Patents by Inventor Michael D. Walker
Michael D. Walker 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).
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Patent number: 11426507Abstract: A fluid management system includes a pump connectable to a fluid source. An inflow line removably connects to a cannula for delivering a fluid flow from the pump into a surgical site, such as a joint cavity. A flow pressure sensor is coupled to measure flow pressure in the inflow line and produce a measured pressure value, A controller is connected to the pump and the flow pressure sensor, and the controller maintains a pressure set point by controlling a pump speed based on a backpressure-adjusted pressure value calculated by subtracting a backpressure value selected from a backpressure table from the measured pressure value. The BAPV is monitored to determine whether the BAPV deviates outside an initial BAPV range, and corrective measure are taken should such deviations occur.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2018Date of Patent: August 30, 2022Assignee: Relign CorporationInventors: Steffan Benamou, Michael D. Walker, Aaron Germain
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Patent number: 11426231Abstract: An arthroscopic or other medical device includes an elongate shaft having a proximal end and a working end. At least one electrode for treating tissue is located at the working end of the shaft, and a fluid outflow path extends proximally from the working end through a first channel portion in the shaft. A handpiece is coupled to the proximal end of the shaft and has a body with a second channel portion formed along an axis therein. The second channel is receives a heated or other outflow from a proximal end of the first channel in the shaft, and the second channel runs along an axis of the handpiece. A thin wall sleeve is located in the handpiece so that it surrounds at least a portion of the second channel. The thin wall sleeve is surrounded by an air gap or otherwise provides a thermal barrier between an exterior surface of the thin wall sleeve and an inner surface of the body of the handpiece in order to limit heat transfer from the heated or other fluid outflow through the second channel.Type: GrantFiled: December 27, 2017Date of Patent: August 30, 2022Assignee: Relign CorporationInventors: Aaron Germain, Ben Poser, Michael D. Walker, Jan Echeverry
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Patent number: 11419670Abstract: A medical device includes an elongated sleeve having a longitudinal axis, a proximal end and a distal end. A cutting member extends distally from the distal end of the elongated sleeve and has sharp cutting edges. The cutting head is formed from a wear-resistant ceramic material, and a motor coupled to the proximal end of elongated sleeve rotate the cutting member. The cutter is engaged against bone and rotated to cut bone tissue without leaving any foreign particles in the site.Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 2020Date of Patent: August 23, 2022Assignee: Relign CorporationInventors: Aaron Germain, Kyle Klein, Michael D. Walker
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Publication number: 20220233233Abstract: Tissue may be cut and extracted from an interior location in a patient's body using a probe or tool which both effects cutting and causes vaporization of a liquid or other fluid to propel the cut tissue through an extraction lumen of the cutting device. The cutting may be achieved using an electrosurgical electrode assembly, including a first electrode on a cutting member and a second electrode within a cutting probe or tool. Thus, over a first cutting portion, radio frequency current may help cut the tissue and over a second or over transition region, the RF current may initiate vaporization of the fluid or other liquid to propel the tissue from the cutting device.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 11, 2022Publication date: July 28, 2022Applicant: MINERVA SURGICAL, INC.Inventors: JOHN H. SHADDUCK, AARON GERMAIN, CSABA TRUCKAI, KYLE KLEIN, MICHAEL D. WALKER
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Publication number: 20220175440Abstract: A medical device includes an elongated sleeve having a longitudinal axis, a proximal end and a distal end. A cutting member having a plurality of sharp edges is formed from a wear-resistant ceramic material is carried at the distal end of the elongated sleeve. A motor drive is coupled to the proximal end of the elongated sleeve to rotate the sleeve at cutting member at high RPMs to cut bone and other hard tissue. An electrode is carried in a distal portion of ceramic cutting member for RF ablation of tissue when the sleeve and cutting member are is a stationary position. In methods of use, (i) the ceramic member can be engaged against bone and then rotated at high speed to cut bone tissue, and (ii) the ceramic member can be held in a stationary (non-rotating) position to engage tissue and RF energy can be delivered to the electrode to create a plasma that ablates tissue.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 17, 2021Publication date: June 9, 2022Inventors: Aaron Germain, Kyle Klein, Michael D. Walker, Ben Poser
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Publication number: 20220142704Abstract: A tissue resection device comprises inner and outer coaxial sleeves. The outer sleeve has a cutting window formed therein, and the inner sleeve has a distal cutting end that can be reciprocated past the cutting window. The sleeves comprise electrodes to provide electrosurgical cutting, and an edge portion of the window includes a dielectric material.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 28, 2022Publication date: May 12, 2022Applicant: MINERVA SURGICAL, INC.Inventors: AARON GERMAIN, KYLE KLEIN, MICHAEL D. WALKER, BENEDEK ORCZY-TIMKO
