Patent Grant
10149676
In various embodiments, the present invention relates to devices and methods for providing non-invasive therapy to cerebral aneurysms and/or other similar vascular disorders in which an implant (e.g., an embolic micro-coil) is controllably delivered to a lesion and mechanically detached through actuation of a built-in detachment handle/cutting mechanism. In other embodiments, the invention relates to implantable assemblies and, specifically, to a junction connecting a polymeric stretch resistant member to an implantable device (e.g., an embolic micro-coil), as well as to methods of manufacture.
A cerebral aneurysm (i.e., an acute subarachnoid hemorrhage) is a cerebrovascular swelling on the wall of an artery that develops because of a congenitally weak cerebral artery or due to arteriosclerosis, a bacterial infection, a head wound, brain syphilis, etc. The cerebral aneurysm may develop suddenly without initial symptoms, and can cause extreme pain. In general, in 15% of cerebral aneurysm cases, the patient dies suddenly upon development of the cerebral aneurysm. In another 15% of cerebral aneurysm cases, the patient dies under medical treatment; and in 30% of cerebral aneurysm cases, the patient survives after treatment but feels an acute aftereffect. As such, a cerebral aneurysm is a very concerning development.
A cerebral aneurysm may be treated through either an invasive therapy or a non-invasive therapy. Of these, the non-invasive therapy typically fills the cerebral aneurysm with a micro-coil. Generally, filling the cerebral aneurysm with the micro-coil causes blood to clot, prevents an additional inflow of blood, and decreases the risk of a ruptured aneurysm (i.e., an embolization). Advantageously, the non-invasive therapy can ease the aftereffects of brain surgery and can shorten hospitalization time.
The system used in the non-invasive therapy typically includes a micro-coil and a delivery pusher for carrying the micro-coil to the patient's cerebral aneurysm. When the micro-coil is properly placed in or near the cerebral aneurysm, an operator (e.g., a physician) separates the micro-coil from the delivery pusher. To initiate detachment of the coil, current micro-coil systems generally require a thermal/power supply (for thermal or electrolytic detachment), or a mechanical detachment handle that is attached to the proximal end of the delivery pusher after the coil is positioned in the aneurysm.
Certain mechanical detachment systems employ the use of a core wire to remove an element that provides an interference fit between a tip of the core wire and some component of the coil. Certain other mechanical detachment systems have used interlocking arms that disengage when advanced beyond the micro-catheter tip, or a ball-screw mechanism that unscrews the coil from a tip of the delivery pusher when the pusher is rotated, or even hydraulic systems that eject the coil from the delivery pusher tip when the inside diameter is pressurized with saline.
Having to attach, however, a mechanical detachment handle (or some other element, such as a power supply box) to the proximal end of the delivery pusher after the coil is positioned in the aneurysm in order to initiate detachment of the coil is problematic. For example, the delivery pusher and thus the coil may inadvertently move while the detachment handle (or other element) is being attached. This may cause the coil to lose its proper placement within or near the cerebral aneurysm. In addition, attaching the detachment handle (or other element) lengthens the operating time. Where a procedure requires many such coils to be delivered, this can add significantly to the overall operating time.
In addition still, currently available implantable devices, such as embolic micro-coils, often employ a polymeric stretch resistant member to maintain the shape of the micro-coil and to prevent it from unfurling during delivery to a patient's body. During manufacture, in order to form a mechanical securement (e.g., a junction) between the stretch resistant member and the micro-coil, the stretch resistant member is generally melted at, and coupled to, one or both end(s) of the micro-coil. The process of melting the polymer can, however, significantly reduce the strength of the stretch resistant member at the junction. As such, when the micro-coil is placed under tension, the melted junction typically, and disadvantageously, fails at a force below the inherent tensile strength of the polymeric stretch resistant member.
Accordingly, needs exist for improved implantable assemblies and for methods of manufacturing and using the same, as well as for improved systems and methods for delivering the implants to a vascular disorder, such as a cerebral aneurysm.
