Issued Patents -- Medical

Articulated custom ankle-foot orthosis systems (PDF , Text Only, Figure 1)
A custom articulated ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) system is disclosed that is formed on a cast of the wearer's foot. It has an adjustably tightenable calf section hingedly connected to an adjustably tightenable foot section. It is made of thermally formable plastic sheet, is lined inside and outside, and is padded inside. The brace permits dorsal/plantar flexion while supporting the ankle against supination and pronation. The apparatus and methods of manufacture are disclosed.

Pedorthic systems (PDF , Text Only, Figure 1)
The present invention provides improved pedorthic systems for patients having partial foot amputations or foot neuropathies. Custom-molded, custom-made pedorthics with leather linings and molded stiffeners are disclosed, along with methods of manufacture. Custom-molded, custom-made pedorthics and ankle-foot orthoses having solid, molded fillers to replace the volume of missing foot portions are also provided, along with methods of manufacture.

Medicine Cabinet Safe Systems   (PDF ,  Text only,  Figure 1)
A system relating to safely and securely storing medications in a wall-mounted medicine cabinet by providing a lockable safe permanently mounted in the medicine cabinet. This system also provides for adjustable shelves within the medicine cabinet both inside and outside of the safe. Further, this system provides for a variety of placements of a safe within a medicine cabinet; and, this variety adds to the selectable options of the user.

Hospital bed systems   (PDF ,  Text only,  Figure 1)
A system for mechanically assisted repositioning of a bed-ridden patient within a hospital-type bed equipped with a moving mattress pad driven by an electric motor. The mattress pad is formed into a continuous loop disposed over a plurality of support and drive rollers. The system is adaptable to existing hospital beds.

Splash shield system   (PDF ,  Text only,  Figure 1)
A splash shield system for use in combination with various irrigation sources, particularly wide mouth irrigation squeeze bottles.

Tracheostomy care container system   (PDF ,  Text only,  Figure 1)
A vehicle exhaust assembly for improved evacuation of exhaust gases from an internal combustion engine. The system comprises a modular replacement exhaust system having a novel header pipe and muffler. The present invention readily adapts to a range of vehicle applications including automobiles, motorcycles, and all terrain vehicles.

Sleep support system   (PDF ,  Text only,  Figure 1)
A sleep support system for comfortably supporting a user during sleep. More particularly, a sleep support system for face-down sleep in essentially a sitting position. The system is adapted for use with equipment and fixtures commonly found in patient recovery rooms, such as hospital beds and over-bed tables. The system provides comfortable head and arm support with a plurality of user-selectable positional adjustments. The system is foldable and portable. The system may be adapted for use with a wheelchair.

Pneumatic medical system   (PDF ,  Text only,  Figure 1)
A pneumatic medical system, which includes a collection canister with a lid. Integrally attached to the lid are inlet and outlet ports, a thumb valve to regulate the level of suction or pressure in the system, a clip to hold a loop of catheter, an endotracheal tube adaptor, and a single hole for a single-suction catheter. The suction catheter has telescoping lengths and sizes of catheter attached so that the user can increase the diameter of catheter to be used by removing smaller diameter catheters. A smaller diameter catheter can be removed by pulling the smaller diameter catheter through the telescoping nested attachment with the larger diameter catheter. If the canister becomes full or clogged, it can be easily cleared by tipping the canister and pouring the contents through the thumb valve. The system requires only one hand and is easy to hold and manipulate. A disposable and pre-filled irrigation system is also disclosed.

Crutch and cane holder system   (PDF ,  Text only,  Figure 1)
A crutch and cane holder attachment for attaching to the rear vertical surface portion, below the seat and preferably just above a rear deck, of a motorized wheelchair-scooter, of the type used to transport a disabled person. Such motorized wheelchair-scooters are typically provided in grocery stores and other retail establishments for use by disabled persons. The adjustable crutch and cane holder will accommodate storage of crutches or canes regardless of the angle of attachment of the holder to the motorized wheelchair-scooter or the slope of the wheelchair seat-back. This adjustability provides that the crutches will not hit the user in the head or interfere with the seat-back when utilizing a seat that swivels. The low mounting height provides for a minimal distance above the floor that the crutches or cane must be lifted to accommodate storage.

System for holding an indwelling catheter   (PDF ,  Text only,  Figure 1)
A system for holding an indwelling catheter above the heart of a patient wearing one. When a patient has a central line placed, the catheter is sutured into the patient's chest and the external portion of the catheter, the portion that remains outside the patient's body, must be carefully protected and kept sterile; and it must also be carefully held above the level of the patient's heart and the insertion point of the catheter so that the patient's blood does not flow back into the catheter, potentially causing life-threatening clotting or infection. A sterilizable, disposable hanger, which is connectable to the port end (the external end) of the catheter, can be suspended from a necklace or neck cord by passing the neck cord through apertures in the hanger. This system allows a patient to hang the catheter from a neck cord. Using the hanger frees patients from using tape on their skin or pins in their clothing to hold their catheter in place.

Custom ankle brace system   (PDF ,  Text only,  Figure 1)
A custom ankle brace which is made to compensate for debilitating conditions of an individual patient's ankle area. The brace is custom made by creating a negative cast of the patient's foot/ankle/lower-leg; and then prescribed markings are included on the negative cast by the castmaker to indicate the desired geometry of support. The markings are transferable to a positive cast to inform the bracemaker. The custom brace has inner and outer material layers with a stiffening element within, all fitted to the shape of a built-up positive cast, the stiffening element having a unitary horizontal partial sole portion and vertical back-and-sides-of-leg portion. The stiffening element, made from a thin polymeric sheet, is vacuum and heat fitted to the built-up-positive cast.

