Patents by Inventor Ken Litzie

Ken Litzie 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: 8038638
    Abstract: An extracorporeal circuit for removing toxins from the blood and plasma volume control in patients suffering from sepsis and renal failure. The extracorporeal circuit disclosed herein comprises a plasma filter, a toxin removal device and optionally a hemofilter that minimizes electrolyte and protein depletion from the treated plasma while effectively removing both free and protein-bound toxins. The toxin removal device comprises adsorbent materials selected from the group consisting of activated carbon, ion exchange resins and non-ionic exchange resins and the adsorbent materials are coated with albumin. Also provided are associated methods for treating patients suffering from sepsis and renal failure using the disclosed extracorporeal circuit and toxin removal device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Hemolife Medical, Inc.
    Inventors: Craig P. Roberts, Ken Litzie
  • Publication number: 20070181499
    Abstract: An extracorporeal circuit for removing toxins from the blood and plasma volume control in patients suffering from sepsis and renal failure. The extracorporeal circuit disclosed herein comprises a plasma filter, a toxin removal device and optionally a hemofilter that minimizes electrolyte and protein depletion from the treated plasma while effectively removing both free and protein-bound toxins. The toxin removal device comprises adsorbent materials selected from the group consisting of activated carbon, ion exchange resins and non-ionic exchange resins and the adsorbent materials are coated with albumin. Also provided are associated methods for treating patients suffering from sepsis and renal failure using the disclosed extracorporeal circuit and toxin removal device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2007
    Publication date: August 9, 2007
    Applicant: HemoLife Medical Inc.
    Inventors: Craig Roberts, Ken Litzie
  • Publication number: 20050281809
    Abstract: An extracorporeal circuit for removing toxins from the blood and plasma volume control in patients suffering from sepsis and renal failure. The extracorporeal circuit disclosed herein comprises a plasma filter, a toxin removal device and optionally a hemofilter that minimizes electrolyte and protein depletion from the treated plasma while effectively removing both free and protein-bound toxins. Also provided are associated methods for treating patients suffering from sepsis and renal failure using the disclosed extracorporeal circuit and toxin removal device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2005
    Publication date: December 22, 2005
    Inventors: Craig Roberts, Ken Litzie
  • Patent number: 6537495
    Abstract: A vacuum-assisted venous drainage reservoir for cardiopulmonary bypass surgery with both hard and soft shell reservoirs. The system utilizes a wall vacuum or other source of negative pressure to create a negative pressure via a regulator within a sealed hard shell reservoir, or within a sealed housing surrounding a soft shell reservoir. The addition of a negative pressure in the venous return line enables the use of smaller cannulas suitable for minimally invasive surgery. The reservoir need not be positioned well below the patient as in conventional gravity venous drainage configurations, thus adding flexibility to the operating room layout and enabling a reduction in the extracorporeal blood prime volume needed. In one embodiment, a flexible membrane in the hard shell reservoir expands to contact the blood surface and reduce blood/air interactions. In another embodiment, a moisture trap is provided between the source of vacuum and hard shell reservoir to reduce environmental contamination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Edwards Lifesciences LLC
    Inventors: Ronald Cambron, Francis Vijay, Richard Knight, Ken Litzie
  • Patent number: 6017493
    Abstract: A vacuum-assisted venous drainage reservoir for cardiopulmonary bypass surgery with both hard and soft shell reservoirs. The system utilizes a wall vacuum or other source of negative pressure to create a negative pressure via a regulator within a sealed hard shell reservoir, or within a sealed housing surrounding a soft shell reservoir. The addition of a negative pressure in the venous return line enables the use of smaller cannulas suitable for minimally invasive surgery. The reservoir need not be positioned well below the patient as in conventional gravity venous drainage configurations, thus adding flexibility to the operating room layout and enabling a reduction in the extracorporeal blood prime volume needed. In one embodiment, a flexible membrane in the hard shell reservoir expands to contact the blood surface and reduce blood/air interactions. In another embodiment, a moisture trap is provided between the source of vacuum and hard shell reservoir to reduce environmental contamination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2000
    Assignee: Baxter International Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald Cambron, Francis Vijay, Richard Knight, Ken Litzie
  • Patent number: 5372583
    Abstract: A bone marrow infuser has an intraosseous cannula, a hand driver, and a pointed stylet attached to the hand driver. The hand driver can mechanically couple with the intraosseous cannula so that the stylet point protrudes from an opening at the end of the intraosseous cannula. A method of bone marrow infusion has a first step of puncturing the skin with the point of the stylet, a second step of embedding the cannula into the bone, a third step of removing the stylet from the cannula and attaching the catheter to the cannula, a fourth step of applying pressure to compress the skin, flesh, and bone, and a final step of infusing fluids into the bone marrow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 13, 1994
    Assignee: Cardiopulmonary Specialities, Inc.
    Inventors: Craig P. Roberts, Frank J. McManus, Ken Litzie
  • Patent number: 4804365
    Abstract: A cannula assembly suitable for rapid, closed-chest cannulation of the cardiopulmonary system to an extracorporeal bypass machine through punctures in the femoral veins and arteries is disclosed. The assembly comprises a conduit made of a smooth, flexible, thin-walled material and capable of longitudinal insertion through these vessels by use of an associated "introducer" and conventional guide wire. The conduit has adequate hemodynamic flow capacity and sufficient unsupported hoop strength to resist collapse from suctional and vasoconstrictive forces during use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 14, 1989
    Assignee: C. R. Bard
    Inventors: Ken Litzie, Craig P. Roberts
  • Patent number: 4540399
    Abstract: A closed emergency heart bypass system is disclosed herein for extra-corporeal blood circulation use which employs a minimum of components arranged in a series relationship. The components include a non-occlusive blood pump aspirating venous blood from an appropriate cannula for introduction to an oxygenator and a bubble-trapping device followed by return to a patient's body via an arterial cannula. Tubing interconnects the components and a bypass loop selectively joins the tubing adjacent to the venous and arterial cannulas for air displacement during initial pump priming and tube purging. Arterial blood can be accessed for sampling and for distal limb perfusion and a blood flow and monitoring console may be included in the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 1983
    Date of Patent: September 10, 1985
    Inventors: Ken Litzie, Craig P. Roberts