The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for placing sutures in soft tissue, and more particularly to methods and devices for arthroscopic repair of a tom rotator cuff.
Suturing of body tissues is a time consuming aspect of most surgical procedures. Many surgical procedures are currently being performed where it is necessary to make a large opening to expose the area of, for instance, the human body that requires surgical repair. There are instruments that are becoming increasingly available that allow the viewing of certain areas of the body through a small puncture wound without exposing the entire body cavity. These viewing instruments, called “endoscopes”, can be used in conjunction with specialized surgical instrumentation to detect, diagnose, and repair areas of the body that were previously only able to be repaired using traditional “open” surgery. In the past, there have been many attempts to simplify the task of driving a needle carrying suture through body tissues to approximate, ligate and fixate them. Many prior disclosures, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 919,138 to Drake et al, employ a hollow needle driven through the tissue with the suture material passing through the hollow center lumen. The needle is withdrawn, leaving the suture material in place, and the suture is tied, completing the approximation. A limitation of these types of devices is that they are particularly adapted for use in open surgical procedures where there is ample room for the surgeon to manipulate the instrument.
Others have attempted to devise suturing instruments that resemble traditional forceps, such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,946,740 to Bassett. These devices pinch tissue between opposing jaws and pass a needle from one jaw through the tissue to the other jaw. Graspers then pull the needle and suture material through the tissue. A limitation of these designs is that they also are adapted primarily for open surgery, in that they require exposure of the tissues to be sutured in order that the tissue may be grasped or pinched between the jaws of the instrument. This is a severe limitation in the case of endoscopic surgery.
The term “endosurgery” means “endoscopic surgery”, or surgery performed using an endoscope. In conjunction with a video monitor, the endoscope permits the surgeon to remotely visualize the operative site. Operations using an endoscope are significantly less invasive when compared to traditional open surgery. Patients usually return home the next day, or in some cases, the same day of the endosurgical procedure. This is in contrast to standard open surgical procedures where a large incision divides the muscle layers and allows the surgeon to directly visualize the operative site. Patients may stay in the hospital for 5 to 6 days or longer following open surgery. In addition, after endosurgical procedures, patients return to work within a few days versus the traditional 3 to 4 weeks recuperative period at home following open surgery.
Access to the operative site using endosurgical or minimally invasive techniques is accomplished by inserting small tubes, known as trocars, into a body cavity. These trocars have a diameter of, for example, between 3 mm and 30 mm and a length of about 150 mm (6 inches). There have been attempts to devise instruments and methods for suturing within a body cavity through these trocar tubes.
Such an instrument is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,640 to Mulhollan et al. Mulhollan et al. describe an instrument that may be used to hold and drive a needle, but make no provision for retrieval of the needle from the body cavity, nor the completion of the suture by tying. The instrument disclosed by Mulhollan et al. is limited, in that the arc through which the needle must be driven is perpendicular to the axis of the device.
Another such instrument, intended for endoscopic use, is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,935,027 to Yoon. This instrument uses oppositional hollow needles or tracks pushed through the tissue and adapted to create a tract through which the suture material is pushed. It is not clear how these curved tracks would be adapted to both be able to pierce the tissue planes illustrated, parallel to the tips of the tracks, and be curved toward each other to form the hollow tract.
Yet another instrument and method is shown by Caspari in U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,461 issued May 8, 1990 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,957,498 issued Sep. 18, 1990. The Caspari patents disclose an endoscopic instrument suitable for use through a trocar that resembles the Yoon approach, but with a single hollow needle on one of a set of oppositional jaws. The jaws simultaneously close, grasping the tissue. The jaw opposite the hollow needle has a window through which the hollow needle passes as the jaws close, freeing the lumen of the hollow needle from the tissue. Much like Yoon, a suture or suture snare is pushed down through the lumen and retrieved from the suture site, the jaws released, and the suture pulled back out through the trocar. This device may be used to place simple stitches in tissues that have been mobilized and have an edge accessible to the jaws. A limitation of the device is the manipulation that must be done with the snare if a suture other than a monofilament is used.
