Patents Represented by Law Firm Gerstman & Ellis, Ltd.
  • Patent number: 5041125
    Abstract: A balloon catheter in which its inflatable and collapsible balloon is of larger diameter than adjacent portions of the catheter body. The balloon defines transition zones at the respective ends which are of fluted shape. Thus, the balloon can assume a collapsed position in which the collapsed transition zones collapse in a substantially star-shaped cross section rather than in a flat-collapsed configuration. Central portions of the catheter follow suit on collapse of the balloon, to avoid the undesired "winging" phenomenon in balloon catheters, particularly PTCA catheters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 20, 1991
    Assignee: Cordis Corporation
    Inventor: Fausto Montano, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5041095
    Abstract: A hemostasis valve comprises a housing defining a passage therethrough adpated to receive an elongated member such as a catheter in hemostatically sealed condition. An elastic gasket valve is carried in the housing having slit means capable of permitting the elongated member to extend through the housing and the gasket member in hemostatically sealed condition. By this invention the gasket member defines a pair of opposed sides with a first slit extending inwardly of the gasket member from one of the opposed sides. A second slit extends inwardly of the gasket member from the other of the opposed sides. Both of the slits are of a shape defining a plurality of radii extending from a common origin. The first and second slits extend inwardly at a depth to engage but not to intersect each other, and the radii of the first slit each define an angle of at least 10.degree. to each of the radii of the second slit at points of engagement. By this, an improved hemostasis valve is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 20, 1991
    Assignee: Cordis Corporation
    Inventor: Perry K. Littrell
  • Patent number: 5041100
    Abstract: A friction-reducing coating may be applied to a base material, for example the outer surface of a catheter, to provide a significant reduction in catheter friction, particularly when the friction-reducing coating is hydrated. The coating comprises an intimate mixture of a structural plastic material, for example polyurethane, and high molecular weight poly(ethylene oxide).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 20, 1991
    Assignee: Cordis Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen M. Rowland, Roger B. Wright
  • Patent number: 5041842
    Abstract: A base station antenna is disclosed having a ground plane in the form of a coarse screen. The coarse screen is connected to a support member. A pair of helical radiators is coupled, through the support member, to the coarse screen with one of the helical radiators being pivotable about its axis to vary the polarization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 20, 1991
    Inventor: Herbert R. Blaese
  • Patent number: 5037404
    Abstract: A flexible catheter comprises at least one resilient, flexible, tubular layer in telescoping relation with, and bonded to, a tubular wire sheath. A first catheter section includes the wire strands at a first angle to each other. A second catheter section includes the wire strands at a second angle to each other, with the second angle being different from the first angle so that the physical characteristics of the first and second catheter sections are different.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 6, 1991
    Assignee: Cordis Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey G. Gold, Kevin F. Hahnen, Mario J. Martinez
  • Patent number: 5037403
    Abstract: An x-ray contrast media catheter, for example a cardiac catheter, comprises a flexible tube defining a lumen and a plurality of side apertures in the tube for fluid flow therethrough. The side apertures are each defined by a tubular surface extending through the side wall from the lumen of the exterior, in which the tubular surface defines a longitudinal axis which forms a forward angle of about 30.degree. to 60.degree. to the longitudinal axis of the catheter. Also, the distal end preferably defines an open aperture which, in turn, is defined by a bevelled tip of the catheter distal end. This provides improvements in the fluid flow dynamics when x-ray contrast media is being administered to a heart chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 6, 1991
    Assignee: Cordis Corporation
    Inventor: Gonzalo Garcia
  • Patent number: 5036862
    Abstract: An electrical lead for implantation in a patient comprises separate first and second lead portions having conductor wire therein. The leads are electrically connected at respective ends within a lead anchor member. In accordance with this invention, the lead anchor has means for fixed retention of the first and second lead portions in electrical connection therewith so that an electrical signal passing through the lead passes through a conductive portion of the lead anchor between the first and second lead portions. The lead anchor has means permitting suture retention in a desired implanted position in the patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 6, 1991
