Patents by Inventor Dean F. Hoornaert

Dean F. Hoornaert 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: 7373219
    Abstract: Surgical robots and other telepresence systems have enhanced grip actuation for manipulating tissues and objects with small sizes. A master/slave system is used in which an error signal or gain is artificially altered when grip members are near a closed configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
    Inventors: William C. Nowlin, Gary S. Guthart, Robert G. Younge, Tom G. Cooper, Craig Gerbi, Steven J. Blumenkranz, Dean F. Hoornaert
  • Patent number: 7250028
    Abstract: Devices, systems and methods related to endoscopic surgery, particularly related to robotic surgical operations, provide a tissue stabilizer for endoscopically stabilizing a target tissue within a patient's body. For stabilizing a beating heart during a closed-chest coronary artery bypass grafting procedure, a stabilizer is inserted through an endoscopic cannula and provides sufficient surface area to contact the heart and effectively stabilize the target tissue area. The stabilizer can straddle a blood vessel, such as a coronary artery, which is targeted for an anastomosis. Vessel occlusion fasteners may occlude the target blood vessel prior to the anastomosis procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Inc
    Inventors: Christopher A. Julian, Michael Ikeda, Andris D. Ramans, Dean F. Hoornaert, Margaret M. Isaac
  • Patent number: 7125403
    Abstract: Surgical accessories are presented in vivo and used by surgical tools in the surgical site to perform additional tasks without the need to remove the tools from the surgical site for tool change or instrument loading. Examples of in vivo accessories include fastening accessories such as surgical clips for use with a clip applier, single working member accessories such as a blade which can be grasped and manipulated by a grasping tool for cutting, sheath accessories that fit over working members of a tool, flow tubes for providing suction or introducing a fluid into the surgical site, and a retraction member resiliently biased to retract a tissue to expose an area in the surgical site for treatment. The accessories can be introduced into the surgical site by a dedicated accessory introducer, or can be supported on the body of a surgical tool inserted into the surgical site and be manipulated using another surgical tool in the surgical site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: Intuitive Surgical
    Inventors: Christopher A. Julian, Daniel T. Wallace, Frederic H. Moll, Dean F. Hoornaert, David J. Rosa, John G. Freund, John W. Hill
  • Patent number: 6879880
    Abstract: Surgical robots and other telepresence systems have enhanced grip actuation for manipulating tissues and objects with small sizes. A master/slave system is used in which an error signal or gain is artificially altered when grip members are near a closed configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
    Inventors: William C. Nowlin, Gary S. Guthart, Robert G. Younge, Thomas G. Cooper, Craig Gerbi, Steven J. Blumenkranz, Dean F. Hoornaert
  • Publication number: 20030195664
    Abstract: Surgical robots and other telepresence systems have enhanced grip actuation for manipulating tissues and objects with small sizes. A master/slave system is used in which an error signal or gain is artificially altered when grip members are near a closed configuration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2003
    Publication date: October 16, 2003
    Applicant: Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
    Inventors: William C. Nowlin, Gary S. Guthart, Robert G. Younge, Tom G. Cooper, Craig Gerbi, Stephen J. Blumenkranz, Dean F. Hoornaert
  • Publication number: 20030158463
    Abstract: Devices, systems and methods related to endoscopic surgery, particularly related to robotic surgical operations, provide a tissue stabilizer for endoscopically stabilizing a target tissue within a patent's body. For stabilizing a beating heart during a closed-chest coronary artery bypass grafting procedure, a stabilizer is inserted through an endoscopic cannula and provides sufficient surface area to contact the heart and effectively stabilize the target tissue area. The stabilizer can straddle a blood vessel, such as a coronary artery, which is targeted for an anastomosis. Vessel occlusion fasteners may occlude the target blood vessel prior to the anastomosis procedure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2001
    Publication date: August 21, 2003
    Applicant: Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher A. Julian, Michael Ikeda, Andris D. Ramans, Dean F. Hoornaert, Margaret M. Isaac
  • Patent number: 6594552
    Abstract: Surgical robots and other telepresence systems have enhanced grip actuation for manipulating tissues and objects with small sizes. A master/slave system is used in which an error signal or gain is artificially altered when grip members are near a closed configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2003
    Assignee: Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
    Inventors: William C. Nowlin, Gary S. Guthart, Robert G. Younge, Thomas G. Cooper, Craig Gerbi, Steven J. Blumenkranz, Dean F. Hoornaert
