What is claimed is:
1. A hand saw for penetrating and cutting drywall, comprising
a handle,
an elongated blade having generally opposed blade top and bottom edges, said blade top edge being flat and said blade bottom edge including teeth means for sawing drywall,
said elongated blade having an inner end and an opposed free end area, said inner end being attached to said handle and said free end area having a tapered sharpened cutting edge extending from said blade bottom edge at said teeth means to said blade top edge, and further including a pointed tip defined by said blade flat top side and said tapered cutting edge.
2. The hand saw as set forth in claim 1, wherein said blade includes a pair of inwardly tapered flat surfaces formed between said blade top edge and said blade bottom edge at said free end area that converge at said tapered sharpened cutting edge, said pointed tip being further defined by said pair of inwardly tapered flat surfaces.
3. The hand saw as set forth in claim 1, further including a hand stop connected to said handle positioned proximate to said blade inner end, said handle having a handle top side aligned with said flat top side of said blade, said hand stop being positioned on said handle top side.
4. The hand saw as set forth in claim 1, wherein said blade bottom edge with said saw means is slightly tapered upwardly relative to said blade top edge between said handle and said free end area at said sharpened cutting edge.
5. The hand saw as set forth in claim 1, wherein said teeth means include offset saw teeth.
6. The hand saw as set forth in claim 5, wherein said offset saw teeth are positioned at 8 teeth per inch.
7. The hand saw as set forth in claim 1, wherein said teeth means include saw teeth that define clean out spillways.
8. The hand saw as set forth in claim 5, wherein said offset saw teeth are aligned in two parallel rows in alternate sequence.
9. The hand saw as set forth in claim 1, wherein said blade is made of a hardened, heavy duty six-inch carbon steel.
10. The hand saw as set forth in claim 1, wherein said sharpened cutting surface is double ground.
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 catheter flushing device, comprising:
a syringe fitting;
a hollow stylet attached to a proximal end of the syringe fitting, the hollow stylet in fluid communication with the syringe fitting; and
a sleeve attached to an outer surface of the syringe fitting, the sleeve external to and coaxial with the hollow stylet.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein the syringe fitting is a Luer fitting.
3. The device of claim 1 wherein the hollow stylet is a stainless steel hypotube.
4. The device of claim 1 wherein the hollow stylet is attached to the syringe fitting using an adhesive.
5. The device of claim 1 wherein the sleeve is fabricated using one or more materials selected from a group consisting of polypropylene, polyethylene, a nylonpolyethylene blend, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and a suitable polycarbonate.
6. The device of claim 1 wherein the sleeve is attached to the syringe fitting using a method selected from a group consisting of laser welding, RF welding, heat bonding, convection heating, and an appropriate bonding method.
7. The device of claim 1 wherein the syringe fitting, hollow stylet, and sleeve are fabricated as a unitary structure.
8. The device of claim 7 wherein the unitary structure is fabricated using one or more methods selected from a group consisting of blow molding, injection molding, and a suitable molding method.
9. A catheter system, comprising:
a treatment device;
a catheter, a distal portion thereof carrying the treatment device;
a syringe fitting;
a hollow stylet attached to a proximal end of the syringe fitting such that the hollow stylet is in fluid communication with the syringe fitting; and
a sleeve attached to an outer surface of the syringe fitting such that the sleeve is external to and coaxial with the hollow stylet, wherein the hollow stylet is received within a distal end of the catheter, the sleeve surrounding the distal portion of the catheter, the syringe fitting and hollow stylet serving as a flushing cannula for the catheter, the sleeve protecting the distal portion of the catheter from contact with a flushing solution.
10. The system of claim 9 wherein the hollow stylet is sized such that it is retained within the distal end of the catheter by friction.
11. The system of claim 9 wherein the treatment device is a coated stent.
12. The system of claim 11 wherein the stent is coated with one or more therapeutic agents selected from a group consisting of an antineoplastic agent, an antiproliferative agent, an antibiotic, an antithrombogenic agent, an anticoagulant, an antiplatelet agent, and an anti-inflammatory agent.
13. The system of claim 9 wherein the sleeve is sized such that it does not contact the treatment device.
14. The system of claim 9 further comprising:
a shipping and storage container, wherein the syringe fitting extends through a wall of the container.
15. The system of claim 14 further comprising:
a cap removably attached to the syringe fitting.
16. The system of claim 14 wherein at least one of the syringe fitting and the sleeve forms a unitary structure with a wall of the container.
17. A method of preparing a catheter for use, comprising:
providing a catheter system comprising a catheter and a catheter flushing device, the catheter flushing device including a syringe fitting, a hollow stylet, and a sleeve, the hollow stylet attached to and in fluid communication with the syringe fitting, the sleeve attached to the syringe fitting external to and coaxial with the hollow stylet, wherein the hollow stylet is received within a distal end of the catheter and the sleeve surrounds a distal portion of the catheter, the syringe fitting and hollow stylet serving as a flushing cannula for the catheter, the sleeve protecting the distal portion of the catheter from contact with a flushing solution;
attaching a syringe containing a flushing solution to the syringe fitting;
injecting the flushing solution into the catheter; and
removing the catheter flushing device from the catheter.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein the syringe fitting is a Luer fitting and wherein attaching a syringe to the syringe fitting comprises rotating a syringe onto the Luer fitting.
19. The method of claim 17 wherein the catheter system further comprises a shipping and storage container, and wherein the syringe fitting extends through a wall of the container.