Patents by Inventor Alan W. Wolf

Alan W. Wolf has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8986314
    Abstract: A multi-positional dual drill guide for use in orthopedic surgical procedures provides two independent drill guides which are independently, pivotally and removably secured along a pivotal drill guide plate comprising two separate and independent guide plate sections, selectively aligning each of the two drill guides for drilling an intersecting bone channel into a common bone from different locations for the passage of a suture and associated tissue during an orthopedic repair of a joint. The drill guide provide for three dimensional movement of the drill guides to provide a range of drilling angles from nearly zero degrees up to 180-degrees apart and in a three dimensional array, the drill.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Inventors: Christopher S. Jordan, Rose Wolf, Alan W. Wolf
  • Patent number: 8449612
    Abstract: A placement assembly used for positioning and holding a ligament graft within a selected bone tunnel. The assembly includes a graft pulley, a surgical suture, and a graft pulley placement instrument. The graft pulley includes a pulley portion and a bone anchoring portion. The pulley portion is adapted to receive the surgical suture and for surgical suture to be drawn through it, to act as a pulley. The bone anchoring portion comprises at least one flexible wing that is adapted to selectively fix the graft pulley within a bone tunnel. At least one wing is adapted to flex during insertion into a bone tunnel and then resist flex and thereby resist movement back out of the tunnel and hence wedge itself within the tunnel. The graft instrument may be selectively attached to the graft pulley and includes a handle and elongate body, adapted to insert the graft pulley into the selected bone tunnel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: ArthroCare Corporation
    Inventors: George Delli-Santi, Alan W. Wolf
  • Publication number: 20110118838
    Abstract: A placement assembly used for positioning and holding a ligament graft within a selected bone tunnel. The assembly includes a graft pulley, a surgical suture, and a graft pulley placement instrument. The graft pulley includes a pulley portion and a bone anchoring portion. The pulley portion is adapted to receive the surgical suture and for surgical suture to be drawn through it, to act as a pulley. The bone anchoring portion comprises a portion adapted to selectively fix the graft pulley within a bone tunnel. The graft instrument may be selectively attached to the graft pulley and includes a handle and elongate body, adapted to insert the graft pulley into the selected bone tunnel. Once the graft pulley is in place, the placement instrument may then be detached and withdrawn leaving the graft pulley firmly fixed within the bone tunnel and can then be used to position a ligament graft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Inventors: George Delli-Santi, Alan W. Wolf
  • Publication number: 20110118837
    Abstract: A placement assembly used for positioning and holding a ligament graft within a selected bone tunnel. The assembly includes a graft pulley, a surgical suture, and a graft pulley placement instrument. The graft pulley includes a pulley portion and a bone anchoring portion. The pulley portion is adapted to receive the surgical suture and for surgical suture to be drawn through it, to act as a pulley. The bone anchoring portion comprises at least one flexible wing that is adapted to selectively fix the graft pulley within a bone tunnel. At least one wing is adapted to flex during insertion into a bone tunnel and then resist flex and thereby resist movement back out of the tunnel and hence wedge itself within the tunnel. The graft instrument may be selectively attached to the graft pulley and includes a handle and elongate body, adapted to insert the graft pulley into the selected bone tunnel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2009
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Inventors: George Delli-Santi, Alan W. Wolf
  • Patent number: 7686838
    Abstract: A surgical anchor device for the repair of a torn ligament or tendon, primarily the anterior cruciate ligament in the knee, is used to affix the ligament within a femoral bone tunnel in the distal portion of the femur from the intra-articular surface, the device providing a pulley for a suture, wherein a free end of the suture may be pulled away from the device to draw the suture attached to the ligament graft within the femoral bone tunnel securing the ligament graft within the bone tunnel. Installation of the device is provided by insertion of the device through a tibial hole, through the femoral tunnel out of the lateral femoral cortex, pulling the attached sutures simultaneously to flatten the device against the lateral femoral cortex, attaching one end of the suture to the ligament graft and pulling the other end of the suture until the graft is situated properly within the femoral bone tunnel and tying the free end of the suture to retain the graft within the femoral bone tunnel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: ArthroCare Corporation
    Inventors: Alan W. Wolf, Christopher S. Jordan
  • Publication number: 20080288069
    Abstract: A cancellous externally threaded pulley anchor for transporting an anterior cruciate ligament graft into the distal femur from the intra-articular surface during a surgical repair of the anterior cruciate ligament. A method using this device eliminates the need to pierce the lateral femoral skin during the surgery and also prevent interference with other surgical instruments and the knee and thigh holder, the anchor providing a pulley for the force insertion of the ligament graft into a femoral bone tunnel after the anchor is installed within the femoral bone tunnel by pulling the unattached end of the suture while the other end of the suture is secured to the ligament graft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2006
    Publication date: November 20, 2008
    Inventors: Alan W. Wolf, Christopher S. Jordan
  • Publication number: 20080275553
    Abstract: A surgical anchor device for the repair of a torn ligament or tendon, primarily the anterior cruciate ligament in the knee, is used to affix the ligament within a femoral bone tunnel in the distal portion of the femur from the intra-articular surface, the device providing a pulley for a suture, wherein a free end of the suture may be pulled away from the device to draw the suture attached to the ligament graft within the femoral bone tunnel securing the ligament graft within the bone tunnel. Installation of the device is provided by insertion of the device through a tibial hole, through the femoral tunnel out of the lateral femoral cortex, pulling the attached sutures simultaneously to flatten the device against the lateral femoral cortex, attaching one end of the suture to the ligament graft and pulling the other end of the suture until the graft is situated properly within the femoral bone tunnel and tying the free end of the suture to retain the graft within the femoral bone tunnel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2006
    Publication date: November 6, 2008
    Inventors: Alan W. Wolf, Christopher S. Jordan