Patents by Inventor Sean P. Conlon
Sean P. Conlon 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).
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Publication number: 20240032922Abstract: A staple cartridge assembly comprising a tissue thickness compensator is disclosed. The tissue thickness compensator comprises a first fibrous, woven material and a second fibrous, woven material. The first fibrous, woven material comprises a density which is different than the density of the second fibrous, woven material. The tissue thickness compensator is configured to expand upon contact with a fluid in order to apply a compressive force to tissue captured within staples.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 3, 2023Publication date: February 1, 2024Inventors: Chester O. Baxter, III, Frederick E. Shelton, IV, Charles J. Scheib, Christopher W. Widenhouse, William B. Weisenburgh, II, John L. Stammen, Mark H. Ransick, Stephanie A. Mutchler, Gary W. Knight, Michael S. Cropper, Sean P. Conlon, Jeffrey S. Swayze
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Patent number: 11812965Abstract: A staple cartridge assembly comprising a tissue thickness compensator is disclosed. The tissue thickness compensator comprises a first fibrous, woven material and a second fibrous, woven material. The first fibrous, woven material comprises a density which is different than the density of the second fibrous, woven material. The tissue thickness compensator is configured to expand upon contact with a fluid in order to apply a compressive force to tissue captured within staples.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 2019Date of Patent: November 14, 2023Assignee: Cilag GmbH InternationalInventors: Chester O. Baxter, III, Frederick E. Shelton, IV, Charles J. Scheib, Christopher W. Widenhouse, William B. Weisenburgh, II, John L. Stammen, Mark H. Ransick, Stephanie A. Mutchler, Gary W. Knight, Michael S. Cropper, Sean P. Conlon, Jeffrey S. Swayze
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Publication number: 20230329742Abstract: An apparatus configured for use with an end effector of a surgical instrument, comprising: (a) a housing, wherein the housing includes a first housing portion defining a first gap, wherein the first gap is configured to receive a jaw of the end effector; and (b) a lubricant application member positioned within the first gap, wherein the lubricant application member is configured to be loaded with a lubricant for applying the lubricant to a tissue clamping surface of the jaw when the jaw is received within the first gap.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 15, 2022Publication date: October 19, 2023Inventors: Steven M. Boronyak, Demetrius N. Harris, Patrick G. McElhaney, JR., Scott L. Johnson, Elie R. F. Laumond, Johnnie Bell, Maxwell T. Rockman, Jacob S. Gee, Jacqueline A. Anim, John E. Brady, Anna Peterson Wilson, Oscar R. Chavez Montes, Jeffrey L. Aldridge, Candice Otrembiak, Nicholas D. Schley, Stephen M. Torain, Chad P. Boudreaux, Kylie L. Hays, Rosa Castillo, Todd E. Riethmiller, Rachael A. Swenson, Louis P. Mingione, Monica L. Rivard, Justin M. Kovach, Mark E. Tebbe, Sean P. Conlon
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Publication number: 20230329420Abstract: An apparatus includes an external body, a floor attached to the external body, an applicator pad, and a cover. The external body defines an internal cavity and extends between a bottom and top end. The applicator pad extends from the floor into the internal cavity defined by the external body. The applicator pad has an absorbent material that can absorb an electro-lubricant. The applicator pad is dimensioned to be grasped by a pair of jaws of a surgical instrument. The cover is associated with the top end of the external body and partially defines the internal cavity of the external body. The cover allows the pair of jaws to enter the internal cavity via the cover to grasp the applicator pad.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 15, 2022Publication date: October 19, 2023Inventors: Mallory E. Schroeder, Justin M. Kovach, Sean P. Conlon, Mark E. Tebbe, Louis P. Mingione, Sudha Vijaykumar, Monica L. Rivard, Shane R. Adams, Karen M. Averbeck, Ryan J. Reese
