Patents by Inventor Neil T. Markwardt

Neil T. Markwardt 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: 11937892
    Abstract: A surgical instrument includes a drive housing, a spline, a carriage, an elongate shaft assembly, an end effector, and an activating mechanism. The at least one spline includes a drive gear rotatable with the spline. The elongate shaft assembly extends from the carriage. The activating mechanism includes a barrel cam extending along a rotational axis and having a first cam profile radially extending about the rotational axis. The barrel cam is operatively coupled to the drive gear such that rotation of the drive gear is configured to actuate the activating mechanism to move at least a portion of the end effector. The first cam profile defines a plurality of slopes relative to the rotational axis such that the first cam profile is configured to drive movement of the end effector or the elongate shaft assembly at different rates according to the plurality of slopes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Cilag GmbH International
    Inventors: Brian D. Black, Charles J. Scheib, Matthew T. Stone, Mark D. Overmyer, Christopher A. Denzinger, Andrew T. Beckman, Neil T. Markwardt
  • Publication number: 20220346890
    Abstract: A surgical instrument includes an end effector, a shaft assembly, a drive, and an activating mechanism. The end effector includes first and second jaws. At least one of the first and second jaws is pivotable relative to the other of the first and second jaws between open and closed positions. The shaft assembly extends proximally from the end effector. The drive is operatively connected to a portion of at least one of the end effector or the shaft assembly. The activating mechanism includes an actuation body operatively connected to the drive. The portion is configured to perform a first actuation profile in response to the actuation body moving along a first predetermined path or perform a second actuation profile in response to the actuation body moving along a second predetermined path. Selection of the first predetermined path is configured to prevent the actuation body from accessing the second predetermined path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2021
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Inventors: Christopher A. Denzinger, Mark D. Overmyer, Charles J. Scheib, Neil T. Markwardt, Brian D. Black
  • Publication number: 20220346897
    Abstract: A surgical instrument includes a drive housing, a spline, a carriage, an elongate shaft assembly, an end effector, and an activating mechanism. The at least one spline includes a drive gear rotatable with the spline. The elongate shaft assembly extends from the carriage. The activating mechanism includes a barrel cam extending along a rotational axis and having a first cam profile radially extending about the rotational axis. The barrel cam is operatively coupled to the drive gear such that rotation of the drive gear is configured to actuate the activating mechanism to move at least a portion of the end effector. The first cam profile defines a plurality of slopes relative to the rotational axis such that the first cam profile is configured to drive movement of the end effector or the elongate shaft assembly at different rates according to the plurality of slopes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2021
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Inventors: Brian D. Black, Charles J. Scheib, Matthew T. Stone, Mark D. Overmyer, Christopher A. Denzinger, Andrew T. Beckman, Neil T. Markwardt