Coaptus Medical Corporation

Aculight Corporation

Mannesmann Tally Corporation

Larry B Kulesa

David C Auth

Ryan E Kaveckis

David C Shannon

Leonard P Pearson

Grant W Beach

Diane E Smith

Tissue-penetrating guidewires with shaped tips, and associated systems and methods are disclosed. A patient treatment system in accordance with one embodiment of the disclosure includes a tissue-penetrating guidewire that in turn includes a flexible segment having a distal portion and a proximal portion. The flexible segment is elongated along an elongation axis. A penetrating member is positioned at the distal portion and includes at least one blade segment having a tapered outer peripheral surface and an adjacent generally sharp edge. The blade segment extends to a distal end of the penetrating member to form a generally blunt tip. In operation, the guidewire can be connected to an electrical current source to deliver high frequency current to the penetrating member.

Tissue-penetrating guidewires with shaped tips, and associated systems and methods

Systems and methods for transeptal cardiac procedures are disclosed. A method for treating a patient in accordance with a particular embodiment includes positioning a tissue penetrating guidewire adjacent to a cardiac septum, directing pulses of energy to the guidewire, and advancing the guidewire into and through the septum by moving the guidewire in a distal direction in a series of discrete steps. Individual steps can be of a predetermined distance measured outside the patient's body. The method can further include passing a catheter over the guidewire after the guidewire has passed through the septum.

Systems and methods for transeptal cardiac procedures, including tissue penetrating members and associated methods

A method and apparatus for mounting components to an optical bench is provided. The mount allows the components to be easily detached, realigned, and remounted at will. Components that can use the mount include, but are not limited to, mirrors, output couplers, windows, filters, lenses, optical fibers, nonlinear crystals, active and passive Q-switches, piezoelectric elements, apertures, laser gain media, and detectors. The optical component is mounted to an upright portion of the optical mount, the upright portion being mounted to a base plate. The base plate includes a heater, such as a resistive heater, that is used to solder the base plate to the optical bench. Preferably the heater is electrically coupled to a pair of contacts located on the upright portion of the mount, thus providing an easy method of coupling a power source to the heater. To reposition the mount once it has been soldered to the optical bench, the heater is activated thereby melting the solder, the mount is repositioned, and the heater is deactivated. Deactivation of the heater causes the solder to resolidify, thus recoupling the mount to the bench. In another aspect, a mounting tool is provided. The mounting tool grasps the mount with a pair of arms, the arms holding the mount without blocking access to the optical component. Preferably the two arms of the mounting tool are electrically isolated from one another and are designed to contact the pair of electrical connectors on the upright. In use the tool grasps the mount, applies sufficient voltage to the heater to melt the base plate mounting solder, positions the mount in the desired location, and deactivates the power source. After the solder has solidified, coupling the base to the mounting surface, the mounting tool can be released.

Solderable optical mount

An ink reservoir (34) capable of maintaining an even distribution of a single color of ink on a printer ribbon is provided. The ink reservoir is used in ribbon cassettes (10) for typewriters and dot matrix printers. The ink reservoir (34) includes a series of cylindrical ink-carrying elements (50) separated by a series of separating sheets (52). The separating sheets (52) restrict or prevent the flow of ink from one ink-carrying element to another element. This maintains an even distribution of ink throughout the height of the reservoir which, in turn, results in an even transfer of ink from the ink reservoir onto a transfer roller and subsequently onto a ribbon. The even distribution of ink in the ribbon results in an even distribution of ink in the characters printed using the ribbon and, thus, improves print quality.

Growing community of inventors

Bothell, WA, United States of America

Larry B Kulesa