Tim Joseph Kovac

6524283, Feb 25, 2003

May 23, 1995

08/447794

Philip K. Hopper - San Carlos CA
Tim J. Kovac - Los Gatos CA
Edmund J. Roschak - Belmont CA
Wilson Eng - San Jose CA

Sherwood Services AG - Schaffhausen

A61M 500

604264

A balloon anchor provides for the anchoring of a surgical instrument, such as conventional trocar sheath, within a puncture opening formed by a trocar. When used on a trocar sheath, the anchor is secured to the smooth outer surface of the sheath for extension through the puncture opening as the trocar within the sheath forms the opening. Adhesive or mechanical means are provided to secure the balloon the instrument. No modification to the structure of the instrument is required. Once in place within the opening, the balloon is inflated to the interior of the tissue to anchor the instrument in place. Certain embodiments also provide for inflation of the balloon within and/or to the exterior of the opening.

6663641, Dec 16, 2003

Nov 2, 2000

09/704396

Tim J. Kovac - Los Gatos CA
Michael F. Wei - San Mateo CA

Origin Medsystems, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

A61B 1704

606144, 606148, 606205

An endoscopic surgical instrument suitable for use with a needle-grasper having a rotational translation device for creating rotational motion at the distal end of the surgical instrument in a non 1:1 ratio to rotational energy imparted at the handle of the surgical instrument. The shaft of the surgical instrument has an articulated segment capable of remote adjustment to articulate the effector unit at the end of the surgical instrument. The effector unit may be a needle-gripper having an upwardly pointed V-shaped notch in a channeled upper jaw, a convex gripping surface on the lower jaw, such that grasping a curved suture needle between the upper and lower jaw serves to automatically orient the needle perpendicular to the needle-gripper with the curvature pointed down. Conically tapered edges on the upper jaw further facilitate this orientation. A reciprocal motion transmission occurs between the handle and the effector unit so that gripping the levers on the handle serves to operate a function in the effector unit.

7235064, Jun 26, 2007

Feb 25, 2003

10/373487

Phillip K. Hopper - San Carlos CA, US
Tim J. Kovac - Los Gatos CA, US
Edmund J. Roschak - Belmont CA, US
Wilson Eng - San Jose CA, US

Sherwood Services AG - Schaffhausen

A61M 5/00

604264, 606108, 606185

A balloon anchor provides for the anchoring of a surgical instrument, such as conventional trocar sheath, within a puncture opening formed by a trocar. When used on a trocar sheath, the anchor is secured to the smooth outer surface of the sheath for extension through the puncture opening as the trocar within the sheath forms the opening. Adhesive or mechanical means are provided to secure the balloon the instrument. No modification to the structure of the instrument is required. Once in place within the opening, the balloon is inflated to the interior of the tissue to anchor the instrument in place. Certain embodiments also provide for inflation of the balloon within and/or to the exterior of the opening.

7399313, Jul 15, 2008

May 27, 2003

10/445723

Peter S. Brown - Palo Alto CA, US
Tim Kovac - Los Gatos CA, US
Michael Wei - Menlo Park CA, US
Robin W. Eckert - San Jose CA, US

A61F 2/06

623 113

A endovascular graft having sensing devices attached thereto to facilitate measurement of pertinent parameters within the vasculature into which the graft is implanted. Power sources and transmitters may be attached to the graft to facilitate transmission of measurements to a receiving device outside the patient's body. The sensing devices, may be electrically passive or integrated devices with measurement and transmission capability. The sensing devices may be attached to specific locations on the graft material or attached to the lumen, thereby providing pertinent parameters from critical points inside the vasculature, or may be dispersed over the surface of the graft material or within the lumen to provide a profile of pertinent parameters. The sensing devices may be attached to the graft material with one suture using a running stitch to minimize graft bulk and may be coated with a material to inhibit or control tissue growth. A bio-reabsorbable or hard wire tether or suture may be employed to attach devices to one or more graft components.

