Patents by Inventor Bernard J. Bourque

Bernard J. Bourque 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).

  • Publication number: 20220008062
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a tissue repair device. The device includes a handle, a knob coupled to the handle, and a needle coupled to the handle. The needle includes a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end including a slot, wherein a first anchor is housed within the distal end and a second anchor is housed within the slot and located proximal to the first anchor, An actuator disposed within the needle and operatively coupled to the knob, wherein advancement of the knob allows for engagement of the actuator with the first anchor and subsequent advancement of the first anchor via the actuator. A method of tissue repair is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Publication date: January 13, 2022
    Applicant: Smith & Nephew, Inc.
    Inventors: Bernard J. Bourque, William R. Davis, Scott Freedman
  • Patent number: 11179148
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a tissue repair device. The device includes a handle, a knob coupled to the handle, and a needle coupled to the handle. The needle includes a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end including a slot, wherein a first anchor is housed within the distal end and a second anchor is housed within the slot and located proximal to the first anchor. An actuator disposed within the needle and operatively coupled to the knob, wherein advancement of the knob allows for engagement of the actuator with the first anchor and subsequent advancement of the first anchor via the actuator. A method of tissue repair is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: SMITH & NEPHEW, INC.
    Inventors: Bernard J. Bourque, William R. Davis, Scott Freedman
  • Patent number: 10758252
    Abstract: A retro guidewire reamer includes a cutting member, and a mechanism for moving the cutting member from a closed position to a deployed position in a single manual motion. Once a desired size of a bone tunnel is established, a surgeon uses the reamer to create a primary bone tunnel over a guidewire from the outside in. The surgeon retracts the guidewire, and activates the mechanism to deploy the cutting member within the bone joint to conform to the size of a tendon graft. The surgeon uses the deployed cutting member to create a counter bore through the bone in a retrograde manner. Once the counter bore is drilled, the surgeon activates the mechanism to close the cutting member, allowing the reamer to be withdrawn through the primary tunnel. The retro guidewire reamer can be used to provide more accurate bone tunnel placement during ligament reconstruction surgery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Smith & Nephew, Inc.
    Inventors: Bernard J. Bourque, David J. Callaghan, Michael C. Ferragamo
  • Patent number: 10695050
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a tissue repair device. The device includes a handle, a knob coupled to the handle, and a needle coupled to the handle. The needle includes a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end including a slot, wherein a first anchor is housed within the distal end and a second anchor is housed within the slot and located proximal to the first anchor. An actuator disposed within the needle and operatively coupled to the knob, wherein advancement of the knob allows for engagement of the actuator with the first anchor and subsequent advancement of the first anchor via the actuator. A method of tissue repair is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Smith & Nephew, Inc.
    Inventors: Bernard J. Bourque, William R. Davis, Scott Freedman
  • Publication number: 20200078003
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a tissue repair device. The device includes a handle, a knob coupled to the handle, and a needle coupled to the handle. The needle includes a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end including a slot, wherein a first anchor is housed within the distal end and a second anchor is housed within the slot and located proximal to the first anchor. An actuator disposed within the needle and operatively coupled to the knob, wherein advancement of the knob allows for engagement of the actuator with the first anchor and subsequent advancement of the first anchor via the actuator. A method of tissue repair is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Publication date: March 12, 2020
    Applicant: Smith & Nephew, Inc.
    Inventors: Bernard J. Bourque, William R. Davis, Scott Freedman
  • Patent number: 10537320
    Abstract: An arthroscopic needle having partial cuts or serrations along one side of a circular, hollow needle shaft allows the needle to bend, or articulate, by drawing a pull strip bar, defined by a thin strip along the interior side closet to the serrations in the hollow shaft, for compressing along the cuts to draw uncut segments into closer arrangement for curving the needle in the direction of the compressed side. The selectively articulating, or “bendable” needle that curves in response to a rotating knob provides for insertion of surgical attachment anchors in difficult-to-reach areas of meniscal tissue. The disclosed articulating needle has the ability to bend and access more anterior and posterior zones of meniscal repairs than conventional rigid needle approaches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: Smith & Nephew, Inc.
    Inventors: Bernard J. Bourque, David J. Callaghan
  • Patent number: 10499904
    Abstract: An arthroscopic anchor insertion tool and method for inserting consecutive, longitudinally aligned anchors from a common deployment channel of a cannulated needle by employing positive stops to prevent travel of an actuator from simultaneously advancing multiple anchors into a surgical site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Smith & Nephew, Inc.
