Origin Medsystems, Inc.

Other

Applied Medical Resources Corporation

Sherwood Services Ag

Guidant Corporation

Endovascular Technologies, Inc.

Tim J Kovac

Albert K Chin

John D Davis

Michael Francis Wei

Thomas A Kramer

John T To

Edmund J Roschak

Wilson Eng

Edwin J Hlavka

Richard L Mueller

William A Holmes

Charles Gresl, Jr

Peter F Costa

Peter S Brown

Jay Daulton

Bryan E Loomas

Terrance L Kloeckl

Todd A Thompson

John P Lunsford

Todd Thompson

Richard J Saunders

Philip K Hopper

Robin W Eckert

Phillip Hopper

Frank T Watkins, Iii

Arnold J Kresch

Robert D Warner

Diane E Caramore

Phillip K Hopper

Kimberly Barkman

Mark T Lemere

A endovascular graft having sensing devices attached thereto to facilitate measurement of pertinent parameters within the vasculature into which the graft is implanted. Power sources and transmitters may be attached to the graft to facilitate transmission of measurements to a receiving device outside the patient's body. The sensing devices, may be electrically passive or integrated devices with measurement and transmission capability. The sensing devices may be attached to specific locations on the graft material or attached to the lumen, thereby providing pertinent parameters from critical points inside the vasculature, or may be dispersed over the surface of the graft material or within the lumen to provide a profile of pertinent parameters. The sensing devices may be attached to the graft material with one suture using a running stitch to minimize graft bulk and may be coated with a material to inhibit or control tissue growth. A bio-reabsorbable or hard wire tether or suture may be employed to attach devices to one or more graft components.

Endovascular graft with separable sensors

A endovascular graft having sensing devices attached thereto to facilitate measurement of pertinent parameters within the vasculature into which the graft is implanted. Power sources and transmitters may be attached to the graft to facilitate transmission of measurements to a receiving device outside the patient's body. The sensing devices, may be electrically passive or integrated devices with measurement and transmission capability. The sensing devices may be attached to specific locations on the graft material or attached to the lumen, thereby providing pertinent parameters from critical points inside the vasculature, or may be dispersed over the surface of the graft material or within the lumen to provide a profile of pertinent parameters. The sensing devices may be attached to the graft material with one suture using a running stitch to minimize graft bulk and may be coated with a material to inhibit or control tissue growth.

Endovascular graft with sensors design and attachment methods

A balloon anchor provides for the anchoring of a surgical instrument, such as conventional trocar sheath, within a puncture opening formed by a trocar. When used on a trocar sheath, the anchor is secured to the smooth outer surface of the sheath for extension through the puncture opening as the trocar within the sheath forms the opening. Adhesive or mechanical means are provided to secure the balloon the instrument. No modification to the structure of the instrument is required. Once in place within the opening, the balloon is inflated to the interior of the tissue to anchor the instrument in place. Certain embodiments also provide for inflation of the balloon within and/or to the exterior of the opening.

Method and apparatus for anchoring laparoscopic instruments

An endoscopic surgical instrument suitable for use with a needle-grasper having a rotational translation device for creating rotational motion at the distal end of the surgical instrument in a non 1:1 ratio to rotational energy imparted at the handle of the surgical instrument. The shaft of the surgical instrument has an articulated segment capable of remote adjustment to articulate the effector unit at the end of the surgical instrument. The effector unit may be a needle-gripper having an upwardly pointed V-shaped notch in a channeled upper jaw, a convex gripping surface on the lower jaw, such that grasping a curved suture needle between the upper and lower jaw serves to automatically orient the needle perpendicular to the needle-gripper with the curvature pointed down. Conically tapered edges on the upper jaw further facilitate this orientation. A reciprocal motion transmission occurs between the handle and the effector unit so that gripping the levers on the handle serves to operate a function in the effector unit. The device is suitable for manual operation by a surgeon performing endoscopic surgical manipulations directly and without the intervention of motors or the like.

