Patents Examined by William H. Matthews
  • Patent number: 8353947
    Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and method for locking self-expanding modular stent components together using an eversible extension on the male component. The male component is deployed partially within the female component, and with the eversible extension eversed over the male component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert C. Thistle, James B. White
  • Patent number: 8349004
    Abstract: A set formed of a scleral buckle and an encircling band is provided for use in connection with retinal detachment surgery to enable the implantation of both the scleral buckle and encircling band free of any suture. A self-assembling scleral buckle-encircling band combination is secured in place by surface scleral tunnels operative as belt loops to enable the securing of a scleral buckle and encircling band on the eyeball to exert an intended indentation effect for treatment of retinal detachment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: The Chinese University of Hong Kong
    Inventors: Yau Wing Vincent Lee, Shun-Chui Dennis Lam, Ta Li David Liu, Chi Lai Li
  • Patent number: 8349005
    Abstract: After a vitreous gel of an eyeball is liquefied, a choroid is exposed; a vitreous humor is sucked to decrease a pressure in a vitreous body; a pocket is formed in the choroid; and then an implant is inserted into the pocket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Inventor: Masatoshi Murata
  • Patent number: 8343234
    Abstract: A hand prosthesis includes a chassis and a finger prosthesis articulated to the chassis. A first drive is located in the chassis and is coupled via a force transmission unit to the finger prosthesis for moving the finger prosthesis about a first swiveling axis relative to the chassis. A second drive is located within the finger prosthesis and moves the finger prosthesis about a second swiveling axis relative to the chassis and relative to the first swiveling axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Otto Bock Healthcare GmbH
    Inventor: Gregor Puchhammer
  • Patent number: 8343227
    Abstract: A prosthetic knee joint assembly includes a femoral component that engages a femur and at least one bearing that supports articulation of the femoral component thereon. Also, the assembly includes a tibial tray that engages a tibia and that supports the bearing. A ligament link coupling component is included on the femoral component or the tibial tray. The ligament link coupling component is operable to couple to a ligament link to couple the ligament link to the femoral component or the tibial tray. Moreover, the assembly includes an opening included on the other of the femoral component or the tibial tray. The ligament link is received in the opening to bypass the other of the femoral component or the tibial tray to operably couple to the respective one of the femur or the tibia.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Biomet Manufacturing Corp.
    Inventors: Robert Metzger, Brian A. Uthgenannt, Kevin T. Stone
  • Patent number: 8343217
    Abstract: An accommodating intraocular lens for providing a range of accommodative vision contains an optic and a haptic. The optic is disposed about an optical axis and includes an anterior surface and a posterior surface defining a clear aperture of the optic. The haptic is at least partially disposed inside the optic and includes an inner structure, an outer structure, and a plurality of arms disposed between and connecting the inner structure and the outer structure. The inner structure is circumferentially disposed about the optical axis, while the outer structure is circumferentially disposed about the inner structure and has an outer face. Each arm has proximal portion adjacent the inner structure and a distal portion adjacent the outer structure that is bifurcated in a radial direction from the proximal portion. The intraocular lens also has an outer surface defined by outer surfaces of the plurality of arms and an outer surface of the outer structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Abbott Medical Optics Inc.
    Inventor: Timothy R. Bumbalough
  • Patent number: 8337552
    Abstract: An intraocular lens adapted for deployment within a lens capsule. At least part of a lens surface of the intraocular lens constitutes a cell inducing region in which are directly formed a multitude of microgrooves. The microgrooves take a form of minute linear grooves and lands of depth dimension between 0.01 and 1.0 ?m and width dimension between 0.1 and 2.0 ?m extending with prescribed length in a circumferential direction on the lens surface. The minute linear grooves and lands are formed with a chained pattern connected in the circumferential direction of the lens surface and with a periodic pattern arrayed periodically in a diametrical direction so that the minute linear grooves and lands are formed without intervening spaces throughout the entire cell inducing region and impart visible light transmittance of 60% or above to the cell inducing region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Kowa Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Kobayashi, Katsunori Yamada, Hiroaki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8328874
    Abstract: A mobile tibial assembly includes a tibial tray and a unicompartmental tibial insert configured to move relative to the tibial tray. The tibial insert includes a platform having an upper bearing surface and a stem extending downwardly from a bottom surface of the unicompartmental insert. The tibial tray includes a corresponding recess, such as a cavity and/or a channel, configured to receive the stem therein such that the stem and the recess cooperate to constrain the movement of the unicompartmental tibial insert relative to the tibial tray. The stem of the unicompartmental tibial insert is configured to extend below the bottom surface of the tibial tray when received in the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: DePuy Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Jordan S. Lee
  • Patent number: 8328869
    Abstract: Accommodating intraocular lenses containing a flowable media and their methods of accommodation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: PowerVision, Inc.
