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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8066665 | Device and method employing shape memory alloy A system for the metering and delivery of small discrete volumes of liquid is comprised of a small or minimal number of inexpensive components. One such component is a movable member, such as a miniature precision reciprocating displacement pump head, which is drive... | 11/29/2011 |
| 7862540 | Ophthalmic injection device using shape memory alloy An ophthalmic injection device has a dispensing chamber housing, a needle fluidly coupled to a dispensing chamber, a power source for providing current to the dispensing chamber housing, a controller for controlling the power source, and a housing at least partially... | 01/04/2011 |
| 7833191 | Controllable electrode for deep brain stimulation Controllable catheter (10) having an elongated shaft (13) which is subdivided into multiple shaft segments, at least two of which are designed as tilt segments (12) and are each connected to at least one adjustment device, so that they can be ti... | 11/16/2010 |
| 7740608 | Locking drainage catheter with rotatable lever handle and release tool A catheter kit including a drainage catheter hub having a rotatable lever handle adapted to secure a suture thread to maintain the anchor configuration of the distal end of the catheter to secure the position of the catheter within the patient's body. The rotatable ... | 06/22/2010 |
| 7402151 | Steerable guide catheters and methods for their use Methods for easy, atraumatic access to areas of the vasculature that are otherwise difficult to access, using steerable guide catheters constructed with components that are selected to provide optimal navigability, torque transfer, and push ability for a variety of ... | 07/22/2008 |
| 7354435 | Electrosurgical instrument Electrosurgical instrument for the coagulation of biological tissue, wherein from a gas source a noble gas is sent through a tubular probe to at least one outflow opening in a distal end region of the probe, with an electrode device disposed in the distal end region... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7338466 | Drainage catheter having an expandable retention member A drainage catheter is adapted to drain fluid from the body cavity through a body conduit and includes an elongate tube and a retention member disposed at the distal end of the elongate tube. The retention member is adapted for movement between a low-profile state f... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7291127 | Variable manipulative strength catheter A catheter assembly comprises a catheter which comprises an inner shaft and an outer shaft, and at least one heat transmitting mechanism. At least one portion of at least one of the inner shaft and the outer shaft of the catheter has a predetermined longitudinal sti... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7288326 | Active energy absorbing cellular metals and method of manufacturing and using the same Multifunctional cellular metals (or other materials) for structural applications that are capable of recovering their original (undeformed) shape and thickness after impact or crushing (i.e., self-healing). Alternatively, they may normally be stored or used in their... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7274855 | Optical micro-actuator An optically driven actuator, such as a microactuator, is provided in which light is used to cause linear or angular mechanical or micromechanical motion. The actuator includes a solid light-absorbing and expanding member having an internal partially absorbing and p... | 09/25/2007 |
| 7235070 | Ablation fluid manifold for ablation catheter An ablation catheter employing one or more manifold arrangements to convey a conductive fluid medium to a target tissue. The manifold includes at least one inlet port in fluid communication with a fluid supply lumen running along at least a portion of the catheter. ... | 06/26/2007 |
| 7103518 | Embedded sensor steering shaft A steer-by-wire assembly 10 is provided, including a flexible polymer steering column shaft 12 having a fixed end 14 and a free rotational end 16, and a control feature 22 in communication with said free rotational end 16. T... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7063706 | Distraction device A distraction device for moving a one-part or two-part or separated bone apart in order to extend or bridge a bone gap. The device is optionally provided in the form of an intramedullary pin, which can be inserted into a medullary space of a bone and which has at le... | 06/20/2006 |
| 7033318 | Photothermal actuator and apparatus comprising photothermal actuator A photothermal actuator comprises an optical fiber bundle, a light inputting apparatus, and a thermal receiving element. The optical fiber bundle is inserted in a tube of a catheter etc. The light inputting apparatus inputs light into the optical fiber bundle. The t... | 04/25/2006 |
| 7032282 | Releasable fastener system A releasable fastener system comprises a loop portion and a hook portion. The loop portion includes a support and a loop material disposed on one side thereof. The hook portion generally includes a support and a plurality of closely spaced upstanding hook elements e... | 04/25/2006 |
| 7018346 | Guide wire with adjustable flexibility A guide wire with a distal portion having adjustable flexibility. The guide wire may include a distal polymeric member and a heat source. The heat source may be activated to cause the polymeric member to increase in temperature and increase in flexibility. The incre... | 03/28/2006 |
| 7018372 | Catheter A catheter 1 suitable for advancement through a body passageway of a patient. The catheter 1 comprises a catheter body 4 which is flexible to provide the necessary trackability for the catheter 1 to advance through a body passageway, and ... | 03/28/2006 |
| 6966906 | Deflection mechanism for a surgical instrument, such as a laser delivery device and/or endoscope, and method of use A mechanism and method for steering a surgical instrument inserted into an endoscope such as a ureteroscope, nephroscope, or cystoscope, and/or for steering the endoscope, utilizes a shape memory structure secured to the surgical instrument or to the endoscope, the ... | 11/22/2005 |
| 6939338 | Methods and apparatus for imparting curves in elongated medical catheters Curves and dynamic shapes are imparted in distal segments of medical instruments e.g., catheters, through use of a temperature-activated actuator coupled to distal segment of the instrument body. The actuator comprises includes members extending side-by-side in subs... | 09/06/2005 |
