Patents Examined by David H. Willse
  • Interbody implantation system and method
    Patent number: 10940013
    Abstract: A system for implanting an interbody device between adjacent vertebrae comprises an interbody device having a plurality of lobes extending outwardly from a longitudinal rib, and having a relaxed shape approximating the shape of the disc being replaced. An insertion guide has a bore therein from a proximal end to a distal end thereof to accept the interbody device in an unrelaxed shape. The distal end is shaped for insertion into an intervertebral space. The insertion rod may be positioned within the bore of the insertion guide whereby the interbody device is positioned within the intervertebral space by advancing the insertion rod into the insertion guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: R Tree Innovations, LLC
    Inventor: Rolando M. Puno
  • Adjustable socket system
    Patent number: 10940028
    Abstract: An adjustable socket system includes first and second shell components and first and second longitudinal supports connected to a base. The socket system is movable between an open configuration to loosen the fit of the socket system, and a closed configuration to secure the fit of the socket system on residual limb received therein. A tightening system includes a tensioning unit having a handle defining a moment arm rotatable about a rotation axis, and a tensioning element operatively coupled to the handle via a movable connection point located and protected between the first shell component and the first support and to the shell components via a control point. Rotation of the handle displaces the movable connection point and the tensioning element relative to the control point to move the socket system to the closed configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: OSSUR ICELAND EHF
    Inventors: Andrew Bache, Martin Lund Storup, Alexander Johonnuson, Andri Orrason, Gudmundur Karason
  • Collapsible cavities within suspension systems for intra-ocular lenses
    Patent number: 10939994
    Abstract: A suspension system for suspending an intra-ocular lens in the lens capsule of an eye has one or more collapsible cavities formed in the suspension system, each having at least one opening communicating the interior of the cavity with fluid from the interior of the eye, wherein the walls of the cavity exhibit sufficient structural elasticity that they return to their habitual shapes after being compressed by external force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: VENTURA HOLDINGS LTD.
    Inventor: Garth T. Webb
  • Implant for osteotomy and canine osteotomy method
    Patent number: 10932911
    Abstract: An implantable orthopedic wedge can include a main body having a base portion and an apical portion, the apical portion including a first end. The main body can have a thickness that tapers along a perimeter of the main body from a first thickness at the base portion to a second thickness at the apical portion. The implantable orthopedic wedge can also include a fixation member coupled to the main body and configured to receive one or more anchoring elements to anchor the wedge to an implantation site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: BioMedtrix, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher G. Sidebotham, Gregory Thomas van der Meulen
  • Electrowetting intraocular lens with isotonic aqueous phase
    Patent number: 10918476
    Abstract: An eye-implantable device including an electrowetting lens is provided that can be operated to control an overall optical power of an eye in which the device is implanted. A lens chamber of the electrowetting lens contains first and second fluids that are immiscible with each other and that differ with respect to refractive index. By applying a voltage to electrodes of the lens, the optical power of the lens can be controlled by affecting the geometry of the interface between the fluids. One of the fluids is an aqueous fluid that is isotonic relative to the aqueous humor of the eye to prevent flux of water into or out of the lens chamber. Thus, the lens chamber may be composed of water-permeable materials. Such water-permeable materials may be flexible, to permit the lens to be folded into a smaller profile during implantation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Verily Life Sciences LLC
    Inventor: Daniel Otts
  • Implant and implant system
    Patent number: 10918486
    Abstract: An implant system for implantation at a joint, the implant system including an implant device, the implant device comprising a body portion having first and second ends, and a first elongate member, extending from the first or second end of the body portion, the first elongate member being insertable in a bone tunnel in a subject's tibia.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Imperial Innovations, Ltd.
