Patents by Inventor William E. Anspach
William E. Anspach 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: 9566058Abstract: For suture tying in a medical procedure including the use of an anchor that includes a suture locking device that includes a sliding pin guided by axial side slots formed in the locking device that forces the suture where the two ends thereof are inserted into the interior of the suture locking mechanism to drive the captured suture and pin to fit into a recess on the top of the suture locking mechanism such that the top of the pin binds the suture against the upper inner surface of the recess. The recess can be serrated to enhance the locking capability and the pin is polygonal shaped to provide side surfaces that run parallel to the wall of the recess to assure that the side portion of the pin does not fracture the suture and cause it to weaken. The locking of the suture is automatic upon the deployment of the anchor which actuates the pin into the locking position, thus eliminating the necessity of manually knotting the suture and improving the cinching of the tissue to the bone.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2014Date of Patent: February 14, 2017Assignee: DePuy Synthes Products, Inc.Inventors: William E. Anspach, III, Eddy H. del Rio
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Patent number: 9314237Abstract: A threaded receptacle for receiving a commercially available knotless suture anchor is designed to secure sutures for tying soft tissue in patients that have bone characteristics where the typical anchor is avulsed because of the weakness of the bone structure, a cavity exists in the bone where an anchor has been removed. The threaded receptacle includes a helical thread that is maximized to provide sustaining surface and includes a central bore and an internal flange that is dimensioned to provide a central opening to allow the knotless suture anchor to pass into a cavity and prevent the knotless suture anchor from being expulsed when deployed. The internal dimension of the cavity is designed to cause the tips of the wings of the anchor to fold to assure sufficient holding structure.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2008Date of Patent: April 19, 2016Assignee: DePuy Synthes Products, Inc.Inventors: William E. Anspach, III, Eddy H. Del Rio
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Publication number: 20140288596Abstract: For suture tying in a medical procedure including the use of an anchor that includes a suture locking device that includes a sliding pin guided by axial side slots formed in the locking device that forces the suture where the two ends thereof are inserted into the interior of the suture locking mechanism to drive the captured suture and pin to fit into a recess on the top of the suture locking mechanism such that the top of the pin binds the suture against the upper inner surface of the recess. The recess can be serrated to enhance the locking capability and the pin is polygonal shaped to provide side surfaces that run parallel to the wall of the recess to assure that the side portion of the pin does not fracture the suture and cause it to weaken. The locking of the suture is automatic upon the deployment of the anchor which actuates the pin into the locking position, thus eliminating the necessity of manually knotting the suture and improving the cinching of the tissue to the bone.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 24, 2014Publication date: September 25, 2014Applicant: DePuy Synthes Products, LLCInventors: William E. Anspach, III, Eddy H. Del Rio
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Patent number: 8696703Abstract: For suture tying in a medical procedure including the use of an anchor that includes a suture locking device that includes a sliding pin guided by axial side slots formed in the locking device that forces the suture where the two ends thereof are inserted into the interior of the suture locking mechanism to drive the captured suture and pin to fit into a recess on the top of the suture locking mechanism such that the top of the pin binds the suture against the upper inner surface of the recess. The recess can be serrated to enhance the locking capability and the pin is polygonal shaped to provide side surfaces that run parallel to the wall of the recess to assure that the side portion of the pin does not fracture the suture and cause it to weaken. The locking of the suture is automatic upon the deployment of the anchor which actuates the pin into the locking position, thus eliminating the necessity of manually knotting the suture and improving the cinching of the tissue to the bone.Type: GrantFiled: October 3, 2006Date of Patent: April 15, 2014Assignee: DePuy Synthes Products, LLCInventors: William E Anspach, III, Eddie H Del Rio
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Patent number: 8052696Abstract: A suture tensioning apparatus for tightening the suture used to tie a tissue of a patient to the bone of the patient so that the tissue will cinch to the bone. A lever is mounted on a stub shaft that is supported to a base member and is movable in a lateral position. A pair of spaced spools are mounted on the lever and the reach of the suture is wrapped around each of the spools. Means, including a coil spring wrapped around the stub shaft is connected to the lever and a rotatable dome. The movement of the lever causes the lower portion of the coils to unwrap around the stub shaft, and rotation of the dome causes the upper portion of the coils to unwrap whereby the movement of the coil spring forces the lever to return to its original position. The tensioning apparatus can be incorporated into an existing suture gun or can be made integral therewith.Type: GrantFiled: August 22, 2008Date of Patent: November 8, 2011Assignee: The Anspach Effort, Inc.Inventors: Eddy H. Del Rio, William E. Anspach, III
