Patents by Inventor Eric Vroegop

Eric Vroegop 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).

  • Method and apparatus for temporarily immobilizing a local area of tissue
    Publication number: 20070123747
    Abstract: The invention is a method and apparatus for performing beating heart surgery, in which a single articulating arm supports multiple suction pods. Once the suction pods are applied to the heart surface, tightening a cable fixes the arm in place. Then, the suction pods may be spread apart from each other to tighten the surface of the cardiac tissue lying between the suction pods. In one embodiment, fixation of the arm as well as the spreading apart of the suction pods may occur concurrently or almost concurrently through the tensioning of a single cable. Additional embodiments of the method, system and its components are shown.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2007
    Publication date: May 31, 2007
    Inventors: Eric Boone, Jack Goodman, John Hall, Vincent Testa, Eric Vroegop, William O'Neill, Cornelius Borst, Hendricus Mansvelt-Beck, Paul Grendeman
  • Method and apparatus for temporarily immobilizing a local area of tissue
    Patent number: 7201716
    Abstract: The invention is a method and apparatus for performing beating heart surgery, in which a single articulating arm supports multiple suction pods. Once the suction pods are applied to the heart surface, tightening a cable fixes the arm in place. Then, the suction pods may be spread apart from each other to tighten the surface of the cardiac tissue lying between the suction pods. In one embodiment, fixation of the arm as well as the spreading apart of the suction pods may occur concurrently or almost concurrently through the tensioning of a single cable. Additional embodiments of the method, system and its components are shown.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2007
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Boone, Jack Goodman, John D. Hall, Vincent J. Testa, Eric Vroegop, William G. O'Neill, Cornelius Borst, Hendricus J. Mansvelt-Beck, Paul F. Grundeman
  • Method and apparatus for temporarily immobilizing a local area of tissue
    Publication number: 20040167549
    Abstract: The invention is a method and apparatus for performing beating heart surgery, in which a single articulating arm supports multiple suction pods. Once the suction pods are applied to the heart surface, tightening a cable fixes the arm in place. Then, the suction pods may be spread apart from each other to tighten the surface of the cardiac tissue lying between the suction pods. In one embodiment, fixation of the arm as well as the spreading apart of the suction pods may occur concurrently or almost concurrently through the tensioning of a single cable. Additional embodiments of the method, system and its components are shown.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2004
    Publication date: August 26, 2004
    Inventors: Eric Boone, Jack Goodman, John D. Hall, Vincent J. Testa, Eric Vroegop, William G. O'Neill, Cornelius Borst, Hendricus J. Mansvelt-Beck, Paul F. Grundeman
  • Method and apparatus for temporarily immobilizing a local area of tissue
    Patent number: 6740028
    Abstract: The invention is a method and apparatus for performing beating heart surgery, in which a single articulating arm supports multiple suction pods. Once the suction pods are applied to the heart surface, tightening a cable fixes the arm in place. Then, the suction pods may be spread apart from each other to tighten the surface of the cardiac tissue lying between the suction pods. In one embodiment, fixation of the arm as well as the spreading apart of the suction pods may occur concurrently or almost concurrently through the tensioning of a single cable. Additional embodiments of the method, system and its components are shown.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Boone, Jack Goodman, John D. Hall, Vincent J. Testa, Eric Vroegop, William G. O'Neill, Cornelius Borst, Hendricus J. Mansvelt-Beck, Paul F. Gründeman
  • Method and apparatus for temporarily immobilizing a local area of tissue
    Publication number: 20020161277
    Abstract: The invention is a method and apparatus for performing beating heart surgery, in which a single articulating arm supports multiple suction pods. Once the suction pods are applied to the heart surface, tightening a cable fixes the arm in place. Then, the suction pods may be spread apart from each other to tighten the surface of the cardiac tissue lying between the suction pods. In one embodiment, fixation of the arm as well as the spreading apart of the suction pods may occur concurrently or almost concurrently through the tensioning of a single cable. Additional embodiments of the method, system and its components are shown.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2002
    Publication date: October 31, 2002
    Inventors: Eric Boone, Jack Goodman, John D. Hall, Vincent J. Testa, Eric Vroegop, William G. O'Neill, Cornelius Borst, Hendricus J. Mansvelt-Beck, Paul F. Grundeman
  • Method and apparatus for temporarily immobilizing a local area of tissue
    Patent number: 6464629
    Abstract: The invention is a method and apparatus for performing beating heart surgery, in which a single articulating arm supports multiple suction pods. Once the suction pods are applied to the heart surface, tightening a cable fixes the arm in place. Then, the suction pods may be spread apart from each other to tighten the surface of the cardiac tissue lying between the suction pods. In one embodiment, fixation of the arm as well as the spreading apart of the suction pods may occur concurrently or almost concurrently through the tensioning of a single cable. Additional embodiments of the method, system and its components are shown.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Boone, Jack Goodman, John D. Hall, William G. O'Neill, Vincent J. Testa, Eric Vroegop, Cornelius Borst, Hendricus J. Mansvelt-Beck, Paul F. Gründeman