    Inventors: Terah Whiting Smiley, David John Smith, Steven Choi, Henry Wu, John A. Scholl, Denise H. Burns
  • Patent number: 8323354
    Abstract: The present invention discloses an instrumented prosthetic foot for use with an actuated leg prosthesis controlled by a controller, the instrumented prosthetic foot comprising a connector to connect the instrumented prosthetic foot to the leg prosthesis, an ankle structure connected to the connector, a ground engaging member connected to the ankle, at least one sensor for detecting changes in weight distribution along the foot, and an interface for transmitting signals from the sensor to the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Victhom Human Bionics Inc.
    Inventors: Stephane Bedard, Pierre-Olivier Roy
  • Patent number: 8323353
    Abstract: A compression stabilized prosthetic socket for a patient having an amputated limb and a remaining portion includes a first socket portion for contacting a patient's remaining portion of a limb, and a second socket portion for attachment of a prosthetic device. The first socket portion has compression portions having a radius for compressing portions of the patient's remaining portion of a limb, and relief portions receiving any portions of the patient's remaining limb which bulge upon the compression applied by the compression portions. The relief portions may be formed as openings or as enlarged radius portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Inventors: Randall D. Alley, T. Walley Williams, III
  • Patent number: 8322346
    Abstract: A minimally-invasive surgical procedure for monitoring a physiological parameter within an internal organ of a living body. The procedure entails making a first incision in the body to enable access to the organ. An endoscopic instrument is then inserted through the first incision and a second incision is made therewith through an external wall of the organ and into the internal cavity thereof. A sensing unit is placed in the second incision such that the second incision is occluded by the unit and a proximal end of the unit is outside the organ. The unit includes a sensing device having a sensing element adapted to sense the physiological parameter within the organ, and an anchor to which the sensing device is secured. The first incision is closed, after which a readout device outside the body telemetrically communicates with the sensing device to obtain a reading of the physiological parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Integrated Sensing Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Nader Najafi, Catherine Hook Morgan
  • Patent number: 8317876
    Abstract: The invention relates to an artificial foot with a connecting part for a lower leg part, a forefoot part which is pivotably connected to the connecting part by means of an upper coupling element and a lower coupling element in such a way that an angular position of the connecting part controls an angular position of the forefoot part, one of the coupling elements extending into a heel area of the foot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Otto Bock HealthCare GmbH
    Inventor: Lüder Mosler
  • Patent number: 8317874
    Abstract: The invention relates to an orthopaedic aid, in particular to a prosthesis (58) or orthosis comprising an orthopaedic fluid damper (10) with a displacement chamber (14) formed in a housing (12), with a piston (16) mounted in the displacement chamber (14), with a fluid reservoir for a fluid (20), with a return flow conduit (22) connecting the displacement chamber (14) to the fluid reservoir, with a valve (24) that can adopt an open position and a closed position, in which it at least partially closes the return flow conduit (22), and with a joint (72) that has a first branch (60) and a second branch (66), wherein the first branch (60) is connected to the housing (12) and the second branch (66) is connected to the piston (16). A device (84) is also provided for detecting a joint force (FB) acting on the joint, which device (84) is designed to bring the valve (24) to the closed position when the joint force (FB) exceeds a predefined threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Otto Bock Healthcare GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Pusch, Jens Noerthemann, Thomas Kettwig
  • Patent number: 8313531
    Abstract: An interlocking reversed hip prosthesis including an acetabular cup being implanted in the acetabular cavity having an acetabular articular ball, firmly attached to the central portion of the cup via Morse taper. The femoral component having a hemispherical cup attached to the neck of the implant via Morse taper in a modular fashion thereby allowing use of several length necks. After implantation of the acetabular cup and the femoral cup, the two members are assembled together for relative movement. The acetabular cup secured by several screws or resorbable fixation studs. During range of motion, the edge of the femoral cup becomes inserted into space located between the acetabular cup and the acetabular ball and becomes restrained thus reducing the likelihood of dislocation during extreme range of motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Hip Innovation Technology LLC
