Patents Examined by Ronald L. Frinks
  • Patent number: 4990159
    Abstract: An intraocular lens apparatus for replacement of the natural lens following the extraction of the natural lens in cataract surgery. One or more resilient haptics, having one or both ends affixed to the lens body, are provided with alternating regions of varying transverse cross-sectional area along their length, so as to combine a relatively narrow insertion profile with great flexibility and stability once implanted within the eye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1988
    Date of Patent: February 5, 1991
    Inventor: Manus C. Kraff
  • Patent number: 4950293
    Abstract: A prosthetic ligamentary device consists of one or two longitudinal elements of relatively inelastic material and an element of relatively elastic material. When the longitudinal elment (s) is or are subjected longitudinally to an anatomical tensile force, it or they extend (s) to a limited degree by transversely compressing the relatively elastic element, until the force is incapable of compressing the latter element further, whereupon the device becomes inextensible by the force. Two devices can be combined to form a cruciate ligament prosthesis for a knee joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 21, 1990
    Inventors: Jonathan P. Beacon, Raymond C. Wadey
  • Patent number: 4950288
    Abstract: Corrective intraocular lens for use with an intact natural eye lens, by insertion through an incision into the eye and implantation therein in spaced relation to the natural lens, including a lens body having a pair of opposed haptics constituting a first insertable leading haptic and a last insertable trrailing haptic, each outwardly terminating in a transverse edge having a pair of laterally spaced apart and outwardly projecting contact lobes for engaging an adjacent eye tissue portion at a corresponding pair of spaced apart tissue points, the trailing haptic transverse edge having a 2-3 mm length, and the leading haptic transverse edge having a length larger than 2-3 mm and preferably about as large as the lens body diameter, such that the 2-3 mm length transverse edge of the last inserted haptic may be passed inwardly of the incision under minimum deflection of the intraocular lens and minimum risk of contact with the natural lens by the intraocular lens during implantation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 21, 1990
    Inventor: Charles D. Kelman
  • Patent number: 4950289
    Abstract: An intraocular lens which is compressible to fit through a small ocular incision into the eye and whose refractive power is adjustable once the inserted lens has been reformed and remedially positioned in the eye. The lens includes a deformable soft optic, a translucent collar encircling the soft optic and attached to it at fixed spaced points, and haptics attached to the collar for remedially positioning the soft optic in the eye. The collar has a separation or break to define two collar arms. When the collar is compressed the arms slide relative to one another to narrow the collar, and the compressed lens can then be inserted in the eye. Once in the eye the collar is released and the arms reformed together to form a rigid circle supporting the soft optic. The soft optic is formed by a transparent bag having a thickened perimeter and filled with a transparent fluid. When the lens is in place in the eye, a fine needle can be inserted into the eye and into the bag perimeter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1986
    Date of Patent: August 21, 1990
    Assignee: CooperVision, Inc.
    Inventor: Gary N. Krasner
  • Patent number: 4946377
    Abstract: A prosthetic tissue repair device having one or more eyelets, intended for use in the augmentation or replacement of biological tissue, and to a method of making such a device, and to a method of using such a device. The device is intended to function in parallel with or in place of biological tissue so that it is partially or entirely responsible for the forces normally transmitted through the tissue and can be intended to function in this capacity either temporarily, i.e., during healing of the biological tissue, or permanently, i.e., to replace the biological tissue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 7, 1990
    Assignee: W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
    Inventor: Larry J. Kovach
  • Patent number: 4944763
    Abstract: The fixing stem is provided with a plurality of projections in the proximal region of the blade. Each projection is in the form of a pyramidal prism directed in a distal direction. The apex of each projection is sharp and is inclined at an acute angle to the surface of the blade. In addition, the projections are staggered along the length of the proximal region of the blade and are of decreasing height in the distal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 31, 1990
    Assignee: Sulzer Brothers Limited
    Inventors: Hans-Georg Willert, Rudolf Koch
  • Patent number: 4944761
    Abstract: The stem of the femoral head prothesis has a distal zone of cylindrical cross-section and a proximal zone of rectangular cross section which extends from the distal zone. The sides of the stem in the proximal zone are plane with outstanding parallel ribs which can be driven into the spongy tissue of a femur bone. The ribs on the anterior side of the stem are of a lower height than the ribs on the posterior side. The outermost ribs on each side provide for a resilient four-point bearing on the hard cortical shell of the fem>r bone. A pair of trochanter wings are provided on the narrow lateral side to penetrate into the cortical shell of the femur bone in order to preclude rotation of the stem within the bone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 31, 1990
    Assignee: Sulzer Brothers Limited
