Patents by Inventor Christopher J. Calhoun

Christopher J. Calhoun 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: 20040115241
    Abstract: An anti-adhesion membrane is placed onto an implant introduced into a surgical site of a patient to prevent post-surgical adhesions between the implant and surrounding tissue. The implant may comprise either biological material, such as a transplanted organ, or non-biological material such as a medical device. The membrane may be applied in a variety of ways. In one example, a membrane according to the present invention is shrink-wrapped around a pace-maker. In another example, a breast implant is spray-coated or dipped with the membrane material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2003
    Publication date: June 17, 2004
    Inventors: Christopher J. Calhoun, Ralph E. Holmes, G. Bryan Cornwall
  • Patent number: 6712851
    Abstract: A resorbable, flexible implant in the form of a continuous macro-porous sheet is disclosed. The implant is adapted to protect biological tissue defects, especially bone defects in the mammalian skeletal system, from the interposition of adjacent soft tissues during in vivo repair. The membrane has pores with diameters from 20 microns to 3000 microns. This porosity is such that vasculature and connective tissue cells derived from the adjacent soft tissues including the periosteum can proliferate through the membrane into the bone defect. The thickness of the sheet is such that the sheet has both sufficient flexibility to allow the sheet to be shaped to conform to the configuration of a skeletal region to be repaired, and sufficient tensile strength to allow the sheet to be so shaped without damage to the sheet. The sheet provides enough inherent mechanical strength to withstand pressure from adjacent musculature and does not collapse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2004
    Assignee: MacroPore Biosurgery, Inc.
    Inventors: Stefan M. Lemperle, Christopher J. Calhoun
  • Patent number: 6673362
    Abstract: Resorbable polylactide polymer scar tissue reduction barrier membranes and methods of their application are disclosed. The scar-tissue reduction barrier membranes are constructed entirely of polylactide resorbable polymers, which are engineered to be absorbed into the body relatively slowly over time in order to reduce potential negative side effects. The scar tissue reduction barrier membranes are formed to have thicknesses on the order of microns, such as, for example, thicknesses between 10 and 300 microns. The membranes are preshaped with welding flanges and stored in sterile packaging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: MacroPore Biosurgery, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher J. Calhoun, Ralph E. Holmes
  • Publication number: 20030185874
    Abstract: Resorbable polymer barrier membranes and methods of their applications are disclosed. In a broad embodiment, methods of governing bone growth, or preventing bone growth into a certain spatial area, includes the step of forming a spatial barrier with the present resorbable barrier membrane. The barrier membrane separates a bone-growth area and a non-bone-growth area, and prevents bone from growing into the non-growth area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2003
    Publication date: October 2, 2003
    Inventors: Christopher J. Calhoun, G. Bryan Cornwall
  • Publication number: 20030152608
    Abstract: Resorbable polylactide polymer scar tissue reduction barrier membranes and methods of their application are disclosed. The scar-tissue reduction barrier membranes are constructed entirely of polylactide resorbable polymers, which are engineered to be absorbed into the body relatively slowly over time in order to reduce potential negative side effects. The scar tissue reduction barrier membranes are formed to have thicknesses on the order of microns, such as, for example, thicknesses between 10 and 300 microns. The membranes are preshaped with welding flanges and stored in sterile packaging.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2003
    Publication date: August 14, 2003
    Inventors: Christopher J. Calhoun, Ralph E. Holmes
  • Patent number: 6531146
    Abstract: Resorbable polylactide polymer scar tissue reduction barrier membranes and methods of their application are disclosed. The scar-tissue reduction barrier membranes are constructed entirely of polylactide resorbable polymers, which are engineered to be absorbed into the body relatively slowly over time in order to reduce potential negative side effects. The scar tissue reduction barrier membranes are formed to have thicknesses on the order of microns, such as, for example, thicknesses between 10 and 300 microns. The membranes are preshaped with welding flanges and stored in sterile packaging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2003
    Assignee: MacroPore, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher J. Calhoun, Ralph E. Holmes
  • Patent number: 6391059
    Abstract: A resorbing, flexible implant in the form of a continuous macro-porous sheet (42) is disclosed. The implant is adapted to protect biological tissue defects, especially bone defects in the mammalian skeletal system, from the interposition of adjacent soft tissues during in vitro repair. The membrane (42) has pores with diameters from 20 microns to 3000 microns. This porosity is such that vasculature, and connective tissue cells derived from the adjacent soft tissues including the periosteum, can proliferate through the membrane into the bone defect. The thickness of the sheet is such that the sheet has both sufficient flexibility to allow the sheet to be shaped to conform to the configuration of a skeletal region to be repaired, and sufficient tensile strength to allow the sheet to be so shaped without damage to the sheet. The sheet provides enough inherent mechanical strength to withstand pressure from adjacent musculature, and does not collapse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: MacroPore, Inc.
    Inventors: Stefan M. Lemperle, Christopher J. Calhoun
  • Publication number: 20020001609
    Abstract: Resorbable polylactide polymer scar tissue reduction barrier membranes and methods of their application are disclosed. The scar-tissue reduction barrier membranes are constructed entirely of polylactide resorbable polymers, which are engineered to be absorbed into the body relatively slowly over time in order to reduce potential negative side effects. The scar tissue reduction barrier membranes are formed to have thicknesses on the order of microns, such as, for example, thicknesses between 10 and 300 microns. The membranes are preshaped with welding flanges and stored in sterile packaging.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2001
    Publication date: January 3, 2002
    Applicant: MacroPore, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher J. Calhoun, Ralph E. Holmes
  • Patent number: 6280473
    Abstract: A resorbable, flexible implant in the form of a continuous macro-porous sheet is disclosed. The implant is adapted to protect biological tissue defects, especially bone defects in the mammalian skeletal system, from the interposition of adjacent soft tissues during in vivo repair. The membrane has pores with diameters from 20 microns to 3000 microns. This porosity is such that vasculature and connective tissue cells derived from the adjacent soft tissues including the periosteum can proliferate through the membrane into the bone defect. The thickness of the sheet is such that the sheet has both sufficient flexibility to allow the sheet to be shaped to conform to the configuration of a skeletal region to be repaired, and sufficient tensile strength to allow the sheet to be so shaped without damage to the sheet. The sheet provides enough inherent mechanical strength to withstand pressure from adjacent musculature and does not collapse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Assignee: MacroPore, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephan M. Lemperle, Christopher J. Calhoun
  • Patent number: 5919234
    Abstract: A resorbable, flexible implant in the form of a continuous macro-porous sheet is disclosed. The implant is adapted to protect biological tissue defects, especially bone defects in the mammalian skeletal system, from the interposition of adjacent soft tissues during in vivo repair. The membrane has pores with diameters from 20 microns to 3000 microns. This porosity is such that vasculature and connective tissue cells derived from the adjacent soft tissues including the periosteum can proliferate through the membrane into the bone defect. The thickness of the sheet is such that the sheet has both sufficient flexibility to allow the sheet to be shaped to conform to the configuration of a skeletal region to be repaired, and sufficient tensile strength to allow the sheet to be so shaped without damage to the sheet. The sheet provides enough inherent mechanical strength to withstand pressure from adjacent musculature and does not collapse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1999
    Assignee: MacroPore, Inc.
    Inventors: Stefan M. Lemperle, Christopher J. Calhoun