the elongated tubular member near the distal end and proximal the external drainage port. A primary retention member (,) and, in particular, a second retention balloon (,) is also disposed on the elongated tubular member around the first retention balloon. First and second inflation lumens (,) extend longitudinally through the elongated tubular member and communicate internally with the first and second retention balloons, respectively. To maintain independent inflation of the two retention balloons, the second inflation lumen communicates externally with the first retention balloon. To maintain the balloons in an expanded state, first and second one-way valves (,) are disposed at the proximal end of the first and second inflation lumens, respectively. A suture tether (,) is positioned through a tether lumen (,) for securing the drainage catheter percutaneously through the patient should the physician so desire.

Back-up retention member drainage catheter

A replaceable handle (10) for side loading the proximal end of a medical device (41) therein, which is typically inserted with the operating lumen of an endoscope. The replaceable handle is easily removed from the proximal end of the medical device for removing an endoscope over the medical device. with the endoscope removed, the replaceable handle can side-load the proximal end of the device for added manipulation of the distal end such as in removing a stone from the kidney or ureter leading therefrom. the replaceable handle includes an outer elongated housing (11) with passage (13) extending longitudinally therein with external communication (14) therealong. The outer housing also includes a first attachment mechanism (15) disposed about the distal end for receipt of a first medical device member therein. The handle also includes an inner elongated member (17) positioned in the housing passage and extending proximally therefrom. A second attachment mechanism (19) is disposed in the inner elongated member and communicates with the housing passage for receipt therein of a second medical device member (20) adjacent the first member. The inner member also includes a positioning channel (18) in which a housing projection is positionable therein so as to control longitudinal and rotational movement of the inner member with respect to the outer housing. The inner elongated member is also rotatable for easily side-loading the proximal end of the medical device.

Replaceable, medical device handle

Ureteral stents are tubes which are placed in the ureter between the bladder and kidney to maintain patency when otherwise due to stone burden, invasive tumor, scarring, or whenever the ureter has become obstructed in order to provide drainage of urine from the kidney to the bladder. In the past, stents of this nature are open ended tubes and may allow for the reflux of urine back into the kidney when there is sufficient buildup of pressure within the bladder. Since urine is generally considered to be sterile when within the body, this is generally not a problem. However, if the patient has a bladder infection and/or pyrogens are present, then urine refluxed into the ureter and kidney may result in the development of sepsis in the patient and cause serious illness and even death. The stent of the present invention has a very specific design and avoids this problem by providing a stent having a closed section, i.e., the bladder end section does not contain any fluid passageways and also comprises a means for retaining the stent within the bladder after implantation.

Anti-reflux ureteral stent

A surgical retractor, retainer, tensioner, tenaculum, spreader or stabilizer (10) useful in open surgical procedures, or in laparoscopic or other endoscopic procedures, includes a plurality of tissue-engaging elements (12, 14) (such as a plurality of atraumatic hooks (18)) connected by a central elastic member (16). The elastic member (16) is preferably composed of a medical grade rubber, silicone or fluoropolymer elastomer, and is preferably configured or shaped as an O-ring (22) or regular polygon (66, 74, 88, or 92). When the retractor (10) is intended and particularly adapted for use in laparoscopic or other endoscopic procedures, the elastic member (16) is collapsible in a direction transverse to an imaginary line drawn between the plurality of tissue engaging elements (12, 14), so as to allow the retractor (10) to be passed through a surgical cannula into and out of the patient's body during the procedure. Alternatively, when the retractor (10) is intended and particularly adapted for use in any surgical procedure (that is, not limited to use in laparoscopic procedures), the elastic member (16) is directly connected to the plurality of tissue-engaging elements (12, 14), such that there are no disparate, rigid intermediate portions between the individual tissue-engaging elements (12, 14). The former embodiment is particularly advantageous in that retraction can be entirely performed within the body space enclosing the surgical site. Both embodiments are particularly advantageous in being of simple and inexpensive construction, yet allowing the elimination of the surgical assistant previously required for performing retraction, and saving the time needed for the surgeon to instruct such an assistant during retraction.

