510results about How to "Easy to take back" patented technology

A surgical stapling instrument (1) comprises a staple fastening assembly (4) in the distal region of said instrument, the staple fastening assembly (4) including a cartridge device (8) which comprises at least one closed row (17, 18) of staples and defines a wavy distal end surface (14), and an anvil (9) which defines a wavy proximal staple forming surface (20) substantially matching the distal end surface (14) and which is adapted to cooperate with the cartridge device (8) for forming the ends of the staples exiting from the cartridge device (8), wherein the distal end surface (14) and the staple forming surface (20) have a globally wavy shape including two opposite peaks (21) and two opposite valleys (22) angularly spaced at about 90° from the adjacent peaks (21) and in that said two-peaks-two-valleys wavy shape is formed by a stepped configuration of said surfaces (14, 20).

This invention relates to the design and function of a device which allows for retrieval of a previously implanted valve prosthesis from a beating heart without extracorporeal circulation using a transcatheter retrieval system, including a guide component to facilitate the compression of the valve and retraction into a retrieval catheter, as well as an improved prosthetic transcatheter heart valve having one or more of: a series of radially extending tines having a loop terminus to improve sealing a deployed prosthetic mitral valve against hemodynamic leaking, a pre-compressible stent-in-stent design, or an articulating cuff attached to a covered stent-valve and a commissural sealing skirt structure attached to the underside of the articulating cuff.

A valve-retrieval device permits a non-deployed valve mounted on a balloon catheter to be retracted back into an introducer sheath for removal from a patient's body. In particular embodiments, the valve-retrieval device is adapted to be placed on a balloon catheter shaft and then advanced over the shaft into the blood vessel via the introducer sheath. The valve-retrieval device has an expandable distal end portion that assumes an expanded shape when advanced out of the introducer sheath. The valve is positioned within or adjacent the distal end portion of the retrieval device, and the retrieval device and the balloon catheter are retracted together back into the introducer sheath. The distal end portion of the retrieval device, rather than the outer surface portion of the valve covered thereby, contacts the distal end and inner surface of the introducer sheath to facilitate retraction of the valve into the introducer sheath.

Laparoscopic instruments and trocars are provided for performing laparoscopic procedures entirely through the umbilicus. A generally C-shaped trocar provides increased work space between the hands of the surgeon as well as S-shaped laparoscopic instruments placed through the trocar when laparoscopic instrument—trocar units are placed through the umbilicus. In order to facilitate retraction of intra-abdominal structures during a laparoscopic procedure, an angulated needle and thread with either one-or two sharp ends is provided. Alternatively, an inflatable unit having at least one generally C-shaped trocar incorporated within the unit's walls can be placed through the umbilicus following a single incision. Generally S-shaped laparoscopic instruments may be placed through the generally C-shaped trocars to facilitate access to intra-abdominal structures.

A disc implant is provided which maintains intervertebral spacing and stability within the spine. In an embodiment, a disc implant may include three or more components. Components of the implant may imitate certain physiological movements associated with a healthy spine. In certain embodiments, the components of the implant may limit physiological movements to within certain ranges, imitating normal spinal movements.

Rotating microneedles and microneedle arrays are disclosed that “drill” holes into a biological barrier, such as skin. The holes can of controlled depth and diameter and suitable for microsurgery, administering drugs and withdrawal of body fluids.

One preferred embodiment includes a stent delivery system including a retractable sheath and an outer stability sheath. The stability sheath freely rotates relative to the retractable sheath, relieving compression forces caused by twisting of stability sheath in when in a tortuous conformation.

An internal osteotomy fixation apparatus is provided. The device comprises a distal plate including a channel. A slide is slidably received within the channel such that the slide is translatable with respect to the distal plate along a first axis. A proximal plate is hingedly connected to the slide, such that the proximal plate has two degrees of freedom relative to the distal plate. A ledge protruding from a first portion of the proximal plate is configured to support a proximal bone segment when the device is implanted. The slide includes ratchet teeth. A ratchet arm including teeth is attached to the distal plate, and configured to engage the slide ratchet teeth. A cross-section of the ratchet arm is configured to maintain a constant stress level along a flexed portion of the arm. The distal plate includes a shelf upon which the ratchet arm rests. Compressive loads borne by the device are translated through the shelf to the distal plate. A minimum length of the device is related to the longer of the ratchet arm or the segment of teeth on the slide. The distal plate includes a hole through which a release mechanism is accessible.

