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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7335158 | Surgical devices for imposing a negative pressure to stabilize the cardiac tissue during surgery The invention is devices and techniques which use a negative (suction) pressure or vacuum, applied through a surgical instrument, to fix the position of a portion of the surface of a beating heart so that a surgical procedure can be more easily performed. The device... | 02/26/2008 |
| 7331972 | Heart valve chord cutter A medical device and method for percutaneously treating a heart valve. In one embodiment, the medical device includes a catheter having a proximal portion, a distal portion, and a notch formed near the distal portion. A cutting element may be disposed within the dis... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7333189 | Spectroscopic diagnostic methods and system The present invention provides systems and methods for the determination of the physical characteristics of a structured superficial layer of material using light scattering spectroscopy. The light scattering spectroscopy system comprises optical probes that can be ... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7331957 | Electrosurgical apparatus and methods for laparoscopy Electrosurgical methods and apparatus for treating tissue at a target site of a patient. An electrosurgical instrument includes a shaft, having a shaft distal end and a shaft proximal end, and an electrode assembly disposed at the shaft distal end. The electrode ass... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7331954 | Photonic crystal fibers and medical systems including photonic crystal fibers In general, in one aspect, the invention features methods that include directing radiation to a target location of a patient through a photonic crystal fiber, the photonic crystal fiber having a hollow core and flowing a fluid through the hollow core to the target l... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7331956 | Methods and apparatus for treating back pain Apparatus and methods for treating back pain of a patient by denervation of an intervertebral disc or a region of the posterior longitudinal ligament by the controlled application of heat to a target tissue. In one embodiment, the invention may include a procedure c... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7329273 | Tissue penetrating oral phototherapy applicator Oral phototherapy applicators are disclosed that are sized and shaped so as to fit at least partially in a user's mouth and have at least one radiation emitter coupled to an apparatus body to irradiate a portion of the oral cavity with phototherapeutic radiation, th... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7329274 | Conforming oral phototherapy applicator Oral phototherapy applicators are disclosed that sized and shaped so as to fit at least partially in a user's mouth and adapted to conform to the shape of at least a portion of the oral cavity and have at least one radiation emitter coupled to an applicator body to ... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7329223 | Catheter with optical fiber sensor An apparatus and method to perform therapeutic treatment and diagnosis of a patient's vasculature through the use of an intravascular device having an optical fiber disposed therein. In an embodiment, the apparatus includes an intravascular device to perform a thera... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7326226 | Percutaneous catheter and guidewire for filtering during ablation of myocardial or vascular tissue An ablation catheter system for capturing and removing necrotic tissue and thrombi generated during an ablative procedure is disclosed. The catheter typically includes an elongate member, a filtration assembly disposed within the distal region, and an ablation instr... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7326208 | Ablation catheter having a virtual electrode comprising portholes and a porous conductor An ablation catheter used for treatment of, for example, atrial fibrillation by electrically isolating a vessel, such as a pulmonary vein, from a chamber, such as the left atrium. The ablation catheter has a virtual electrode and a catheter shaft. The virtual electr... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7321004 | Method for photo-curing polymerizable compositions A method for curing polymerizable compositions by irradiating the compositions with light that is emitted from an LED. The method of the present invention is especially preferred for curing dental compositions. ... | 01/22/2008 |
| 7318823 | Methods for repairing damaged intervertebral discs Apparatus and methods for treating an intervertebral disc by ablation of disc tissue. A method of the invention includes positioning at least one active electrode within the intervertebral disc, and applying at least a first high frequency voltage between the active... | 01/15/2008 |
| 7310547 | Fluorescent fiberoptic probe for tissue health discrimination A system and method for the in situ discrimination of healthy and diseased tissue. A fiberoptic based probe is employed to direct ultraviolet illumination onto a tissue specimen and to collect the fluorescent response radiation. The response radiation is observed at... | 12/18/2007 |
| 7309867 | Methods and apparatus for characterization of tissue samples The invention provides methods for determining the probability that a given region of a tissue sample contains tissue of a given category, such as CIN 1 (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, grade 1), CIN 2/3 (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grades 2 and/or 3), no... | 12/18/2007 |
| 7306588 | Devices and methods for directed, interstitial ablation of tissue The invention relates to a catheter device including an optical fiber whose distal end is disposed within a hollow tube with a sharp or needle shaped distal end, which can penetrate tissue. The distal end of the optical fiber and the hollow tube are configured so as... | 12/11/2007 |
| 7303559 | Multiplefunction surgical dissector The present invention provides A surgical dissector, comprising: a housing having a first end and a second end, and on the first end is formed a suction inlet; a circuit board disposed within the housing; a first switch connected to the circuit board for performing ... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7302289 | Readable probe array for use A disposable high density optically readable polydeoxynucleotide array with integral fluorescence excitation and fluorescence emission channels is described. The compact array size allows integration into several types of interventional devices such as catheters, gu... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7302287 | Methods of detecting inflammation of an epithelium layer in the oral region with a probe using diffuse-reflectance spectroscopy The invention provides a device and method for monitoring inflammation of the epithelium. The device consists of a head region, a handle region and an optical bundle. At least two of the optical fibers in the bundle are utilized as a source of radiation, these two f... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7294364 | Method for curing composite materials A curing light system useful for curing light activated composite materials is disclosed. Various configurations of light emitting semiconductor chips and heat sinks are disclosed, as well as various structures and methods for driving, controlling and using them. | 11/13/2007 |
