Patents by Inventor Larry J. Miller

Larry J. Miller 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).

  • Publication number: 20140188001
    Abstract: Medical procedure trays and related methods are provided to accommodate joining a first non-sterile medical device with a second sterile medical device and maintaining required sterilization of the second sterile medical device to perform an associated medical procedure. One example of such medical procedures includes biopsy of a bone and/or associated bone marrow using a non-sterile powered drive and a sterile biopsy needle or biopsy needle set. Medical procedure trays and related methods may also be provided for use during aspiration of bone marrow and/or stem cell transplant procedures. Each medical procedure tray may include a containment bag or sterile sleeve. A coupler assembly, one or more sharps protectors, a biopsy sample ejector and/or associated ejector funnel may also be included.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2014
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: VIDACARE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Larry J. Miller, David S. Bolleter, Robert W. Titkemeyer, Matthew T. Harmon
  • Publication number: 20140142577
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for penetrating bone marrow is provided. The apparatus may include a housing such as a handheld body, a penetrator assembly, a connector that releasably attaches the penetrator assembly to a drill shaft, a gear mechanism, a motor and a power supply and associated circuitry operable to power the motor. The penetrator assembly may include a removable inner trocar and an outer penetrator or needle. It may also include a grooved trocar that allows bone chips to be expelled as the apparatus is inserted into bone marrow. Various connectors are provided to attach the penetrator assembly to the drill shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2013
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Applicant: VidaCare Corporation
    Inventor: Larry J. Miller
  • Patent number: 8715287
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for penetrating the bone marrow is provided. The apparatus includes a housing, a penetrator assembly, operable to penetrate the bone marrow, a connector operable to releasably attach the penetrator assembly to a drill shaft, the drill shaft operable to connect the penetrator assembly to a gear assembly, a gear assembly operable to engage and rotate the drill shaft, a motor operable to engage the reduction gear assembly and drive the penetrator into the bone marrow by rotation of the drill shaft, and a power supply and associated circuitry operable to power the motor. The apparatus and method may be adapted to insert a probe through the skull and into the brain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Vidacare Corporation
    Inventor: Larry J. Miller
  • Patent number: 8690791
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for harvesting bone and bone marrow are provided. The apparatus may include a driver operable to be releasably engaged with an intraosseous device. The intraosseous device may include a cannula having a first end operable to penetrate bone and bone marrow and to allow retrieval of portions of bone and/or bone marrow. The cannula may have a second end operable to be releasably engaged with bone marrow sampling equipment. The apparatus may include a removable trocar. The removable trocar may have an inner channel operable to convey portions of bone and/or bone marrow. The removable trocar may have an inner channel and a side port communicating with the inner channel. The removable trocar may have a first end operable to penetrate bone and bone marrow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Vidacare Corporation
    Inventor: Larry J. Miller
  • Patent number: 8684978
    Abstract: Apparatus for delivering a quantity of fluid to bone marrow of a bone or providing access to remove fluids from a target site is provided. The apparatus may include a driver, a plunger operating and cartridge assembly mechanism, a cartridge assembly having a fluid reservoir and a bone penetrating needle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Vidacare Corporation
    Inventors: Larry J. Miller, David S. Bolleter, Charles M. Schwimmer, Robert A. Wilk
  • Patent number: 8668698
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided to remove biopsy specimens from a bone and/or associated bone marrow using a powered drive and an intraosseous (IO) needle set. The powered driver may rotate the IO needle set at an optimum speed to obtain a biopsy sample of bone and/or bone marrow. Apparatus and methods may also be provided for aspiration of bone marrow and/or stem cell transplant procedures. The apparatus may include a powered driver, a coupler assembly, a containment bag or sterile sleeve and various IO needles and IO needle sets with associated hubs and/or hub assemblies. Each IO needle set may include a cannula or catheter and an associated trocar stylet with respective tips operable to penetrate a bone and/or bone marrow with minimum trauma to a patient. Each hub assembly may be used to releasably dispose a respective stylet within an associated generally hollow cannula. Some coupler assemblies and/or hub assemblies may also be used with manual drivers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Vidacare Corporation