Another instrument specifically adapted for the orthopedic surgeon for the repair of a torn anterior cruciate ligament or for meniscal repair is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,205 to Barrett. Barrett combines in a single instrument the functions of grasping the tissue to be sutured and the passing of the needles through that tissue. It is to be understood that this instrument is designed for use specifically under endoscopic view, and through trocars as previously described. A fairly generic endoscopic grasper is disclosed that has been adapted to allow for a hollow lumen from the handle of the grasper down to the distal tip of the grasper jaws. An elongate needle of 8 to 10 inches in length may be passed through this hollow lumen. The needle, being significantly longer than the grasper, is introduced through the handle of the grasper, and may be driven through the tissue being held in the grasping jaws of the device. The needle is then retrieved from the tissue via a trocar port placed substantially opposite the port through which the grasper is introduced. If a mattress stitch is desired, two needles attached to opposite ends of a suture are both passed through the tissue and retrieved. A limitation of this device is that there must be both visual and physical access to both sides of the tissue flap to be sutured. This requires trocars to be placed opposite each other and roughly on a line intercepting the tissue. This is a severe limitation in the instance of shoulder repair, and specifically in repair of the rotator cuff.
Yet another instrument adapted for use in endoscopic procedures is described by Garman et al in U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,991. This instrument has an elongated housing provided with a needle tip and a lateral opening near the sharpened needle tip. A suture engaging hook, typically formed from wire, is extendable through the lateral opening and away from the axis of the elongated housing by virtue of being predisposed to bend away from the axis in order to snare the suture. The hook is situated at the distal end of an elongated flexible support which is pre-formed in order to enable the hook to be laterally displaced from the axis of the needle tip when the support is moved distally relative to the lateral opening. When a suture is engaged by the hook, the hook is retracted proximally in order to place and hold the suture adjacent the lateral opening. The instrument is somewhat limited in the case of rotator cuff repair in that an additional instrument would need to be introduced into the joint to immobilize the tissues sufficiently to allow the needle tip to penetrate the tissues to be sutured. Also, no provision is made for capturing the two ends of a suture to place a mattress stitch, save repeating the prior steps.
A similar instrument is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,312,422 and 5,474,565 issued to Trott. These patents also describe a needle structure adapted for penetration of soft tissues and suture retrieval. A substantially flat suturing needle with a hook feature is illustrated which can engage a suture to an outer housing, thereby presenting a relatively smooth surface at the distal end of the needle to minimize tissue trauma. The limitations mentioned above are evident here as well. The requirement for additional instrumentation to immobilize the tissues, and the lack of provision for a mattress stitch are paramount. There have been other attempts to improve the methods of tissue repair. These include the development of staplers and anchoring devices. In response to some of the aforementioned problems in placing sutures in tissues endoscopically, manufacturers have developed tissue staplers. These devices utilize stainless steel or titanium staples that are constructed much like the staples used to hold papers together. The major disadvantage of these kinds of staplers is that they leave metal in the body. For some tissues this is not a problem, however in some procedures, metal staples left within the tissues can be a major hindrance to the healing process.
Orthopedic surgeons have begun to explore alternatives to the traditional open approach for the many indications requiring reconstruction of some aspect of the shoulder. As they did in adopting minimally invasive approaches to knee repair and reconstruction, the use of either an endoscope or a “mini-open” approach is gaining in popularity with surgeons, patients and third party payers. It is an increasingly common problem for tendons and other soft, connective tissues to tear or to detach from associated bone. One such type of tear or detachment is a “rotator cuff” tear, causing pain and loss of ability to elevate and externally rotate the arm. Complete separation can occur if the shoulder is subjected to gross trauma, but typically, the tear begins as a small lesion, especially in older patients.
Less invasive arthroscopic techniques are beginning to be developed in an effort to address the shortcomings of open surgical repair. Working through small trocar portals that minimize disruption of the deltoid muscle, a few surgeons have been able to reattach the rotator cuff using various bone anchor and suture configurations. The rotator cuff is sutured intracorporeally using instruments and techniques such as the Caspari punch previously described. This creates a simple stitch instead of the more desirable mattress or Mason-Allen stitch. Rather than thread the suture through trans-osseous tunnels which are difficult or impossible to create arthroscopically using current techniques, an anchor is driven into bone at a location appropriate for repair. The repair is completed by tying the cuff down against bone using the anchor and suture.
Early results of less invasive techniques are encouraging, with a substantial reduction in both patient recovery time and discomfort. However, as mentioned, this approach places only one loop of suture in the cuff for each anchor, reducing the fundamnental strength of the repair. The knots in the tendon can be bulky and create a painful impingement of the tendon on the bone. This is because the knots end up on top of the cuff, in the sub-acromial space, and have the opportunity to rub on the acromion as the arm is raised. Because non-absorbable suture materials are used for these types of repairs, the suture and associated knots are not absorbed into the body, and hence provide a constant, painful reminder of their presence. None of the prior art devices are adaptable to effect the placement of a mattress stitch in grasped tissues, nor are they adaptable to place sutures precisely and controllably while making provision for needle retrieval when using endoscopic techniques. None of the prior art devices make it possible to place a mattress stitch into, for example, the supraspinatus tendon utilizing an endoscopic approach.
