Did You Know...
...that Charles Goodyear performed some of his experiments on rubber while in debtor's prison? He was there so often he referred to it as his "hotel". Chronically in debt because of poor business sense and ill health, Goodyear depended on the generosity of friends and family. Even after he unlocked the secret to vulcanizing rubber, he was unable to improve his financial situation. When he died, his estate was $200,000 in debt.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8162938 | Polypectomy snare having ability to actuate through tortuous path This invention relates broadly to surgical instruments. More particularly, this invention relates to a surgical snare instrument for excising polyps. Preferably, the instrument includes a coupling member that may increase ability to actuate the snare. According to a... | 04/24/2012 |
| 8157798 | Treatment tool for endoscope A treatment tool for an endoscope includes: a treatment portion that is positioned on a distal end side and of which at least a portion is formed from an electroconductive material; an operating wire that is formed from an electroconductive material and is connected... | 04/17/2012 |
| 8142431 | Sphincterotome cutting wire improvement A sphincterotome having a portion of its drive wire coated with a material selected from poly-p-xylylene, 2-chloro-p-xylylene, 2,4-dichloro-p-xylylene, poly(tetraflouro-p-xylylene), poly(carboxyl-p-xylylene-co-p-xylylene), fluorinated parylene, parylene HT, and any ... | 03/27/2012 |
| 8137345 | Electrosurgical devices for tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy Monopolar electrosurgery devices adapted for resecting tonsil and adenoid tissue. The devices minimize thermal injury by employing a plasma generated by pulsed electrical signals to precisely and effectively cut or coagulate the tissues. Suction may also be applied ... | 03/20/2012 |
| 8128622 | Electrosurgical pencil having a single button variable control The present disclosure is directed to electrosurgical pencils having variable controls. In one aspect, the electrosurgical pencil, includes an elongated housing, an electrocautery blade supported within the housing and extending distally from the housing, the electr... | 03/06/2012 |
| 8100903 | Sphincterotome improvement A sphincterotome comprising a tensioning mechanism to adjust relative tension between a filament and shaft thereof. In one embodiment, the tensioning mechanism adjusts relative tension and or length at a connection of the sphincterotome handle assembly to one or bot... | 01/24/2012 |
| 8100904 | Treatment tool for endoscope A treatment tool for an endoscope includes a flexible sheath, with a transparent portion near a distal end thereof, which is inserted into and ejected from a treatment tool insertion channel of the endoscope, a rod-shaped treatment piece arranged into the flexible s... | 01/24/2012 |
| 8066703 | Sphincterotome with improved orientation A sphincterotome including a cutting wire may be configured such that, when activated, the cutting wire assumes a desired cutting position at or near the “12 o'clock” position or any other desired angular configuration. A sphincterotome may have controlled bendi... | 11/29/2011 |
| 8021363 | Dual-bend sphinctertome Disclosed herein are devices and methods for forming multidirectional cuts in tissue. The tissue cutting devices disclosed herein generally include a flexible elongate member with at least first and second wires that are at least partially constrained within or alon... | 09/20/2011 |
| 7972332 | System and method for controlling electrosurgical snares A system and method for controlling electrosurgical snares are disclosed. The system includes an electrosurgical instrument having an elongate tubular sheath having proximal and distal ends, the sheath having a longitudinal axis defined therethrough and a shaft havi... | 07/05/2011 |
| 7833223 | Tri-bending sphinctertome Disclosed herein are devices and methods for forming multidirectional cuts in tissue. The tissue cutting devices disclosed herein generally include a flexible elongate member with at least first, second, and third wires that are at least partially constrained within... | 11/16/2010 |
| 7806894 | Hemostasis and transection of tissue A laparoscopic cautery instrument may include an elongate shaft, a handle coupled to the shaft and moveable with respect to the shaft, an insulation ring, and a monopolar cautery wire. A laparoscopic cautery instrument may include an elongate shaft, a handle coupled... | 10/05/2010 |
| 7789881 | Endoscopic resection method Embodiments of the invention are directed to a method of excising tissue including injecting fluid into the submucosa to raise targeted tissue. A first electrode is positioned below the targeted tissue within the injected fluid and a second electrode is positioned a... | 09/07/2010 |
| 7766909 | Sphincterotome with stiffening member A sphincterotome is disclosed including an elongate shaft having a lumen extending through at least a portion of the elongate shaft. The lumen includes a proximal segment and a distal segment. A cutting element extends within the lumen through the proximal segment o... | 08/03/2010 |
| 7691104 | Endoscopic treatment tool An endoscopic treatment tool is provided which includes: a grasping portion that has a first shoulder portion and second shoulder portion; a current-carrying portion that protrudes out from a distal end of each of the first and second shoulder portions; a pivot port... | 04/06/2010 |
| 7651493 | System and method for controlling electrosurgical snares A system and method for controlling electrosurgical snares are disclosed. The system includes an electrosurgical instrument having an elongate tubular sheath having proximal and distal ends, the sheath having a longitudinal axis defined therethrough and a shaft havi... | 01/26/2010 |
| 7648502 | Low profile short tapered tip catheter A low profile, short, tapered distal tip catheter and methods for its manufacture are provided. The catheter tip is configured to have a taper over a relatively short length resulting in a low profile that is useful when navigating the catheter tip into tight passag... | 01/19/2010 |
| 7635363 | Method of and apparatus for positioning and maintaining the position of endoscopic instruments The present invention provides an apparatus for, and a method of, accurate positioning of endoscopic instruments. Accurate positioning of the instruments is accomplished through the inclusion of a steering ability within the device. After the endoscopic instrument i... | 12/22/2009 |
| 7458973 | High-frequency snare for endoscope A high-frequency snare for an endoscope includes an electrically insulating sheath, an operation wire slidably inserted through the sheath, a plurality of resilient twisted wires. Proximal ends of the plurality of twisted wires are connected to the distal end of the... | 12/02/2008 |
