Patents Examined by Amanda Scott
  • Patent number: 7621911
    Abstract: A tubing set attaches to an electrosurgical instrument having one or more tines to provide irrigation. The tubing set includes a length of tubing having a connector fitting on the proximal end to connect to a fluid source. A distal end of the tubing connects to a nose piece that attaches to the tine of the electrosurgical instrument, thereby providing irrigation to the instrument.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2009
    Assignee: Kirwan Surgical Products, Inc.
    Inventor: John P. Ariola, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7594914
    Abstract: Incision and closure surgical device designed to assist in operative surgery as a means of effecting and repairing skin wounds. A slide fastener is fitted to a self-adhesive sheet that is attached to the skin surface. The slider of the slide fastener contains a contact electrode for electrocoagulation fitted with a cutting edge. As the slide fastener is opened, the slider simultaneously effects the incision by means of the cutting edge of the electrode, severing both the flexible sheet and the skin beneath. For closing the incision, the stringer tapes of the slide fastener interlock by the action of the slider, thereby bringing both the edges of the flexible sheet and the wound beneath into apposition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2009
    Inventor: Pablo Cristian Luchetti
  • Patent number: 7582086
    Abstract: A novel surgical clamp having a pair of jaws, which may be used to ablate or create leisons in tissue. In embodiment, the jaws have an articulated position wherein the jaws are separated and not parallel to one another, an opened position wherein the jaws are separated and substantially parallel to one another, and a closed position wherein the jaws are adjacent and substantially parallel to one another. One or more of the jaws can articulate independent of the other jaw. Other embodiments are described in the attached specification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: AtriCure, Inc.
    Inventors: Salvatore Privitera, James David Hughett, Sr., Kenneth Lance Miller
  • Patent number: 7566334
    Abstract: System, device and method for ablating target tissue adjacent pulmonary veins of a patient through an incision. An ablation device can include a hinge including a cam assembly, a moving arm, a floating jaw, and a lower jaw. Fingers can engage the floating jaw to hold the floating jaw in a first position with respect to the moving arm. Some embodiments of the invention can provide an ablation device including a central support, an upper four-bar linkage coupled to the central support, an upper jaw coupled to the upper linkage, a lower four-bar linkage coupled to the central support, and a lower jaw coupled to the lower linkage. Some embodiments of the invention can provide an ablation device having an upper jaw including a first cannula connection and a lower jaw including a second cannula connection. The system can include a first catheter coupled to the first cannula connection and a second catheter coupled to the second cannula connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2009
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven C. Christian, Paul T. Rothstein, Tom P. Daigle
  • Patent number: 7544195
    Abstract: Surgical apparatus includes bipolar electrodes and tissue-shearing blades configured to electrically contact tissue for electrocauterization thereof prior to shearing contact of the cutting blades with the tissue over wide angles of presentation of the tissue to the electrodes and blades. Extensions or protrusions disposed along facing edges of the electrodes separate the level at which tissue is electrically contacted by the electrodes from the level at which tissue is sheared by the cutting blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2009
    Assignee: Maquet Cardiovascular LLC
    Inventors: John P Lunsford, Michael C Stewart
  • Patent number: 7540871
    Abstract: A three-port receptacle connects both single-prong and three-prong electrical connectors of electrosurgical accessories to an electrosurgical generator. The receptacle includes two control ports for accepting the two control prongs of the three-prong connector and an energy-delivery port for accepting the energy-conducting prong of the three-prong connector. The energy-delivery port also receives an energy-conducting prong of a single-prong connector. A single contact assembly is located behind the energy-delivery port and delivers electrosurgical power to the energy-conducting prongs of both types of accessory connectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: ConMed Corporation
    Inventor: Wayne J. Gonnering
  • Patent number: 7517347
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electrosurgical instrument (5) for an endoscope or a catheter, which can be operated by means of a high-frequency current, contact electrosurgical treatment and non-contact plasma coagulation in an ionisable gas. A stationary electrode (33) is arranged on the distal end of a guiding tube (7) that can be introduced into the instrument channel (1) of an endoscope catheter (3), and when the electrosurgical electrode for the contact treatment is in the retracted position in the guiding tube (7), the stationary electrode is connected to the electrosurgical electrode (11) by means of a contact element (37).The retracted position of the electrode (11) can, but not necessarily, be maintained by an abutment (21) of a handling device (13) and/or by a suitable arrangement and measurement of the contact element (37). The retracted position of the electrode (11) does not need to be optically controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignees: KLS Martin GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Bernhard Hug, Herbert Maslanka