The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 08, 2003
Filed:
Jan. 19, 2001
Applicant:
Inventors:
Brian J. F. Wong, Irvine, CA (US);
Thomas E. Milner, Austin, TX (US);
Emil N. Sobol, Moscow, RU;
Michael W. Keefe, Orange, CA (US);
Assignee:
Other;
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
A61B 1/804 ; A61B 1/818 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
A61B 1/804 ; A61B 1/818 ;
Abstract
A method and apparatus for reshaping cartilage using radiofrequency heating. The cartilage temperature is raised sufficiently for stress relaxation to occur in the cartilage, but low enough so that significant denaturation of the cartilage does not occur. The RF electrodes may be designed to also function as molds, preses, clamps, or mandrills to deform the cartilage tissue. Changes in various properties of the cartilage associated with stress relaxation in the cartilage may be measured in order to provide the control signal to provide effective reshaping without denaturation.