Did You Know...
...that the Band-Aid Bandage was invented by a Johnson & Johnson employee whose wife had cut herself? Earl Dickson's wife was rather accident prone, so he set out to develop a bandage that she could apply without help. He placed a small piece of gauze in the center of a small piece of surgical tape, and what we know today as the Band Aid bandage was born!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8092374 | Variably flexible insertion device and method for variably flexing an insertion device A variably flexible insertion device includes a hollow body having a proximal end with an entrance for receiving an instrument and a distal end with a tip for protrusion of the instrument. A device transitions the hollow body between a relatively flexible condition ... | 01/10/2012 |
| 7896801 | Endoscope with rigidity variation section An endoscope is provided wherein a variable rigidity portion is not restricted by a physical mechanism, and which allows a surgeon, in performing a rigidity varying operation, to operate the rigidity varying operation along with other operations without releasing in... | 03/01/2011 |
| 7892166 | Medical instrument including a catheter having a catheter stiffener and method for using A medical instrument including a medical catheter having a distal end insertable within a body lumen of a patient, having a first flexible catheter segment, and having a second flexible catheter segment located distal the first flexible catheter segment. The first f... | 02/22/2011 |
| 7367939 | Rotational, translational and torqueing control members for an endoscopic instrument A flexible endoscopic dip applier includes a flexible coil with a manual actuator coupled to one end and a jaw assembly coupled to the other end. A store of clips is arranged adjacent to the jaw assembly and a clip pusher is arranged adjacent to the store of clips. ... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7204812 | Transendoscopic needle assembly A medical device for obtaining biopsy tissue samples is provided. The device includes a flexible outer tubular member having proximal and distal ends, and a flexible inner member slidably and preferably coaxially received within the outer tubular member. The inner m... | 04/17/2007 |
| 7060027 | Electric bending endoscope apparatus Driving force of a bending motor is transmitted to a sprocket via a clutch mechanism portion. The operation of a switching operation lever switches the clutch mechanism portion to a disconnecting/restoring status. A bending control device includes a bending angle ca... | 06/13/2006 |
| 7052489 | Medical device with deflecting shaft and related methods of manufacture and use Various embodiments of a medical device having a deflecting shaft and related methods of manufacture and use are disclosed. For example, the device may include a proximal handle, a distal assembly for performing a medical procedure, and a wire coil connecting the pr... | 05/30/2006 |
| 6945956 | Steerable catheter A steerable catheter and methods of fabrication including a catheter body formed of a continuous wire braid formed of wires braided over a delivery lumen liner and a pull wire lumen liner distal to a pull wire jacket port, braided around the pull wire jacket port to... | 09/20/2005 |
| 6875170 | Positioning, exploration, and/or intervention device, in particular in the field of endoscopy and/or mini-invasive surgery The positioning, intervention, and/or exploration device has two endpieces (6a-6d, 7) and at least one cable (20) extending from one endpiece to the other (6a-6d, 7), it has at least two be... | 04/05/2005 |
| 6790173 | Shape lockable apparatus and method for advancing an instrument through unsupported anatomy Apparatus and methods are provided for placing and advancing a diagnostic or therapeutic instrument in a hollow body organ of a tortuous or unsupported anatomy, comprising a handle, an overtube, a distal region having an atraumatic tip. The overtube may be removable... | 09/14/2004 |
| 6761685 | 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... | 07/13/2004 |
| 6689052 | Endoscope characterized by soft section thereof through which built-in components lie An endoscope characterized by a soft section thereof through which built-in components lie has a flexible tube and pluralities of metallic built-in components and nonmetallic built-in components. The flexible tube is made by sheathing a metallic tubular m... | 02/10/2004 |
| 6616600 | Endoscope shaft The invention relates to an endoscope shaft comprising a hose body which forms a central working conduit and a number of functional conduits. According to the invention, the hose body is manufactured of an extruded synthetic material surrounded by a silic... | 09/09/2003 |
| 6610007 | Steerable segmented endoscope and method of insertion A steerable endoscope has an elongated body with a selectively steerable distal portion and an automatically controlled proximal portion. The endoscope body is inserted into a patient and the selectively steerable distal portion is used to select a desire... | 08/26/2003 |
| 6585641 | Transesophageal probe with variable stiffness A transesophageal probe with variable stiffness has a probe head connected to a distal end of an endoscope. A flexible tube is secured to the endoscope. Finally, a semi-rigid rod is slidably disposed within the flexible tube. Advancing or retracting the s... | 07/01/2003 |
| 6572538 | Flexible endoscope The endoscope comprises a flexible insertion member with different hardness for bending in a predetermined area of longitudinal direction thereof. This insertion member includes a flexible tube having resin sheathing layer on the outside and slender inner... | 06/03/2003 |
| 6520214 | Flexible tube for endoscope A flexible tube for an endoscope is provided with a spirally-wound tube, a braided tube covering the spirally-wound tube, and a sheath provided on the braided tube. The sheath material is fused and coated on the braided tube to form the sheath. When the s... | 02/18/2003 |
| 6328731 | Treating instrument for endoscope A treating instrument for an endoscope has a flexible sheath and an operating part connected to the proximal end of the flexible sheath. A first buckling preventing member formed from a flexible cylindrical material covers a proximal end portion of the fl... | 12/11/2001 |
| 6203494 | Endoscope capable of varying hardness of flexible part of insertion unit thereof An endoscope capable of varying the hardness of a soft part of an insertion unit thereof includes a hardness adjustment unit and a location changing mechanism. The hardness adjustment unit includes an elongated coil and a wire lying through the coil, and ... | 03/20/2001 |
