Coratomic Inc.

Biocontrol Technology, Inc.

Diasense, Inc.

Robert D Norman

David L Purdy

Frederick J Shipko

James R Cupp

Orlando Maytin

John S Mazurowski

John S Griffith

Peter Jacobson

Array combining many photoconductive detectors in a compact package

A multi-leaflet (usually trileaflet) heart valve composed of biocompatible polymer which, in all of its embodiments, simultaneously imitates the structure and dynamics of biological heart valves and avoids promotion of calcification. The valve includes a plurality of flexible leaflets dip cast on a mandrel, which leaflets are then bonded with a bonding agent to the interior surfaces of a plurality of struts on a metal-reinforced prosthetic stent. The leaflets open and close in response to the pumping action of the heart and, due to the design of the leaflets, fatigue resistance of the heart valve is high. The leaflets and the polymer components of the prosthetic stent are manufactured of biocompatible polymers exhibiting intrinsic calcification-resistant properties.

Heart valve

Hemodialysis port assembly including a port and a catheter assembly. The port includes an inlet septum subtended by an inlet plenum and an outlet septum subtended by an outlet plenum. The catheter assembly includes an inlet channel connected to the inlet plenum and an outlet channel connected to the outlet plenum. The port and catheter assembly are completely implanted in the chest of a patient with the port subcutaneous and the end of the catheter assembly remote from the port injected into the subclavian vein. The blood flow in this vein is in the direction away from the end of the catheter assembly. Near this remote end the catheter assembly or the inlet channel terminates in an inlet valve and the outlet channel terminates in an outlet valve. Each of these valves is essentially a flapper on which the blood is incident in a generally perpendicular direction so that its flow is substantially unimpeded. The outlet valve is spaced a small but effective distance from the inlet valve in the downstream direction of the flow to toxified blood through the outlet channel. In practice of this invention, the detoxified blood from an artificial kidney is supplied to the vein through a hypodermic needle which penetrates the inlet septum, the inlet plenum, the inlet channel and the inlet valve and toxified blood is supplied from the vein to the artificial kidney through the outlet valve, the outlet channel, the outlet plenum and an outlet needle which penetrates the outlet septum. The spacing of the outlet valve from the inlet valve suppresses short-circuit flow of detoxified blood from the inlet branch to the outlet branch.

Hemodialysis

A heart pacemaker including a captive sealing setscrew for securing and preventing leakage of body fluids to the catheter. The setscrew has a head of a material of high tensile strength, stiffness, resiliency, toughness and fatigue endurance, typically Delrin. The head is cylindrical but has a circumferential projection at its inner end. The pacemaker includes an internally threaded receptacle which is engaged by the setscrew as the setscrew is advanced to secure the catheter. Externally of this receptacle there is a sleeve of silicone rubber. At the outer end of the rubber sleeve there is a recess. Inwardly of the recess the rubber sleeve is of smaller internal diameter than the projection so that when the screw is screwed into the receptacle, a tight seal to prevent penetration of body fluids is formed by the projection and sleeve. The recess has a greater diameter than the projection but has an outwardly extending lip of smaller diameter than the maximum diameter of the projection but of greater diameter than the remainder of the head. The screw can be disengaged from the threaded sleeve but its ready release from the rubber sleeve is prevented. The setscrew is screwed in by a screwdriver also of Delrin which has a substantially lower torque resistance than the head of the setscrew so that the setscrewdriver twists out of shape before enough torque can be applied to the head to damage it.

Organ stimulating apparatus with sealing setscrew

Heart pacer

Growing community of inventors

Clymer, PA, United States of America

Robert D Norman