Did You Know...
...that several people are credited with the invention of the flush toilet? Most people have heard of Thomas Crapper (1837-1910), the sanitary engineer who invented the valve-and-siphon arrangement that made the modern toilet possible. Another claimant to "the throne" was British inventor Alexander Cumming who patented a toilet in 1775. Then there's a nameless Minoan (a native of ancient Crete) who lived 4,000 years ago who supposedly was ahead of his time and created the first flush toilet!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8083774 | Percutaneous vertebral fusion system A method of repositioning or fixing a first vertebrae or portion of a first vertebrae comprising fixing a bone screw in the first vertebrae and a bone screw in a second vertebrae, where each bone screw has a portal, and inflating an inflatable balloon between the po... | 12/27/2011 |
| 8038602 | Portable imaging system employing a miniature endoscope A cart or man-portable system and method for performing endoscopic procedures is provided. A portable display device, such as a laptop computer, is coupled to a handle comprising a miniature camera and fiber optic illumination subsystem. A sterile disposable portion... | 10/18/2011 |
| 8016750 | Flexible tubular liner coating system Flexible tubular liner coating systems are described herein. A method for coating and forming the flexible tubular inner liner may comprise, in one example, coating at least a first surface of a flexible elongate strip having a first and a second edge and then bring... | 09/13/2011 |
| 7963912 | Endoscopic translumenal surgical methods using a sheath The present invention provides methods and devices for shielding an endo scope during insertion through a body lumen, and in particular using a sheath for preventing contact between the endoscope (or trocar sleeve) and the body lumen, thus preventing bacteria from b... | 06/21/2011 |
| 7951071 | Moisture-detecting shaft for use with an electro-mechanical surgical device A flexible shaft includes a flexible, elongated outer sheath, at least one drive shaft disposed within the outer sheath and a moisture sensor disposed within the outer sheath configured to detect moisture within the outer sheath. Another flexible shaft includes a fl... | 05/31/2011 |
| 7951072 | Controllable endoscopic sheath apparatus and related method of use A controllable sheath for optimizing the control of surgical instruments at the operation site includes a flexible sheath surrounding an endoscope and including a lumen extending along the walls of the sheath and adjacent to the endoscope. The lumen permits the pass... | 05/31/2011 |
| 7942814 | Miniature endoscope with imaging fiber system An endoscope has a fiber optic waveguide that transmits an image from a distal end to a proximal end, the waveguide having an outer diameter of less than 3 mm. A lens system is positioned at the distal end of the fiber optic waveguide. An imaging device is optically... | 05/17/2011 |
| 7905830 | Sheath for use with an endoscope A medical apparatus and method useful for positioning one or more members within the gastro-intestinal tract is disclosed. The sheath can be provided with texture on an inside surface to facilitate installation of the endoscope in the sheath, and to permit the endos... | 03/15/2011 |
| 7815565 | Endcap for use with an endoscope A guide system for use with an endoscope, and a method of use is disclosed. The guide system can include a track, in the form of a rail, and a mating member for engaging the rail. The guide system can also include an accessory, such as an accessory guide tube throug... | 10/19/2010 |
| 7811228 | Disposable endoscope sheath having adjustable length A disposable endoscope sheath includes an extendable sleeve sized to accommodate an endoscope shaft having a viewing end. The extendable sleeve has a variable length. A distal portion of the sleeve is configured to direct irrigation fluid onto the viewing end of the... | 10/12/2010 |
| 7803109 | Method and apparatus for protecting the distal lens of endoscopes An apparatus which is self-contained, disposable, utilized for protecting the distal lens of endoscopes. The apparatus is sterile and is used as a holder or as an anti-fog solution applicator for the scope while protecting it from impact with a shock absorbent outer... | 09/28/2010 |
| 7758497 | Endoscopic attachment device A sheath device (1) suitable for endoscopic instruments (2) and comprising an elongated tubular member (4) having a proximal end (6), a distal open end (7), and at least one fluid channel (23). A flushing unit (5) is ... | 07/20/2010 |
| 7645230 | Over-tube, method of manufacturing over-tube, method of disposing over-tube, and method of treatment in abdominal cavity An over-tube for use in an endoscopic treatment in an abdominal cavity using an endoscope includes an over-tube main body which is inserted from a distal portion thereof via a natural opening in a patient's body to access the inside of the abdominal cavity from the ... | 01/12/2010 |
| 7553274 | Capsule endoscope A protective body packages an exterior of a capsule endoscope body of a capsule endoscope such that a field of vision of an objective lens system is not obstructed. As a result, even if the capsule endoscope collides against a wall surface inside an object being exa... | 06/30/2009 |
| 7435214 | Atraumatic arthroscopic instrument sheath A removable, resilient atraumatic sheath for arthroscopic instruments. The sheath covers sharp edges on the arthroscopic instrument, particularly the distal tip of the rigid cannula, and thereby protects tissue and objects near a surgical site from accidental trauma... | 10/14/2008 |
| 7431694 | Method of guiding medical devices A guide system for use with an endoscope, and a method of use is disclosed. The guide system can include a track, in the form of a rail, and a mating member for engaging the rail. The guide system can also include an accessory, such as an accessory guide tube throug... | 10/07/2008 |
| 7398781 | Method for subxiphoid endoscopic access Apparatus and method for performing surgical procedures within the mediastinum or within the pericardium include an endoscopic cannula that is introduced into the mediastinum and optionally into the pericardium via a subxiphoid incision. A cavity may be initially di... | 07/15/2008 |
