Patents Examined by Stephan C. Pellegrino
  • Patent number: 5531748
    Abstract: The device includes a medullary rod that is locked to a bone of a patient and that has at least one threaded hole with an axis parallel to the femoral neck of the bone, at least one self-drilling, self-tapping screw designed to pass through the hole in the rod and to engage the femoral neck of the bone, at least one sleeve designed to fit around a proximal end of the screw and to be threaded into the hole in the rod, and a shoulder on the sleeve for immobilizing the sleeve relative to the rod. According to the invention, the proximal end of the screw has a circular cross section which is formed to slide within a bore in the sleeve. Each sleeve has a threaded exterior portion which engages the threaded hole, and a proximal end portion shaped to allow the sleeve to be threaded into the hole in the rod. The shoulder on the sleeve bears against the rod to immobilize the sleeve relative to the rod when the sleeve has been fully threaded into the hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 2, 1996
    Assignee: Fixano
    Inventor: Jean-Yves de la Caffiniere
  • Patent number: 5334199
    Abstract: A ligating instrument includes a handle for securing a proximal end of a ligating device externally of the body with one hand, the ligating device defining a lumen for passage therethrough of a length of ligature material formed with a ligature loop for being disposed externally of a distal end of the ligating device to be positioned around anatomical tissue to be ligated within the body, and an operating member coupled with the ligature material for being manually moved with the same hand as that securing the ligating device proximal end to pull the ligature material through the ligating device to form a ligature with the ligature loop in the anatomical tissue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 2, 1994
    Inventor: InBae Yoon
  • Patent number: 5201741
    Abstract: A surgical snare having a wire which forms the snare loop made from a shape memory effect metallic alloy which exhibits superelasticity at room temperature. The wire is trained so that it assumes an intermediate snare loop size in an unrestrained free state. From this trained free state configuration, the loop can be expanded to a large loop and contracted to a very small loop without permanent deformation from the trained intermediate state. This range of movement enables an expanded range of applicability for snares in general, and also enables reducing the instrument tip size with improved loop configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 13, 1993
    Assignee: Andrew Surgical, Inc.
    Inventor: David H. Dulebohn
  • Patent number: 5098440
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for retrieving an object such as a stent from a subject. A catheter supports two wire loops that can be manipulated from outside the subject to engage the object. By manipulating the catheter and the wire loops, the object can be captured and drawn inside a guide catheter through which the catheter is inserted. The catheter and attached stent can then be pulled from the subject.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1992
    Assignee: Cordis Corporation
    Inventor: Richard A. Hillstead