Research Medical, Inc.

Sorenson Research Co., Inc.

Other

Abbott Laboratories Corporation

Baxter International Inc.

Edwards Lifesciences Corporation

Baxter Research Medical, Inc.

Research Industries Corporation

Todd, Robert J.

Grooters, Ronald K.

Robert J Todd

Gordon S Reynolds

Gerald D Buckberg

Carl A Swindle

Richard S Rhee

Keith E Myers

James C McRea

Victor S Packham

Jerry L Jackman

Terry M Wonder

Ross Bartholomew

Charles R Weyrauch

Jane Li

Ronald K Grooters

Michael N Kelly

James E Lowe

Gary L Crocker

Alan D Muskett

Michael Rosenbloom

Kevin G Marcus

Jaime E Yagge

Robert K Grooters

Gregg H Smith

Edward J Russell

Ronald P Grunwald

Douglas L Smith

An improved aortic cannula is provided for use in heart by-pass surgery. The cannula includes an elongated tube with a terminal end. The terminal end has a ramped surface leading to the discharge opening. The ramped surface terminates in a lip having a tapered leading edge with a point for insertion of the cannula into the aorta. The tapered leading edge spreads a previously made incision to facilitate entry of the terminal end of the cannula into the aorta. With the improved cannula of the present invention, the size of the incision in the aorta is minimized and the damage or tearing of the aorta is eliminated or minimized. This ease of insertion also reduces the time required in the procedure of inserting the cannula into the aorta.

Aortic cannula with tapered tip

A method of surgery including bending a multi-purpose surgical implement handle that has proximal and distal ends. A gripping section is located toward the proximal end, and an attachment section is located toward the distal end. An adjusting section is interposed between the gripping section and the attachment section. The adjusting section may be bent by a human user at virtually any discrete location along the section. The adjusting section may include an increased-adjustability portion which is easier to bend than other portions of the adjusting section. The method includes attaching a surgical implement to the attaching section of the handle, and bending the adjusting section at least once prior to inserting the implement through a surgical opening to a surgical field. The method further may include bending the adjusting section more than once to form multiple bends therein.

Method of surgery including adjusting the shape of an implement handle

A multi-purpose surgical implement handle has proximal and distal ends. A gripping section is located toward the proximal end, and an attachment section is located toward the distal end. An adjusting section is interposed between the gripping section and the attachment section. The adjusting section may be bent by a human user at virtually any discrete location along the section. The adjusting section may include an increased-adjustability portion which is easier to bend than other portions of the adjusting section.

Shape-adjustable surgical implement handle

The present invention is directed to new and useful methods and apparatus for isolating and immobilizing tissue for improved presentation in a surgical site, preferably in coronary bypass on a beating heart. At the same time, the present invention also helps avert ischemic damage to tissues downstream. A surgical stabilizer in accordance with the present invention offers physical manipulation of a surgical site, which improves the surgeon's sewing, grasping, and visualizing abilities at the site, and in turn, may increase the confidence and patency of the graft. The stabilizer is used to compress or to suction a region of the heart just below a stenotic coronary artery. The surgeon may selectively articulate the tissue by spreading it apart or pushing it together, as per his or her preference, or per the requirements of the surgical situation. The surgeon may lock in place the handle via a ratchet mechanism to hold the specific open or closed articulation of the surgical stabilizer. With the tissue thus isolated and immobilized, the surgeon may then graft the bypass vessel distal to the stenosis in the coronary artery.

Surgical stabilizer and method for isolating and immobilizing cardiac

An improved aortic cannula is provided for use in heart bypass surgery. The cannula includes an elongated tube with a terminal end. The terminal end has a ramped surface leading to the discharge opening, with a lip extending approximately 70.degree.-90.degree. to the longitudinal axis of the cannula at the bottom of the discharge opening. The curved surface and lip cause the blood to exit the cannula opening in a direction approximately 70.degree.-90.degree. from the longitudinal axis of the cannula, and in a direction toward the ascending aorta. With the improved cannula of the present invention, no blood is directed towards the aortic arch, thereby minimizing the risk of stroke from dislodged plaque commonly found in the aortic arch. The curved surface of the terminal end also reduces the blood flow turbulence, thereby decreasing pressure requirements. The width of the opening allows blood to be discharged in a broadcast band with a radius of approximately 90.degree..

Cannula

Pressure relief valve apparatus is disclosed for shunting fluids under conditions of overpressure, thereby preventing further increases in the pressure within a fluid delivery system. A presently preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the invention is formed of two components, a valve body member and a valve tube member. The valve body member is provided with first and second connector elements for use in connecting the pressure relief valve into a medical fluid delivery circuit. It is also provided with first and second bores passing through the first and second connector elements, respectively, and exiting at respective first and second exit ports on the side of the valve body member. A valve seat comprising a raised annular ridge around the circumference of the valve body member separates the first and second exit ports. The valve tube member is formed from an elastic material, preferably silicone tubing, and is placed in elastic tension over the valve body member so as to cover both exit ports and the valve seat. Under conditions of rest and low pressures, the valve tube member prevents fluid from passing between the two exit ports, but under conditions of overpressure, the valve tube member will stretch away from the valve seat, forming a gap therebetween through which fluid will flow.

Medical pressure relief valve

The present invention is directed to a new and useful apparatus and method for absorbing and collecting blood and other fluids which accumulate in a patient during surgical procedures. An absorbent portion is connected to a suction source. When the absorbent portion is placed in contact with the fluid to be collected, the fluid is absorbed by the absorbent portion. Operation of the suction source provides a vacuum which draws the fluid away from the absorbent portion and out of the body. The fluid can be drawn into a receptacle for later cleansing and reuse. A flexible backing plate is attached to the absorbent portion. Channels formed a long the backing plate direct the vacuum evenly across the absorbent portion of the device such that fluid is drawn evenly from the absorbent portion. Suction tubing connects the absorbent portion to the suction source. The absorbent portion and attached backing plate can be folded to fit into small areas.