A gastric balloon and method of adding and removing fluid therefrom are disclosed. The gastric balloon includes a shell, a receiver, and a retractable tubing housed in the receiver and extendable from the stomach of a patient to the mouth of the patient. The shell is inflated and deflated from outside the body of the patient. The method of adding or removing fluid from the implanted gastric balloon includes steps of inserting a gastroscopic tool into the stomach of a patient and grasping an end of a retractable tubing housed in a receiver of the gastric balloon. Further steps of the method include withdrawing at least a portion of the retractable tubing from the stomach and out of a patient's mouth and adding or removing fluid from the gastric balloon via the retractable tubing withdrawn from the patient.

A balloon catheter for use with an endoscope may have a flexible shaft extending between a proximal and distal end, with a hub affixed to the proximal end, and a balloon that has one or more visual markers. An additional optional feature is that the markers(s) may be color-coded.

An implantable device for occluding a septal defect has interleaved frame sections that allow flexibility to conform to a variety of defect geometries and provide reliable occlusion during endothelialization. Left and right frames connect to opposite ends of a floating connection post. The device is resiliently deformable and is biased into a natural state wherein, in situ in a variety of defect geometries, the device applies a sandwiching force to the tissue surrounding the defect that is relatively uniform across its diameter, improving stability and promoting occlusion.

An insertion tool and method for easily inserting a guide wire into a guide wire lumen of a catheter, particularly a rapid exchange catheter, for use in an endoscope. The insertion tool includes a main body having a main lumen and a funnel-shaped extension having a funnel lumen that merges with the main lumen. The funnel lumen has a first large opening and a second smaller opening aligned with the guide wire lumen of the catheter such that, when the catheter is disposed in the main lumen, the guide wire may be easily inserted into the large opening of the funnel-shaped extension and into the guide wire lumen of the catheter. Also, a re-insertion tool and method for re-inserting a guide wire into a channel of a catheter. The re-insertion tool is particularly useful in combination with an endoscope and an SOE catheter disposed therein.

Rotating microneedles and microneedle arrays are disclosed that “drill” holes into a biological barrier, such as skin. The holes can of controlled depth and diameter and suitable for microsurgery, administering drugs and withdrawal of body fluids.

Embodiments disclosed herein provide a disc implant for maintaining intervertebral spacing and stability within the human spine. In some embodiments, the disc implant includes complementary members between vertebral engaging plates. A first engaging plate may have a convex portion that allows anteroposterior translation of a first member relative to the first engaging plate. Movement of the first member relative to the first engaging plate allows lateral movement of vertebrae adjacent to the engaging plates. The first member may be coupled to a second member via complementary shapes such as a projection and a recess. The second member may have a convex portion that complements a recess of a second engaging plate. The recess may be concave with an arcuate cross-sectional shape in an anteroposterior plane. Movement of the second engaging plate relative to the second member allows for anteroposterior movement of vertebrae adjacent to the engaging plates.

This invention relates to the design and function of a device which allows for retrieval of a previously implanted valve prosthesis from a beating heart without extracorporeal circulation using a transcatheter retrieval system, including a guide component to facilitate the compression of the valve and retraction into a retrieval catheter, as well as an improved prosthetic transcatheter heart valve having one or more of: a series of radially extending tines having a loop terminus to improve sealing a deployed prosthetic mitral valve against hemodynamic leaking, a pre-compressible stent-in-stent design, or an articulating cuff attached to a covered stent-valve and a commissural sealing skirt structure attached to the underside of the articulating cuff.

A device (1) for retracting tissue with a retaining element (2) with a throughgoing cutout (7) and with a blade (18) mounted on a retractor arm (16), retractor arm (16) being seated movably in cutout (7), wherein cutout (7) of retaining element (2) is formed in a groove shape.

A stent for use in a body passageway includes a plurality of wires braided to form a self-expanding braided tubular structure. The braided wires form braiding angles along a length of the tubular structure. A portion of the wires are plastically deformed to reduce foreshortening of the braided structure.

A needle electrode deployment shaft includes a central member and a plurality of needle electrodes. The central member has a plurality of needle advancement channels formed therein. The needle electrodes are disposed within the advancement channels and each advancement channel terminates in a ramp portion which deflects the needles radially outwardly as they are axially advanced. The ramps may be spirally or acutely configured in order to increase the distance through which the needles may be bent as they are axially advanced. Additionally, the central member may have a radially reduced distal tip in order to decrease tissue insertion forces.

A retractable syringe (11) and plunger (20) therefore are provided, whereby the plunger comprises a controlling means (62) which facilitates control of the rate of retraction of the retractable needle. By controlling the rate of needle retraction, the likelihood of blood spattering is reduced, thereby improving the user-friendliness and appeal of the retractable syringe. Typically, the syringe is a prefilled syringe. Following plunger depression, a symmetrical ejector member (92) releases the retractable needle (40) from a retaining member (30) to thereby allow retraction of the retractable needle. Needle retraction is facilitated by a biasing means (70), such as a spring or other compressible and / or de-compressible device. The plunger comprises a plunger housing (21), in which is located the controlling means. The controlling means may be a pneumatic air space (324) inside the plunger housing which automatically acts against the retracting needle to thereby control or regulate the rate of retraction.

