Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080275290 | Implantable heart assist system and method of applying same - An extracardiac pumping for supplementing the circulation of blood, including the cardiac output, in a patient without any component thereof being connected to the patient's heart, and methods of using same. One embodiment of the intravascular extracardiac system comprises a pump with inflow and outflow conduits that are sized and configured to be implantable intravascularly through a non-primary vessel, whereby it may positioned where desired within the patient's vasculature. The system comprises a subcardiac pump that may be driven directly or electromagnetically from within or without the patient. The pump is configured to be operated continuously or in a pulsatile fashion, synchronous with the patient's heart, thereby potentially reducing the afterload of the heart. In another embodiment, the system is positioned extracorporeally, with the inflow conduit and outflow conduit applied percutaneously to a non-primary vessel for circulating blood to and from the non-primary vessel or between the non-primary vessel and another blood vessel within the patient's vasculature. | 11-06-2008 |
20100016960 | Implantable Heart Assist System And Method Of Applying Same - An extracardiac pumping for supplementing the circulation of blood, including the cardiac output, in a patient without any component thereof being connected to the patient's heart, and methods of using same. One embodiment provides a vascular graft that has a first end that is sized and configured to couple to a non-primary blood vessel and a second end that is fluidly coupled to a pump to conduct blood between the pump and the non-primary blood vessel. An outflow conduit is also provided that has a first end sized and configured to be positioned within the same or different blood vessel, whether primary or non-primary, through the vascular graft. The outflow conduit is fluidly coupled to the pump to conduct blood between the pump and the patient. The vascular graft may be connected to the blood vessel subcutaneously to permit application of the extracardiac pumping system in a minimally-invasive procedure. | 01-21-2010 |
20100109877 | HAND CLEANLINESS - Among other things, an entry monitor has circuitry to detect when a person enters a monitored space and an indicator perceptible to other people in the space to indicate a cleanliness state of the hands of the person who has entered the space. | 05-06-2010 |
20100121433 | RECONFIGURING HEART FEATURES - Among other things, a support for living tissue includes gripping elements to attach to the living tissue and to hold the support securely in place. An annular structure is coupled to the gripping elements. The annular structure adjusts the support between a first configuration for installing the support and a second configuration in which the support is held securely in place after installation. The annular structure is self-supporting in the first and second configurations. | 05-13-2010 |
20100145133 | IMPLANTABLE HEART ASSIST SYSTEM AND METHOD OF APPLYING SAME - An extracardiac pumping for supplementing the circulation of blood, including the cardiac output, in a patient without any component thereof being connected to the patient's heart, and methods of using same. One embodiment provides a vascular graft that has a first end that is sized and configured to couple to a non-primary blood vessel and a second end that is fluidly coupled to a pump to conduct blood between the pump and the non-primary blood vessel. An outflow conduit is also provided that has a first end sized and configured to be positioned within the same or different blood vessel, whether primary or non-primary, through the vascular graft. The outflow conduit is fluidly coupled to the pump to conduct blood between the pump and the patient. The vascular graft may be connected to the blood vessel subcutaneously to permit application of the extracardiac pumping system in a minimally-invasive procedure. | 06-10-2010 |
20100249920 | RECONFIGURING HEART FEATURES - Among other things, a heart tissue support has a ring-shaped body and gripping elements, each gripping element having a free end that is sharp enough to penetrate heart tissue when pushed against the tissue, and a feature to resist withdrawal of the gripping element from the tissue after the sharp free end has penetrated the tissue. Among other things, a tool to attach a support to a heart valve annulus has splaying elements that spread apart to hold the support in an expanded configuration prior to attachment. Among other things, an apparatus includes polygonal elements connected along corners of the elements to form a ring, the polygonal elements being capable of expanding and contracting, and gripping elements attached to points of the polygonal elements. Among other things, a method includes using a delivery tool to expand a support and a heart valve annulus to one diameter. | 09-30-2010 |
20100292749 | Sub-Xiphoid Ablation Clamp and Method of Sub-Xiphoid Ablation - Device and method for sub-xiphoid ablation of patient tissue. A sub-xiphoid access clamp has a handle, an elongate neck coupled to the handle and first and second opposing jaws. The first and second opposing jaws have first and second opposing relief segments being generally co-planar and concave with respect to one another to form a void therebetween, and first and second opposing elongate ablation elements positioned along the first and second opposing jaws and distal of the first and second opposing relief segments relative to the handle. The first and second opposing jaws are articulate between a closed position and an open position to admit, at least in part, a second portion of tissue of the patient within the void created by the first and second opposing relief segments while the first portion of tissue is positioned between the first and second ablation elements in the closed position. | 11-18-2010 |
