Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Andrew C. Farmer
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Patent number: 6869433Abstract: A polyaxial pedicle screw assembly incorporates a concave portion on a receiver which mates with a convex surface on a head of the screw to form a ball joint. The radius of at least a portion of the concave surface is less than a radius of the mating convex portion whereby to create an interference fit.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2002Date of Patent: March 22, 2005Assignee: Depuy Acromed, Inc.Inventor: Craig Glascott
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Patent number: 6468238Abstract: A halo crown has depending posterior legs adjustable in multiple dimensions for conveniently adjusting the halo crown to a patient's skull. Each leg slides along a single axis yet provides adjustments in three dimensions due to a portion thereof extending downwardly, inwardly and rearwardly and the orientation of the axis.Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 2000Date of Patent: October 22, 2002Assignee: Depuy Acromed, Inc.Inventors: J. Riley Hawkins, John Knapik, Eric Smith
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Patent number: 6440940Abstract: The invention provides oxidized alginates that are bioresorbable. The oxidized alginates are prepared by controlled oxidation of alginates with nitrogen tetroxide or the like, The invention also provides pharmaceutical compositions, wound dressings, surgical implants and prostheses comprising the oxidized alginate derivatives.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 1997Date of Patent: August 27, 2002Inventors: Peter J. Doyle, Wilson Harvey, Reginald L. Stilwell
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Patent number: 6325972Abstract: A method for sterilizing a device, includes the following steps: contacting the device with liquid sterilant outside or inside a sterilization chamber at a first pressure, placing the device in the chamber before or after the contacting step, and decreasing the pressure of the chamber to a second pressure below the vapor pressure of the liquid sterilant. At least the decrease in pressure below about the vapor pressure of the liquid sterilant occurs at a pumpdown rate of less than 0.8 liters per second, calculated based on the time required to evacuate the chamber from atmospheric pressure to 20 torr when the chamber is empty and dry.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 1998Date of Patent: December 4, 2001Assignee: Ethicon, Inc.Inventors: Paul Jacobs, Suz-Min Lin, Jenn-Hann Wang
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Patent number: 6264902Abstract: A sterilization container for sterilizing, storing and transporting instruments is provided with a base portion having a plurality of drainage wells. The drainage wells comprise a downwardly sloping surface terminating in a drainage aperture. Upper portions of the sloping surfaces support a flexible instrument holding mat within the container. Sterilization containers are formed of thermoplastic liquid crystal polymer, such as a wholly aromatic polyester. A latch mechanism comprises a latch member rotatably supported upon torsion bars within a recessed portion of the container which presents no sharp surfaces to the user.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 1996Date of Patent: July 24, 2001Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Medical, Inc.Inventor: Charles Howlett
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Patent number: 6235659Abstract: A medical gown and drape are disclosed in which regions thereof are imprinted with performance enhancing coatings. The gown has regions in the chest and sleeve areas imprinted with a liquid repellent coating to protect the wearer from fluids. The drape preferably has an absorbent or super absorbent coating surrounding a fenestration through which an operation may occur. The drape may also have regions coated with water repellent or friction enhancing materials. The gown further has adhesive closures rather than ties.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 1998Date of Patent: May 22, 2001Assignee: Ethicon, Inc.Inventors: Larry McAmish, Raymond Barbuto, Jeffrey Taylor, Alex Laurie
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Patent number: 6197194Abstract: A system for preparing autologous plasma comprises a single use filter unit having two inlets in fluid communication with each other, an outlet, and a filtration membrane selectively permeable to blood plasma separating the inlets from the outlet. Manually operable, single use pumps, preferably syringes, connect to the inlets. A flow path is defined along the membrane between the pumps, whereby, whole blood can be repeatedly exchanged between the two pumps, past the membrane, to cause plasma to flow across the membrane and out of the outlet. A syringe can collect plasma from the outlet. Plasma thus collected can be simultaneously applied with a thrombin solution to a site on the body, thereby forming a fibrin gel.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 1999Date of Patent: March 6, 2001Inventor: Elaine Whitmore