| 6926669 | Heart wall ablation/mapping catheter and method Steerable electrophysiology catheters for use in mapping and/or ablation of accessory pathways in myocardial tissue of the heart wall and methods of use thereof are disclosed. The catheter comprises a catheter body and handle, the catheter body having a proximal sec... | 08/09/2005 |
| 6830568 | Guiding catheter system for ablating heart tissue A guiding catheter system for delivering an elongated therapeutic or diagnostic device into a patient's left ventricle which includes a first guiding catheter with a shaped distal extremity configured to be aligned with or parallel to a longitudinal axis or long dim... | 12/14/2004 |
| 6746422 | Steerable support system with external ribs/slots that taper A steerable coil working channel system for accessing stenosis, partial occlusions, or complete occlusions within a body lumen. The working channel system generally includes an coiled elongate member such as a hollow guidewire that can be advanced through tortuous r... | 06/08/2004 |
| 6620126 | Variable shape guide apparatus An apparatus having a steerable distal end portion for insertion in a body lumen comprises a superlastic shape memory member which adopts a memorized shape in an unloaded austenitic state, and stationary heating means for heating at least a portion of the... | 09/16/2003 |
| 6610058 | Dual-profile steerable catheter A catheter includes a steering mechanism for manipulating the distal end of the catheter to obtain a plurality of deflection profiles. The steering mechanism comprises two steering tendons. The first steering tendon is attached to the distal-end region an... | 08/26/2003 |
| 6605086 | Steerable catheter with torque transfer system A catheter includes a steering mechanism for manipulating the distal end of the catheter to obtain a plurality of deflection profiles, and a torque transfer system at the distal portion to enhance torque transfer from the handle to the distal tip. The ste... | 08/12/2003 |
| 6595982 | Tubular medical device A tubular medical device comprises a tubular body, a lumen, a compression-resisting member inserted in the lumen so that it cannot move in the direction of the axis of the tubular body, with its distal end located at a predetermined distance from the dist... | 07/22/2003 |
| 6592575 | Guiding catheter system for ablating heart tissue A guiding catheter system for delivering an elongated therapeutic or diagnostic device into a patient's left ventricle which includes a first guiding catheter with a shaped distal extremity configured to be aligned with or parallel to a longitudinal axis ... | 07/15/2003 |
| 6589232 | Selective treatment of endocardial/myocardial boundary A method for treating myocardium using at least one mechanical or electromagnetic energy functional device for forming a network of branched, interconnecting passages in a boundary between endocardium and myocardium, thereby enhancing blood flow into the ... | 07/08/2003 |
| 6542766 | Medical devices adapted for magnetic navigation with magnetic fields and gradients A method of applying an elongate magnetic element to the surface of an internal body structure includes applying a magnetic field to the elongate magnetic element to orient the elongate magnetic element in a selected orientation; and applying a magnetic g... | 04/01/2003 |
| 6533752 | Variable shape guide apparatus The apparatus includes a flexible, elongated tubular member and is comprised of a tube of superlastic metal which in response to changing temperatures resists to a greater or less degree the bending moment imposed by a biasing element, thereby altering th... | 03/18/2003 |
| 6508789 | Systems and methods for coupling a drainage catheter to a patient and decoupling the drainage catheter from the patient Systems and methods for coupling a catheter, such as a drainage catheter, to a patient's body and decoupling the catheter from the body are disclosed. Embodiments of the present invention take advantage of the flexibility of a catheter cannula and allow f... | 01/21/2003 |
| 6447478 | Thin-film shape memory alloy actuators and processing methods A shape memory alloy actuator array comprising a plurality of individually trained shape memory alloy actuators to provide relative movement of different actuator array portions and a thin-film heating element positioned adjacent at least one shape memory... | 09/10/2002 |
| 6398776 | Tubular medical device A tubular medical device comprises a tubular body, a lumen, a compression-resisting member inserted in the lumen so that it cannot move in the direction of the axis of the tubular body, with its distal end located at a predetermined distance from the dist... | 06/04/2002 |
| 6323459 | Selectively activated shape memory device A shape memory device includes a shape memory alloy member configured to have at least a portion of the shape memory alloy member be selectively activated. A heating device is coupled to the member and configured to provide heat to a selected section of t... | 11/27/2001 |
| 6292678 | Method of magnetically navigating medical devices with magnetic fields and gradients, and medical devices adapted therefor A method of applying an elongate magnetic element to the surface of an internal body structure includes applying a magnetic field to the elongate magnetic element to orient the elongate magnetic element in a selected orientation; and applying a magnetic g... | 09/18/2001 |
| 6074351 | Variable curve electrophysiology catheter An electrode tip assembly attachable to the end of a catheter for supporting a tip electrode for percutaneous insertion into a living body having a steering mechanism includes an elongated body bendable in response to external forces to steer the tip elec... | 06/13/2000 |
| 6027473 | Handle for steerable DMR catheter A steerable direct myocardial revascularization catheter comprises a catheter body, a tip section and a control handle. The catheter body has an outer wall, proximal and distal ends and at least one lumen extending therethrough. The tip section comprises ... | 02/22/2000 |
| 5997526 | Shape memory catheter A conformable catheter comprising a catheter handle, an elongated catheter tube, and a distal tip portion of the catheter tube, capable of assuming a desired pre-programmed shape. A wire member is disposed within the core of the catheter's tip portion and... | 12/07/1999 |
| 5931819 | Guidewire with a variable stiffness distal portion A guidewire having a core section formed of a NiTi alloy which is in an austenite phase when being manufactured but which is converted to the martensite phase at operating (body) temperature (37° C.) and can be transformed to an austenite phase by heatin... | 08/03/1999 |
| 5690612 | Medical connection indicator The invention relates to an indicator for use in indicating a medical implement that facilitates the passage of fluids either to or from a patient comprising a light emitting device affixed to said medical implement and related methods.... | 11/25/1997 |
