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:
Jun. 04, 2013
Filed:
Mar. 16, 2007
Gregory Brian Rieker, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Venkatesh Vasudevan, Stanford, CA (US);
Uday N. Kumar, San Francisco, CA (US);
William Croisettier, Stanford, CA (US);
William Bragg, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Gary Mekikian, La Canada, CA (US);
Richard Ian Whyte, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Gregory Brian Rieker, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Venkatesh Vasudevan, Stanford, CA (US);
Uday N. Kumar, San Francisco, CA (US);
William Croisettier, Stanford, CA (US);
William Bragg, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Gary Mekikian, La Canada, CA (US);
Richard Ian Whyte, Palo Alto, CA (US);
The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
An apparatus for moving the esophagus includes an elongate body having a distal tip, a controlled curvature section, and a flexible section. A handle is coupled to the flexible section to adjust the curvature of the controlled curvature section. The length of the controlled curvature section is less than the length of the thoracic portion of the esophagus. Further, a method of adjusting the curvature of the esophagus during a therapeutic procedure in a treatment area outside of the esophagus includes positioning within the esophagus an elongate body having a distal tip, a controlled curvature section, and a flexible section and adjusting the curvature of the controlled curvature section to increase the distance between the esophagus and a treatment area outside of the esophagus.