United States Surgical Corporation

Other

Turbo Wheelchair Co., Inc.

Michael P Chesterfield

Ilya S Koyfman

Matthew E Hain

George R Proto

Stanley J Malinowski

Josep Serra

Mark P Reale

Donald S Kaplan

Matthew E Hermes

Robert D Torgerson

Ross R Muth

Herbert W Korthoff

John J Kennedy

Thomas D Guy

Jonathan E Wilson

Mark S Roy

Jean M Chesterfield

Matthew R Hain

Jane Hermes

Wheelchair designs and enhancements are provided for use with conventional wheelchair designs. The designs and enhancements include first and second contoured folding seat panels that are hingedly mounted with respect to the wheelchair frame and that are offer interlocking functionality. The folding seats generally provide contouring in both front-to-back and side-to-side directions. Features are provided to prevent capture of objects between seat panels as they are brought into interlocking engagement. Pivotal footrests that offer enhanced stability in the form of lateral, front-to-back and up-down stability are provided In addition, axle and axle plate combinations are described that provide enhanced flexibility in relative positioning with respect to the wheelchair frame. The disclosed features and functionalities may be incorporated into wheelchair designs, either in whole or in part, to provide enhanced user interaction with the wheelchair.

Wheelchair designs and related enhancements

A porous bioabsorbable surgical implant material is prepared by coating particles of bioabsorbable polymer with tissue ingrowth promoter. Typical bioabsorbable polymers include polymers of glycolide, lactide, caprolactone, trimethylene carbonate, dioxanone, and physical and chemical combinations thereof. The tissue ingrowth promoter can include calcium hydroxide and/or a hydrophilic coating material. The hydrophilic coating material can be bioabsorbable or non-bioabsorbable. A typical non-bioabsorbable hydrophilic coating material is polyhydroxyethyl methacrylate (PHEMA). The bioabsorbable implant material may also contain a therapeutic agent. Typical therapeutic agents include an antimicrobial agent, dye, growth factors and combinations thereof.

Bioabsorbable implant material

A method and apparatus for vacuum-packaging and heat sealing a soft product, particularly a soft product comprised substantially of fabric or other similar sheet material (referred to herein as 'soft product'), having a substantially impervious outer covering in an impervious packaging barrier bag, which provides a packaged product which is compact and uniformly shaped. An air flow panel is inserted between the barrier bag and the product to permit air flow between the impervious layer of the soft product and the impervious layer of the barrier bag such that there is even air flow from the barrier bag during the evacuation of air from the barrier bag during vacuum-packaging. A packing frame is used during vacuum-packaging which assists in creating a compact, uniformly shaped vacuum-packed soft product.

Apparatus for vacuum packaging a soft product

A suture is provided with a solid spiroid braid construction. The suture exhibits greater flexibility, better hand and less chatter and drag than tubular braided sutures of known construction.

Spiroid braided suture

A method for calendering a suture includes passing the suture lengthwise between two pairs of calendering rollers each pair being oriented orthogonally to the other pair. The suture may be coated and/or filled by passing it through the contacting region of a suture filling applicator to which filling agent is supplied by a metering pump. The filling process may be computer controlled.

Apparatus for calendering and coating/filling sutures

An apparatus is disclosed for braiding fine denier yarns to form a braided suture product which includes a frame, and a main carrier support plate supported on the frame and having a pair of undulating guide channels intersecting each other for guiding a plurality of yarn carriers. A plurality of yarn carriers are supported on the main carrier support plate, and each supports a bobbin for dispensing fine denier yarn. The yarn carriers are directed over intersecting paths corresponding to the shape of the guide channels, with a first set of the carriers being directed in a first direction and a second set of the carriers being directed in the opposite direction. The yarns are received in a common braiding zone above the yarn carriers while the yarn carriers are directed through the intersecting paths of the guide channels to form a braided sheath from the yarns. The tension of the final braided product is controlled within predetermined ranges to permit formation of a braided product of predetermined appearance. A method of producing the braided product on the inventive braiding apparatus is also disclosed.

Apparatus and method for producing braided suture products

A braided suture possesses a cable core which resists any tendency to protrude through the surrounding braid structure.

