Did You Know...
...that the inventor of the electric motor was a blacksmith named Thomas Davenport? Described as "a brilliantly unsuccessful inventor", Davenport invented the first rotary electric motor. In 1836 he headed out -- on foot -- from his Vermont home to file a patent application at the Patent Office in Washington, D.C. By the time he got there, he had squandered away his money and couldn't afford the $30 filing fee so he turned around and went home. When he later mailed in his application with money he'd raised, the Patent office was destroyed in a fire. He did finally get credit for his invention on Feb. 5, 1837.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8177742 | Inflatable retention system for an enteral feeding device An inflatable retention system for an enteral feeding tube having a base deployed outside the human body and an indwelling retainer which is deployed within a lumen or cavity of the body by insertion through a stoma from outside the body. The retention system includ... | 05/15/2012 |
| 7967780 | Gastro-esophageal reflux control system and pump An enteral feeding unit that reduces the occurrence of gastro-esophogeal-pharynegal reflux during feeding includes an automatable feeding pump with a feedback sensor for sensing a relative pressure in a patient's stomach and esophagus, and a regulator system for con... | 06/28/2011 |
| 7383736 | Device and method for pressure indication A device for indicating an internal pressure of an inflatable medical cuff, comprising: a membrane movable in response to a difference between the internal pressure and an external pressure; and movable indication means operably associated with the membrane for indi... | 06/10/2008 |
| 7207951 | Apparatus for obtaining biological samples A device for collection of a fluid sample, particularly a biological sample from an internal cavity of a mammal, comprises a barrel having an opening at one end thereof, a plunger operable axially within the barrel, the barrel and the plunger defining a fluid chambe... | 04/24/2007 |
| 7198632 | Occlusion balloon catheter with longitudinally expandable balloon Balloon catheters such as guide catheters can be configured to provide distal occlusion, while still providing sufficient interior lumen space for device delivery. Such catheters can provide a desired level of balloon expansion, yet prevent vessel damage caused by b... | 04/03/2007 |
| 7178519 | Intubation tube placement assessment device A novel connection device, and method for its use, for connecting a volume displacement detection device and a gas composition detection device in line with an intubation tube is disclosed. The connection device allows a user to combine two systems commonly employed... | 02/20/2007 |
| 7140370 | Endotracheal tube system and method of use An improved endotracheal tube system and method of use is provided. The improved endotracheal tube system includes a standard endotracheal tube, an adapter with a first tube that may be positioned within an endotracheal tube and a second tube adapted for attachment ... | 11/28/2006 |
| 7052481 | Balloon catheter inflation A balloon catheter comprising a fluid dispensing device. The device comprises a housing defining a chamber for retaining, in use, balloon inflation fluid. An outlet attaches, in use, to a catheter inflation lumen, and dispensing means dispenses fluid, in use, from t... | 05/30/2006 |
| 7040322 | Combination artificial airway device and esophageal obturator A combination artificial airway device and esophageal obturator (10) includes a esophageal cuff (16) and supraglottic cuff (14) that are inflated in a sequence to provide quick isolation of the esophagus relative to the tracheal air passage. The... | 05/09/2006 |
| 7036510 | Percutaneous tracheostomy balloon apparatus An apparatus and method for performing a percutaneous tracheostomy procedure utilizing dilatation means that do not require entry into the trachea by downward pressure, in order to minimize the risk of posterior tracheal trauma. In addition, the apparatus is structu... | 05/02/2006 |
| 7017578 | Endotracheal tube system and method of use An improved endotracheal tube system and method of use is provided. The improved endotracheal tube system includes a standard endotracheal tube, a housing with a first tube that may be positioned within an endotracheal tube and a second tube adapted for attachment t... | 03/28/2006 |
| 7018359 | Inner pressure indicator of cuff The present invention is an inner pressure indicator of a cuff comprising, a housing possessing on one end an opening that can connect to a cuff inflating tube of a tracheostomy tube with a cuff or of an endotracheal tube and on the other end of said housing possess... | 03/28/2006 |
