Patents by Inventor Erik T. Engelson
Erik T. Engelson 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).
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Patent number: 5749894Abstract: This is a procedure for stabilizing or filling an aneurysm in the vasculature. The procedure involves the introduction into the aneurysm of a solid vaso-occlusive device such as a coil or braid and a polymeric composition which may be reformed or solidified in situ. The solid vaso-occlusive device is at least partially surrounded or enveloped by that polymeric composition. The polymeric composition is reformed via light, heat, R.F. or the like to form a rigid mass with the solid vaso-occlusive device. These steps may be carried out sequentially or the steps of introducing the vaso-occlusive device and reforming the polymeric composition may be carried out simultaneously. The procedure may be accomplished using intravascular catheters to access the desired site and to deliver the noted materials.Type: GrantFiled: January 18, 1996Date of Patent: May 12, 1998Assignee: Target Therapeutics, Inc.Inventor: Erik T. Engelson
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Patent number: 5749849Abstract: This invention is a single-lumen balloon catheter and assembly having a variable stiffness shaft that allows for greater guidewire trackability and proximal pushability than previous designs. The catheter has an elongate tubular body that is made of inner and outer coaxial tubes, the inner tube being made of proximal and distal sections, the proximal section being stiffer than the distal section and the distal section being stiffer than the outer tube.Type: GrantFiled: August 12, 1996Date of Patent: May 12, 1998Assignee: Target Therapeutics, Inc.Inventor: Erik T. Engelson
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Patent number: 5722424Abstract: This is a surgical instrument. It is a guidewire made of a stainless steel alloy core which is coated with a non-hydrophilic lubricious polymer on the majority of its length located proximally and a hydrophilic polymer located at the majority of the remaining distal length of the guidewire. Preferably, the guidewire has a polymeric tie layer located between the metallic core of the guidewire assembly and the hydrophilic polymeric layer. The metallic core is one of a number of stainless steels so to preserve its torque transmitting capabilities. Desirably the outside diameter of the guidewire is constant from the distal end to the proximal end. The metallic core may be tapered at appropriate locations along the guidewire assembly.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 1995Date of Patent: March 3, 1998Assignee: Target Therapeutics, Inc.Inventor: Erik T. Engelson
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Patent number: 5599492Abstract: A method for producing catheter guidewire composed of a wire core whose distal end section is encased in a polymer sleeve, to increase the column strength of the core. Axially spaced grooves formed in the sleeve increase the flexibility of the core end section. The guidewire is advantageous for use with a small-diameter catheter in accessing body sites along a tortuous vessel pathway.Type: GrantFiled: December 16, 1994Date of Patent: February 4, 1997Assignee: Target Therapeutics, Inc.Inventor: Erik T. Engelson
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Patent number: 5531715Abstract: This invention is in the general field of surgical instruments. It relates specifically to catheters which may be used in cardiovascular and endovascular procedures to deliver diagnostic, therapeutic, or vaso-occlusive agents to a target site within a human or animal body which is accessible by a system of natural passageways within that body. The catheters are coated in such a way that they are exceptionally slippery and the coating is very durable. The invention also relates to methods of coating the catheters and to methods of applying lubricious coatings.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 1993Date of Patent: July 2, 1996Assignee: Target Therapeutics, Inc.Inventors: Erik T. Engelson, Robert Hergenrother, Joseph Eder
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Patent number: 5462523Abstract: This invention is a surgical instrument and specifically is a catheter for treating a target site by delivering a controlled amount of a therapeutic or diagnostic agent (the target site being accessible by a tortuous path through the vasculature), the perfusion tip assembly on first catheter, and a process of using that catheter to deliver fluids to the selected vascular site.Type: GrantFiled: May 18, 1993Date of Patent: October 31, 1995Assignee: Target Therapeutics, Inc.Inventors: Gene Samson, Erik T. Engelson, Hiram Chee, Robert E. Woodard
