Patents by Inventor Andrew L. Barnes

Andrew L. Barnes has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8430812
    Abstract: A surgical access assembly for use during a surgical procedure includes a housing, an access member extending distally from the housing and being dimensioned for positioning within tissue and a seal assembly disposed within the housing. The seal assembly includes first and second seal components operatively coupled to each other. Each of the first and second seal components includes respective seal members defining a respective passage for passage of a surgical object. The first seal component is adapted for rotational movement about the longitudinal axis and relative to the second seal component. The first seal component may be capable of relative rotation between a first position, in which the passages of the first and second seal members are in substantial longitudinal alignment, and a second position in which the passages of the first and second seal members are radially offset to inhibit the communication of fluid through the seal assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Covidien LP
    Inventor: Andrew L. Barnes
  • Patent number: 8177754
    Abstract: A seal device having a substantially conical shape including a slit opening at its tip defined by a pair of planar surfaces, the opening reinforced by gussets on the exterior surface of the seal device and adjacent to the end regions of the slit. The gussets help bias the ends of the slit towards a closed position, even when an instrument is located within the slit, to thereby reduce “cat-eye”-ing and minimize leakage therethrough. The seal device may include ramps on respective inner surfaces of the device, the ramps functioning as a lead-in to the slitted opening such an inserted instrument contacts the ramps first and opens the slit prior to the instrument contacting the material of the slit. Along the outer surface of the device is a flexible body portion to minimize the effect on the opening when an instrument is inserted into the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Tyco Healthcare Group LP
    Inventor: Andrew L. Barnes
  • Publication number: 20110082344
    Abstract: A surgical access assembly for use during a surgical procedure includes a housing, an access member extending distally from the housing and being dimensioned for positioning within tissue and a seal assembly disposed within the housing. The seal assembly includes first and second seal components operatively coupled to each other. Each of the first and second seal components includes respective seal members defining a respective passage for passage of a surgical object. The first seal component is adapted for rotational movement about the longitudinal axis and relative to the second seal component. The first seal component may be capable of relative rotation between a first position, in which the passages of the first and second seal members are in substantial longitudinal alignment, and a second position in which the passages of the first and second seal members are radially offset to inhibit the communication of fluid through the seal assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2010
    Publication date: April 7, 2011
    Inventor: Andrew L. Barnes
  • Publication number: 20100241078
    Abstract: A seal device having a substantially conical shape including a slit opening at its tip defined by a pair of planar surfaces, the opening reinforced by gussets on the exterior surface of the seal device and adjacent to the end regions of the slit. The gussets help bias the ends of the slit towards a closed position, even when an instrument is located within the slit, to thereby reduce “cat-eye”-ing and minimize leakage therethrough. The seal device may include ramps on respective inner surfaces of the device, the ramps functioning as a lead-in to the slitted opening such an inserted instrument contacts the ramps first and opens the slit prior to the instrument contacting the material of the slit. Along the outer surface of the device is a flexible body portion to minimize the effect on the opening when an instrument is inserted into the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2010
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Inventor: Andrew L. Barnes