    Inventors: Larry J. Miller, David S. Bolleter, Robert W. Titkemeyer, Christopher Brian Kilcoin, Matthew T. Harmon, Bradford Hughes Craig
  • Patent number: 8656929
    Abstract: Medical procedure trays and related methods are provided to accommodate joining a first non-sterile medical device with a second sterile medical device and maintaining required sterilization of the second sterile medical device to perform an associated medical procedure. One example of such medical procedures includes biopsy of a bone and/or associated bone marrow using a non-sterile powered drive and a sterile biopsy needle or biopsy needle set. Medical procedure trays and related methods may also be provided for use during aspiration of bone marrow and/or stem cell transplant procedures. Each medical procedure tray may include a containment bag or sterile sleeve. A coupler assembly, one or more sharps protectors, a biopsy sample ejector and/or associated ejector funnel may also be included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Vidacare Corporation
    Inventors: Larry J. Miller, David S. Bolleter, Robert W. Titkemeyer, Matthew T. Harmon
  • Patent number: 8641715
    Abstract: An apparatus for penetrating the bone marrow of a bone is provided. The apparatus includes a handle having a drive shaft, a connector having a first end operable to connect to a drive shaft and a second end operable to connect to a penetrator hub and a penetrator hub having a penetrator that accesses the bone marrow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Vidacare Corporation
    Inventor: Larry J. Miller
  • Patent number: 8506568
    Abstract: Penetrator assemblies that include an outer penetrator and a removable inner trocar. In some of the penetrator assemblies, the removable inner trocar has a handle including a surface with a series of discs formed along a longitudinal axis, and the outer penetrator has a flange operable to engage an insertion site proximate the bone marrow. Some of the penetrator assemblies include a connector having a recess extending toward the cutting tip and through which a longitudinal axis of the outer penetrator extends, the recess configured to receive a portion of a shaft to enable rotation of the penetrator assembly by a powered apparatus or power drill.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Vidacare Corporation
    Inventor: Larry J. Miller
  • Patent number: 8480632
    Abstract: Apparatus for delivering a quantity of fluid to bone marrow of a bone or providing access to remove fluids from a target site is provided. The apparatus may include a driver, a plunger operating and cartridge assembly mechanism, a cartridge assembly having a fluid reservoir and a bone penetrating needle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Vidacare Corporation
    Inventors: Larry J. Miller, David S. Bolleter, Charles M. Schwimmer, Robert A. Wilk
  • Publication number: 20130096561
    Abstract: An apparatus and methods are provided to penetrate a bone and associated bone marrow using a powered driver having a gear assembly and a motor. The powered driver may include an indicator operable to show status of a power supply associated with the powered driver. The power supply may include a battery power pack having a diamond shaped cross section. The powered driver may have a handle with a corresponding cross section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Publication date: April 18, 2013
    Inventors: Larry J. Miller, David S. Bolleter, Robert W. Titkemeyer, Christopher B. Kilcoln, Matthew T. Harmon, Ruben Trevino
  • Patent number: 8419683
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided to access bone marrow at various target areas. Such apparatus may include an intraosseous device operable to penetrate bone at a selected target area and a depth limiter operable to control depth of penetration of the intraosseous device into bone and associated bone marrow. A manual driver and a guide may be included to optimize optimum insertion of the intraosseous device at a selected insertion site on a sternum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: VidaCare Corporation
    Inventors: Larry J. Miller, Robert W. Titkemeyer, David S. Bolleter, Ruben Trevino, Matthew T. Harmon, Christopher Kilcoin
  • Patent number: 8308693
    Abstract: Bone-penetrating needles for delivering a quantity of fluid to bone marrow of a bone or providing access to remove fluids from a target site is provided. The bone penetrating needles each includes at least one side port disposed at an angle away from the direction of rotation. Some of the bone penetrating needles are operable to attach to a cartridge assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Vidacare Corporation