| 7363071 | Computer guided ablation of tissue using integrated ablative/temperature sensing devices The system for providing computer guided ablation of tissue of a patient includes an imaging device, an ablative surgical computer system, and a set of surgical devices. The imaging device receives imaging data from a treatment region of a patient, processes the ima... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7361140 | Connector for a combination cable, combination cable connected thereto, socket therefor, device for feeding light, plug connection system and endoscopy system A connector for a combination cable comprising at least one light guide and several electric lines has body, which can be introduced in the plugging direction into a socket and by means of which the connector can be held in the socket, a light guide holder having a ... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7357788 | Reinforced medical probe cover A cover adapted to be received on the distal end of a medical probe or instrument such as an endoscope in such a manner as to not require the application of a retainer. The cover is constructed of two panel members secured one to the other along their respective sid... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7354194 | Tympanic thermometer probe cover with film support mechanism A probe cover for a tympanic thermometer probe comprises a generally tubular body having an opening for receiving the thermometer probe and an infrared transparent window at a distal end thereof. In one embodiment, a film support extends radially inward from the dis... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7354399 | Otoscopic tip element and related method of use A tip element for an otoscopic apparatus includes engagement features that permit selective attachment to two different tip attachment mechanisms. The tip element includes both interior and exterior engagement features that provide interchangeability with otoscopes ... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7349731 | Reconstructed refractive index spatial maps and method with algorithm The invention provides a means to produce reconstructed refractive index spatial maps that reveal and allow visual separation of normal soft tissue and certain types of tumors. Detector fiber optic bundles positioned on the surface of a soft tissue organ receive and... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7341564 | Biopsy forceps device with transparent outer sheath An endoscopic biopsy device having an outer sheath that is transparent, at least along a portion thereof, to allow visualization of at least a portion of the inside of the device. A distal portion of the outer sheath may be relatively more opaque or relatively less ... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7316700 | Self optimizing lancing device with adaptation means to temporal variations in cutaneous properties A lancing device, an embodiment of which controls the advancement and retraction of a lancet by monitoring the position of the lancet in conjunction with a lancet controller which incorporates a feedback loop for modulating the lancet driver to follow a predetermine... | 01/08/2008 |
| 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 |
| 7303560 | Method of positioning a medical instrument A system and method for positioning a medical instrument at a desired biological target tissue site is provided. The system includes an elongated sheath having a deflectable distal end configured to deflect or otherwise position at least a portion of a medical instr... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7292895 | Ready-to-install electrode system for cardioversion and assembly of said system and an endoscope A ready-to-install electrode system designed for use with an endoscope for performing cardioversion through the esophagus, and an assembly of the system and an endoscope. The system is characterized in that it includes a globally tubular protective cover (3) ... | 11/06/2007 |
| 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 |
| 7260248 | Image processing using measures of similarity The invention provides methods of relating a plurality of images based on measures of similarity. The methods of the invention are useful in the segmentation of a sequence of colposcopic images of tissue, for example. The methods may be applied in the determination ... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7255693 | Heated catheter used in cryotherapy Disclosed is a cryosurgical catheter which is heated in order to prevent its freezing within the lumen of an endoscope. The catheter is to be used with an endoscope to perform cryoablation on an internal tissue; e.g., the esophagus. Electric conductivity to produce ... | 08/14/2007 |
| 7249602 | Surgical endoscopic cutting device and method for its use A surgical endoscopic cutting device includes cutting elements fitted in a protective tube. The device has an inlet for fluid, a discharge outlet for tissue and fluid, and a further outlet that discharges most of the fluid. ... | 07/31/2007 |
| 7244228 | Sigmoidoscope A sigmoidoscope comprises at least one disposable part, in combination with a device for insufflation of a body cavity with a medium via the sigmoidoscope, the medium being susceptible to contamination by a contaminant during use of the sigmoidoscope. The insufflati... | 07/17/2007 |
| 7237672 | Radiation bag system A radiation bag system comprising a major body portion in a generally rectangular configuration including a linear bottom edge and a parallel linear top edge with perpendicular side edges there between. The side edges include a discontinuous side edge and a parallel... | 07/03/2007 |
| 7226411 | Valved plug for endoscopic biopsy channel A valved plug to be fitted on a mouth piece at an inlet opening of an endoscopic biopsy channel. The plug as a whole is formed of a resilient material, and has, at the opposite ends of a foldable connecting strip or string, a generally tubular main body portion whic... | 06/05/2007 |
| 7226466 | Flexible delivery system A delivery system for implanting medical devices within a lumen or body cavity of a patient, the delivery system having a wire formed from a plurality of layered strands yielding a reduced bending stiffness for improved maneuverability with no reduction in overall t... | 06/05/2007 |
| 7220226 | Removable operating device for a flexible endoscopic probe for medical purposes An operating device is provided which includes an instrument insertion conduit, having a distal end connectable to the operating channel input of a handle of an endoscopic probe, the proximal end of the instrument insertion conduit forming an instrument input for th... | 05/22/2007 |
| 7207985 | Detachable cryosurgical probe A cryosurgical probe system includes a fluid supply line connectable at an inlet section to a source of cryogenic fluid; a fluid connector assembly securely connected to an outlet section of the fluid supply line for receiving fluid from the outlet section of the fl... | 04/24/2007 |
| 7187810 | Methods and systems for correcting image misalignment The invention provides methods of determining a correction for a misalignment between at least two images in a sequence of images due at least in part to sample movement. The methods are applied, for example, in the processing and analysis of a sequence of images of... | 03/06/2007 |