What is needed, therefore, is a family of novel suturing devices that overcome the above described disadvantages of prior known devices in a simple and economical manner. The devices should be capable of arthroscopically creating a mattress stitch in a tendon to increase the soft tissue pullout strength of the repaired tendon.
Accordingly, the inventors have developed a new and novel approach to securing a mattress stitch in a tissue flap. An instrument that combines the function of both grasping the tissue and passing sutures through the tissue to form a mattress stitch is herein described. The instrument includes a pair of grasping jaws that oppose each other along a line substantially perpendicular to the long axis of the instrument. The distal end of the instrument incorporates the fixed jaw, and proximal to that jaw is a moveable jaw that is controlled by the user via a lever on the handgrip.
In a preferred method of the present invention the instrument is inserted through a portal known as a trocar cannula. The portal is created by first making an incision in the skin, and then inserting a cannula through the incision to the repair site. The distal end of the instrument is inserted through the cannula under direct visualization from a second trocar cannula that has been previously inserted. The visualization is accomplished via an endoscope, of a type well known in the art. The instrument is inserted until the jaws reach, for example, tom rotator cuff tissue. In operation, the distal end of the grasper aspect of the instrument is positioned at the repair site underneath the tissue to be grasped. The moveable jaw pivots toward the stationary jaw by squeezing the handle lever. The handle lever moves inward by pivoting about a pivot pin. Once the appropriate section of tissue is isolated and grasped by the jaws, the lever may be locked in its closed position using a latch mechanism.
Once the surgeon is satisfied with the placement of the grasper on the grasped tissue, the surgeon can then deploy the suture needles to create a mattress stitch in the tissues, for example, the above-mentioned torn rotator cuff. In operation, the suture needles may be advanced through the grasped tissues by pulling on a second lever. The lever is directly connected to the needles via a connecting rod, and the lever is pulled against the force of a return spring. In turn, the connecting rod pushes a needle carriage, with suture needles held in the carriage. The needle carriage resides behind the proximal moveable jaw of the instrument, and, at the urging of the lever via the connecting rod, is able to move distally with the needles passing around the moveable jaw. As the carriage moves distally, the tips of the suture needles begin to clear the distal edge of apertures created in a more proximal portion of the stationary jaw, and begin to penetrate through the top of the grasped tissue and advance distally towards the more distal portion of the stationary jaw.
The stationary distal jaw incorporates two apertures that are adapted to receive the ends of the suture. Secondary open channels perpendicular to the suture apertures are configured with a specific geometry designed to direct the suture needles across the apertures containing the ends of the sutures. As the suture needles approach the end of their stroke, the distal ends of the needles have passed completely through the grasped tissues and begin to enter the secondary open channels in the stationary distal jaw.
At this point, any pull force being applied by the grasper on the grasped tissues is relaxed. Once the tissue is in a relaxed state, the jaws of the grasper are then opened. The handle lever is unlocked from the locking mechanism and returns to an open position due to the pull force exerted on it by means of a return spring. As the return spring pulls on the lever, it pivots about a pin.
To complete the pull out of the suture needles, it is necessary to pull on the grasper, and to remove it from the repair site. The instrument can be retracted back through the portal via the trocar cannula. As the instrument is removed from the suture site, the free ends of the suture are retrieved as well. This causes the suture to pass through the tissues at the puncture sites. As the suture is pulled through, the loop end of the suture is pulled snug against the underside of the tissues to form what is referred to as a mattress stitch. This process may be repeated as necessary, depending on the number sutures required for the particular procedure being undertaken.
Now it may be seen by those skilled in the art, that the combination of grasping tissues to be sutured and precisely placing a mattress stitch in the grasped tissues, while working through a trocar port, effects a significant advance in the art. Advantages of the present invention thus include providing an endoscopic instrument adapted for the grasping of tissues and creating a mattress stitch within those tissues, as well as the provision of a suturing instrument that allows for the reloading of additional sutures for placement of subsequent stitches. Additionally, the inventive system is advantageous in that it provides for direct capture of the suture material.
