Patents by Inventor Michael A. Biggs

Michael A. Biggs 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: 20130253623
    Abstract: This relates to treating reversible chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and more particularly, to exchanging energy with airway tissue such as that found in human lungs. This exchange of energy reduces the ability of the airways to constrict, reduces the resistance within the airway to the flow of air through the airway, reduces mucus plugging of the airways, and/or increases the airway diameter. This energy exchange also may reduce the ability of the lung to produce at least one of the symptoms of reversible obstructive pulmonary disease.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: Asthmatx, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher J. DANEK, Michael BIGGS, Keith M. BURGER, Bryan LOOMAS, Thomas KEAST, Dave HAUGAARD
  • Patent number: 8534291
    Abstract: This relates to treating an asthmatic lung and more particularly, relates to advancing a treatment device into the lung and treating the lung with the device. This also includes additional steps of treating the airway wall, applying energy or heat to the airway wall in an asthmatic lung.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Asthmatx, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher J. Danek, Michael Biggs, Bryan Loomas, Michael D. Laufer, Gary Kaplan, Kelly Shriner
  • Publication number: 20130218158
    Abstract: This relates to treating an asthmatic lung and more particularly, relates to advancing a treatment device into the lung and treating the lung with the device. This also includes additional steps of treating the airway wall, applying energy or heat to the airway wall in an asthmatic lung.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2013
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Applicant: ASTHMATX, INC.
    Inventors: Christopher James DANEK, Michael BIGGS, Bryan LOOMAS, Michael D. LAUFER, Gary KAPLAN, Kelly SHRINER
  • Publication number: 20130211402
    Abstract: This relates to treating an asthmatic lung and more particularly, relates to advancing a treatment device into the lung and treating the lung with the device. This also includes additional steps of treating the airway wall, applying energy or heat to the airway wall in an asthmatic lung.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Publication date: August 15, 2013
    Applicant: ASTHMATX, INC.
    Inventors: Christopher J. DANEK, Michael BIGGS, Bryan E. LOOMAS, Michael D. LAUFER, Gary KAPLAN, Kelly M. SHRINER
  • Patent number: 8464723
    Abstract: This relates to treating an asthmatic lung and more particularly, relates to advancing a treatment device into the lung and treating the lung with the device. This also includes additional steps of treating the airway wall, applying energy or heat to the airway wall in an asthmatic lung.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Asthmatx, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher J. Danek, Michael Biggs, Bryan E. Loomas, Michael D. Laufer, Gary S. Kaplan, Kelly Shriner, William J. Wizeman
  • Patent number: 8465486
    Abstract: Methods and devices for treating reversible chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are disclosed, which include a device for delivering energy to a wall of an airway in a human lung. The device includes a flexible elongate body with a proximal portion, a distal portion, a distal end, and a lumen extending therebetween. The device also includes a deployment member having an electrically conducting wire extending from the proximal portion of the elongate body and extending through the lumen and terminating at a distal tip distal to the distal end of the elongate body. The device further includes an expandable basket having a plurality of curved electrode legs and a temperature sensing element coupled to the expandable basket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Asthmatx, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher James Danek, Michael Biggs, Keith M. Burger, Bryan Loomas, Thomas Keast, Dave Haugaard
  • Patent number: 8459268
    Abstract: This relates to treating an asthmatic lung and more particularly, relates to advancing a treatment device into the lung and treating the lung with the device. This also includes additional steps of treating the airway wall, applying energy or heat to the airway wall in an asthmatic lung.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Asthmatx, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher James Danek, Michael Biggs, Bryan Loomas, Michael D. Laufer, Gary Kaplan, Kelly Shriner
  • Patent number: 8443810
    Abstract: This relates to treating an asthmatic lung and more particularly, relates to advancing a treatment device into the lung and treating the lung with the device. This also includes additional steps of treating the airway wall, applying energy or heat to the airway wall in an asthmatic lung.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Asthmatx, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher James Danek, Michael Biggs, Bryan Loomas, Michael D. Laufer, Gary Kaplan, Kelly Shriner