| 7429261 | Atrial ablation catheter and method of use An atrial ablation catheter and methods for its use. The endocardial catheter includes an electrode array particularly adapted to locate and ablate foci of arrhythmia which are required for sustained atrial fibrillation is provided. The array is easily deployed and ... | 09/30/2008 |
| 7425212 | Devices for modification of airways by transfer of energy This relates to a device for treating lung disease, and more particularly, relates to a device for exchanging energy with airway tissue such as that found in the airways of human lungs. The exchange of energy with this airway tissue in the airways reduces the abilit... | 09/16/2008 |
| 7404817 | High-frequency incision device A high-frequency incision device includes a high-frequency treating wire 9, which forms a curved portion 11 so that a wire loop 10 formed by the wire 9 may be laterally tilted in a plane parallel to the center axis 7a of an ... | 07/29/2008 |
| 7387632 | Endoscopic high-frequency snare A snare for an endoscope includes a flexible sheath, a control wire movable within the flexible sheath, and a snare loop connected to an end of the control wire, wherein when the control wire is axially advanced, the snare loop projects from the flexible sheath and ... | 06/17/2008 |
| 7371237 | Steerable sphincterotome and methods for cannulation, papillotomy and sphincterotomy The present invention relates to methods and devices for performing endoscopic cannulation, papillotomy and sphincterotomy and similar procedures. According to the present state of the art, endoscopic cannulation of the common bile duct and papillotomy and similar p... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7371236 | Diathermic cutter There is disclosed a diathermic cutter including a cylindrical main body member having a central axis, an axially elongated member including a tip end portion movable so as to change a projected state from a tip end of the main body member along the central axis of ... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7366574 | Device for the transvenous cardioversion of atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter A transvenous catheter for the cardioversion of atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter and/or the stimulation of the heart's activity. The catheter has an electrically active section within a heart and an electrically passive section carrying electrical cables. At le... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7357801 | Tissue specimen isolating and damaging device and method A device and method for treatment of a tissue specimen disposed in surrounding tissue has a tissue specimen isolating tool and a tissue specimen damager. The tissue specimen isolating tool isolates the tissue specimen from the surrounding tissue. The tissue specimen... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7351211 | Tissue localizing and separating assembly A tissue separator assembly has an elongate tubular member and a tissue separator device located at a distal end of the elongate tubular member. An elongate coupler extends through the lumen of the elongate tubular member and has a distal coupler end. A tissue local... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7347860 | Endoscope for high-frequency treatment An endoscope for high-frequency treatment includes a flexible inserting section and an operation unit connected thereto. At least one terminal is provided to the operation unit and is connected to a high-frequency power supply. The endoscope further includes a hood ... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7338484 | Aortic heart valve prosthesis sizer and marker Improved sizers and markers include a cylindrical section and a handle extending from the cylindrical section. The cylindrical section has a diameter approximately equal to the diameter of an aortic heart valve prosthesis. The cylindrical section can include a marki... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7335198 | Accurate cutting about and into tissue volumes with electrosurgically deployed electrodes Method, system and apparatus for carrying out accurate electrosurgical cutting. A thin resilient electrode is utilized at the forward end region of an instrument which is deployable from a longitudinally disposed slot positioned rearwardly of the tip of the instrume... | 02/26/2008 |
| 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 |
| 7326209 | Bipolar high frequency treatment tool for endoscope A bipolar high frequency treatment tool includes a flexible insulating tube to be inserted through an accessory channel of the endoscope. The insulating tube has a pair of guide channels extending over the length thereof through which a pair of conductive wires is p... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7326203 | Device for advancing a functional element through tissue This invention relates to an apparatus for incrementally advancing functional probes through tissue. ... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7322957 | Angioplasty device and method of making same An angioplasty device and particle trap for use in removal of a particle from a small diameter vessel or vessel-like structure is disclosed. One embodiment includes a catheter for insertion into a vessel-like structure, the catheter having a catheter wall and a mova... | 01/29/2008 |
| 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 |
| 7288092 | Method and apparatus for ablating cardiac tissue with guide facility A method and apparatus for ablation of cardiac tissue at a selected cardiac location is achieved by providing at least one flexible elongated guide facility having a first end, a second end, and an intermediate portion extending between the first and second ends and... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7285115 | Remote controlled medical instrument A wire section (1) inserted into a patient includes a wire (4) connected with a snare (3) at the front end thereof, and an outer tube (8) which retractably passes the wire (4) and the snare (3) therein. A remote control sect... | 10/23/2007 |
| 7278992 | Medical instrument having medical-treatment electrode A first medical instrument includes a medical catheter, a rotatable member, an injection needle, and at least one medical-treatment electrode supported by the rotatable member. The medical catheter has a distal end. The rotatable member is connected to the medical c... | 10/09/2007 |
| 7276067 | Multifilar flexible rotary shaft and medical instruments incorporating the same A multifilar flexible rotary shaft includes a plurality of individual filaments which are not wound around each other or around a central core, a loose ensemble of filaments. The input ends of each filament are coupled to each other and the output ends of each filam... | 10/02/2007 |
