Patents Examined by Paul Prebilic
  • Patent number: 9579192
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for improving overall vision in patients suffering from a loss of vision in a portion of the retina (e.g., loss of central vision) by providing a dual optic intraocular lens which redirects and/or focuses light incident on the eye at oblique angles onto a peripheral retinal location. The intraocular lens can include a redirection element (e.g., a prism, a diffractive element, or an optical component with a decentered GRIN profile) configured to direct incident light along a deflected optical axis and to focus an image at a location on the peripheral retina. Optical properties of the intraocular lens can be configured to improve or reduce peripheral errors at the location on the peripheral retina. One or more surfaces of the intraocular lens can be a toric surface, a higher order aspheric surface, an aspheric Zernike surface or a Biconic Zernike surface to reduce optical errors in an image produced at a peripheral retinal location by light incident at oblique angles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: AMO Groningen B.V.
    Inventors: Robert Rosen, Hendrik A Weeber, Carmen Canovas Vidal, Marrie Van Der Mooren, Dora Sellitri, Patricia Ann Piers
  • Patent number: 9554837
    Abstract: A fixation device is used to fix an elongate element, in particular a wire, in an opening of a retaining structure, in particular of an implant plate. The fixation device has a main body. The main body is provided with a bore for receiving the elongate element. The main body is radially deformable in a clamp area, such that the diameter of the bore can be reduced. The main body has an outer contour which is designed in such a way that, when the fixation device is inserted into the opening of the retaining structure, the clamp area is deformed such that the elongate element is clamped securely in the bore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: Medartis AG
    Inventors: Jürgen Schonhardt, Thomas Tribelhorn, Hermann Zeuner, Joanna Norström
  • Patent number: 9554889
    Abstract: Methods and systems for manufacturing a wavefront-guided scleral lens prosthetic device customized for an eye of a patient include obtaining a first scleral lens prosthetic device with a central optic zone configured to vault over the eye's cornea and a peripheral haptic zone configured to align with the eye's sclera, collecting measurements of any offset and/or rotation of the first scleral lens prosthetic device relative to the eye's pupil and of any aberrations, particularly higher-order aberrations, generating a wavefront-guided profile from the measurements, and fabricating a second scleral lens prosthetic device with the profile on a surface of a central optic zone configured to vault over the eye's cornea and a peripheral haptic zone customized to align with the eye's sclera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignees: Boston Foundation for Sight, University of Rochester
    Inventors: Lynette K. Johns, Geun-Young Yoon, Olga Tomashevskaya
  • Patent number: 9539143
    Abstract: Methods of correcting vision for presbyopia, including remodeling a stroma with a laser to create an intracorneal shape, where the corneal shape includes a central region with a thickness that is about 50 microns or less measured from an extension of a shape of a peripheral region of the corneal shape, wherein remodeling a portion of the stroma increases a curvature of a central portion of the anterior surface of the cornea with a central elevation change for near vision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: REVISION OPTICS, INC.
    Inventors: Keith Holliday, Alan Lang
  • Patent number: 9539096
    Abstract: Methods for supporting a prosthetic implant in a patient are disclosed. In some embodiments, a hollow sleeve and a prosthetic implant with a stem component are implanted in a cavity in an end of a bone where the hollow sleeve provides an axial channel that extends through the length of the hollow sleeve for receiving the stem component. In some embodiments, the hollow sleeve is capable of being impacted into the cavity for obtaining a press fit of the hollow sleeve in the cavity. In some embodiments, the hollow sleeve is formed with a porous material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: Zimmer, Inc.
