Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090005645 | Rotate-to- advance catheterization system - A method for visualizing the interior of a bodily passageway comprising: providing a visualization system for deployment in the bodily passageway, the visualization system comprising: a tube; visualization apparatus; and a helical thread on the exterior surface of the tube, such that when the tube is disposed in the bodily passageway so that the helical thread engages the interior side wall of the bodily passageway, rotation of the tube will induce a relative movement between the tube and the side wall of the bodily passageway; inserting the visualization system into the bodily passageway at a location remote from the site which is to be visualized; rotating the tube so as to draw the bodily passageway onto the tube in a pleating fashion, whereby to bring the site which is to be visualized toward the visualization apparatus; and using the visualization apparatus to visualize the interior of the bodily passageway. | 01-01-2009 |
20100069718 | ROTATE-TO-ADVANCE CATHETERIZATION SYSTEM - A method for visualizing the interior of a bodily passageway at a remote location, the method comprising the steps of:
| 03-18-2010 |
20100076264 | ROTATE-TO-ADVANCE CATHETERIZATION SYSTEM - A method for visualizing the interior of a bodily passageway comprising providing a system comprising a plurality of concentric telescoping shafts; visualization apparatus disposed within the telescoping shafts; and a helical thread disposed on the exterior of the telescoping shafts, the helical threads having a sufficient structural integrity and surface profile such that when the telescoping shafts are disposed in the passageway, rotation of the telescoping shafts induces a relative movement between the telescoping shafts and the passageway; wherein the telescoping shafts are configured to be selectively coupled together and de-coupled from one another; inserting the system into the passageway; rotating the telescoping shafts so as to draw the passageway onto the telescoping shafts in a pleating fashion; de-coupling the telescoping shafts; rotating the innermost telescoping shaft so as to draw the passageway onto the innermost telescoping shaft in a pleating fashion; and visualizing the interior of the passageway. | 03-25-2010 |
20100081879 | ROTATE-TO-ADVANCE CATHETERIZATION SYSTEM - A method for visualizing the interior of a bodily passageway at a remote location, the method comprising the steps of:
| 04-01-2010 |
20100228273 | LIQUID JET SURGICAL INSTRUMENT - The invention provides a variety of surgical instruments for forming a liquid jet, which are useful for performing a wide variety of surgical procedures. In some embodiments, the invention provides surgical liquid jet instruments having a pressure tube and an evacuation tube, where the pressure tube includes at least one nozzle for forming a liquid jet and where the evacuation tube includes a jet-receiving opening for receiving the liquid jet when the instrument is in operation. In some embodiments, the surgical liquid jet instrument is constructed to minimize damage to the tissue surrounding the tissue that is desired to be removed. In some embodiments, the outer surface of the distal tip of the evacuation tube wall and/or the pressure tube wall is blunted to minimize tissue damage. The invention also provides surgical methods utilizing the inventive surgical liquid jet instruments for cutting or ablating a selected tissue within portions of a patient's spine, such as within the intervertebral disc. | 09-09-2010 |
20110165548 | Anatomical model - An anatomical model comprising:
| 07-07-2011 |
20110178370 | Rotate to advance catheterization system - A system of rotate-to-advance medical devices including catheters, dilators, occluders, stents, suprapubic catheters and camera introducers configured with external screw threads and depending substantially on rotation for means of advancement and emplacement in mammalian genitourinary and gastrointestinal passages and organs. | 07-21-2011 |
20110307069 | Rotate-to-advance catheterization system - Apparatus for accessing a bodily passageway, the apparatus comprising:
| 12-15-2011 |
20110319713 | ROTATE-TO-ADVANCE CATHETERIZATION SYSTEM - A method for visualizing the interior of a bodily passageway at a remote location, the method comprising the steps of:
| 12-29-2011 |
20120004504 | ROTATE-TO-ADVANCE CATHETERIZATION SYSTEM - A method for visualizing the interior of a bodily passageway at a remote location, the method comprising the steps of:
| 01-05-2012 |
20120010598 | ROTATE-TO-ADVANCE CATHETERIZATION SYSTEM - A steerable rotate-to-advance device for accessing a bodily passageway, said steerable rotate-to-advance device comprising: | 01-12-2012 |
20120029281 | Rotate-to-Advance Catheterization System - An apparatus for accessing a bodily passageway includes: an endoscope including an insertion portion configured to inserted into the bodily passageway; a drive tube including a lumen configured to receive the endoscope; a helically-wound thread disposed on an outer wall of the drive tube and configured such that rotation of the drive tube causes the drive tube with the endoscope to move along the passageway; a flexible drive shaft configured to transfer rotary motion generated by a power supply; and a rotatable drive collar disposed on the endoscope and configured to rotate the drive tube relative to the endoscope, the rotatable drive collar including a stator, a rotor rotatable over the stator and detachably coupled to the drive tube, a rotary gear configured to transfer the rotary motion from the flexible drive shaft to the rotor to rotate the drive tube, and a watertight seal disposed between the stator and the rotor. | 02-02-2012 |
