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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7998168 | Drain tube stripper A drain tube stripper containing two handles pivotally joined at one end. The second end of each handle contains a roller. The rollers meet when the handles are pressed together. The handles are of unequal length. A drain tube, e.g., surgical drain, can be stripped ... | 08/16/2011 |
| 7591834 | Shape memory system with integrated actuation using embedded particles A shape memory material with integrated actuation using embedded particles. One embodiment provides a shape memory material apparatus comprising a shape memory material body and magnetic pieces in the shape memory material body. Another embodiment provides a method ... | 09/22/2009 |
| 7308738 | Releasable fastener systems and processes 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... | 12/18/2007 |
| 7305824 | Power-off hold element A power-off hold element for operating in cooperation with an actuator is disclosed. The power-off hold element comprises a material having selectively adjustable rigidity wherein a position or shape of said material is adjustable when energy is applied to increase ... | 12/11/2007 |
| 7182774 | Heated vascular occlusion coil deployment system An embolic coil deployment system for placing a coil at a preselected site within a vessel of the human body. The deployment system includes a heating element at the distal end of a delivery member and a heat responsive coupling for holding the coil during positioni... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7179276 | Heated vascular occlusion coil deployment system An embolic coil deployment system for placing a coil at a preselected site within a vessel of the human body. The deployment system includes a heating element at the distal end of a delivery member and a heat responsive coupling for holding the coil during positioni... | 02/20/2007 |
| 7146690 | 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... | 12/12/2006 |
| 7140081 | 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 whereas the hook portion includes a support and a plurality of closely spaced upstanding hook elements exte... | 11/28/2006 |
| 7101383 | Laparoscopic instrument and method for its use A laparoscopic instrument is provided which may be used for propelling a foreign body along an anatomical duct for accessing and removing the foreign body from a patient during surgery. The instrument includes a housing, an elongated body connected to the housing, a... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7041118 | Multifunctional surgical operation device A multifunctional surgical operation device comprises clips serving as a plurality of surgical operation tools, a plurality of manipulating wires interlocked with the plurality of clips, the manipulating wires being capable of independently manipulating the pluralit... | 05/09/2006 |
| 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 |
| 7020938 | Magnetorheological nanocomposite elastomer for releasable attachment applications 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 whereas the hook portion includes a support and a plurality of closely spaced upstanding hook elements exte... | 04/04/2006 |
| 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 |
| 7013536 | Releasable fastener systems and processes 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... | 03/21/2006 |
| 7013538 | Electroactive polymer releasable fastening system and method of use A releasable fastening system for retaining two surfaces at each other or disengaging the two surfaces from each other comprises a first electrode disposed at a first surface, a second electrode disposed at a second surface, and a polymer film disposed between the f... | 03/21/2006 |
| 6973701 | Releasable fastening system based on ionic polymer metal composites and method of use A releasable fastening system comprises a knob portion comprising a knob element, a cavity portion comprising a cavity configured to receive the knob element, and an ionic polymer metal composite actuator disposed at the knob element. The ionic polymer metal composi... | 12/13/2005 |
| 6944920 | Electrostatically releasable fastening system and method of use A releasable fastening system comprises a loop portion comprising a loop material, a hook portion comprising a plurality of hook elements, and an actuation device disposed in electrical communication with the loop portion and the hook portion. The actuation device i... | 09/20/2005 |
| 6920675 | Process for attachment and/or disengagement of components Processes for providing rapid release of a hook and loop type releasable fastener system comprise preconditioning the releasable fastener system to effect rapid release. In this manner, minimal energy and time is required for disengagement of the releasable fastener... | 07/26/2005 |
| 6872433 | Shape memory alloy/shape memory polymer tools Micro-electromechanical tools for minimally invasive techniques including microsurgery. These tools utilize composite shape memory alloy (SMA), shape memory polymer (SMP) and combinations of SMA and SMP to produce catheter distal tips, actuators, etc., which are bis... | 03/29/2005 |
| 6240630 | Apparatus for loading shape memory gripper mechanisms A method and apparatus for loading deposit material, such as an embolic coil, into a shape memory polymer (SMP) gripping/release mechanism. The apparatus enables the application of uniform pressure to secure a grip by the SMP mechanism on the deposit mate... | 06/05/2001 |
| 6113624 | Absorbable elastomeric polymer Medical devices or components for medical devices formed from bioabsorbable elastomers comprising a segmented copolymer are disclosed. The segmented copolymer is a copolymer of from about 30 to about 40 mole percent of lactide and the balance being substa... | 09/05/2000 |
| 6102933 | Release mechanism utilizing shape memory polymer material Microfabricated therapeutic actuators are fabricated using a shape memory polymer (SMP), a polyurethane-based material that undergoes a phase transformation at a specified temperature (Tg). At a temperature above temperature Tg material is soft and can be... | 08/15/2000 |
| 6059815 | Microfabricated therapeutic actuators and release mechanisms therefor Microfabricated therapeutic actuators are fabricated using a shape memory polymer (SMP), a polyurethane-based material that undergoes a phase transformation at a specified temperature (Tg). At a temperature above temperature Tg material is soft and can be... | 05/09/2000 |
| 5911737 | Microfabricated therapeutic actuators Microfabricated therapeutic actuators are fabricated using a shape memory polymer (SMP), a polyurethane-based material that undergoes a phase transformation at a specified temperature (Tg). At a temperature above temperature Tg material is soft and can be... | 06/15/1999 |
| 5881916 | Tube unclogging device An instrument for use with resilient tubing such as wound drainage tubing, catheters, chest tubing, common duct T tubing, I.V. tubing and other deformable tubing comprising in combination a U-shaped body having a pair of cylindrical rollers mounted for ro... | 03/16/1999 |
| 5609608 | Miniature plastic gripper and fabrication method A miniature plastic gripper actuated by inflation of a miniature balloon and method of fabricating same. The gripper is constructed of either heat-shrinkable or heat-expandable plastic tubing and is formed around a mandrel, then cut to form gripper prongs... | 03/11/1997 |
| 5601585 | Multi-motion side-cutting biopsy sampling device An instrument for obtaining tissue samples from a site deep within the body. The instrument has an elongated proximal portion that is constructed to follow a long, torturous path to the site and a distal end constructed to remove a tissue sample from the ... | 02/11/1997 |
| 5014407 | Tube expanding device A tool for expanding elastic tubes which may then be placed around wires or cables. The tool includes three arms terminating in three parallel, elongated tips. Two of the arms are pivotally attached, while the third is retractably coupled to the first two... | 05/14/1991 |
| 4452244 | Endarterectomy roller An endarterectomy roller adapted to strip cores of atheromatous plaque from arteries is provided with disposable roller elements and with novel quick connect and disconnect elements for the roller elements.... | 06/05/1984 |
| 4287890 | Endarterectomy method Arteriosclerotic material is stripped free from an artery by clamping the artery between a pair of opposed roller elements and moving the roller elements along the length of plaque segment to be removed. A tapered edge is first formed at the leading end o... | 09/08/1981 |
| 4164223 | Surgical instrument An instrument for use with surgical procedures such as for clearing and disloding the contents of chest tubing, catheters, common duct T-tubing and IV tubing and the like. A pair of rollers are mounted on shafts which are hinged together at one end. A cyl... | 08/14/1979 |