Medical suction apparatus

This invention relates to balloon catheters for use in infusing a solution into a body passageway, and their methods of use and manufacture. Each catheter contains at least one lumen through which a solution flows into the body. The balloons of each catheter are secured to the proximal end of the catheter, and each have a plurality of protuberances projecting outwardly from the outer surface of the balloons for the purpose of firmly gripping the walls of the body passageway so as to secure placement of the catheter within the passageway. A malleable wire assists in retaining the catheter in position within the body passageway. A double balloon catheter allows sealing of the body passageway to be accomplished separately from securely gripping the walls.

Irregular surface balloon catheters for body passageways and methods of

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for variably controlling the ratio of blood to cardioplegia solution to be administered to a patient. A presently preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the invention comprises a multilumen tubing member having a blood supply lumen and three cardioplegia supply lumens, each having approximately the same tubing wall thickness, but having different inside diameters so that causing flow through different combinations of the cardioplegia lumens will result in different ratios of blood to cardioplegia. The four tubes comprising the multilumen tubing member are advantageously connected by web members, thereby facilitating use with a roller pump and minimizing the tangle of tubes.

Apparatus and methods for controlling mixtures of blood and cardioplegia

A system for selective removal of certain components from plasma drawn from a patient comprises an extracorporeal blood circulation circuit and a cannula. The extracorporeal blood circulation circuit has an uptake line for transporting blood from the patient, a plasma separator, and a return line connected to the plasma separator for transporting selectively depleted blood from the plasma separator to the patient. The plasma separator is connected to the uptake line for receiving the blood, selectively removing plasma components (e.g., heparin) by separating plasma from whole blood and interfacing such plasma with an adsorption substrate, recombining depleted plasma, and reinfusing selectively depleted blood into the return line for transport to the patient. The cannula has an uptake conduit with an intake end and an exit end, and a return conduit, connected to the uptake conduit, with an outflow end and an entry end. The exit end is connected to the uptake line of the bypass circuit and the entry end is connected to the return line of the bypass circuit. Structure at the outflow end of the return conduit alters the direction of flow and directs selectively depleted blood being returned to the patient into the right atrium of the patient's heart when the intake end of the uptake conduit is disposed within the patient's inferior vena cava. An alternative cannula with washers may be inserted into a venous return cannula whereby recirculation and pooling of the selectively depleted blood is prevented.

Cannula apparatus and system for heparin removal from blood

This invention relates to a stylet for use with a retrograde cardioplegia catheter and its methods of use. The stylet includes a stylet rod, a handle on the proximal end of the stylet rod and a predetermined curve in the distal end of the stylet rod. The handle has a thumb rest on the proximal end and a one or two finger loops extending outward from the handle. An obturator is located on the distal end of the predetermined curve to impede blood flow through a tip of the cardioplegia catheter during insertion of the catheter. The invention also contemplates methods for using the stylet.

Removable stylet for retrograde cardioplegia catheter and methods for use

A guide for assisting in the cannulation of a patient comprising a flexible, tubular body having a hollow interior, a proximate end, and a distal end. The proximate end has an opening in communication with the hollow interior of the tubular body, and the distal end has a rounded, reinforced tip with a passageway therethrough which is in communication with the hollow interior. The guide is inserted and advanced to a position desired by the surgeon within a vein or artery, and then a cannula is threaded over the guide and advanced to the desired position before the guide is removed from the patient. The guide may be used in conjunction with a guide wire and/or a dilator.

Apparatus and method for femoral venous cannulation

Retrograde cardioplegia stylet

A three-way double stopcock and associated tubing is disclosed with which to connect both a cardioplegia solution source and a pressure monitor for the solution selectively and alternatively to either an antegrade cardioplegia catheter or a retrograde cardioplegia catheter. The stopcock includes a hollow valve body with three solution infusion ports communicating to the interior thereof in a coplanar arrangement at a first longitudinal point on the valve body. Three cardioplegia pressure monitoring ports also communicate through the valve body to the interior thereof at a second longitudinal position distinct from the first. Mounted in the valve body is a cylindrical valve core selectively rotatable about the longitudinal axis thereof between a first position in which the cardioplegia solution source and the pressure monitor are coupled to the antegrade cannula and a second position in which the cardioplegia solution source and the pressure monitor are coupled to the retrograde catheter. Formed in the valve core are a set of valving passageways for communicating with selective of the infusion ports and a set of valving passageways for communicating with selective of the pressure monitoring ports.

Cardioplegia three-way double stopcock

This invention relates to a retrograde cardioplegia catheter and its method of use. The catheter contains two lumens, an infusion lumen through which the cardioplegic solution flows and a pressure sensing lumen for monitoring the fluid pressure at the point where the solution exits the catheter. A slightly tapered, self-filling balloon is secured to the distal end of the catheter. Also, located at the distal end of the catheter is a soft, rounded tip to prevent damage to the sensitive intimal tissues of the coronary sinus. A stylet having a predetermined curve at the distal end and a handle at the proximal end is removably located within the infusion lumen. The predetermined curve at one end of the stylet enables the cardioplegia catheter to be inserted quickly and accurately within the coronary sinus through a very small incision made in the right atrium. After the catheter is securerd in place, the stylet is withdrawn. The catheter remains in position for the duration of the operation in order to periodically readminister the cardioplegia solution.

Growing community of inventors

Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America

Robert J Todd