In various embodiments, the present invention provides a mechanical means of controllably detaching a micro-coil from a delivery pusher. In particular, embodiments of the invention conveniently provide a small, but effective, detachment handle assembly that is fixedly and permanently attached to the proximal end of the delivery device, thereby obviating the procedural step of attaching a handle or other detachment accessory to the delivery pusher in order to initiate the coil's detachment. Such a device is easier to use, does not require any accessories, and simplifies the delivery procedure, particularly for those physicians that do not perform embolization cases as often as others.
In one embodiment, the main junction between the coil and the delivery pusher is created by a polymer suture. As such, the junction is more flexible than the micro-coil junctions of certain prior art devices. The flexible junction improves the ability of the coil to conform within an aneurysmal space, and also improves the safety of the medical procedure by reducing the chance for aneurysm perforation or rupture.
Additionally, embodiments of the present invention provide a mechanical means for “instantaneously” detaching the micro-coil from the delivery pusher. The mechanical means includes a retractable core wire that pulls the detachment suture through a static blade mounted to, or formed within, a tip of the delivery pusher. As further explained below, embodiments of the invention also feature several alternative configurations of attaching the detachment suture to the delivery pusher and for severing the detachment suture from the delivery pusher.
In general, in one aspect, embodiments of the invention feature a device for delivering an implant, such as an embolic coil, to a vascular disorder of a patient, such as a cerebral aneurysm. The device includes a delivery pusher (which has a proximal shaft and a flexible distal shaft) and a stationary blade that is coupled to the flexible distal shaft. The stationary blade includes a sharp and stationary cutting component for cutting through a suture that couples the implant to the delivery pusher and for thereby releasing the implant when placed in proximity to the vascular disorder.
Various embodiments of this aspect of the invention include the following features. The stationary blade may envelop an outer surface of the flexible distal shaft. In addition, a retractable release wire may be positioned within a lumen of the delivery pusher. A coil hook component, which may include a loop of wire, may be coupled to a distal end of the retractable release wire. In one embodiment, the suture extends from the implant, through a portion of the delivery pusher lumen, through the wire loop of the coil hook component, and through a blunt opening in the stationary blade. In such an embodiment, as well as in other embodiments described below, the release wire, when retracted, causes the suture to be retracted towards the blade's sharp and stationary cutting component.
In addition to the blunt opening, the stationary blade may define a channel connecting the blunt opening to the sharp and stationary cutting component. Moreover, the stationary blade may further define a window proximal to the sharp and stationary cutting component. In one particular embodiment, the suture coupling the implant to the delivery pusher (i) is coupled at first and second points to the retractable release wire positioned within the lumen of the delivery pusher, and (ii) extends through the blunt opening and the window defined by the stationary blade. In this embodiment, the device may include a second suture, and the suture coupling the implant to the delivery pusher may be coupled to the implant via that second suture.
A window cutout may also be defined within a wall of the flexible distal shaft, and the blade may be positioned over the window cutout. In addition, a suture locking tube may be coupled to the flexible distal shaft, and a portion of the suture may be locked down between the suture locking tube and the flexible distal shaft. Alternatively, a metal coil may be coupled to the flexible distal shaft, and a portion of the suture may be locked down between the metal coil and the flexible distal shaft.
In another embodiment, a polymer tip is coupled to a distal end of the flexible distal shaft. The stationary blade may be located adjacent the polymer tip. The flexible distal shaft of the embodiments described herein may include a flexible inner shaft, a flexible outer shaft, and an anti-elongation ribbon for preventing unwanted elongation of the flexible distal shaft.
In general, in another aspect, embodiments of the invention feature a device for delivering an implant, such as an embolic coil, to a vascular disorder of a patient, such as a cerebral aneurysm. The device includes a delivery pusher (which has a proximal shaft and a flexible distal shaft) and a detachment handle that includes a user manipulable component for initiating a mechanical release of an implant coupled to the delivery pusher when the implant is placed in proximity to the vascular disorder. The detachment handle may be fixedly and permanently attached to the proximal shaft such that a user of the device need not couple the detachment handle to the delivery pusher.
