Magician Harry Houdini patented a "Diver's Suit" enabling the wearer to "quickly divest himself of the suit while being submerged and to safely escape and reach the surface of the water."
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7344554 | Keith needle for furlow insertion tool The present disclosure is directed to a medical device or article that reduces the ability of the Keith needle to unintentionally fall out of the barrel, improves the ability of the Keith needle to track on axis, or both. In one aspect, the disclosure is directed to... | 03/18/2008 |
| 7112208 | Compact suture punch with malleable needle A suture punch system is capable of directly passing braided suture through tissue in a simple, one-step process. The system includes three principle components: a malleable needle with braided suture attached, a handheld instrument for grasping tissue and controlli... | 09/26/2006 |
| 7083637 | Method and apparatus for adjusting flexible areal polymer implants A minimally invasive approach to adjusting the amount of support on an anatomical structure. The methods and apparatus described include the use of a tape for supporting an anatomical structure. Adjustment may be achieved by use of bulking agents applied either dire... | 08/01/2006 |
| 7070556 | Transobturator surgical articles and methods Described is a surgical instrument and method for treating female urinary stress incontinence. The instrument includes a first curved needle-like element defining in part a curved shaft having a distal end and a proximal, a mesh for implanting into the lower abdomen... | 07/04/2006 |
| 7021114 | Stent crimper An apparatus for applying an inward force to a medical device may include at least two independently operable sections. Each section may include a plurality of movable blades arranged to form an aperture or chamber whose size may be varied. Each blade may be pivotal... | 04/04/2006 |
| 6997932 | Suture passer A device for the placement of sutures and for the purpose of approximating tissue includes an elongate body member, a suture deployment system, and a catch. Methods of placing sutures include inserting and deploying in a patient a device including an elongate body m... | 02/14/2006 |
| 6931899 | Swaging technology A swager for swaging marker bands to a medical catheter, comprises an article input mechanism, the article input mechanism having a first input roller assembly for receiving and conveying an article, a first sensor for detecting a predetermined aspect of the article... | 08/23/2005 |
| 6217597 | Surgical cutting device and method of using the same The present invention is directed to a surgical cutting device. The surgical cutting device may include a housing, an assembly for securing the cutting device upon an object to be cut, and a cutting assembly for cutting the object. The cutting device perm... | 04/17/2001 |
| 5893592 | Partially tied surgical knot A partially tied surgical knot is disclosed. It has a proximal loop, first loop, plurality of knot loops, and a core loop received in a common loop core formed by the knot loops. The partially tied knot can be readily converted into a non-slip knot to pro... | 04/13/1999 |
| 5667528 | Braided suture surgical incision member attachment A method for attaching a multifilament suture having a sheath and core structure to a surgical incision member includes removing a length of core material from an end portion of the suture, and inserting the coreless sheath into the surgical incision memb... | 09/16/1997 |
| 5569301 | Surgical incision members for endoscopic suturing apparatus A surgical incision member is provided including a body portion defining first and second longitudinal ends, tissue penetrating portion adjacent each longitudinal end of the body portion, suture attachment structure intermediate the tissue penetrating por... | 10/29/1996 |
| 5433722 | Ligature carrier for endoscopic use A surgical instrument having a surgeon operable control handle for advancing a needle to pierce tissue and to carry a ligature through the pierced tissue.... | 07/18/1995 |
| 5425746 | Suture-needle combination with cyanoacrylate tipped sutures A method and apparatus for tipping surgical sutures which includes winding the suture around a drum while continuously monitoring the suture diameter in x and y directions and adjusting the tension on the suture to control the suture diameter as it is bei... | 06/20/1995 |
| 5411521 | Medical suturing device, a single-strike die mechanism, and a method of using said die mechanism for forming the medical suturing device A single-strike die mechanism includes a rotatable cam drive ring driven to impart through a cam mechanism linear motion to at least three crimping dies. The crimping dies are symmetrically arranged within a die guide and simultaneously actuated to move i... | 05/02/1995 |
| 5403345 | Needle suture attachment A needle suture combination and attachment method is disclosed wherein a surgical suture is attached to a surgical needle by inserting the suture tip into a tapered axial hole formed in the barrel section through the needle blunt end face and swaging the ... | 04/04/1995 |
| 5383901 | Blunt point needles Blunt tip surgical needles which significantly reduce the probability of skin penetration of the gloved hand of an operator are disclosed. In one embodiment, the blunt tip needle includes a tip portion which terminates in a bulbous blunt tip. In another e... | 01/24/1995 |
| 5370689 | Method of implanting a middle ear prosthesis The middle ear prosthesis includes an elongated link member having an eyelet portion at one end for connection to one of the auditory ossicles and an opposite posting end connectable to part of another auditory ossicle. A hitching member joined to the lin... | 12/06/1994 |