    Inventor: Zafer Termanini
  • Patent number: 8298294
    Abstract: The invention relates to an orthopedic foot device with a connection part for the lower leg, a swivel joint (5) acting as an ankle joint (7) by means of which a foot part (10) is rotatably connected in the direction of dorsiflexion and the direction of plantar flexion to the connection part, with a damping arrangement (17) influencing the rotational movement about the swivel joint (5), with a sensor arrangement for detecting action states of the orthopedic foot part, and with a control unit connected to the sensor arrangement which controls the damping arrangement (17). The object is achieved by the fact that the sensor arrangement has an ankle-angle sensor which measures the angle between the connection part and the foot part (10), an absolute-angle sensor (20) relating to the plumb line and a moments sensor (21) for determining the torque on the ankle joint (7) or a force effecting a torque on the ankle joint (7).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Otto Bock HealthCare GmbH
    Inventors: Sven Kaltenborn, Felix Ruess, Sven Zarling, Bernhard Bischof, Thomas Kraus
  • Patent number: 8292965
    Abstract: An artificial knee joint is described that includes a femoral component with a specially shaped bearing surface and a tibial component, whose surface interacts with the femoral surfaces. The interaction provides for the required motion and stability characteristics. The interaction between the femoral and tibial surfaces is such that as the knee is flexed to maximum, the femoral component moves posteriorly on the tibial surface, by an amount similar to that in the anatomic knee. The opposite motion, roll forward of the femur from a fully flexed to a more extended position, is accomplished by varying the outward radii of the lateral and medial femoral bearing surfaces, together with a ramp on the postero-lateral and postero-medial regions of the tibial surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: New York University
    Inventor: Peter Stanley Walker
  • Patent number: 8292952
    Abstract: A lens for placement in a human eye, such as intraocular lens, has at least some of its optical properties formed with a laser. The laser forms modified loci in the lens when the modified loci have a different refractive index than the refractive index of the material before modification. Different patterns of modified loci can provide selected dioptic power, toric adjustment, and/or aspheric adjustment provided. Preferably both the anterior and posterior surfaces of the lens are planar for ease of placement in the human eye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Aaren Scientific Inc.
    Inventor: Josef F. Bille
  • Patent number: 8287592
    Abstract: Disclosed are ophthalmic devices configured to be implanted in an eye of a patient. In one embodiment, the ophthalmic device includes a mask configured to increase the depth of focus of the patient and comprising a highly fluorinated polymeric material in which the number of carbon-fluorine bonds equals or exceeds the number of carbon-hydrogen bonds in the highly fluorinated polymeric material. The highly fluorinated polymeric material can be resistant to degradation upon exposure to ultraviolet light. The mask further includes an aperture configured to transmit light and a portion configured to be substantially opaque to visible light and to surround at least a portion of the aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: AcuFocus, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas A. Silvestrini
  • Patent number: 8262722
    Abstract: An endoprosthesis, in particular an intraluminal endoprosthesis, for example a stent, having a base body composed at least partially of a metallic material, and having a functional element which is attached to the base body or imbedded therein and which contains material that is radiopaque and/or X-ray opaque and has a different material composition, at least in a portion of its volume, compared to the material of the base body. To avoid contact corrosion and undesired corrosion, the functional element is provided with a barrier layer which electrically insulates the radiopaque and/or X-ray opaque material from the base body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: BIOTRONIK VI Patent AG
    Inventors: Bjoern Klocke, Johannes Riedmueller