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Patent number: 11324546Abstract: Tissue may be cut and extracted from an interior location in a patient's body using a probe or tool which both effects cutting and causes vaporization of a liquid or other fluid to propel the cut tissue through an extraction lumen of the cutting device. The cutting may be achieved using an electrosurgical electrode assembly, including a first electrode on a cutting member and a second electrode within a cutting probe or tool. Thus, over a first cutting portion, radio frequency current may help cut the tissue and over a second or over transition region, the RF current may initiate vaporization of the fluid or other liquid to propel the tissue from the cutting device.Type: GrantFiled: April 15, 2020Date of Patent: May 10, 2022Assignee: MINERVA SURGICAL, INC.Inventors: John H. Shadduck, Aaron Germain, Csaba Truckai, Kyle Klein, Michael D. Walker
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Publication number: 20220133394Abstract: An arthroscopic or other surgical system includes a handpiece and a probe. The handpiece carries a motor drive, and the probe has a proximal hub and an elongate shaft which extends about a longitudinal axis to a working end of the probe. The hub is configured for detachably coupling to the handpiece, and the motor drive is configured to couple to a rotating drive coupling in the hub when the hub is coupled to the handpiece. A first magnetic component is carried by the hub, and a second magnetic component is coupled to rotate with the rotating drive coupling.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 14, 2022Publication date: May 5, 2022Inventors: Steffan Benamou, Aaron Germain, Michael D. Walker, Simon Malkevich, Jacob Tonkel
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Publication number: 20220125505Abstract: The tissue cutting device comprises an elongated assembly including both an outer sleeve and an inner sleeve. The outer sleeve has a tissue-receiving window, and the inner sleeve has a distal end which cuts tissue as the inner sleeve is advanced past the window. The tissue is received into a lumen of the inner sleeve, and the inner sleeve lumen is typically enlarged in a proximal direction to reduce the tendency of resected tissue to lodge therein. The tissue displacement member is optionally provided at a distal end of the outer sleeve to further aid in dislodging tissue which becomes captured in a distal end of the inner sleeve of the lumen.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 6, 2022Publication date: April 28, 2022Applicant: MINERVA SURGICAL, INC.Inventors: Aaron Germain, Kyle Klein, Benedek Orczy-Timko, John H. Shadduck, Michael D. Walker, Csaba Truckai, Balazs Lesko
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Publication number: 20220117650Abstract: A resecting probe includes a shaft assembly having an outer sleeve and an inner sleeve. The outer sleeve has an axial bore and an outer window in a distal side thereof, and the inner sleeve has an axial extraction channel and inner window in a distal side thereof. The inner sleeve is rotationally disposed in the axial bore of the outer sleeve to allow the inner sleeve window to be rotated in and out of alignment with the outer sleeve window, and the shaft assembly forms a flow aperture in a distal portion when the inner cutting window and the outer cutting window are out of alignment. An electrode is carried on the inner sleeve, and a motor drive is coupled to rotate the inner sleeve relative to the outer sleeve.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 3, 2022Publication date: April 21, 2022Inventors: Aaron Germain, Jeffrey Norton, Kyle Klein, Michael D. Walker
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Patent number: 11259866Abstract: A tissue resection device comprises inner and outer coaxial sleeves. The outer sleeve has a cutting window formed therein, and the inner sleeve has a distal cutting end that can be reciprocated past the cutting window. The sleeves comprise electrodes to provide electrosurgical cutting, and an edge portion of the window includes a dielectric material.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2020Date of Patent: March 1, 2022Assignee: MINERVA SURGICAL, INC.Inventors: Aaron Germain, Kyle Klein, Michael D. Walker, Benedek Orczy-Timko
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Patent number: 11253311Abstract: An arthroscopic or other surgical system includes a handpiece and a probe. The handpiece carries a motor drive, and the probe has a proximal hub and an elongate shaft which extends about a longitudinal axis to a working end of the probe. The hub is configured for detachably coupling to the handpiece, and the motor drive is configured to couple to a rotating drive coupling in the hub when the hub is coupled to the handpiece. A first magnetic component is carried by the hub, and a second magnetic component is coupled to rotate with the rotating drive coupling.Type: GrantFiled: April 24, 2017Date of Patent: February 22, 2022Assignee: Relign CorporationInventors: Steffan Benamou, Aaron Germain, Michael D. Walker, Simon Malkevich, Jacob Tonkel
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Patent number: 11246649Abstract: A resecting probe includes a shaft assembly having an outer sleeve and an inner sleeve. The outer sleeve has an axial bore and an outer window in a distal side thereof, and the inner sleeve has an axial extraction channel and inner window in a distal side thereof. The inner sleeve is rotationally disposed in the axial bore of the outer sleeve to allow the inner sleeve window to be rotated in and out of alignment with the outer sleeve window, and the shaft assembly forms a flow aperture in a distal portion when the inner cutting window and the outer cutting window are out of alignment. An electrode is carried on the inner sleeve, and a motor drive is coupled to rotate the inner sleeve relative to the outer sleeve. A controller is coupled to the motor drive and controls rotation of the inner sleeve.Type: GrantFiled: August 24, 2018Date of Patent: February 15, 2022Assignee: Relign CorporationInventors: Aaron Germain, Jeff Norton, Kyle Klein, Michael D. Walker
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Publication number: 20220031384Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods for resecting tissue are disclosed. In some embodiments, a tissue resecting device may comprise an elongated structure having a longitudinal axis, the elongated structure comprising an outer sleeve with a distal window configured to receive uterine polyp tissue and an inner sleeve configured to move between a proximal position and a distal position relative to the window. In some further embodiments, the device may also comprise an electrode element coupled to the inner sleeve. In some even further embodiments, the device may include an insulative layer covering at least a portion of the inner sleeve, wherein the tissue resecting device is configured to fail when used to resect tissue more fibrous than uterine polyp tissue.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 13, 2021Publication date: February 3, 2022Applicant: MINERVA SURGICAL, INC.Inventors: Aaron Germain, Michael D. Walker, Jacob Roland, Jan Echeverry
