Patents Examined by Victor Shapiro
  • Patent number: 9547123
    Abstract: An apparatus for treating a hollow anatomical structure can include a light delivery device. The light delivery device comprises an optical fiber that is located in a lumen of a shaft suitable for insertion into the hollow anatomical structure and has a fiber tip located proximal of a distal end of the shaft during treatment of the hollow anatomical structure. The apparatus can further include a liquid source for providing a liquid flow over the optical fiber at a predetermined liquid flow rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: Covidien LP
    Inventors: Walter J. Stevens, Stephen W. Lee, Michael S. Mirizzi, Hoa D. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 9539438
    Abstract: The present invention relates inter alia to functional materials for the treatment and/or prophylaxis and/or diagnosis of diseases and/or cosmetic conditions. The functional materials can be used for the preparation of light emitting devices comprising fibers as light emitting elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: Merck Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Junyou Pan, Herwig Buchholz, Ewald Aydt
  • Patent number: 9526578
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a handheld laser treatment apparatus comprises: a handset including a treatment chamber, the treatment chamber having an open treatment aperture; a laser array arranged to project optical energy into the treatment chamber and coupled to a power source; at least one vacuum channel positioned within the treatment chamber and coupled to a vacuum source; a trigger sensor coupled to logic that controls activation of the laser array and the vacuum channel; an attachment sensor arranged to detect which of a plurality of attachments are inserted into the treatment chamber through the treatment aperture. The logic enables activation of the vacuum channel when the attachment sensor detects a first attachment of the plurality of attachments inserted into the treatment aperture. The logic disables activation of the vacuum channel when the attachment sensor detects a second attachment of the plurality of attachments inserted into the treatment aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: LUMENIS LTD.
    Inventors: Igal Koifman, Uri Voitsechov
  • Patent number: 9486189
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems, assemblies and methods for surgery (e.g., robotic surgery). More particularly, the present disclosure provides systems and methods for releasably securing or attaching an assembly for use in a surgical procedure with respect to a user-operable surgical device. In general, the present disclosure provides systems and methods for releasably securing or attaching an assembly with respect to and for use with a user-operable surgery system. Systems and methods for releasably securing or attaching an assembly (e.g., imaging/surgical assembly) having a receiver member with respect to a user-operable grasper member of a surgery system are provided. The receiver member may be releasably and/or detachably securable to the surgical/imaging assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: Hitachi Aloka Medical, Ltd.
    Inventors: Thomas P. Oko, Jason K. Blake
  • Patent number: 9468427
    Abstract: A stabilizer for use with a trackable surgical instrument can include a first member, a second member and a retaining member. The first member can have a first annular body portion and a first pair of legs extending therefrom. The first annular body portion can include a plurality of locating slots for engaging a selectively positionable portion of a surgical instrument. The second member can have a second annular body portion and a second pair of legs extending therefrom. The second annular body can engage a drive device of the surgical instrument. The first pair of legs can be telescopically coupled with and adjustable relative to the second pair of legs such that the first member can be axially adjustable relative to the second member. The retaining member can cooperate with at least one leg to retain the first member adjustably coupled to the second member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Medtronic Navigation, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew F. Dicorleto, Marco Capote
  • Patent number: 9456872
    Abstract: A system and devices for ablation and removal of occlusions from blood vessels is provided. Laser cutting systems and mechanical cutting systems are provided in catheter devices, the cutting systems operable to ablate, cut, dislodge, and otherwise remove occlusions within a blood vessel that may limit or prevent proper circulation. Catheter systems comprise distal end features adapted to cut and remove at least portions of an occlusion that generally correspond to dimensions of an inner lumen of a catheter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: The Spectranetics Corporation
    Inventors: Brandon Thomas Hendrick, Kenneth P. Grace
  • Patent number: 9456925
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods of treating a hard lens region of an eye with a laser where one method includes identifying a boundary of the hard lens region, selecting a laser-parameter to enable a photodisruptive procedure in the hard lens region and to control a spreading of bubbles in the hard lens region, modifying a mechanical property of a posterior portion of the hard lens region in a proximity of the identified boundary by the photodisruptive procedure, and modifying a mechanical property of a portion anterior to the modified posterior portion of the hard lens region by the photodisruptive procedure. The laser bubbles can be applied to form incisions which are non transverse to an axis of the eye and intersect the lens fibers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: ALCON LENSX, INC.