    Inventors: Karl-Gerhart Stuhmer, Rudolf Koch
  • Patent number: 4938772
    Abstract: The prosthesis stem is provided with a recess on each side having boundary walls concentric to a common center of curvature. Each recess receives a molding which carries a wire mesh structure for the invasion of bone tissue after implantation. Bending of the proximal zone of the stem occurs without movement of the molding so that shear stresses are not imposed upon the bone tissue invading the wire mesh. A peg-like projection on each molding fits with a clearance in a further recess in the metal stem to avoid accidential sliding out of each recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 3, 1990
    Assignee: Sulzer Brothers Limited
    Inventors: Otto Frey, Rudolf Kock
  • Patent number: 4938770
    Abstract: The cavity of the stem of the tumor or re-operation prosthesis is subdivided by support elements into sub-cavities filled with bony material. The support elements are formed with central apertures through which the bony material can be supplied and re-vascularized from the living bone tissue of the femur stump. Wire mesh may cover over the apertures in the support elements as well as the slots between the circumferentially disposed webs which define the cavity of the stem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 3, 1990
    Assignee: Sulzer Brothers Limited
    Inventors: Otto Frey, Rudolf Koch
  • Patent number: 4938774
    Abstract: The stem for joint prostheses, in particular for hip prosthesis, has a proximal neck region (1), a lateral tension region (2), a medial compression region (3) and a central region (4) lying between said lateral and medial regions (2,3). The central region (4) is provided with a regular pattern of anteroposterior cuts (5) extending from said proximal region (1) to the distal end (6) of the stem rendering the stem stiffness adaptable to the stiffness of the receiving bone cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 3, 1990
    Assignee: Laboratorium fur experimentelle Chirurgie
    Inventor: Slobodan Tepic
  • Patent number: 4938767
    Abstract: A method of making an intraocular lens including providing a fixation member having a proximal end portion with the proximal end portion including an elongated filament, converting a region of said filament at said proximal end portion from a first configuration into a second configuration which is adapted to provide a mechanical interlock and molding an optic about the proximal end portion of the fixation member to form a mechanical interlock between the second configuration and the optic and to attach the fixation member to the optic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 3, 1990
    Assignee: Allergan, Inc.
    Inventors: Albert C. Ting, Timothy R. Willis, F. Richard Christ, Steven R. Bacich, Dean K. Pettit, Stanley L. Van Gent, Jeffrey C. Day
  • Patent number: 4936853
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an implantable knee joint prosthesis which is designed to replace the engaging surfaces of the femur and tibia of a dysfunctional human knee joint. In its most general form, the invention comprises an implantable knee joint prosthesis having a tibial stem portion, a tibial tray portion, an interchangeable modular articulating surface member which is removably attached to the tibial tray portion, and a femoral portion adapted to cooperatively bear upon the articulating surface. The invention also features a dual locking mechanism which attaches the articulating surface to the tibial tray portion by means of a locking lip and flange arrangement together with a locking screw which fits into the tibial stem portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 26, 1990
    Assignee: Kirschner Medical Corporation
    Inventors: Dennis F. Fabian, William C. Kim, Rick W. Basset, Michael A. Jacobs
  • Patent number: 4936849
    Abstract: Disclosed is an intraocular lens comprising a lens element and a plurality of haptics extending therefrom, at least one of the haptics having an anchoring filament with an enlarged complete or partial mushroom-shaped end fixedly disposed inside a passage in the lens element. Also disclosed is a method for fixing a haptic having an anchoring filament to a lens element in a soft intraocular lens comprising the steps of (a) forming in the lens element a passage having a width that is less than the greatest width of the anchoring filament, (b) lubricating the anchoring filament of the haptic, the passage in the lens element, or both, (c) inserting the anchoring filament end-first into the passage, and (d) washing the intraocular lens to remove the lubricant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 26, 1990
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Randall L. Knoll, James E. Aysta, Wilhelm Lewon
  • Patent number: 4936859
    Abstract: The reinforcement is formed of a peg from which a plurality of flaps extend with slots formed between adjacent flaps. The flaps serve to separate a bone cement bed within the interior of the reinforcement from a layer of a compacted spongy tissue externally of the reinforcement. The slots between the flaps extend over the entire height of the reinforcement and permit substantial spreading or widening of the flaps radially in order to adapt to the individual operation cavity and to anchoring stems of different cross-sectional sizes and shapes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 26, 1990
    Assignees: Sulzer Brothers Limited, Protek AG
    Inventors: Erwin W. Morscher, Otto Frey
  • Patent number: 4936850
    Abstract: A self-supporting intraocular lens formed entirely of a hydrogel and comprising a relatively thick central optic portion with relatively thin resilient flange portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 26, 1990
    Assignee: Ezekiel Nominees Pty. Ltd.