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Patent number: 11234759Abstract: A medical device includes an elongated sleeve having a longitudinal axis, a proximal end and a distal end. A cutting member having a plurality of sharp edges is formed from a wear-resistant ceramic material is carried at the distal end of the elongated sleeve. A motor drive is coupled to the proximal end of the elongated sleeve to rotate the sleeve at cutting member at high RPMs to cut bone and other hard tissue. An electrode is carried in a distal portion of ceramic cutting member for RF ablation of tissue when the sleeve and cutting member are is a stationary position. In methods of use, (i) the ceramic member can be engaged against bone and then rotated at high speed to cut bone tissue, and (ii) the ceramic member can be held in a stationary (non-rotating) position to engage tissue and RF energy can be delivered to the electrode to create a plasma that ablates tissue.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2019Date of Patent: February 1, 2022Assignee: Relign CorporationInventors: Aaron Germain, Kyle Klein, Michael D. Walker, Ben Poser
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Publication number: 20220022908Abstract: An electrosurgical probe includes an elongated shaft assembly having a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis. A distal housing is mounted on the distal end of the shaft and optionally includes a laterally open window where a plane of the window is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft. An interior channel extends axially through the shaft and further through an interior of the housing to the window in the housing. An electrode member with a serrated or other elongated edge may extend longitudinally across the window and may be configured to reciprocate the elongated edge longitudinally relative to the window.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 6, 2021Publication date: January 27, 2022Inventors: Steffan Benamou, Michael D. Walker, Aaron Germain
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Publication number: 20220015821Abstract: An arthroscopic cutter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes an elongated outer sleeve that extends about a longitudinal axis with an interior bore having an open distal end. An inner sleeve is rotatable in the interior bore in the outer sleeve. The inner sleeve carries a distal housing having a longitudinal metal member and a longitudinal ceramic member that respectively form longitudinal-extending sides of the housing around an inner channel that communicates with a negative pressure source. The arthroscopic cutter also includes an electrode that is disposed in an outer surface of the longitudinal ceramic member.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 15, 2021Publication date: January 20, 2022Inventors: Jeffrey Norton, Evan Nessim, Aaron Germain, Michael D. Walker
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Patent number: 11224479Abstract: The tissue cutting device comprises an elongated assembly including both an outer sleeve and an inner sleeve. The outer sleeve has a tissue-receiving window, and the inner sleeve has a distal end which cuts tissue as the inner sleeve is advanced past the window. The tissue is received into a lumen of the inner sleeve, and the inner sleeve lumen is typically enlarged in a proximal direction to reduce the tendency of resected tissue to lodge therein. The tissue displacement member is optionally provided at a distal end of the outer sleeve to further aid in dislodging tissue which becomes captured in a distal end of the inner sleeve of the lumen.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 2019Date of Patent: January 18, 2022Assignee: MINERVA SURGICAL, INC.Inventors: Aaron Germain, Kyle Klein, Benedek Orczy-Timko, John H. Shadduck, Michael D. Walker, Csaba Truckai, Balazs Lesko
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Publication number: 20220001092Abstract: A fluid management system includes a pump connectable to a fluid source. An inflow line removably connects to a cannula for delivering a fluid flow from the pump into a surgical site, such as a joint cavity. A flow pressure sensor is coupled to measure flow pressure in the inflow line and produce a measured pressure value, A controller is connected to the pump and the flow pressure sensor, and the controller maintains a pressure set point by controlling a pump speed based on a backpressure-adjusted pressure value calculated by subtracting a backpressure value selected from a backpressure table from the measured pressure value. The BAPV is monitored to determine whether the BAPV deviates outside an initial BAPV range, and corrective measure are taken should such deviations occur.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 22, 2021Publication date: January 6, 2022Inventors: Steffan Benamou, Michael D. Walker, Aaron Germain
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Patent number: 11207092Abstract: An electrosurgical probe includes an elongated shaft assembly having a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis. A distal housing is mounted on the distal end of the shaft and optionally includes a laterally open window where a plane of the window is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft. An interior channel extends axially through the shaft and further through an interior of the housing to the window in the housing. An electrode member with a serrated or other elongated edge may extend longitudinally across the window and may be configured to reciprocate the elongated edge longitudinally relative to the window.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2018Date of Patent: December 28, 2021Assignee: Relign CorporationInventors: Steffan Benamou, Michael D. Walker, Aaron Germain