In various embodiments, a strain relief is coupled to the detachment handle and also envelops a portion of the proximal shaft. In addition, the user manipulable component for initiating the mechanical release of the implant may include a handle slider.
In general, in yet another aspect, embodiments of the invention feature a method for delivering an implant, such as an embolic coil, to a vascular disorder of a patient, such as a cerebral aneurysm. In accordance with the method, the implant (which is coupled via a suture to a delivery pusher) is advanced in proximity to the vascular disorder. The delivery pusher, which may be used in that regard, includes a stationary blade, which itself includes a sharp and stationary cutting component. The suture is then caused to impinge upon the sharp and stationary cutting component, which cuts through the suture. The implant is thereby released in proximity to the vascular disorder.
Again, the stationary blade may envelop an outer surface of the delivery pusher. In addition, the suture may be caused to impinge upon the sharp and stationary cutting component by retracting a release wire coupled to the suture.
In general, in still another aspect, embodiments of the invention feature a method for delivering an implant, such as an embolic coil, to a vascular disorder of a patient, such as a cerebral aneurysm. In accordance with the method, the implant (which is coupled to a delivery pusher) is advanced in proximity to the vascular disorder. The delivery pusher, which may be used in that regard, is fixedly and permanently attached to a detachment handle such that a user need not couple the detachment handle to the delivery pusher. The detachment handle includes a user manipulable component, such as a handle slider, which is actuated to initiate a mechanical release of the implant from the delivery pusher.
In certain other embodiments, the present invention relates to a system that increases the strength of a junction connecting a polymeric stretch resistant member to an implantable device (e.g., an embolic micro-coil) to be equal to or greater than the tensile strength of the stretch resistant member itself, as well as to methods of manufacturing and using the same. In one embodiment, the objective is accomplished without any additional materials or adhesives being employed, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process. The stretch resistant member may, for example, be permanently attached to the micro-coil and be eventually implanted within a patient's body together with the micro-coil. As such, the regulatory acceptance of such an implantable assembly can be simplified.
In one embodiment of the invention, the polymeric stretch resistant member includes two components. One component maximizes the attachment strength to the micro-coil and the other component provides stretch resistance for the micro-coil and attachment to a delivery pusher.
In general, in one aspect, embodiments of the invention feature an implantable assembly. The implantable assembly includes an implantable device and a stretch resistant member. The implantable device (e.g., a coil) includes a proximal end and a distal end and defines a passageway that extends from the proximal end to the distal end, while the stretch resistant member extends along the passageway and is coupled to the distal end at a junction. The stretch resistant member includes first and second components. The second component, which is different from and coupled to the first component, includes multiple strands coupled to the junction and with a coupling strength greater than a tensile strength of the first component.
In various embodiments, the stretch resistant member is coupled to the implantable device at only the distal end. The stretch resistant member may also be coupled to a delivery pusher. The stretch resistant member may include a polymeric material, such as polypropylene. In one embodiment, the first component of the stretch resistant member includes a knot at a distal end thereof. The second component may be knotted around the first component at a point proximal to the knot of the first component.
The multiple strands of the second component (e.g., four strand ends) may extend from the point proximal to the knot of the first component toward the distal end of the implantable device. The multiple strands may also be molded to the distal end to form the junction, which may be an atraumatic tip, such as a ball tip.
In general, in another aspect, embodiments of the invention feature a method of manufacturing an implantable assembly. The method includes the steps of coupling a first component of a stretch resistant member to a second component of the stretch resistant member, and extending the stretch resistant member through a passageway defined by an implantable device, such as a coil. The first and second components may be different from one another, the second component may include multiple strands, and the implantable device may include a proximal end and a distal end. The method further includes the step of coupling the multiple strands of the second component to the distal end of the implantable device at a junction and with a coupling strength greater than a tensile strength of the first component.
In various embodiments of this aspect of the invention, the stretch resistant member includes a polymeric material, such as polypropylene. Coupling the first component to the second component may be accomplished by forming a knot at a distal end of the first component, and then knotting the second component around the first component at a point proximal to the knot of the first component. The multiple strands of the second component (e.g., four strand ends) may be extended from the point proximal to the knot of the first component toward the distal end of the implantable device.