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Publication number: 20100049248Abstract: A suture tensioning apparatus for tightening the suture used to tie a tissue of a patient to the bone of the patient so that the tissue will cinch to the bone. A lever is mounted on a stub shaft that is supported to a base member and is movable in a lateral position. A pair of spaced spools are mounted on the lever and the reach of the suture is wrapped around each of the spools. Means, including a coil spring wrapped around the stub shaft is connected to the lever and a rotatable dome. The movement of the lever causes the lower portion of the coils to unwrap around the stub shaft, and rotation of the dome causes the upper portion of the coils to unwrap whereby the movement of the coil spring forces the lever to return to its original position. The tensioning apparatus can be incorporated into an existing suture gun or can be made integral therewith.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 22, 2008Publication date: February 25, 2010Inventors: Eddy H. Del Rio, William E. Anspach, III
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Publication number: 20090292313Abstract: A threaded receptacle for receiving a commercially available knotless suture anchor is designed to secure sutures for tying soft tissue in patience that have bone characteristics where the typical anchor is avulsed because of the weakness of the bone structure, a cavity exists in the bone where an anchor has been rev. The threaded receptacle includes a helical thread that is maximized to provide sustaining surface and includes a central bore and an internal flange that is dimensioned to provide a central opening to allow the knotless suture anchor to pass into a cavity and prevent the knotless suture anchor from being expulsed when deployed. The internal dimension of the cavity is designed to cause the tips of the wings of the anchor to fold to assure sufficient holding structure.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 20, 2008Publication date: November 26, 2009Inventors: William E. Anspach, III, Eddy H. Del Rio
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Patent number: 7144415Abstract: For suture tying in a medical procedure including the use of an anchor that includes a suture locking device that includes a sliding pin guided by axial side slots formed in the locking device that forces the suture where the two ends thereof are inserted into the interior of the suture locking mechanism to drive the captured suture and pin to fit into a recess on the top of the suture locking mechanism such that the top of the pin binds the suture against the upper inner surface of the recess. The recess can be serrated to enhance the locking capability and the pin is polygonal shaped to provide side surfaces that run parallel to the wall of the recess to assure that the side portion of the pin does not fracture the suture and cause it to weaken. The locking of the suture is automatic upon the deployment of the anchor which actuates the pin into the locking position, thus eliminating the necessity of manually knotting the suture and improving the cinching of the tissue to the bone.Type: GrantFiled: November 16, 2004Date of Patent: December 5, 2006Assignee: The Anspach Effort, Inc.Inventors: Eddy W. Del Rio, William E. Anspach, III
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Publication number: 20040236373Abstract: The repair of torn tendon/ligament by anchoring the tendon to a anchor affixed to the bone is by a suture judiciously looped in the tissue to form a double strand holding the tending to cinch to the bone trough and securing the strand to and downstream of the anchor. This enhances the pull-out resistance of the suture from the tendon. The suture, secured by a knot or clamp, is at the end of the tendon and not under it so as to allow the surgeon to maintain constant apposition to the bone while the knot is being tied. The knot is in the bone trough and not over the tendon avoiding abrasion of the suture by other parts of the body. When the operation is done by arthroscopic surgery the ability for cinching the tissue down to the bone and assessing how tightly the tissue is apposed to the bone and tying the knot while maintaining secure apposition of the tendon to the bone is improved.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 20, 2003Publication date: November 25, 2004Inventor: William E. Anspach
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Publication number: 20040236372Abstract: A clamp for securing suture made from a main body that is generally a planar member that is configured into a generally circular, oval, or triangular shape or the like, with the top edges located in juxtaposed position to define a gap that is smaller in width than the diameter of the suture. A slot formed on the bottom of the main body is sufficiently large to allow the passage of four strands of the suture to pass there through and defines a double loop around each side edge of the main body to uniformly absorb the loads imposed on the suture. The method includes threading the suture through the slot and then looping it back into the slot, drawing the suture to the side edges so that the surgeon can tighten the suture or slide the clamp to a desired position and then locking the suture by sliding each strand into the gap which may be serrated.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 20, 2003Publication date: November 25, 2004Inventors: William E. Anspach, Eddy Del Rio
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Patent number: 5904687Abstract: A surgical instrument has a housing which contains a motor that drives a spindle. A tool bit is attached to the motor by a holder that includes a body with a first end portion connected to the spindle, a central portion with a cavity therein, and a second end portion having an aperture through which a shaft of the tool bit passes into the cavity. A pair of lock pawls are pivotally mounted in the cavity with each one having a first tab that enters a slot in the shaft when the lock pawls are in a first position to hold the tool bit in the instrument. The first tabs retract from the slot when the lock pawls are in a second position for changing the tool bit. The lock pawls have second tabs that engage a restrainer only in the second position to prevent the body from rotating. A ring extends around the body and pivots the lock pawls between the first and second positions when the ring moved longitudinally along the body.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 1997Date of Patent: May 18, 1999Assignee: The Anspach Effort, Inc.Inventors: Eddy H. Del Rio, William E. Anspach, Jr.