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Patent number: 5437632Abstract: This invention is a single-lumen balloon catheter and assembly having a variable stiffness shaft that allows for greater guidewire trackability and proximal pushability than previous designs. The catheter has an elongate tubular body that is made of inner and outer coaxial tubes, the inner tube being made of proximal and distal sections, the proximal section being stiffer than the distal section and the distal section being stiffer than the outer tube.Type: GrantFiled: June 2, 1993Date of Patent: August 1, 1995Assignee: Target Therapeutics, Inc.Inventor: Erik T. Engelson
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Patent number: 5423849Abstract: This invention is a vasoocclusive device. More particularly, it is a tubular vasoocclusion braid woven from at least radiopaque fibers. The braid may also be partially woven from radiolucent fibers. Optionally, the device may contain a fibrous center or wick in its interior. The device may be continuous or segmented and a fibrous covering or element may be attached.Type: GrantFiled: January 15, 1993Date of Patent: June 13, 1995Assignee: Target Therapeutics, Inc.Inventors: Erik T. Engelson, Gene Samson
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Patent number: 5312356Abstract: A catheter for accessing a target site along a tortuous, small-vessel pathway. The catheter includes a flexible distal segment which is composed of a flexible polymer tube and a low-friction internal tubular surface. The surface allows the catheter to be advanced over sharp bends and small-diameter loops in a guidewire, in advancing the catheter along a small-vessel pathway. Various embodiments of the catheter are disclosed wherein the internal tubular surface of a distal portion of the catheter include a variety of different constructions and are comprised of a variety of different materials so as to best avoid the jamming, sticking or locking of the distal end or any part of the guidewire against the surface. Braided sleeve-like constructions, surfaces embedded with a plurality of small particles and surfaces comprised of various anti-friction materials are used in order to obtain the object of the invention.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 1990Date of Patent: May 17, 1994Assignee: Target TherapeuticsInventors: Erik T. Engelson, Ivan Sepetka
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Patent number: 5308342Abstract: A catheter composed of an outer coaxial tube or relatively high flexibility and three tandemly disposed inner coaxial tube segments that vary in stiffness with the stiffest being located at the proximal end of the catheter and the least stiff ending proximal of the proximal end of the catheter. The catheter thus has four regions of different stiffness/flexibility.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 1991Date of Patent: May 3, 1994Assignee: Target Therapeutics, Inc.Inventors: Ivan Sepetka, Phong Pham, Erik T. Engelson
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Patent number: 5304195Abstract: A pusher-vasoocclusive coil assembly that is advanced through a catheter to a site within a vessel and is manipulated to detach the coil from the assembly. The coil has an affixed, proximally-extending wire that carries a ball on its proximal end and the pusher has an affixed, distally-extending wire that carries a ball on its distal end. The pusher and coil are coupled by placing the wires and balls in an overlapping interlocked position and enclosing the coupled assembly with a coaxial sleeve. The coil-pusher-sleeve assembly is positioned at the site and the sleeve is retracted to allow the balls to move radially relative to one another to disengage and uncouple the pusher and coil.Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 1993Date of Patent: April 19, 1994Assignee: Target Therapeutics, Inc.Inventors: Robert H. Twyford, Jr., Erik T. Engelson, Uriel H. Chee, Michael J. Mariant
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Patent number: 5261916Abstract: A pusher-vasoocclusive coil assembly that is advanced through a catheter to a site within a vessel and is manipulated to detach the coil from the assembly. The coil has an enlarged member at its proximal end and the pusher has a keyway at its distal end that receives the enlarged member in interlocking engagement. The pusher and coil are coupled by placing the enlarged member in the keyway and enclosing the coupled assembly with a coaxial sleeve. The coil-pusher-sleeve assembly is positioned at the site and the sleeve is retracted to allow the member to move out of the keyway to uncouple the pusher and coil.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 1991Date of Patent: November 16, 1993Assignee: Target TherapeuticsInventor: Erik T. Engelson
