Patents by Inventor Erik S. Sojka

Erik S. Sojka 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: 9186163
    Abstract: Methods and devices are provided for forming bone tunnels. In general, the methods and devices allow multiple converging tunnels to be formed in bone, such as in an arthroscopic surgical procedure, e.g., a rotator cuff repair surgical procedure. One or more sutures can be advanced through the converging tunnels, and the suture(s) can be coupled to tissue. The suture(s) with the tissue coupled thereto can be tensioned, thereby helping to maximize an amount of the tissue in contact with the bone. In an exemplary embodiment, a guide device is provided that can be configured to allow a first tunnel to be formed in bone and to allow a plurality of additional tunnels to be formed in the bone at predetermined angular positions relative to the first tunnel such that each of the additional tunnels can extend transverse to the first tunnel and intersect the first tunnel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: DePuy Mitek, LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin Cleveland, Kristian DiMatteo, Erik S. Sojka, Christopher G. Weinert, Jose E. Lizardi
  • Publication number: 20130325011
    Abstract: Methods and devices are provided for forming bone tunnels. In general, the methods and devices allow multiple converging tunnels to be formed in bone, such as in an arthroscopic surgical procedure, e.g., a rotator cuff repair surgical procedure. One or more sutures can be advanced through the converging tunnels, and the suture(s) can be coupled to tissue. The suture(s) with the tissue coupled thereto can be tensioned, thereby helping to maximize an amount of the tissue in contact with the bone. In an exemplary embodiment, a guide device is provided that can be configured to allow a first tunnel to be formed in bone and to allow a plurality of additional tunnels to be formed in the bone at predetermined angular positions relative to the first tunnel such that each of the additional tunnels can extend transverse to the first tunnel and intersect the first tunnel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2012
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Applicant: DePuy Mitek, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin Cleveland, Kristian DiMatteo, Erik S. Sojka, Christopher G. Weinert, Jose E. Lizardi