Patents by Inventor Robert L. Koch, Jr.

Robert L. Koch, Jr. 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: 8075571
    Abstract: A surgical clip applier and methods for applying surgical clips to a vessel, duct, shunt, etc., during a surgical procedure are provided. In one exemplary embodiment, a surgical clip applier is provided having a housing with a trigger movably coupled thereto and an elongate shaft extending therefrom with opposed jaws formed on a distal end thereof. The trigger is adapted to advance a clip to position the clip between the jaws, and to move the jaws from an open position to a closed position to crimp the clip positioned therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.
    Inventors: Dario Vitali, Nicholas G. Molitor, Thomas W. Huitema, Robert L. Koch, Jr., Brian D. Bertke, Kevin A. Larson, Robert P. Fuchs, Mark A. Davison
  • Publication number: 20110224696
    Abstract: A surgical clip applier and methods for applying surgical clips to a vessel, duct, shunt, etc., during a surgical procedure are provided. In one exemplary embodiment, a surgical clip applier is provided having a housing with a trigger movably coupled thereto and a shaft extending therefrom with opposed jaws formed on a distal end thereof. The trigger is adapted to advance a clip to position the clip between the jaws, and to move the jaws from an open position to a closed position to crimp the clip positioned therebetween. The surgical clip applier can include a variety of features to facilitate use of the device, including features to align a clip with the jaws, features to prevent unintentional migration of a clip, and features to prevent clip fallout during formation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Applicant: ETHICON ENDO-SURGERY, INC.
    Inventors: Thomas W. Huitema, Mark A. Davison, Robert L. Koch, JR.
  • Publication number: 20110218553
    Abstract: A surgical clip applier and methods for applying surgical clips to a vessel, duct, shunt, etc., during a surgical procedure are provided. In one exemplary embodiment, a surgical clip applier is provided having a housing with a trigger movably coupled thereto and an elongate shaft extending therefrom with opposed jaws formed on a distal end thereof. The trigger is adapted to advance a clip to position the clip between the jaws, and to move the jaws from an open position to a closed position to crimp the clip positioned therebetween.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Publication date: September 8, 2011
    Applicant: ETHICON ENDO-SURGERY, INC.
    Inventors: Thomas W. Huitema, Robert L. Koch, JR.
  • Publication number: 20110087213
    Abstract: A surgical generator for providing a drive signal to a surgical device may have a receptacle assembly having a receptacle body, a flange and a central protruding portion. The outer periphery of the central protruding portion may have at least one curved section and at least one linear section. Additionally, a surgical instrument may comprise an electrical connector assembly having a flange. The flange may comprise at least one curved section and at least one linear section. In some embodiments, A surgical instrument system may comprise a surgical generator, a surgical instrument comprising a connector assembly, and an adapter assembly operatively coupled to the receptacle assembly and the connector assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2010
    Publication date: April 14, 2011
    Applicant: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Messerly, Daniel J. Abbott, Jeffrey L. Aldridge, Eitan T. Wiener, James R. Giordano, Foster B. Stulen, Matthew C. Miller, Aaron C. Voegele, Jeffrey P. Wiley, Daniel W. Price, Robert L. Koch, JR., Mark E. Tebbe
  • Publication number: 20100185215
    Abstract: A surgical clip applier and methods for applying surgical clips to a vessel, duct, shunt, etc., during a surgical procedure are provided. In one exemplary embodiment, a surgical clip applier is provided having a housing with a trigger movably coupled thereto and an elongate shaft extending therefrom with opposed jaws formed on a distal end thereof. The trigger is adapted to advance a clip to position the clip between the jaws, and to move the jaws from an open position to a closed position to crimp the clip positioned therebetween.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2010
    Publication date: July 22, 2010
    Applicant: ETHICON ENDO-SURGERY, INC.
    Inventors: Thomas W. Huitema, Robert L. Koch, JR.
  • Patent number: 6168605
    Abstract: A laparoscopic surgical scissors for cutting tissue is disclosed. The laparoscopic surgical scissors has a handle body assembly having an actuation member moveable toward and away from the handle body assembly. An elongated shaft having a proximal and a distal end that define a longitudinal axis is connected to the handle body assembly at the proximal end of said shaft. A pair of cutting blades have a first blade member and a second blade member that are co-operably connected about a common pivot member adjacent to the distal end of the elongated shaft. The common pivot member defines a common pivot axis perpendicular to the elongated shaft. The first blade member has a first cutting edge and the second blade member has a second cutting edge facing the first cutting edge. The blade members have a single point of blade contact translating proximally and distally as the blade members open and close in response to movement of the actuation member away from and toward the handle body assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2001
    Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.
    Inventors: John P. Measamer, Robert L. Koch, Jr., Narinderjit S. Sambi
  • Patent number: 6117158
    Abstract: A hand held surgical instrument for grasping and clamping tissue is disclosed. The surgical instrument has a handle body assembly and an elongated shaft. The shaft is connected to the handle body assembly at a proximal end and has an end effector at a distal end. The end effector is operably coupled to an actuation member extending from the handle body. The actuation member is moveable toward and away from the handle body to open and close the end effector. A locking tab is located on the handle body assembly and is moveable between a locked position and an unlocked position. A locking rod is movably engaged with a hole in the locking tab. When the locking tab is in the unlocked position, the actuation member is free to move towards and away from the handle body assembly to open and close the end effector. When the locking tab is in the locked position, movement to open the actuation member is prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2000
    Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.
    Inventors: John P. Measamer, Robert L. Koch, Jr., Robert F. Welch, Anthony T. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 5908149
    Abstract: An improved surgical stapler which allows for the multi-directional release of staples includes a stapler body and a driver contained therein. A magazine is connected to the stapler body and includes a staple track for carrying a plurality of staples wherein each of the staples has staple legs. An anvil is associated with the staple track for providing a staple forming surface for forming a staple thereon. A feeder element which is spring biased against the staples is used for feeding each staple from the staple track to the anvil. A trigger is operatively connected to the driver and is movable from a pre-fire position to a firing position for advancing the driver against the anvil for forming the staple against the anvil. A kick-off spring is positioned beneath and substantially parallel to the staple track and the anvil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 1, 1999
    Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert F. Welch, Steven W. Hamblin, Robert L. Koch, Jr., John I. Izuchukwu, Jeff Kirk, John Kretchman, Richard Schweet, David Wolf, Charles Hansford, Navneet Tony Sharma, John Mertz
  • Patent number: 5452836
    Abstract: An improved surgical stapling instrument is provided for applying surgical staples to human tissue. The instrument has an articulated stapling head assembly mounted by a rotatable and flexible support shaft on an actuator handle assembly with an improved actuator mechanism for closing and firing the stapling head assembly. The stapling head assembly comprises a fixed jaw with a staple cartridge and a movable jaw with an anvil for clamping the tissue therebetween. The actuator mechanism comprises a jaw closure lever for closing the jaws and a staple firing lever for actuating a staple driver to drive the staples from the staple cartridge into the tissue and against the anvil. The actuator mechanism also includes a cam pulley mounted for rotation by the staple firing lever and secured to a firing cable for actuating the staple driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 26, 1995
    Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas W. Huitema, Thomas J. Sierocuk, Eric J. Butterfield, Joseph C. Hueil, Kirk M. Nicola, Robert L. Koch, Jr.