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Patent number: 6193932Abstract: A sterilization container has an improved elastomeric instrument holder. The instrument holder comprises a panel of elastomer having a projection depending downwardly therefrom and received within an perforation through a perforated surface within the container to hold the panel thereto. An aperture through the panel is adapted for receiving and holding an instrument to be sterilized. An inner surface of the aperture is adapted to have a reduced area of contact with an instrument received within the aperture. For example, the surface may comprise chamfers which meet to form a sharp ridge which contacts the instrument. The contact surface may also be textured to reduce the area of contact with the instrument. Alternatively, the surface may be formed of a material which is sufficiently permeable to a sterilizing gas so as to allow the area of the instrument in contact with the surface to receive a sufficient amount of sterilizing gas to become sterilized.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 1998Date of Patent: February 27, 2001Assignee: Ethicon, Inc.Inventors: Su-Syin Wu, Charles S. Bankert, Anahid Gamsarian, Abraham Merhazion
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Patent number: 6166084Abstract: The present invention provides the use of N-acetyl cysteine and its pharmaceutically acceptable salts and derivatives, for the preparation of a composition for treatment or prophylaxis of chronic ulcers. In particular, the treatment of venous ulcers, diabetic ulcers and decubitis ulcers.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 1997Date of Patent: December 26, 2000Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Medical, Ltd.Inventor: Stephen Bloor
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Patent number: 6138278Abstract: A medical gown and drape are disclosed in which regions thereof are imprinted with performance enhancing coatings. The gown has regions in the chest and sleeve areas imprinted with a liquid repellent coating to protect the wearer from fluids. The drape preferably has an absorbent or super absorbent coating surrounding a fenestration through which an operation may occur. The drape may also have regions coated with water repellent or friction enhancing materials. The gown further has adhesive closures rather than ties.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 1998Date of Patent: October 31, 2000Assignee: Ethicon, Inc.Inventors: Jeffrey L. Taylor, Carmen A. Pinilla, Jorge Serrano, James Dennis Hart
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Patent number: 6123958Abstract: The present invention provides a dressing consisting of a non-reinforced, apertured gel web, wherein the gel is substantially anhydrous and comprises a water-soluble, polysaccharide- or cellulosic-polymer and a humectant, for use in treating burns. The present invention also provides a method for making the dressing.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 1997Date of Patent: September 26, 2000Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Medical, Inc.Inventors: Catherine L. Cheong, Michelle Delbono
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Patent number: 6106855Abstract: Stable oil-in-water emulsions are prepared by mixing oil, water and an insoluble protein at high shear. By varying the amount of insoluble protein the emulsions may be made liquid, semisolid or solid. The preferred insoluble proteins are insoluble fibrous proteins such as collagen. The emulsions may be medicated with hydrophilic or hydrophobic pharmacologically active agents and are useful as or in wound dressings or ointments.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 1993Date of Patent: August 22, 2000Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Medical, Inc.Inventors: Carla A. Haynes, Wilson Harvey
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Patent number: 6096864Abstract: The invention provides wound treatment compositions comprising from 10.sup.-6 % to 1.0% w/w of one or more peptides, wherein the peptides are from 3 to 30 amino acid residues long and comprise the sequence Gly-Pro-Ala. Preferably, the peptides comprise the sequence Gly-Pro-Ala-Gly, more preferably at the N-terminus. The peptides exhibit a chemotactic effect towards fibroblasts.Type: GrantFiled: January 15, 1998Date of Patent: August 1, 2000Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Medical, Ltd.Inventors: Kenneth Broadley, Christine Hamilton
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Patent number: 6067731Abstract: A novel shoe cover for medical uses comprises a one piece unit of thin elastomeric material having a pair of side panels in substantially parallel relation to each other. Each of the side panels has a foot shaped portion, an ankle shaped portion and an outer perimetric edge. A bead shaped perimetric section joins the two side panels at their respective perimetric edges, except at an upper edge of the ankle portions. A traction enhancing embossed pattern is formed on a lower portion of the foot shaped portion of the side panels. A novel method for forming the shoe cover comprises providing a shoe cover form which has substantially parallel lateral sides and a peripheral edge thereabout, which comprises a foot forming portion and an ankle forming portion, which has recesses covering substantially all of the foot forming portion of the first and second sides, and which has a textured surface on a lower portion of the foot forming portion.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 1999Date of Patent: May 30, 2000Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Medical, Inc.Inventors: Mao-Ching Chen, Leslie Edward Blackford
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Patent number: 6022556Abstract: The invention provides water swellable wound dressing materials comprising from 5% to 50% of an alginate ester of a C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 polyhydric alcohol; from 50% to 95% of a humectant consisting of one or more C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 monohydric or polyhydric alcohols; and from 0% to 30% of water, the percentages being calculated by weight based on the weight of the material when anhydrous. The preferred alginate ester is propylene glycol alginate (PGA). The materials swell but do not dissolve in cold or warm water. Insolubility is achieved by the addition of polyvaent cations such as calcium ions, or by covalent cross-linking of the pga, or by adding from 10 to 35% by weight of water-swellable polysaccharide such as gelatin, or by adding from 5% to 20% by weight of a cationic polymer such as chitosan.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 1994Date of Patent: February 8, 2000Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Medical, Inc.Inventor: Craig J. Hardy
