Patents by Inventor Michael J. Pfefferkorn

Michael J. Pfefferkorn 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: 10849610
    Abstract: The wound protector has an annularly collapsible proximal ring and a flexible sleeve extends between the proximal ring and distal ring. After positioning of the distal ring in a wound, the proximal ring is expanded to draw the sleeve taut between the rings and is drawn tight against the wound. In one embodiment, the proximal ring includes a bent hollow tube with an arcuate rod in the tube bridging the open ends of the tube and a compression spring extending within the tube against the ends of the rod to bias the proximal ring into an extended state. Finger grips on the ends of the tube allow for squeezing of the tube into a collapsed state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: VLV Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael J. Vaillancourt, Marshall Kerr, Gregory J. Dwyer, Jeicol Herrera, Michael J. Pfefferkorn
  • Publication number: 20170027554
    Abstract: The wound protector has an annularly collapsible proximal ring and a flexible sleeve extends between the proximal ring and distal ring. After positioning of the distal ring in a wound, the proximal ring is expanded to draw the sleeve taut between the rings and is drawn tight against the wound. In one embodiment, the proximal ring includes a bent hollow tube with an arcuate rod in the tube bridging the open ends of the tube and a compression spring extending within the tube against the ends of the rod to bias the proximal ring into an extended state. Finger grips on the ends of the tube allow for squeezing of the tube into a collapsed state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2016
    Publication date: February 2, 2017
    Inventors: Michael J. Vaillancourt, Marshall Kerr, Gregory J. Dwyer, Jeicol Herrera, Michael J. Pfefferkorn
  • Patent number: 9492153
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the wound protector has an annularly collapsible proximal ring and a flexible sleeve extends between the proximal ring and distal ring. After positioning of the distal ring in a wound, the proximal ring is expanded to draw the sleeve taut between the rings 11, 12 and is drawn tight against the wound. In a second embodiment, the wound protector has a flexible sleeve secured between a distal ring and proximal ring of fixed diameters. In addition, an expansion member is disposed within a loop of the flexible sleeve about the proximal ring. After positioning of the distal ring in a wound, movement of the expansion member into an extended diametric state expands the loop in the sleeve diametrically while drawing the rings towards each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: VLV Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael J. Vaillancourt, Marshall Kerr, Gregory J. Dwyer, Jeicol Herrera, Michael J. Pfefferkorn
  • Publication number: 20150119647
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the wound protector has an annularly collapsible proximal ring and a flexible sleeve extends between the proximal ring and distal ring. After positioning of the distal ring in a wound, the proximal ring is expanded to draw the sleeve taut between the rings 11, 12 and is drawn tight against the wound. In a second embodiment, the wound protector has a flexible sleeve secured between a distal ring and proximal ring of fixed diameters. In addition, an expansion member is disposed within a loop of the flexible sleeve about the proximal ring. After positioning of the distal ring in a wound, movement of the expansion member into an extended diametric state expands the loop in the sleeve diametrically while drawing the rings towards each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2014
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Inventors: Michael J. Vaillancourt, Marshall Kerr, Gregory J. Dwyer, Jeicol Herrera, Michael J. Pfefferkorn