  • Publication number: 20130035747
    Abstract: This relates to treating airways in a lung to decrease asthmatic symptoms. The also includes steps of measuring a parameter of an airway at a plurality of locations in a lung, identifying at least one treatment site from at least one of the plurality of locations based on the parameter, and applying energy to the treatment site to reduce the ability of the site to narrow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2012
    Publication date: February 7, 2013
    Inventors: Christopher J. DANEK, Michael Biggs, Bryan E. Loomas, Michael D. Laufer, Gary S. Kaplan, Kelly M. Shriner, William J. Wizeman
  • Publication number: 20130023968
    Abstract: Methods and devices for treating reversible chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are disclosed, which include a device for delivering energy to a wall of an airway in a human lung. The device includes a flexible elongate body with a proximal portion, a distal portion, a distal end, and a lumen extending therebetween. The device also includes a deployment member having an electrically conducting wire extending from the proximal portion of the elongate body and extending through the lumen and terminating at a distal tip distal to the distal end of the elongate body. The device further includes an expandable basket having a plurality of curved electrode legs and a temperature sensing element coupled to the expandable basket.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2012
    Publication date: January 24, 2013
    Applicant: Asthmatx, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher James DANAEK, Michael Biggs, Keith M. Burger, Bryan Loomas, Thomas Keast, Dave Haugaard
  • Patent number: 8257413
    Abstract: This relates to methods and devices for treating reversible chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and more particularly, relates to a device for exchanging energy with airway tissue such as that found in the airway of human lungs. The exchange of energy with this airway tissue in the airways reduces the ability of the air ways to constrict and/or reduces the resistance within the airway to the flow of air through the airway. This also relates to a method for decreasing responsiveness or decreasing resistance to airflow of airways involves the transfer of energy to or from the airway walls to prevent or reduce airway constriction and other symptoms of lung diseases. The treatment reduces the ability of the airway to contract during an acute narrowing of the airways, reduces mucus plugging of the airways, and/or increases the airway diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Asthmatx, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher James Danek, Michael Biggs, Keith M. Burger, Bryan Loomas, Thomas Keast, Dave Haugaard
  • Patent number: 8251070
    Abstract: This relates to a method of treating airways in a lung to decrease asthmatic symptoms. The method also includes steps of measuring a parameter of an airway at a plurality of locations in a lung, identifying at least one treatment site from at least one of the plurality of locations based on the parameter, and applying energy to the treatment site to reduce the ability of the site to narrow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Asthmatx, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher J. Danek, Michael Biggs, Bryan E. Loomas, Michael D. Laufer, Gary S. Kaplan, Kelly M. Shriner, William J. Wizeman
  • Publication number: 20120209259
    Abstract: This relates to treating an asthmatic lung and more particularly, relates to advancing a treatment device into the lung and treating the lung with the device. This also includes additional steps of treating the airway wall, applying energy or heat to the airway wall in an asthmatic lung.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2012
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Inventors: Christopher James DANEK, Michael Biggs, Bryan Loomas, Michael D. Laufer, Gary Kaplan, Kelly Shriner
  • Patent number: 8181656
    Abstract: This relates to treating an asthmatic lung and more particularly, relates to advancing a treatment device into the lung and treating the lung with the device. This also includes additional steps of treating the airway wall, applying energy or heat to the airway wall in an asthmatic lung.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Asthmatx, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher J. Danek, Michael Biggs, Bryan E. Loomas, Michael D. Laufer, Gary S. Kaplan, Kelly M. Shriner
  • Publication number: 20110282229
    Abstract: This relates to treating an asthmatic lung and more particularly, relates to advancing a treatment device into the lung and treating the lung with the device. This also includes additional steps of treating the airway wall, applying energy or heat to the airway wall in an asthmatic lung.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2011
    Publication date: November 17, 2011