| 7288087 | Expandable laser catheter Expandable laser catheters for utilizing laser energy to remove obstructions from body passages are described. In one embodiment, the laser catheter includes a shaftway having a distal end including a flexible portion configured in a series of radial folds. Multiple... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7284981 | Functional handpiece having a light emission element at its forward end Functional handpiece 1 having an elongate handpiece body which has at its rearward end a connection element for connection with a flexible supply line, and has at its forward end a light emission element of a light permeable material for the illumination of the trea... | 10/23/2007 |
| 7282046 | Glaucoma treatment method Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and system of treating intraocular pressure. Laser light is directed to the ciliary region of the target eye. The light stimulates the ciliary region and ablates debris lodged therein. An immune response may be t... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7282723 | Methods and apparatus for processing spectral data for use in tissue characterization The invention provides methods for processing tissue-derived spectral data for use in a tissue classification algorithm. Methods of the invention comprise application of spectral and/or image masks for automatically separating ambiguous or unclassifiable spectral da... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7278195 | Method for producing a coated medical support device Method for producing a coated medical support device capable of insertion into the body, the method including the procedures of applying a coating to a section of a work-piece, positioning the work-piece in the vicinity of an electromagnetic field generator, and sub... | 10/09/2007 |
| 7276064 | Side-port sheath for catheter placement and translation Side-port sheaths for catheter placement and translation are disclosed. The sheaths include a side-port opening through which a gliding catheter may be deployed during diagnosis or treatment of tissue. The side-port sheath may include a suspension ribbon used to dep... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7273478 | Endovascular treatment device having a fiber tip spacer An endovascular laser treatment device designed to be used with an optical fiber to treat venous diseases such as varicose veins is provided. The device includes a spacer that positions the distal end of the optical fiber away from the inner wall of the blood vessel... | 09/25/2007 |
| 7274847 | Light diffusing tip A light diffusing tip is provided. The light diffusing tip comprises a housing and a monolithic light scattering medium disposed within the housing. The monolithic light scattering medium comprises a first scattering region at a first position, the scattering region... | 09/25/2007 |
| 7273056 | Optical guidance system for invasive catheter placement Light from a small laser diode is inserted in a distal end of a catheter and passed through an optical fiber that is either included in the lumen or incorporated into the wall of an invasive catheter tube during manufacture. The light is selected to be of a waveleng... | 09/25/2007 |
| 7274843 | Optical fiber including a diffuser portion and continuous sleeve for the transmission of light A novel optical fiber, and a method for its production, having a diffuser portion and continuous unitarily-constructed outer sleeve, which is adapted for the transmission of light to a treatment locale. More particularly, a medical instrument has an optical fiber in... | 09/25/2007 |
| 7270658 | Systems and methods for electrosurgery Methods and apparatus for selectively applying electrical energy to a target location within a patient's body, particularly including tissue in the spine. In a method of the invention high frequency (RF) electrical energy is applied to one or more active electrodes ... | 09/18/2007 |
| 7270659 | Methods for electrosurgical treatment of spinal tissue Systems, apparatus, and methods for treating spinal tissue and other body structures in open and endoscopic spine surgery to relieve symptoms, such as neck or back pain. In particular, the present invention provides methods for the controlled heating of various tiss... | 09/18/2007 |
| 7270656 | Cooled laser fiber for improved thermal therapy In one embodiment, the disclosure is directed to an integrated apparatus for delivering energy to a tissue. The integrated apparatus included a housing having a distal end and a tubular structure located within the housing forming a first annulus between the tubular... | 09/18/2007 |
| 7270661 | Electrosurgical apparatus and methods for treatment and removal of tissue Apparatus and methods for ablating, severing, cutting, shrinking, coagulating, or otherwise modifying a target tissue to be treated. In a method for treating a target tissue, an active electrode of an electrosurgical probe is positioned in at least close proximity t... | 09/18/2007 |
| 7270657 | Radiation emitting apparatus with spatially controllable output energy distributions A laser handpiece is disclosed, including a fiber optic end having a non-cylindrical shape and further including a reflector surrounding a portion of the fiber optic end. The reflector is shaped to direct laser energy emitted from the fiber optic end in a direction ... | 09/18/2007 |
| 7267675 | RF device with thermo-electric cooler An RF device includes a support structure. An RF electrode is coupled to the support structure and includes conductive and dielectric portions. A thermo-electric cooler is coupled to the support structure and is configured to cool a back surface of the RF electrode.... | 09/11/2007 |
| 7267674 | Apparatus and method for laser treatment A method and apparatus for treating atrial tissue include positioning a lesion formation tool against the atrial surface. An optical fiber of the tool is energized at a wavelength is selected to form a volume of necrosed tissue through the thickness of the atrial ti... | 09/11/2007 |
| 7267686 | Implantable prosthetic valve A prosthetic valve for implantation within a fluid conducting lumen within a body includes an elongate generally cylindrical radially collapsible valve body scaffold defining a fluid passageway therethrough for retentive positioning within the lumen. A radially coll... | 09/11/2007 |
| 7265772 | Beam illumination system and method for producing printing plates Images are transferred to printing plates by illuminating light-responsive materials with patterns corresponding to the images to be printed. The present invention provides for the transferring of an image by the combined flux from two or more beams of light. Partic... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7261730 | Phototherapy device and system Physically flexible radiation-emitting probes and associated illumination methods and systems for delivering radiation or light to the interior of a lumen or cavity. Light-emitting devices are immersed in a flowing liquid coolant within a probe to provide high light... | 08/28/2007 |
