Patent Applications published on Feb 14, 2013

Explore the 5,853 U.S. Patent Applications published on the 07th week of 2013, including 4,017 applications that subsequently received a Patent Grant.

Featured patent applications from Feb 14, 2013

Published: 2013-02-14 Assignee: ETHICON ENDO-SURGERY, INC., Ethicon Endo-Sugery, Inc..
US20130041371A1
Human necessities
Application 20130041371, fig. 01

Motorized surgical cutting and fastening instrument having a magnetic drive train torque limiting device

A surgical cutting and fastening instrument. The instrument comprises an end effector and a shaft connected to the end effector. The shaft comprises a drive train for powering the end effector. The instrument also comprises an electric, DC motor connected to the drive train for powering the drive train. The instrument also comprises a torque-limiting device connected between to an output pole of the motor and an input pole of the drive train.

Published: 2013-02-14 Assignee: ETHICON ENDO-SURGERY, INC..
US20130037596A1
Human necessities
Application 20130037596, fig. 01

Device for applying adjunct in endoscopic procedure

A modular end effector delivers a therapeutic agent onto tissue that has been severed and/or stapled. The end effector is removably attached to a device. The device applies force to a piston of the end effector. The force causes a distal movement of a piston along a wall disposed within the end effector. The piston engages with agents stored on opposite sides of the wall, moving the agents distally to a mixture space. The agents are mixed in the mixture space and expelled through a tip. Staples may be embedded in or disposed below a foam block, which is disposed within a staple cartridge. Via an endoscopic stapling device, coated staples are driven through tissue while interacting with another agent on the device or the cartridge. The interaction forms a tissue restoring material that is applied onto the tissue.

Published: 2013-02-14 Assignee: Covidien LP.
US20130037595A1
Human necessities
Application 20130037595, fig. 01

Surgical fastener applying apparatus

A surgical fastener applying apparatus includes an anvil half-section and a cartridge-receiving half-section including an elongated channel member having a pair of opposed openings defined through sidewalls thereof. A disposable assembly including a single use loading unit and a single use firing unit is configured to be releasably supported within the cartridge-receiving half-section. The disposable assembly includes a stationary housing for supporting the firing unit which includes a distal extension for supporting the single use loading unit. The stationary housing includes a pair of flared tabs configured to be releasably received within the openings of the cartridge-receiving half-section to releasably engage the disposable assembly within the cartridge-receiving half-section.

Published: 2013-02-14 Assignee: TYCO Healthcare Group LP.
US20130041292A1
Human necessities
Application 20130041292, fig. 01

Customizable Haptic Assisted Robot Procedure System with Catalog of Specialized Diagnostic Tips

In accordance with the present disclosure, a system and method for using a remote control to control an electrosurgical instrument, where the remote controlled (RC) electrosurgical instrument has a universal coupling mechanism to allow switching between an interchangeable catalog of diagnostic tools. A controller within the base of the RC electrosurgical instrument identifies the type of disposable tip attached to the base. The controller, then, activates necessary features for use with the identified tip and deactivates any unnecessary features. A surgeon uses a remote with at least one momementum sensor to control the RC electrosurgical instrument 10. The surgeon rotates his hand mimicking movements of a handheld electrosurgical instrument, the movements of which are translated and sent to the RC electrosurgical instrument. The surgeon may use an augmented reality (AR) vision system to assist the surgeon in viewing the surgical site.

Published: 2013-02-14 Assignee: TYCO Healthcare Group LP, Covidien LP.
US20130038707A1
Physics
Application 20130038707, fig. 01

Apparatus and method for using augmented reality vision system in surgical procedures

A system and method for improving a surgeon's vision by overlaying augmented reality information onto a video image of the surgical site. A high definition video camera sends a video image in real time. Prior to the surgery, a pre-operative image is created from MRI, x-ray, ultrasound, or other method of diagnosis using imaging technology. The pre-operative image is stored within the computer. The computer processes the pre-operative image to decipher organs, anatomical geometries, vessels, tissue planes, orientation, and other structures. As the surgeon performs the surgery, the AR controller augments the real time video image with the processed pre-operative image and displays the augmented image on an interface to provide further guidance to the surgeon during the surgical procedure.

Published: 2013-02-14 Assignee: R.J. REYNOLDS TOBACCO COMPANY.
US20130037041A1
Human necessities
Application 20130037041, fig. 01

Smoking articles and use thereof for yielding inhalation materials

The present invention describes articles, such as smoking articles, that can provide an inhalable substance in a form suitable for inhalation by a consumer. The article comprises a cartridge with an inhalable substance medium therein, control housing that includes an electrical energy source and an electrical power source, and a heating member that may be located in either the cartridge or the control housing. The control housing further may include puff-actuated current actuation components and current regulation components.

Published: 2013-02-14 Assignee: CERCACOR LABORATORIES, INC., MASIMO CORPORATION.
US20130041591A1
Human necessities
Application 20130041591, fig. 01

Multiple measurement mode in a physiological sensor

In a physiological sensor that estimates a true parameter value by providing a predicted parameter value, multiple measurements are taken to increase the accuracy of the predicted parameter value. The sensor can be reapplied between measurements to decrease the probability of an erroneous prediction caused by sensor misplacement. Some measurements can be discarded before calculating a predicted parameter value. The physiological sensor can have a plurality of modes, with one of the modes corresponding to multiple measurement process.

Published: 2013-02-14 Assignee: Novellus Systems, Inc..
US20130040447A1
Chemistry; metallurgy
Application 20130040447, fig. 01

Conformal doping via plasma activated atomic layer deposition and conformal film deposition

Disclosed herein are methods of doping a patterned substrate in a reaction chamber. The methods may include forming a first conformal film layer which has a dopant source including a dopant, and driving some of the dopant into the substrate to form a conformal doping profile. In some embodiments, forming the first film layer may include introducing a dopant precursor into the reaction chamber, adsorbing the dopant precursor under conditions whereby it forms an adsorption-limited layer, and reacting the adsorbed dopant precursor to form the dopant source. Also disclosed herein are apparatuses for doping a substrate which may include a reaction chamber, a gas inlet, and a controller having machine readable code including instructions for operating the gas inlet to introduce dopant precursor into the reaction chamber so that it is adsorbed, and instructions for reacting the adsorbed dopant precursor to form a film layer containing a dopant source.

Published: 2013-02-14 Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.
US20130041235A1
Human necessities
Application 20130041235, fig. 01

Flexible and stretchable electronic systems for epidermal electronics

Provided herein are skin-mounted biomedical devices and methods of making and using biomedical devices for sensing and actuation applications. For example, flexible and/or stretchable biomedical devices are provided, including electronic devices useful for establishing conformal contact with the skin of a subject. Devices disclosed herein can comprise a plurality of sensing and/or actuating devices provided as part of a skin-mounted flexible or stretchable electronic circuit.

Published: 2013-02-14 Assignee: Covidien LP.
US20130037594A1
Human necessities
Application 20130037594, fig. 01

Surgical fastener applying aparatus

A surgical fastener applying apparatus for applying fasteners to body tissue including a cartridge receiving half-section defining an elongated channel member configured to releasably receive a stationary housing of a firing assembly. The stationary housing is dimensioned to releasably receive a single use loading unit therein, and includes a lockout structure that prevents insertion of the stationary housing into the cartridge receiving half-section if the single use loading unit is not mounted in the stationary housing.