Devicor Medical Products, Inc.

Ethicon Endo-surgery, Inc.

Gish Biomedical, Inc.

Trimedyne, Inc.

Biopsys Medical

Kenneth M Galt

Fred H Burbank

Mark Andrew Ritchart

J Michael Stuart

George W White

Marvin P Loeb

Hany M Hussein

Jack W Brown

Brian Strauss

Tichakorn Chaikumnerd

A biopsy system includes a housing, a cannula, a hollow cutter, and a rotatable tissue sample holder. The cannula extends distally from the housing and is rotatable with respect to the housing. The cutter is movable with respect to the cannula for severing tissue received by the cannula. The tissue sample holder includes a plurality of separate tissue sample compartments, the tissue sample compartments being disposed about an axis of rotation of the tissue sample holder. The biopsy system transports severed tissue samples to the tissue sample holder.

Methods and devices for biopsy and collection of soft tissue

A biopsy system includes a cannula, a cutter, and a tissue sample holder. The cannula includes a closed distal end and a lateral tissue receiving port. The cutter is coaxially disposed with the cannula for severing tissue received in the tissue receiving port. The tissue sample holder includes a plurality of discrete tissue sample compartments. The biopsy system transports individual tissue samples to the discrete tissue sample compartments of the tissue sample holder.

A biopsy device may include a housing and a disposable biopsy assembly releasably received in the housing. The disposable biopsy assembly may include a cutter coaxially disposed with respect to a needle, and a plurality of gears may be engaged when the disposable biopsy sample is inserted in the housing. A tissue sample holder may be disposed within housing.

Instruments for performing percutaneous biopsy procedures are disclosed, which have advantageous features for improving functionality and performance over prior art devices. These instruments comprise two types, single-use devices, and multiple-use devices having active tissue capture capability. Improved features include the ability to retrieve and evaluate multiple tissue samples during a single insertion procedure, without physical handling of the samples, as well as constructional features, such as a molded tissue cassette housing, variant vacuum port embodiments suited for different tissue environments, and a method for backflushing the instrument to remove biological debris, among others.

Methods and devices for automated biopsy and collection of soft tissue

A biopsy device and related method are disclosed. The biopsy device disclosed includes a needle having a lateral opening for receiving tissue. The needle may be rotatable with respect to a portion of the biopsy device, such as a housing of the biopsy device, and the needle may be offset from a center of the housing. A hollow cutter is disclosed for cutting tissue received in the lateral opening of the needle.

A system and method for delivery of cardioplegic solution to the heart of a patient incorporates novel venturi flow cells individually adapted for insertion in the blood and crystalloid solution lines together with transducers for measuring a pressure drop across each venturi flow cell and transmitting it to a microprocessor to calculate flow rate for display on a monitor. The novel self-venting and self-priming transducers and venturi flow cells are incorporated in a disposable cassette. The transducers in the disposable cassette are removably snap connected to a hand set or plug housing which communicates with the computer or microprocessor and monitor. A novel variable ratio valve permits infinitely variable ratios of blood and crystalloid solution.

Cardioplegia monitoring system, flow cell cassette, variable ratio

A blood filter for use in filtering blood having side walls, a top, and a bottom joined to the side walls defining an axis with a filtration element surrounding at least a portion of the axis is disclosed. A delivery conduit delivers blood to the interior of the filter at an angle extending upwardly away from a plane which is perpendicular to the axis of the filter to form a vortex which is offset from the filter axis for release of entrapped air through an overlying top vent offset from the central axis, and an exit conduit connected to the interior of the filter element allows blood to flow from the filter element to an exit opening.

Arterial blood filter with upwardly inclining delivery inlet conduit

A catheter for ablating obstructing material within a corporal lumen includes a fiber optic member through which radiant energy can be transmitted to a distal end adjacent the site of the obstructing material. Beveled surfaces carried on the distal end of the fiber optic member provide output beams of radiant energy oriented in a direction on the order of 45.degree. with respect to an axis of the member. The laterally deflected radiant energy beams impinge upon regions of plaque or obstructing material in the lumen and have an effective radius greater than the radius of the fiber optic member. By rotating the fiber optic member, a circular locus within the lumen can be ablated or vaporized to create a channel in the lumen with a diameter greater than the diameter of the fiber optic member.

Growing community of inventors

Seal Beach, CA, United States of America

Kenneth M Galt