Coupling the multiple strands of the second component to the distal end of the implantable device may be accomplished by melting distal ends of the multiple strands and molding the melted distal ends to the distal end of the implantable device to form the junction. The junction may include an atraumatic tip, such as a tip ball.
The above-described method may also include the step of coupling the stretch resistant member to a delivery pusher.
These and other objects, along with advantages and features of the embodiments of the present invention herein disclosed, will become more apparent through reference to the following description, the accompanying drawings, and the claims. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the features of the various embodiments described herein are not mutually exclusive and can exist in various combinations and permutations.
In the drawings, like reference characters generally refer to the same parts throughout the different views. Also, the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead generally being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. In the following description, various embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the following drawings, in which:
In broad overview, embodiments of the present invention feature a device for delivering an implant (e.g., an embolic coil) to a vascular disorder of a patient, such as a cerebral aneurysm. The overall delivery device 100 is shown at the bottom of each of
As shown in
The delivery pusher 108 includes a proximal shaft 304 (see
As shown in
With reference still to
As also shown in
With reference now to
The handle body 604 may include one or more injection molded parts, preferably made from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). A proximal end of the retractable release wire 112 may be secured to a handle slider 612 of the detachment handle 600, for example by threading the wire 112 through a channel in the handle slider 612 and bending the wire 112 to form a mechanical hook bond within the handle slider 612. Adhesive may also be applied to secure these two components together. Upon manufacturing the delivery device 100, the handle body 604 and handle slider 612 may be assembled in a “locked” position, in which the retractable release wire 112 and coil hook 144 are locked in position relative to the blade 124. These parts may be held in place by detent features molded into the handle body 604 and handle slider 612 mating surfaces.
In other embodiments, rather than featuring the handle slider 612, the detachment handle 600 may instead feature another user manipulable component for initiating the mechanical release, as described herein, of the embolic coil 104. For example, the detachment handle 600 may feature a mechanical trigger, a mechanical push-button, or other mechanical component that requires mechanical input from a user of the device (e.g., a physician) in order to initiate the mechanical detachment of the embolic coil 104.
As shown in
Several laser-cut blade 124 iterations have been developed for various performance advantages. In the preferred design illustrated in
As explained below, the portion 1108 of the blade 124 that is intended to sever and cut the suture 708 has several features that optimize cutting. Optimization of cutting is generally employed herein to mean minimizing the force required to cut the suture 708 in the blade 124. The advantages of minimizing the cut force include reducing movement of the delivery pusher 108 tip 132 and coil 104 during detachment, and creating a gentler separation of the micro-coil 104 from the delivery pusher 108.
Cut force minimization has been achieved by creating a blade geometry that increases the slice-push ratio. Slicing requires that the blade be displaced with some velocity parallel to the cutting edge, while pushing (or chopping) requires that the blade be displaced with some velocity perpendicular to the cutting edge. It is well known in the science/engineering of cutting materials that slicing, or cutting in more of a sideways motion, is easier (and requires less force) than does chopping at a right angle to the material. In other words, slicing requires less energy to cut through a given cross section of material than does chopping, which has the maximum normal force of the blade edge to the cross section to be cut.
In one embodiment, as illustrated in
Various other blade 124 geometries that have some of the elements described above in order to cut the suture 708 with low force have also been prototyped. These are shown in
Various other designs for attaching the micro-coil 104 to the delivery pusher 108 are depicted in
Various configurations of the coil hook 144 are shown in
In operation, the micro-coil 104 may be introduced, delivered, positioned, and implanted at the desired site within the vasculature using a micro-catheter. In particular, in treating neurovascular or peripheral vascular conditions requiring embolization, the sites may be first accessed by the micro-catheter, which is a flexible, small diameter catheter (typically with an inside diameter between 0.016″ to 0.021″), through an introducer sheath/guiding catheter combination that is placed in the femoral artery or groin area of the patient. The micro-catheter may be guided to the site through the use of guidewires. Guidewires typically comprise long, torqueable proximal wire sections with more flexible distal wire sections designed to be advanced within tortuous vessels. A guidewire is visible using fluoroscopy and is typically used to first access the desired site, thereby allowing the micro-catheter to be advanced over it to the desired site.
