Patents Examined by Nathaniel Chukwurah
  • Patent number: 10093070
    Abstract: A dunnage-producing system includes a dunnage conversion machine for converting a stock material into a relatively less dense dunnage product, a supply of stock material, and a guide element. The conversion machine is rotatable about a substantially vertical axis. The supply of stock material includes a support for the stock material that is movable relative to the conversion machine, such as for replenishing the stock material. The guide element is rotatable with the conversion machine to maintain a consistent position relative to the conversion machine, thereby consistently positioning the support relative to the conversion machine to avoid tearing or jamming problems associated with an improperly aligned supply of sheet stock material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: RANPAK CORP.
    Inventors: Edward W. Lintala, Carrie Schlegel
  • Patent number: 10086116
    Abstract: Adjunct material retained by a staple cartridge assembly is provided. The adjunct material provides elution of medicants therefrom such that release of one medicant regulates release of another medicant. A first medicant is released as a bolus dose substantially immediately upon delivery of the adjunct material to tissue. The second medicant is associated with the staple cartridge assembly in a manner such that release of the second medicant to tissue is regulated by the release of the first medicant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Ethicon LLC
    Inventors: Michael J. Vendely, Chad E. Eckert, Frederick E. Shelton, IV, Jason L. Harris
  • Patent number: 10081478
    Abstract: A glove packaging comprises a container for holding the gloves and a barrier positioned to cover at least a portion of an opening in the container. The barrier protects the gloves from airborne particles and other materials or contaminants that may contaminate the gloves prior to removal from the packaging. The barrier also includes an antimicrobial material for protecting the gloves from microorganisms, pathogens or other materials or contaminants that come in contact with the barrier to further reduce the possibility of contamination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: Medline Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Min Yao, Samuel T. H. Amdur, III
  • Patent number: 10082759
    Abstract: A sheet processing device includes: an accumulator on which sheets are accumulated; a staple driver; a staple receiver disposed at a position facing the staple driver, wherein the staple driver drives a staple into the sheets when the sheet are between the staple receiver and the staple driver; an arm that extends from the staple driver in a direction perpendicular to a staple driving direction to operate the staple driver in the staple driving direction; and a regulator that regulates deviation produced when the staple driver drives the staple. The deviation is in a short length direction of the arm perpendicular to a long length direction of the arm and to the staple driving direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Kei Kitamura
  • Patent number: 10081529
    Abstract: Transportable bottling plant fitted into freight container Disclosed is a transportable bottling plant (100) comprising a freight container divided into separate rooms (107-110), one of the rooms being a bottling room (107); a preform feeder (118), a bottle forming unit (300), a bottle filling and closing unit (119) being mounted in the bottling room; whereby the container comprises at least three technical rooms, the power generator (111) being mounted in a first technical room (108), the air conditioning unit (115) being mounted in a second technical room (109) and the air compressor (113) being mounted in a third technical room (110).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: CONTENO
    Inventors: Christophe Van Steen, Jozef Hermans
  • Patent number: 10077131
    Abstract: A divider for dividing at least two layers of articles in a package. The divider comprises a central panel, and at least one article attachment flap foldably connected to the central panel. The at least one article attachment flap is for attaching the divider to at least one of the articles as the divider and the articles are formed into the package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: Graphic Packaging International, LLC
    Inventors: Neil Lettre, Robert L. Sutherland
  • Patent number: 10076324
    Abstract: Adjunct material to provide controlled drug elution is provided. In general, an implantable adjunct formed from at least one bioabsorbable polymer can be configured to be applied to tissue by a surgical stapler in conjunction with staples. The adjunct can be made from a plurality of fibers and it can have one or more medicants releasably retained therein that are effective to provide a desired effect on tissue in-growth in a predetermined manner. Release of each of the at least one medicants from the adjunct material can be controlled by a degradation rate of the at least one bioabsorbable polymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: Ethicon LLC
    Inventors: Jason L. Harris, Michael J. Vendely, Frederick E. Shelton, IV
