Cook Medical Technologies LLC

Novasentis, Inc.

University of Colorado

Wilson-cook Medical Incorporated

Baystate Health, Inc.

Strategic Polymer Sciences, Inc.

Cook Ireland Limited

Richard W Ducharme

Tyler Evans McLawhorn

Vihar C Surti

Mark Levatich

Christophe Ramstein

Eugene Skelton

David E Sugg

Martin J Bruggemann

Lyndsey Alice Bryce

John Crowder Sigmon, Jr

Michelle D Martinez

Stephen Scott Davis

Brian C Zellers

Shihai Zhang

Tyler E Mclawhorn

Kenneth F Binmoeller

Shaun D Gittard

John A Karpiel

Li Jiang

Richard B Sisken

James M Carlson

Kevin M Chmura

Andres F Aguirre

James Elsesser

Martin Bruggeman

Jason C Urbanski

M Fabrice Domingues Dos Santos

Christopher L Hruska

Jillian Haac

Raj Pathak

Kenneth Chang

David Desilets

Matthew Douglas Rogge

Martin Bruggemann

Aaron Weeks

Raj J Shah

Rob Faulkner

Alex Etwil

Edward Foster

Madeline Boyer

Brian Thaler

Ausra Liaukeviciute

David J Desilets

Tyler Evans Mclawhorn

David Earl Sugg

Martin J Bruggeman

Eugene E Skelton

Lyndsey Bryce

Steve K Chen

Hilbert D Brown

Caroline M Gayzik

Kathryn M Kornrumpf

The present embodiments provide apparatus and methods suitable for delivering a therapeutic agent to a target site. The apparatus generally comprises at least one container for holding a therapeutic agent, and a pressure source for facilitating delivery of the therapeutic agent. In one embodiment, the pressure source may be placed in selective fluid communication with a proximal region of the container and fluid from the pressure source may flow through at least a portion of the container to urge the therapeutic agent through container towards the target site. In an alternative embodiment, the container and the pressure source may be coupled to first and second inlet ports of a connecting member, respectively, such that the therapeutic agent flows through an outlet port of the connecting member and towards the target site.

Apparatus and methods for delivering therapeutic agents

A motor-less pump includes: (a) a housing having an inlet provided to allow fluid flow into the housing and an outlet provided to allow fluid flow out of the housing; (b) an elastic diaphragm positioned in the housing such that motion in the elastic diaphragm drives the fluid flows at the inlet and the outlet of the housing; and (c) one or more electromechanical polymer (EMP) actuators each being provided on a surface of the elastic diaphragm, wherein the mechanical responses to electrical stimuli applied on the EMP actuators cause the motion in the diaphragm. The EMP actuators may include one or more bimorphs.

Electromechanical polymer pumps

A catheter includes an electromechanical polymer (EMP) actuator disposed in a steerable tip at the distal end of the catheter. When activated, the EMP actuator deflects the steerable tip through an angle between 0 and 270 degrees, thus permitting the operator to steer the steerable tip through the vasculature. The steerable tip also has at least a first relatively stiff region and a second relatively flexible region, and the EMP actuator is provided next to the first relatively stiff region so that the steerable tip may toward the flexible region when activated. In one implementation, an external interface allows a user to select by name one of many sets of control signals, with each set of control signals being signals calibrated for configuring the catheter to mimic a known catheter.

Catheter having a steerable tip

An energy delivery system and a method of delivering energy to a tissue are provided. The energy delivery system includes an overtube. The overtube includes a body having a proximal portion, a distal portion and a lumen extending at least partially therethrough. The proximal portion is adapted to be positioned over a distal portion of an endoscope. The body also includes a first plurality of openings formed in the body and connected to the lumen and an electrode operably connected to the body and extending over at least a portion of a surface of the body. The lumen is operably connectable to a vacuum source and the electrode is operably connectable to a power source.

Ablation overtube

An electromechanical polymer (EMP) transducer may include (a) one or more EMP layers each having a first operating characteristic; and (b) one or more EMP layers each having a second operating characteristic different from the first operating characteristic. The EMP transducer may include at least two EMP layers that are activated independently, and one or more EMP layers being configured to be a sensing layer. The sensing layer may sensitive to one or both of the operating characteristics (e.g., temperature, strain, pressure and their respective rates of change). Other operating characteristic may include resin type, modulus, film thicknesses, degrees of deformations, operating temperature ranges, a stretching ratio of the EMP layers, metallization patterns of electrodes, arrangements of active and inactive EMP layers, arrangements of irradiated EMP layers, arrangements of EMP layers acting as sensors, and arrangements of inactive layers of various degrees of stiffness.