    Inventor: Bernard J. Bourque
  • Publication number: 20190328379
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a tissue repair device. The device includes a handle, a knob coupled to the handle, and a needle coupled to the handle. The needle includes a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end including a slot, wherein a first anchor is housed within the distal end and a second anchor is housed within the slot and located proximal to the first anchor. An actuator disposed within the needle and operatively coupled to the knob, wherein advancement of the knob allows for engagement of the actuator with the first anchor and subsequent advancement of the first anchor via the actuator. A method of tissue repair is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2019
    Publication date: October 31, 2019
    Applicant: Smith & Nephew, Inc.
    Inventors: Bernard J. Bourque, William R. Davis, Scott Freedman
  • Patent number: 10390815
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a tissue repair device. The device includes a handle, a knob coupled to the handle, and a needle coupled to the handle. The needle includes a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end including a slot, wherein a first anchor is housed within the distal end and a second anchor is housed within the slot and located proximal to the first anchor. An actuator disposed within the needle and operatively coupled to the knob, wherein advancement of the knob allows for engagement of the actuator with the first anchor and subsequent advancement of the first anchor via the actuator. A method of tissue repair is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: Smith & Nephew, Inc
    Inventors: Bernard J. Bourque, William R. Davis, Scott Freedman
  • Patent number: 10219872
    Abstract: A thickness gage including a transparent measurement tube configured to receive and be slidingly engaged over a tubular shaft of a retrograde reamer. The tubular shaft has linear graduation marks on its surface for identifying linear measures for use in measuring a thickness of a bridge bone gap. The linear graduation marks are located on the tubular shaft surface such that at least some of the linear graduation marks can be observed through the transparent measurement tube. Each linear graduation mark, when aligned with a proximal end of the measurement tube, provides a linear measure of the distance between a distal end of the measurement tube and a cutting member of the retrograde reamer positioned so that its central axis is disposed at a non-zero angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the tubular shaft. Such a distance corresponds to the thickness of the bridge bone gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Smith & Nephew, Inc.
    Inventors: Bernard J. Bourque, David J. Callaghan
  • Publication number: 20190038299
    Abstract: A retro guidewire reamer includes a cutting member, and a mechanism for moving the cutting member from a closed position to a deployed position in a single manual motion. Once a desired size of a bone tunnel is established, a surgeon uses the reamer to create a primary bone tunnel over a guidewire from the outside in. The surgeon retracts the guidewire, and activates the mechanism to deploy the cutting member within the bone joint to conform to the size of a tendon graft. The surgeon uses the deployed cutting member to create a counter bore through the bone in a retrograde manner. Once the counter bore is drilled, the surgeon activates the mechanism to close the cutting member, allowing the reamer to be withdrawn through the primary tunnel. The retro guidewire reamer can be used to provide more accurate bone tunnel placement during ligament reconstruction surgery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Applicant: Smith & Nephew, Inc.
    Inventors: Bernard J. Bourque, David J. Callaghan, Michael C. Ferragamo
  • Patent number: 10105150
    Abstract: A retro guidewire reamer includes a cutting member, and a mechanism for moving the cutting member from a closed position to a deployed position in a single manual motion. Once a desired size of a bone tunnel is established, a surgeon uses the reamer to create a primary bone tunnel over a guidewire from the outside in. The surgeon retracts the guidewire, and activates the mechanism to deploy the cutting member within the bone joint to conform to the size of a tendon graft. The surgeon uses the deployed cutting member to create a counter bore through the bone in a retrograde manner. Once the counter bore is drilled, the surgeon activates the mechanism to close the cutting member, allowing the reamer to be withdrawn through the primary tunnel. The retro guidewire reamer can be used to provide more accurate bone tunnel placement during ligament reconstruction surgery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: Smith & Newphew, Inc.
    Inventors: Bernard J. Bourque, David J. Callaghan, Michael C. Ferragamo
  • Publication number: 20180296300
    Abstract: A thickness gage including a transparent measurement tube configured to receive and be slidingly engaged over a tubular shaft of a retrograde reamer. The tubular shaft has linear graduation marks on its surface for identifying linear measures for use in measuring a thickness of a bridge bone gap. The linear graduation marks are located on the tubular shaft surface such that at least some of the linear graduation marks can be observed through the transparent measurement tube. Each linear graduation mark, when aligned with a proximal end of the measurement tube, provides a linear measure of the distance between a distal end of the measurement tube, and a cutting member of the retrograde reamer positioned so that its central axis is disposed at a non-zero angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the tubular shaft. Such a distance corresponds to the thickness of the bridge bone gap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2018
    Publication date: October 18, 2018
    Applicant: Smith & Nephew, Inc.