    Inventors: Larry J. Miller, David S. Bolleter, Charles M. Schwimmer, Robert A. Wilk
  • Publication number: 20120109061
    Abstract: Apparatus for delivering a quantity of fluid to bone marrow of a bone or providing access to remove fluids from a target site is provided. The apparatus may include a driver, a plunger operating and cartridge assembly mechanism, a cartridge assembly having a fluid reservoir and a bone penetrating needle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2011
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Inventors: Larry J. Miller, David S. Bolleter, Charles M. Schwimmer, Robert A. Wilk
  • Patent number: 8142365
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for accessing the bone marrow of a human's sternum is provided. The apparatus includes a tissue penetrator configured to penetrate the sternum, a trigger mechanism configured to engage when the tissue penetrator contacts the sternum and a depth control mechanism operable to limit the penetration of the tissue penetrator into the sternum to a pre-selected depth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: VidaCare Corporation
    Inventor: Larry J. Miller
  • Patent number: 8038664
    Abstract: Apparatus for delivering a quantity of fluid to bone marrow of a bone or providing access to remove fluids from a target site is provided. The apparatus may include a driver, a plunger operating and cartridge assembly mechanism, a cartridge assembly having a fluid reservoir and a bone penetrating needle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: VidaCare Corporation
    Inventors: Larry J. Miller, David S. Bolleter, Charles M. Schwimmer, Robert A. Wilk
  • Publication number: 20110160781
    Abstract: Automatic external defibrillator apparatus may be provided for use in cooperation with an intraosseous apparatus. Apparatus and methods may also be provided to execute protocols calling for external defibrillation and drug delivery. The disclosure provides a medical apparatus including two electrodes, a processor, a display, a driver, a drug delivery slot, a drug delivery port, and a voltage source. The two electrodes may include an attachment operable to releasably connect the two electrodes to the patient. The processor may be operable to collect and analyze a rhythm associated with the patient's heart from the two electrodes. The display may be operable to communicate instructions to a user. The driver may be operable to insert an intraosseous device into a bone and associated bone marrow of the patient. The drug delivery slot may be operable to receive a drug. The drug delivery port may be operable to communicate the drug from the drug delivery slot to the patient via the intraosseous device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2011
    Publication date: June 30, 2011
    Inventors: Larry J. Miller, David S. Bolleter, Robert W. Titkemeyer
  • Patent number: 7951089
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for harvesting bone and bone marrow are provided. The apparatus may include a driver operable to be releasably engaged with an intraosseous device. The intraosseous device may include a cannula having a first end operable to penetrate bone and bone marrow and to allow retrieval of portions of bone and/or bone marrow. The cannula may have a second end operable to be releasably engaged with bone marrow sampling equipment. The apparatus may include a removable trocar. The removable trocar may have an inner channel operable to convey portions of bone and/or bone marrow. The removable trocar may have an inner channel and a side port communicating with the inner channel. The removable trocar may have a first end operable to penetrate bone and bone marrow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: VidaCare Corporation
    Inventor: Larry J. Miller
  • Publication number: 20110118675
    Abstract: Apparatus for delivering a quantity of fluid to bone marrow of a bone or providing access to remove fluids from a target site is provided. The apparatus may include a driver, a plunger operating and cartridge assembly mechanism, a cartridge assembly having a fluid reservoir and a bone penetrating needle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2010
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Inventors: Larry J. Miller, David S. Bolleter, Charles M. Schwimmer, Robert A. Wilk
  • Publication number: 20110098604
    Abstract: Various types of supporting structures, supporting devices, attachment mechanisms and attachment techniques may be provided to support and/or stabilize an intraosseous device installed at a target site in a patient. Various methods and procedures may also be provided to releasably engage a supporting structure or supporting device proximate a target site. Apparatus and methods may be provided to monitor performance of an intraosseous device during communication of drugs, medications and/or fluids with an intraosseous space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2010
    Publication date: April 28, 2011
    Inventor: Larry J. Miller