Intramed Laboratories, Inc.

Vital Metrics, Inc.

John H Parrish

Stephen A Sosnowski

Steven W Kovalcheck

Alan J Schempp

Nadhir B Kosa

A percutaneous access catheter is employed for examining and treating internal body cavities and organs via an access tract. For example, the catheter can be employed for examining and treating the gallbladder via a transhepatic tract. The examination may employ endoscopic, fluoroscopic, ultrasonic, or other techniques; the treatment may employ surgical, chemical, or physical modalities. The catheter includes two inflation elements. These inflation elements control hemorrhaging and leakage of fluids from the internal body cavity or organ and reduce migration of the catheter within the internal body cavity or organ during the examination and/or treatment. The first inflation element is a toroidal elastic balloon located at the distal end of the device which serves to restrict the accidental or unintended removal of the distal end from the internal body cavity or organ. The second inflation device is an inflatable nondistensible sleeve which serves to anchor the device to the access tract during the medical procedure. The two inflation elements can act cooperatively so as to anchor the internal body cavity or organ to the access tract and so as to reduce the migration of the distal end of the device within the internal body cavity or organ. The inflation of the inflatable nondistensible sleeve can also serve to control hemorrhaging from the access tract by the application of tamponage without causing unwanted dilation thereof.

Percutaneous access catheter and method of use

An endoscope having a deflectable tip configured so as to have a small outer diameter of approximately 0.15 inch or less. The endoscope includes a flexible shaft subassembly comprised of a conduit having a deflectable end segment at its distal end which can be controlled by a manually operable mechanism on a handle subassembly. The shaft subassembly further includes a cone subassembly at its proximal end including means for structurally connecting to the handle subassembly. Illumination fibers, an imaging fiber, a pull wire and a working channel extend through the shaft subassembly from its distal end to terminals in the cone subassembly for interfacing to the handle subassembly. The handle subassembly comprises an optical component which allows for the viewing of an image emanating from the shaft subassembly imaging fiber, a deflection mechanism which incorporates a means for physical attachment and axial displacement of the shaft subassembly pull wire, and a locking mechanism for attaching the shaft subassembly to the handle subassembly.

Deflectable-end endoscope with detachable flexible shaft assembly

A urine discharge measuring system for medical use which includes a gimbal mounted frame supporting a urine container of fixed dimensions to collect urine from a urinary catheter attached to a patient. An ultrasonic transceiver mounted above the container and operated in conjunction with a microprocessor based control unit, positioned adjacent to the transceiver, periodically and automatically measures the height of the urine collected within the container. The measured fluid height is converted to fluid volume by the control unit. To maintain the sterility of the container, the transceiver transducer(s) is mechanically isolated from the urine container by elements which allow the ultrasonic energy to be transmitted to and received from the interior of the container. In one described embodiment, desired measured volume accuracy is achieved by employing a reflective target within the urine container at a known fixed distance from the transceiver transducer. Comparison by the control unit of the measured distance with the actual distance to the target allows generation of corrections for variations of the speed of sound in air due to temperature and humidity to be applied when obtaining the urine height within the container. Digital displays in the control unit provide indication of past and present accumulation of the urinary output of the patient.

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La Jolla, CA, United States of America

John H Parrish