Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090105732 | Mechanical apparatus and method for delivering materials into the inter-vertebral body space for nucleus replacement - The present invention relates to a device and method to perform 1) disk fusing, 2) an artificial replacement of the nucleus, 3) artificial replacement of the annulus, or 4), an artificial replacement of both the nucleus and annulus. The device is designed to be placed into the inter-vertebral space following discectomy. The invention includes a delivery catheter and an expandable continuous mesh that has a torus configuration with a lumen within the mesh and a center hole. The mesh can be diametrically expanded in diameter into the disc space whereby various materials can be injected into the lumen and/or the center hole. | 04-23-2009 |
20090187206 | Conformationally-Stabilized Intraluminal Device for Medical Applications - The invention relates to devices that are stabilized at an intraluminal residence site in the gastrointestinal tract by their conformation, including dimensions of length and curvature. The device as a whole corresponds to the conformation of the residence site; more particularly, the curved or angled portions correspond to the curved or angled portions of the residence site and do not conform to an immediately proximal or distal site. In some embodiments, the conformationally stabilized device may effect a change in the residence site shape that contributes to stability of the device. Some embodiments are directed toward curbing appetite and/or reducing food intake, other embodiments may be directed toward other therapeutic ends. Some embodiments of the device are designed to reside wholly in the duodenum; others reside principally within the duodenum but extend proximally into the gastric antrum, while other embodiments are designed to reside elsewhere within the gastrointestinal tract. | 07-23-2009 |
20090281557 | TISSUE ANCHOR FOR SECURING TISSUE LAYERS - Tissue anchors comprise a woven filament braid body having an elongated tubular configuration and a foreshortened configuration where proximal and distal ends of the body expand radially into double-walled flange structures while leaving a cylindrical saddle region therebetween. The tissue anchors are deployed through penetrations between adjacent tissue layers, where the flanges engage the outer surfaces of the tissue layers and the saddle region resides within the tissue penetrations. | 11-12-2009 |
20100004750 | Mechanical apparatus and method for artificial disc replacement - The present invention relates to a device and method to 1) facilitate disk fusing, 2) perform an artificial replacement of the nucleus, 3) perform an artificial replacement of the annulus, or 4, perform an artificial replacement of both the nucleus and annulus. The device is designed to be placed into the inter-vertebral space following diskoctomy. The invention includes a delivery catheter and an expandable continuous mesh loop that has a torus configuration with a lumen within the mesh and a central hole. The mesh loop can be diametrically increased or contracted in diameter by the control element acting on the mesh loop. The mesh loop may be formed of a woven or braided material for a polymer such as PEEK (polyetheretherketone), nylon, polyurethane, polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene or any other biocompatible polymer, or formed from a metallic braid of stainless steel, Elgiloy, Nitinol, or any other biocompatible metal. | 01-07-2010 |
20100004751 | Mechanical apparatus and method for artificial disc replacement - The present invention relates to a device and method to 1) facilitate disk fusing, 2) perform an artificial replacement of the nucleus, 3) perform an artificial replacement of the annulus, or 4, perform an artificial replacement of both the nucleus and annulus. The device is designed to be placed into the inter-vertebral space following diskectomy. The invention includes a delivery catheter and an expandable continuous mesh loop that has a torus configuration with a lumen within the mesh and a central hole. The mesh loop can be diametrically increased or contracted in diameter by the control element acting on the mesh loop. The mesh loop may be formed of a woven or braided material for a polymer such as PEEK (polyetheretherketone), nylon, polyurethane, polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene or any other biocompatible polymer, or formed from a metallic braid of stainless steel, Elgiloy, Nitinol, or any other biocompatible metal. | 01-07-2010 |
20110270399 | Mechanical Apparatus and Method for Artificial Disc Fusion and Nucleus Replacement - The present invention relates to a device and method to perform 1) disc fusion, 2) artificial replacement of the nucleus, 3) artificial replacement of the annulus, or 4) artificial replacement of both the nucleus and annulus. The device is designed to be placed into the intervertebral space following discectomy. The invention includes a delivery catheter and an substantially fixed sized mesh loop with a lumen within the mesh loop and a center hole. The mesh loop partially self expands diametrically in diameter upon removal of the introducer sheath and can be further expanded by mechanical means. | 11-03-2011 |
20120180799 | APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR TREATING SLEEP APNEA - Apparatus and methods are provided for treating sleep apnea, snoring, and the like using an implant within an oropharyngeal region adjacent an anterior longitudinal ligament. The implant may include a relatively narrow central region between first and second relatively wide outer regions. In one embodiment, one of the outer regions is compressible to allow the outer region to be directed through or behind the ligament such that the central region is disposed within or behind the ligament, the outer region being resiliently expandable after passing through or behind the ligament. In another embodiment, the implant may include one or more tines or other features that may be directed into adjacent tissue to secure the implant within the oropharyngeal region. | 07-19-2012 |
20130090590 | Methods and Apparatus for Treating Obesity and Diabetes - Provided herein are methods and shunt devices for treating diabetes and obesity. Methods and shunt devices promote stimulation of secretion of intestinal L-cells and other enteroendocrine cell types. Enteroendocrine secretion is stimulated directly or indirectly by shunting bile and/or pancreatic secretion to segments of the gut more distal than would normally occur. The shunt device may be a flexible catheter that is impervious to such secretions, with a proximal end draining the pancreatic/bile duct, and a distal end residing distally within the lumen of the small or large intestine. The shunt may be inserted with minimally invasive techniques, such as by endoscopy or laparoscopy. | 04-11-2013 |
20130253546 | TISSUE ANCHOR FOR SECURING TISSUE LAYERS - Tissue anchors comprise a woven filament braid body having an elongated tubular configuration and a foreshortened configuration where proximal and distal ends of the body expand radially into double-walled flange structures while leaving a cylindrical saddle region therebetween. The tissue anchors are deployed through penetrations between adjacent tissue layers, where the flanges engage the outer surfaces of the tissue layers and the saddle region resides within the tissue penetrations. | 09-26-2013 |
20140114228 | METHODS AND DEVICES TO CURB APPETITE AND/OR TO REDUCE FOOD INTAKE - The present invention relates to devices and methods of operating the devices that contribute to curbing appetite and/or reducing food intake. In some embodiments, the methods and devices of the present invention include as intestinal/duodenal insert comprising an elongated member with at least one flow reduction element that can cause the stimulation of one or more biological signals of satiety. Some embodiments of the inserted device are anchored at the duodenal site by an anchoring member residing in the stomach, other embodiments of the device are stabilized at a targeted site by appropriate dimensions of length as well as one or more angled portions of the device that correspond to angled portions of the targeted site in the dodenum. Embodiments of the device exert effects by virtue of physical presence, as well as by more active forms of intervention, including release of bioactive materials and electrical stimulation of neurons. | 04-24-2014 |