| 6913600 | Endovascular system for arresting the heart Devices and methods are provided for temporarily inducing cardioplegic arrest in the heart of a patient and for establishing cardiopulmonary bypass in order to facilitate surgical procedures on the heart and its related blood vessels. Specifically, a catheter based ... | 07/05/2005 |
| 6905458 | Echogenic or radio opaque device for removal from or transfer into the genital organs An echogenic and/or radio-opaque device adapted to permit carrying out removals from the genital organs for analysis, or adapted to promote the transfer of products, particularly gametes or embryos, into the female genital organs, or again adapted to carry out tests... | 06/14/2005 |
| 6878130 | External inflation indicator for a low profile gastrostomy tube A gastrostomy device having an external inflationary indicator is disclosed which comprises an external retention member having a tubular member extending therefrom for providing a fluid pathway to a patient's gastrointestinal tract. The external retention member in... | 04/12/2005 |
| 6746464 | Device, system and method for interstitial transvascular intervention Method and apparatus for utilizing the vascular system as a conduit to reach other vascular and extravascular locations within the body. Included are methods for revascularization wherein the extravascular passageways are formed to permit blood flow between vascular... | 06/08/2004 |
| 6732734 | Pilot balloon for balloon catheters A balloon catheter and its pilot balloon system visually indicate the state of the inflation of a balloon placed in a human body. The small pilot balloon is conveniently manufactured by blow molding utilizing substantially the same material and has substantially the... | 05/11/2004 |
| 6723052 | Echogenic medical device Echogenic medical devices, methods of fabrication and methods of use are disclosed. The device can be adapted to be inserted into a patient. The echogenic construction can be incorporated into the device at the time of fabrication providing acoustic impedance differ... | 04/20/2004 |
| 6656154 | Balloon occlusion diameter and pressure measuring devices and methods of use The invention provides a device having first and second balloons. Each of the first and second balloons communicates with an inflation lumen. A differential pressure gauge communicates with both inflation lumens. Each of the inflation lumens also communic... | 12/02/2003 |
| 6530898 | Visual inflation pressure indicator and surgical tube including the indicator The present invention provides an indicator for visually indicating a pressure level of a fluid in a pressure source. The indicator comprises an inflatable body having a notched section with opposing edge portions that are separated by a gap when the infl... | 03/11/2003 |
| 6394977 | Pressure gauge with digital stepping motor and reusable transfer plug A pressure gauge for displaying the magnitude of fluid pressure generated within a syringe or another pressurized system. The pressure gauge is removably attachable to a syringe, and may be sterilized for reuse after each medical procedure. A piezoresisti... | 05/28/2002 |
| 6175757 | Luminal mapping An invasive probe for mapping the walls of a lumen employs a real-time tracking means and a wall distance measurement means. As the probe is advanced within the lumen, the real-time tracking means provides three-dimensional coordinates of the probe's posi... | 01/16/2001 |
| 6139523 | Isolation system for pressure gauges for permitting repeated use without sterilization Systems and methods for isolating a pressure gauge from sources of potential contamination so that the pressure gauge may be reused in multiple medical procedures without having to be subjected to a sterilization procedure. The systems of the invention ma... | 10/31/2000 |
| 6048330 | Systems and methods for promoting tissue growth The present invention relates generally to the treatment of volume deficiency disorders of body structures and related syndromes, and more particularly to devices that deliver fluid at a controlled pressure into a balloon situated within or adjacent a bod... | 04/11/2000 |
| 5728064 | Balloon catheter with improved pressure source A balloon catheter having a long shaft with an inflatable balloon connected to its distal end with a pressure source connected to the shaft at an invivo point which operates to inflate and deflate the balloon. The balloon catheter may be a fixed-wire type... | 03/17/1998 |
| 5718685 | Stomach probe A stomach probe has an aspiration tube (1) and a stomach balloon (7) which is to be held, by tensioning of the aspiration tube (1), in contact against the stomach wall (12) surrounding the cardiac orifice (5). The stomach balloon is connected to a pressur... | 02/17/1998 |
