Patents by Inventor Katherine Tweden
Katherine Tweden 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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Publication number: 20080021512Abstract: At least one of a plurality of gastrointestinal disorders is treated by stimulating an enteric nervous system of a patient to enhance a functional tone of the enteric nervous system. A treatment includes electrically stimulating a vagus nerve of the patient at a stimulation site proximal to at least one site of vagal innervation of a gastrointestinal organ. The electrical stimulation includes applying a stimulation signal at the stimulation site. An optional proximal electrical blocking signal is applied to the vagus nerve at a proximal blocking site proximal to the stimulation site. The proximal blocking signal is selected to at least partially block nerve impulses at the proximal blocking site.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 13, 2007Publication date: January 24, 2008Applicant: EnteroMedics Inc.Inventors: Mark Knudson, Richard Wilson, Katherine Tweden, Timothy Conrad
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Publication number: 20070142870Abstract: At least one of a plurality of disorders of a patient characterized at least in part by vagal activity innervating at least one of a plurality of organs of the patient is treated by a method that includes positioning a neurostimulator carrier around a body organ of the patient where the organ is innervated by at least a vagal trunk. An electrode is disposed on the carrier and positioned at the vagal trunk. An electrical signal is applied to the electrode to modulate vagal activity by an amount selected to treat the disorder. The signal may be a blocking or a stimulation signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 22, 2007Publication date: June 21, 2007Applicant: EnteroMedics, Inc.Inventors: Mark Knudson, Richard Wilson, Katherine Tweden, Timothy Conrad
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Publication number: 20070135846Abstract: At least one of a plurality of disorders of a patient characterized at least in part by vagal activity innervating at least one of a plurality of organs of the patient is treated by a method that includes positioning a neurostimulator carrier around a body organ of the patient where the organ is innervated by at least a vagal trunk. An electrode is disposed on the carrier and positioned at the vagal trunk. An electrical signal is applied to the electrode to modulate vagal activity by an amount selected to treat the disorder. The signal may be a blocking or a stimulation signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 22, 2007Publication date: June 14, 2007Applicant: EnteroMedics, Inc.Inventors: Mark Knudson, Richard Wilson, Katherine Tweden, Timothy Conrad
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Publication number: 20070135857Abstract: At least one of a plurality of disorders of a patient characterized at least in part by vagal activity innervating at least one of a plurality of organs of the patient is treated by a method that includes positioning a neurostimulator carrier around a body organ of the patient where the organ is innervated by at least a vagal trunk. An electrode is disposed on the carrier and positioned at the vagal trunk. An electrical signal is applied to the electrode to modulate vagal activity by an amount selected to treat the disorder. The signal may be a blocking or a stimulation signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 22, 2007Publication date: June 14, 2007Applicant: EnteroMedics, Inc.Inventors: Mark Knudson, Richard Wilson, Katherine Tweden, Timothy Conrad
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Publication number: 20070135858Abstract: At least one of a plurality of disorders of a patient characterized at least in part by vagal activity innervating at least one of a plurality of organs of the patient is treated by a method that includes positioning a neurostimulator carrier around a body organ of the patient where the organ is innervated by at least a vagal trunk. An electrode is disposed on the carrier and positioned at the vagal trunk. An electrical signal is applied to the electrode to modulate vagal activity by an amount selected to treat the disorder. The signal may be a blocking or a stimulation signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 22, 2007Publication date: June 14, 2007Applicant: EnteroMedics, Inc.Inventors: Mark Knudson, Richard Wilson, Katherine Tweden, Timothy Conrad
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Publication number: 20070135856Abstract: At least one of a plurality of disorders of a patient characterized at least in part by vagal activity innervating at least one of a plurality of organs of the patient is treated by a method that includes positioning a neurostimulator carrier around a body organ of the patient where the organ is innervated by at least a vagal trunk. An electrode is disposed on the carrier and positioned at the vagal trunk. An electrical signal is applied to the electrode to modulate vagal activity by an amount selected to treat the disorder. The signal may be a blocking or a stimulation signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 22, 2007Publication date: June 14, 2007Applicant: EnteroMedics, Inc.Inventors: Mark knudson, Richard Wilson, Katherine Tweden, Timothy Conrad
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Publication number: 20060229685Abstract: GERD is treated through a method and apparatus of stimulating the body organ to accelerate a discharge of contents from the duodenum of the patient to thereby encourage discharge of contents from the stomach of the patient across the pyloric valve and into the duodenum.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 9, 2006Publication date: October 12, 2006Inventors: Mark Knudson, Timothy Conrad, Luke Evnin, Katherine Tweden
