Xtent, Inc.

Tusker Medical, Inc.

J.w. Medical Systems Ltd.

Perclose, Inc.

The Foundry, Inc.

Ethicon Endo-surgery, Inc.

Satiety, Inc.

Abbott Laboratories Corporation

Acclarent, Inc.

Devices for Vascular Intervention, Inc.

Torax Medical, Inc.

Emphasys Medical, Inc.

Other

Device for Vascular Intervention, Inc.

J.w. Medical System Ltd.

Bernard H Andreas

Hanson S Gifford, Iii

Mark E Deem

Ronald G French

Sunmi Chew

Douglas S Sutton

Rohit Kulbhushan Girotra

Ron French

David W Snow

Scott J Baron

Jeffrey Allen Walker

Jeffry J Grainger

Allan R Will

Mathew D Clopp

John H Morriss

Nikhil Bhat

Greg Liu

Mansour A Saleki

Michael Barrett

Pablo Acosta

Steve K Landreville

D Bruce Modesitt

Michael Zung

Mahyar Zardoshti Kermani

T Daniel Gross

Doug Sutton

Stephen Kao

Lewis Isbell

Thomas R Jenkins

Enrique J Klein

Craig Welk

Paul G Hayter

Alfredo Cantu

Thomas Daniel Gross

Timothy J Wood

Kent D Dell

Rohit Girotra

Bryan Dale Knodel

James William Vetter

Hung V Ha

Miranda M Ray

Bradley Blackwood

James R Flom

David Sanderson

Joseph Karratt

Shrirang V Ranade

Richard R Newhauser, Jr

Matthew D Clopp

Peter M Wilson

Craig R Gerbi

Richard Roy Newhauser, Jr

Arkady Kokish

Julia D Vrany

Gary B Weller

James R Gannoe

Alan R Rapacki

Ronald Ray Hundertmark

Brian D Farley

David Lowe

Ron Ray Hundertmark

Daniel J Conley

Jeremy Dittmer

Jeff Grainger

Bryan Mao

Joe Karratt

Eric Lang

Michael A Evans

Antony Jonathan Fields

Brian Eugene Farley

Brian A Glynn

Jay Daulton

Andrew R Leopold

Tomoaki Hinohara

Lewis Isbell, Jr

Andrew Black

Stephen Olson

Brian Gore

Thomas E Jenkins

Philip M Leopold

Ronald W Songer

Mark J Foley

Nikhil D Bhat

Alan Will

Anton J Fields

Christopher Todd Brahana

Julie D Vrany

Steve Olson

Matthew McDonald

Matt Maulding

Gregory Liu

Bryan Knodel

Hanson S Iii Gifford

Thomas D Gross

Mark Deem

Steve Landreville

Henry Plain

Various systems and methods provide iontophoretic delivery of anesthesia at a patient's tympanic membrane. At least one example is a method including: performing iontophoresis within a first ear canal by driving, by a control unit, a DC signal to an electrode of a first iontophoresis device positioned within the first ear canal, the electrode at least partially submerged within an iontophoresis fluid within the first ear canal; measuring, by the control unit, a mixed capacitance associated with the electrode by driving a first AC signal having a first frequency to the electrode; and determining, based on a change in the mixed capacitance, that an air bubble is present in the iontophoresis fluid.

System and method for providing iontophoresis at tympanic membrane

Systems and methods are provided for sealing an ear canal for retaining a solution in the ear canal. Adhesive earplugs are provided through which the solution can be delivered, and which, following delivery, retain the fluid in the ear canal. The systems and methods may also be useful for delivering an anesthetizing solution to the ear canal of a human patient and for maintaining the solution therein for use with an iontophoresis system for anesthetizing the tympanic membrane.

Adhesive earplugs useful for sealing the ear canal

Systems and methods are provided for anesthetizing a tympanic membrane of an ear. The systems are personalizable to ensure proper anesthetizing solution administration. The systems and methods may also be useful for administering a solution to the ear canal of a human patient and for maintaining the solution therein.

Personalizable system and method for anesthetizing the tympanic membrane

Various systems and methods provide iontophoretic delivery of anesthesia at a patient's tympanic membrane. Some implementations provide channel switching enabling a single current sink to pull current through two electrodes in an alternating fashion based on clock pulses. The iontophoretic delivery of anesthesia may be driven by an AC modulated current. Some implementations provide for continuous flow of fresh iontophoresis fluid to the ear canal during iontophoresis. The fluid flows from a source reservoir into the cavity between the tympanic membrane and a plug, and then drains out of the cavity to a reservoir. An iontophoresis system may also detect capacitance between an anode electrode and an auxiliary electrode in a patient's ear canal, watching for reduced capacitance to indicate presence of a bubble in the iontophoresis fluid.

