Patent Applications published on Apr 15, 2010

Explore the 6,627 U.S. Patent Applications published on the 15th week of 2010, including 4,416 applications that subsequently received a Patent Grant.

Featured patent applications from Apr 15, 2010

Published: 2010-04-15 Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA.
US20100092800A1
Chemistry; metallurgy
Application 20100092800, fig. 01

Substrate for growing wurtzite type crystal and method for manufacturing the same and semiconductor device

A laminated structure comprises a first layer comprising a crystal with six-fold symmetry, and a second layer comprising a metal oxynitride crystal formed on the first layer The second layer comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of In, Ga, Si, Ge and Al, N, O and Zn, as main elements, and has in-plane orientation.

Published: 2010-04-15 Assignee: ETHICON ENDO-SURGERY, INC., Ethicon Endo-Sugery, Inc..
US20100089970A1
Human necessities
Application 20100089970, fig. 01

Powered surgical cutting and stapling apparatus with manually retractable firing system

In one general aspect, various embodiments of the present invention can include a motorized surgical cutting and fastening instrument having a drive shaft, a motor selectively engageable with the drive shaft, and a manual return mechanism configured to operably disengage the motor from the drive shaft and retract the drive shaft. In at least one embodiment, a surgeon, or other operator of the surgical instrument, can utilize the manual return mechanism to retract the drive shaft after it has been advanced, especially when the motor, or a power source supplying the motor, has failed or is otherwise unable to provide a force sufficient to retract the drive shaft.

Published: 2010-04-15 Assignee: ETHICON ENDO-SURGERY, INC..
US20100089974A1
Human necessities
Application 20100089974, fig. 01

Powered articulatable surgical cutting and fastening instrument with flexible drive member

A surgical cutting and fastening instrument is disclosed. According to various embodiments, the instrument may include a handle assembly that has an elongate shaft attached thereto. An end effector that is configured to support a staple cartridge may be pivotally coupled to the elongate shaft. The handle assembly may support a generator of rotary motion that interfaces with a rotary drive system that may include a flexible drive shaft. The flexible drive shaft may be configured to impart a driving motion to a knife supporting assembly supported within the end effector. Such arrangement enables the end effector to be fired while being articulated relative to the elongate shaft.

Published: 2010-04-15 Assignee: Tyco Healthcare Group LP.
US20100089972A1
Human necessities
Application 20100089972, fig. 01

Powered surgical stapling device

A medical instrument having a tool assembly attachable to a distal end of the medical instrument is disclosed. The tool assembly includes a pair of opposing tissue engaging surfaces for clamping tissue therebetween. The medical instrument also includes a housing having a fixed handle and a movable handle mounted to the housing and selectively movable relative to the fixed handle from a first position in spaced relation relative to the fixed handle to a second position closer to the fixed handle to actuate the clamping of tissue. The instrument further includes a selectively activatable drive assembly including a power source and a motor which is operatively coupled to the movable handle, wherein upon actuation the motor actuates the pair of opposing tissue engaging surfaces. The drive assembly also includes a controller configured to variably control the rate at which the motor actuates the pair of opposing tissue engaging surfaces in response to the force exerted on the movable handle.

Published: 2010-04-15 Assignee: Tyco Healthcare Group LP.
US20100094091A1
Human necessities
Application 20100094091, fig. 01

Surgical instrument

A surgical instrument comprising a handle assembly, a body, a tool assembly and an articulation assembly is disclosed. The articulation mechanism includes a receptacle, and a main shaft. A lower clutch is fixedly positioned within the receptacle and has a serrated portion including a plurality of serrations. An upper clutch includes at least one projection positioned to engage the serrations of the lower clutch to releasably retain the main shaft at a rotatably fixed position. An angle between a first pair of adjacent serrations is defined as a first angle, an angle between a second pair of adjacent serrations is defined as a second angle, and an angle between a third pair of adjacent serrations is defined as a third angle. The first angle, the second angle, and the third angle are each different from one another.

Published: 2010-04-15 Assignee: Covidien LP.
US20100094289A1
Human necessities
Application 20100094289, fig. 01

Endoscopic vessel sealer and divider having a flexible articulating shaft

An electrosurgical instrument for treating tissue includes a housing having a shaft extending therefrom having an axis A-A defined therethrough. The shaft is at least partially flexible and includes first and second jaw members attached at a distal end thereof. Each jaw member includes an electrically conductive tissue contacting surface adapted to connect to a source of electrosurgical energy such that the electrically conductive tissue contacting surfaces are capable of conducting electrosurgical energy through tissue held therebetween. A drive assembly is disposed in the housing and has a first actuator operably coupled to a drive rod for reciprocation thereof to move the jaw members from a first position in spaced relation to one another to a second position closer to one another for engaging tissue. A second actuator is disposed on the housing and is actuatable to articulate the shaft.

Published: 2010-04-15 Assignee: ASANTE SOLUTIONS, INC., M2 Medical Group Holdings, Inc..
US20100094251A1
Human necessities
Application 20100094251, fig. 01

Infusion pump system and methods

Some embodiments an infusion pump system can be configured to modify alarm limit parameters as the user's insulin load increases or decreases. Moreover, in particular embodiments, the infusion pump system can be configured to provide a “missed bolus” or “missed meal” alarm in response to the user's blood glucose characteristics, the user's insulin load information, or the like.

Published: 2010-04-15 Assignee: THE EUROPEAN ATOMIC ENERGY COMMUNITY (EURATOM), REPRESENTED BY THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION.
US20100094312A1
Performing operations; transporting
Application 20100094312, fig. 01

Force estimation for a minimally invasive robotic surgery system

A method of force estimation for a minimally invasive medical system comprising a robot manipulator (10). The manipulator has an effector unit (12) equipped with a 6-degrees-of-freedom (DOF) force/torque sensor and is configured to hold a minimally invasive instrument (14) having a first end (16) mounted to the effector unit and a second end (20) located beyond an external fulcrum (23) that limits the instrument in motion, usually to 4 DOF. The method comprising the steps: —determining a position of the instrument relative to the fulcrum; —measuring by means of the 6-DOF force/torque sensor a force and a torque exerted onto the effector unit by the first end of the instrument; and —calculating by means of the principle of superposition an estimate of a force exerted onto the second end of the instrument based on the determined position, the measured force and the measured torque.

Published: 2010-04-15 Assignee: Tyco Healthcare Group LP.
US20100094315A1
Human necessities
Application 20100094315, fig. 01

Dissection tip and introducer for surgical instrument

The present disclosure describes a surgical fastener applying apparatus that includes an elongate body portion having proximal and distal ends, an end effector including a first movably coupled to a second jaw that is positioned at the distal end of the elongate body portion, and an introducer member. The introducer member has proximal and distal portions, and is configured and dimensioned for releasable connection with the end effector. The introducer member is at least partially formed from a flexible material, and is configured and dimensioned to separate target tissue from collateral tissue prior to positioning of the target tissue between the first and second jaws of the end effector.

Published: 2010-04-15
US20100094340A1
Human necessities
Application 20100094340, fig. 02

COATING COMPOSITIONS

The present disclosure provides compositions suitable for forming medical devices and coatings for medical devices, including sutures, which include a copolymer, at least one hydroxamate, and a fatty acid component. Sutures and other medical devices possessing such coatings are also provided.