Somnus Medical Technologies, Inc.

Chiron Corporation

Other

Molecular Devices Corporation

Somus Medical Technologies, Inc.

Rick T Smethers

Brian David Warner

Peter H Muller

David Rapp

Victor P Burolla

Benjamin T Nordell

Calvin Y Chow

Vladimir J Drbal

Suresh N Mehta

Gregory L Kirk

Lev Leytes

Debra A Ross

Michael S Urdea

Kirti P Kamdar

Jonathan Briggs

Thomas L Smith

Michael M Lacy

Lev J Leytes

James A Filice

Robert R Shadel

Briggs, Jonathan

George Pontis

A device for the ablation of tissue for use with the human hand and a radio frequency power supply and controller providing a source of radio frequency energy and a control for controlling the application of radio frequency energy to the device. The device includes a handle sized so that is adapted to be grasped by the human hand and has proximal and distal extremities. A needle formed of a conducting material has proximal and distal extremities. The proximal extremity of the needle is mounted on the distal extremity of the handle so that it is insulated from the handle. Conductors are carried by the handle and are connected to the needle and extend from the handle and are coupled to the radio frequency power supply and controller for supplying radio frequency energy to the needle. A temperature sensor is carried by the handle and is adapted to be coupled to the radio frequency power supply and controller for sensing the application of radio frequency energy to the tissue for controlling the application of radio frequency energy to the needle.

Apparatus and device for use therein and method for ablation of tissue

A tissue ablation apparatus for minimally invasive treatment for disorders of the upper airway by the treatment of soft tissues in the upper airway comprising a hand-held device adapted to be held by the human hand. Radio frequency energy is delivered to the hand-held device. The hand-held device comprises a housing having a handle portion adapted to be grasped by the human hand and a probe portion. At least one guide tube is mounted in the probe portion and has a bore extending therethrough. A carrier block is slidably mounted in the housing relative to the guide tube. At least one needle assembly is mounted in the carrier block assembly and is movable with the carrier block assembly. The at least one needle assembly extends distally of the carrier block and is slidably disposed in the at least one guide tube. A slider is mounted on the housing exterior of the housing for slidable movement longitudinally of the housing and is adapted to be grasped by the thumb of the hand holding the housing. The slider is connected to the carrier block whereby when the slider is moved distally, the carrier block with the needle assembly is moved in the guide tube distally of the guide tube for entrance into the soft tissue.

Tissue ablation apparatus and device for use therein and method

Bending tool

Radio frequency generator for medical devices

Tissue ablation device

A bending tool for use with a human hand for bending the distal extremity of a guide tube of a medical device having a needle assembly slidably mounted in the guide tube. The distal extremity of the guide tube has a tip. The bending tool is comprised of a shaft sized so that it is adapted to be grasped by the human hand to serve as a handle. The shaft has proximal and distal extremities and a longitudinal axis. A bending construction is mounted on the distal extremity of the shaft and provides a curved bending surface having width and a length and having a proximal and a distal extremity and extending at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis. The bending construction also has an abutment surface at the distal extremity of the curved surface and extending generally perpendicular to the curved surface. The abutment surface has a hole therein extending in a direction generally perpendicular to the abutment surface and is sized so that it is adapted to receive the tip of the guide tube with the guide tube engaging the curved surface to permit bending of the guide tube by a swinging movement of the shaft in a direction at right angles to the abutment surface.

A luminometer is described comprising a tray for receiving an array of sample wells, a photodetector assembly, and means for relatively moving the tray and photodetector assembly in one direction to align the sample wells received by the tray in a predetermined sequence with the photodetector assembly. The photodetector assembly of the luminometer includes a stage, a photodetection head having a detection aperture permitting passage of light therethrough, a means for mounting the photodetection head to the stage that permits movement of the head in a direction substantially normal to the direction of relative tray and photodetector assembly movement, and a means for biasing the photodetection head toward a selected sample well so that the detection aperture is substantially isolated from light emitted from adjacent wells. Internal and external photodetector calibration systems and a sample heater are also contemplated.

Luminometer with reduced sample crosstalk

The invention describes an assay device and assembly for detecting an analyte in a liquid sample. Each assay device in the assembly includes structure defining a well, a ligand-coated particle, and a flexible particle retaining structure for holding the particle in a captured position within the well.

Assay device with captured particle reagent

This invention encompasses a work station for conducting assays which comprises filtering assembly, a slide reading assembly, and a slide with a porous filter membrane wherein the slide has a means for aligning the slide within the filter assembly to filter reagents on predetermined portions of the porous filter membrane and also to position the slide in the slide reading assembly so that detection will occur in those same predetermined locations.

Analytical work station

A luminometer comprising a tray for receiving an array of sample wells, a photodetector assembly, and device for relatively moving the tray and photodetector assembly in one direction to align the sample wells received by the tray in a predetermined sequence with the photodetector assembly. The photodetector assembly of the luminometer includes a stage, a photodetection head having a detection aperture permitting passage of light therethrough, a device for mounting the photodetection head to the stage that permits movement of the head in a direction substantially normal to the direction of relative tray and photodetector assembly movement, and a device for biasing the photodetection head toward a selected sample well so that the detection aperture is substantially isolated from light emitted from adjacent wells. Internal and external photodetector calibration systems and a sample heater are also contemplated.

A self-contained assembly for assaying an analyte in a liquid sample. The pair of disc-like rotatable plates forming the assembly are relatively rotatable to align reagent reservoirs in one plate with a reaction well in the other plate, for sequential addition of multiple reagents, either in liquid or solid form, to the reaction well. In one embodiment, the reaction well includes solid-phase particles which can be transferred from the reaction well to spaced wells in the assembly by a combination of relative movement of the plate, and rotation of the entire assembly.

Self-contained assay assembly and apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Fremont, CA, United States of America

Rick T Smethers