  • Patent number: 10070863
    Abstract: A surgical system is disclosed. The surgical system comprises an elongated shaft and an end effector comprising an open configuration, a closed configuration, an anvil, and a staple cartridge. The staple cartridge comprises a plurality of first staple drivers movable from an unactuated position to an actuated position. Each first staple driver defining a first staple support cradle for supporting a staple. Each first staple support cradle is located a first staple forming distance from a portion of the anvil when the end effector is in the closed configuration. The staple cartridge further comprises a plurality of second staple drivers laterally positioned with respect to the first staple drivers. Each second staple driver defining a second staple support cradle for supporting a staple. Each second staple support cradle is located a second staple forming distance from another portion of the anvil when the end effector is in the closed configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: Ethicon LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey S. Swayze, Joseph C. Hueil, Jerome R. Morgan, Frederick E. Shelton, IV
  • Patent number: 10070865
    Abstract: A travel clip is provided for use with a surgical staple cartridge. The travel clip includes a cover having first and second side edges which varying in distance from a centerline of the cover and a longitudinally extending rib projecting perpendicularly along the centerline of the cover. The first and second side edges include areas of maximum distance from the centerline of the cover and areas of minimum distance from the centerline of the cover. The space between adjacent areas of maximum distance from the centerline of the cover provide cutouts or openings for viewing, inspection and verification of structure retained within the surgical staple cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: Covidien LP
    Inventor: Paul Scirica
  • Patent number: 10070864
    Abstract: A loading unit assembly used for a linear surgical stapler, which includes a staple cartridge frame and a knife driver beam. The knife driver beam has a movable safety block defined on a surface of a proximal end thereof, and a protrusion is correspondingly defined on the staple cartridge frame. When the loading unit assembly is at its initial position, a front surface at a distal end of the safety block engages with the protrusion to stop a movement of the knife driver beam and the safety block. When the loading unit assembly is at its working position, the safety block is relatively separated from the protrusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: TOUCHSTONE INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL SCIENCE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Wangdong Chen, Tuo Shu, Kaifen Fu, Yanping Ye, Yongwang Pei
  • Patent number: 10064624
    Abstract: An end effector for stapling patient tissue is disclosed. The end effector comprises a frame comprising a proximal end and a distal end, a plurality of staples, a firing system configured to implant the staples into the patient tissue, an implantable layer comprising a tissue-contacting surface and a support surface, and an array of securement members extending above and below the support surface of the implantable layer. The securement members are detached from the frame concurrently with the firing system being actuated to implant the staples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Ethicon LLC
    Inventors: Frederick E. Shelton, IV, Joseph E. Young, Taylor W. Aronhalt, Chester O. Baxter, III
  • Patent number: 10064621
    Abstract: A surgical instrument for treating tissue comprising a shaft, an end effector rotatably coupled to the shaft, and a firing member configured to be moved relative to the end effector is disclosed. The surgical instrument further comprises an articulation member operably coupled with the end effector, wherein the articulation member is selectively engageable with the firing member such that the articulation member is operably engaged with the firing member in an engaged configuration and such that the articulation member is operably disengaged from the firing member in a disengaged configuration, and wherein the firing member is configured to move the articulation member relative to the end effector to articulate the end effector when the articulation member and the firing member are in the engaged configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Ethicon LLC
    Inventors: Wendy A. Kerr, Thomas W. Lytle, IV, Mark D. Overmyer, Brett E. Swensgard, Richard L. Leimbach, Kevin D. Sackett
  • Patent number: 10058329
    Abstract: This application is directed to a surgical stapling device for performing circular anastomoses. The surgical stapling device includes a handle portion, an elongated body portion and a head portion including an anvil assembly and a shell assembly. A tactile indication mechanism is also provided for notifying a surgeon that the device has been fired and for notifying a surgeon that the anvil head has been unapproximated a distance sufficient to permit the anvil head to tilt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: Covidien LP
