Spectramed, Inc.

Advanced Bionics Ag

Incumed, Inc.

Medical Research Products-b, Inc.

Advanced Bionics Corporation

Alfred E. Mann Foundation for Scientific Research

Incumed Llc, a Nevada Limited Liability Co.

Byron L Moran

Claude A Vidal

Christopher H Porter

Abram D Janis

Alfred E Mann

Russ J Redmond

Paul Kaluzniak

Allan F Willis

Russell J Redmond

William H Slattery, Iii

Ronald J Lebel

Kelly Ann Chapman

Yitzhak Zilberman

Yitzhak Mendelson

Mendelson, Yitzhak

Albert S Maltan

A method and apparatus for reducing the incident of infection proximate to an exit site where a prosthesis fastener, e.g., a bone screw, percutaneously penetrates a patient's skin/soft tissue. Infection reduction is achieved in accordance with the invention by growing a tissue integrating seal around the fastener proximate to the exit site.

Prosthesis attachment method and apparatus with soft tissue integrating seal

A fully implantable hearing aid system comprised of an implantable sound generator module and an implantable sound receiver module connected by an implantable electric cable. The system includes: a) a sound generator module configured for implantation in subcutaneous tissue to place an output electric/acoustic (E/A) transducer, e.g., a speaker, immediately adjacent to, or preferably, extending percutaneously into, a patient's outer ear canal; b) a sound receiver module configured for implantation proximate to a patient's pinna to place an input acoustic/electric (AJE) transducer, e.g., a microphone, so that it is acoustically isolated from the E/A transducer; and c) an electric cable configured for implantation in subcutaneous tissue for directly electrically connecting said sound receiver module and said sound generator module.

Fully implantable hearing aid system

A medical apparatus and method of use for implanting a percutaneous catheter in a patient's body which catheter can be easily positioned, repositioned, and replaced. The apparatus includes an elongate sleeve having a tapered forward portion to facilitate its insertion through an undersized incision. The sleeve provides an interior elongate passageway which extends from a sleeve proximal end to a sleeve distal end. The sleeve is intended to be percutaneously implanted through an incision in the patient's skin so that the sleeve distal end resides subcutaneously. The sleeve outer peripheral surface carries a layer of porous material intended to be placed under the patient's outer skin layer in contact with the dermis to promote tissue ingrowth for anchoring the sleeve and forming an infection resistant barrier. The sleeve passageway is dimensioned to snugly accommodate the outer surface of catheter while permitting the catheter to slide relative to the sleeve. A sealing device is mounted around the catheter adjacent to the sleeve proximal end to prevent deleterious material from migrating into the patient's body along the catheter outer surface. A locking member secured to the sleeve can be pivoted to an unlocked portion for permitting axial and rotational movement of said catheter relative to said sleeve and or to a locked position for preventing such relative movement.

Enhanced apparatus for percutaneous catheter implantation and replacement

A hearing aid system () including an implantable device (), and a surgical instrument () for enabling a physician to install the implant () in a patient's body in a simple office procedure using only local anesthesia.

Surgical instrument set and procedure for implanting sound transducer proximate to patient's outer ear canal

A medical apparatus and method of use for implanting a percutaneous catheter in a patient's body which catheter can be easily positioned, repositioned, and replaced. The apparatus includes an elongate sleeve comprising a wall surrounding an interior elongate passageway. The passageway extends from a sleeve proximal end to a sleeve distal end. The sleeve is intended to be percutaneously implanted through an incision in the patient's skin so that the sleeve distal end resides subcutaneously. The sleeve outer peripheral surface carries a layer of porous material intended to be placed just under the patient's outer skin layer in contact with the dermis to promote tissue ingrowth for anchoring the sleeve and forming an infection resistant barrier. The sleeve passageway is dimensioned to snugly accommodate the outer surface of catheter while permitting the catheter to slide relative to the sleeve. A sealing device is mounted around the catheter adjacent to the sleeve proximal end to prevent deleterious material from migrating into the patient's body along the catheter outer surface.

Apparatus and method for facilitating the replacement of an implanted catheter

A medical apparatus and method of use for implanting a catheter in a patient's body which catheter can be easily positioned, repositioned, and replaced. The apparatus includes an elongate sleeve comprising a wall surrounding an interior passageway extending from a sleeve proximal end to a sleeve distal end. The sleeve is intended to be percutaneously implanted through an incision in the patient's skin to place the sleeve distal end subcutaneously. The sleeve distal end outer surface carries porous material intended to contact the patient's dermis to promote tissue ingrowth. The sleeve passageway is dimensioned to snugly accommodate the outer surface of the catheter while permitting the catheter to slide relative to the sleeve. A split ring locking member is selectively operable in an unlocked state for permitting axial and rotational movement of said catheter relative to said sleeve and operable in a locked state for preventing such relative movement.

