1. A current tester, comprising:
a housing;
a first electrical cable outwardly extending from a side wall said housing, terminating with a first connector;
a second electrical cable outwardly extending from an opposing side wall of said housing from said first electrical cable, terminating with a second connector; and,
an illumination means in electrical communication with said first connector and said second connector for detecting and providing a visual indication of passage of current through said tester, said illumination means housed within said housing;
wherein said current tester is in electrical communication with a power source with said first connector and a spark plug with said second connector, wherein said housing further comprises a durable plastic enclosure providing a sealed protection means thereto said illumination means, wherein said sealed protection means further comprises a flush-mounted transparent or translucent viewing lens along a to surface thereof.
2. The current tester of claim 1, wherein said first electrical cable and said second electrical cable each further comprise a length of standard insulated high voltage ignition cable with waterproof insulation.
3. The current tester of claim 2, wherein each of said first electrical cable and said second electrical cable are affixed to said housing with a grommet and a wire clamp.
4. The current tester of claim 1, wherein said first connector is a post connector for electrical communication with a boot connector of said power source.
5. The current tester of claim 3, wherein said post connector further comprises a highly-conductive crimped or soldered copper tip.
6. The current tester of claim 1, wherein said second connector is a boot connector for electrical communication with said spark plug.
7. The current tester of claim 1, wherein said illumination means further comprises:
a resistor secured to an interior surface of said housing and in electrical communication with said first electrical cable and said second electrical cable; and,
a lamp secured to an interior surface of said housing adjacent to said resistor and in electrical communication with said resistor;
wherein a current supplied by said power source is routed through said first electrical cable into said resistor; and;
wherein said resistor produces a voltage drop to power said lamp.
8. The current tester of claim 7, wherein said resistor is rated at approximately 4700 ohms.
9. The current tester of claim 7, wherein said lamp further comprises a T-2 neon lamp.
10. A current tester to detect and indicate a present of current, comprising:
a housing, comprising a enclosure with a first aperture and a first grommet and a second aperture with a second grommet located on opposing outer walls;
a first electrical cable outwardly extending from said housing through said first aperture, terminating with a first connector, and attached to an interior of said housing via a wire clamp;
a second electrical cable outwardly extending from said housing through said second aperture, terminating with a second connector, and attached to an interior of said housing via a wire clamp; and,
an illumination means in electrical communication with said first connector and said second connector for detecting and providing a visual indication of passage of current through said tester, said illumination means housed within said housing, further comprising:
a resistor secured to an interior surface of said housing and in electrical communication with said first electrical cable and said second electrical cable; and,
a lamp secured to an interior surface of said housing adjacent to said resistor and in electrical communication with said resistor;
wherein said current tester is in electrical communication with a power source with said first connector and a spark plug with said second connector;
wherein a current supplied by said power source is routed through said first electrical cable into said resistor; and;
wherein said resistor produces a voltage drop to power said lamp to provide a visual indication of said current.
11. The current tester of claim 10, wherein said housing further comprises a durable plastic enclosure providing a sealed protection means thereto said illumination means.
12. The current tester of claim 11, wherein said sealed protection means further comprises a flush-mounted transparent or translucent viewing lens along a top surface thereof.
13. The current tester of claim 10, wherein said first electrical cable and said second electrical cable each further comprise a length of standard insulated high voltage ignition cable with waterproof insulation.
14. The current tester of claim 10, wherein said first connector is a post connector comprises a highly-conductive crimped or soldered copper tip for electrical communication with a boot connector of said power source.
15. The current tester of claim 10, wherein said second connector is a boot connector for electrical communication with said spark plug.
16. The current tester of claim 10, wherein said resistor is rated at approximately 4700 ohms.
17. The current tester of claim 10, wherein said lamp further comprises a T-2 neon lamp.
18. A method for testing and verifying proper operation of an engine ignition system with an ignition current tester, comprising the following steps:
providing said ignition current tester, further comprising:
a housing, comprising a enclosure with a first aperture and a first grommet and a second aperture with a second grommet located on opposing outer walls, and a flush-mounted transparent or translucent viewing lens along a top surface;
a first electrical cable outwardly extending from said housing through said first aperture, terminating with a first connector, and attached to an interior of said housing via a wire clamp;
a second electrical cable outwardly extending from said housing through said second aperture, terminating with a second connector, and attached to an interior of said housing via a wire clamp; and,
an illumination means in electrical communication with said first connector and said second connector for detecting and providing a visual indication of passage of current through said tester, said illumination means housed within said housing, further comprising:
a resistor secured to an interior surface of said housing and in electrical communication with said first electrical cable and said second electrical cable; and,
a lamp secured to an interior surface of said housing adjacent to said resistor and in electrical communication with said resistor;
connecting said first connector to said power source;
connecting said second connector to a spark plug;
starting an engine of said engine ignition system; and,
observing illumination provided by said lamp through said viewing lens due to passage of current through said ignition current tester.