20120059210 | Rotate-to-advance catheterization system - A system of rotate-to-advance medical devices including catheters, dilators, occluders, stents, suprapubic catheters and camera introducers configured with external screw threads and depending substantially on rotation for means of advancement and emplacement in mammalian genitourinary and gastrointestinal passages and organs. | 03-08-2012 |
20120108902 | ROTATE-TO-ADVANCE CATHETERIZATION SYSTEM - Apparatus comprising a tube sized to receive visualization apparatus; a deformable helical thread disposed on the exterior surface of the tube, the deformable helical thread (i) being transformable between a first configuration wherein the deformable helical thread comprises a reduced profile and/or a reduced rigidity and a second configuration wherein the deformable helical thread comprises an expanded profile and/or an increased rigidity, and (ii) when in its second configuration, having a sufficient structural integrity, and a sufficient surface profile, such that when the tube is disposed in a bodily passageway so that the deformable helical thread engages the interior wall of the bodily passageway, rotation of the tube will induce a relative movement between the tube and the wall of the bodily passageway; and a thread varying element dynamically varying at least one of the height of the deformable helical thread and the rigidity of the deformable helical thread. | 05-03-2012 |
20120149985 | ROTATE-TO-ADVANCE CATHETERIZATION SYSTEM - A body-insertable apparatus comprising:
| 06-14-2012 |
20120316393 | ROTATE-TO-ADVANCE CATHETERIZATION SYSTEM - A method for visualizing the interior of a bodily passageway, comprising providing a visualization system comprising a tube having a distal and a proximal end, at least a portion of the distal end being rotatable; visualization apparatus disposed within the system; and a helical thread disposed on the exterior surface of the rotatable portion of the tube, the helical thread having a sufficient structural integrity and surface profile, such that when the tube is disposed in the passageway and the helical thread engages the wall of the passageway, rotation of the rotatable portion of the tube induces a relative movement between the tube and the wall of the passageway; inserting the system into the passageway; rotating the rotatable portion of the tube so as to bring together a site which is to be visualized and the visualization apparatus; and using the visualization apparatus to visualize the interior of the passageway. | 12-13-2012 |
20130012779 | ROTATE-TO-ADVANCE CATHETERIZATION SYSTEM - A body-insertable apparatus comprising:
| 01-10-2013 |
20130072756 | ROTATE-TO-ADVANCE CATHETERIZATION SYSTEM - A method for visualizing the interior of a bodily passageway comprising providing a visualization system comprising a tube, visualization apparatus disposed within the tube, and a deformable helical thread disposed on the exterior surface of the tube, the deformable helical thread being transformable between a first configuration wherein the deformable helical thread comprises a reduced profile and/or a reduced rigidity and a second configuration wherein the deformable helical thread comprises an expanded profile and/or increased rigidity; inserting the visualization system into the bodily passageway at a location remote from the site which is to be visualized, with the deformable helical thread being in its second configuration; rotating the tube so as to induce relative movement between the passageway and the tube, whereby to move the visualization apparatus and the site which is to be visualized closer together; and using the visualization apparatus to visualize the interior of the passageway. | 03-21-2013 |
20130165754 | Rotate-to-Advance Catheterization System - An apparatus for accessing a bodily passageway includes: an endoscope including an insertion portion configured to inserted into the bodily passageway; a drive tube including a lumen configured to receive the endoscope; a helically-wound thread disposed on an outer wall of the drive tube and configured such that rotation of the drive tube causes the drive tube with the endoscope to move along the passageway; a flexible drive shaft configured to transfer rotary motion generated by a power supply; and a rotatable drive collar disposed on the endoscope and configured to rotate the drive tube relative to the endoscope, the rotatable drive collar including a stator, a rotor rotatable over the stator and detachably coupled to the drive tube, a rotary gear configured to transfer the rotary motion from the flexible drive shaft to the rotor to rotate the drive tube, and a watertight seal disposed between the stator and the rotor. | 06-27-2013 |
20130165856 | Rotate-to-Advance Catheterization System - An apparatus for accessing a bodily passageway includes: an endoscope including an insertion portion configured to inserted into the bodily passageway; a drive tube including a lumen configured to receive the endoscope; a helically-wound thread disposed on an outer wall of the drive tube and configured such that rotation of the drive tube causes the drive tube with the endoscope to move along the passageway; a flexible drive shaft configured to transfer rotary motion generated by a power supply; and a rotatable drive collar disposed on the endoscope and configured to rotate the drive tube relative to the endoscope, the rotatable drive collar including a stator, a rotor rotatable over the stator and detachably coupled to the drive tube, a rotary gear configured to transfer the rotary motion from the flexible drive shaft to the rotor to rotate the drive tube, and a watertight seal disposed between the stator and the rotor. | 06-27-2013 |