    Inventors: Andrew Arthur Amis, Justin Peter Cobb, Anthony Michael James Bull, Sarat Babu
  • Intraocular lens having an asymmetric hinged closed-loop haptic structure
    Patent number: 10912642
    Abstract: An ophthalmic device includes an optic having an optic axis and a closed-loop haptic structure coupled with the optic. The closed loop haptic structure includes a first hinge having a first section, a second section, and a connecting section extending between the first section and the second section. The first section has a first component extending in a first angular direction and a second component extending in a second angular direction that is opposite to the first angular direction. The closed loop haptic structure further includes a second hinge including a radial section and an axial section extending from the axial section in the first angular direction, the radial section having a cross-sectional area greater than a maximum cross-sectional area of the first hinge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: Alcon, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen John Collins
  • Intraocular lenses having closed-loop ring haptic structures
    Patent number: 10905544
    Abstract: An ophthalmic device includes an optic including an optic axis and a periphery and a closed-loop ring haptic structure coupled with the optic. The closed loop haptic structure includes a first ring structure having a first characteristic length, a second ring structure having a second characteristic length, and a plurality of connectors coupling the first ring structure and the second ring structure. The first ring structure is positioned adjacent to the periphery of the optic and is coupled to the entire periphery of the optic, and the first characteristic length is less than the second characteristic length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen John Collins, Jian Liu, Michael Lee Mangum, Douglas Brent Wensrich
  • Electrowetting ophthalmic devices including an elastic electrode
    Patent number: 10905545
    Abstract: Ophthalmic devices having elastic electrodes are disclosed herein. An example ophthalmic device may be an intraocular lens that includes a support structure, two optical windows, two immiscible fluids, and an elastic electrode. The support structure may have an inner surface defining an aperture with first and second optical windows disposed on opposite sides of the support structure and spanning the aperture. The two immiscible liquids may be disposed in a cavity formed by the aperture and the first and second optical windows, and the elastic electrode may be disposed on the inner surface. The elastic electrode may be formed from an elastic metal alloy having a minimum yield strain of 0.25%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: VERILY LIFE SCIENCES LLC
    Inventors: Daniel B. Otts, Stein Kuiper
  • Stent/graft assembly
    Patent number: 10905542
    Abstract: A stent/graft assembly includes a tubular graft connected in substantially end-to-end relationship with a generally tubular stent. Free ends of the stent and graft extend in opposite directions from the end-to-end connection during a pre-deployment orientation of the assembly. However, the graft is inverted during deployment so that free ends of the graft and the stent extend in substantially the same direction from the end-to-end connection in a post-deployment orientation. Thus, at least a portion of the stent is disposed within at least a portion of the graft in a post-deployment orientation of the assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Inventor: Andrew Kerr
  • Intraocular lens
    Patent number: 10898316
    Abstract: An accommodating intraocular lens (IOL) is provided. The IOL includes an optic having an anterior face and a posterior face. One or more centration lips are disposed directly on the posterior and/or anterior face of the optic or directly on the posterior and/or anterior face of a carrier that holds the optic. Anterior centration lips are configured to center the optic in a lens capsulotomy opening. Posterior centration lips are configured to fixate the optic in a lens capsule and also center the optic in a lens capsulotomy opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: JELLISEE OPHTHALMICS INC
    Inventor: Forrest J. Ellis
  • Dynamic linear adjustable prosthetic
    Patent number: 10898350
    Abstract: A prosthesis with controlled linear motion and methods for adapting the device to multiple amputation points are described. The device is designed to shorten during the swing phase to prevent striking the surface of the ground, and extend at the beginning and end of the swing to provide forward propulsion and begin to transfer bodyweight load from the opposing leg. The prosthesis includes an actuator to provide linear motion, a battery, sensors, and a controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignees: University of South Carolina, Prisma Health—Upstate
    Inventor: Alan Robert Hippensteal
  • Orthopedic device
    Patent number: 10893959
    Abstract: An orthopedic device for the orthotic or prosthetic provision of a patient. The orthopedic device includes a knee joint which has a proximal upper part and a distal lower part arranged pivotably thereon, an ankle joint, a pivoted foot part which can be fastened distally to the ankle joint, and a shin part arranged between the ankle joint and the knee joint. The upper part of the knee joint or a thigh part fastened thereto that can be attached to the patient's body and is coupled with the foot part by a force transfer device, which causes a plantar flexion of the foot part when a knee is flexed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: OTTOBOCK SE & CO. KGAA