    Inventors: Ronald M. Kurtz, Ferenc Raksi, Peter Goldstein
  • Patent number: 9440092
    Abstract: Phototherapy systems comprising a therapeutic lamp platform for radiant lamps such as LEDs disposed in an assembly including a reflective surface facing towards a patient and a plurality of light apertures substantially aligned with the LEDs for communicating lamp radiation from the lamps to a user. The lamps and associated circuitry are disposed so that the reflective surface is relatively smooth and seamless towards the patient. The walls have a malleable rigidity for flexible adjustability relative to the user, and the device is mounted to the user with a frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc.
    Inventors: Jay Tapper, Lawrence A Blaustein, David Shuter, Eric Freitag, Charles Peter Althoff, Alistair Douglas Bramley, Daniel Joseph Shuter, Zbigniew Paul Lorenc, Allen Zadeh
  • Patent number: 9440091
    Abstract: In response to local or systemic inflammation in a patient, photobiomodulation therapy is applied to a cardiac location to reduce the risk and/or occurrence of cardiac arrhythmia. Once inflammation is identified, photobiomodulation therapy can be applied in any suitable fashion (e.g., via a catheter- or transesophageal probe-mounted photoemitter, via an externally-applied photoemitter, or via photoemitter incorporated into an implantable medical device). Photobiomodulation therapy can also be employed to good advantage in conjunction with non-photobiomodulation therapy (e.g., traditional cardiac rhythm management therapies).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: St. Jude Medical, Atrial Fibrillation Division, Inc.
    Inventors: Karin Jarverud, Cecilia Emmanuelsson, Anders Bjorling, Kjell Noren
  • Patent number: 9421058
    Abstract: A bone fixation system is provided. The bone fixation system may include a plate, one or more fasteners configured to attach the plate to a target anatomical location such as bone, and a surgical device that facilitates the attachment of the plate and the fasteners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: DePuy Synthes Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Reto Nardini, Robert Frigg
  • Patent number: 9414887
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus are provided for producing SuperContinuum (SC) light for medical and biological applications is provided. Pulses are focused from a laser system into at least one of a pressurized cell and one or more fibers. A pump pulse is converted into the SC light at a specified rate of repetition. The SC light is applied at the specified rate of repetition to tissue for medical and biological applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Inventor: Robert R. Alfano
  • Patent number: 9415237
    Abstract: The invention relates to a light treatment system (10, 12). The light treatment system comprises a light source (20, 22) for emitting light (100) for illuminating a part of a human or animal body (30) for light treatment. The light treatment system further comprises a housing (40, 42) for emitting light towards the part of the human or animal body, and for at least partially covering the illuminated part of the human or animal body from view. The housing further comprises a window (50, 52, 54, 56) for emitting light from an inner part of the housing away from the housing. An effect of the light treatment system according to the invention is that the window in the housing may be used as indicator whether the light treatment system is operating and/or functioning well. Furthermore, the presence of a luminescent material, for example, on the window, may be used as indicator for, for example, ultraviolet light as part of the ultraviolet light may be converted by the luminescent material into visible light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Giovanna Wagenaar Cacciola, Georges Marie Calon, Ian Edward Ashdown, Damien Gerard Loveland, Adriaantje Pieternella Mouws-Van Rossum, Antonius Adrianus Maria Mouws, Claudia Mutter
  • Patent number: 9403029
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to systems and methods for thermal therapy, especially to detection-guided, -controlled, and temperature-modulated interstitial thermal therapy. Thermal therapy may be used to treat the tissues of a patient. In the case of interstitial thermal therapy, energy is applied to generate heating of the tissue to affect treatment, such as, for example, thermally inducing tissue damage (e.g. thermally-induced tissue necrosis), which may be useful in treating tumors and/or other diseased tissues. Since targets for thermal therapy are internal to the patient, the use of detection guidance may be useful in locating and monitoring treatment of a target tissue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Visualase, Inc.
