Patents Examined by Nicole L Pobre
  • Patent number: 9782218
    Abstract: A thermocoagulation/cutting device 11 includes an exothermic part 13 made of a meta; a first current supply portion 41 projecting integrally from the exothermic part 13; a second current supply portion 42 projecting integrally from the exothermic part 13; and a third current supply portion 43 projecting integrally from the exothermic part 13. The thermocoagulation/cutting device 11 includes a controller 16. The controller 16 is capable of causing an electric current to flow between the first current supply portion 41 and second current supply portion 42, between the first current supply portion 41 and third current supply portion 43, or between the second current supply portion 42 and third current supply portion 43.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sumihito Konishi, Tsuyoshi Hayashida, Yoshitaka Honda
  • Patent number: 9775663
    Abstract: Multi-electrode ablation systems, methods, and controllers are described. In one example, a method of beginning an ablation procedure using a multi-electrode ablation system is described. The method includes selectively coupling the output of a power supply to a first electrode of a plurality of electrodes to increase a temperature at the first electrode to a first temperature set-point and limit a rate of increase of the temperature at the first electrode to a predetermined first rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: St. Jude Medical, Cardiology Division, Inc.
    Inventors: John B. Blix, James C. Baker, Kevin K. Ennett, John Eric Hein, Joseph Allen Brotz, Joseph William Barnier, Raymond Vincent Froehlich, Michael Olsen, Sukanya Varadharajan, Catherine A. Pipenhagen
  • Patent number: 9724152
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electrode arrangement for an electrosurgical gripping instrument with an electrode, a heating element and a resilient insulator arranged between the electrode and the heating element to insulate them from one another, wherein the insulator is soft relative to bending. The invention further relates to an electrosurgical gripping instrument with an electrode arrangement according to the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: OLYMPUS WINTER & IBE GMBH
    Inventors: Andreas Hörlle, Hanno Winter, Adrian Schulze
  • Patent number: 9675817
    Abstract: The current invention discloses a treatment device having a heat source, a power source, a heat applicator and a lighting mechanism. The power source includes at least one nanotech battery, ensuring superior properties such as prolonged electricity production and prompt recharging. The heat applicator includes a heat conductive layer made from nanofibers, providing highly efficient heat distribution to the targeted regions. The lighting mechanism employs light emitting nano fibers to treat targeted regions. The power source provides energy to the light source, which generates light so that the applicator may distribute to an injury site or wound bed of a user. The heat source may be an exothermic chemical reaction designed to last for several hours supplying heat to the treatment device or a electronically produced heat. In addition to the medical utilizations, the current device may also play a central role in other apparatus that require thermal control or lighting capabilities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Inventors: Jonathan Isserow, Laura Isserow
  • Patent number: 9636521
    Abstract: The current invention discloses a treatment device having a heat source, a power source, a heat applicator and a lighting mechanism. The power source includes at least one nanotech battery, ensuring superior properties such as prolonged electricity production and prompt recharging. The heat applicator includes a heat conductive layer made from nanofibers, providing highly efficient heat distribution to the targeted regions. The lighting mechanism employs light emitting nano fibers to treat targeted regions. The power source provides energy to the heat and light source, which generates heat and light so that the applicator may distribute to an injury site or wound bed of a user. The current device may also be used for cooling, instead of heating applications. In addition to the medical utilizations, the current device may also play a central role in other apparatus that require thermal control capabilities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Inventors: Jonathan Isserow, Laura Isserow
  • Patent number: 9592150
    Abstract: This invention is directed to a medical device and a method of treating mammals, especially humans, to alleviate the symptoms, including pain, of several conditions and symptoms, including hemorrhoids, tissue inflammation and/or yeast infections, and open, draining wounds or incisions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Inventor: William J. McNulty, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9572695
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods are described for killing cancer cells (44) of a subject, the subject having cancer cells and healthy cells. The apparatus includes a plurality of first molecules (40) configured to be coupled to the cancer cells to a greater extent than to the healthy cells, in response to being administered to the subject. A plurality of clusters (42) of phase-change molecules are provided, each of the clusters coupled to a respective one of the first molecules. An energy transmission unit (50) kills cancer cells coupled to the first molecules by heating the cancer cells, by transmitting energy toward the clusters that selectively heats the clusters. Other embodiments are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: NEW PHASE LTD
    Inventors: Rafael Hof, Valery Perevalov
  • Patent number: 9566062
    Abstract: An apparatus for operating on tissue includes an outer sheath, upper and lower jaws connected at a pivot point, and a firing beam comprising a distal pair of flanges. The firing beam is configured to be received within slots defined in the upper and lower jaws to close the jaws. A proximal portion of the upper jaw defines a lever arm, and a free end of the lever arm extends proximally past a distal end of the lower jaw and proximally past the pivot point. The lever arm includes a pair of segments defining a portion of the slot of the upper jaw. The segments are configured for receipt through an outer sheath aperture. The pair of segments are operable to abut a distal end of the distal pair of flanges or be driven by the distal pair of flanges to assist with closure of the jaws.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, LLC