| 6200306 | Bend clip for flexible rotator A pusher-rotator for installing a heart valve prosthesis including a handle and a flexible shaft extending from the handle. A valve holder is attached to a terminal end of the shaft. A bendable member is formed of a material which is bendable to hold a fi... | 03/13/2001 |
| 6179776 | 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 permi... | 01/30/2001 |
| 6083152 | Endoscopic insertion tube An endoscopic insertion tube includes a helically wound spiral tube and a net-like braid disposed in overlaying relation. A polymeric adhesive layer is applied over the length of the spiral tube and the outer peripheral surface of the braid. A pre-expande... | 07/04/2000 |
| 5989182 | Device-steering shaft assembly and endoscope An endoscope is provided that comprises an imaging device such as a micro-size video camera supported by a novel device-steering shaft assembly. The shaft assembly comprises a malleable or rigid shaft, an imaging device carrier releasably and pivotally su... | 11/23/1999 |
| 5976074 | Endoscope provided with function of being locked to flexibility of insertion part which is set by flexibility modifying operation member A densely wound coil and a wire which passes through the coil are inserted into a flexible part which has a flexibility. The coil which is fixed in the vicinity of a distal end of the wire has a proximal end thereof which is regulated in movement toward a... | 11/02/1999 |
| 5885208 | Endoscope system An endoscope system has a first endoscope in which a hardness variation mechanism for use in adjusting the hardness level of a soft part of an insertion unit is incorporated in the soft part, and at least one second endoscope having a soft part. A range o... | 03/23/1999 |
| 5860914 | Bendable portion of endoscope A bendable portion for an endoscope includes a bending mechanism which minimizes the bendable portion diameter and allows a large degree of bending. A bending mechanism embodiment uses a shape memory alloy coil encircling the elastic body of the bendable ... | 01/19/1999 |
| 5842971 | Optical endoscopic portals and methods of using the same to establish passages through cavity walls An optical endoscopic portal for providing a passage through a body cavity wall includes a cannula comprising an absorbent member having a distal end for positioning in a body cavity, a proximal end for positioning external of the body cavity and a passag... | 12/01/1998 |
| 5810715 | Endoscope provided with function of being locked to flexibility of insertion part which is set by flexibility modifying operation member A densely wound coil and a wire which passes through the coil are inserted into a flexible part which has a flexibility. The coil which is fixed in the vicinity of a distal end of the wire has a proximal end thereof which is regulated in movement toward a... | 09/22/1998 |
| 5746696 | Flexible sheathing tube construction A flexible sheathing tube particularly suitable for use on an endoscopic insertion rod or flexible light guide cable, the sheathing tube having a laminated wall basically including a helical coil as a flexible base structure and a tubular metal wire netti... | 05/05/1998 |
| 5733241 | Fiberoptic intubation stylet A fiberoptic intubation stylet is an endotracheal intubation aid for use with a fiberoptic scope to facilitate difficult endotracheal intubations particularly when a direct line of sight is not available due to patient's anatomy or pathology. The fiberopt... | 03/31/1998 |
| 5733245 | Endoscope provided with curved portion protecting mechanism An endoscope provided with a curved portion protecting mechanism which is capable of straightening the curved portion securely and protecting the insertion portion itself from damage. The endoscope is provided with an end portion ac! in which an observi... | 03/31/1998 |
| 5676635 | Instrument for insertion of an endotracheal tube An endotracheal tube insertion system includes a formable shaft having sufficient stiffness to hold a formed shape and having a plurality of longitudinally extending passageways defined therethrough. The instrument further includes a housing connected to ... | 10/14/1997 |
| 5464007 | Fluid insensitive braking for an endoscope A fluid insensitive system for braking the displacement cables of an endoscopic insertion tube wherein at least one control wheel is mounted on the outside of the insertion tube control housing. A brake disc is slidably mounted adjacent the control wheel ... | 11/07/1995 |
| 5251611 | Method and apparatus for conducting exploratory procedures A method and apparatus for conducting exploratory procedures is disclosed. The apparatus includes a flexible steerable device which may alternately be stiffened along its entire length or a portion thereof and relaxed in order to effect movement of the de... | 10/12/1993 |
| 5179935 | Endoscope provided in the insertable section with a flexible part which can be made linear A linearizable flexible part which can set a part of a bent insertable section to be linear by the operation of an operating member provided on the base end side of the insertable section is formed in addition to a curvable part formed adjacently to the t... | 01/19/1993 |
| 5168864 | Deflectable endoscope An improved endoscope having a flexible tip portion with both a selectable angle of deflection, and a selectable radius of curvature to provide a more maneuverable endoscope for use by a physician. It includes a body member receiving a rigid tube within a... | 12/08/1992 |
| 5125395 | Deflectable sheath for optical catheter An apparatus is provided having a steerable and removable sheath for use with an optical catheter wherein the sheath with the catheter therein is to be positioned in a pathway leading to a body cavity of a patient for observation and/or treatment. The app... | 06/30/1992 |
| 5025778 | Endoscope with potential channels and method of using the same An apparatus and method for providing an endoscope with a plurality of potential channels is disclosed. A tubing having a radially flexible wall is positioned adjacent the endoscope insertion tube. The tubing is collapsed prior to inserting the insertion ... | 06/25/1991 |
| 4977887 | Endoscope with scope section of adjustable rigidity An endoscope capable of adjustably changing the rigidity of the middle portion of the scope section. The endoscope include a middle portion constructed by using a composite helical tube formed by outer and inner helical tubes of different winding radii wh... | 12/18/1990 |
| 4971033 | Flexiscope tube stiffener A flexiscope is disclosed including a working channel, said channel serving to straighten e.g. controlling the rigidity of the flexiscope by applying fluid or pneumatic pressure to said channel.... | 11/20/1990 |
