Patents Examined by Howie Matthews
  • Patent number: 9615917
    Abstract: This invention discloses methods and apparatus for providing an ophthalmic lens with a stacked integrated component device for function. In some embodiments, the stacked integrated component device may contain an energy source capable of powering an electrical component incorporated into the lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick A. Flitsch, Daniel B. Otts, Randall B. Pugh
  • Patent number: 9610159
    Abstract: A self-expanding wire frame for a pre-configured compressible transcatheter prosthetic cardiovascular valve, a combined inner frame/outer frame support structure for a prosthetic valve, and methods for deploying such a valve for treatment of a patient in need thereof, are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Tendyne Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Christianson, Chad Perrin, Zachary Tegels, Craig Ekvall, Robert Vidlund
  • Patent number: 9603703
    Abstract: An accommodating intraocular lens for providing a range of accommodative vision contains an optic and a haptic. The optic is disposed about an optical axis and includes an anterior surface and a posterior surface defining a clear aperture of the optic. The haptic is at least partially disposed inside the optic and includes an inner structure, an outer structure, and a plurality of arms disposed between and connecting the inner structure and the outer structure. The inner structure is circumferentially disposed about the optical axis, while the outer structure is circumferentially disposed about the inner structure and has an outer face. Each arm has proximal portion adjacent the inner structure and a distal portion adjacent the outer structure that is bifurcated in a radial direction from the proximal portion. The intraocular lens also has an outer surface defined by outer surfaces of the plurality of arms and an outer surface of the outer structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: ABBOTT MEDICAL OPTICS INC.
    Inventor: Timothy R Bumbalough
  • Patent number: 9603709
    Abstract: Methods of repairing the mitral valve and reducing mitral regurgitation. One method includes securing a first tissue anchor to a position on a posterior portion of the annular tissue of the mitral valve and a second tissue anchor to a position on an anterior portion of the annular tissue of the mitral valve. At least one tensile member spans between the first and second tissue anchors and across the orifice of the mitral valve. When tension is applied to the at least one tensile member, the posterior portion of the annular tissue is pulled toward the anterior portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: MITRALIGN, INC.
    Inventors: Aaron M. Call, Joseph P. Lane
  • Patent number: 9592070
    Abstract: There is provided a method of treating gastroesophageal reflux disease, which includes dissecting one of a mucosal layer and a submucosal layer of at least one of an esophagogastric junction and a stomach in a range less than an entire circumference of a circumferential direction so that moderate stenosis occurs due to cicatrization in an area in which one of the mucosal layer and the submucosal layer is dissected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Haruhiro Inoue
  • Patent number: 9585750
    Abstract: Apparatus for endovascularly replacing a patient's heart valve. The apparatus includes a replacement valve and an anchor having an expandable braid. In some embodiments, the expandable braid is fabricated from a single strand of wire. In some embodiments, the expandable braid comprises at least one turn feature. The anchor and the valve preferably are configured for endovascular delivery and deployment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: BOSTON SCIENTIFIC SCIMED, INC.
    Inventors: Ulrich R. Haug, Hans F. Valencia, Robert A. Geshlider, Tom Saul, Amr Salahieh, Dwight P. Morejohn
  • Patent number: 9579191
    Abstract: An ophthalmic lens system comprises a lens body with a curved outer surface and an assembly including a plurality of spaced apart nanostructures. The assembly covers at least a portion of the curved outer surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Novartis AG
    Inventors: Xin Hong, David Meadows, Qiwen Zhan, Mutlu Karakelle
  • Patent number: 9560958
    Abstract: Selection of an appropriate intraocular lens (IOL) and/or the applicable surgical parameters for optimizing the results of refractive procedures on the eye. Features of the IOL are crucial for the selection and/or adjustment of the optimal IOL, but so is the IOL selection method (and parameters) from a surgical perspective. For the method, corresponding output parameters are determined from predetermined, estimated, or measured input parameters and/or their mean values, wherein at least two input parameters are varied with one another and which have at least one input parameter as a distribution function. The resulting function is optimized by means of corresponding target values and the determined distribution function of one or more output parameters is used as a decision aid. The present solution is used for selecting an appropriate IOL and/or the applicable surgical parameters and is applicable in the field of eye surgery for implanting IOLs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Meditec AG
    Inventors: Martin Hacker, Martin Kuehner, Rico Fuchs, Matthias Reich
  • Patent number: 9554892
    Abstract: An ophthalmic lens for providing enhanced vision includes a finished optic comprising a base optic and a membrane. The base optic has an anterior surface and an opposing posterior surface, at least one of the surfaces having a first value of a surface quality parameter. The base optic also includes a membrane including an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface covering one or more of the surfaces of the base optic. The outer surface has a second value of the surface quality parameter, wherein the second value is greater than the first value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: Abbott Medical Optics Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy R. Bumbalough, Daniel G. Brady
  • Patent number: 9539077
    Abstract: A method for controlling menstrual flow including sphincterally contracting and expanding labia minora having left and right labium minuses, such anatomical structures moving to a closed position upon each sphincteral contraction or to an opened position upon each sphincteral expansion; adhering and disjoining the labia minora, each adhesion securing the labia minora at the closed position, the disjunctions freeing the labia minora for opening movement; and resisting and permitting menstrual flow, the resistance occurring on sphincteral contraction and adhesion, and the permission occurring upon sphincteral expansion, each adhering step disposing a hydrophobic and bio-compatible adhesive selected from acrylic adhesives, polyisobutylene adhesives, and silicone adhesives, and each disposition step utilizing an applicator selected from brushes, swabs, rub-on sticks, roll-on applicators, pump sprayers, aerosol sprayers, squeeze tube applicators, bottle applicators, and finger applicators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Inventor: Daniel A. Dopps
  • Patent number: 9539087
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are devices, methods and kits for a stent for treating an eye, comprising a flexible material, wherein the stent is self adaptive to a dimension of a vitreous cavity in the eye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: EMPIRE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT LLC
    Inventor: Rongping Dai
  • Patent number: 9526636
    Abstract: The present invention discloses an instrumented prosthetic foot for use with an actuated leg prosthesis controlled by a controller, the instrumented prosthetic foot comprising a connector to connect the instrumented prosthetic foot to the leg prosthesis, an ankle structure connected to the connector, a ground engaging member connected to the ankle, at least one sensor for detecting changes in weight distribution along the foot, and an interface for transmitting signals from the sensor to the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Victhom Laboratory Inc.