7261733, Aug 28, 2007

Jun 7, 2002

10/165763

Peter S. Brown - Palo Alto CA, US
Mark T. Lemere - San Francisco CA, US
Kimberly Barkman - San Mateo CA, US
Tim Kovac - Los Gatos CA, US

Endovascular Technologies, Inc. - Menlo Park CA

A61F 2/06
A61B 5/04
A61B 5/02

623 134, 606488

A endovascular graft having sensing devices attached thereto to facilitate measurement of pertinent parameters within the vasculature into which the graft is implanted. Power sources and transmitters may be attached to the graft to facilitate transmission of measurements to a receiving device outside the patient's body. The sensing devices, may be electrically passive or integrated devices with measurement and transmission capability. The sensing devices may be attached to specific locations on the graft material or attached to the lumen, thereby providing pertinent parameters from critical points inside the vasculature, or may be dispersed over the surface of the graft material or within the lumen to provide a profile of pertinent parameters. The sensing devices may be attached to the graft material with one suture using a running stitch to minimize graft bulk and may be coated with a material to inhibit or control tissue growth.

20060200220, Sep 7, 2006

May 4, 2006

11/417549

Peter Brown - Palo Alto CA, US
Mark Lemere - San Francisco CA, US
Kimberly Barkman - San Mateo CA, US
Tim Kovac - Los Gatos CA, US

A61F 2/06
A61B 5/0215
A61B 5/026

623001100, 623001160, 600486000, 600505000

A endovascular graft having sensing devices attached thereto to facilitate measurement of pertinent parameters within the vasculature into which the graft is implanted. Power sources and transmitters may be attached to the graft to facilitate transmission of measurements to a receiving device outside the patient's body. The sensing devices, may be electrically passive or integrated devices with measurement and transmission capability. The sensing devices may be attached to specific locations on the graft material or attached to the lumen, thereby providing pertinent parameters from critical points inside the vasculature, or may be dispersed over the surface of the graft material or within the lumen to provide a profile of pertinent parameters. The sensing devices may be attached to the graft material with one suture using a running stitch to minimize graft bulk and may be coated with a material to inhibit or control tissue growth.

20070225643, Sep 27, 2007

May 17, 2007

11/804130

Phillip Hopper - San Carlos CA, US
Tim Kovac - Los Gatos CA, US
Edmund Roschak - Belmont CA, US
Wilson Eng - San Jose CA, US

A61M 29/02

604101010, 604103000, 604103050, 604103110, 604096010

A balloon anchor provides for the anchoring of a surgical instrument, such as conventional trocar sheath, within a puncture opening formed by a trocar. When used on a trocar sheath, the anchor is secured to the smooth outer surface of the sheath for extension through the puncture opening as the trocar within the sheath forms the opening. Adhesive or mechanical means are provided to secure the balloon the instrument. No modification to the structure of the instrument is required. Once in place within the opening, the balloon is inflated to the interior of the tissue to anchor the instrument in place. Certain embodiments also provide for inflation of the balloon within and/or to the exterior of the opening.

55077552, Apr 16, 1996

Jul 25, 1994

8/279513

Charles Gresl - San Francisco CA
Albert K. Chin - Palo Alto CA
Tim J. Kovac - Los Gatos CA
Edwin J. Hlavka - Palo Alto CA

Origin Medsystems, Inc. - Menlo Park CA

A61B 1704

606139

An apparatus for suturing deep puncture wounds utilizes a capturing member which is pivotally mounted to the distal end of an elongate rod. During use, the capturing member is inserted into a body cavity through a trocar sheath positioned in a wound and pivoted into a position in which it extends beneath the tissue surrounding the wound. A membrane or other suture-capturing surface is formed on the surface of the capturing member. A suture to be applied to the wound has anchors on each of its ends, and suture-carrying needles carry each of the suture ends and their corresponding anchors. The suture-carrying needles are individually passed through the tissue layers surrounding the wound and subsequently passed through the membrane of the capturing member. The suture ends and corresponding anchor means are released from the needles. The capturing means is pivoted to position in which it extends longitudinally of the elongate rod, causing the anchors to become engaged by the membrane by virtue of their inability to pass through the membrane unless carried by a needle.