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Patent number: 11737750Abstract: A surgical instrument includes a body, a shaft assembly, and an end effector. The shaft assembly extends distally from the body. The end effector is located at a distal end portion of the shaft assembly. The end effector includes an active feature configured to operate on tissue. The body includes a drive feature operable to drive the active feature of the end effector. The body is removably coupled with the shaft assembly in a connected state and separated from the shaft assembly in a disconnected state. The body includes a drive feature configured to drive operation of the active feature of the effector. The drive feature includes at least one of an ultrasonic drive feature or a mechanical drive feature. A proximal end portion of the shaft assembly is configured to be removed from the body to separate the at least one activation feature from the drive feature.Type: GrantFiled: February 3, 2020Date of Patent: August 29, 2023Assignee: Cilag GmbH InternationalInventors: Jeffrey L. Aldridge, Eitan T. Wiener, Robert A. Kemerling, James R. Giordano, Vincent P. Battaglia, Jr., Daniel W. Price, Sean P. Conlon, Gregory W. Johnson, Jeffrey D. Messerly, Shan Wan, Kevin L. Houser, Foster B. Stulen, Jacob S. Gee, Jeffrey A. Bullock, John A. Hibner, William B. Weisenburgh, II
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Publication number: 20230225753Abstract: A surgical apparatus comprises a body, an ultrasonic transducer, a shaft, an acoustic waveguide, an articulation section, an end effector, and an articulation drive assembly. The ultrasonic transducer is operable to convert electrical power into ultrasonic vibrations. The shaft couples the end effector and the body together. The acoustic waveguide is coupled with the transducer. The articulation section includes a collar that is located distal to a nodal portion of the waveguide and is operable to deflect the end effector away from the longitudinal axis. The end effector comprises an ultrasonic blade in acoustic communication with the ultrasonic transducer. The articulation drive assembly is operable to drive articulation of the articulation section. The articulation drive assembly comprises at least one translating articulation driver coupled with the collar. The ultrasonic blade is operable to deliver ultrasonic vibrations to tissue even when the articulation section is in an articulated state.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 17, 2023Publication date: July 20, 2023Inventors: Foster B. Stulen, David A. Monroe, William B. Weisenburgh, II, Richard C. Smith, Ashvani K. Madan, Craig T. Davis, Barry C. Worrell, Benjamin D. Dickerson, Chad P. Boudreaux, Geoffrey S. Strobl, Thomas C. Gallmeyer, Amy L. Sitler, Tylor C. Muhlenkamp, Sean P. Conlon, John A. Hibner
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Patent number: 11607240Abstract: A surgical apparatus comprises a body, an ultrasonic transducer, a shaft, an acoustic waveguide, an articulation section, an end effector, and an articulation drive assembly. The ultrasonic transducer is operable to convert electrical power into ultrasonic vibrations. The shaft couples the end effector and the body together. The acoustic waveguide is coupled with the transducer. The articulation section includes a collar that is located distal to a nodal portion of the waveguide and is operable to deflect the end effector away from the longitudinal axis. The end effector comprises an ultrasonic blade in acoustic communication with the ultrasonic transducer. The articulation drive assembly is operable to drive articulation of the articulation section. The articulation drive assembly comprises at least one translating articulation driver coupled with the collar. The ultrasonic blade is operable to deliver ultrasonic vibrations to tissue even when the articulation section is in an articulated state.Type: GrantFiled: November 16, 2018Date of Patent: March 21, 2023Assignee: Cilag GmbH InternationalInventors: Foster B. Stulen, David A. Monroe, William B. Weisenburgh, II, Richard C. Smith, Ashvani K. Madan, Craig T. Davis, Barry C. Worrell, Benjamin D. Dickerson, Chad P. Boudreaux, Geoffrey S. Strobl, Thomas C. Gallmeyer, Amy L. Benchek, Tylor C. Muhlenkamp, Sean P. Conlon, John A. Hibner