    Inventors: Richard D. Gresham, Scott Manzo, Ernest Aranyi, Robert Geiste, Bruce Jankowski, Keith Milliman
  • Patent number: 10052747
    Abstract: A hammer tool for hammering on a workpiece by a tool bit moving at least linearly in a longitudinal direction of the tool bit, configured so that a hammering element moves toward the tool bit to hits the tool bit by way of air pressure fluctuation in an air chamber when a driving element is moved from a first position to a second position. In addition, the stroke center position of the reciprocating movement of the driving element moved between the first position and the second position is configured to be changeable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: MAKITA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yonosuke Aoki
  • Patent number: 10052745
    Abstract: An anchor setting apparatus includes an arm, a drill stop, a control actuator, a holster for carrying a drill tool, and linkage for coupling the control actuator to a speed control of the drill tool. The holster and drill stop are coupled proximate one end of the arm. The control actuator is coupled proximate another end of the arm. In various embodiments the length of the arm is variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Inventor: Anthony Carvajal
  • Patent number: 10052044
    Abstract: A powered surgical cutting and stapling instrument is disclosed. The instrument includes at least one sensor to measure at least one parameter associated with the instrument, at least one processor, and a memory operatively associated with the processor. The memory includes machine executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to monitor the at least one sensor over a predetermined time period and determine a rate of change of the measured parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: Ethicon LLC
    Inventors: Frederick E. Shelton, IV, Jason L. Harris, Brett E. Swensgard, Richard L. Leimbach, Shane R. Adams, Mark D. Overmyer
  • Patent number: 10046449
    Abstract: A hand tool device has a tool spindle and a hammer mechanism which includes a hammer and at least one curve guide driving the hammer at least during a hammer drilling operation. The tool spindle has at least one bearing surface on which the hammer is movably supported in at least one operating state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventor: Tobias Herr
  • Patent number: 10046448
    Abstract: A fastener driving tool comprises a hand-held casing having a movable and drivable energy transmission element including a driving member, wherein the driving member acts to drive a fastener, a locking element, and a sensor member for determining an operational state of the fastener driving tool, wherein a driving process is released only if the operational state prevails, wherein the locking member is arranged in a locking manner in a path of the energy transmission element if the non-operational state prevails, wherein, once a driving process has been triggered, the locking member can stop the energy transmission element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: Hilti Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Iwan Wolf, Mario Grazioli, Karl Franz, Stefan Miescher
  • Patent number: 10045769
    Abstract: Circular stapling instruments and anvil assemblies. The anvil assemblies may have collapsible anvil support members that may be inserted through an opening in a patient and then expanded to be attached to an anvil plate assembly that has a staple-forming surface thereon. The anvil support member is attachable to the anvil plate assembly in such a way that when the anvil assembly is coupled to the stapling head of a circular stapler, the staple-forming surface is in substantial registry with the staples supported in the stapling head. A variety of different anvil support members and anvil plate assemblies are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: ETHICON LLC
    Inventors: Taylor W. Aronhalt, Frederick E. Shelton, IV, Christopher J. Schall, Joseph E. Young, Barry C. Worrell, Jerome R. Morgan, William B. Weisenburgh, II, Christopher J. Hess, Emily A. Schellin
  • Patent number: 10045779
    Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed which comprises, one, a handle module that is attachable to a detachable shaft module for collectively performing a surgical procedure and, two, an inspection station for connection to the handle module when the handle module is not being used in a surgical procedure. The handle module comprises a rotary drive system for driving the detachable shaft module, an electric motor coupled to the rotary drive system for powering the rotary drive system, and a handle module processor circuit in communication with the motor. The inspection station comprises an inspection station processor circuit that communicates with the handle module processor circuit via a data connection when the handle module is connected to the inspection station. The inspection station further comprises a display in communication with the inspection station processor circuit for displaying information about handle module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: Ethicon LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey L. Savage, Joshua R. Uth, Andrew T. Beckman, Chester O. Baxter, III