Endoscopic Concepts, Inc.

Medi-ject Corporation

Medtronic, Inc.

Theragenics Corporation

Johnson Medical Development Pte. Ltd.

Worldwide Medical Plastics Inc.

Catheter Dynamics, Inc.

Thomas R Johnson

John K Danks

Hugh Francis Taylor

David I Rosen

Richard V Mazzola

Stephen John Lilley

Craig J Carlson

David Reginald Theobald

William J Gahara

Hugh Tripp

Brian E McLaughlin

Andrew L Cote, Sr

Yem Chin

Paul Scopton

Tilak M Shah

John Duggan

A moldable material shaping system for shaping a moldable material, the system comprising a thermal transfer mold having an internal cavity configured to receive a moldable material, the internal cavity further comprising an internal mold shape, a thermally controlled heat source subsystem configured to heat the thermal transfer mold and the moldable material received in the thermal transfer mold thereby reshaping the moldable material to a deformed moldable material shape conforming to the internal mold shape. Some embodiments further comprise a cooling source subsystem configured to cool the thermal transfer mold and stabilize the moldable material inside the thermal transfer mold to maintain the deformed moldable material shape. Methods of molding a moldable material are also disclosed.

Moldable material shaping systems and methods of use

A tissue removal apparatus and needle assembly for extracting a tissue portion from tissue or the like, the needle assembly comprising an inner tube having an interior cavity, an outer cannula having a proximal end, a distal end and an interior cavity, the interior cavity of the outer cannula having an interior diameter to slidably receive the inner tube and a collapsible section operably engaged with the inner tube and the outer cannula whereby a forward movement of a portion of the inner tube within the interior cavity of the outer cannula changes the collapsible section from a neutral position to a collapsed position to engage the tissue portion. In some embodiments, the outer cannula further comprises an aperture configured to allow a tissue portion from within the needle assembly to pass through or otherwise be expelled outside of the needle assembly.

Methods and apparatus for tissue removal

A tissue removal apparatus and needle assembly for extracting a tissue portion from tissue or the like, the needle assembly comprising an inner tube having an interior cavity, an outer cannula having a proximal end, a distal end and an interior cavity, the interior cavity of the outer cannula having an interior diameter to slidably receive the inner tube and a collapsible section operably engaged with the inner tube and the outer cannula whereby a forward movement of a portion of the inner tube within the interior cavity of the outer cannula changes the collapsible section from a neutral position to a collapsed position to engage the tissue portion. A method of tissue removal comprising the steps of positioning a needle assembly in a tissue, engaging a tissue portion and withdrawing the needle assembly to remove the tissue portion from the tissue.

A trocar is formed from a cannula and an interfitting obturator for penetrating body cavity walls in laparoscopic and endoscopic surgery. The obturator is provided with an improved piercing tip having a pointed blade and an improved double locking blunt nosed shield design. Hydrophilic coatings or components are also employed on the shield and cannula to facilitate quicker shield action covering the pointed blade and ease of entry of the cannula tube through the body cavity wall. The sharpened portion of the blade is substantially narrower than the inner diameter of the cannula tube and can be completely covered by the shield. The improved shielded trocar is provided with an improved shield design having a dolphin-nose shape at its distal end.

Dilating trocar shield with blade tip

A trocar is formed from a cannula and an interfitting obturator for penetrating body cavity walls in laparoscopic and endoscopic surgery. The cannula has an improved inexpensive flexible flapper valve and can be manufactured with a reusable cannula tube but disposable flapper valve assembly to minimize cost.

Trocar flapper valve

A needleless injection system and method for injecting a medical product comprises a needleless injection device having a nozzle assembly defining an ampule chamber for holding medication, an energy device for pushing medication out of the nozzle assembly, and an energy device actuating mechanism. These components are operatively contained in a housing configured for a hand held operation. The energy device is a self-contained gas spring operatively connected to a plunger operating within the ampule chamber. The gas spring is preferably stepped which can be used in many different applications, an air gun being one. The injection device can be provide with a coupling device for coupling a medication supply vial to the nozzle assembly. The nozzle assembly is removably situated in the housing with the plunger removable therewith.