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Patent number: 11596432Abstract: A surgical instrument includes a body, a shaft assembly, and an end effector. The end effector includes an ultrasonic blade and a clamp arm movably coupled with the shaft assembly. The shaft assembly extends between the body and the end effector and includes an acoustic waveguide, a rotational driver, and a driver wrench. The rotational driver is configured to be received within the rotational drive channel and rotate the shaft assembly relative to the body. The acoustic waveguide includes a notch and the driver wrench includes a key, wherein the first notch of the acoustic waveguide is configured to receive the key.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 2021Date of Patent: March 7, 2023Assignee: Cilag GmbH InternationalInventors: Sean P. Conlon, Ellen Burkart, Guion Y. Lucas
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Patent number: 11553954Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure are presented for a surgical instrument for cutting and sealing tissue. In some embodiments, the surgical instrument includes a handle assembly, a shaft, and an end effector. The end effector may include: a blade that vibrates at an ultrasonic frequency, a shielded portion enclosing a back edge of the blade, a high-friction surface coupled to the shielded portion and positioned between the shielded portion and the back edge of the blade. A space is defined between the high-friction surface and the back edge of the blade when the end effector is in a cutting configuration. In a sealing configuration, the high-friction surface contacts the back edge of the blade, which generates heat based on ultrasonic vibrations of the blade rubbing against the high-friction surface. The shielded portion can coagulate bleeding tissue based on heat transfer from the high-friction surface to the shielded portion.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 2019Date of Patent: January 17, 2023Assignee: Cilag GmbH InternationalInventors: Sean P. Conlon, John B. Schulte, Thomas C. Gallmeyer, Kristen G. Denzinger, Jeffery T. Kirk
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Patent number: 11547432Abstract: An ultrasonic surgical instrument includes a body, an ultrasonic supported by the body, a shaft extending distally from the body and defining a shaft axis, a waveguide extending distally through the shaft, and an end effector arranged at a distal end of the shaft. The end effector includes an ultrasonic blade coupled to a distal end of the waveguide and having a primary blade treatment surface configured to treat tissue, and a clamp arm coupled to the distal end of the shaft. The shaft and the waveguide are selectively rotatable relative to one another about the shaft axis through a predefined range of angular motion between an assembly state and an operational state. In the assembly state, the clamp arm and the primary blade treatment surface are rotationally offset from one another. In the operational state, the clamp arm and the primary blade treatment surface are rotationally aligned.Type: GrantFiled: July 2, 2020Date of Patent: January 10, 2023Assignee: Cilag GmbH InternationalInventors: Matthew C. Miller, Sean P. Conlon, Michael E. Boehm, Richard W. Flaker, Bryce Hansen, Rafael J. Ruiz Ortiz
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Publication number: 20220361911Abstract: An apparatus includes a shaft assembly, an ultrasonic blade, and a clamp assembly. The shaft assembly includes an acoustic waveguide operable to transmit ultrasonic vibrations to the blade. The clamp assembly includes a clamp arm pivotable toward and away from the blade about a pivot axis, to clamp tissue between the clamp arm and the blade. A rotation feature may provide rotation of the blade relative to the clamp arm about the longitudinal axis of the waveguide. Alternatively, the rotation feature may provide rotation of the clamp arm relative to the blade about the longitudinal axis. The rotation feature may be driven based on pivotal positioning of the clamp arm relative to the blade about the pivot axis. The rotation feature may selectively lock and unlock the angular position of either the blade or the clamp arm about the longitudinal axis at any of a number of predetermined angular positions.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 3, 2022Publication date: November 17, 2022Inventors: Craig N. Faller, Elizabeth DeBenedictis, William D. Kelly, Michael R. Lamping, Timothy G. Dietz, Patrick A. Weizman, Jacob S. Gee, John B. Schulte, Tylor C. Muhlenkamp, Douglas J. Turner, Eric B. Smith, Sean P. Conlon, Richard W. Timm, Jeffrey D. Messerly, Brian D. Bertke