    Assignee: Cordis Corporation
    Inventor: Peter J. Pohndorf
  • Patent number: 5036242
    Abstract: A lamp cooling system is provided in which a liquid-cooled lamp is connected to a flow circuit conduit for cooling liquid circulating through the lamp. A liquid/air heat exchanger is positioned in the flow circuit conduit to cool liquid flowing in the flow circuit conduit by heat exchange with air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 30, 1991
    Assignee: Atlas Electric Devices Company
    Inventors: James V. Huber, Bhakti S. Patel, Jacob Tikhtman
  • Patent number: 5027814
    Abstract: An implantable medical device includes electrodes coupled to a patient's heart and sensing circuitry having inputs connected to the electrodes for sensing analog cardiac electrical signals from one of the atrial or ventricular channels. The sensing circuitry includes waveform digitization network means for converting the analog atrial or ventricular electrical signals into a parallel output format sign/magnitude digitized output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 2, 1991
    Assignee: Ventritex, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth J. Carroll, Benjamin D. Pless
  • Patent number: 5027128
    Abstract: An inside window antenna is disclosed having a housing adapted for mounting on an inside window, a dipole mounted within the housing with the opposed dipole ends extending out of the housing, and an electrical cable having a main conductor and a ground conductor. The main conductor is connected to a first location on the dipole, the ground conductor is connected to a second location on the dipole, and means are carried by the housing for mounting the housing on the window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 25, 1991
    Inventor: Herbert R. Blaese
  • Patent number: 5025581
    Abstract: A photograph display holder is provided in which a cover with a transparent area for viewing a photograph is temporarily attached to a surface by an adhesive coating made of an impermanent adhesive material affixed to one side of the cover. A containing structure holds a photograph behind the transparent area of the cover while the cover is attached to a surface. An insertion opening allows a photograph to be removed and replaced with another photograph without removing the cover from the surface to which the cover is attached. The adhesive coating is covered by a removable layer of material. The cover is made of a pliable material. A transparent layer covers the transparent area in the cover. A protective layer of material with an adhesive coating made of an impermanent adhesive material affixed to one side of the protective layer is temporarily attached to the transparent layer. The transparent layer being made of a pliable transparent material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 25, 1991
    Inventor: Ellen C. Polzin
  • Patent number: 5025172
    Abstract: An implantable cardiac defibrillator employing a switched capacitor filter stage having charge steering resistors connected in series with corresponding switched capacitors that are coupled to a sensitive node of an operational amplifier. The stored channel charges in associated switches when they are tuned off are directed away from the sensitive node. The switches associated with the switched capacitors are operated by control signals having a generally trapezoidal shaped waveform so as to slowly turn off the same, thereby reducing clock feedthrough and charge injection induced offset voltage on the output of the operational amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 18, 1991
    Assignee: Ventritex, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth J. Carroll, Benjamin D. Pless
  • Patent number: 5023622
    Abstract: An antenna for mounting on the window or the like comprises outer and inner RF transfer members, each having an electrically conductive member on its underside for respective engagement with the inside and outside of the window. A current-fed radiator is carried by the RF transfer member on the outside of the window, while the inner RF transfer member connects to electrical cable having both a main electrical conductor and a ground conductor. In accordance with this invention, counterpoise means comprises a conductor carried by the inner RF transfer member which is adapted for electrical engagement with a ground conductor. Typically, the elongated conductor is of about a quarter wavelength and is a coil. The counterpoise means typically extends in a direction which is at least generally in the direction of the current-fed radiator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 11, 1991
    Inventor: Herbert R. Blaese
  • Patent number: 5019057
