Ethicon, Gmbh

Other

Ethicon Endo-surgery, Inc.

Atos Medical Ab

Medscand Medical Ab

Ulf Ulmsten

Michael R Tracey

Martin Nohilly

Jan Claren

Gene W Kammerer

Jonathan B Gabel

Dachuan Yang

Susanne Landgrebe

Brian H Luscombe

Hans-Jochen Hoepffner

Jorn Lehe

Rebecca Leibowitz

Christer Sjogren

Nils-Gunnar Holmer

Laura Angelini

Lars Jacobsson

Birger Astedt

Kurt Bernstein

Soren Mattsson

Barbara Schwartz

Brian Luscombe

The method of the present invention relates to treating female urinary incontinence and involves passing opposite ends of a tape into a female patient's body and then positioning at least a portion of the tape between the vaginal wall and the urethra, whereby the tape forms a supportive loop beneath the urethra. The ends of the tape are extended through the patient's abdominal wall and outside of the patient's body and then the position and tension of the supportive loop are adjusted to achieve a clinically acceptable degree of urinary continence.

Surgical instrument and method for treating female urinary incontinence

A surgical assembly and method for treating female urinary incontinence. The assembly includes a substantially flat, flexible tape having first and second ends, wherein at least a portion of the tape is adapted to be permanently implanted into a female patient's body as a loop beneath the urethra. The assembly further includes a flexible sheath having a first portion covering a first length of the tape and a second portion covering a second length of the tape. The first and second portions substantially cover the entire length of the implant portion of the tape prior to implantation of the tape and sheath combination into the patient's body. Following implantation into the patient's body, the first and second portions of the sheath are removable from the first and second ends of the tape respectively.

Surgical instrument for treating female urinary incontinence

A method is provided for assessing urinary function including removably coupling a first test module to a portable control device, selecting from a plurality of different tests a first test to assess urinary function, the selection being made based on first module identification information obtained by the control device from the test module, and performing the first test. The method may also include one or more of the steps of inserting an insert member coupled to the first test module at least partially into a patient's urinary tract, infusing fluid through the insert member into the urinary tract, and measuring pressure within the urinary tract as fluid is infused therein. The method may further include uncoupling the first test module from the portable control device, coupling a second test module to the portable control device, selecting a second test to assess urinary function based on second module identification information obtained by the control device from the second test module, and performing the second test.

System and method for assessing urinary function

The invention relates to a surgical instrument and a method for treating female urinary incontinence. A tape or mesh is permanently implanted into the body as a support for the urethra. In one embodiment, portions of the tape comprise tissue growth factors and adhesive bonding means for attaching portions of the tape to the pubic bone. In a further embodiment, portions of the tape comprise attachment means for fastening portions of the tape to fascia within the pelvic cavity. In both embodiments the tape is implanted with a single incision through the vaginal wall.

A woven mesh is provided for supporting tissue or an organ within a female patient's pelvis, and a method for using the same. The mesh includes a central portion having a width, a length, first and second ends, and first and second side edges, and first and second wing portions extending from the first and second ends of the central portion respectively. The first and second wing portions each have a width, a length, and first and second peripheral edges. The width of the wing portions are each greater than the width of the central portion, and when positioned within the female patient, the central portion is positioned below and supports the tissue or organ. A mesh is also provided having woven fibers with voids therebetween, and having a central portion and first and second ends. The average size of the voids at least in the central portion is at least 25&#x2013;50 mm, and when positioned within the patient, the central portion is positioned below and supports the tissue or organ.

Mesh for pelvic floor repair

A medical system is provided for assessing urinary function. The system includes a control device and at least one test module capable of being removably coupled to the control device such that, when coupled, the system is capable of performing a test to assess urinary function. The control device may include a processor and memory having stored therein a plurality of software subroutine, at least one of which directs a test to assess urinary function. The test module may include a module identification device, and the control device selects the software subroutine based upon information obtained from the module identification device. The test module may further include a tubing assembly forming a first fluid conduit between a first fluid inlet and a first fluid outlet and an insert member dimensioned for at least partial insertion into a patient's urinary tract and coupled to the first fluid outlet so that fluid infused through the first fluid conduit flows through the insert member.