More particularly, there is provided in one preferred embodiment of the present invention a suturing device, comprising a distal portion which is engaged with a length of suture, as well as a needle which is axially movable distally and proximally. A soft tissue receiving portion, preferably comprising a clamp having first and second jaws, wherein one of the first and second jaws is movable relative to the other to grasp soft tissue therein, is disposed proximally of the distal portion. A ramp portion for moving the needle radially inwardly and outwardly as the needle moves axially over the ramp portion is also provided.
In a preferred embodiment, the distal portion for retaining the suture comprises a suture cartridge with a molded tip, having grooves for accommodating the suture. The ramp portion comprises a radially outwardly sloping entrance ramp for moving the needle radially outwardly as the needle moves axially in a distal direction, as well as a radially inwardly sloping retraction ramp for moving the needle radially inwardly as the needle moves axially in a proximal direction. The needle comprises a distal point, a proximal shaft, and a hook defining a suture holding area.
The hook portion of the needle is uniquely designed to provide a positive tactile indication as to when the suture has been capture within the suture holding area. This design includes a terminus of the hook, which is cantilevered proximally from a distal end of the needle. A bump on the needle in a location opposed to the hook terminus is provided, so that the hook terminus and the bump together provide a tactile sensation to a user when suture passes thereover into the suture holding area.
In preferred embodiments, a second needle, as well as a second ramp portion, is provided, so that a mattress stitch may be created. A sheath, which is slidable relative to the needle, is provided for selectively covering each needle, particularly when the needle is being retracted proximally through the soft tissue, to prevent unnecessary damage thereto.
In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a needle for a suturing device, which comprises a distal point, a proximal shaft, and a hook defining a suture holding area. As noted above, the needle preferably further comprises a terminus of the hook, which is cantilevered proximally from a distal end of the needle, as well as a bump on the needle in a location opposed to the hook terminus.
In still another aspect of the invention, there is described a method of suturing soft tissue using a suturing device, which comprises steps of retaining a portion of soft tissue to be sutured, and moving a needle having a hook which defines a suture holding area distally, so that the hook is disposed in a location past the portion of soft tissue and past a length of suture which is retained on a distal portion of the suturing device. Then, the needle is moved proximally in order to capture the suture so that it is retained in the suture holding area. Once the suture is captured, the needle is moved a further distance proximally, so that the needle draws the suture through the portion of soft tissue, thereby suturing the soft tissue. Preferably, when the needle is moved distally, it is also moved radially outwardly in order to avoid contacting, and possibly damaging, the length of suture. Additionally, when the needle is moved proximally, it is also moved radially inwardly in order to ensure proper capture of the suture. In preferred methods, it is further desirable to cover the needle with a sheath prior to retracting the needle proximally through the soft tissue.
The invention, together with additional features and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying illustrative drawing.
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for the arthroscopic repair of tom tissue and bone at a surgical repair site using an inventive device which is a combination tissue grasper and suture placement device. Although the present invention is described primarily in conjunction with the repair of a tom rotator cuff, the apparatus and method could also be used in arthroscopic repair at other sites, such as the knee, elbow, hip surgery, and for other surgical techniques for securing suture in the soft tissues of the body.
A description of the basic functional elements of suture capture and retrieval, in accordance with the principles of the invention, follows.
Referring to
Referring to
Referring now to
Having understood the basic structure and nature of the suture retrieval mechanism, a more complete disclosure of how this mechanism may be used to place a stitch, and more specifically, a mattress stitch, in soft tissues will now be described. Referring now to
It is to be understood that in this view, only one needle 12a of the two needles 12a 12b may be visualized, but that a concomitant needle 12b is penetrating the tissue along a substantially parallel path, as previously illustrated in
As will now be shown, there are certain characteristics, geometries and interfaces between parts that combine to optimize the performance of the suture capture mechanism. Repeatable capture of the suture material, as well as minimizing damage to the suture ends are objects of the present invention. By referring to
Referring now to
A more complete and detailed description of the construction and operation of the needles may be understood by referring to
When the needle 112 has been introduced through soft tissue (not shown) and has been driven past the suture to be captured as previously illustrated in
It is important to understand that this particular configuration of needle 112, and indeed all of the needles described in connection with the present invention, are configured to capture a section of suture substantially near one of the ends of the suture. As such, and because the needle is not capturing the suture near the center of the stand of suture where the drag on both legs of the suture as it is retracted through the tissue would be equalized, it is important to prevent the suture from migrating in or through the suture holding area 164. It is also important to secure the suture in the needle while the instrument is being withdrawn, to form and complete, for example, a mattress stitch. Therefore, the combination of deformation, tactile sensation, and compression conspires to hold the suture securely.
