Covidien LP

Inphase Technologies, Inc.

Maxtor Corporation

Akonia Holographics LLC

Texas Instruments Corporation

Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.

Seagate Technology Incorporated

Keith W Malang

David J Van Tol

James R Fagan

Kenneth E Netzel

Christopher T Tschudy

James A Gilbert

Mark R Ayres

Daniel A Friedrichs

Jason Ensher

Matthew S Cowley

Weng-Kai K Lee

Gregory Peter Hertrich

Larry G Hutsell

Paul C Smith

Craig Steven Cambier

Edgar Sanchez-Sinencio

Charles Henry Ernst

James Joseph Wade

Titus Horton

David Schoenfeld

Daniel Simmons

Xiaosen Liu

Adrian I Colli-Menchi

Michael Clifton

Paul A Morrison

Roger Shepherd

William G Creech

Kenlyn S Bonn

Dylan R Kingsley

Michael B Lyons

Rodney Carl Harris

James Joseph Touchton

Larry Fabiny

Michael McNeil

Thomas O Melrose

Ian Russell Redmond

Curtis A Shuman

Amanda H Lennartz

Michael Edward Baum

Edward L Brannan

Terence Joseph Murphy

Tyler J Bagrosky

Jing Zhao

Yoshiyuki Matsumura

Richard L Croft

Joshua Snow

Daniel D Woods

Clifford D Owens

Christopher Rainieri

Anjali Dhiman

Jason M Mucilli

Kelly E Goodman

John W Linebarger

Michael J Lipney

Curt J Goodknight

Doug Martin

Kent L Howe

Alexandre Linhares Vieira

Luciano Mazzaro

Matthew Savary

Rayne Robertson

Justin Rogers

Dustin O Slater

Adrian Colli-Menchi

An end effector assembly of an ultrasonic surgical instrument includes an ultrasonic blade configured to mechanically couple to an ultrasonic transducer configured to transmit ultrasonic vibration energy to the ultrasonic blade and a jaw member movable relative to the ultrasonic blade from a spaced-apart position to an approximated position for clamping tissue therebetween. The jaw member includes a structural body and a jaw liner engaged with the structural body. The jaw liner defines a tissue contacting surface positioned to oppose the ultrasonic blade in the approximated position, and includes a wear indicator disposed within the jaw liner and configured to provide an alert indicating that the jaw liner is worn beyond a pre-determined threshold.

Ultrasonic surgical instruments for detecting wear in jaw liner

An ultrasonic surgical system includes an ultrasonic generator configured to provide an ultrasonic drive signal, and an ultrasonic transducer electrically coupled to the ultrasonic generator to receive the ultrasonic drive signal therefrom and configured, in response to the received ultrasonic drive signal, to produce a mechanical motion. The ultrasonic surgical system further includes a sensor configured to sense a frequency and a magnitude of the mechanical motion, and a controller configured to receive a target mechanical motion to be produced by the ultrasonic transducer and control the ultrasonic drive signal so that a frequency of the ultrasonic drive signal falls within a frequency range around a resonant frequency of the ultrasonic transducer, the frequency range corresponding to the target mechanical motion produced by the ultrasonic transducer.

Surgical instruments, systems, and methods for frequency dithering control functionality

An ultrasonic transducer and generator (TAG) assembly of a surgical instrument includes generator components and transducer components. The generator components are disposed within a first cavity cooperatively defined by a body portion and a cover. The generator components are covered in a thermally insulative material. The transducer components are disposed within a second cavity cooperatively defined by a proximal housing and a spinner housing.

Reusable ultrasonic transducer and generator assemblies, surgical instruments including the same, and methods of manufacturing the same

A computer-implemented method of object enhancement in endoscopy images includes capturing an image of an object within a surgical operative site via an imaging device, determining a size of the object based on the captured image of the object, displaying the captured image of the object, and displaying on the displayed captured image of the object a representation of the determined size of the object.