    Abstract: A flexible catheter comprises at least one resilient, tubular layer in telescoping relation with a tubular sheath made of helically disposed crossing strands. At least one of the strands has a width that substantially exceeds its height, preferably having a width that is 4 to 8 times greater than its height. At least one of the strands is circular in cross section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1991
    Assignee: Cordis Corporation
    Inventor: Csaba Truckai
  • Patent number: 5017934
    Abstract: A portable antenna is provided for mounting on a motor vehicle's side window and enabling easy and rapid mounting and removal. The portable antenna includes an outer RF transfer member, a current-fed radiator connected to the outer RF transfer member, an inner RF transfer member, a field-cancelling member operative to cancel the electromagnetic field in the plane of the field-cancelling member, and a pair of generally parallel wire members pivotally connecting the outer transfer member to the inner transfer member and bridging the inner and outer transfer members so as to overlie the side window when the antenna is mounted thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 21, 1991
    Inventor: Herbert R. Blaese
  • Patent number: 5014701
    Abstract: An implantable medical device includes electrodes coupled to a patient's heart and sensing circuitry having inputs connected to the electrodes for sensing cardiac electrical signals. The sensing circuitry includes a digital waveform analyzer system which performs direct analysis of digitized ECG heart signals from the atrial and/or ventricular channels. This eliminates the need for the system microprocessor to perform direct analysis on raw ECG data. The benefit being that complex software algorithms are not required, saving microprocessor memory space. System current drain is also reduced since the microprocessor need not be active during every ECG sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 14, 1991
    Assignee: Ventritex, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin D. Pless, Kenneth J. Carroll
  • Patent number: 5007422
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for combined cardiac pacing and defibrillating with an implanted pacer/defibrillator having sensing and pacing leads connected to the atrium and the ventricle. P-waves and R-waves are sensed, and V--V timer and a V--A timer are reset if an R-wave is sensed. If an R-wave is sensed during the V--V timer interval, a pacing stimulus to the ventricle is inhibited. If a P-wave is sensed during the V--A timer interval, a pacing stimulus to the atrium is inhibited. In an R-wave is sensed during the V--V timer interval, arrhythmia therapy is provided if an arrhythmia is determined to be present. If the sensed ventricular rate is greater than a selected tachycardia rate but is less than a selected fibrillation rate, then a determination is made whether the sensed atrial rate is greater than a selected fibrillation rate, and if so, the V--V and V--A timers are reset, but if the sensed atrial rate is not greater than a selected fibrillation rate, then arrhythmia therapy is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 16, 1991
    Assignee: Ventritex, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin Pless, Michael Sweeney, Roger Winkle, Anthony Nathan
  • Patent number: 5002279
    Abstract: A pinball machine defines a play field to receive a rolling ball for pinball play. By this invention, a ball-aperture carries a first ball, a second ball rolling on the play field toward the aperture is prevented from entering the aperture and is deflected away from the aperture in a first direction by collision with the first ball in the aperture. Means are provided for displacing balls from the aperture and causing them to roll on the play field in a direction other than the first direction. Thus, by the improvement of this invention, balls directed at the aperture are sent away therefrom in two different directions, for different play patterns on the play field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 26, 1991
    Assignee: Data East Pinball, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph E. Kaminkow, Edwin Cebula, John L. Lund
  • Patent number: 4989603
    Abstract: An implantable cardiac defibrillator employing a switched capacitor filter stage having charge steering resistors connected in series with corresponding switched capacitors that are coupled to a sensitive node of an operational amplifier. The stored channel charges in associated switches when they are turned off are directed away from the sensitive node. The switches associated with the switched capacitors are operated by control signals having a generally trapezoidal shaped waveform so as to slowly turn off the same, thereby reducing clock feedthrough and charge injection induced offset voltage on the output of the operational amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 5, 1991
    Assignee: Ventritex, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth J. Carroll, Benjamin D. Pless
  • Patent number: D318222
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 16, 1991
    Assignee: BluBlocker Corporation
    Inventor: William Hsiung