    Inventors: Ashok Gowda, Roger McNichols
  • Patent number: 9381115
    Abstract: A system and process for treating retinal diseases includes passing a laser light beam through an optical lens or mask to optically shape the light beam. The light beam is applied to at least a portion of the retina. Due to the selected parameters of the laser light beam pulse length, power and duty cycle, the laser light beam can be applied to substantially the entire retina, including the fovea, without damaging retinal or foveal tissue, while still attaining the benefits of retinal photocoagulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: Ojai Retinal Technology, LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey K. Luttrull, Benjamin Margolis
  • Patent number: 9375282
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed towards a medical instrument. The medical instrument includes a housing and an end effector assembly operably connected to the housing. The end effector assembly includes first and second jaw members each having a tissue contacting surface, at least one of the first and second jaw members movable between a first, spaced-apart position and a second proximate position, wherein in the second position, the jaw members cooperate to define a cavity configured to receive tissue between the jaw members. The end effector also includes at least one light-emitting element coupled to at least one of the first and second jaw members, the at least one light-emitting element adapted to deliver light energy to tissue grasped between the first and second jaw members to treat the tissue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Covidien LP
    Inventors: William H. Nau, Jr., Craig A. Keller, Duane E. Kerr
  • Patent number: 9302118
    Abstract: A phototherapy device includes an outlet end to be placed in contact with a person's skin, a heat exchanger, an optical structure arranged between the heat exchanger and the outlet end, and a light source arranged between the heat exchanger and the outlet end, and configured to emit light for delivery to the skin through or adjacent the optical structure. The heat exchanger may include a first heat transfer portion thermally coupled to the light source for dissipating heat from the light source, and a second heat transfer portion thermally coupled to the optical structure for dissipating heat from the optical structure. The first and second heat transfer portions of the heat exchanger may be substantially thermally isolated from each other, e.g., partially or completely physically separated from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: TRIA BEAUTY, INC.
    Inventors: Mark V. Weckwerth, C. Andrew Schuetz, Harvey Liu, Patrick Reichert, Tobin C. Island, Robert E. Grove
  • Patent number: 9295854
    Abstract: A light and bioelectric therapy pad that delivers light and bioelectric stimulation to adjacent tissue. The therapy pad includes an electrical tracing circuit containing elongated, parallel and spaced-apart approximate linear tracings (ALT) that provide current flow in opposite directions along the ALT during alternating positive and negative drive cycles of an alternating current (AC) supply. The ALT includes first and second header tracings wired to a row of light emitting diodes (LEDs), with the anodes of a first group of LEDs wired to the first header tracing, and the anodes of the remaining LEDs wired to the second header tracing. The ALTs are wired into the circuit with current flowing to the first header tracing at one end of the row of LEDs, and to the second header tracing at the opposite end, so that adjacent ALT provide current flow in opposite directions during both positive and negative drive cycles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Point Source, Inc.
    Inventor: Steven H. Mersch
  • Patent number: 9265506
    Abstract: In order to further develop a surgical instrument with an energy-driven operating device, an energy storage device as well as a control device for driving the operating device as required and supplying it with energy from the energy storage device such that an optimum utilization of the capacity of the energy storage device is achieved without any risk for the surgeon or the patient, in particular in view of the different energy requirements of the individual operating processes, it is suggested that when a predetermined state of residual charge of the energy storage device is reached and/or it is fallen below for the first time the control device make its residual charge available for returning the tool into a rest position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Aesculap AG
    Inventors: Peter Schulz, Markus Nesper, Dieter Weisshaupt, Konstantin Faulhaber
  • Patent number: 9248315
    Abstract: A method of performing microbeam radiosurgery on a patient whereby opposing portions of target tissue within a patient are exposed to a flux of high energy quanta via microbeam envelopes. The microbeam envelopes are applied in multiple non-parallel orientations such that the exposed portions of the target tissue define a substantially closed volume. The tissue remaining inside is thereby denied blood flow and dies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: VARIAN MEDICAL SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventor: Michael Dean Wright
  • Patent number: 9237895
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a surgical aimer including a shaft having a proximal portion and a distal portion and a handle coupled to the proximal portion of the shaft. The handle includes a mechanism for coupling the shaft to the handle and releasing the shaft from the handle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: Smith & Nephew, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary R. McCarthy, Michael C. Ferragamo, Susan L. Spear