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Patent number: 5876405Abstract: The drill bit for drilling a hole in bone structure is made to inherently prevent cutting when the resistive force is removed by providing an annular wall with a cutting edge formed on the bottom edge and lying in a plane that is in the circumferential plane of the annular wall and providing a shield in the same plane and disposed adjacent to the cutting edge that is automatically displaced when a resistive load is applied and automatically returns to shield the cutting edge when the resistive load ceases. In one embodiment the wall of the annular wall is judiciously slotted to provide the automatic movement of the shield and in another embodiment the shield is spring load to be displaced and returned to its original position. The perforator of this invention includes safety mechanism that prevents penetration of the perforator when the drill bit has completed the cutting operation and the resistive load is removed.Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 1997Date of Patent: March 2, 1999Assignee: The Anspach Effort, Inc.Inventors: Eddy H. Del Rio, William E. Anspach, III
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Patent number: 5827295Abstract: A myringotomy tube with a axial lumen is constructed with an integral cutting tang extending axially from the flange of the grommet for incising the tympanic membrane without the necessity of a scalpel. A disposable inserter is optionally included that frictionally fits the myringotomy tube to the inserter and includes a handle with an ejector mechanism for releasing the myringotomy tube after it is implanted. The handle is injection molded and inexpensive to fabricate so that the inserter is disposable. The method of construction includes the sequence of assembly to allow the grommet to be releasably affixed to the inserter. The surgical method of use of the inserter and grommet allows the grommet to be implanted in a single step eliminating the necessity of a separate incision.Type: GrantFiled: February 3, 1997Date of Patent: October 27, 1998Assignee: The Anspach Effort, Inc.Inventors: Eddy H. Del Rio, William E. Anspach, III
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Patent number: 5741084Abstract: A surgical instrument has a motor housing with a cylindrical member extending therefrom and has a pin projecting radially from the cylindrical member. A nose piece removably attached to the housing has a circular aperture which receives the cylindrical member and which has a channel within which the pin slides during attachment and removal. The nose piece includes a cantilevered arcuate spring arm that urges the pin along the channel toward a position at which the pin is wedged against a wall of the channel to force the nose piece into an operating engagement with the motor housing and retains the pin in the channel resisting detachment.Type: GrantFiled: January 17, 1997Date of Patent: April 21, 1998Inventors: Eddy H. Del Rio, William E. Anspach, Jr.