In one embodiment, once the desired site has been accessed with the micro-catheter tip, the catheter lumen is cleared by removing the guidewire, and the micro-coil 104 is placed into the proximal open end of the micro-catheter and advanced by its delivery pusher 108 through the micro-catheter. When the micro-coil 104 reaches the distal end of the micro-catheter, it is deployed from the micro-catheter and positioned by the delivery pusher 108 into the vascular site. The user (e.g., a physician) may advance and retract the micro-coil 104 several times to obtain a desirable position of the micro-coil 104 within the lesion. Once the micro-coil 104 is satisfactorily positioned within the lesion, the detachment handle 600 is employed to mechanically release the micro-coil 104 into the lesion, as described above. Then, once detachment of the micro-coil 104 has been confirmed, the detachment handle 600 and delivery pusher 108 are removed from the micro-catheter, and additional micro-coils 104 may be placed in the same manner, as necessary for proper treatment.
In other embodiments, the present invention features an implantable assembly. The implantable assembly includes an implantable device and a polymeric stretch resistant member. The implantable device may, as illustrated in
In one embodiment of the present invention, the stretch resistant member 2900 is formed of two components. The first component can be a single, double, or even triple or quadruple stranded stretch resistant material that has a knot formed at a distal end thereof. The second component, which typically is a discrete component (i.e., is different from the first component), may include the same stretch resistant material as the first component and may be knotted around the first component at a point proximal to the knot of the first component. This attachment initially allows the two components to slide relative to one another during the manufacturing process, but that need not be a feature of the final assembly. The second component may include one, two, or more strands of the stretch resistant material, which are pulled toward the distal end of the micro-coil 104 and whose ends may be melted and molded into the winds of the micro-coil 104 to form an atraumatic round tip 2904, such as a tip ball.
In one embodiment, and as described in further detail below, the second component of the stretch resistant member includes two strands, and four strand ends (i.e., each end of the two strands) are melted to from the junction (e.g., the tip ball 2904), thereby increasing the overall attachment strength to the melted tip ball 2904. In addition, the length of the strands between the melted tip ball 2904 and the knot-to-knot connection between the two components of the stretch resistant member 2900 prevents the stretch resistant member's first component from being affected by heat during the process of forming the melted tip ball 2904. Advantageously, these features result in the strands of the second component being coupled to the melted tip ball 2904 with a coupling strength greater than a tensile strength of the first component, and thereby avoid a typical failure seen in prior approaches—i.e., a “heat affected” zone of the stretch resistant member (i.e., the portion of the stretch resistant member that enters the melted tip ball) pulling away from and breaking at the melted tip ball when the micro-coil is placed under tension. This tensile failure of prior approaches typically occurs at a tensile load that is significantly lower than the original tensile strength of the stretch resistant member, presumably due to an effect from the process of forming the melted tip ball.
The knot-to-knot connection between the two components of the stretch resistant member 2900 also allows for four strand ends to transition to a single or double strand of suture, which runs through the entire length of the micro-coil 104, providing the desired feature of stretch resistance. This configuration also allows flexibility in component selection, such that a larger diameter suture may be used for the first component of the stretch resistant member 2900.
In one embodiment, a preferred material for the stretch resistant member 2900 is a monofilament polypropylene suture, in a size of 9-0 (which typically has a diameter between 0.0012″ and 0.0017″), but the suture may be smaller or larger and/or made from other polymers in other configurations depending on, for example, the inside diameter of the micro-coil 104 component.
As illustrated in
In practice, the tensile strength of the stretch resistant member's first component 3004 may be in a range of about 60,000 pounds per square inch (psi) to about 90,000 psi and, by employing the afore-described assembly, the strands of the stretch resistant member's second component 3012 may be coupled to the distal end 712 of the micro-coil 104 at a junction 2904 and with a coupling strength greater than that tensile strength of the first component 3004, for example in a range of about 120,000 psi to about 150,000 psi or more.
