1-19. (canceled)
20. A medical device comprising a bacterial cellulose sheet having perforations.
21. The medical device of claim 20, wherein the bacterial cellulose sheet has a thickness of from about 0.1 mm to about 5 mm.
22. The medical device of claim 20, wherein the perforations comprise holes of a size from about 10 \u03bcm and 100 \u03bcm, separated from each other by a distance of from about 0.1 mm to about 3 mm.
23. The medical device of claim 20, wherein the perforations comprise holes of a size of from about 1 mm to about 3 mm, separated from each other by a distance of from about 0.3 mm to about 5 mm.
24. The medical device of claim 20, wherein the perforations comprise holes of a size of from about 10 \u03bcm to about 100 \u03bcm, separated from each other by a distance of from about 100 \u03bcm to about 500 \u03bcm.
25. A medical device of claim 20, wherein the holes are arranged in an ordered series.
26. A medical device of claim 20, wherein the bacterial cellulose sheet comprises a first area having perforations and a second area containing no perforations.
27. A medical device of claim 20, wherein the bacterial cellulose sheet comprises a first area having perforations of a first size and a second area having perforations of a second size different from the first size.
28. A medical device of claim 20, wherein the bacterial cellulose sheet comprises a first area with perforations arranged in a first pattern and a second area with perforations arranged in a second pattern different from the first pattern.
29. A medical device of claim 20, wherein the perforations are circular.
30. A method of making a medical device comprising:
providing a bacterial cellulose sheet; and
perforating the bacterial cellulose sheet.
31. The method of claim 30, wherein the bacterial cellulose sheet provided is derived from Acetobacter xylinum.
32. The method of claim 30, wherein the bacterial cellulose sheet provided comprises oxidized cellulose.
33. A method of claim 30, wherein perforating the bacterial cellulose sheet forms holes of a size of from about 10 \u03bcm and 100 \u03bcm, separated from each other by a distance of from about 0.1 mm to about 3 mm.
34. A method of claim 30, wherein perforating the bacterial cellulose sheet forms holes of a size of from about 1 mm to about 3 mm, separated from each other by a distance of from about 0.3 mm to about 5 mm,
35. A method of claim 30, wherein perforating the bacterial cellulose sheet forms holes of a defined and constant size of from about 10 \u03bcm to about 100 \u03bcm, separated from each other by a constant distance of from about 100 \u03bcm to about 500 \u03bcm.
36. A method of claim 30, wherein perforating the bacterial cellulose sheet forms an ordered series of holes.
37. A method of claim 30, wherein an area of the bacterial cellulose sheet remains imperforated.
38. A method of claim 30, wherein perforating is performed by a method selected from the group consisting of punching and laser drilling.
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 head gate element (2) comprising:
a substantially flat (P) frame (1);
a substantially rectilinear movable bar (10) mounted so as to pivot on a shaft (A) fixed to the said frame (1) and substantially perpendicular to the plane (P), so that the movable bar (10) can be situated in two extreme inclined positions, namely an open position (O) and a release position (D), as well as in an intermediate so-called closed position (F) in which the movable bar (10) is substantially vertical;
fixed rigidly to one end (10a) of the movable bar (10), a locking fork joint (11) formed by two plates (11a, 11b), receiving a transverse slide (15) able to move in translation in the direction of the movable bar (10);
a control bar (13) able to move in rotation about its longitudinal axis in order to control the possibilities of the movable bar (10) in the aforementioned three is positions (O, F, D), this control bar (13) being fixed in translation to the top part (3a) of the frame and extending between the two plates (11a, 11b) of the locking fork joint (11);
the control bar (13) comprising locking means arranged to cooperate with the slide (15) of the locking fork joint (11), characterised in that the said slide (1 5) is guided in translation by guidance means situated on the internal face of each of the plates (11a, 11b).
2. A head gate element according to claim 1, characterised in that the slide (15) comprises a metallic core (30) and a polymer envelope (31).
3. A head gate element according to claim 2, characterised in that the core (30) is substantially parallelepipedal.
4. A head gate element according to claim 2 or 3, characterised in that the envelope (31) comprises a hollow parallelepipedal central part (33), provided on its internal face (34) with longitudinal projections (35).
5. A head gate element according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the slide (15) has two longitudinal planes of symmetry (P1, P2) perpendicular to each other.
6. A head gate element according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the means of guiding the slide (15) in translation comprise profiled sections (16a, 17a, 16b, 17b) situated on the internal face of each of the plates (11a, 11b), the said profiled sections having their longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the movable bar (10).
7. A head gate element according to claim 6 characterised in that two profiles (16a, 17a; 16b, 17b) are fixed to the internal face of each of tne plates (11a, 11b), the two profiles on the same plate (11a, 11b) being separated so that the slide (15) can slide along this separation distance.
8. A head gate element according to claim 6 or 7, charactersed in that the slide (15) also comprises stops (18a, 18b) arranged so as to slide against the profiles (16a, 17a, 16b, 17b) whilst preventing the slide (15) from coming into contact with the two plates (11a, 11b), Thus preventing their being wedged during its translation movement.
9. A head gate element according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the locking means carried by the control bar (13) comprise a transverse notch (9) arranged so that the slide (15) can fit therein when the movable bar (10) and the control bar (13) are in the closed position (F).
10. A head gate element according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the control bar (13) is solid and produced from a material belonging to the group formed by aluminium and its alloys.
11. A head gate element according to claims 9 or 10, characterised in that the locking means carried by the control bar (13) also comprise an inclined flat (23) on the control bar (13) so as to form a slope, the bottom of the said slope (23) opening out in the notch (9) and the top of the said slope (23) being oriented towards the open position (O) of the movable bar (10) so that the slide (15), when the movable bar (10) passes from the open position (O) to the closed position (F), can slide along the control bar (13), then along the slope (23) and then fit in the notch (9).
12. A head gate element according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it also comprises a safety locking device (24, 25a, 25b) for the closed position (F) of the movable bar (10), the said device consisting of a removable pin connecting, when it is in place, the locking fork joint (11) and the frame (1).
13. A head gate element according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the movement bar (10) also comprises, towards its external part (10b) opposite to the locking fork joint, means (12) forming a counterweight able to automatically return the movable bar (10) into its open position (O) when it is not being acted.
14. A head gate element according to claim 13, characterised in that a bar (22) connects the said end of the movable bar (10) to the means (12) forming a counterweight.
15. A head gate element according to claim 13 or 14, characterised in that the means (12) forming a coumnerweight extend in a plane parallel to the plane (P) so that they also block the passage between the bottom part of the movable bar (10) and the frame (1).
16. A head gate element according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the movable bar (10) also comprises, close to the locking fork joint (11), means (21) of blocking the passage between the top part of the movable bar (10) and the frame (1).
17. A head gate element according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it also comprises means (14) of controlling the rotation of the control bar (13).
18. A head gate element according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it also comprises an end of rotational travel member (19) for the control bar (13).
19. A head gate element according to any one of the preceding claims, characterise in that it also comprises means (20) for locking the angular position of the control bar (13).