    Inventors: Arlen D. Hanssen, David Lewallen
  • Patent number: 9510939
    Abstract: A switchable intraocular lens assembly includes an optic body having a guiding surface, a holding chamber, a blocking channel, and a laser accessible cavity at a portion of the blocking channel. An elastic film is disposed over the guiding surface, wherein the elastic film is sealed at or near the guiding surface periphery forming a transparent chamber between the guiding surface and the elastic film. A laser flowable blocking element has an enlarged head connected to an extension portion, where a length of the extension portion is more than a distance along the blocking channel from the blocking channel opening to the fluidic connection of the transparent chamber. The extension portion of the laser flowable blocking element is disposed inside the blocking channel. An optical fluid is disposed within the holding chamber under a pressure greater or lesser in comparison to a pressure in the transparent chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Inventors: Valdemar Portney, Nathaniel G. Portney
  • Patent number: 9504563
    Abstract: A quick-connect heart valve prosthesis that can be quickly and easily implanted during a surgical procedure is provided. The heart valve includes a substantially non-expandable, non-compressible prosthetic valve and a plastically-expandable frame, thereby enabling attachment to the annulus without sutures. A small number of guide sutures may be provided for aortic valve orientation. The prosthetic valve may be a commercially available valve with a sewing ring with the frame attached thereto. The frame may expand from a conical deployment shape to a conical expanded shape, and may include web-like struts connected between axially-extending posts. A system and method for deployment includes an integrated handle shaft and balloon catheter. A valve holder is stored with the heart valve and the handle shaft easily attaches thereto to improve valve preparation steps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
    Inventors: Rafael Pintor, Michael J. Scott, Thomas Chien, Harvey H. Chen, August R. Yambao, Lawrence J. Farhat, Andrew Phung, William C. Brunnett, Carey L. Cristea, Sara M. Walls, Kevin W. Zheng, Faisal Kalam, Qinggang Zeng
  • Patent number: 9504567
    Abstract: A method of implanting a collapsible prosthetic heart valve is disclosed. The prosthetic heart valve includes three biological leaflets mounted within a self-expanding tubular leaflet frame formed of nitinol. The method comprises loading a collapsed prosthetic heart valve into a distal end of a delivery tube. The distal end of the delivery tube is inserted into a vasculature of a patient and positioned proximal to an aortic valve. The prosthetic heart valve is expelled into an annulus of the aortic valve and expanded. The prosthetic heart valve includes cusp positioners that engage sinus cavities above the valve annulus and rotationally orient the prosthetic valve. Preferred embodiments of the cusp positioners do not occlude the coronary arteries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
    Inventor: Mario Iobbi
  • Patent number: 9492272
    Abstract: Intraocular implants and methods of making intraocular implants are provided. The intraocular implants can improve the vision of a patient, such as by increasing the depth of focus of an eye of a patient. In particular, the intraocular implants can include a mask having an annular portion with a relatively low visible light transmission surrounding a relatively high transmission central portion such as a clear lens or aperture. This construct is adapted to provide an annular mask with a small aperture for light to pass through to the retina to increase depth of focus. The intraocular implant may have an optical power for refractive correction. The intraocular implant may be implanted in any location along the optical pathway in the eye, e.g., as an implant in the anterior or posterior chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: AcuFocus, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce A. Christie, Alexei N. Kosmynine
  • Patent number: 9474602
    Abstract: An artificial mitral valve has a ring, an anterior cusp-side region, a posterior cusp-side region and a valve leaflet connected along an outer edge of the ring. The valve leaflet includes an anterior cusp forming member connected to the anterior cusp-side region and a posterior cusp forming member connected to the posterior cusp-side region. The anterior cusp forming member is provided with has an upper edge joined to the ring and a lower edge that forms a bifurcated portion. The upper edge is made up of a pair of right and left edges that incline inward and upward from the right and left sides, and a curved edge interposed between the inclined edges that curves along the anterior cusp-side region. The posterior cusp forming member has an upper edge joined to the ring and a lower edge that forms a bifurcated portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: WASEDA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Mitsuo Umezu, Hitoshi Kasegawa
  • Patent number: 9474595
    Abstract: A foldable lens comprises an outer refractive surface portion comprising a first plurality of convexly curved refractive profile regions having positive optical power to converge light energy with refraction toward a focus on the retina. The convexly curved refractive profile regions of the outer region may correspond to at least about a quarter of the refractive power of the lens, such that the lens thickness is decreased substantially and the folded lens can fit through a small incision. The outer refractive surface portion focuses light with refraction, in focus images viewed through the outer portion of the lens can appear sharp to the patient. The outer refractive surface portion also comprises a second plurality of concavely curved refractive profile regions having negative optical power disposed between the first plurality, so as to diverge the light energy substantially away from the focus on the retina, such that visual artifacts are inhibited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Abbott Medical Optics Inc.
    Inventor: Huawei Zhao
  • Patent number: 9456924
    Abstract: A valve system for an ocular implant device includes a boss structure. The boss structure includes an inlet for fluid inflow, and a number of outlets for fluid outflow. The valve system further includes a deformable membrane positioned over and spaced apart from the inlet, the membrane comprising a piezo-based material, an actuating element to apply pressure to the membrane to deform the membrane into a position that obstructs fluid flow from the inlet, and a control system to detect a position of the membrane based on measured electrical properties of the membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Novartis AG
    Inventors: Zahra Noroozi, Ray Karam, Nicholas M. Gunn
  • Patent number: 9456895
    Abstract: An intraocular lens adapted to be implanted inside a capsular bag, comprising a peripheral portion comprising an anterior annular portion adapted to engage an anterior capsule portion, the anterior annular portion defining an anterior opening through which an optical axis passes, a posterior annular portion adapted to engage a posterior capsule portion, the anterior and posterior annular portions being adapted to keep the capsular bag open after implantation, and an optic portion disposed within the anterior opening and secured to and radially inward relative to the peripheral portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: POWERVISION, INC.
