Bioresearch, Inc.

Deknatel, Incorporated

Other

Howmedica Corp.

Sutures, Inc.

Leonard D Kurtz

Joseph M LiCausi

Robert E Bidwell

Eugene Findl

Philip Ludwig

Joseph LiCause

A liquid reinfusion bag system is provided for collecting blood from a surgical site and/or reinfusing the collected blood into the patient. The system includes a flexible bag having an external frame with locking elements to retain the bag in extended position during the time the bag is being filled, the locking elements being displaceable to permit the bag to collapse during the reinfusion process.

Liquid reinfusion bag system

A drainage device is provided with a disposable collection chamber which is attachable to a nondisposable section. The nondisposable section of the drainage device includes the suction control regulator and a valve to prevent admission of atmospheric air to the collection chamber. A receptacle is provided in the nondisposable section to indicate contamination of the nondisposable section in the event liquid from the collection chamber flows into the nondisposable section. A liquid biocidal chamber is provided in the collection chamber to prevent contaminates and infectious material from passing from the collection chamber into the nondisposable section.

Drainage device with disposable collection chamber

A surgical pleural drainage apparatus for draining fluids from the body of a patient is disclosed. The apparatus includes a container with a collection chamber. A suction outlet is provided on the container which is connected to a source of negative pressure and a fluid passageway connects the suction outlet to the collection chamber. A non-liquid one-way valve is provided in the fluid passageway for allowing fluid flow only from the collection chamber to the suction outlet. An air leak indicator is also provided in the passageway to indicate a flow of gases through the passageway and optionally the qualitative quantity of that flow. Preferably, the air leak indicator includes a visible liquid trap through which any gases flow and form bubbles which are visible. The liquid trap is prefilled with glycerine or a like liquid. The amount of negative pressure applied to the collection chamber is controlled by a suction control device. An excess negative pressure relief device and a positive pressure relief device are also provided for the collection chamber. Preferably, a pressure measuring device is provided for measuring the negative pressure in the passageway and a dynamic pressure measuring device is provided for measuring the pressure changes in the collecting chamber during respiration.

Surgical drainage apparatus

An air leak detection chamber is provided which is adapted to be attached to a conventional pleural drainage device. The air leak detection chamber has a pair of passageways which are connected in series in the passageway of the pleural drainage device leading from the underwater seal or from the oneway valves disposed in the passageway leading from the collection chamber to the suction source of the pleural drainage device. The detection chamber has a water filled tube therein and any air passing from the pleural drainage device will displace the water within the tube. Thus, a physician may readily observe the volume of air passing from the pleural cavity of a patient and determine the extent of any air leak in the pleural cavity.

Air leak detection chamber for drainage device

A clamp for controlling the flow through a hose or flexible tubing such as is used in intravenous systems comprises a pair of parallel leg members joined by a curved end portion, each leg containing elements capable of clamping down on the tubing when the clamp is brought into closed position. The clamp contains a catch arm which sits on a flexible arm member at the free end portion of the clamp, and retains the upper leg member when the clamp is closed. Optionally, this catch arm can be multi-tiered, allowing the clamp to be closed at a variety of positions, each restricting a different amount of flow. When clamped, the clamping elements from each leg are alongside each other, crimping the tubing at two slightly separated points, and maximizing the clamping effect on the tubing. There are openings through the curved end portion and through the flexible arm member to receive the tube, and to retain it in position to maximize the effect of the clamp.

Hose clamp

An apparatus and method for manufacturing elastomer surgical gloves or the like is disclosed. Ordinarily, a glove mold having a handshaped mold member with spaced fingers is dipped into a tank containing a liquid polymer. As the glove mold is slowly withdrawn, polymer latex webs tend to form between the fingers of the mold. In order to prevent the formation of these webs, small objects such as polyethylene balls are moved fairly rapidly along the surface of the polymer. These small objects pass through the spaces between the fingers to prevent the webs from forming.

