Avant Medical Corporation

Ppg Industries, Inc.

Cryocor, Inc.

Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc.

Richard J Koerner

John B Slate

Corey Michael Magers

Michael W Burk

Andrew C Barnes

David J Lentz

Douglas R Savage

Ronald E Betts

Joseph A O'Donnell

Allan L Cameron

Alvin B Salinas

Marshall L Sherman

Kee Van Sin

Matthew J Leader

Ronald L Lawrence

Jillian K Allen

Jeffrey A Graves

Douglas R Hillier

David R Rich

An auto-injector for injecting a fluid medicament into a patient from a pre-filled syringe requires a disposable cassette that is selectively engageable with the reusable injector. The syringe is latched onto the cassette, and the cassette is then engaged with the injector. Activation of the injector causes a first motor to move the syringe so its needle is extended from a concealed position inside the cassette for injection of the medicament. A second motor on the injector is then activated to expel fluid medicament from the syringe. Then, the first motor is again activated to withdraw the syringe into the cassette for disposal of the cassette/syringe after an injection.

System and method for an injection using a syringe needle

An autoinjector system for injecting a fluid medicament into a patient includes a re-usable autoinjector, and a disposable cassette loaded with a hypodermic syringe pre-filled with a fluid medicament. The autoinjector includes a first motor for injecting a needle of the hypodermic syringe into the patient and a second motor for expelling the fluid medicament from the syringe.

Autoinjector system

A system for injecting a fluid medicament into a patient includes a drive mechanism, and a cassette loaded with a pre-filled hypodermic syringe. When the cassette is loaded, the syringe is held firmly inside and the cassette can be selectively engaged with the drive mechanism. The drive mechanism has two motors. A first motor initially moves the hypodermic syringe from a position inside the cassette where its needle is concealed, to a position where the needle extends from the cassette for insertion into a patient for an injection. With the needle inserted, a second motor pushes the syringe stopper to expel a fluid medicament from the syringe. After an injection, the first motor withdraws the syringe back into concealment inside the cassette, to again firmly hold the syringe on the cassette. The cassette and syringe, in combination, can then be removed from the drive mechanism and discarded.

Cassette for a hidden injection needle

An applicator for cryoablating tissue to form linear (i.e. straight line and curvilinear) lesions in targeted tissue includes a fluid refrigerant delivery system having a source of a fluid refrigerant and a tubular cryoablation segment. Structurally, the segment has an open proximal end and a distal end, and is formed with a lumen. Also, the segment is formed with at least one distal port and at least one proximal port, with each port connected in fluid communication with the segment's lumen. The proximal end of the tubular segment is operably connected in fluid communication with the source of fluid refrigerant. For the system, the ports can be selectively sized to outflow liquid refrigerant through the distal and proximal ports at a substantially same mass flow rate.

Cryoablation segment for creating linear lesions

An articulation segment for a catheter includes a tube formed with a first plurality of axially aligned slits that are respectively oriented in planes perpendicular to the axis, with each slit extending azimuthally in an arc partway around the axis. The tube is also formed with a second plurality of similarly formed slits that are axially offset and diametrically opposed relative to the slits of the first plurality to allow for a bending of the catheter in a plurality of different planes. In a particular embodiment, the slits are arranged to allow the articulation segment to be reconfigured from a straight, substantially cylindrically shaped tube to a configuration in which a portion of the articulation segment is formed in the shape of a ring.

Catheter articulation segment with alternating cuts

A bi-directional system for actively deflecting the distal tip of a catheter includes a reconfigurable tube that is positioned proximal to the catheter's distal tip. The tube is formed with slits that are arranged to allow the tube to be transformed from a relaxed, cylindrical configuration to a plurality of deflected configurations. First and second pull wires are provided, with each wire having a respective distal end that is attached to the distal end of the tube. Each wire extends to a catheter handle where it is attached to a respective reel. The reels can be rotated, back and forth, to selectively deflect or relax the tube. To ensure a smooth recovery after a relatively large deflection, a mechanism is disclosed for delaying an application of tension on one of the pull wires until at least a portion of any tension on the other pull wire is released.

System for bi-directionally controlling the cryo-tip of a cryoablation catheter

Growing community of inventors

San Diego, CA, United States of America

Richard J Koerner