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Patent number: 5741282Abstract: An expandable fastener device for attaching tissue to bone and a surgical operating technique for using The fastener device includes a shaft which will pierce tissue and when rotated, will drill a hole in bone with a drill point to receive the fastener in bone. The device can be drilled in place and fixed in place by actuation of the device itself.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 1996Date of Patent: April 21, 1998Assignee: The Anspach Effort, Inc.Inventors: William E. Anspach, III, Eddy H. Del Rio
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Patent number: 5725541Abstract: An expandable fastener device for attaching tissue to bone and a surgical operating technique for using it. The fastener device includes a shaft which will pierce tissue and when rotated, will drill a hole in bone with a drill point to receive the fastener in bone. The device can be drilled in place and fixed in place by actuation of the device itself. The anchor porion of the fastener device remaining in the body when the shaft is sheared and removed, is made from a a bioabsorbable polymer material and an implantable grade titanium material or alloy thereof. The portion of the fastener that captures the body soft tissue (tendon or ligaments) is biodegradable and the portion anchored to the bone is the titanium material. Another embodiment constructs the component that captures the body soft tissue into a pedal-like integral disk where each pedal flexes to conform to the shape of the bone surface adjacent thereto.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 1997Date of Patent: March 10, 1998Assignee: The Anspach Effort, Inc.Inventors: William E. Anspach, III, Eddy H. Del Rio
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Patent number: 5643280Abstract: A myringotomy tube with a axial lumen is constructed with an integral cutting tang extending axially from the flange of the grommet for incising the tympanic membrane without the necessity of a scalpel. A disposable inserter is optionally included that frictionally fits the myringotomy tube to the inserter and includes a handle with an ejector mechanism for releasing the myringotomy tube after it is implanted. The handle is injection molded and inexpensive to fabricate so that the inserter is disposable. The method of construction includes the sequence of assembly to allow the grommet to be releasably affixed to the inserter. The surgical method of use of the inserter and grommet allows the grommet to be implanted in a single step eliminating the necessity of a separate incision.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 1995Date of Patent: July 1, 1997Assignee: The Anspach Effort, Inc.Inventors: Eddy H. Del Rio, William E. Anspach, III
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Patent number: 5630818Abstract: A surgical instrument has a housing which contains a motor that drives a spindle. A tool bit is attached to the motor by a holder that includes a body with a first end portion connected to the spindle, a central portion with a cavity therein, and a second end portion having an aperture through which a shaft of the tool bit passes into the cavity. A pair of lock pawls are pivotally mounted in the cavity with each one having a first tab that enters a slot in the shaft when the lock pawls are in a first position to hold the tool bit in the instrument. The first tabs retract from the slot when the lock pawls are in a second position for changing the tool bit. The lock pawls have second tabs that engage a restrainer only in the second position to prevent the body from rotating. A ring extends around the body and pivots the lock pawls between the first and second positions when the ring moved longitudinally along the body.Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 1995Date of Patent: May 20, 1997Assignee: The Anspach Effort, Inc.Inventors: Eddy H. Del Rio, William E. Anspach, Jr.
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Patent number: 5601560Abstract: A surgical instrument has a housing which contains a motor that drives a spindle. A tool bit is attached to the motor by a holder that includes a body with a first end portion connected to the spindle, a central portion with a cavity therein, and a second end portion having an aperture through which a shaft of the tool bit passes into the cavity. A pair of lock pawls are pivotally mounted in the cavity with each one having a first tab that enters a slot in the shaft when the lock pawls are in a first position to hold the tool bit in the instrument. The first tabs retract from the slot when the lock pawls are in a second position for changing the tool bit. The lock pawls have second tabs that engage a restrainer only in the second position to prevent the body from rotating. A ring extends around the body and pivots the lock pawls between the first and second positions when the ring moved longitudinally along the body.Type: GrantFiled: October 7, 1994Date of Patent: February 11, 1997Assignee: The Anspach Effort, Inc.Inventors: Eddy H. Del Rio, William E. Anspach, Jr.
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Patent number: RE37358Abstract: A surgical instrument has a housing which contains a motor that drives a spindle. A tool bit is attached to the motor by a holder that includes a body with a first end portion connected to the spindle, a central portion with a cavity therein, and a second end portion having an aperture through which a shaft of the tool bit passes into the cavity. A pair of lock pawls are pivotally mounted in the cavity with each one having a first tab that enters a slot in the shaft when the lock pawls are in a first position to hold the tool bit in the instrument. The first tabs retract from the slot when the lock pawls are in a second position for changing the tool bit. The lock pawls have second tabs that engage a restrainer only in the second position to prevent the body from rotating. A ring extends around the body and pivots the lock pawls between the first and second positions when the ring moved longitudinally along the body.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 2000Date of Patent: September 4, 2001Assignee: The Anspach Effort, Inc.Inventors: Eddy H. Del Rio, William E. Anspach, Jr.