A tympanostomy tube delivery device comprises a shaft assembly, a pressure equalization tube, and a sensor. The shaft assembly comprises a cannula and a pusher operable to translate relative to the cannula. The pressure equalization tube is positioned within the shaft assembly. The pusher is operable to drive the pressure equalization tube out of the shaft assembly. The sensor is operable to detect a physical parameter associated with engagement between the distal end of the shaft assembly and a tympanic membrane. A controller may activate a feedback device to inform an operator that the distal end of the shaft assembly has achieved suitable apposition with the tympanic membrane, based on information from the sensor.

Features to improve and sense tympanic membrane apposition by tympanostomy tube delivery instrument

Systems, apparatus, and methods described herein relate to a tympanic membrane pressure equalization tube. The tympanic membrane pressure equalization tube can include a tubular body defining a lumen and having a proximal end and a distal end, where the tubular body is configured to be deployed in a tympanic membrane; and a fluid transport element disposed within the lumen and extending at least a length of the tubular body. The tubular body can be configured to transition from a first state in which the tubular body can be disposed within an introducer and a second state in which the tubular body can be retained in an incision formed the tympanic membrane after deployment, and the fluid transport element can enable transport of a fluid across the tympanic membrane.

Tympanic membrane pressure equalization tube

A system and method for use in iontophoretic anesthesia of a tympanic membrane are disclosed. The system generally includes an earplug and an electrode device. The earplug includes at least one sealing member for sealing the earplug in an ear canal. The sealing member includes microholes which vent fluid above a certain pressure threshold. A headset may connect the earplug to a second earplug. The method involves using the system on a human or animal subject.

Systems and methods for anesthetizing ear tissue

A tympanostomy tube delivery device comprises a body, a cannula extending distally from the body, and a cylindraceous member disposed within the cannula. The cylindraceous member comprises a tubular portion and a plurality of leaves positioned at the distal end of the tubular portion. The leaves are movable between a collapsed position and an expanded position. The cylindraceous member is slidable relative to the cannula to selectively expose the leaves relative to the open distal end of the cannula. A first leaf of the plurality of leaves has a sharp distal point configured to pierce a tympanic membrane and a longitudinally extending sharp edge. The cylindraceous member may be used to create and dilate a myringotomy incision in a tympanic membrane. The tympanostomy tube delivery device may then be used to deploy a tympanostomy tube through the myringotomy incision.

Tympanostomy tube delivery device with cutting dilator

A tympanostomy tube delivery device comprises a shaft assembly and a handpiece. All or a portion of the shaft assembly is selectively coupleable and removable from the handpiece. The handpiece includes a housing defining an opening that can receive a portion of the shaft assembly. The shaft assembly comprises a cannula, a piercer/dilator tube, a shield tube, and a pusher tube operable to translate relative to the cannula. The pressure equalization tube is positioned within the shield tube of the shaft assembly. The piercer/dilator tube and the shield tube are operable to pierce the tympanic membrane and dilate an opening formed therein. The pusher tube is operable to drive the pressure equalization tube out of the shield tube of the shaft assembly and into the opening formed in the tympanic membrane. Upon completion of the procedure, all or a portion of the shaft assembly may then be removed and replaced.

Tympanostomy tube delivery device with replaceable shaft portion

Systems and methods are provided for automatically forming an incision in a tympanic membrane of an ear and placing a tympanic membrane pressure equalization tube into the incision. The systems include a housing with a shaft extending therefrom. A mechanism is disposed within the housing. A distal end of the shaft is placed against a tympanic membrane, and the mechanism is triggered to causes the tympanic membrane to be automatically incised and dilated and a tympanic membrane pressure equalization tube to be placed in the dilated incision.

Tympanic membrane pressure equalization tube delivery system

Systems and methods are described for administering a solution to a tympanic membrane of an ear canal of a subject. In some embodiments, the system includes a fluid delivery channel with a proximal end, a distal end, and a lumen defined therebetween. The proximal end can include at least one of a valve and Luer connector for selectively establishing fluid communication between a solution source and the lumen of the fluid delivery channel. The distal end can include an atraumatic tip defining a plurality of spray holes for providing fluid communication between the lumen and the ear canal. The atraumatic tip can be capable of being inserted into the ear canal and positioned near the tympanic membrane with the plurality of spray holes substantially facing the tympanic membrane to fill the ear canal with the solution from a portion near the tympanic membrane out toward an outer ear portion.

Growing community of inventors

Redwood City, CA, United States of America

Bernard H Andreas