    Inventor: Graham D. Barrett
  • Patent number: 4934381
    Abstract: An endocardial pacemaker electrode has a surface region constructed of carbon and having pores for receiving the growth of tissue therein to permit the fixation of the electrode in the atrium or other location by the ingrowth of adjacent tissue. By fixing the location of the electrode, low stimulation thresholds and a consistent magnitude of sensed endocardial signal are maintained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 19, 1990
    Inventor: David C. MacGregor
  • Patent number: 4932966
    Abstract: An accommodating intraocular lens apparatus preferably includes a lens member having a relatively flexible portion and a relatively rigid portion, with a fluid-filled chamber therebetween. The preferred intraocular lens also includes a hydraulic or other fluid accommodation provision for changing the shape or position of the flexible lens by changing the fluid pressure in the fluid-filled chamber in response to muscle movement of the eye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 12, 1990
    Assignee: Storz Instrument Company
    Inventors: Bruce A. Christie, Brian M. McMaster, J. Warren Blaker
  • Patent number: 4932975
    Abstract: A dynamic prosthetic vertebral body for use in a cavity left by resection of a natural vertebral body and adjacent intervertebral discs. The prosthesis includes a pair of rigid housings joined by a connecting structure that is operable to shift the housings apart into supportive engagement with the healthy vertebral bodies adjacent the site of the resected body. Anchoring pins project outwardly in axial directions from the respective housings for secure fixation to the healthy vertebral bodies. Within the chamber of each housing is a rigid suspension plate surrounded by an elastomeric suspension medium, and the suspension plates of the two housings are joined by the expandable connecting structure. The relative sizes of the suspension plates and the chambers in which they are received allow limited movement of the housings, resulting in a prosthesis that provides the required support but also mimics the dynamics of a normal vertebra and adjacent discs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 12, 1990
    Assignee: Vanderbilt University
    Inventors: John A. Main, Mark E. Wells, Tony S. Keller
  • Patent number: 4932965
    Abstract: An artificial valve is provided which includes a holder for the sutures and needles. The holder positions the needles away from the valve but in a position where they may be readily reached during the valve replacement operation. The sutures are prethreaded through the valve sewing ring and are color coded for identification purposes when opposite ends are being tied together at the completion of the implantation procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 12, 1990
    Inventor: Steven J. Phillips
  • Patent number: 4932971
    Abstract: Clip-on optic assembly for clipping in situ onto a previously implanted intraocular lens to change its optical characteristics without removal from the eye, comprising a lens body having a plurality of spaced apart resilient clip members extending therefrom and outwardly terminating in clips for gripping the implanted lens peripheral edge to clip the assembly thereon. At least one clip is formed as a bent end sufficiently resilient for temporary unbending and displacement over and across the implanted lens peripheral edge to grip the clip thereon, e.g. with the clips being of selected length for maintaining the lens body optical axis concentric or eccentric to the implanted lens optical axis, the assembly upon insertion into the eye being clipped onto the implanted lens such that a bent end clip is last manipulated onto such peripheral edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 12, 1990
    Inventor: Charles D. Kelman