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Publication number: 20060052736Abstract: A transmyocardial implant establishes a blood flow path through a myocardium between a heart chamber and a lumen of a coronary vessel residing on an exterior of the heart. The implant includes a coronary portion sized to be received within the vessel. A myocardial portion is sized to pass through the myocardium into the heart chamber. A transition portion connects the coronary and myocardial portions for directing blood flow from the myocardial portion to the coronary portion. The coronary portion and the myocardial portion have an open construction for permitting tissue growth across a wall thickness of the coronary portion and the myocardial portion. The myocardial portion includes an agent for controlling a coagulation cascade and platelet formation.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 4, 2005Publication date: March 9, 2006Inventors: Katherine Tweden, Guy Vanney
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Publication number: 20050268923Abstract: A patient's upper airway condition such as snoring and sleep apnea is treated by selecting a particulate material selected for limited migration within tissue and for encouraging a fibrotic response of tissue to the material. A bolus of the particulate material is injected into the tissue area to structurally stiffen the tissue.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 3, 2005Publication date: December 8, 2005Applicant: Restore Medical, Inc.Inventors: Mark Knudson, Katherine Tweden, Timothy Conrad
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Publication number: 20050214342Abstract: Cardiac implants include a conduit or scaffold having a first therapeutic agent in at least partial covering relation to at least a first portion of the scaffold, and a second therapeutic agent, different from the first therapeutic agent, in at least partial covering relation to at least a second portion of the scaffold. The first therapeutic agent and second therapeutic agent may include one of: antithrombotic agents, anti-inflammatory agents, antiproliferative agents, antibiotic agents, angiogenic agents, antiplatelet agents, anticoagulant agents, rhestenosis preventing agents, hormones and combinations thereof. Methods for making cardiac implants include providing a scaffold, covering at least a first portion of the scaffold with a first therapeutic agent, and covering at least a second portion of the scaffold, different from the first portion, with a second therapeutic agent different from the first therapeutic agent.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 8, 2005Publication date: September 29, 2005Inventors: Katherine Tweden, Michael Schollmeyer
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Publication number: 20050131485Abstract: A method for treating at least one of a plurality of disorders characterized at least in part by vagal activity includes positioning an electrode at a body organ innervated by the vagus. An electrical signal is applied to the electrode to modulate vagal activity. The electrical signal is applied at a frequency in excess of 3,000 Hz for the signal to create a neural conduction block to the vagus with the neural conduction block selected to at least partially block nerve impulses on the vagus.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 21, 2005Publication date: June 16, 2005Inventors: Mark Knudson, Richard Wilson, Katherine Tweden, Timothy Conrad
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Publication number: 20050070974Abstract: A method and apparatus for treating patients suffering from obesity or eating disorders by applying a predetermined stimulating signal to the patient's vagus nerve appropriate to alleviate the condition and by applying a neural conduction block to the vagus nerve at a blocking site with the neural conduction block selected to at least partially block nerve impulses on the vagus nerve at the blocking site.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 12, 2004Publication date: March 31, 2005Inventors: Mark Knudson, Richard Wilson, Katherine Tweden, Timothy Conrad
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Publication number: 20050070970Abstract: A method and apparatus for treating patients suffering from involuntary movement disorders (including epilepsy) by stimulating a selected cranial nerve of the patient with an electrical signal applied to induce a signal at brain by applying an electrical signal at the nerve to ameliorate the disorder and by applying a neural conduction block at the nerve selected to at least partially block nerve impulses on said nerve at a blocking site and reduce adverse effects of said signal on an organ.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 12, 2004Publication date: March 31, 2005Inventors: Mark Knudson, Richard Wilson, Katherine Tweden, Timothy Conrad
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Publication number: 20050038484Abstract: A method for treating at least one of a plurality of disorders characterized at least in part by vagal activity includes positioning an electrode around a body organ innervated by the vagus. An electrical signal is applied to the electrode to modulate vagal activity. The electrical signal is applied at a frequency selected for the signal to create a neural conduction block to the vagus with the neural conduction block selected to at least partially block nerve impulses on the vagus. The application of the electrical signal is discontinued. The application of the signal and the discontinuing of the signal are repeated with durations of the discontinuing and the application selected to treat the disorder.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 30, 2004Publication date: February 17, 2005Inventors: Mark Knudson, Richard Wilson, Katherine Tweden, Timothy Conrad
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Patent number: 6013106Abstract: Biocompatible articles for placement in a patient are described having releasably adhered antimicrobial metal ions. Furthermore, biocompatible articles made from biocompatible material for subcutaneous, percutaneous and cutaneous use are described where the biocompatible material has an attached exogenous storage structure with reversibly bound antimicrobial metal ions. The exogenous storage structures can include proteins such as ferritin, globulins, albumin, glutathione, transferrin, hemoglobin, metallothiens, myoglobin, ceruloplasmin and hemocyanin. Associated methods for imparting antimicrobial properties to biocompatible articles are described.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 1997Date of Patent: January 11, 2000Assignee: St. Jude Medical, Inc.Inventors: Katherine Tweden, Matthew F. Ogle