Did You Know...
...that after Parker Brothers executives turned down the game of Monopoly because it had "52 fundamental errors" (including taking too long to play), a copy of the game wound up in the home of the company president who stayed up until 1 a.m. to finish playing it? He was so impressed by the game that the next day he wrote to inventor Charles Darrow and offered to buy it!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 5662682 | Spiroid braided suture A suture is provided with a solid spiroid braid construction. The suture exhibits greater flexibility, better hand and less chatter and drag than tubular braided sutures of known construction.... | 09/02/1997 |
| 5547474 | Surgical clip closure apparatus with safety stop According to the present invention, apparatus are provided for applying surgical clips to body tissue with a safety stop for preventing tissue damage resulting from closure of the clip closing mechanism when a clip is not present therein. In one embodimen... | 08/20/1996 |
| 5423833 | Surgical suturing instrument A surgical suturing instrument has a first arm and a second arm which start with their proximal ends from a connection part and contain intermediate area attached to distal ends. A part of the intermediate area is occupied by a guide member which is desig... | 06/13/1995 |
| 5417712 | Bone anchor An improved anchoring device for use in bone holes, bone tunnels and other assorted workpieces, and being particularly compatible with fabrication from both polymeric and bioabsorbable materials. The improved anchoring device has novel fastening means whi... | 05/23/1995 |
| 5411508 | Gastrointestinal approximating and tissue attaching device An intestinal steerable endoscopic stapler for stapling tubular tissue is provided comprising a circular anvil member having a circular anvil stapling surface and a cutting block surface radially inwardly of the stapling surface. A head assembly has a cir... | 05/02/1995 |
| 5405351 | Endoscopic loop including an applying instrument An endoscopic loop including an applying instrument comprises a pre-knotted loop of surgical suture material and a hollow shaft in the interior space of which the free thread portion runs. The free thread portion extends at least up to the proximal end of... | 04/11/1995 |
| 5403344 | Multi-faceted surgical needle A surgical suturing needle has a tapered needle head with a multi-faceted cross-section. The cross-section is formed by three circumferentially-spaced cutting edges formed at a primary angle and a plurality of extended legs, each extending from one of the... | 04/04/1995 |
| 5403330 | Suture knot pusher An improved laparoscopic suture knot pusher or a ligator comprising an elongated and slender shaft with both ends having specific functions. One end serves as the handle and the other is knot pusher forward guide end. The forward end tip is slightly conve... | 04/04/1995 |
| 5400805 | Surgical fastener A novel surgical fastener is disclosed for attaching soft tissues (e.g. ligaments, tendons and the like) to bone and bone-like structures. The surgical fastener comprises a shank and an enlarged head disposed on one end of the shank. A central bore passes... | 03/28/1995 |
| 5395381 | Apparatus and method for applying latchless surgical clips A disposable apparatus is disclosed for applying latchless surgical clips to body tissue in endoscopic surgical procedures. The latchless clips are resiliently biased to a closed configuration. The apparatus includes a frame which is adapted to be gripped... | 03/07/1995 |
| 5395382 | Device for tying intracorporeal knot An intracorporeal knot tying device. The knot tying device comprises a cannula tube having a proximal end and a distal end and passage therethrough. A suture is movably mounted within the tubular passage. A needle is mounted to the distal end of the sutur... | 03/07/1995 |
| 5395372 | Spinal strut graft holding staple A device for holding in compression, a bone graft placed in the space between two vertebral bodies and from which a diseased or injured vertebral body has been removed, comprises an elongate space-spanning plate of implant grade material having a concavo-... | 03/07/1995 |
| 5391173 | Laparoscopic suturing technique and associated device A laparoscopic suturing method comprises the steps of (a) disposing a trocar sleeve in an abdominal wall of the patient, (b) moving a first end section of a suture through the trocar sleeve and into an abdominal cavity of the patient so that a second end ... | 02/21/1995 |
| 5391182 | Apparatus and method for closing puncture wounds An apparatus for suturing fascial tissue for deep puncture wounds utilizes a flexible membrane inserted into a body cavity through a trocar sheath positioned in a wound. A suture to be applied to the wound has anchors attached to each of its ends. A pair ... | 02/21/1995 |
| 5389103 | Surgical stitching apparatus In a surgical stitching apparatus for endoscopically performing sutures of tissue or vessels having a drive mechanism including concentric tubes with an operating handle structure at one end and a stitching head mounted at the distal end thereof, the stit... | 02/14/1995 |
| 5389102 | Apparatus and method for subcuticular stapling of body tissue A surgical apparatus for attaching two portions of cutaneous body tissue includes a pair of opposed elongated members having jaws which have tissue gripping members thereon at one end and which are movable toward each other to a closed position to engage ... | 02/14/1995 |
| 5383881 | Safety device for use with endoscopic instrumentation A safety device is provided for use with endoscopic instrumentation, particularly and endoscopic clip applier. The device includes a collar which is adapted to be disposed on the elongated shaft of the endoscopic instrument. A release means is provided as... | 01/24/1995 |
| 5383902 | Surgical needle-suture attachment for controlled suture release An apparatus is disclosed for attaching a surgical needle having a generally cylindrical end portion defining an elongated aperture having a generally circular cross-section and a suture having a generally elongated end portion of generally circular cross... | 01/24/1995 |
| 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 |
| 5382256 | Protective instrument for suturing The protective instrument for suturing is formed by a rigid longitudinally concavo-convex body member having rounded edges and blunt ends. It is provided with a handle, so that in use the concave portion is facing the inner surface of the incision and the... | 01/17/1995 |
