Apparatus and method for performing a tracheostomy operation wherein the trachea is penetrated using a syringe needle (23) attached to a syringe (20) to form a small opening in the trachea. A guide wire (30) is inserted into the trachea through the needle (23) and after the syringe (20) is removed from the needle. The needle (23) is then removed from the trachea leaving the guide wire (30) inserted in the trachea. An instrument (T) specifically adapted for use in tracheostomy operations is inser...

A centrifuge for performing biological and medical analyses for samples in test packs mounted in holders peripherally disposed on the centrifuge rotor. The test pack holders are also rotated relative to the rotor by means of a mechanical spinning portion fitted below the rotor. Analyses are made with a spectrophotometric measuring device, whose optical path is perpendicular to the plane of the rotor.

A cell or tissue retrieving instrument is slidably mounted within the needle of a conventional "Skinny Needle" and is connected to the needle syringe piston. In use, the needle with the instrument enclosed therein is inserted inwardly into the patient's organ. The instrument is held fixed and the needle is moved outwardly to expose the instrument within the organ. The instrument retrieves cell or tissue from the organ while being pulled into the needle and the needle with the enclosed instrument...

The device has a transparent capillary assay tube attached at its upper end to a lateral portion of the support structure of the device. The lower free end of the assay tube is engageable with an absorbent material upon manual downward deflection of the support structure. The assay tube is filled through a funnel shaped aperture in the lateral portion of the device, and the tube is drained by engaging the lower free end of the tube with the absorbent material. By attaching appropriate antibody, ...

In surgery, especially in microsurgery, the joining of blood vessels or tubular organs, anastomosis, consumes a considerable part of the surgical time. This invention provides fasteners that are shaped in such a manner that they are retained in a novel clamping device until the joining is accomplished. The fasteners comprise at least two couplable rings having axially directed pins and intermediate holes distributed about their centers, and a shoulder portion formed along the periphery of at lea...

A circuit for performing the EXCLUSIVE-OR function of a signal A and a signal B comprises field effect transistors of the MESFET type normally cut off in the absence of a gate-source signal. The circuit also comprises loads and is integrated on a semiconductor substrate of the group III-V. A signal A which is complementary to the signal A is also applied to this circuit. The circuit is formed by a field effect transistor T'.sub.1 whose gate is controlled by the signal B, whose drain receives the...

A device for performing exercises comprising a pole. At one end of the pole is a foot for engaging a support surface. At the opposite end of the pole is a handle to be manually gripped by an operator. Intermediate the ends of the pole is at least one weight releasably locked to the pole for sliding movement along the pole. Midway between the ends of the pole is a cylindrical padded member that is slidable along the pole and is adapted for use in seating the device comfortably on the body of an o...

There is described a device for performing therapeutic treatments, such as notably the moistening of the mouth cavity and lips of a comatose or terminal patient, the retaining in a moist and sterile condition of a wound or operating field, which device is formed by an ultrasound sprayer which receives water or a similar liquid from a tank, said ultrasound sprayer can spray droplets the size of which does not exceed 70 microns, and is mounted on the end of a movable arm, in such a way that the sp...

An enzyme immunoassay device comprises a disk having a thin flexible membrane applied to one side thereof, the membrane defining a conduit and a plurality of reagent reservoirs. The reservoirs are isolated from one another or from the conduit by frangible seals. An assay tube having an assay reagent bonded to the inner wall thereof is attached to the exit end of the conduit. Means are provided for injecting a test sample into the conduit for flowing thereof through the assay tube. Means are also...

An automatic rhythm performing apparatus capable of producing a rhythmic tone of a plural-tone-source rhythmic musical instrument such as a snare drum comprises a plurality of signal producing devices which produce a plurality of rhythmic tone signals corresponding to the respective tone sources of the single instrument. A control device controls respective signal levels of the rhythmic tone signals and a combining device combined the rhythmic tone signals at signal levels controlled by the cont...