Medical component system   (PDF ,  Text only,  Figure 1)
Medical component systems are described in which individual hand-held components are enhanced by adjacent restraint and by combinations of function, including: suction devices with a port for regulating suction with single-finger-operable valve for repeatable incremental user control of suction-vacuum variation by aperture shapes like triangles and slots and tactile feedback means like plane changes for amplifying tactile feedback to a user to enhance distinguishing of control increments; clips and tubing restraints for attachment between devices; endotracheal tubes with feedback features so a user knows where the distal end is; wound kits and splash shields for use in combination with various irrigation sources; combination cough shields with medical components; endotracheal tube adapters with less dead space and improved flanges and monitoring ports; and improved long syringes and medical lights.

Spinal fluid collection system   (PDF ,  Text only,  Figure 1)
A cerebrospinal fluid collection system and method for conveniently and safely holding in a test tube rack, during a spinal tap and collection procedure, sterile test tubes and spinal needles, needle sleeves and stylettes. A test tube rack has four holes for holding four sterile test tubes, two needle holes for holding a spinal needle, stylette or needle sleeve, and a handle for the physician to hold when moving the test tube rack during the CSF procedure. The handle can be held on the left side by a left hand, on the right side by a right hand, or in the front by either hand. The test tube rack also allows the physician to see when the appropriate amount of cerebrospinal fluid has been collected in each test tube, while such test tube is being held in the test tube rack. The test tube rack may be prepackaged with the other needed items in a sterile package.

CATHETER SYSTEM FOR IMPLANTING EMBRYOS   (PDF ,  Text only,  Figure 1)
Described is a catheter system (20) for implanting embryos into a woman's uterus. The catheter system utilizes a protective catheter sleeve (24) for introducing a catheter into the uterus without mucus contamination of an inner catheter (25). Once the sleeve containing the inner catheter is introduced into the uterus, the protected inner catheter, carrying the embryos, is pushed through a swivelable distal end cap (32) on the sleeve to a desired implanting location. The distal end of the inner catheter has a protective cap and a side opening for embryo release. Also, stiffness and indicia features of the outer sleeve and inner catheter assist in the physician's handling of the catheter system and in ensuring a desired uterus location for implanting.

Heel crack healing composition and method therefor   (PDF ,  Text only,   )
Described is a method and heel cream composition for healing epidermal cracks on the soles of feet, primarily on heels, having active ingredients consisting of a combination of a safe and effective amount of salicylic acid and hydrocortisone in some preferred embodiments, with further embodiments further consisting of salicylic acid, hydrocortisone, boric acid, and zinc oxide. The preferred embodiments also comprise a preferred carrier for transporting the active ingredients to the heel cracks. The method of preparation includes, using a specified heat, separately mixing an oil phase, a water phase, and a medicate phase (preferably including the salicylic acid and the hydrocortisone) and then combining them. As a method of treatment, the heel cream composition should be topically applied to the skin areas having epidermal cracks about twice a day.

Custom ankle brace system   (PDF ,  Text only,  Figure 1)
A custom ankle brace which is made to compensate for debilitating conditions of an individual patient's ankle area. The brace is custom made by creating a negative cast of the patient's foot/ankle/lower-leg; and then prescribed markings are included on the negative cast by the castmaker to indicate the desired geometry of support. The markings are transferable to a positive cast to inform the bracemaker. The custom brace has inner and outer material layers with a stiffening element within, all fitted to the shape of a built-up positive cast, the stiffening element having a unitary horizontal partial sole portion and vertical back-and-sides-of-leg portion. The stiffening element, made from a thin polymeric sheet, is vacuum and heat fitted to the built-up positive cast.

CATHETER SYSTEM FOR IMPLANTING EMBRYOS   (PDF ,  Text only,  Figure 1)
Described is a catheter system (20) for implanting embryos into a woman's uterus. The catheter system (20) utilizes a protective catheter sleeve (24) for introducing a catheter (25) into the uterus without mucus contamination of an inner catheter (25). Once the sleeve (24) containing the inner catheter (25) is introduced into the uterus, the protected inner catheter (25), carrying the embryos, is pushed through a swiveled distal end cap (32) on the sleeve (24) to a desired implanting location. The distal end of the inner catheter (25) has a protective cap (44) and a side opening (45) for embryo release. Features of the outer sleeve (24) and inner catheter (25) assist in ensuring a desired uterus location for implanting.

System for producing Enterocytozoon bieneusi live organisms   (PDF ,  Text only,  Figure 1)
Described is a system for efficiently producing live Enterocytozoon bieneusi (E. bieneusi) organisms using laboratory animals, preferably Mongolian gerbils. Some important steps are: providing at least one breeding pair; administering to each of such breeding pair a sufficient antibiotic in sufficient dosage to destroy essentially all parasites which might be passed to offspring, especially Trichomonas; permitting such breeding pair to produce and rear offspring as production animals; preventing breeding by the production animals by separating males from females in separate cages; immune-suppressing each production animal sufficiently to permit propagation of live E. bieneusi organisms; infecting each production animal with love E. bieneusi organisms administered in an amount sufficient for such organisms to propagate but insufficient to kill the production animal; and, during a production period following such infecting, collecting the feces of each production animal. The collected fecal material is then prepared for use.

Utility desk   (PDF ,  Text only,  Figure 1)
A portable utility desk for bed-patient and other uses including a flat, rectangular surface having a semicircular notch on one side thereof for adapting to the body of the user and providing for attachment of legs to the surface to be usable in a multiplicity of positions and further providing a book-holder structure for holding a book in stationary position on the flat surface.