Medical injection system and method, gas spring thereof and launching

A needleless injection system and method for injecting a medical product including a needleless injection device having a nozzle assembly defining an ampule chamber for holding medication, an energy device for pushing medication out of the nozzle assembly, and an energy device actuating mechanism is disclosed. These components are operatively contained in a housing configured for hand held operation. The energy device is a self-contained gas spring operatively connected to a plunger operating within the ampule chamber. The gas spring is preferably stepped which can be used in many different applications, an air gun being one. The injection device can be provided with a coupling device for coupling a medication supply vial to the nozzle assembly. The nozzle assembly is removably situated in the housing with the plunger removable therewith.

Nozzle assembly with lost motion connection for medical injector assembly

Coupling device for medical injection system

A trocar is formed from a cannula and an interfitting obturator for penetrating body cavity walls in laparoscopic and endoscopic surgery. The obturator is provided with an improved piercing tip having a pointed blade and an improved double locking blunt nosed shield design. Hydrophilic coatings or components are also employed on the shield and cannula to facilitate quicker shield action covering the pointed blade and ease of entry of the cannula tube through the body cavity wall. The improved shielded trocar is provided with an improved shield having a dolphin-nose shape at its distal end.

Shielded trocar and trocar shield

A trocar is formed from a cannula and an interfitting obturator for penetrating body cavity walls in laparoscopic and endoscopic surgery. The obturator is provided with an improved piercing tip having a pointed blade and an improved double locking blunt nosed shield design. Hydrophilic coatings or components are also employed on the shield and cannula to facilitate quicker shield action covering the pointed blade and ease of entry of the cannula tube through the body cavity wall. The cannula also has an improved inexpensive flexible flapper valve and can be manufactured with a reusable cannula tube but disposable flapper valve assembly to minimize cost. The shield locks in a partially retracted position whereby the point of the blade is covered, but sharp lateral portions are exposed.

Trocar with lockable shield

A trocar is formed from a cannula and an interfitting obturator for penetrating body cavity walls in laparoscopic and endoscopic surgery. The obturator is provided with an improved piercing tip having a pointed blade and an improved double locking blunt nosed shield design. Hydrophilic coatings or components are also employed on the shield and cannula to facilitate quicker shield action covering the pointed blade and ease of entry of the cannula tube through the body cavity wall. The cannula also has an improved inexpensive flexible flapper valve and can be manufactured with a reusable cannula tube but disposable flapper valve assembly to minimize cost.

Trocar

An injection syringe useful in the medical arts for injecting high viscosity fluids or pastes, particularly in endoscopic applications. The syringe includes a force multiplying mechanism to infuse viscous medicaments such as collagen or polytetrafluoroethylene paste, with a controlled metering action. The force multiplying mechanism is provided by the combination of lower piston cylinder chamber that intersects with an upper cylinder chamber, wherein the piston is connected to a piston advancing means on a lever pivot arm.

Injection syringe

A self-sealing, penetrable, hemostasis valve for a catheter introducer or the like which comprises an elastomeric gasket member having first and second opposed faces adapted to be secured in a valve housing, wherein faces define generally concave surfaces to reduce the central thickness of the gasket member, and a pin hole or slits extending through the first and second opposed faces generally at or through the central region of the gasket member. The generally concave opposed face surfaces are molded to possess a pair of convex cusp-shaped surfaces, each lying in about one-half of the generally concave surfaces, each convex cusp having an edge thereof passing generally through the central region of reduced thickness. The pair of generally convex, cusp-shaped surfaces on the first face is disposed at a 90 degree angle to the pair of generally convex, cusp-shaped surfaces on the second face. Preferably short intersecting slits extend through the reduced thickness central region oriented at a 45 degree angle to the 90 degree lines of intersection of the mating edges of the first and second cusp-shaped surfaces on each face of the elastomeric gasket member. The hemostasis valve of the present invention is preferably implemented in a percutaneous introducer comprising a longitudinally extended housing having a proximal open end for providing an entrance point for the introduction of elongated interventional devices and a second distal open end. An elongated tubular sheath is coupled to and extends distally from distal open end of housing. The hemostasis valve is located within the central passageway of the longitudinally extended housing, and proximal to a side port into the housing.

Hemostasis valve

A balloon catheter is provided for treatment of hypertrophy of the prostate. The balloon is formed in a non-compliant transparent plastic sleeve fitted over a transparent plastic lumen. The distal end of the sleeve is secured to a fitting slidably mounted on the lumen.

Growing community of inventors

Milford, NH, United States of America

Thomas R Johnson