Other

Medical Carbon Research Institute, LLC

Ascension Orthopedics, Inc.

Carbomedics Inc.

Tether Implant Corporation

Robert B More

Jack C Bokros

Jonathan C Stupka

Albert E Sanders

James O Sanders

Joseph P Ritz

Jerome J Klawitter

Monti R Gourley

Evgeny G Podnos

Peter Strzepa

Brian Snyder

Ronald G Blackman

Grant D Hogue

Ira Zaltz

Michael J Mewhort

Thomas S Reventas

Embodiments disclosed herein include systems for the treatment of spinal deformity in children by harnessing growth modulation without requiring vertebral fusion. In some embodiments, the system uses flexible or moveable elements to selectively apply and tune forces and moments to the spine instead of rigid fixation and vertebral segment fusion.

Systems for treatment of spinal deformities

A humeral head resurfacing implant () that has a modulus of elasticity close to that of human cortical bone as a result of its design from an integral substrate of isotropic graphite covered completely with a reinforcing layer of dense isotropic pyrolytic carbon. A carefully engineered cruciform stem () extends from the axial center of a flat distal circular surface () of a spherical cap portion () of the implant head located within the confines of a surrounding skirt portion ().

Humeral head resurfacing implant

A bioreactor and a method for growing engineered tissue provide facing surfaces in a vessel for containing cell-culture media. The facing surfaces are equidistant and define a gap therebetween while providing substrates for cell tissue growth. By maintaining conditions within the vessel conducive to cell tissue growth and moving the surfaces relative to one another within such cell culture media, tissue growing thereupon is subjected to physiological flow and shear stress, preferably through the use of oscillating motion, and engineered tissue is produced.

Bioreactor for growing engineered tissue

A prosthetic limb assistance kit that is used as a maintenance kit and carrying case for prosthetic limb users to house and have readily available necessary prosthesis supplies, which include adjustment tools, replaceable prosthesis components, socks, ointments, powders, cleaning devices, and other related items. The kit comes in a carrying case and also includes a cutout area for a umbrella-like stand, which allows for air drying of a prosthesis liner worn by an individual. The stand also allows the liner from sticking to itself when it is placed in the carrying case.

Prosthetic limb assistance kit

A prosthetic venous valve having a two-piece housing which includes upstream and downstream sections. The upstream section contains a circular seat against which an occluder comes in sealing contact when the valve is in its closed position. The downstream housing section is shaped so as to prevent escape of the occluder downstream and to halt the reciprocating motion of the occluder in the open position where there is an open pathway past the occluder. A plurality of fins on the interior of the downstream housing section or on the surface of the occluder assure there is a blood flow path downstream past the occluder in the open position. The two-piece construction allows the housing sections to be axially spaced apart so that blood comes in contact with the interior surface of the patient's vein immediately downstream of the upstream section of the housing. Such arrangement is biologically advantageous and permits momentary deflections of either of the housing sections from its normal coaxial orientation without harm to the valve or disruption of its functioning.

Prosthetic venous valves

A prosthetic heart valve comprising a tubular valve body and a pair of leaflets which pivot, or translate and pivot, between open and closed positions. The valve body is of circular interior cross-section except for a pair of diametrically opposed flat wall sections which contain recesses within which the pivot axes of the leaflets are located. Arcuate edges of the leaflets are irregularly shaped so that a pair of protrusions extend radially outward from an otherwise generally semicircular periphery. The protrusions are strategically located so as to contact the interior surface of the valve body in the closed position at arcuately spaced apart locations which flank the centerline of the leaflet. As a result, contact in the closed position occurs at two spaced apart locations rather than at a single location, and at least a minimum gap is established at the central tip of the leaflet which counteracts potential cavitation, noise and hemolysis.

Prosthetic heart valve

A trileaflet heart valve includes a generally annular valve body having an interior wall of nominally circular cross-section into which three wedge-shaped projections radially extend to provide three pairs of flanking flat surfaces between which three leaflets are pivotally supported. The valve body has an outwardly flaring upstream entrance end that, together with the configuration of the leaflets, assures streamlined flow and low transvalvular pressure drop. Wing sections extend laterally in both directions at angles between about 30.degree. and 50.degree. from flat central sections of the leaflets to create V-shaped cross-section leaflet bodies having short flat edge sections along the lateral edges of both wing sections that create a wide open central flow passageway. The three leaflets assume an orientation parallel or nearly parallel to the central axis in full open position. Leaflet movement from open to closed position is partially defined by upstream retainers aligned with the flat central sections of each leaflet and by surfaces formed in or on the side walls of the projections along which the leaflets slide. Radially interior edges of the leaflets are tapered to effectively eliminate cavitation.

Trileaflet heart valve

A method and implant for the surgical treatment of scoliosis is disclosed. The method involves the segmental fixation of a rigid rod or rods to the abnormally curved portion of the spine. The rod is constructed of a shape-memory alloy such as nitinol. Prior to implementation, the rod is annealed and contoured into an ideal shape for a given patient. At the time of surgery, the rod is deformed to accommodate the existing curvature of the patient's spine and segmentally fixed thereto using novel bone clamps. The rod is then inductively heated to the transition temperature post-operatively to effect shape recovery and thereby apply corrective forces to the spine.

Apparatus for securing a rod adjacent to a bone

An apparatus for proof testing mechanical heart valve prostheses. The apparatus also provides an in vitro test environment simulating in vivo loads, providing a function test. If the heart valve passes the pivot proof test, a function test is performed. The apparatus first directs a pressurized back flow against the tested valve, closing the valve and applying pressure against the leaflet occluders well beyond the maximum functional in vivo load. The heart valve is positioned so that the leaflets assume their 'worst-case' position, that is, the heart valve is oriented so that all the necessary play or gap between the leaflet pivots and pivot recesses is subsumed at one location, thus representing the most severe condition that might be experienced with a heart valve in use. The heart valve is loaded by back pressure applied through a working fluid. Pressure transponders detect the pressure on each side of the heart valve, to determine if a valid test has been performed.

Apparatus for testing prosthetic heart valve hinge mechanism

A method and implant for the surgical treatment of scoliosis is disclosed. The method involves the segmental fixation of a rigid rod or rods to the abnormally curved portion of the spine. The rod is constructed of a shape-memory alloy such as nitinol. Prior to implementation, the rod is annealed and contoured into an ideal shape for a given patient. At the time of surgery, the rod is deformed to accommodate the existing curvature of the patient's spine and segmentally fixed thereto. The rod is then inductively heated to the transition temperature post-operatively to effect shape recovery and thereby apply corrective forces to the spine.

Growing community of inventors

Austin, TX, United States of America

Robert B More