Leland Stanford Junior University

Vertiflex, Inc.

The University of Texas System

Spinal Modulation, Inc.

Spinal Kinetics, Inc.

Endoquest Robotics, Inc.

Depuy Spine, Inc.

Colubrismx, Inc

Xcath, Inc.

Other

Exactech, Inc.

St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings Smi S.a.r.l. (“sjm Lux Smi”)

Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation

Gep Technology, Inc.

Depuy Synthes Products, Inc.

Daniel Huan Kim

Moti Altarac

Shawn Tebbe

Dong Suk Shin

Mir A Imran

J Christopher Flaherty

Joey Reglos

Yongman Park

Taeho Jang

Yang Cheng

Murali P Kadaba

Kunwoo Lee

Curtis W Frank

Jeihan Lee

Viljar Palmre

Hongmin Kim

Sung Kyu Ha

Michael Lawrence Reo

Thomas A Afzal

In Haeng Cho

Uriel Hiram Chee

Seokyung Han

Michael Michielli

Kihoon Nam

Younghee Shim

Stanley Kyle Hayes

Robert C Gutierrez

Jeffery M Kramer

Dongsuk Shin

Raymond Lee

Yong Man Park

Sungwoo Cho

Amie R Borgstrom

Bhavik Patel

David J Robeson

Byeonghui Kim

Robert Gutierrez

Yongchul Shin

Haiden Goggin

Jaeyeon Lee

Robert Guiterrez

Sun-Kyu Ha

Joey Camia Reglos

Christopher J Flaherty

L School Mech & Aerosp Eng Kunwoo

Ha Dept Mech Engineering Sungkyu

Michael Carl Michielli

The disclosure provides a surgical apparatus comprising: a steerable member that is bendable and comprises a plurality of bending segments with channels therein; and a plurality of bending actuation wires that are arranged to pass through the steerable member and cause the steerable member to bend, the steerable member comprising at least one outwardly opening lumen through which the bending actuation wires pass.

Surgical apparatus

Provided herein is a mechanism to controllably move a wire within a flexible tubular member, the wire including opposed wire ends extending outwardly of a proximal end of the flexible tubular member, comprising a drive mechanism and a coupling located between the drive mechanism and the wire end, wherein movement of the coupling in the direction of the wire end results in opposed motion of the wire end.

End effector and end effector drive apparatus

An implantable spacer for placement between adjacent spinous processes in a spinal motion segment is provided. The spacer includes a body defining a longitudinal axis and passageway. A first arm and a second arm are connected to the body. Each arm has a pair of extensions and a saddle defining a U-shaped configuration for seating a spinous process therein. Each arm has a proximal earning surface and is capable of rotation with respect to the body. An actuator assembly is disposed inside the passageway and connected to the body. When advanced, a threaded shaft of the actuator assembly contacts the earning surfaces of arms to rotate them from an undeployed configuration to a deployed configuration. In the deployed configuration, the distracted adjacent spinous processes are seated in the U-shaped portion of the arms.

Interspinous spacer

An instrument cart configured to position an instrument controller at a desired location and attitude pitch with respect to an incision location of a patient includes a base, a lift member moveable with respect to the base, a first planar translation member connected to the lift member and arcuately moveable with respect thereto, a second planar translation member connected to the first planar translation member and arcuately moveable with respect thereto, a third planar translation member connected to the second planar translation member and arcuately moveable with respect thereto, an arcuate slide base connected to the third planar translation member and moveable with respect thereto and an arcuate slide coupled to the arcuate slide base, and moveable with respect thereto; and an instrument controller coupling connected to the arcuate slide member, the instrument controller connected thereto and movable with respect thereto.

Seven degree of freedom positioning device for robotic surgery

An end effector for a minimally invasive medical device can include a base configured to attach to a distal end of a shaft, and a disposable distal portion configured to removably attach to the base to be disposed of after use.