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Patent number: 5135494Abstract: A catheter device for accessing an internal body site along a small-diameter vessel path containing branch points in which the path may follow either the larger of smaller-diameter branch vessels. The device includes a catheter having a distal-end inflatable balloon and an distal-end aperture. A guide wire in the device is designed to partially block the aperture at one or more axial wire positions, allowing the balloon to be inflated by fluid infusion into the catheter. In a catheter placement operation, the catheter is advanced along the vessel path toward the selected target site. When the leading end of the catheter encounters a branch point at which the path follows the larger-diameter vessel, the guide wire is moved to a position which partially blocks the catheter aperture, and fluid is infused into the catheter to inflate the balloon. The catheter is then carried by hydrodynamic flow into the larger-diameter vessel.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 1991Date of Patent: August 4, 1992Assignee: Target TherapeuticsInventors: Erik T. Engelson, John R. Daniels
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Patent number: 5095915Abstract: A catheter guidewire composed of a wire core whose distal end section is encased in a polymer sleeve, to increase the column strength of the core. Axially spaced grooves formed in the sleeve increase the flexibility of the core end section. The guidewire is advantageous for use with a small-diameter catheter in accessing body sites along a tortuous vessel pathway.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 1990Date of Patent: March 17, 1992Assignee: Target TherapeuticsInventor: Erik T. Engelson
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Patent number: 4884579Abstract: A catheter guide wire designed for use in guiding a catheter to a target site along a tortuous vessel path. The guide wire has a relatively long, torqueable proximal wire section, a more flexible intermediate section, and a most flexible distal end section designed to be advanced across sharp-bend vessel junctions. The intermediate section has greater lubricity than the adjacent proximal and distal sections. The greater frictional coefficient in the distal end segment acts to anchor the end of the wire in a branch vessel, when the guide wire has been advanced across the sharp-bend vessel junction, and the catheter is threaded axially over the wire, while the more lubricious surface of the intermediate section gives reduced sliding friction within the catheter during such advance. The invention also includes a catheter device containing the guide wire and catheter.Type: GrantFiled: April 18, 1988Date of Patent: December 5, 1989Assignee: Target TherapeuticsInventor: Erik T. Engelson
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Patent number: 4832047Abstract: A guide wire formed with a distal tapered segment and having a distal-end coil carried over a portion of the tapered segment. The strand forming the helical wrappings of the coil is reduced in thickness in the region of proximal attachment to the wire, to reduce the difference in diameter between the wire and the coil. Also disclosed is a method of producing the coil.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 1987Date of Patent: May 23, 1989Assignee: Target TherapeuticsInventors: Ivan Sepetka, Erik T. Engelson
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Patent number: 4739768Abstract: A catheter for use with a guide wire which can be guided from an external body access site to an internal tissue, and into the tissue along a tortuous path of at least about 5 cm through vessels of less than about 3 mm lumen inner diameter. The catheter includes a relatively stiff proximal segment dimensioned to track the wire from the access site to a region adjacent the internal tissue, and a relatively flexible distal segment dimensioned to track the wire along the tortuous path within the soft tissue.Type: GrantFiled: June 2, 1986Date of Patent: April 26, 1988Assignee: Target TherapeuticsInventor: Erik T. Engelson
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Patent number: 4655746Abstract: A catheter device for transferring fluid material to or from one or more selected-length segment of a vessel. The device includes first and second catheters, each having a tube with distal and proximal ends, an inflatable balloon carried on the tube, adjacent the distal tube end, and a fluid conduit for supplying the balloon, with such operatively positioned in the vessel. A central region of the second-catheter tube is axially shiftable within the first-catheter tube, allowing the balloons to be placed at desired relative positions in the vessel. Fluid is injected into the region between the two balloons through a fluid passageway formed in a channel in the first-catheter tube.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 1985Date of Patent: April 7, 1987Assignee: Target TherapeuticsInventors: John R. Daniels, Erik T. Engelson, Garbriel B. Vegh