Actuator structure and method

A bipolar sphincterotome may include an elongate tubular member, a cutting wire, and a return path. The return path may include a conductive ink portion disposed on an outer surface at a distal portion of the tubular member. The return path may also include a return wire disposed within the tubular member that is electrically coupled to the conductive ink portion. In some example embodiments, the return wire may be disposed within a lumen configured to have two or more functions, one of which being to house the return wire. Additionally, in some example embodiments, the conductive ink portion may be circumferentially disposed on the outer surface to provide visual access to a wire guide lumen. Also, for some example embodiments, the bipolar sphincterotome may include two electrically isolated return paths.

Bipolar sphincterotome

A retractable snap dome in a keyboard, serving as a force resistor for a key in a conventional manner, includes an additional collapsed state wherein the key can be retracted by an electromechanical polymer (EMP) actuator to a persistent down position. In one embodiment, the EMP actuator is a bimorph EMP actuator that can be actuated to bring the key from down position to up position, ready for conventional keyboard operation, and vice versa. Such operations allow the keyboard to have a desirable decreased thickness relative to conventional keyboards. Thus, a keyboard of the present invention finds application in ultra-slim electronic devices. When provided in a notebook computer wherein the keyboard is folded against a video or graphic display, the keyboard keys may be placed in the retracted down position, thereby preventing the keys from pressing against the video or graphical display with a force that may damage the display.

Retractable snap domes

A wearable haptic device includes (a) substrate having provided thereon a fastener (e.g., adhesive) for attachment to a user; (b) one or more EMP transducers attached to the substrate, such that a mechanical response in each EMP transducer may provide a haptic response of sufficient magnitude to be felt by the user; and (c) control circuit controlling the vibration frequency, the time of operation and the duration for each activation of the EMP transducer. The wearable haptic device may include a wireless communication circuit (e.g., Bluetooth transceiver) for receiving message from an external device (e.g., smartphone). The control circuit interprets message received and according to the interpreted message provides an electrical stimulus to cause the mechanical response of the EMP transducer. The EMP transducer may also serve as a sensor, such that a mechanical stimulus on the EMP transducer provides an electrical response that is detected by the control circuit.

Hands-free, wearable vibration devices and method

The present embodiments provide systems and methods suitable for delivering a therapeutic agent to a target site. The systems generally comprise a container having first and second regions and a reservoir containing the therapeutic agent. A pressure source having pressurized fluid is in selective fluid communication with at least a portion of the reservoir. An outlet tube is in fluid communication with the reservoir of the container. At least one slot is formed in a lateral surface of the outlet tube at a position between first and second ends of the outlet tube.

Systems and methods for delivering therapeutic agents

A steerable guide wire including one or more electroactive polymer layers, wherein each EAP layer is disposed between a layer of a first electrode and a layer of a plurality of second electrodes.

Steerable medical guide wire device

Medical devices, systems and methods are disclosed that serve to guide one or more medical devices through a port formed in bodily tissue to access a bodily cavity. One embodiment of the medical device includes a connection member, a rail, and a carrier. The connection member is structured for attachment to the port. The rail is attached to the connection member, and has a first portion extending distally through the port opening, and a second portion extending at an angle relative to the first portion. The carrier is structured to selectively connect to the first portion of the rail, and is slidable along the first and second portions of the rail.

Apparatus for single port access

A localized multimodal haptic system includes one or more electromechanical polymer (EMP) transducers, each including an EMP layer, such as an electrostrictive polymer active layer. In some applications the EMP transducer may perform an actuator function or a sensor function, or both. The EMP polymer layer has a first surface and a second surface on which one or more electrodes are provided. The EMP layer of the EMP actuator may be 5 microns thick or less. The EMP transducers may provide local haptic response to a local a stimulus. In one application, a touch sensor may be associated with each EMP transducer, such that the haptic event at the touch sensor may be responded to by activating only the associated EMP transducer. Furthermore, the EMP transducer may act as its own touch sensor. A variety of haptic responses may be made available. The EMP transducers may be used in various other applications, such as providing complex surface morphology, keyboard, braille display, and audio speakers.

EMP actuators for deformable surface and keyboard application

Growing community of inventors

Winston-Salem, NC, United States of America

Richard W Ducharme