    Inventor: John H. Shadduck
  • Patent number: 9445892
    Abstract: Intraocular devices for use in and attached to the natural lens capsule of an eye are provided. The lens capsule may be maintained in a configuration to avoid post-operative changes that are deleterious to vision. Single or dual optic systems are provided, which may be accommodating. Combinations of devices to obtain dual optic systems are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Inventor: David C. Brown
  • Patent number: 9445926
    Abstract: A stent comprises a first expansion strut column of first expansion strut pairs and a second expansion strut column of second expansion strut pairs. Each first expansion strut pair is connected to a second expansion strut pair by a connecting strut. Each connecting strut comprises at least one wrap portion, the at least one wrap portion being at least partially wrapped about at least one of the first joining portions of at least one of the first expansion strut column and the second expansion strut column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc.
    Inventor: G. David Jang
  • Patent number: 9427355
    Abstract: A method of corneal transplantation with a cross-linked cornea is disclosed herein. In one or more embodiments, the method includes the steps of: (i) cross-linking a portion of a donor cornea so as to kill donor keratocytes in the donor cornea and make the cross-linked donor cornea less antigenic to an eye of a recipient patient; (ii) removing a scarred and/or diseased cornea or corneal portion from the eye of the recipient patient; and (iii) implanting the cross-linked donor cornea into the eye of the recipient patient in a location previously occupied by the scarred and/or diseased cornea or corneal portion, wherein the cross-linking of the donor cornea eliminates an immune response of the recipient patient to the transplanted donor cornea. Both penetrating keratoplasty transplant procedures and lamellar keratoplasty transplant procedures using a cross-linked donor cornea are disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Inventor: Gholam A. Peyman
  • Patent number: 9421098
    Abstract: Systems for mitral valve repair are disclosed where one or more mitral valve interventional devices may be advanced intravascularly into the heart of a patient and deployed upon or along the mitral valve to stabilize the valve leaflets. The interventional device may also facilitate the placement or anchoring of a prosthetic mitral valve implant. The interventional device may generally comprise a distal set of arms pivotably and/or rotating coupled to a proximal set of arms which are also pivotably and/or rotating coupled. The distal set of arms may be advanced past the catheter opening to a subannular position (e.g., below the mitral valve) and reconfigured from a low-profile delivery configuration to a deployed securement configuration. The proximal arm members may then be deployed such that the distal and proximal arm members may grip the leaflets between the two sets of arms to stabilize the leaflets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Twelve, Inc.
    Inventors: Hanson S. Gifford, III, James I. Fann, John Morriss, Mark Deem, Jeffry J. Grainger
  • Patent number: 9414907
    Abstract: Prosthetic capsular devices (e.g., bag, bowl, housing, structure, cage, frame) for insertion into a natural capsular bag after removal of a natural lens include an anterior, a posterior end opposite the anterior end, and a capsular body between the anterior end and the posterior end. The anterior end includes an aperture configured to allow insertion of an intraocular lens therethrough. The posterior end includes a refractive surface. The capsular body defines a longitudinal axis. The capsular body is configured to hold an intraocular lens therein. The capsular body includes a straight-walled portion extending from the posterior end towards the anterior end to at least a position along the longitudinal axis and tapers radially inwardly from the straight-walled portion to the aperture of the anterior end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Omega Ophthalmics LLC
    Inventors: Gary N. Wortz, Rick William Ifland
  • Patent number: 9408952
    Abstract: Methods of treating congenital heart defects in infants and children with bioabsorbable polymer stents are described. The treatments reduce or eliminate the adverse affects of congenital heart defects or may be palliative.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Abbott Cardiovascular Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Krishnankutty Sudhir, Wai-Fung Cheong, Virginia Giddings
  • Patent number: 9402727
    Abstract: Devices, systems and methods for performing arthroscopic evaluations and procedures in and near the hip joint are provided. An arthroscopic assisted arthroplasty system is useful in the treatment of arthritic hip conditions, conserving healthy tissue, and limiting iatrogenic injury associated with traditional surgical exposures. A guide wire system employing retrograde and antegrade reamers along the femoral neck is useful in anatomic placement of instrumentation without formal hip dislocation. Fluoroscopy and computer assisted navigation enhance the system, methods, and apparatus. Acetabular and femoral collapsible prosthetic forms are useful in arthroscopic assisted placement. The devices, systems, and methods are effective to assist an operating surgeon in the addressing mild to moderate arthritic conditions of the femoral head and acetabulum where tissue conservation and surgical exposure morbidities should be limited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Inventor: Allston J. Stubbs