Apparatus and method for percutaneous catheter implantation and replacement

An implantable device including a housing having a stud projecting percutaneously through an incision in the patient's skin. The stud defines a peripheral surface extending longitudinally inwardly from the stud outer end. The longitudinal peripheral surface is used as a substrate to carry a peripheral fibrous layer which extends longitudinally along the stud from its outer end adjacent to the skin incision to below the patient's epidermal and dermal skin layers for promoting laterally directed soft tissue ingrowth. The housing also defines a lateral shoulder surface oriented substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal peripheral surface. The shoulder surface also carries a porous layer conducive to promoting tissue ingrowth. The porous layers on the device allows tissue ingrowth into the interstices of both porous layers to form an enhanced infection resistant barrier while also providing improved device anchoring.

Percutaneously implantable medical device configured to promote tissue ingrowth

A hearing aid system including an implant () configured for insertion into a recess () formed under the skin of the retro-auricular space (), which implant does not occlude the ear canal (). The implant includes electronic circuitry (), a transducer (65, e.g., speaker), antenna (), and power source (). The hearing aid also includes an external module (), which module includes a microphone (), electronics (), antenna (), and power source (). A telemetry link () between the external module antenna and the implant antenna allows transmissions between the microphone module and the implant.

Implanted outer ear canal hearing aid

An optical fiber carries a light beam through a cardiovascular catheter and projects the beam into the patient's bloodstream. Two other fibers, spaced in a very carefully controlled configuration from the first, receive light scattered by corpuscles (and blood-vessel walls) and transmit this reflected light back through the catheter to respective detectors outside the patient's body. If preferred, two input fibers and a single output fiber--or other techniques for providing differential geometry--may be used instead. Electronic instrumentation finds the ratio of the two light fluxes, thus cancelling out unknown variables such as input light intensity and optical--connector attenuation. The known differential geometry between the two light paths permits calibration of the ratio measurement in terms of corpuscular concentration--i.e., hematocrit. Light at only one wavelength suffices for the measurement. Advanced forms of the invention correct for proximity of blood-vessel walls. This system is particularly compatible with optical-fiber measurements of oxygen saturation, as either or both of the light paths already provided may be used for the oxygen reflectometry.

Hematocrit measurement by differential optical geometry in a short-term

The catheter tip fits into a cavity in the boot and is held gently (in the longitudinal direction) by a detent formed within the cavity. A calibration substance faces the tip in a mechanically and optically standardized calibration relationship, to reflect light from within the catheter back into the catheter. The calibration substance is held in constant, precise contact with the tip--but passively, not by springs or other longitudinally forcible devices but by close fit between the tip and the precision-molded internal surfaces of the cavity. In the lateral direction the boot may tightly grip the tip, at a point where the optic fibers are protected against such force. To provide a reflection standard for calibration, the calibration substance is of standardized character and quality: it is preferably a homogeneous suspension of reflecting particles in translucent or transparent polymer. The entire boot is preferably compression- or injection-molded from the calibration substance, except for a rigid, opaque outer skin. The catheter is shipped to a customr with the boot in place, ready for calibration on receipt or whenever thereafter the catheter is to be used. After calibration the boot is removed and discarded.

Disposable calibration boot for optical-type cardiovascular catheter

Cardiac output, blood oxygen saturation, and oxygen consumption are measured using only two lumens of a catheter that has no interlumen crossover. Therefore this construction avoids costly techniques for modifying the catheter, as well as leakage risk at crossover points. Cardiac output is measured by thermodilution, and venous blood oxygen by optical scattering measurements through optic fibers; oxygen consumption is then claculable from the cardiac output and venous oxygen saturation--and independently measured arterial saturation. Cold-bolus injection uses on lumen. The thermal-sensor leads (electrical or otherwise) and optic fibers share the other lumen, through which they are drawn together: this method of installation effects yet a further economy by saving an expensive labor step, and tends to prevent the leads and fibers from damaging one another. Addition of a balloon and a separate inflation lumen permits balloon functions as well, now using only three lumens and still without lumenal crossovers--and without risk of balloon deflation due to air leaks associated with the thermal sensors. Adding yet another one or two separate lumens permits provision of a pacing wire or pulmonary-artery pressure measurement, or both, with a respective total of only four or five lumens.

Growing community of inventors

Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America

Byron L Moran