20110206378 | HAND CLEANLINESS - Among other things, systems to encourage compliance with hand washing procedures can include: an infrared emitter that projects a first infrared beam with a transverse cross-section having a first axis and a second axis that is shorter than the first axis, the transverse cross-section having a maximum length along the first axis, the infrared emitter modulating the first infrared beam to transmit a first identification signal; wherein the infrared emitter projecting the first infrared beam is placed such that the first axis of the transverse cross-section of the first infrared beam is substantially parallel to a boundary. | 08-25-2011 |
20120004495 | IMPLANTABLE HEART ASSIST SYSTEM AND METHOD OF APPLYING SAME - An extracardiac pumping for supplementing the circulation of blood, including the cardiac output, in a patient without any component thereof being connected to the patient's heart, and methods of using same. One embodiment provides a vascular graft that has a first end that is sized and configured to couple to a non-primary blood vessel and a second end that is fluidly coupled to a pump to conduct blood between the pump and the non-primary blood vessel. An outflow conduit is also provided that has a first end sized and configured to be positioned within the same or different blood vessel, whether primary or non-primary, through the vascular graft. The outflow conduit is fluidly coupled to the pump to conduct blood between the pump and the patient. The vascular graft may be connected to the blood vessel subcutaneously to permit application of the extracardiac pumping system in a minimally-invasive procedure. | 01-05-2012 |
20120062378 | Hand Cleanliness - Among other things, from a wireless device, a command is transmitted to wearable monitors within range of the wireless device to update their states to a non disinfected state of the hands of users of the wearable monitors. | 03-15-2012 |
20120068843 | Hand Cleanliness - Among other things, an entry monitor has circuitry to detect when a person enters a monitored space and an indicator perceptible to other people in the space to indicate a cleanliness state of the hands of the person who has entered the space. | 03-22-2012 |
20120109288 | Reconfiguring Heart Features - Among other things, a heart tissue support has gripping elements, each element having a free end that is sharp enough to penetrate heart tissue when pushed against the tissue, and a feature to resist withdrawal from the tissue after the sharp free end has penetrated the tissue. Among other things, the shape of a heart valve annulus is corrected in a catheter laboratory by orienting a tip of a catheter holding a heart tissue support that has gripping elements at the valve annulus, applying a radial force from the catheter against the annulus by opening a structure at the tip of the catheter, and while the structure is opened, forcing the support onto the annulus. Among other things, the shape of a heart valve annulus is corrected during a surgical procedure by pushing a heart tissue support that has gripping elements onto the annulus. | 05-03-2012 |
20120109289 | Reconfiguring Heart Features - Among other things, a heart tissue support has gripping elements, each element having a free end that is sharp enough to penetrate heart tissue when pushed against the tissue, and a feature to resist withdrawal from the tissue after the sharp free end has penetrated the tissue. Among other things, the shape of a heart valve annulus is corrected in a catheter laboratory by orienting a tip of a catheter holding a heart tissue support that has gripping elements at the valve annulus, applying a radial force from the catheter against the annulus by opening a structure at the tip of the catheter, and while the structure is opened, forcing the support onto the annulus. Among other things, the shape of a heart valve annulus is corrected during a surgical procedure by pushing a heart tissue support that has gripping elements onto the annulus. | 05-03-2012 |
20140049391 | Hand Cleanliness - Among other things, systems to encourage compliance with hand washing procedures can include: an infrared emitter that projects a first infrared beam with a transverse cross-section having a first axis and a second axis that is shorter than the first axis, the transverse cross-section having a maximum length along the first axis, the infrared emitter modulating the first infrared beam to transmit a first identification signal; wherein the infrared emitter projecting the first infrared beam is placed such that the first axis of the transverse cross-section of the first infrared beam is substantially parallel to a boundary. | 02-20-2014 |
20140180003 | Sub-Xiphoid Ablation Clamp and Method of Sub-Xiphoid Ablation - Device and method for sub-xiphoid ablation of patient tissue. A sub-xiphoid access clamp has a handle, an elongate neck coupled to the handle and first and second opposing jaws. The first and second opposing jaws have first and second opposing relief segments being generally co-planar and concave with respect to one another to form a void therebetween, and first and second opposing elongate ablation elements positioned along the first and second opposing jaws and distal of the first and second opposing relief segments relative to the handle. The first and second opposing jaws are articulate between a closed position and an open position to admit, at least in part, a second portion of tissue of the patient within the void created by the first and second opposing relief segments while the first portion of tissue is positioned between the first and second ablation elements in the closed position. | 06-26-2014 |
20140327545 | HAND CLEANLINESS - Among other things, systems and methods include an apparatus to be carried or worn by a person, the apparatus comprising: electronics to determine a cleanliness state of the person's hands; and an element separate from the electronics to communicate information associated with the person to the electronics. | 11-06-2014 |