Systems and methods for object measurement in minimally invasive robotic surgery

A method for sealing a vessel includes supplying electrical energy to an ultrasonic surgical instrument having an end effector and a transducer coupled to the end effector, when the end effector is grasping a vessel, sensing parameters of the vessel when the end effector achieves a predetermined velocity, estimating a size of the vessel based on the sensed parameters, controlling the electrical energy based on maintaining a predetermined initial heating rate of heating the vessel until a predetermined amount of energy corresponding to the estimated size of the vessel has been delivered, and controlling the electrical energy based on a predetermined heating rate curve of heating the vessel after the predetermined amount of energy corresponding to the estimated size of the vessel has been delivered.

Methods and ultrasonic devices and systems for vessel sealing

An ultrasonic motion generator includes a non-resonant inverter, an ultrasonic transducer, and a comparator. The non-resonant inverter inverts direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) having a first frequency. The ultrasonic transducer is electrically coupled with the non-resonant inverter and generates an ultrasonic motion based on the inverted AC. The comparator automatically detects a deviation of the first frequency from a resonant frequency of the ultrasonic transducer based on motion current passing through the ultrasonic transducer and generates an output signal based on the deviation to drive the non-resonant inverter.

Electrosurgical ultrasonic vessel sealing and dissecting system

A battery assembly includes a battery pack configured to supply energy to a load having a required energy, a housing enclosing the battery pack therein, a converter configured to convert an internal energy of the battery pack, and a controller configured to adjust a parameter of the converter based on information received from the load via a communication interface such that the converter converts the internal energy to the energy required by the load, wherein the converted internal energy is supplied to the load as the supplied energy.

Battery assemblies and control methods thereof

An ultrasonic surgical device includes a power source configured to generate power, an ultrasonic transducer electrically coupled to the power source and generating ultrasonic motion in response to the generated power, a sensor sensing current of the generated power supplied to the ultrasonic transducer, an ultrasonic probe mechanically couplable to the ultrasonic transducer, and a controller that receive a sensed current from the sensor, performs a frequency response analysis based on the sensed current, calculates a first resonant frequency and a first anti-resonant frequency of the transducer prior to coupling the ultrasonic probe based on the frequency response analysis, calculates a second resonant and second anti-resonant frequencies of the transducer based on the frequency response analysis prior to determining coupling to the ultrasonic transducer, and determines whether the ultrasonic probe is mechanically coupled to the ultrasonic transducer based on the first and second resonant and anti-resonant frequencies.

Ultrasonic surgical device and method for detection of attachment of ultrasonic probe

An apparatus comprising: a processor for determining if a laser is operating in a single-mode state and for determining the degree to which one of one or more tunable parameters for the laser must be adjusted so that laser operates in a single-mode state if not operating in a single-mode state, wherein the one or more tunable parameters include the following parameters: the laser current and the wavelength of the output light. The apparatus may include a laser and/or a holographic storage medium. Also provided is a method for determining if a laser is operating in a single-mode state and for determining the degree to which one of one or more tunable parameters for the laser must be adjusted so that laser operates in a single-mode state if not operating in a single-mode state.

Method for finding and tracking single-mode operation point of external cavity diode lasers

An electromechanical shutter device comprising a base member and a shutter assembly comprising: an electrical current source member; a shutter member movable between a light beam blocked position and a light beam passed position; a light beam blocking member associated with the shutter member; a shutter coil associated with the shutter member which generates an electromagnetic force when energized; at least one magnet which generates a magnet flux directed towards and intersecting the shutter coil; electrically conductive means connecting the electrical current source member to the shutter member for passing electrical current to energize the shutter coil and to control movement of the shutter member between the light beam blocked and passed positions; wherein when the shutter coil is energized, an electromagnetic force is generated that interacts with the magnetic flux to thereby cause movement of the shutter member between the light beam blocked and light beam passed positions.

High speed electromechanical shutter

Growing community of inventors

Longmont, CO, United States of America

Keith W Malang