Another aspect of the present invention that is to be understood is the mechanism described to effect smooth passage of the needle hook with captured suture back through the soft tissue as the needles are retracted. To that end,
An alternative needle embodiment is illustrated in
Accordingly, in
Referring now to
To those skilled in the art, the use of a beveled point needle may seem to solve some of the aforementioned problems of spearing the suture by creating a needle that, by virtue of its completely beveled nature, is able to smoothly move over the suture material without snagging. However, it must be noted that a beveled needle, when forced through soft tissue, has a pronounced tendency to wander, and targeting of the needle in order to place it in an advantageous position for the retrieval of the suture material is quite challenging. In fact, this wandering tendency in the direction of the bevel is uncontrollable to the degree that repeatable suture capture is not possible. Another way of ensuring that the needle point does not spear the suture is to have the needle diameter be more than twice the suture diameter, so that the pointed face that interfaces with the suture puts the needle point above the profile of the suture diameter. This, however is a limitation, in that the hole left by the needle as it penetrates the soft tissues is considerably larger than the suture material left in its place.
Although an apparatus for the placement of mattress stitches has been disclosed here, instruments for other stitches, for example, a simple stitch, require only a single needle. Such instruments comprising only a single needle, or, in other instances, perhaps more than two needles, are within the scope of the present invention.
The apparatus and method of the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.
This application is a continuation under 35 U.S.C. 120 of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/308,732, filed on Dec. 3, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,770,084, which claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) of Provisional U.S. Application Ser. No. 60/391,676, entitled Suture Capture Device, and filed on Jun. 26, 2002, wherein both of these applications are expressly incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
919138 | Drake et al. | Apr 1909 | A |
1635066 | Wells | Jul 1927 | A |
2289983 | Wappler | Jan 1942 | A |
2286578 | Sauter | Jun 1942 | A |
2738790 | Todt, Sr. et al. | Mar 1956 | A |
3842840 | Schweizer | Oct 1974 | A |
3946740 | Bassett | Mar 1976 | A |
4109658 | Hughes | Aug 1978 | A |
4164225 | Johnson et al. | Aug 1979 | A |
4345601 | Fukuda | Aug 1982 | A |
4373530 | Kilejian | Feb 1983 | A |
4493323 | Albright et al. | Jan 1985 | A |
4621640 | Mulhollan et al. | Nov 1986 | A |
4635637 | Schreiber | Jan 1987 | A |
4738255 | Goble et al. | Apr 1988 | A |
4741330 | Hayhurst | May 1988 | A |
4781182 | Purnell et al. | Nov 1988 | A |
4836205 | Barrett | Jun 1989 | A |
4923461 | Caspari | May 1990 | A |
4926860 | Stice et al. | May 1990 | A |
4935027 | Yoon | Jun 1990 | A |
4957498 | Caspari | Sep 1990 | A |
4981149 | Yoon et al. | Jan 1991 | A |
5037422 | Hayhurst et al. | Aug 1991 | A |
5037433 | Wilk et al. | Aug 1991 | A |
5046513 | Gattuma et al. | Sep 1991 | A |
5059201 | Asnis | Oct 1991 | A |
5085661 | Moss | Feb 1992 | A |
5217471 | Burkhart | Jun 1993 | A |
5222977 | Esser | Jun 1993 | A |
5269786 | Morgan | Dec 1993 | A |
5304184 | Hathaway et al. | Apr 1994 | A |
5312422 | Trott | May 1994 | A |
5318577 | Li | Jun 1994 | A |
5336229 | Noda | Aug 1994 | A |
5397325 | Della Badia et al. | Mar 1995 | A |