Cabled core and braided suture made therefrom

Apparatus for calendering sutures in orthogonal directions

A bioabsorbable surgical suture which includes at least one multifilament yarn having at least one portion wherein the filaments of the yarn are entangled. The suture has a core formed by combining a length of the entangled yarn with a length of at least one other entangled yarn to form a plied yarn which is then entangled and twisted in a particular direction. This entangled and twisted yarn is then combined with another entangled and twisted yarn, both yarns having been twisted in the same direction. The combined yarns are then twisted together in the opposite direction to form a suture core.

Jet entangled suture yarn and method for making same

A surgical device for use in a ligating procedure in which a looped suture is slidably secured by a securement member. In a preferred embodiment a loop is formed in a suture and the end of the suture is slidably secured relative to the suture body portion by a shrinkable tubing. One or more slip knots are contemplated within or adjacent the shrinkable tubing. The second suture end may be secured to a shaft member in a traditional manner.

Looped suture ligating device containing a heat-shrinkable element

An apparatus is disclosed for braiding fine denier yarns to form a braided suture product which includes a frame, and a main carrier support plate supported on the frame and having a pair of undulating guide channels intersecting each other for guiding a plurality of yarn carriers. A plurality of yarn carriers are supported on the main carrier support plate, and each supports a bobbin for dispensing fine denier yarn. A guiding system is provided for directing the yarn carriers over intersecting paths corresponding to the shape of said guide channels, with a first set of the carriers being directed in a first direction and a second set of the carriers being directed in the opposite direction. A take-up system is positioned above the yarn carriers to provide reception of the yarns in a common braiding zone while the yarn carriers are directed through the intersecting paths of the guide channels to form a braided sheath from the yarns. A take-up clutch system is provided for controlling the tension of the final braided product within predetermined ranges permits formation of a braided product of predetermined appearance. A method of producing the braided product on the invention apparatus is also disclosed.

A heat tipping method and apparatus for surgical sutures to facilitate inserting the sutures into the barrel ends of surgical needles. The method comprises tensioning the suture, heating a portion of the suture to be heat tipped by blowing a current of hot air across the portion of the suture, and releasing the tension and cutting the portion of the suture to create heat tipped ends. The apparatus comprises a cylindrical drum around which the suture is wound, a concave channel in the drum for delimiting a portion of the suture to be heated, and hot air blowers for heating the delimited portions of the suture to a heat tipping temperature. In another embodiment, the suture is looped and knotted. The loop and/or knot is then heated under such conditions so as to reversibly stiffen the loop and/or knot. Such stiffening facilitates placement and securement of the suture loop during surgical procedures.

Method and apparatus for heat tipping sutures

An apparatus is disclosed for braiding fine denier yarns to form a braided suture product which includes a carrier housing, a main carrier support plate for guiding a plurality of yarn carriers through predetermined paths while dispensing fine denier yarns toward a braiding zone. Each yarn carrier has a spindle for mounting a molded bobbin, with a spindle tip having a recess engageable with resilient leg portions of a bobbin hold down member hingedly mounted for rotation relative to the carrier housing. Tension on the yarn controls rotational movement of the bobbin to dispense yarn therefrom, and the tension of the final braided suture product is controlled to form a product of predetermined uniform appearance.

Braider apparatus with improved bobbin holder

A porous bioabsorbable surgical implant material is prepared by coating particles of bioabsorbable polymer with a tissue ingrowth promoter. Typical polymers include polymers of glycolide, lactide, caprolactone, trimethylene carbonate, dioxanone and physical and chemical combinations thereof. The tissue ingrowth promoter can include calcium hydroxide and/or a hydrophillic coating material. The hydrophillic coating material can be bioabsorbable or non-bioabsorbable. A typical non-bioabsorbable hydrophillic coating material is polyhydroxymethylmethacrylate (PHEMA). The bioabsorbable implant material may also contain a therapeutic agent. Typical therapeutic agents include an antimicrobial agent, dye, growth factor and combinations thereof. Typically, the particles are prepared by rotary atomization and coated by spraying.

Method for treating bioabsorbable implant material

Textile surgical articles are disclosed which are constructed in whole or in part from high tenacity low elongation fibers such as ultra-high molecular weight extended chain polyethylene high tenacity fibers. The products may be braided, woven or knitted, such as braided tapes, hollow braids and spiroid braids. The high tenacity low elongation fibers provide structures having greatly increased strength and decreased elongation, a combination of properties which is uniquely applicable and superior for repairing body tissue. The products may be plasma treated to reduce slip.

Growing community of inventors

Norwalk, CT, United States of America

Michael P Chesterfield