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Patent number: 11389190Abstract: An apparatus includes a shaft assembly, an ultrasonic blade, and a clamp assembly. The shaft assembly includes an acoustic waveguide operable to transmit ultrasonic vibrations to the blade. The clamp assembly includes a clamp arm pivotable toward and away from the blade about a pivot axis, to clamp tissue between the clamp arm and the blade. A rotation feature may provide rotation of the blade relative to the clamp arm about the longitudinal axis of the waveguide. Alternatively, the rotation feature may provide rotation of the clamp arm relative to the blade about the longitudinal axis. The rotation feature may be driven based on pivotal positioning of the clamp arm relative to the blade about the pivot axis. The rotation feature may selectively lock and unlock the angular position of either the blade or the clamp arm about the longitudinal axis at any of a number of predetermined angular positions.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2019Date of Patent: July 19, 2022Assignee: Cilag GmbH InternationalInventors: Craig N. Faller, Elizabeth DeBenedictis, William D. Kelly, Michael R. Lamping, Timothy G. Dietz, Patrick A. Weizman, Jacob S. Gee, John B. Schulte, Tylor C. Muhlenkamp, Douglas J. Turner, Eric B. Smith, Sean P. Conlon, Richard W. Timm, Jeffrey D. Messerly, Brian D. Bertke
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Patent number: 11350960Abstract: A surgical instrument includes a reusable assembly having an inner tube and an ultrasonic blade positioned within the inner tube. The inner tube includes at least one opening to receive a sterilization fluid therethrough for sterilizing the ultrasonic blade within the inner tube. The surgical instrument further includes a sterilization detection system to determine whether the reusable assembly has been sterilized during a sterilization cycle. A seal is selectively couplable with the at least one opening of the inner tube to fluidly seal the at least one opening for inhibiting bodily fluid from entering the at least one opening during a surgical procedure.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2019Date of Patent: June 7, 2022Assignee: Cilag GmbH InternationalInventors: Stephen M. Leuck, Ellen Burkart, Diana M. Castillo Sanchez, Andrew W. Carroll, Sean P. Conlon, Rafael J. Ruiz Ortiz, Demetrius N. Harris, Patrick J. Minnelli
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Patent number: 11284918Abstract: A cannula sleeve for a surgical trocar assembly. The cannula sleeve includes a hollow shaft, at least a portion of which is made of a rigid material, and a seal at the distal end of the hollow shaft, the seal being movable between a first open position and a second closed position. The shaft defines a proximal end, a distal end, a periphery, and a longitudinal axis. The shaft further includes a channel at the periphery substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, the channel being in communication with the hollow shaft.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2019Date of Patent: March 29, 2022Assignee: Cilag GmbH InlernationalInventors: David B. Griffith, Sean P. Conlon, William B. Weisenburgh, II, Christopher J. Hess, Kempton K. Carroll, II
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Publication number: 20220015796Abstract: A surgical instrument includes a body, a shaft assembly, and an end effector. The end effector includes an ultrasonic blade and a clamp arm movably coupled with the shaft assembly. The shaft assembly extends between the body and the end effector and includes an acoustic waveguide, a rotational driver, and a driver wrench. The rotational driver is configured to be received within the rotational drive channel and rotate the shaft assembly relative to the body. The acoustic waveguide includes a notch and the driver wrench includes a key, wherein the first notch of the acoustic waveguide is configured to receive the key.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 26, 2021Publication date: January 20, 2022Inventors: Sean P. Conlon, Ellen Burkart, Guion Y. Lucas
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Patent number: 11141184Abstract: An apparatus includes a body, a shaft assembly, and an end effector. The shaft assembly includes an outer tube, a proximal inner tube member, a distal inner tube member, and an acoustic waveguide. The end effector includes an ultrasonic blade and a clamp arm. A first portion of the clamp arm is pivotably coupled with a distal end of the outer tube. A second portion of the clamp arm is pivotably coupled with a distal end of the distal inner tube member. The outer tube is configured to removably couple with the body and the distal inner tube member is configured to removably couple with the proximal inner tube member such that the outer tube, the distal inner tube member, and the clamp arm are configured to removably couple with the body and the remainder of the shaft assembly and end effector as a unit.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2019Date of Patent: October 12, 2021Assignee: Cilag GmbH InternationalInventors: Sean P. Conlon, Ellen Burkart, Rafael J. Ruiz Ortiz, Matthew S. Corbin, Matthew C. Miller