A test module is provided for coupling with a control device to form a portable system for assessing urinary function. The test module includes a test module housing, at least one coupling element for removably coupling the test module to the control device, a tubing assembly located at least partially within the test module housing, and a pressure interface in fluid communication with at least a portion of the tubing assembly. When the test module is coupled to the control device, the pressure interface is positioned relative to a pressure sensor in the control device so as to transmit pressure data thereto. The tubing assembly may also couple with a pump device in the control device so as to enable the pump device to pump fluid through the tubing assembly.

Described is a surgical instrument and method for treating female urinary stress incontinence. The instrument includes a first curved needle-like element defining in part a curved shaft having a distal end and a proximal, a tape, or mesh, for implanting into the lower abdomen of a female to provide support to the urethra; a second curved needle element having a proximal end and a distal end, and a coupler for simultaneous attachment to the distal end of the first needle and the distal end of the second needle. In an alternate embodiment, the second curved needle is an anesthesia needle and the method includes anesthetizing the needle pathway through a patient's body to facilitate the passage of the first needle and mesh therethrough.

A vaginal insert has a flexible body either in the form of a belt or a split cylinder. In either case, the insert may be coiled into a coiled state. The body has a reduced diameter when coiled and exhibits a resilient bias toward uncoiling and expanding in diameter from the coiled state. When the insert is inserted into the vagina of a patient, it expands and presses against the vaginal wall. This pressure in itself may be therapeutic, e.g., in treating cystocele and incontinence. A medicament may be conjoined with the insert that is introduced to the patient through contact with the insert. The insert can have a simultaneous mechanical and pharmacological effect, e.g., in the instance of treating incontinence with a drug and pressure. The belt-type body may incorporate mating ridges and grooves to keep the insert in a cylindrical configuration. Latch elements may be incorporated on the insert to support the insert in an expanded, partially uncoiled state.

Vaginal pessary

A device for treating female incontinence and prolapse includes a vaginal insert. The insert may also be loaded with various pharmacological compounds/drugs, such as hormones for treatment of various diseases within or outside the urogenital tract. The insert has a generally cylindrical body dimensioned to allow insertion into the vagina. The body has a pair of spaced peripheral rings extending from the exterior surface of the body, which displaces the vaginal wall, the tissue between the vaginal wall and the urethra to apply pressure to the urethra to treat the various defects. The pessary may be split to allow coiling to aid in inserting the device.

The surgical instrument according to the present invention includes a tape that includes a netting enclosed by a thin plastic sheath such that insertion is facilitated while avoiding irritation or damage of body tissue. The surgical instrument further includes a shank having a handle at one end thereof, and a curved needle-like element, which is constructed to be connected with the shank to form a curved portion.

Device for staunching uterus bleeding

A surgical instrument and a method for treating female urinary incontinence. The instrument comprises a shank having a handle at one end thereof, and two curved needle-like elements which are connected at one end thereof each with one end of a tape intended to be implanted into the body. These elements can be connected one at a time with the shank at the other end thereof to form a curved end portion of the shank and are intended to be passed into the body via the vagina, each element being dimensioned to extend from the inside of the vaginal wall over the back of the pubic bone to the outside of the abdominal wall. When practicing the method the tape is passed into the body via the vagina first at one end and then at the other end at one side and the other, respectively, of the urethra to form a loop around the urethra, located between urethra and the vaginal wall. The tape is extended over the pubis and through the abdominal wall and is tightened. Then, the tape ends are cut at the abdominal wall, and the tape is left implanted in the body.

An apparatus for determining the depth position of venous thrombi in the lower extremities utilizes a unique property in .sup.125 I. This resides in the fact that in approximately half of all disintegrations, two photons are emitted simultaneously. These two coincident photons have, like separately emitted photons, an energy of approximately 28 keV. A scintillation detector perceives the coincidently emitted photons as one photon of an energy of 56 keV. The quotient between the number of separately emitted photons and the number of coincident photons may thus be determined. This quotient constitutes a parameter which is greatly dependent on the distance between the detector and the source of radiation, whereby there is obtained a possibility of determining the depth of the thrombus.

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Danderyd, Sweden

Ulf Ulmsten