Having described certain embodiments of the invention, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other embodiments incorporating the concepts disclosed herein may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the described embodiments are to be considered in all respects as only illustrative and not restrictive.
This application claims priority to and the benefit of, and incorporates herein by reference in their entireties, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/782,940, which was filed on Mar. 14, 2013, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/869,265, which was filed on Aug. 23, 2013.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5250071 | Palermo | Oct 1993 | A |
| 5261916 | Engelson | Nov 1993 | A |
| 5263964 | Purdy | Nov 1993 | A |
| 5290230 | Ainsworth et al. | Mar 1994 | A |
| 5304195 | Twyford, Jr. et al. | Apr 1994 | A |
| 5312415 | Palermo | May 1994 | A |
| 5350397 | Palermo et al. | Sep 1994 | A |
| 5451209 | Ainsworth et al. | Sep 1995 | A |
| 5582619 | Ken | Dec 1996 | A |
| 5690667 | Gia | Nov 1997 | A |
| 5725546 | Samson | Mar 1998 | A |
| 5792154 | Doan et al. | Aug 1998 | A |
| 5797928 | Kogasaka | Aug 1998 | A |
| 5814062 | Sepetka et al. | Sep 1998 | A |
| 5833705 | Ken et al. | Nov 1998 | A |
| 5853418 | Ken et al. | Dec 1998 | A |
| 5868754 | Levine et al. | Feb 1999 | A |
| 5911737 | Lee et al. | Jun 1999 | A |
| 5944733 | Engelson | Aug 1999 | A |
| 6004338 | Ken et al. | Dec 1999 | A |
| 6013084 | Ken et al. | Jan 2000 | A |
| 6022369 | Jacobsen et al. | Feb 2000 | A |
| 6068644 | Lulo et al. | May 2000 | A |
| 6193728 | Ken et al. | Feb 2001 | B1 |
| 6200329 | Fung | Mar 2001 | B1 |
| 6221066 | Ferrera et al. | Apr 2001 | B1 |
| 6238415 | Sepetka et al. | May 2001 | B1 |
| 6280457 | Wallace et al. | Aug 2001 | B1 |
| 6296622 | Kurz et al. | Oct 2001 | B1 |
| 6478773 | Gandhi et al. | Nov 2002 | B1 |
| 6551305 | Ferrera et al. | Apr 2003 | B2 |
| 6562021 | Derbin et al. | May 2003 | B1 |
| 6835185 | Ramzipoor et al. | Dec 2004 | B2 |
| 6887235 | O'Connor et al. | May 2005 | B2 |
| 6966892 | Gandhi et al. | Nov 2005 | B2 |
| 7137990 | Hebert et al. | Nov 2006 | B2 |
| 7166122 | Aganon et al. | Jan 2007 | B2 |
| 7198613 | Gandhi et al. | Apr 2007 | B2 |
| 7255707 | Ramzipoor et al. | Aug 2007 | B2 |
| 7377932 | Mitelberg et al. | May 2008 | B2 |
| 7422569 | Wilson et al. | Sep 2008 | B2 |
| 7485122 | Teoh | Feb 2009 | B2 |
| 7608089 | Wallace et al. | Oct 2009 | B2 |
| 7695484 | Wallace et al. | Apr 2010 | B2 |
| 7722636 | Farnan | May 2010 | B2 |
| 7901444 | Slazas | Mar 2011 | B2 |
| 7938845 | Aganon et al. | May 2011 | B2 |
| 7942894 | West | May 2011 | B2 |
| 7972342 | Gandhi et al. | Jul 2011 | B2 |
| 7985238 | Balgobin et al. | Jul 2011 | B2 |
| 8062325 | Mitelberg et al. | Nov 2011 | B2 |
| 8328860 | Strauss et al. | Dec 2012 | B2 |
| 8333796 | Tompkins et al. | Dec 2012 | B2 |
| 8597323 | Plaza et al. | Dec 2013 | B1 |
| 8777978 | Strauss et al. | Jul 2014 | B2 |