Glove molding apparatus and method

A method for the autotransfusion of blood comprising, collecting the blood from a pool in a patient and subsequently returning the collected blood to the circulatory system of the patient. The method includes applying suction to a collection chamber to remove air from the chamber and aspirate blood into the chamber. After the collection chamber is filled to the desired capacity, pressure is applied to a movable wall of the collection chamber to force the collected blood out of the chamber and back into the circulatory system of the patient.

Method for autotransfusion of blood

An autotransfusion device having a rigid cylindrical housing with an end wall, a movable piston located in the housing, and a deformable collection bag attached between the end wall and the piston is disclosed. When the piston is moved towards the end wall, collapsing the collection bag, the piston is rotated to twist the collection bag and prevent the collection bag from being seized between the housing wall and the piston. The autotransfusion device also includes an automatic air purge unit and an auxiliary air purge unit which is used when the automatic air purge unit malfunctions. In order to facilitate the filling of the collection bag to capacity, a length to diameter ratio of 1.1 is preferred.

Autotransfusion device with twisted collection bag

A method is provided for relieving excess negativity in a surgical underwater drainage device. The method comprises the steps of delivering a premeasured or metered amount of air directly to the thoractomy tube which is connected to the inlet of the drainage device. The metered amount of air is provided by an air chamber connected to the thoracotomy tube, the air chamber having a depressable plunger mounted therein. When the plunger is depressed the air within the chamber is delivered directly to the thoracotomy tube and when the plunger is released the air chamber is refilled with a metered amount of air. At no time is the thoracotomy tube open directly to the outside atmosphere.

Method for relieving excess negativity in a drainage device

An apparatus and method for relieving high or excess negativity in an underwater drainage device is disclosed. The apparatus includes a syringe needle with a valve operatively connected to the syringe needle. The valve provides a sealed passageway from the atmosphere through the syringe needle and a spring urges the valve to a closed position except when high or excess negativity occurs in the underwater drainage device. In the method, the syringe needle pierces a resealable portion of the drainage device and a valve is provided in fluid communication with the syringe needle. After excess negativity is relieved, the syringe is removed from the resealable portion of the drainage device.

Apparatus and method for relieving excess negativity in a drainage device

Composite sutures of dissimilar synthetic polymer materials are prepared by forming a thread comprised of a plurality of fibers of a first synthetic polymer, said thread further comprising a second synthetic polymer in intimate association with and present uniformily along the length of said first synthetic polymer, softening the second synthetic polymer to cause it to flow, applying pressure to the softened polymer to redistribute it throughout the plurality of fibers, and into the interstices thereof and sterilizing the thread to form a suture thereof.

Preparation of composite surgical sutures

A surgical drainage unit is provided for draining fluids from the body of a patient wherein the suction pressure, applied through a suction inlet of the unit to draw fluids into the unit, is incrementally controlled and a direct indication of the applied suction pressure is afforded. A device which contracts responsive to an increase in suction in a collection chamber of the unit is equipped with an indicator vane that cooperates with a fixed scale to indicate the amount of movement of the bellows and hence indicate the suction within the collection chamber. A manually adjustable control valve incrementally controls the amount of air admitted to a suction line within the unit to thereby control the applied suction. A negative pressure relief valve is also provided so that excess negativity within the inlet tube can be manually relieved.

Surgical drainage apparatus with incremental suction control and

A drainage device is provided with a collection chamber, an underwater seal chamber, and a separate flow chamber. The underwater seal chamber which prevents the flow of atmospheric air from the device into the pleural cavity of the patient is formed by a recessed portion in a partition separating the underwater seal chamber from the collection chamber. A passageway from the underwater seal chamber into the collection chamber is located in the partition separating the chambers and a baffle is formed around the opening to prevent excessive loss of fluid from the underwater seal chamber into the collection chamber when the device is inadvertently tilted. The flow chamber is closed off from the collection chamber and is connected with the underwater seal chamber by means of a tubular passageway adjacent the upper wall of the drainage apparatus so as to prevent fluid from passing from the underwater seal chamber into the outlet passageway. An air flow meter is provided in the flow chamber to measure the rate of air flow through the flow chamber.

Growing community of inventors

Woodmere, NY, United States of America

Leonard D Kurtz