    Inventors: Herman Boiten, Luder Mosler, Martin Pusch, Frederik Te Riele, Joachim Michniewicz, Lenka Harbach
  • Optical device and method for modifying the refractive index of an optical material
    Patent number: 10893936
    Abstract: An optical device comprising an optical hydrogel with select regions that have been irradiated with laser light having a pulse energy from 0.01 nJ to 50 nJ and a wavelength from 600 nm to 900 nm. The irradiated regions are characterized by a positive change in refractive index of from 0.01 to 0.06, and exhibit little or no scattering loss. The optical hydrogel is prepared with a hydrophilic monomer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: University of Rochester
    Inventors: Wayne H. Knox, Li Ding, Jay F. Kunzler, Dharmendra Jani
  • Device for endovascular aortic repair
    Patent number: 10888441
    Abstract: An endovascularly deployed prosthetic includes a portion for being positioned within an ascending aorta. The prosthesis includes a replacement aortic valve on a proximal end thereof. The prosthesis includes an increased diameter portion that seals against the aorta at a more distal portion, and a pair of conduits extend from the increased diameter portion to the coronaries for fluidly coupling the coronaries to the prosthesis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: Aortic Innovations, LLC
    Inventor: Ali Shahriari
  • Iris-lens diaphragm
    Patent number: 10888417
    Abstract: There is discloses an iris-lens diaphragm made of elastic material in the form of a colored ring. The iris0lens diaphragm comprises peripheral arc-shaped and open-ended support elements for one-point contact that are capable of bending in the plane of the colored ring, wherein a thickness of support elements exceeds a thickness of the colored ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: OBSCHESTVO S OGRANICHENNOI OTVETSTVENNOSTYU PREDPRIYATIE “REPER-NN”
    Inventors: Nadezhda Aleksandrovna Pozdeeva, Anastasiya Yurevna Zimitskaya, Mihail Mihaylovich Jones, Nikolaj Petrovich Pashtaev
  • Subchondral treatment to prevent the progression of osteoarthritis of the joint
    Patent number: 10881516
    Abstract: Methods for the prevention, or delayed onset or progression of, bone marrow edema or bone marrow lesion, and subchondral treatment to prevent the progression of osteoarthritis of a joint are disclosed. The methods involve treating the subchondral bone, while preserving, as much as possible, the joint's articular and cartilage surface. The methods could be performed before, during, or after an initial arthroscopic surgery to repair the joint. Associated devices and instruments for treatment of the subchondral bone are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: ZIMMER KNEE CREATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Peter F. Sharkey, Charles F. Leinberry
  • Auditory prosthesis for middle-ear and related coating method
    Patent number: 10881506
    Abstract: An auditory prosthesis (1, 101) for middle-ear, in particular for reconstructing the ossicular chain, the auditory prosthesis (1, 101) comprising a portion (2) configured to contact the tympanic membrane, wherein the portion (2) comprises a substrate (4) provided with a coating (6) made of biocompatible silicone, wherein the coating (6) is integrally fixed to the substrate (4) and is adapted to contact, at least partially, the tympanic membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: SIL-CO S.R.L.
    Inventors: Luigi Angelillo, Vincenzo Calcagno, Maurizio Ettore Maccarini, Franco Marabelli
  • Ophthalmic implants with extended depth of field and enhanced distance visual acuity
    Patent number: 10881504
    Abstract: A lens configured for implantation into an eye of a human can include an optic including transparent material. The optic can have an anterior surface and a posterior surface. Each of the anterior surface and the posterior surface can have a surface vertex. The optic can have an optical axis through the surface vertices. The lens can also include at least one haptic disposed with respect to the optic to affix the optic in the eye when implanted therein. The anterior and posterior surfaces can include aspheric surfaces. The posterior surface can have an aspheric shape that comprises a biconic offset by perturbations comprising an aspheric higher order function of radial distance from the optical axis. The posterior surface can have an absolute value of ratio Rx/Ry between 0 and 100 and an absolute value of ratio kx/ky between 0 and 100.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: STAAR Surgical Company
    Inventors: Candido Dionisio Pinto, Constance Elizabeth Fay
  • Intraocular lens with reinforcing layer
    Patent number: 10874506
    Abstract: A flexible intraocular lens including a reinforcing layer disposed on a sidewall of the intraocular lens is described. An example flexible intraocular lens includes a lens body and a reinforcing layer disposed thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: VERILY LIFE SCIENCES LLC
    Inventors: Stein Kuiper, Daniel Otts