| 5358498 | Needled suture A needle-suture combination employing a heat shrunk sleeve to attach a needle to a suture. One or more heat shrunk sleeves might also be incorporated into the combination to provide a controlled release suture or to provide a linked tandem suture.... | 10/25/1994 |
| 5337736 | Method of using a laparoscopic retractor A retraction method and apparatus therefor are useful in laparoscopic surgery in a body cavity, for moving an internal organ or vessel which interferes with the surgery to an out-of-the-way displaced position and maintaining it there apart from a laparosc... | 08/16/1994 |
| 5306288 | Combined surgical needle-suture device A combined surgical needle-suture device is provided by attaching the reduced shank of a needle and the tip region of a suture to each other through a heat shrinkable tubing fitted around both, the axial length of the tubing bearing a defined relationship... | 04/26/1994 |
| 5226912 | Combined surgical needle-braided suture device A surgical needle is attached to a braided suture of particular construction to provide a combined surgical needle-braided suture device. A shrinkable tubing is employed to secure the needle to the suture. The tubing shrinks in response to the application... | 07/13/1993 |
| 5224955 | Surgical needle-suture combination and apparatus and method for attaching the same An improved surgical needle is disclosed. The needle has a butt. The butt has a proximal and a distal end. A blind hole is in the butt. The hole originates at the proximal and terminates at the distal end of the butt. A crimp is adjacent to the butt. The ... | 07/06/1993 |
| 5207701 | Surgical needle-suture combination, and apparatus and method for attaching the same An improved surgical needle is disclosed. The needle has a butt. The butt has a proximal and a distal end. A blind hole is in the butt. The hole originates at the proximal and terminates at the distal end of the butt. A crimp is adjacent to the butt. The ... | 05/04/1993 |
| 5201760 | Surgical needle-suture combination and apparatus and method for attaching the same An improved surgical needle is disclosed. The needle has a butt. The butt has a proximal and a distal end. A blind hole is in the butt. The hole originates at the proximal and terminates at the distal end of the butt. A crimp is adjacent to the butt. The ... | 04/13/1993 |
| 5156615 | Surgical needle-suture attachment for controlled suture release A combined surgical needle-suture device of controlled suture release characteristics and a method for manufacturing the device employ a shrinkable tubing and a bonding agent to attach the needle to the suture.... | 10/20/1992 |
| 5133738 | Combined surgical needle-spiroid braided suture device A surgical needle is attached to a spiroid braided suture to provide a combined surgical needle-spiroid braided suture device. A shrinkable tubing is employed to secure the needle to the suture. The tubing shrinks in response to the application of energy,... | 07/28/1992 |
| 5102418 | Method for attaching a surgical needle to a suture A method for needle-suture attachment and needle-suture combinations are provided. A shrinkable tubing is employed to secure the needle to the suture. The tubing shrinks in response to heat. Suture materials which are heat labile are desensitized prior to... | 04/07/1992 |
| 5092848 | Intravenous catheter with built-in cutting tip and method for making the same An intravenous catheter includes a tubular member made from a shrinkable material that has a built-in cutting tip located at its distal end. The cutting tip is adapted to cut through tissue and create an opening in a blood vessel of a patient that is the ... | 03/03/1992 |
| 5089011 | Combined surgical needle-suture device possessing an integrated suture cut-off feature Attachment of a surgical needle to a capped suture to provide a combined surgical needle-suture device employs a shrinkable tubing a suture cutting edge. The cap on the suture possesses a suture cutting edge such that separation of the needle from the sut... | 02/18/1992 |
| 5089012 | Surgical suture, in particular for sternotomy closure A suture includes an essentially rigid needle connected to a monofilament which is essentially plastically deformable in flexion, wherein the needle (1) and the monofilament (2) are joined by means of a filiform intermediate element (3) which is essential... | 02/18/1992 |
| 5080667 | Sterile surgical needle-suture combination A needle-suture combination with reduced diameter portion of the suture being attached to the blunt end of the needle. The maximum diameter of the suture being almost the same but no larger than the diameter of the blunt end of the needle and the reduced ... | 01/14/1992 |
| 4805292 | Suturing needle with suture and method of producing the same A suturing needle with suture used in a surgical operation and a method of producing the same. The suturing needle is formed of a single or two or more doubled hollow tubes and a core material inserted thereinto, which is fixed to the tip and root of the ... | 02/21/1989 |
| 4441497 | Universal suture passer A surgical tool for passing sutures during surgery comprises a plurality of elongated flexible members which are aligned longitudinally and joined at their corresponding ends. The members may be flexed outwardly to allow easy insertion of a suture therebe... | 04/10/1984 |
| 4182341 | Eyed needle converted from a drilled end or channel end needle An eyed needle is described which comprises a pointed end and a butt end, a hole or channel bored into the butt end along the length of the needle, a flexible polymer strand formed into a loop, the ends of the loop placed into the hole or channel, and mea... | 01/08/1980 |