1. An apparatus for locating rectovaginal fistulas, comprising:
a. a main, flexible cannula of a predetermined length, having a cannula wall, a proximal end portion with a fluid inlet opening and a distal end portion, the distal end portion insertable a distance into the rectum of a patient, the proximal end portion having a generally conically shaped sealing member that is attached to the cannula wall, and positioned distally of the fluid inlet opening;
b. an inflatable balloon on the distal end portion for sealing space between the cannula wall and the rectal wall;
c. a second cannula connected to and generally aligned with the first cannula and having proximal and distal end portions, the distal end portion being in fluid communication with the balloon;
d. a fitting on the proximal end of the second cannula for accepting a syringe for enabling inflation of the balloon via the second cannula;
e. a plurality of openings provided along the wall of the first cannula in between the sealed first and second ends of the cannula;
f. a diagnostic fluid insertable into an opening at the first end of the main, flexible cannula and being of a volume sufficient to fill the cannula and exit through the openings and enter a void between the cannula and the wall of the rectum, with sufficient volume of fluid being provided entering the void so that the fluid would seep into any fistulas present and would be visually identifiable in the vagina for diagnosis and treatment.
2. The apparatus in claim 1, wherein the second cannula is sized and shaped for transporting air or water for inflating the balloon, and the fitting is a syringe lock.
3. The apparatus in claim 1, wherein the plurality of openings comprises three pairs of openings spaced along the wall of the main cannula for allowing the gel to escape from the cannula into the rectal space.
4. The apparatus in claim 1, wherein the cone member at the first end of the cannula is sealed against the exterior wall entrance to the rectum to avoid diagnostic fluid escaping through the rectal opening.
5. The apparatus in claim 1, wherein the distal end of the main cannula is closed and rounded for ease of insertion into the rectum.
6. The apparatus in claim 1, wherein the main cannula is graduated at 10 cm; 7.5 cm; 5 cm and 2.5 cm along its wall between the generally conically shaped portion and the balloon portion.
7. The apparatus in claim 1, wherein the proximal end of the main cannula has a funnel at the fluid inlet opening to facilitate inserting a diagnostic fluid thereinto.
8. The apparatus in claim 1, wherein the diagnostic fluid includes one of a colored gel, air, or soapy water fluid.
9. An apparatus for locating rectovaginal fistulas, comprising:
a. a first cannula of a predetermined length, having a cannula wall surrounding a bore, proximal and distal end portion, and an inflatable balloon portion on its distal end and providing a fluid inlet opening on its proximal end;
b. the distal end of the cannula insertable into a patient’s rectum;
c. the proximal end portion of the cannula further comprising a cone portion near the proximal end but positioned distally of the fluid inlet opening for sealing against the exterior wall entrance to a patient’s rectum;
d. a pumping device for inflating the balloon after the cannula is in place in the rectum to form a seal in between the cannula wall and the rectum passage; the pumping device including a second cannula next to the first cannula;
e. a plurality of openings provided along the wall of the cannula in between the balloon and the cone portion;
f. a volume of a colored diagnostic gel insertable into the cannula and of sufficient volume so that the gel escapes the cannula through the openings and enters the void between the cannula and the wall of the rectum, with a sufficient volume of gel entering the void so that gel would seep into any fistulas present and would be visually identifiable in the vagina for repair.
10. The apparatus in claim 9, wherein the second cannula has a syringe lock on the exterior proximal end.
11. The apparatus in claim 9, wherein the plurality of openings comprises three pairs of openings spaced along the wall of the first cannula for allowing the gel to escape from the first cannula into the rectal space.
12. The apparatus in claim 9, wherein the cone portion at the proximal end of the first cannula is sealed against the exterior wall entrance to the rectum to avoid gel escaping through the rectal opening.
13. The apparatus in claim 9, wherein the distal end of the first cannula is closed and rounded for ease of insertion into the rectum.
14. The apparatus in claim 9, wherein the first cannula is graduated at 10 cm; 7.5 cm; 5 cm and 2.5 cm along its wall between the cone portion and the balloon portion.
15. The apparatus in claim 9, wherein the proximal end of the first cannula has a funnel at the fluid inlet opening to facilitate inserting gel thereinto.