Endoscopic surgical instrument for rotational manipulation

A system for locally stabilizing an anastomotic site of a vessel of a beating heart during a surgical procedure is disclosed. The system includes bonding a pad to the myocardium and attaching a control arm to the pad, all by use of a bioabsorbable adhesive. The control arm is grasped and manipulated by a retractor thereby stabilizing the anastomotic area during the surgical procedure. The pad is optional and can be ommitted in one embodiment where the control arm has feet that are directly bonded to tissue. The pad may also have barbs or can include suction cups. The pad can include a helix-shaped fastener or a mechanical fastener that can be easily linked or hooked to a surgical instrument for manipulation.

Apparatus and method for tissue and organ stabilization

A disposable seal assembly for use with a reusable cannula, where the seal assembly is designed for use with the cannula during a single medical procedure and the cannula is designed for multiple uses (each time with a different seal assembly) during a number of medical procedures. The seal assembly includes both a flapper valve fluid seal (for sealing the cannula when no medical instrument is inserted through the seal assembly) and at least one instrument seal (for sealing the cannula when a medical instrument is inserted through the seal assembly). Preferably, the seal assembly has a body with a flange which can be snapped onto the cannula before use, and readily removed after use. Also preferably, the flapper valve has an over-centered hinge. In other embodiments, the invention is a seal assembly which includes at least one double instrument seal including a sacrificial flange and a sealing flange, and optionally also a flapper valve. The sealing flange seals the cannula when a medical instrument is inserted through the seal assembly even when the sacrificial flange has been cut during insertion of the instrument. In other embodiments, the invention is a system including a reusable cannula, and a disposable seal assembly of any of the described types which can be snapped onto the cannula before use and readily removed after use.

Reusable cannula with disposable seal

A disposable seal assembly for use with a reusable cannula preferably includes a flapper valve fluid seal and at least one instrument seal. The instrument seal has a sacrificial flange and a sealing flange that protrude from an inner baffle connected to the assembly's main body by a flexible outer baffle, and at least one elastomeric rib extending between the inner baffle and the body to prevent inversion of the inner baffle. Preferably, a surface of the sacrificial flange is configured to prevent the flanges from sticking together during use. An adaptor, tethered to the assembly's main body, has a central channel with an hourglass profile, a concave distal flange, distal bumpers for preventing the adaptor from translating too far into the main body, and a grip portion shaped to allow a user conveniently to separate the adaptor from the main body. Other aspects include systems with a reusable cannula, and methods for using such systems.

A lifting device for laparoscopic procedures is provided with joints to enable an instrument carried by the device to be rotated to selectively adjust its pitch, roll and yaw. The adjustment provides a mechanism whereby the instrument may be connected to the arm in a variety of rotational orientations and accommodate different conditions to provide operating space within the body of a patient. Various mechanisms are provided to selectively lock the joints.

Method for selectively creating and altering the shape of a body cavity

A female urinary incontinence device (2) and method comprises an elongate body (4) and a pair of anterior support members (6, 8) extending from the proximal end of the elongate body. The anterior support members are spaced from each other and configured for elevating and/or supporting the superior vaginal tissue (122) on each side of the bladder neck (106) to normalize urodynamic parameters without completely occluding the urethra (108) so that the patient may urinate or not urinate, if desired. A pair of posterior support members (10, 12) extend from the distal end of the elongate body for engaging the posterior vaginal wall (120) to provide longitudinal support to the anterior support members. The device may be folded axially between a collapsed position for insertion into the vagina (100) and an expanded position for supporting the bladder neck to offer counterpressure to intra-bladder pressure so that continence is preserved.

Method for treating female incontinence

A method and apparatus for creating a surgical work space by lifting the abdominal wall and retracting abdominal organs during surgery utilizes a lifting body having two or more retraction rods supported by the lifting body. The rods are designed to be introduced into the abdominal cavity through a laparoscopic puncture opening and to be extended within the abdominal cavity to provide a lifting area. In the preferred embodiment, a pair of retraction rods disposed with the bores and substantially parallel to each other are inserted into the abdominal cavity through an incision in the abdominal wall. The retraction rods are spread apart from each other while their parallel orientation is maintained. The lifting body is connected to a lifting arm and lifted, causing the retraction rods to lift and support the abdominal wall.

Body wall retraction system for wide cavity retraction

Growing community of inventors

Los Gatos, CA, United States of America

Tim J Kovac