| 5382254 | Actuating handle for surgical instruments An apparatus is disclosed for individually applying surgical clips endoscopically to body tissue which includes a frame, an elongated endoscopic section having clip closing jaws positioned at a distal end thereof and surgical clips slidably positioned the... | 01/17/1995 |
| 5380207 | Slip suture practice kit A kit for practicing ophthalmic suturing technique simulates the anterior portion of a human eye having a torn iris. The kit comprises a workpiece having a planar board with two elastic bands attached at their ends to the board in spaced, parallel relatio... | 01/10/1995 |
| 5379933 | Arcuate apparatus for applying two-part surgical fasteners Apparatus is disclosed for applying surgical fasteners to body tissue along an arcuate path. Each surgical fastener may be in the form of a two-part fastener having a pronged fastener portion for piercing body tissue, and an apertured retainer dimensioned... | 01/10/1995 |
| 5380334 | Soft tissue anchors and systems for implantation Surgical kits for the implantation of soft tissue-to-bone anchors and expandable, preferably bioabsorbable, soft tissue anchors. The surgical kits include an embodiment with an outer tube with an expandable anchor releasably attached to its distal end, fo... | 01/10/1995 |
| 5376096 | Medical instrument for driving a suture needle A needle driver (100) for fixedly positioning a curved suture needle (101) in a channel (114) of an inner rod (109) thereof and in a preferred 90 degree orientation with respect to the longitudinal axis of the inner rod. The needle driver includes an oute... | 12/27/1994 |
| 5376095 | Endoscopic multi-fire flat stapler with low profile A multi-fire endoscopic stapler is disclosed. The stapler has a retractable cartridge where the cartridge is retractable from a staple-forming position in which the distal-most staple in the cartridge is aligned with a driver blade on a staple driver for ... | 12/27/1994 |
| 5376101 | Suture retaining clip A suture holding clip including legs each having a suture contacting surface. The legs can be closed to define an interface for holding a suture in a serpentine configuration. In another embodiment the suture holding clip is initially in a spider leg conf... | 12/27/1994 |
| 5376102 | Deformable, absorbable surgical device A deformable surgical repair device is manufactured from a block or graft copolymer. The copolymer comprises a plurality of first linkages selected from the group consisting of glycolic acid ester and lactic acid ester linkages, and mixtures thereof, and ... | 12/27/1994 |
| 5376097 | Surgical fastener system A fastening system device having dimensions of very small magnitudes for attaching a mesh prosthesis or tissue to body tissue. The device has a shaft member which has a continuous outer peripheral surface and so constructed such that the outer surface is ... | 12/27/1994 |
| 5374275 | Surgical suturing device and method of use A surgical device for closing an incision created by a trocar or similar surgical device is disclosed. The surgical device comprises a support member within which are disposed a first and second needle positioning means. Each of these means carries a sutu... | 12/20/1994 |
| 5372146 | Method and apparatus for re-approximating tissue Methods and apparatuses are described for attaching tendons, ligaments, or other tissue to bone, which includes the use of adjustable head members positioned along filament members. Also disclosed are methods and apparatuses for mending breaks in tissue s... | 12/13/1994 |
| 5370661 | Method and apparatus for re-approximating tissue Provided is a method for attaching tissue to a bone, which includes the use of a filament member and a head member which engages the filament member and holds a tissue in place. Also provided is a device and method for repairing a break in tissue, which i... | 12/06/1994 |
| 5370660 | Apparatus and method for delivering a vessel plug into the body of a patient An apparatus and method for delivering a vessel plug into a wound or incision in a living patient are described. The apparatus includes an expandable porous mesh mounted at the distal end of an elongate catheter. The expandable mesh may be positioned with... | 12/06/1994 |
| 5368602 | Surgical mesh with semi-rigid border members The present invention pertains to a patch of flexible surgical mesh material having at least one elongated semi-rigid member secured to the mesh material for use in facilitating positioning of the mesh material in surgical operations. In variant embodimen... | 11/29/1994 |
| 5366458 | Latchless surgical clip A latchless surgical clip provides effective hemostasis while avoiding or minimizing the risk of injury to the tissue site to which the clip is applied. The clip includes a hinge region having an elastic spring back property so that the legs are spread ap... | 11/22/1994 |
| 5366459 | Surgical clip and clip application procedures A variety of configurations for suture tie devices and suture tie device applicators, as well as methods of suturing, are disclosed. The suture tie devices generally include at least one leg member having a curved or angled distal, tissue engaging portion... | 11/22/1994 |
| 5364407 | Laparoscopic suturing system Apparatus for connecting the ends of a suture stitch includes a piston and cylinder combination with one end of the suture secured to the cylinder. The other end of the suture initially includes a needle for penetrating two tissues to be approximated and ... | 11/15/1994 |
| 5364406 | Laparoscopic surgical staple A laparoscopic surgical staple system comprises a staple, a staple extractor, and methods of applying and extracting such staples. The staples of the present invention are visible through a limited viewport, such as a trocar, and include an extraction mem... | 11/15/1994 |
| 5358511 | Suture anchor A suture anchor for anchoring one end of a conventional suture to bone comprising a coupling member, at least one barb made of a resilient elastic material projecting form said coupling member, and means for attaching one end of a suture to said suture an... | 10/25/1994 |
| 5358510 | Two part surgical fastener A method of tissue compression is disclosed herein where the device to cause such compression is composed of a fastener bar and receiver. The device has the capability to self-adjust to tissues of varying thicknesses to cause hemostasis. This tissue gap v... | 10/25/1994 |
