Patents by Inventor Ricci Smelser

Ricci Smelser 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: 20070270781
    Abstract: The present disclosure concerns a delivery system for delivering a medically useful payload through the vasculature to a site of interest in the patient's body. The medically useful payload may be a therapeutic device, such as a stent, and it may be a diagnostic tool, such as an imaging device. Owing to its structural attributes, the presently-inventive delivery system is well suited for carrying medical payload to and through vessel curvature and to branched regions (i.e., bifurcations) in same. Also, the device is well-suited to traveling through a vessel over a guiding element, such as a guidewire, which itself exhibits curvature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2007
    Publication date: November 22, 2007
    Inventors: Robert Burgermeister, Mathew Krever, Paul Ferrara, Fernando Di Caprio, Ricci Smelser, Randall Beyreis, Brady Hatcher
  • Publication number: 20060200222
    Abstract: The present invention, in an exemplary embodiment, provides a stent deployment apparatus comprising excellent safety and stent placement and deployment features. An exemplary stent deployment apparatus in accordance with the present invention can facilitate the precise delivery of stents in a safe and repeatable fashion. In particular, a preferred deployment apparatus allows the physician to concentrate on correct placement without having to estimate extent of deployment by providing a physical safety mechanism that limits deployment to the critical deployment point. Moreover, to exceed this threshold, an audible and/or tactile indicator informs the physician that she can no longer retract the stent beyond this point. The stent deployment apparatus guidewire may also be extended rather than retracting the outer catheter to deliver the stent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2006
    Publication date: September 7, 2006
    Inventors: Liann Johnson, Paul Sherburne, Alicia Heck, Ricci Smelser, Eric Mangiardi
  • Patent number: 5372584
    Abstract: An apparatus to establish access into the uterus and the fallopian tubes of a female for diagnostic or therapeutic procedures includes a cervical access catheter, an ostial access catheter insertable through the cervical access catheter, and a fallopian access catheter insertable through the ostial access catheter. The cervical access catheter incorporates a distally located intrauterine balloon which is inflatable after insertion into the uterus. The cervical access catheter also incorporates a cervical retention disk which can be slid into position against the anterior lip of the cervix to anchor the cervical access catheter into the cervical canal between the intrauterine balloon and the cervical disk. Once the cervical access catheter is properly anchored, the ostial access catheter is inserted through the cervical access catheter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 13, 1994
    Assignee: Ovamed Corporation
    Inventors: John N. Zink, Chris Decaria, Jonathan Kagan, Robert S. Schenken, Ricci Smelser