    Applicant: Asthmatx, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher James Danek, Michael Biggs, Bryan Loomas, Michael D. Laufer, Gary Kaplan, Kelly M. Shriner, William J. Wizeman
  • Patent number: 8057470
    Abstract: An electrosurgical pencil includes an adjustable-length suction tube which surrounds a stationary electrode to evacuate smoke and electrosurgical byproducts from a surgical site. An electrode anchor unit is located within the interior of the suction tube to allow relative movement of the suction tube relative to a stationarily-retained electrode, and to receive and connect to different lengths of the electrodes. Adjusting the length of the suction tube relative to the different lengths of the electrode achieves effective evacuation, among other things.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: ConMed Corporation
    Inventors: Alan R. Lee, Michael Biggs
  • Publication number: 20110251592
    Abstract: Devices and methods are directed to improving the gaseous exchange in a lung of an individual having, for instance, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. More particularly, conduits may be deployed in the lung to maintain collateral openings (or channels) surgically created through airway walls. This tends to facilitate both the exchange of oxygen ultimately into the blood and decompress hyper-inflated lungs. The conduit includes a radially expandable center section having a first end, a second end, and a passageway extending from the first end to the second end. A control segment may be associated with the conduit to limit the degree of radial expansion. The conduit further includes a plurality of deflectable members extending from the ends of the center section. A tissue barrier may coaxially surround the conduit such that tissue ingrowth is prevented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2010
    Publication date: October 13, 2011
    Applicant: BRONCUS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Michael BIGGS, Thomas KEAST, Bryan LOOMAS, Don TANAKA, David THOMPSON, Gary KAPLAN, Kelly SHRINER, Halil KARABEY, Russ REDMOND, Claude VIDAL, Mike COLLINSON, Cary COLE, Michael WILLINK
  • Patent number: 7992572
    Abstract: This relates to treating an asthmatic lung and more particularly, relates to advancing a treatment device into the lung and treating the lung with the device. This also includes additional steps of treating the airway wall, applying energy or heat to the airway wall in an asthmatic lung.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Asthmatx, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher James Danek, Michael Biggs, Bryan Loomas, Michael D. Laufer, Gary Kaplan, Kelly M. Shriner, William J. Wizeman
  • Publication number: 20110172655
    Abstract: The present invention includes a system for delivering energy to an airway wall of a lung comprising an energy delivering apparatus and a PID controller having one or more variable gain factors which are rest after energy deliver has begun. The energy delivering apparatus may include a flexible elongated member and a distal expandable basket having at least one electrode for transferring energy to the airway wall and at least one temperature sensor for measuring temperature. The PID controller determines a new power set point base on an error between a preset temperature and the measured temperature. The algorithm can be Pi+1=Pi+G(?ei+?ei?1+?ei?2) where ?, ? and ? are preset values and ? is from 1 to 2; ? is from ?1 to ?2; and ? is from ?0.5 to 0.5. In another variation, the controller is configured to shut down if various measured parameters are exceeded such as, for example, energy, impedance, temperature, temperature differences, activation time and combinations thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2010
    Publication date: July 14, 2011
    Applicant: Asthmatx, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Biggs, Roger A. Stern, Christopher J. Danek
  • Patent number: 7854734
    Abstract: The present invention includes a system for delivering energy to an airway wall of a lung comprising an energy delivering apparatus and a PID controller having one or more variable gain factors which are rest after energy deliver has begun. The energy delivering apparatus may include a flexible elongated member and a distal expandable basket having at least one electrode for transferring energy to the airway wall and at least one temperature sensor for measuring temperature. The PID controller determines a new power set point base on an error between a preset temperature and the measured temperature. The algorithm can be Pi+1=Pi+G(?ei+?ei?1+?ei?2) where ?, ? and ? are preset values and ? is from 1 to 2; ? is from ?1 to ?2; and ? is from ?0.5 to 0-5. In another variation, the controller is configured to shut down if various measured parameters are exceeded such as, for example, energy, impedance, temperature, temperature differences, activation time and combinations thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: Asthmatx, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Biggs, Roger A. Stern, Christopher J. Danek