Patents by Inventor Thomas Gregory Estes

Thomas Gregory Estes 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: 8382772
    Abstract: A gastropexy kit includes a plurality of safety needle assemblies. Each safety needle assembly includes a needle and a stylus. A fastener is positioned in a distal end of the needle. The fastener is coupled to one end of the suture and a suture retention hub is coupled to an opposite end of the suture. The fastener is deployed in a patient's stomach via the needle and stylus which has a blunt distal end which extends through the needle to push the fastener out of the needle and to blunt the needle. The suture retention hub is positioned on a patient's skin and adjustably tensions the suture, which, desirably, is a resorbable suture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: John Anthony Rotella, Donald Jay McMichael, Nathan Christopher Griffith, Thomas Gregory Estes
  • Publication number: 20120203251
    Abstract: A gastropexy kit includes a plurality of safety needle assemblies. Each safety needle assembly includes a needle and a stylus. A fastener is positioned in a distal end of the needle. The fastener is coupled to one end of the suture and a suture retention hub is coupled to an opposite end of the suture. The fastener is deployed in a patient's stomach via the needle and stylus which has a blunt distal end which extends through the needle to push the fastener out of the needle and to blunt the needle. The suture retention hub is positioned on a patient's skin and adjustably tensions the suture, which, desirably, is a resorbable suture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2012
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Inventors: John Anthony Rotella, Donald Jay McMichael, Nathan Christopher Griffith, Thomas Gregory Estes
  • Patent number: 8157816
    Abstract: A gastropexy kit includes a plurality of safety needle assemblies. Each safety needle assembly includes a needle and a stylus. A fastener is positioned in a distal end of the needle. The fastener is coupled to one end of the suture and a suture retention hub is coupled to an opposite end of the suture. The fastener is deployed in a patient's stomach via the needle and stylus which has a blunt distal end which extends through the needle to push the fastener out of the needle and to blunt the needle. The suture retention hub is positioned on a patient's skin and adjustably tensions the suture, which, desirably, is a resorbable suture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: John Anthony Rotella, Donald Jay McMichael, Nathan Christopher Griffith, Thomas Gregory Estes
  • Patent number: 7867253
    Abstract: A suture retention hub is provided. It includes a base configured to moveably hold a handle within at least a portion of the base. The base has an aperture which extends through the base. The hub also includes a handle configured to moveably fit into the portion of the base. The handle has an aperture formed therethough as well. When a suture is positioned in the apertures and the base and handle are positioned such that the apertures are substantially in an axial alignment, the suture moves readily through the apertures in the hub. Then the base and handle are positioned such that the apertures are not in a substantial axial alignment, the suture is frictionally crimped and it is prevented from moving through the hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald Jay McMichael, John Anthony Rotella, Nathan Christopher Griffith, Thomas Gregory Estes
  • Publication number: 20090152137
    Abstract: A combination drape which has both a skin sealant and an incise drape is applied to a patient's skin. The skin sealant is positioned adjacent the prepped skin and the incise drape is positioned over the skin sealant and the prepped skin. The skin sealant substantially fills contours of the incise drape positioned thereover such that any air pockets and wrinkles positioned between the incise drape and the skin sealant are sealed and isolated from the skin. The combination drape is contained within a kit which desirably includes instructions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2007
    Publication date: June 18, 2009
    Inventors: Thomas Gregory Estes, Katherine Luann Dziak, Cherie Everhart
  • Publication number: 20090062853
    Abstract: A suture retention hub is provided. It includes a base configured to moveably hold a handle within at least a portion of the base. The base has an aperture which extends through the base. The hub also includes a handle configured to moveably fit into the portion of the base. The handle has an aperture formed therethough as well. When a suture is positioned in the apertures and the base and handle are positioned such that the apertures are substantially in an axial alignment, the suture moves readily through the apertures in the hub. Then the base and handle are positioned such that the apertures are not in a substantial axial alignment, the suture is frictionally crimped and it is prevented from moving through the hub.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2007
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Inventors: Donald Jay McMichael, John Anthony Rotella, Nathan Christopher Griffith, Thomas Gregory Estes
  • Publication number: 20090062743
    Abstract: A gastropexy kit includes a plurality of safety needle assemblies. Each safety needle assembly includes a needle and a stylus. A fastener is positioned in a distal end of the needle. The fastener is coupled to one end of the suture and a suture retention hub is coupled to an opposite end of the suture. The fastener is deployed in a patient's stomach via the needle and stylus which has a blunt distal end which extends through the needle to push the fastener out of the needle and to blunt the needle. The suture retention hub is positioned on a patient's skin and adjustably tensions the suture, which, desirably, is a resorbable suture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2007
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Inventors: John Anthony Rotella, Donald Jay McMichael, Nathan Christopher Griffith, Thomas Gregory Estes