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 heart assist device connection system, comprising:
an inflow connector in fluid-tight communication with an inflow section of a heart assist device and configured to be releasably connected to an inlet extension inserted into a patient’s ventricle, the inflow connector having one or more recesses configured to match a protrusion on the inlet extension.
an outflow connector in fluid-tight communication with an outflow section of the heart assist device and configured to be releasably connected to a conduit attached to the patient’s vasculature.
2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of recesses on the outflow connector to match a protrusion on an outflow graft.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the inflow or outflow connector includes a cylindrical backflow preventing valve mounted inside a reinforcing sleeve.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of recesses includes a plurality of internal peripheral scallops.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the inflow connector defines a first diameter, and the outflow connector defines a second diameter substantially different than the first diameter so as to prevent reversed connection of the system.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the inflow or outflow connector has external peripheral threads to receive a screw ring so as to hold the inlet extension in fluid-tight connection.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein the external peripheral threads have a major diameter of about 1.245 inches and about 32 threads per inch.
8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a reinforcing sleeve held between the inflow connector and the inflow section of the heart assist device.
9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a valve mounted inside the reinforcing sleeve to prevent substantial fluid flow through the system in one direction.
10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a reducing fitting between the inlet extension and the inflow section of the heart assist device.
11. The system of claim 10, wherein the reducing fitting decreases in cross section from the inflow connector to the cannula.
12. The system of claim 1, wherein the inflow connector defines an inner diameter in proximity to the inlet connections that is substantially the same as an inner diameter defined by the inlet extension.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein the inflow connector inner diameter is about about 0.750 inches.
14. A heart assist device connector, comprising:
an inlet conduit that is in fluid communication with a heart assist device;
an attachment ring having a ring surface configured to be attached to a corresponding surface on the inlet conduit;
a connector element having a first end and a second end, configured to be received at the first end between the ring surface and the conduit surface, and further configured to be received at the second end by a connection fitting, and;
a reinforcing sleeve surrounding the connector element between the screw ring and the connection fitting.
15. The connector of claim 14, wherein the connector element comprises a valve.
16. The connector of claim 15, wherein the valve is comprised of xenographic tissue.
17. The connector of claim 15, wherein the valve is a back-flow preventing valve.
18. The connector of claim 14, wherein the connector element comprises a generally cylindrical graft.
19. The connector of claim 14, wherein the ring surface comprises a threaded portion.
20. The connector of claim 14, wherein the ring surface comprises female threads that mate with male threads on the conduit surface.
21. The connector of claim 14, further comprising a threaded plug configured to be received inside the connection fitting, wherein the end of the connector element is secured between a threaded surface of the connection fitting and the threaded plug.
22. The connector of claim 21, further comprising a ring having female threads engaged with male threads on the threaded fitting, and having a lip configured to hold the connector tightly to a cannula.
25. A method of replacing a first heart assist device with a second heart assist device, the first heart assist device having a pump body, an inflow section configured to attach to an apical conduit with a first threaded connector, and an outflow section configured to be attached to a conduit attached to a patient’s aorta with a second threaded connector, and the second heart assist device having an inflow section configured to attach to the apical conduit, and an outflow section configured to attach to the conduit, the method comprising:
disengaging the first threaded connector and the second threaded connector;
removing the first heart assist device from the patient;
positioning the second heart assist device in the patient to be connected to the apical connector and the conduit attached to the patient’s aorta; and
engaging the first threaded connector and the second threaded connector.
26. The method of claim 25, further comprising providing a reducing conduit between the inflow section of the second heart assist device and the apical conduit.
27. The method of claim 25, further comprising providing a reducing conduit between the outflow section of the second heart assist device and the conduit attached to the patient’s aorta.
28. A pair of universal connectors for connecting an inflow cannula to a heart assist device and for connecting the heart assist device to an outflow graft, comprising:
a first connector having a first end with a threaded outer surface, a first outer diameter and a first inner diameter, a second end having a threaded surface, a second outer diameter and a second inner diameter, and a passage between the first end and the second end, the first connector being configured to mate with a tube at the first end and the heart assist device at the second end; and
a second connector comprising a first end having a threaded outer surface, a first outer diameter and a first inner diameter, a second end having a second outer diameter and a second inner diameter, and a channel passing between the first end and the second end, the first connector being configured to mate with a graft at the first end and the heart assist device at the second end.
29. The universal connectors of claim 28, wherein the tube comprises a screw ring surrounding at least a part of the tube, the screw ring having an inner threaded surface and being configured to mate with the threaded outer surface of the first end of the first connector.
30. A method of replacing a first heart assist device with a second heart assist device, comprising:
disconnecting an inlet conduit from the first device by rotating an inlet conduit screw ring;
disconnecting an outlet conduit from the first device by rotating an outlet conduit screw ring;
connecting the second device to the outlet conduit;
aligning peripheral protrusion on the inlet conduit with scallops on the inlet insert and connecting the second device to the inlet conduit.