Patents by Inventor Bruce E. Hammer

Bruce E. Hammer 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: 7483732
    Abstract: Medical devices incorporate therein imaging materials having selected MRI detectable nuclei to provide useful magnetic resonance images of the medical devices and proximate body tissue. Also, a method generates MRI images of such a medical device, and involves performing first and second MRI processes on a body portion including at least a portion of the medical device to obtain, respectively, first and second image data. The first MRI process is adapted to detect MRI detectable nuclei present in the proximate body tissue, and the second MRI process is adapted to detect the selected MRI detectable nuclei contained in the device's imaging material. The selected MRI detectable nuclei incorporated in the imaging material is not the same nuclei that the first MRI process is adapted to detect. The second image data are combined with the first image data to produce image data for the medical device and the proximate body tissue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2009
    Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc.
    Inventors: Sheng-Ping Zhong, Michael N Helmus, Scott R. Smith, Bruce E. Hammer
  • Patent number: 6758828
    Abstract: An apparatus delivers an agent to a treatment region, the apparatus having an outer cannula or lumen that has an internal surface and an external surface, the external surface being substantially smooth to penetrate tissue whereas the distal end is tapered; an inner cannula, or lumen coaxial to the outer cannula, providing a common fluid path (that is the same fluid passes through both the inner cannula and outer cannula) at the distal end with the inner surface of the outer cannula; a source of fluid to be passed through the common fluid path, the source of fluid comprising at least a reservoir of nutrients and/or gases for maintaining cells contained in a lumen coaxial and internal to the inner cannula; a semipermeable membrane comprises the surface of the lumen, thus allowing controlled material transport across the lumen surface; a source of cells or other biologically active material mass flow connected to the proximal lumen so that the cells or other biologically active material can exit the distal port
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: Regents of the University of Minnesota
    Inventors: Bruce E. Hammer, Mark J. Conroy
  • Publication number: 20030109849
    Abstract: An apparatus delivers an agent to a treatment region, the apparatus having an outer cannula or lumen that has an internal surface and an external surface, the external surface being substantially smooth to penetrate tissue whereas the distal end is tapered; an inner cannula, or lumen coaxial to the outer cannula, providing a common fluid path (that is the same fluid passes through both the inner cannula and outer cannula) at the distal end with the inner surface of the outer cannula; a source of fluid to be passed through the common fluid path, the source of fluid comprising at least a reservoir of nutrients and/or gases for maintaining cells contained in a lumen coaxial and internal to the inner cannula; a semipermeable membrane comprises the surface of the lumen, thus allowing controlled material transport across the lumen surface; a source of cells or other biologically active material mass flow connected to the proximal lumen so that the cells or other biologically active material can exit the distal port
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2001
    Publication date: June 12, 2003
    Applicant: The Regents of the Univ. of MN
    Inventors: Bruce E. Hammer, Mark J. Conroy
  • Patent number: 4939464
    Abstract: NMR-PET scanner apparatus is provided wherein a PET detector is disposed within a magnetic imaging structure of an NMR device. The output of the PET detector is conveyed through light pipes to photodetectors which are shielded and disposed without the magnetic imaging structure of the NMR device to avoid interaction between the photodetectors and the magnetic field generated by the magnetic imaging structure of the NMR device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 3, 1990
    Assignee: Intermagnetics General Corporation
    Inventor: Bruce E. Hammer