    Inventor: Chad P. Boudreaux
  • Patent number: 9504602
    Abstract: An improved heating pad which minimizes or eliminates skin burns due to improper uses in three ways: by monitoring an absolute temperature of each surface of the heating pad; by monitoring a temperature difference between each surface of the heating pad, where a small temperature difference indicates that both sides of the heating pad are covered; and by monitoring the duty cycle of a heating element, where a large off portion of the duty cycle indicates both sides of the heating pad are covered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Triodyne Safety Systems, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Ralph Lipsey Barnett, James R. Wingfield
  • Patent number: 9468488
    Abstract: The present invention provides a medical device for manipulation of tissue of a patient. The medical device comprises a shaft having a proximal section extending to a distal section that has a closed distal end portion. The shaft has a plurality of lumens formed therein including a first lumen and a second lumen. The first lumen is for distally advancing a first reactant through the proximal section. The second lumen is for distally advancing a second reactant through the proximal section. Positioned longitudinally within the shaft and distally from the first and second lumens is a mixing element. The mixing element is in fluid communication with the first and second lumens. The mixing element has a series of baffles for mixing the first and second reactants together producing a reaction product to heat the closed distal end portion of the shaft for manipulation of the tissue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: COOK MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventors: Brian L. Bates, Jeffry S. Melsheimer
  • Patent number: 9427279
    Abstract: A surgical tool arrangement a handpiece which is capable of accepting and operating a number of different surgical tools or instruments adapted for use with the handpiece, each having one or multiple functions. The handpiece incorporates a coupling arrangement located at a distal end thereof which serves to attach the desired surgical instrument to the hand-piece via a locking mechanism, and also provides an electrical contact arrangement to support the functioning of an electrosurgical probe as well as a combined mechanical cutting and electrosurgical tool. Additionally, the handpiece accepts a conventional cutter which only requires power for driving a movable cutting element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: STRYKER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Pedro Javier Muniz-Medina, Michael G. Hilldoerfer, Sean M. Darby, Reid S. Cover, Wenjie Deng
  • Patent number: 9398975
    Abstract: A hand-operated cooling device for cryotherapy for treating pain, includes a main body and a receptacle, which can be inserted at least partially into the main body, for the exchangeable accommodation and insertion of a gas pressure vessel. The main body includes a manual gas outlet actuation arrangement, which can effects the outflow of a gas from the gas pressure vessel when the receptacle is inserted. The receptacle includes a cooling surface, which can be cooled by the outflowing gas and by the gas pressure vessel jacket, wherein the gas can be conducted inside the main body and inside the receptacle by a gas conducting arrangement and can exit at the receptacle adjacent to the cooling surface. Commercially available gas pressure vessels, can be inserted into the cooling device, so that a simple and cost-effective use of therapeutic OT medical cryotherapy having a pleasant cooling effect is made possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Inventors: Stefan Müller, Steffen Ortlib, Ingo Dreher
  • Patent number: 9339412
    Abstract: The present application relates to methods for maintaining core body temperature in a subject. Heat is applied to peripheral thermoregulatory control tissue of the subject to increase or maintain perfusion of blood in glabrous tissue of the subject, and a warming stimulus is applied to the glabrous tissue. The application of heat to the peripheral thermoregulatory control tissue occurs discretely and simultaneously with application of the warming stimulus to the glabrous tissue, without application of a heating device or a warming device to tissue other than the tissue subjected to the applied heat or to the applied warming stimulus, thereby maintaining the core body temperature of the subject.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventors: Kenneth R. Diller, Daniel W. Hensley
  • Patent number: 9326820
    Abstract: A therapeutic diathermy applicator is proposed which minimizes the common problem of burning of patients' skin. The heat distribution arising as a result of unwanted capacitive effects is modeled as a manifestation of ‘conservative’ energy. A specific spatial characteristic of RF stimulation is determined and incorporated into the design of the applicator in order to achieve these goals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Regear Life Sciences Inc.
    Inventors: Robert M. Unetich, Leslie R. J. Virany
  • Patent number: 9271789
    Abstract: A method for local heating includes placing first magnetic material in a first lumen, and a second magnetic material in a second lumen from the first magnetic material to a magnetically permeable rod, then applying alternating magnetic fields. The first lumen may be a fallopian tube. A method of occluding fallopian tubes uses a catheter to inject first magnetic material into the tubes, injecting second magnetic fluid into uterus, introducing a magnetically-permeable rod into vagina, positioning a second end of the rod over the fallopian tube and applying an alternating magnetic field to the first magnetic material to heat it. The method is performed with apparatus having a coil wound over a magnetically-permeable rod, a high frequency AC generator coupled to the coil, a first magnetic fluid capable of generating heat in an alternating magnetic field, and a second magnetically-permeable magnetic fluid capable of conducting magnetic fields through a lumen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: The Trustees of Dartmouth College
    Inventor: B. Stuart Trembly