Ethicon, Gmbh

Other

Ethicon Endo-surgery, Inc.

Plastic Components, Inc.

Stephen J Failla

Mark S Ortiz

Jose C Deniega

Glen C Dorband

Charles M Rarey

Michael J Stokes

Edgar V Menezes

David B Soll

Nicholas M Popadiuk

Peter Steinheuser

Jean-Pierre Kinet

Alfred Liland

Frederic Marie

Daniel W Price

Bennie Thompson

Roger L Hildwein

Stephen J Jewusiak

William J Zwaskis

John S Kula

Anthony S Miksza, Jr

Peter Lau

Raymond S Perry

Patrick J Traini

Joseph D'Innocenzio

Carmen Gerrone

Abdominal wall lift devices and methods are disclosed that extend a lift device through an opening in the abdominal wall in an entry configuration and subsequently transform the device to a deployed configuration within the abdominal cavity. One embodiment includes a plurality of elongated bar members that may be introduced into an abdominal cavity in a separated end-to-end orientation. The bar members are subsequently interconnected into a deployed configuration within the abdominal cavity. Another embodiment includes a device that may be introduced through a small opening in an abdominal wall in a generally L-shaped configuration and subsequently deployed into a generally T-shaped configuration within the abdominal cavity. A further embodiment includes an umbrella-like device that may be introduced in a slender generally cylindrical configuration and subsequently deployed into an open umbrella-type configuration.

Abdominal wall lift employing interconnecting bar members

T-shaped abdominal wall lift with telescoping member

A method and apparatus for lifting an abdominal wall during laparoscopic diagnostic and surgical procedures. The surgical lift device includes a gripping portion for contacting and holding an external skin surface adjacent the abdominal wall. The gripping portion is selectively detachable from the skin surface. The device further includes a lifting portion that extends outwardly from the gripping portion. In accordance with alternative embodiments, the gripping portion may comprise an adhesive sheet or a suction member and the lifting portion may comprise a wire member or a portion of a hook and loop-type fastener.

Surgical lift method and apparatus

An elastically deformable element having multiple stacked strips for articulation in an endoscopic surgical instrument. The deformable element is usable in a variable retractor and an instrument having an articulating housing. The working section of the retractor variably moves from a curved configuration when outside of a sheath to a substantially straightened configuration when inside the sheath.

Endoscopic instrument having articulating element

An improved transvaginal uterine manipulator is disclosed. In the most preferred embodiment, it has an elongated housing, a releasable tip attached to the distal end of the housing, a handle lever to actuate means for pivoting the tip in anteversion and retroversion motions in such a manner that a direct positional relationship between the handle lever and tip exists, an arcuate tip position indicator, a tenaculum holder attached to the housing, a constant force spring attached within the elongated housing and to the holder for applying a constant force on a tenaculum held by the holder regardless of its position on the housing, a handle lever locking means to lock the position of the handle, and fluid delivery means through the tip to deliver fluid to the uterus.

Transvaginal uterine manipulator

An applier for applying a bulldog clamp endoscopically, and the combination of such an applier with a bulldog clamp, is disclosed. The applier has an endoscopic portion and a handle portion. The handle portion can be manipulated to open and close gripping arms of the applier at the distal end of the endoscopic portion to correspondingly open and close the clamping jaws of the bulldog clamp. The principle feature of the invention is the ability to pivot the clamp while it is gripped within the gripping arms of the applier without the necessity of using another instrument or adjacent bodily tissue. Furthermore, it is possible to perform this pivoting movement from the proximal end of the applier, therefore enabling a surgeon to pivot the clamp from outside the body during endoscopic surgery. The preferred means for achieving pivoting movement includes the combination of a cantilevered spring mounted on one of the arms of the applier which biases the clamp off center from the longitudinal axis of the applier, and a guiding tube fitted over the endoscopic portion for steering the off-centered clamp. This steering function can be performed when the steering tube is moved distally to contact the clamp. The surgeon can then control the degree of pivoting movement by controlling the degree to which he advances the steering tube against the clamp.

Steerable bulldog clamp applier

Percutaneous suture externalizer devices are disclosed which grasp, secure and externalize sutures from within an abdominal or thoracic cavity. The suture externalizer devices include a thin tubular sheath with a penetrating point and a hook rod slidable within the sheath. The hook rod is slidable between an extended position and a retracted position. The hook rod is biased to the extended position. In the retracted position, a suture grasped within the hook is snugly held between the hook rod and the inner wall of the sheath, providing a positive means of securing the suture during externalization. An alternative embodiment utilizes a hollow tubular hook rod that can also be used to insufflate the abdominal or thoracic cavity. The alternative embodiment utilizes a valve to control the flow of gas through the hook rod, into and out of the cavity.

Percutaneous suture externalizer

A safety trocar is provided which includes a spring-loaded shield that shields the cutting tip of the obturator after the obturator penetrates tissue. The distal end of the shield is hemispheric in profile and contains a slot which conforms to the geometry of the cutting tip. The rounded distal end enables the shield to spring forward to shield the cutting tip as soon as the tip perforates the tissue. A valve is located at the proximal end of the trocar tube to seal the end of the tube. The valve is oriented at an acute angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the trocar tube. The valve is controllable by an external lever which will hold the valve open or permit it to spring shut. An incremental advancement mechanism cooperates with the obturator to permit only incremental advance of the obturator. Instead of using a discrete shield component the shielding function may be provided by spring-loading the trocar tube itself to spring forward and shield the obturator tip after the tip penetrates tissue.

Safety trocar

A collapsible, storable information display screen for use with an electronic information processing device is disclosed which alleviates many of the problems associated with the smaller display screens. The display screen, when in use, is assembled in an electrically interconnected, mechanically stable, predetermined array, and when not in use, may be disassembled from said array and collapsed for compact storage.

Collapsibly segmented display screens for computers or the like

A marking device is provided for marking the sclera and/or limbus of a patient's eye to standardize and define incision location and suture placement prior to cataract removal, and to aid in the intraoperative control of astigmatism. The device comprises a generally arcuate body member having opposed major surfaces with a plurality of projections extending from one of the major surfaces. The body member has an inferior arc and a superior arc with the inferior arc having a smaller radius than the superior arc. The projections are radially aligned, extending from the major surface and are adapted to be inked and to transfer ink marks to the sclera and/or limbal area of an eye. The ink marks represent the locations where incisions and sutures are to be placed.

Sclera and/or limbus marking device for use in intraocular surgery

A tissue fastening device comprising (a) a fastener member having a pair of legs extending from the same side of a connecting cross piece, said fastener member adapted to be placed on one side of the tissue to be joined with the legs penetrating the tissue, said fastener member being an oriented crystalline polymeric material, whereby the fastener member has sufficient inherent strength and stiffness so said legs can penetrate the tissue to be fastened, and (b) a receiver member to secure said fastener member in place. The fastener member is formed by forming an oriented polymeric filament into the configuration of the fastener member, and annealing the filament while in such configuration while it is being restrained so as to prevent shrinkage.

Method for manufacture of surgical fastening device

A surgical hemostatic clip which afford substantially gapless closure includes a longitudinal groove formed in the tissue-contacting surface of one leg, and an opposing longitudinal tongue formed on the tissue-contacting surface of the other leg. In a preferred embodiment the longitudinal tongue and groove do not extend to the distal ends of the legs so as to provide distal flat surfaces on the tissue-contacting distal leg ends. Transverse grooves may be formed across the tongue and in intersection with the longitudinal groove to enhance the tissue-gripping characteristics of the hemostatic clip.

Growing community of inventors

Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

Stephen J Failla