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Patent number: 11123095Abstract: A surgical instrument includes a body, a shaft assembly, and an end effector. The end effector includes an ultrasonic blade and a clamp arm movably coupled with the shaft assembly. The shaft assembly extends between the body and the end effector and includes an acoustic waveguide, a rotational driver, and a driver wrench. The rotational driver is configured to be received within the rotational drive channel and rotate the shaft assembly relative to the body. The acoustic waveguide includes a notch and the driver wrench includes a key, wherein the first notch of the acoustic waveguide is configured to receive the key.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2019Date of Patent: September 21, 2021Assignee: Cilag GmbH InternationalInventors: Sean P. Conlon, Ellen Burkart, Guion Y. Lucas
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Patent number: 11051838Abstract: A method of forming a component of an ultrasonic surgical instrument includes accessing a file including a digital model representing the component. The component includes a proximal portion and a distal portion. The proximal portion includes a contact portion. The distal portion includes an ultrasonic blade. The contact portion is configured to transmit ultrasonic vibrations to the ultrasonic blade when the component is acoustically coupled to a complementary portion of an acoustic waveguide of the ultrasonic surgical instrument. The file is used to fabricate the component via an additive manufacturing process. Once the component has been fabricated, the distal portion is secured to a distal end of the complementary portion of the acoustic waveguide.Type: GrantFiled: December 6, 2018Date of Patent: July 6, 2021Assignee: Cilag GmbH InternationalInventor: Sean P. Conlon
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Publication number: 20200375626Abstract: An ultrasonic surgical instrument includes a body, an ultrasonic supported by the body, a shaft extending distally from the body and defining a shaft axis, a waveguide extending distally through the shaft, and an end effector arranged at a distal end of the shaft. The end effector includes an ultrasonic blade coupled to a distal end of the waveguide and having a primary blade treatment surface configured to treat tissue, and a clamp arm coupled to the distal end of the shaft. The shaft and the waveguide are selectively rotatable relative to one another about the shaft axis through a predefined range of angular motion between an assembly state and an operational state. In the assembly state, the clamp arm and the primary blade treatment surface are rotationally offset from one another. In the operational state, the clamp arm and the primary blade treatment surface are rotationally aligned.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 2, 2020Publication date: December 3, 2020Inventors: Matthew C. Miller, Sean P. Conlon, Michael E. Boehm, Richard W. Flaker, Bryce Hansen, Rafael J. Ruiz Ortiz
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Patent number: 10835768Abstract: An ultrasonic surgical instrument is disclosed. The ultrasonic surgical instrument may include: a housing, a motor assembly supported by the housing, a cutting blade, wherein a proximal end of the cutting blade is configured to be removably coupled to the motor assembly, an ultrasonic transducer assembly supported by the housing, an ultrasonic blade, wherein a proximal end of the ultrasonic blade is configured to be removably coupled to the ultrasonic transducer assembly, and an outer sheath configured to support the cutting blade and the ultrasonic blade, wherein a proximal end of the outer sheath is configured to be removably coupled to the housing.Type: GrantFiled: December 5, 2017Date of Patent: November 17, 2020Assignee: Ethicon LLCInventors: Galen C. Robertson, Richard W. Timm, Kevin L. Houser, Sean P. Conlon, Aron O. Zingman