    Inventors: Bernard J. Bourque, David J. Callaghan
  • Patent number: 10028843
    Abstract: A bone graft compaction pliers with removable inserts defines a bone graft harvesting and deployment system applicable to a wide variety of bone graft sized for use with bone anchors such as those employed in ACL repair. Cannulated bone anchors for encouraging bone regrowth employ an anchor with a axial cannulated bore and a plurality of fenestrations surrounding the bore to facilitate bone regrowth. A variety of sizes of single use inserts corresponding to a bone graft shape, or diameter, engage a single compaction pliers for forming various sized bone grafts from a single tool. A transparent transfer tube and corresponding base receives the formed bone graft for length adjustment, and engages protrusions on the recipient bone anchor for aligning the transfer tube to the anchor for disposing the bone graft into the cannulated bore of the anchor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Smith & Nephew, Inc.
    Inventors: Bernard J. Bourque, William R. Davis, Alfred R. Berube, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10028800
    Abstract: A thickness gage including a transparent measurement tube configured to receive and be slidingly engaged over a tubular shaft of a retrograde reamer. The tubular shaft has linear graduation marks on its surface for identifying linear measures for use in measuring a thickness of a bridge bone gap. The linear graduation marks are located on the tubular shaft surface such that at least some of the linear graduation marks can be observed through the transparent measurement tube. Each linear graduation mark, when aligned with a proximal end of the measurement tube, provides a linear measure of the distance between a distal end of the measurement tube and a cutting member of the retrograde reamer positioned so that its central axis is disposed at a non-zero angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the tubular shaft. Such a distance corresponds to the thickness of the bridge bone gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Smith & Nephew, Inc.
    Inventors: Bernard J. Bourque, David J. Callaghan
  • Patent number: 9901355
    Abstract: The present invention relates to medical apparatuses and procedures for reconstructing a ligament. There is provided a trephine (10) comprising an adaptor (11), an elongate reamer (12) coupled thereto, and a reamer support stem (13), wherein the reamer support stem is mounted concentrically within the reamer and adaptor, and wherein at least a portion of the reamer support stem is slidably moveable about a longitudinal axis of the trephine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Smith & Nephew, Inc.
    Inventors: Bernard J. Bourque, Wei Li Fan, Rebecca Ann Blough, Ben Kim Graf, William R. Davis
  • Publication number: 20180028169
    Abstract: An arthroscopic anchor insertion tool and method for inserting consecutive, longitudinally aligned anchors from a common deployment channel of a cannulated needle by employing positive stops to prevent travel of an actuator from simultaneously advancing multiple anchors into a surgical site.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2016
    Publication date: February 1, 2018
    Applicant: Smith & Nephew, Inc.
    Inventor: Bernard J. Bourque
  • Publication number: 20180021035
    Abstract: An arthroscopic needle having partial cuts or serrations along one side of a circular, hollow needle shaft allows the needle to bend, or articulate, by drawing a pull strip bar, defined by a thin strip along the interior side closet to the serrations in the hollow shaft, for compressing along the cuts to draw uncut segments into closer arrangement for curving the needle in the direction of the compressed side. The selectively articulating, or “bendable” needle that curves in response to a rotating knob provides for insertion of surgical attachment anchors in difficult-to-reach areas of meniscal tissue. The disclosed articulating needle has the ability to bend and access more anterior and posterior zones of meniscal repairs than conventional rigid needle approaches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2016
    Publication date: January 25, 2018
    Applicant: Smith & Nephew, Inc.
    Inventors: Bernard J. Bourque, David J. Callaghan
  • Patent number: 9861355
    Abstract: A surgical device includes a first member, deformable to move a pair of opposing projections toward one another. The projections are received in a pair of opposing openings in a second member, so the first member can pivot relative to the second member about an axis defined by the projections. In another aspect, a surgical instrument includes a first pinless joint pivotably coupling a first jaw to a second jaw, a second pinless joint coupling a distal end of an actuating member to the first jaw, and a third pinless joint coupling a handle to a proximal end of the actuating member. The third pinless joint translates movement of the handle into axial movement of the actuating member, and the second pinless joint translates axial movement of the actuating member into pivotable movement of the first jaw relative to the second jaw about the first pinless joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Smith & Nephew, Inc.
    Inventors: Bernard J. Bourque, Michael C. Ferragamo
  • Publication number: 20170296288
    Abstract: A thickness gage including a transparent measurement tube configured to receive and be slidingly engaged over a tubular shaft of a retrograde reamer. The tubular shaft has linear graduation marks on its surface for identifying linear measures for use in measuring a thickness of a bridge bone gap. The linear graduation marks are located on the tubular shaft surface such that at least some of the linear graduation marks can be observed through the transparent measurement tube. Each linear graduation mark, when aligned with a proximal end of the measurement tube, provides a linear measure of the distance between a distal end of the measurement tube and a cutting member of the retrograde reamer positioned so that its central axis is disposed at a non-zero angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the tubular shaft. Such a distance corresponds to the thickness of the bridge bone gap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2017
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Applicant: Smith & Nephew, Inc.
    Inventors: Bernard J. Bourque, David J. Callaghan