Surgical retractor including central elastic member

An indwelling ureteral stent positioning apparatus is provided for allowing single intrusion placement of a stent in the ureter of a patient. The apparatus is pre-assembled and includes a wire guide with floppy tip. The stent is positioned about the wire guide adjacent to the floppy tip of the wire guide, and is adjustably situated on the wire guide to expose a pre-determined length of the floppy tip for insertion into the patient. The stent is a dual open-ended tubular stent having a resilient retentive curved circular or pigtail shape at each end for retention in the kidney and bladder. A positioner is conveyed on the wire stent until the end of the positioned abuts the anatomically distal end of the stent. A pin-vise clamp abuts the external end of the positioner and releasably engages the wire guide to stabilize the apparatus during insertion. When used to position the stent within the ureter, the apparatus is conveyed along the ureter until the floppy tip is within the renal collecting system. The positioner is advanced along the wire guide to push the anatomically proximal end of the stent over and beyond the floppy tip so that the retentive coil forms within the kidney. The pin-vise clamp is released to allow the wire guide to be withdrawn until it passes the anatomically distal end of the stent, wherein the retentive coil shape is formed within the bladder. With the stent fully indwelling, the positioner and wire guide are removed from the patient.

Indwelling ureteral stent placement apparatus

A medical procedure involving direction of the operative end of a medical instrument via observation through a remote small caliber fiber optic bundle disposed through a prepositioned needle lumen.

Remote fiber optic medical procedure and device

Compositions hardenable by exposure to heat or electromagnetic radiation are provided by dissolving together to form a blend from about 0% to about 50% by weight of an uncrosslinked polymer, from about 2% to about 30% of a polymerizable monomer, from about 10% to about 70% of a crosslinked polymer in the form of discrete particles having average diameters of from 0.001 micron to about 500 microns and being swollen in said solution and from about 20% to about 70% of a crosslinking agent for said monomer. Such compositions exhibit superior chemical and physical characteristics when hardened and are suitable in a wide variety of applications as construction media. Such compositions are especially suitable in the production of prosthetic dental appliances, such as, for example, prosthetic teeth. It is believed that the hardening of such compositions as, for example, during the preparation of dental appliances forms a polymer system known as an interpenetrating polymer network.

Stable one part dental compositions employing ipn technology

Compositions hardenable by exposure to heat or electromagnetic radiation are provided by blending from about 0% to about 50% by weight of an uncrosslinked polymer, from about 20% to about 66% of a polymerizable monomer capable of dissolving said polymer, from about 10% to about 70% of a crosslinked polymer in the form of discrete particles having average diameters of from 0.001 micron to about 500 microns and being swellable by said monomer, and from about 0.25% to about 27% of a crosslinking agent for said monomer. Such compositions exhibit superior chemical and physical characteristics when hardened and are suitable in a wide variety of applications as construction media. In accordance with a preferred form of the invention, a precursor blend is formed from a mixture comprising (A) from 13 to 52 weight percent of a crosslinked polymer of an ester of a C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl acrylic acid and a C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 alkyl or cycloalkyl alcohol, said crosslinked polymer being in the form of fine particles at least 50% by weight of which have average diameters less than 150 microns; (B) from 13 to 34 weight percent of an uncrosslinked polymerized ester of a C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl acrylic acid and a C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 alkyl or cycloalkyl alcohol having an average molecular weight of from 500,000 to 900,000 g/mole; (C) from 25 to 55% by weight of a polymerizable monomeric ester of a C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl acrylic acid and a C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 alkyl or cycloalkyl alcohol, which monomeric ester is capable of dissolving said uncrosslinked polymerized ester and of swelling, or interpenetrating, said crosslinked polymer particles; and (D) from 7% to 22% by weight of a crosslinking agent for said polymerizable monomeric ester. Such precursor blends, after being aged for a time sufficient to insure that the crosslinked polymer particles have become substantially fully swollen with or interpenetrated by the mixture of monomeric ester and crosslinking agent, is especially suitable in the production of prosthetic dental appliances, such as, for example, prosthetic teeth.

Growing community of inventors

Bloomington, IN, United States of America

Frederick D Roemer