16. An apparatus for locating rectovaginal fistulas of a patient, comprising:
a. a first cannula of a predetermined length, having cannula wall surrounding a bore, a closed distal end and an proximal open end that provides a first fluid inlet opening, the closed distal end insertable a distance into the rectum of a patient;
b. an inflatable balloon carried on the closed distal end for sealing a space in between the cannula wall and the rectal wall of a patient;
c. a tapered sealing device on the first cannula positioned distally of the first fluid inlet opening;
d. a plurality of openings provided along the wall of the first cannula between the inflatable balloon and tapered sealing device closed end and open end of the cannula;
e. a second cannula attached to the first cannula and having a cannula wall, proximal and distal ends, the proximal end having a second fluid inlet opening, the distal end being in fluid communication with the balloon, the proximal end being connectable to an inflating device at the second fluid inlet opening;
f. a volume of diagnostic fluid insertable into an opening in the open end of the first cannula to the extent that the fluid can be transmitted via the first cannula through the openings and to enter a diagnostic void between the cannula and the wall of the rectum, with sufficient diagnostic fluid entering the void so that the diagnostic fluid would seep into any fistulas present and would be visually identifiable in the vagina for treatment; and
g. an inflating device connectable to the second cannula at the second fluid inlet opening for inflating the balloon.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A multimedia presentation system, which is configured to be communicatively coupled to, at least, one multimedia server via a communications network, the presentation system comprising:
a multimedia rendering unit configured to present multimedia content and one or more user interfaces (Uls); and
a computing unit configured to communicate with the multimedia server via a communications network and further configured to generate a UI for presentation on the presentation device,
wherein the UI generated by the computing unit and rendered by the multimedia rendering unit graphically illustrates two or more of the following:
identity of one or more bookmarked multimedia programs;
relative point of bookmark during presentation of one or more bookmarked multimedia programs;
most recently bookmarked multimedia programs;
category of one or more bookmarked multimedia programs;
locus of which system in the communications network where one or more bookmarked multimedia programs were bookmarked;
identity of user who manually bookmarked one or more bookmarked multimedia programs;
chronological time of the bookmark of one or more bookmarked multimedia programs;
chronological date of the bookmark of one or more bookmarked multimedia programs;
relative time of the bookmark of one or more bookmarked multimedia programs;
graphical depiction of relative time of that one or more bookmarked multimedia programs were bookmarked.
2. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the computing unit is further configured to generate and store at least two bookmarks associated with a particular multimedia content.
3. A system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a user-interface control panel configured to receive user-input action that triggers generation of a bookmark, such action is selected from a group consisting of:
selection of another source of multimedia content;
viewing a list of other sources of multimedia content;
manually pressing \u201cpause\u201d key;
manually pressing \u201cbookmark\u201d key; and
manually pressing another pre-defined key or choosing a pre-defined option.
4. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein properties associated with a bookmark are selected from a group consisting of:
identity of the multimedia content;
relative point of bookmark during the presentation;
most recently bookmarked multimedia programs;
category of multimedia content bookmarked;
locus of system where the presentation was bookmarked;
identity of user who manually bookmarked the presentation;
chronological time of the bookmark generating;
chronological date of the bookmark generating;
relative time during the presentation where the presentation was bookmarked.
5. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the computing unit is further configured to perform acts, those acts comprising:
generating a \u201cbookmark\u201d at a point during a presentation of a multimedia program;
associating one or more properties with the generated bookmark, wherein such properties comprise more than just the identity of the multimedia content and point of bookmark within that presentation;
storing the generated bookmark with its one or more properties.
6. A system as recited in claim 5, wherein the computing unit is further configured to store multiple bookmarks for the multimedia program, wherein each bookmark has one or more properties associated therewith.
7. A system as recited in claim 5, wherein the computing unit is further configured to determine whether an action performed by a user is one which is designated to generate a bookmark and, if so, proceeding with generating, associating, and storing.
8. A system as recited in claim 5, wherein the computing unit is further configured to determine whether an action performed by a user is one which is designated to generate a bookmark while stored multimedia content is being presented and, if so, proceeding with generating, associating, and storing, wherein the action that is designated to generate a bookmark is selected from a group consisting of:
selecting another source of multimedia content;
viewing a list of other sources of multimedia content;
manually pressing a \u201cpause\u201d key;
manually pressing a \u201cbookmark\u201d key;
manually pressing another pre-defined key or choosing a pre-defined option.
9. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein properties associated with the bookmark are selected from a group consisting of:
locus of system where the presentation was bookmarked;
identity of user who manually bookmarked the presentation;
chronological time of the bookmark generating;
chronological date of the bookmark generating;
relative time during the presentation where the presentation was bookmarked.
10. A system as recited in claim 5, wherein the computing unit is further configured to receive the multimedia program as part of a broadcast media transmission.
11. A system as recited in claim 5, wherein the computing unit is further configured to receive the multimedia program as part of a broadcast media transmission, wherein the broadcast media transmission is selected from a group consisting of incoming live television broadcast, incoming live cable television signal, incoming live satellite signal, incoming live video-on-demand signal, and incoming live pay-per-view signal.
12. A system as recited in claim 5, wherein the computing unit is further configured to receive an indication of where to stream a resumption of the presentation of the multimedia program amongst a collection of multiple loci where the presentation may be resumed, and stream a notification to the selected resumption locus.