Embolic protection elements are integrated with a catheter or access sheath for any catheter. A catheter with an integrated embolic protection element comprises a catheter shaft, an embolic filter slidably mounted on a distal portion of the shaft, a proximal stop for limiting the proximal movement of the embolic filter, and a distal stop for limiting the distal movement of the embolic filter. The filter comprises a porous mesh material defining a collection chamber for captured emboli and has a collapsed and a deployed configuration. The filter may be collapsed by an access sheath used with the catheter. An access sheath may comprise a tubular main body and an embolic filter mounted on the distal portion of the tubular main body. The embolic filter may evert into the central lumen of the sheath or may be constrained on the exterior of the sheath with a larger diameter outer tube.

A lightweight, portable, electrically-powered dermabrasive device adapted to gently and painlessly remove keratinized epidermal portions of the hands and feet. The dermabrasive device includes a protective shield which shields user against contact from flakes of flying or ejected epidermis or other detritus.

A dual fuel burner including an elongated supply pipe and a gas injector for a boiler furnace having a plurality of peripheral openings around a center opening. The peripheral openings are pitched radially away from the longitudinal axis of the gas injector and also pitched either clockwise or counter-clockwise, to impart a swirling motion to gaseous fuel exiting the injector through the openings. A first sleeve member is concentrically spaced about the supply pipe and the gas injector to form an inner annular passageway for conveying a mixture of primary air and pulverized coal to the furnace combustion zone. A second sleeve member is concentrically spaced about the first sleeve member to form an outer annular passageway for conveying secondary air to the furnace combustion zone, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced vanes mounted within the outer annular passageway for inducing a swirling motion to the secondary air discharging from the outer annular passageway into the furnace combustion zone.

A balloon catheter for use with an endoscope may have a flexible shaft extending between a proximal and distal end, with a hub affixed to the proximal end, and a balloon that has one or more visual markers. An additional optional feature is that the markers(s) may be color-coded.

An umbrella deployment mechanism includes: a housing contained within a backpack; a frame associated with the housing and deployable between a first position in which the frame is located within the backpack and a second position in which the frame is elevated above the first position; and a canopy associated with the frame and deployable between a first position in which the canopy is located within the backpack and a second position in which the canopy is elevated above the frame.

An implantable device for occluding a septal defect has interleaved frame sections that allow flexibility to conform to a variety of defect geometries and provide reliable occlusion during endothelialization. Left and right frames connect to opposite ends of a floating connection post. The device is resiliently deformable and is biased into a natural state wherein, in situ in a variety of defect geometries, the device applies a sandwiching force to the tissue surrounding the defect that is relatively uniform across its diameter, improving stability and promoting occlusion.

A retractable wheel fairing device for decreasing the aerodynamic drag and / or increasing downforce of a vehicle is described. The device includes a fairing body with a suspension-mounted support system such that the fairing body, when deployed, reciprocates up and downwardly with the corresponding wheel of the vehicle. The suspension-mounted support system is adapted to functionally or physically disengage the wheel fairing device from the suspension of the vehicle upon lifting of the wheel fairing device with a separate retraction system.

A clot extraction catheter comprises a tubular mesh, a tapered tip fixed to the tubular mesh distal end, a rim attached to the tubular mesh proximal end, control wires, a guidewire channel, an inner sheath, and an outer sheath advancable over the guidewire channel and inner sheath. To extract a clot, the catheter is advanced through the clot over a guidewire. The inner sheath is retracted relative to the control wires and the tubular mesh, allowing the rim and the tubular mesh to expand. The tubular mesh is retracted to capture the clot, constrained proximally by the distal portion of the inner sheath, and retracted with the inner sheath into the outer sheath. The control wires may be manipulated to control the angle of the rim relative to the longitudinal axis of the sheaths, facilitating clot capture and retraction of the tubular mesh into the sheaths thereafter.

A device for de-energizing an energized branch electrical circuit is described, as well as related processes. The device includes a circuit breaker, which itself includes a breaker switch, an input terminal for receiving current, and an output terminal for directing current out of the breaker. A plug is also incorporated into the device, so that the device can be inserted into an electrical receptacle in the branch electric circuit. One or more power indicators, such as an LED light or voltmeter, are also incorporated into the device. When the device is plugged into a receptacle of the branch circuit, the breaker switch can then be turned on, resulting in a short-circuit, which de-energizes the branch electrical circuit. The device may also include a holder, which is capable of retaining at least one electrical adapter.