University of Iowa Research Foundation

Other

William H Barnhart

Stephen Jaymes Becker

Eleanor Laser

Steven D Eatough

Elvira V Lang

Kevin M Baskin

A sleeve for holding an endoscope used in surgical procedures including a hollow cylinder for receiving the endoscope, a docking member at the proximal end of the cylinder for receiving the viewing hub of the endoscope, a continuous suction supply adjacent the distal end of the cylinder, and a pressurized fluid supply for use when needed to clean the window of the endoscope.

Endoscope sleeve and irrigation device

A brachytherapy positioning apparatus and a method of positioning a radiation source within a passageway of a patient's body are disclosed. The apparatus is configured to position a radioactive source in the center of the passageway being treated so that all regions of the passageway wall receive the same dosage of radiation. The brachytherapy positioning apparatus may include an elongated member, a distal end cap, a reconfigurable positioning element, and a control member. The positioning element may be positioned between the distal end cap and the elongated member about a portion of the control member and may be selectively changed between a radially expanded state and a retracted state with the control member. In one embodiment, the positioning element includes a plurality of generally parallel wires that each expand and retract along a different radius originating from a centerline axis of the control member.

Brachytherapy positioning system

A surgical instrument for extracting tissue ingrowth from a permeable member of a catheter implanted in a patient is disclosed. The surgical instrument includes a first extracting component and a second extracting component pivotally coupled to the first extracting component. Both extracting components include a wedge having a blunted leading edge sized and shaped to be lodged adjacent an adhesion interface between the permeable member and tissue of a patient when the extracting components are pivoted to a closed position. The extracting components can then be pivoted to an open position to forcibly pull the tissue ingrowth out of the permeable member. Each wedge further has a concave surface sized and shaped such that, after the complete extraction of the tissue ingrowth from the permeable member, the wedges can clench the permeable member when the first extracting component and the second extracting component are pivoted to a closed position.

Surgical instrument for extracting tissue ingrowth from a permeable member of an implanted catheter

An apparatus and method for marking the location for excising a bone lesion by surgery. A localizing needle containing radioactive source of radiation at its tip, is received in a guide needle, with sharp ends of both needles juxtaposed. A cable extends from the opposite end of the localizing needle through the guide needle lumen and out the proximal end of the guide needle. With the bone lesion visualized on a monitor in real time, the needle combination is inserted, tip-first, through the skin and advanced toward the lesion. The radiation from the localizing needle tip assists the surgeon to manipulate the guide needle tip to a marker site on the bone immediately adjacent the lesion. The guide needle tip is pushed into and securely held in the bone. In one embodiment, a handle secured to the cable outside the proximal end of the guide needle is rotated a quarter turn to anchor hooked tips of the localizing needle in the bone. In the preferred embodiment, the localizing needle is withdrawn from the guide needle, followed by insertion of a starter hole drilling stylet. Following completion of the starter hole in the bone, while the guide needle is still held with its point securely located in the bone, the starter hole drill is withdrawn. Upon entry of the screw tip of the localizing needle in the starter hole, a needle driver received in the guide tube, with handle outside, is rotated, with an interfitting coupling transmitting torque from the handle to the localizing needle to screw it into the bone. After positional verification on the monitor, the needle driver and guide needle are removed from the body and from the cable. The cable portion protruding outside the body is taped to the skin, thereby marking the entry location for subsequent surgery to treat or remove the lesion.

Lesion localizer for nuclear medicine

A lesion localization device and method for localizing lesions are disclosed herein. In the disclosed device, a pair of small diameter shape memory wires are twisted about each other to form an elongate guiding portion extending along a longitudinal axis to an anchoring portion at the distal end of the device. The anchoring portion, which is formed by the distal end portions of the pair of shape memory wires, includes a plurality of loops which radially extend in multiple separate directions away from the longitudinal axis of the device.

Lesion localization device and method

A percutaneous filter system for providing temporary filtering of emboli from the blood is disclosed, the filter system including a delivery catheter having a first working access lumen and a second filter deployment/retrieval lumen containing a filtering device which is deployable therefrom. The filtering device includes a deployment/retrieval wire section and a filtering element formed at the distal end of said deployment/retrieval wire section. The filtering element is made of shape memory/superelastic material and is formed to have a distally expanding frustoconical pre-disposed shape which, when the filtering element is deployed by being extended distally from the delivery catheter through the filter deployment/retrieval lumen thereof, defines a filtering channel that is offset from said deployment/retrieval axis and extends about the extended axis of the working access lumen of the delivery catheter. When the filtering element is so deployed within a blood vessel, emboli trapped within the filtering element are funneled toward working access lumen of the delivery catheter and can easily be aspirated or otherwise removed therethrough. With the filtering element in place in its deployed position, other instrumentation may also be passed through the working access lumen of the delivery catheter and the filtering channel to gain access into the blood vessel as desired.

Retrievable inferior vena cava filter system and method for use thereof

A disposable feed and water dispenser comprises a recycleable PET container with a threaded neck and a recycleable tray suspended from the container. The tray has a roof with a hole therethrough that mates with the container neck threads and a platform parallel to and spaced below the roof. Seed flowing out the container neck is collected in a mound on the platform. The mound size is controlled by changing the distance between the end of the container neck and the tray platform, which is achieved by adjusting the amount of engagement of the container threads with the tray roof. The tray may be fabricated from a flat cruciform shaped blank of recyclable polyvinylchloride that is approximately folded into the tray or that is thermoformed to the desired size and configuration. The disposable feed and water dispenser may be hung from an overhead member by a pair of strips, one end of each of which is bent over 180 degrees and inserted between the container and a cup loosely fastened to the container.

Growing community of inventors

Iowa City, IA, United States of America

William H Barnhart