  • Patent number: 6451027
    Abstract: A positional control system, comprising a robotically controlled arm, for varying the position of a robotic surgical tool, is provided. The robotic surgical tool can be in the form of an image capture device, such as an endoscope, for example. The positional control system comprises a base and a mounting formation arranged to support the robotic surgical tool. The positional control system further comprises an articulated arm extending between the base and the mounting formation. The articulated arm has an upper arm portion, a forearm portion, a forearm link member and an upper arm link member. The portions and the link members are pivotally secured relative to one another to effect displacement of the mounting formation relative to the base. The forearm link member is positioned at least partially within the forearm portion and the upper arm link member is positioned at least partially within the upper arm portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas G. Cooper, Dean F. Hoornaert, Steven J. Blumenkranz
  • Publication number: 20020120254
    Abstract: Surgical accessories are presented in vivo and used by surgical tools in the surgical site to perform additional tasks without the need to remove the tools from the surgical site for tool change or instrument loading. Examples of in vivo accessories include fastening accessories such as surgical clips for use with a clip applier, single working member accessories such as a blade which can be grasped and manipulated by a grasping tool for cutting, sheath accessories that fit over working members of a tool, flow tubes for providing suction or introducing a fluid into the surgical site, and a retraction member resiliently biased to retract a tissue to expose an area in the surgical site for treatment. The accessories can be introduced into the surgical site by a dedicated accessory introducer, or can be supported on the body of a surgical tool inserted into the surgical site and be manipulated using another surgical tool in the surgical site.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2002
    Publication date: August 29, 2002
    Applicant: Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher A. Julian, Daniel T. Wallace, Frederic H. Moll, Dean F. Hoornaert, David J. Rosa, John G. Freund, John W. Hill
  • Publication number: 20020042620
    Abstract: Surgical accessories are presented in vivo and used by surgical tools in the surgical site to perform additional tasks without the need to remove the tools from the surgical site for tool change or instrument loading. Examples of in vivo accessories include fastening accessories such as surgical clips for use with a clip applier, single working member accessories such as a blade which can be grasped and manipulated by a grasping tool for cutting, sheath accessories that fit over working members of a tool, flow tubes for providing suction or introducing a fluid into the surgical site, and a retraction member resiliently biased to retract a tissue to expose an area in the surgical site for treatment. The accessories can be introduced into the surgical site by a dedicated accessory introducer, or can be supported on the body of a surgical tool inserted into the surgical site and be manipulated using another surgical tool in the surgical site.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2001
    Publication date: April 11, 2002
    Applicant: Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher A. Julian, Daniel T. Wallace, Frederic H. Moll, Dean F. Hoornaert, David J. Rosa, John G. Freund, John W. Hill
  • Patent number: 6309397
    Abstract: Surgical accessories are presented in vivo and used by surgical tools in the surgical site to perform additional tasks without the need to remove the tools from the surgical site for tool change or instrument loading. Examples of in vivo accessories include fastening accessories such as surgical clips for use with a clip applier, single working member accessories such as a blade which can be grasped and manipulated by a grasping tool for cutting, sheath accessories that fit over working members of a tool, flow tubes for providing suction or introducing a fluid into the surgical site, and a retraction member resiliently biased to retract a tissue to expose an area in the surgical site for treatment. The accessories can be introduced into the surgical site by a dedicated accessory introducer, or can be supported on the body of a surgical tool inserted into the surgical site and be manipulated using another surgical tool in the surgical site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2001
    Assignees: SRI International, Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher A. Julian, Daniel T. Wallace, Frederic H. Moll, Dean F. Hoornaert, David J. Rosa, John G. Freund, John W. Hill
  • Patent number: D394712
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1998
    Assignee: Acuson Corporation
    Inventors: Richard W. Henderson, Joseph J. Molinari, Robert Mesaros, Glenn L. Hansen, David E. Burris, James G. O'Young, Randall J. Bertuccelli, Dean F. Hoornaert, Jeremy H. Galten, John C. Foot, Kenneth D. Wood, Gilbert Y. Wong, Andrew L. Zee, Anastasia Mikula-Curtis