5403329 | Hinchcliffe | Apr 1995 | A |
5409494 | Morgan | Apr 1995 | A |
5417699 | Klein et al. | May 1995 | A |
5431666 | Sauer et al. | Jul 1995 | A |
5445167 | Yoon et al. | Aug 1995 | A |
5454823 | Richardson et al. | Oct 1995 | A |
5474565 | Trott | Dec 1995 | A |
5480405 | Yoon | Jan 1996 | A |
5499991 | Garman et al. | Mar 1996 | A |
5522820 | Caspari et al. | Jun 1996 | A |
5527322 | Klein et al. | Jun 1996 | A |
5573542 | Stevens | Nov 1996 | A |
5575801 | Habermeyer et al. | Nov 1996 | A |
5609597 | Lehrer | Mar 1997 | A |
5613974 | Andreas et al. | Mar 1997 | A |
5618290 | Toy et al. | Apr 1997 | A |
5626590 | Wilk | May 1997 | A |
5645552 | Sherts | Jul 1997 | A |
5665108 | Galindo | Sep 1997 | A |
5690653 | Richardson et al. | Nov 1997 | A |
5700273 | Buelna et al. | Dec 1997 | A |
5741281 | Martin | Apr 1998 | A |
5776150 | Nolan et al. | Jul 1998 | A |
5779719 | Klein et al. | Jul 1998 | A |
5792151 | Heck et al. | Aug 1998 | A |
5792152 | Klein et al. | Aug 1998 | A |
5792153 | Swain et al. | Aug 1998 | A |
5797927 | Yoon | Aug 1998 | A |
5836956 | Buelna et al. | Nov 1998 | A |
5860991 | Klein et al. | Jan 1999 | A |
5860992 | Daniel et al. | Jan 1999 | A |
5902311 | Andreas et al. | May 1999 | A |
5904692 | Steckel et al. | May 1999 | A |
5908426 | Pierce | Jun 1999 | A |
5921994 | Andreas et al. | Jul 1999 | A |
5947982 | Duran | Sep 1999 | A |
5980538 | Fuchs et al. | Nov 1999 | A |
5984933 | Yoon | Nov 1999 | A |
6001109 | Kontos | Dec 1999 | A |
6022360 | Reimels et al. | Feb 2000 | A |
6024747 | Kontos | Feb 2000 | A |
6036699 | Andreas et al. | Mar 2000 | A |
6048351 | Gordon et al. | Apr 2000 | A |
6051006 | Shluzas et al. | Apr 2000 | A |
6059801 | Samimi | May 2000 | A |
6096051 | Kortenbach et al. | Aug 2000 | A |
6117144 | Nobles et al. | Sep 2000 | A |
6136010 | Modesitt et al. | Oct 2000 | A |
6143004 | Davis et al. | Nov 2000 | A |
6217592 | Freda et al. | Apr 2001 | B1 |
6245079 | Nobles et al. | Jun 2001 | B1 |
6332889 | Sancoff et al. | Dec 2001 | B1 |
6533795 | Tran et al. | Mar 2003 | B1 |
6551330 | Bain et al. | Apr 2003 | B1 |
6605096 | Ritchart | Aug 2003 | B1 |
6770084 | Bain et al. | Aug 2004 | B1 |
6893448 | O'Quinn et al. | May 2005 | B2 |
6896686 | Weber | May 2005 | B2 |
6911034 | Nobles et al. | Jun 2005 | B2 |
6984237 | Hatch et al. | Jan 2006 | B2 |
7090686 | Nobles et al. | Aug 2006 | B2 |
7160309 | Voss | Jan 2007 | B2 |
7198631 | Kanner et al. | Apr 2007 | B2 |
7377926 | Topper et al. | May 2008 | B2 |
7449024 | Stafford | Nov 2008 | B2 |
7585305 | Dreyfuss | Sep 2009 | B2 |
7758597 | Tran et al. | Jul 2010 | B1 |
20020147456 | Diduch et al. | Oct 2002 | A1 |
20030065337 | Topper et al. | Apr 2003 | A1 |
20030083695 | Morris et al. | May 2003 | A1 |
20030181925 | Bain et al. | Sep 2003 | A1 |
20030195528 | Ritchart | Oct 2003 | A1 |
20030220658 | Hatch et al. | Nov 2003 | A1 |
20030233106 | Dreyfuss | Dec 2003 | A1 |
20040010273 | Diduch et al. | Jan 2004 | A1 |
20040236353 | Bain et al. | Nov 2004 | A1 |
20040249394 | Morris et al. | Dec 2004 | A1 |
20050165419 | Sauer et al. | Jul 2005 | A1 |
20080097482 | Bain et al. | Apr 2008 | A1 |
20100241144 | Delli-Santi | Sep 2010 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
2205176 | Dec 2000 | CA |
4235602 | Apr 1994 | DE |
2532242 | Jul 1995 | DE |
0535908 | Apr 1993 | EP |
9106247 | May 1991 | WO |
9710756 | Mar 1997 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20040236353 A1 | Nov 2004 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
60391676 | Jun 2002 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 10308732 | Dec 2002 | US |
Child | 10856716 | US |