    Inventors: Stéphané Bédard, Pierre-Ollvier Roy
  • Patent number: 9526649
    Abstract: A gastroscopic method of treating obesity of a patient using a device adapted to stretch a part of the stomach wall of said patient. The method comprising the steps of: inserting said device into the stomach of said patient through the esophagus, placing said device in contact with the stomach wall and fixating said device to the stomach wall such that said device can stretch a part of said stomach wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Inventor: Peter Forsell
  • Patent number: 9526616
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a tissue shaping device adapted to be disposed in a vessel near a patient's heart to reshape the patient's heart. The device comprises a first anchor and a second anchor adapted to be deployed by a catheter to engage a vessel wall while the first anchor is adapted to resist the compression of a first part of the first anchor and resist the expansion of a second part of the first anchor in response to a compressive force on the first part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: CARDIAC DIMENSIONS PTY. LTD.
    Inventors: Gregory Nieminen, Carly A. Thaler
  • Patent number: 9526609
    Abstract: The present invention provides methods and apparatus for endovascularly replacing a patient's heart valve. The apparatus includes a replacement valve and an anchor having an expandable braid. In some embodiments, the expandable braid is fabricated from a single strand of wire. In some embodiments, the expandable braid comprises at least one turn feature. The anchor and the valve preferably are configured for endovascular delivery and deployment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: BOSTON SCIENTIFIC SCIMED, INC.
    Inventors: Amr Salahieh, Ulrich R. Haug, Hans F. Valencia, Robert A. Geshlider, Tom Saul, Dwight P. Morejohn
  • Patent number: 9526602
    Abstract: A process for applying an adhesion barrier material to the tissue in a surgical site includes steaming the adhesion barrier material, preferably in a warm environment at a temperature of between about 140° F. (60° C.) and about 170° F. (77° C.); air drying the adhesion barrier material until the surface is not tacky; and applying the adhesion barrier material to tissue at a surgical site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Inventors: Anne Piche-Radley, Della A. Smith, Monica D. Dye
  • Patent number: 9510938
    Abstract: Corneal implant to be introduced into the optical center (Z) of the cornea of the human eye for the purpose of correcting impaired vision, in particular presbyopia, or presbyopia in combination with hypermetropia or myopia. To propose a corneal implant which is suited for introduction into the optical center (Z) of the human eye, and which may be applied for correcting presbyopia on its own or in combination with hypermetropia or myopia, the effective thickness (d) of the corneal implant (2), measured in the direction of the optical axis (5) of the eye, must be larger than 50 ?m and the maximum width (b), measured in a plane perpendicular to the direction of thickness, must be less than 1 mm, the corneal implant (2) having no imaging function in relation to the human eye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Inventor: Albert Daxer
  • Patent number: 9498326
    Abstract: Disclosed is an injector which comprises an injector housing having a longitudinal axis and an injection probe disposed along the longitudinal axis. The injector further comprises an intraocular lens disposed in the housing. The intraocular lens comprises first and second interconnected viewing elements, and the optical axes of the first and second viewing elements are substantially aligned. The optical axes are substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the housing. The injector further comprises a lens carrier which engages one of the viewing elements. The viewing elements are moveable in response to longitudinal movement of the lens carrier relative to the injector housing. The longitudinal movement causes both (i) the optical axes to be displaced relative to each other and (ii) the viewing elements to be disposed substantially on the longitudinal axis of the injector housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: Visiogen, Inc.
    Inventor: George Tsai
  • Patent number: 9474487
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus and systems for measuring pressure and/or for quantitative or qualitative measurement of analytes within the eye or elsewhere in the body. Optical pressure sensors and/or optical analyte sensors are implanted in the body and light is cast from an extracorporeal light source, though the cornea, conjunctiva or dermis, and onto a reflective element located within each pressure sensor or analyte sensor. The position or configuration of each sensor's reflective element varies with pressure or analyte concentration. Thus, the reflectance spectra of light reflected by the sensors' reflective elements will vary with changes in pressure or changes in analyte concentration. A spectrometer or other suitable instrument is used to process and analyze the reflectance spectra of the reflected light, thereby obtaining an indication of pressure or analyte concentration adjacent to the sensor(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: BCC Enterprise
    Inventors: Roy S. Chuck, George Baerveldt, Jim-Son Chou
  • Patent number: 9468522
    Abstract: The invention relates to an implant device comprising a sensor module which comprises one or more first fastening means, an implant module which comprises one or more second fastening means, and a connecting module, by means of which the sensor module is connected to the implant module via the one or the first fastening means and via the one or the second fastening means, and comprising a fold axis, along which the implant device can be folded up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Implandata Ophthalmic Products GmbH
    Inventor: Dick Scholten