| 5620004 | Airway indicator device An indicator device for verifying the correct placement of an endotracheal tube within an intubated patient's airway and for detecting the presence of a collapsed lung in an intubated patient. The device has an open proximal end and open distal end and an... | 04/15/1997 |
| 5487731 | Esophageal intubation detector with indicator An esophageal intubation detector with an indicator is used to determine whether the hollow tip of an endotracheal tube is in the esophagus or trachea of a patient. In a preferred embodiment, the esophageal intubation detector includes a syringe which is ... | 01/30/1996 |
| 5462528 | Stomach tube A stomach tube having an inflatable balloon for closing the stomach opening and an indicator for indicating the balloon pressure at first and second predetermined pressure levels. After the stomach tube is inserted, the stomach balloon is inflated without... | 10/31/1995 |
| 5431628 | Pressure-sensing diagnostic catheter The invention relates to catheters having a distally-mounted balloon and pressure sensor and to methods of placing such catheters within physiological vessels. Catheters have a central lumen extending through the catheter and a pressure sensor which lies ... | 07/11/1995 |
| 5360003 | Intubation assembly and method of inserting same having a balloon to indicate the position of tube inside of the patient The present invention relates to a balloon-equipped intubation assembly and to a method of inserting the same into the air passages of a subject. In a particular embodiment of the present invention, an intubation assembly is provided which comprises an en... | 11/01/1994 |
| 5342304 | Inflation device for dilatation catheters An apparatus for inflating and deflating a balloon on a dilatation catheter in order to perform an angioplasty procedure therewith. The inflation/deflation apparatus has an elongated housing with a piston disposed within a bore within the housing and a th... | 08/30/1994 |
| 5336183 | Inflator An inflator for use with a catheter having an inflatable component wherein the inflator includes a housing having an elongated plunger passage and an elongated gage passage. The housing includes a one piece main body which defines at least major lengths o... | 08/09/1994 |
| 5324262 | Introducer sheath with expandable outer tube and method of use An introducer sheath (10) is provided for percutaneous insertion of catheters into a blood vessel. The introduction of the sheath (10) through a wall of blood vessel causes an opening to be formed through which blood may pass from the blood vessel. The sh... | 06/28/1994 |
| 5137514 | Inflation syringe assembly for percutaneous transluminal angioplasty An angioplasty syringe has a half-threaded surface which engages a threaded hydraulic plunger for generating balloon inflating pressure. The threaded nut is part of a component having a cam which engages a cam is part of a pistol trigger. The cam positive... | 08/11/1992 |
| 5104377 | Uterine access device with automatic cervical adjustment A device and method for accessing the uterus to manipulate it or to introduce fluids or other devices into it. The device includes a shaft having a first, expandable distal member which is inserted into the uterus and a second, inflatable proximal member ... | 04/14/1992 |
| 4976725 | Dilatation catheter and constant pressure syringe and method of using the same In a dilatation catheter and constant pressure syringe, a pressurized compressible medium is used to maintain pressure on a non-compressible medium. Pressure is applied to a compressible medium in a first chamber, in turn applying pressure to a non-compre... | 12/11/1990 |
| 4973305 | Method and apparatus for inserting and retaining an epidural catheter A method of making an epidural insertion of a catheter and means for retention therein whereby a double lumen catheter having an air and medication conduit are provided, and the air conduit has a retention balloon at the distal, epidural end and a pilot i... | 11/27/1990 |
| 4898168 | Inflation indicators for cuffed tubes An inflation indicator for a cuffed tracheal tube has a plastics envelope with two walls sealed around their edges. An elongate indentation is formed along the inner surface of each wall along the length of the envelope to provide a continuous fluid passa... | 02/06/1990 |
| 4790821 | Pressure gauge and system A pressure gauge which may be operably coupled to a fluid pressure supply device and a balloon catheter. The pressure gauge includes a mechanism which impedes a contaminant, such as corrosion and acid flux, from entering the pressurized fluid being measur... | 12/13/1988 |
