Janice J Ferrara

US Patent:

49958720, Feb 26, 1991

Filed:

Oct 4, 1989

Appl. No.:

7/416983

Inventors:

Janice J. Ferrara - Richmond VA

International Classification:

A61M 2500

US Classification:

604280

Abstract:

An expandable catheter and bridge device for use in endoscopic/cystoscopic procedures utilizing a laterally flexible tubular catheter includes a longitudinally expandable section, and further comprising a rigid bridgelike handle structure to facilitate catheter maneuvering and deployment manipulation. The catheter tube is insertible through a passage of an endoscopic instrument while the catheter's expandable section is expanded in length through the coaction of manually applied tension and the expanding means disposed in one of the catheter-encircling ends of the bridge-like handle structure as the catheter is drawn therethrough. At the other catheter-encircling end, the bridge-like handle structure is secured to a passage entry of the endoscopic instrument. The bridge-like handle structure is provided with a snap-in cradle fitting to securely hold a syringe which can be connected to the end of the catheter tube.

US Patent:

51290332, Jul 7, 1992

Filed:

Mar 20, 1990

Appl. No.:

7/496256

Inventors:

Janice J. Ferrara - Richmond VA
Peter Bauer - Germantown MD

International Classification:

H05B 102
A61J 100
A47J 2762
F24H 106

US Classification:

392447

Abstract:

A warming bowl for electrically heating lavage and irrigation liquid for use during medical-surgical procedures includes an electric heating device and an automatic thermostatic control to heat and maintain the liquid at a substantially constant temperature. The warming bowl is disposable after use and has an inner and an outer bowl sealed to one another so as to provide an internal sealed region therebetween for holding a battery to power the electric heating device. The inner bowl serves to hold irrigation liquid and supports therein a housing made of low-thermal-conductivity material that houses the electric heating device and the thermostatic control in spaced, substantially thermally isolated relation from one another. A metallic thermal shunt conductor is disposed along and in contact with a portion of the external periphery of the housing and extends over and across the space between the heating device and the thermostatic control. The housing is fixedly supported spacedly above the inner bowl's bottom.