Explore the 6,950 U.S. Patent Applications published on the 13th week of 2013, including 4,792 applications that subsequently received a Patent Grant.
Staple cartridge including collapsible deck
A staple cartridge for use with a surgical stapler can comprise a cartridge deck and a plurality of staples at least partially positioned within the cartridge deck. In use, the staples can be supported by a first jaw of the surgical stapler and deformed by a second jaw. As the staples are being deformed, the cartridge deck can be pushed, or slid, downwardly relative to the staples.
Published: 2013-03-28 Assignee: ETHICON ENDO-SURGERY, INC..
Surgical stapler with stationary staple drivers
A staple cartridge for use with a surgical stapler can comprise a cartridge deck and a plurality of staples at least partially positioned within the cartridge deck. In various embodiments, the staples can be supported by a support jaw of the surgical stapler and can comprise legs which can extend upwardly through apertures defined in the cartridge deck. In use, the cartridge deck can be pushed downwardly relative to the staples into a well defined in the support jaw.
Published: 2013-03-28 Assignee: ETHICON ENDO-SURGERY, INC..
Staple cartridge including collapsible deck arrangement
A staple cartridge for use with a surgical stapler can comprise a cartridge deck and a plurality of staples at least partially positioned within the cartridge deck. In various embodiments, the staples can comprise legs which extend upwardly from the deck wherein the deck can further include supports, or guides, which are configured to hold the staple legs in a particular alignment. In at least one such embodiment, the staple legs can extend upwardly from the supports into a tissue thickness compensator.
Published: 2013-03-28 Assignee: ETHICON ENDO-SURGERY, INC..
Surgical instrument with wireless communication between control unit and remote sensor
In one general aspect, the present invention is directed to a surgical instrument. According to one embodiment, the surgical instrument comprises an end effector comprising a movable firing member. A first sensor transponder may be positioned to sense a position of the movable firing member. A firing trigger may actuate the movable firing member. A motor may be mechanically coupled to the firing trigger. A control unit may be configured to wirelessly receive at least one input from the first sensor transponder; and control the motor based on the at least one input, wherein, via the coupling between the motor and the firing trigger, movements of the motor cause a force applied to the firing trigger.
Published: 2013-03-28 Assignee: ETHICON ENDO-SURGERY, INC..
Surgical staple assembly with hemostatic feature
A surgical instrument includes a handle portion, a shaft housing a firing bar, an end effector comprising an anvil, a lower jaw, and a stapling and severing assembly responsive to a longitudinal closing motion produced by the handle portion and the shaft. The lower jaw is configured to receive a removable cartridge. The cartridge includes a housing, a plurality of staples disposed in the housing, a deck disposed over the plurality of staples, and a fastener insert tip including a plurality of hooks. The deck defines apertures, with each aperture being substantially disposed over each staple. The instrument includes a fastener insert including hooks, and the fastener insert is removably received in the anvil. A buttress is attached to one or both of the anvil and the cartridge via the hooks.
Published: 2013-03-28 Assignee: ETHICON ENDO-SURGERY, INC..
Surgical stapling instrument with staples having crown features for increasing formed staple footprint
A staple having a crown, a deformable leg extending from the crown, and a spring extending from the crown configured to compress tissue between the spring and the deformable member. Owing to the flexibility of the spring, the staple can accommodate a wide range of tissue thicknesses while still compressing the tissue captured therein. As a result, a single staple design can be used in a wide variety of surgical procedures thereby reducing the amount of staple designs that must be provided to the surgeon. In at least one embodiment, the staple includes a crushable member. This crushable member can include a plastically deformable first portion and an elastically deformable second portion. The present invention can also include, in various embodiments, a crown, a first deformable member extending from the crown, and means for compressing the tissue against the first deformable member.
Published: 2013-03-28 Assignee: ETHICON ENDO-SURGERY, INC..
Anvil cartridge for surgical fastening device
A surgical instrument includes a handle portion, a shaft housing a firing bar, an end effector comprising an anvil, a lower jaw, and a stapling and severing assembly responsive to a longitudinal closing motion produced by the handle portion and the shaft. The lower jaw is configured to receive a removable cartridge. The cartridge includes a housing, a plurality of staples disposed in the housing, and a deck disposed over the plurality of staples. The deck defines apertures, with each aperture being substantially disposed over each staple. The instrument includes an anvil cartridge removably received in an anvil frame. The anvil cartridge is severed by the firing bar when the firing bar is advanced through tissue such that material from the anvil cartridge is released onto the severed tissue.
Published: 2013-03-28 Assignee: ORTHOSENSOR, ORTHOSENSOR INC.
Device and method for enabling an orthopedic tool for parameter measurement
A system for enabling a medical device. The system includes a cradle having a magnet for generating a magnetic field. The cradle supports and aligns the medical device in a predetermined orientation. Medical device placed in the cradle exposes a magnetic sensitive switch to the magnetic field of the magnet that produces a change in state of the magnetic sensitive switch. Medical device further includes a switch, indicator, logic circuitry, delay circuit, and detect circuit for coupling a power source to electronic circuitry. In a first mode of operation the medical device can be turned on and then turned off. In a second mode of operation the medical device cannot be turned off after being turned on.
Published: 2013-03-28 Assignee: Triplay Communications Ltd..
Messaging system and method
A method of cross-platform messaging including receiving, by a messaging system, at least one initial message having a message format, an initial message layout and data indicative of at least one user associated with the at least one initial message, and before delivery to a destination communication device associated with the at least one user, converting, by the messaging system, an initial message into an adapted message, and facilitating, by the messaging system, delivery of the adapted message to the destination communication device. The adapted message is characterized by, at least, an adapted message layout, and the adapted message layout differs from the initial message layout in a characteristic associated with respective message layout such as number of media objects, a graphical image of a media object, a size of a placeholder related to a media object, and a location of a media object within a respective message layout.
Published: 2013-03-28 Assignee: ETHICON ENDO-SURGERY, INC..
Surgical stapling device with adjunct material application feature
A surgical instrument includes a handle portion, a shaft housing a firing bar, an end effector comprising an anvil, a lower jaw, and a stapling and severing assembly responsive to a longitudinal closing motion produced by the handle portion and the shaft. The lower jaw is configured to receive a removable cartridge. The cartridge includes a housing, a plurality of staples disposed in the housing, and a deck disposed over the plurality of staples. The deck defines apertures, with each aperture being substantially disposed over each staple. The cartridge further includes an agent. The firing bar is operable to assist with releasing the agent onto a severed line of tissue when the firing bar is advanced.