Disposable end effectors

An elongate, flexible, medical device having distal and proximal ends, including an inner member having a proximal and distal end, a support member extending around the inner member between the proximal and distal end, a plurality of electrically-conductive wires, each braided with the support member having a proximal and distal end, an outer member surrounding the inner member, the support member, and the plurality of electrically-conductive wires and an actuator including a polymer electrolyte layer secured adjacent to the distal end of the elongate, flexible inner member and defining an exterior surface, electrodes distributed about the exterior of the polymer electrolyte layer. The distal end of one of the electrically-conductive wires is electrically connected to one of the electrodes. The polymer electrolyte layer is configured to deform asymmetrically in response to the application of an electrical signal through the plurality of electrically-conductive wires to the plurality of electrodes.

Method for preparing a steerable medical device with braided structure

A catheter comprises a hollow sheath, a guidewire extendable through the hollow sheath, where the guidewire comprises a controllably bendable tip portion, a hollow tubular intermediate portion connected to the tip portion, an electrical connection portion connected to the hollow tubular portion, at least a first wire extending through the hollow tubular portion and connected at a first end thereof to a first circumferential conductor and at a second end thereof to a surface of the tip end, and a power supply connector, therein the electrical connection portion is received in the power supply connector and a first terminal in the power supply connector contacts the first circumferential conductor.

Introduction device including an electroactive tip on a guidewire

A force transmission system for a robotically controlled medical device can include a pushing actuator configured to be pushed by a robotic instrument controller and a wire. The wire can include a first end attached to an end of the pushing actuator to be pushed distally by the pushing actuator, and a second end attached to a distal location of the medical device. The system can include a reverse motion device that can be interfaced with the wire between the first end and the second end. The reverse motion device can be configured to cause a proximal pulling action on the second end in response to pushing of the first end distally by the pushing actuator or other actuation by the pushing actuator. The reverse motion device can be configured to maintain a point of contact with the wire in the same spatial location to prevent wire motion due to actuation.

Force transmission systems for robotically controlled medical devices

A plurality of individual tools is provided where each tool is uniquely configured to perform a step or a portion of a step in a novel procedure associated with the implantation of a stabilizing device (e.g., an interspinous spacer) for stabilizing at least one spinal motion segment. The tools are usable individually, or more preferably as a tooling system in which the tools are collectively employed to implant an interspinous spacer, generally in a minimally invasive manner. For example, each of the tools is arranged with coordinated markings and/or other features to ensure consistent depths of insertion, proper orientation of the tools with respect to each other or an anatomical feature of the patient, and precise delivery of the spacer to maintain safe positioning throughout the implantation procedure.

Devices and methods for treating a patient's spine

An implantable spacer for placement between adjacent spinous processes in a spinal motion segment is provided. The spacer includes a body defining a longitudinal axis and passageway. A first arm and a second arm are connected to the body. Each arm has a pair of extensions and a saddle defining a U-shaped configuration for seating a spinous process therein. Each arm has a proximal caming surface and is capable of rotation with respect to the body. An actuator assembly is disposed inside the passageway and connected to the body. When advanced, a threaded shaft of the actuator assembly contacts the caming surfaces of arms to rotate them from an undeployed configuration to a deployed configuration. In the deployed configuration, the distracted adjacent spinous processes are seated in the U-shaped portion of the arms.

Provided herein is a surgical instrument comprising a cap having a first and second aperture extending therethrough, a first extendable and retractable member having a distal end coupled to a first coupling, a first arm extending from the first coupling and pivotable with respect to the distal end of the first member, and a second arm connected to the first arm through a second coupling and pivotable, with respect to the first arm, a second extendable and retractable member having a distal end coupled to a third coupling, a third arm extending from the second coupling, the third arm pivotable, with respect to the distal end of the second member, and a fourth arm connected to the third arm through a fourth coupling and pivotable, with respect to the third arm, a first end effector connected to the second arm and a second end effector connected to the fourth arm.

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

Daniel Huan Kim