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Patent number: 6019996Abstract: A wound dressing has a wound-contact layer formed from a polyurethane foam. The foam comprises one part by weight of the reaction product of an isocyanate-capped prepolymer with water (and optionally other hydroxy-functional compounds), and from 0.03 to 0.3 parts by weight of a natural or synthetic rubber. The isocyanate-capped prepolymer is preferably an isocyanate-capped ethyleneoxy/propyleneoxy copolymer, and the rubber is preferably an acrylic rubber.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 1997Date of Patent: February 1, 2000Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Medical, Inc.Inventor: Catherine Louise Cheong
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Patent number: 6019922Abstract: A powder free medical glove having an outer side a silicon treated surface and the inside of cross linked coagulated glove bonded with a layer formed of an anti-blocking composition. The anti-blocking composition includes of a polymer or copolymer mixed together with a micronised high density polyethylene material and wax in suitable blends that result in the composition having anti-blocking and improved lubricity properties. The medical glove with the skin contacting anti-blocking coating enables donning of the glove to be effected without the aid of donning powder such as starch powder. When the finished glove is washed and rinsed with water to remove the coagulant powder, and the said glove treated with a silicon solution, a glove substantially free of loose powder glove is produced and has good lubricity for donning.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 1998Date of Patent: February 1, 2000Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Mfg Sn BhdInventors: Noorman Abu Hassan, Chak Choy Yuen
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Patent number: 6015844Abstract: A composite surgical material comprising a collagen matrix reinforced by a layer of a synthetic bioabsorbable material such as polylactide/polyglycolide or oxidised regenerated cellulose, and wherein oil droplets are dispersed in the collagen matrix. The oil droplets comprise 1% to 75% of the weight of the composite and result in improved leak-proofing of the composite. The composite, in the form of a sheet or a tube, is especially useful as a temporary, fully bioabsorbable prosthesis, for membranes or blood vessels where a highly leak-proof prosthesis is required. The invention also provides a method of making a composite surgical material comprising the steps of: providing a layer of a synthetic bioabsorbable material; providing a dispersion of collagen in an oil-in-water emulsion; coating at least one face of the layer of synthetic bioabsorbable material with the said dispersion; and drying the composite material thus obtained.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 1997Date of Patent: January 18, 2000Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Medical, Inc.Inventors: Wilson Harvey, Nicholas D. Light, Carla A. Haynes
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Patent number: 6001895Abstract: A composite surgical material comprising a collagen matrix reinforced by a layer of a synthetic bioabsorbable material such as polylactide/polyglycolide or oxidized regenerated cellulose, and wherein oil droplets are dispersed in the collagen matrix. The oil droplets comprise 1% to 75% of the weight of the composite and result in improved leak-proofing of the composite. The composite, in the form of a sheet or a tube, is especially useful as a temporary, fully bioabsorbable prosthesis, for membranes or blood vessels where a highly leak-proof prosthesis is required. The invention also provides a method of making a composite surgical material comprising the steps of: providing a layer of a synthetic bioabsorbable material; providing a dispersion of collagen in an oil-in-water emulsion; coating at least one face of the layer of synthetic bioabsorbable material with the said dispersion; and drying the composite material thus obtained.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 1997Date of Patent: December 14, 1999Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Medical, Inc.Inventors: Wilson Harvey, Nicholas D. Light, Carla A. Haynes
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Patent number: 6001259Abstract: A system for preparing autologous plasma comprises a single use filter unit having two inlets in fluid communication with each other, an outlet, and a filtration membrane selectively permeable to blood plasma separating the inlets from the outlet. Manually operable, single use pumps, preferably syringes, connect to the inlets. A flow path is defined along the membrane between the pumps, whereby, whole blood can be repeatedly exchanged between the two pumps, past the membrane, to cause plasma to flow across the membrane and out of the outlet. A syringe can collect plasma from the outlet. Plasma thus collected can be simultaneously applied with a thrombin solution to a site on the body, thereby forming a fibrin gel.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 1997Date of Patent: December 14, 1999Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Medical, Inc.Inventor: Elaine Whitmore