| 8795316 | Balgobin et al. | Aug 2014 | B2 |
| 8940011 | Teoh et al. | Jan 2015 | B2 |
| 8945171 | Lim | Feb 2015 | B2 |
| 20010041901 | Furusawa | Nov 2001 | A1 |
| 20020002382 | Wallace et al. | Jan 2002 | A1 |
| 20020049467 | Gilson | Apr 2002 | A1 |
| 20020165569 | Ramzipoor et al. | Nov 2002 | A1 |
| 20030109891 | Dana | Jun 2003 | A1 |
| 20030120287 | Gross | Jun 2003 | A1 |
| 20040002732 | Teoh et al. | Jan 2004 | A1 |
| 20050113863 | Ramzipoor | May 2005 | A1 |
| 20050149108 | Cox | Jul 2005 | A1 |
| 20060025802 | Sowers | Feb 2006 | A1 |
| 20060116714 | Sepetka et al. | Jun 2006 | A1 |
| 20060259044 | Onuki | Nov 2006 | A1 |
| 20070005081 | Findlay et al. | Jan 2007 | A1 |
| 20070100422 | Shumer | May 2007 | A1 |
| 20070173865 | Oren | Jul 2007 | A1 |
| 20070239193 | Simon et al. | Oct 2007 | A1 |
| 20090192585 | Bloom | Jul 2009 | A1 |
| 20090270901 | Kelleher et al. | Oct 2009 | A1 |
| 20090297582 | Meyer et al. | Dec 2009 | A1 |
| 20100049218 | Miyamoto | Feb 2010 | A1 |
| 20100121350 | Mirigian | May 2010 | A1 |
| 20100160944 | Teoh et al. | Jun 2010 | A1 |
| 20100268201 | Tieu et al. | Oct 2010 | A1 |
| 20110092997 | Kang | Apr 2011 | A1 |
| 20110213406 | Aganon et al. | Sep 2011 | A1 |
| 20120041470 | Shrivastava | Feb 2012 | A1 |
| 20120041472 | Tan | Feb 2012 | A1 |
| 20130261657 | Lorenzo | Oct 2013 | A1 |
| 20130325054 | Watson | Dec 2013 | A1 |
| 20140058434 | Jones et al. | Feb 2014 | A1 |
| 20140058435 | Jones et al. | Feb 2014 | A1 |
| 20140277078 | Slazas et al. | Sep 2014 | A1 |
| 20140277085 | Mirigian et al. | Sep 2014 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1010396 | Jun 2000 | EP |
| 1621149 | Feb 2006 | EP |
| 1806106 | Jul 2007 | EP |
| 2777545 | Sep 2014 | EP |
| WO-9406503 | Mar 1994 | WO |
| WO-0074577 | Dec 2000 | WO |
| WO-2005034769 | Apr 2005 | WO |
| WO-2011046282 | Apr 2011 | WO |
| WO-2013081227 | Jun 2013 | WO |
| Entry |
|---|
| Extended European Search Report for EP 15184926 dated Feb. 29, 2016, 8 pages. |
| Invitation to Pay Additional Fees and, Where Applicable, Protest Fee for PCT/US2014/020157, dated Jul. 2, 2014, 7 pages. |
| International Search Report and Written Opinion for International Application No. PCT/US2014/020157, dated Sep. 30, 2014, 17 pages. |
| Office Action for Chinese Patent Application No. 201480013862.6, dated Apr. 17, 2017 (6 pages). |
| European Examination Report for Application No. 14722001.6, dated Mar. 21, 2017 (5 pages). |
| European Examination Report for Application No. 15184926.2, dated Mar. 15, 2017 (4 pages). |
| Office Action for Japanese Patent Application No. 2016-500583, dated Nov. 20, 2017 (7 pages). |
| European Examination Report for Application No. 14722001.6, dated Oct. 10, 2017 (5 pages). |
| Australian Examination Report No. 1 for Application No. 2014241911, dated Sep. 25, 2017 (4 pages). |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20140277084 A1 | Sep 2014 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61869265 | Aug 2013 | US | |
| 61782940 | Mar 2013 | US |
