5916 results about "Anatomy" patented technology

A suturing system for receiving and retaining a suture is disclosed and includes a suture, at least one retainer, and at least one needle. Each needle is able to receive and removably retain the suture within a groove located in a tapered end. The retainer has a body that defines an aperture therethrough. The shape of the aperture is formed by a central passageway, and a pair of diametrically opposed slots extending radially outward from the central passageway. The central passageway is sized to allow passage of the needle therethrough. Each slot defines a tortured path section that permits passage of the suture in a first direction and inhibits passage of the suture in a second direction.

Apparatus is provided for applying current to a nerve. A cathode is adapted to be placed in a vicinity of a cathodic longitudinal site of the nerve and to apply, a cathodic current to the nerve. A primary inhibiting anode is adapted to be placed in a vicinity of a primary anodal longitudinal site of the nerve and to apply a primary anodal current to the nerve. A secondary inhibiting anode is adapted to be placed in a vicinity of a secondary anodal longitudinal site of the nerve and to apply a secondary anodal current to the nerve, the secondary anodal longitudinal site being closer to the primary anodal longitudinal site than to the cathodic longitudinal site.

A method and apparatus for producing lysis of adipose tissue underlying the skin of a subject, by: applying an ultrasonic transducer to the subject's skin to transmit therethrough ultrasonic waves focussed on the adipose tissue; and electrically actuating the ultrasonic transducer to transmit ultrasonic waves to produce cavitational lysis of the adipose tissue without damaging non-adipose tissue.

A modular prosthetic knee system used to replace the natural knee. The system includes a femoral knee prosthesis and a tibial knee prosthesis. Both prostheses are formed of modular components that are connectable in-vivo to form the prosthetic knee system. The femoral knee prosthesis includes two separate components, a lateral condyle and medial condyle; and the tibial knee prosthesis includes a multiple separate components, a medial baseplate, a lateral baseplate, a medial insert, and a lateral insert. The medial and lateral baseplate are connectable to form a complete baseplate with the medial and lateral inserts connectable to the complete baseplate.

A device and a method to provide a more reliable and accurate measurement of hematocrit (Hct) by noninvasive means. The changes in the intensities of light of multiple wavelengths transmitted through or reflected light from the tissue location are recorded immediately before and after occluding the flow of venous blood from the tissue location with an occlusion device positioned near the tissue location. As the venous return stops and the incoming arterial blood expands the blood vessels, the light intensities measured within a particular band of near-infrared wavelengths decrease in proportion to the volume of hemoglobin in the tissue location; those intensities measured within a separate band of wavelengths in which water absorbs respond to the difference between the water fractions within the blood and the displaced tissue volume. A mathematical algorithm applied to the time-varying intensities yields a quantitative estimate of the absolute concentration of hemoglobin in the blood. To compensate for the effect of the unknown fraction of water in the extravascular tissue on the Hct measurement, the tissue water fraction is determined before the occlusion cycle begins by measuring the diffuse transmittance or reflectance spectra of the tissue at selected wavelengths.

Valve prostheses are disclosed that are adapted for secure and aligned placement relative to a heart annulus. The valve prostheses may be placed in a non-invasive manner, e.g., via transcatheter techniques. The valve prosthesis may include a resilient ring, a plurality of leaflet membranes mounted with respect to the resilient ring, and a plurality of positioning elements movably mounted with respect to the flexible ring. Each of the positioning elements defines respective proximal, intermediate, and distal tissue engaging regions cooperatively configured and dimensioned to simultaneously engage separate corresponding areas of the tissue of an anatomical structure, including respective first, second, and third elongate tissue-piercing elements. The proximal, distal, and intermediate tissue-engaging regions are cooperatively configured and dimensioned to simultaneously engage separate corresponding areas of the tissue of an anatomical structure so as to stabilize a position of the valve prosthesis with respect to the anatomical structure, including wherein for purposes of so simultaneously engaging the separate corresponding areas of tissue, at least one of the first, second, and third elongate tissue-piercing elements is pointed at least partially opposite the direction of blood flow, and at least another thereof is pointed at least partially along the direction of blood flow. The valve prosthesis may also include a skirt mounted with respect to the resilient ring for sealing a periphery of the valve prosthesis against a reverse flow of blood around the valve prosthesis.

At least one of a plurality of gastrointestinal disorders is treated by stimulating an enteric nervous system of a patient to enhance a functional tone of the enteric nervous system. A treatment includes electrically stimulating a vagus nerve of the patient at a stimulation site proximal to at least one site of vagal innervation of a gastrointestinal organ. The electrical stimulation includes applying a stimulation signal at the stimulation site. An optional proximal electrical blocking signal is applied to the vagus nerve at a proximal blocking site proximal to the stimulation site. The proximal blocking signal is selected to at least partially block nerve impulses at the proximal blocking site.

A lateral expandable interbody fusion cage expands laterally between two vertebrae to promote fusion between the two vertebrae. The cage includes an outer cage and at least one inner cage, with optional flanges and spikes.

The method disclosed herein entails spinal cord stimulation via electrodes placed directly into the dorsal horn, dorsal column, spinothalamic tract, nucleus cuneatus, nucleus gracilis, spinal tract of V, or spinal nucleus of V (nucleus caudalis) depending on the source of pain. This “intramedullary” stimulation “jams” or otherwise prevents the pain signal from being transmitted. The method provides a means to stimulate the targeted area directly, creating a stable means of stimulating the desired area, and decreasing stimulation of other structures.