Mark A Ritchart

6428486, Aug 6, 2002

Dec 21, 2000

09/746402

Mark A. Ritchart - Murrieta CA
J. Michael Stuart - Lake Forest CA
Fred H. Burbank - San Juan Capistrano CA
Kenneth M. Galt - Seal Beach CA

Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. - Cincinnati OH

A61B 500

600566

Instruments for performing percutaneous biopsy procedures are disclosed, which have advantageous features for improving functionality and performance over prior art devices. These instruments comprise two types, single-use devices, and multiple-use devices having active tissue capture capability. Improved features include the ability to retrieve and evaluate multiple tissue samples during a single insertion procedure, without physical handling of the samples, as well as constructional features, such as a molded tissue cassette housing, variant vacuum port embodiments suited for different tissue environments, and a method for backflushing the instrument to remove biological debris, among others.

6488030, Dec 3, 2002

Feb 2, 2000

09/496518

John L. Wardle - San Clemente CA
Mark A. Ritchart - Murrieta CA

Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. - Cincinnati OH

A61G 1500

128845, 248278

A device is provided for stabilizing and positioning an otherwise hand-held medical instrument, such as a biopsy power driver and probe, to ensure the ability to accurately place the probe into the breast and maintain position relative to a particular tissue site from any desired entry point. The device comprises a main arm having a generally vertical portion and a generally horizontal portion. A clamping assembly permits attachment of the apparatus to a stationary object, which is preferably an examination table, and includes a locking clamp having a gripping mode and a releasing mode for alternately gripping and releasing the main arm, and a lever assembly for actuating the locking clamp between the gripping mode and the releasing mode. A horizontal clamp, attached to the generally horizontal portion of the main arm, provides support for an articulating arm assembly having a first arm portion, or upper arm, and a second arm portion, or forearm, wherein the upper arm and forearm are attached together by an elbow joint, so that they may be articulated relative to one another about a common axis disposed through the elbow. A mounting bracket for securing the biopsy power driver and probe is attached to a distal end of the forearm.

6524317, Feb 25, 2003

Dec 30, 1999

09/475495

Mark A. Ritchart - Murrieta CA
Seth A. Foerster - San Clemente CA

OPUS Medical, Inc. - San Juan Capistrano CA

A61B 1756

606 72, 606232

An innovative bone anchor and methods for securing connective tissue, such as tendons, to bone are disclosed which permit a suture attachment which lies entirely beneath the cortical bone surface, and wherein the suturing material between the connective tissue and the bone anchor is oriented in a direction generally transverse to the longitudinal axis of the bone anchor, so that axial pull-out forces exerted on the bone anchor are minimized. The suture attachment to the bone anchor involves the looping of a substantial length of suturing material around a shaft of the anchor, thereby avoiding an eyelet connection which requires a knot and which concentrates stress on a very small portion of the suturing material. Thus, failure rates are greatly decreased over conventional techniques, and the inventive procedures are significantly easier to perform than conventional techniques.

6605096, Aug 12, 2003

Jul 20, 2001

09/909928

Mark A. Ritchart - Murrieta CA

Opus Medical Inc, - San Juan Capistrano CA

A61B 1704

606144, 606148, 606205, 606 96

A suturing instrument and methods for placing stitches in soft tissues combines the functions of both independently grasping the tissue and passing sutures through the tissue to form a mattress stitch therein. The endoscopic suturing instrument comprises a clamping portion having a longitudinal axis, which is adapted for percutaneous entry into an operative site. The clamping portion further comprises a plurality of jaw members that are movable relative to one another between a closed position wherein the jaw members are disposed in close proximity to one another and an open position wherein the jaw members are spaced apart. A needle portion is disposed at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis, and is adapted for percutaneous entry into said operative site. The needle portion comprises a needle, and preferably a pair of needles, for passage through a portion of soft tissue disposed between the jaw members of the clamping portion.

6976968, Dec 20, 2005

Jun 28, 2001

09/894356

Mark A. Ritchart - Murrieta CA, US
George White - Diamond Bar CA, US

A61B010/00

600567, 600566, 606167

A tissue sampling apparatus comprises a tubular body having a primary lumen for receiving a tissue sample. The tubular body includes a distal end, a proximal end, and a longitudinal axis extending from the proximal end to the distal end. The tissue sampling apparatus further comprises a cutting cylinder having a distal cutting edge, which is movable both distally and proximally relative to the tubular body. A band having an eyelet disposed therein extends across a distal end of the tissue sampling apparatus, wherein the eyelet is advantageously movable relative to the distal cutting edge in order to sever a distal end of the tissue sample.

7044957, May 16, 2006

Feb 2, 2001

09/776125

Seth A. Foerster - San Clemente CA, US
Fred H. Burbank - San Juan Capistrano CA, US
Mark A. Ritchart - Murrieta CA, US
Elias A. Zerhouni - Baltimore MD, US

Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. - Cinncinnati OH

A61B 17/34

606185

In order to later identify the location of a biopsy or surgery, various means and methods for permanently and non-surgically marking selected tissue in the human body are used. Later visualization of the markers is readily accomplished using state-of-the-art imaging systems.

7090690, Aug 15, 2006

Nov 19, 2002

10/299171

Seth A. Foerster - San Clemente CA, US
Norman S. Gordon - Irvine CA, US
Mark A. Ritchart - Murrieta CA, US
Gregory H. Bain - Laguna Niguel CA, US
George White - Corona CA, US

Arthrocare Corporation - Austin TX

A61B 17/04

606232

Devices and methods are disclosed for securing soft tissue to bone, and particularly for axially anchoring suture which attaches the soft tissue to adjacent bone structure.

7226424, Jun 5, 2007

Feb 11, 2003

10/364062

Mark A. Ritchart - Murrieta CA, US
J. Michael Stuart - Lake Forest CA, US
Fred H. Burbank - San Juan Capistrano CA, US
Kenneth M. Galt - Seal Beach CA, US

Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. - Cincinnati OH

A61B 10/00

600566, 606167

Instruments for performing percutaneous biopsy procedures are disclosed, which have advantageous features for improving functionality and performance over prior art devices. These instruments comprise two types, single-use devices, and multiple-use devices having active tissue capture capability. Improved features include the ability to retrieve and evaluate multiple tissue samples during a single insertion procedure, without physical handling of the samples, as well as constructional features, such as a molded tissue cassette housing, variant vacuum port embodiments suited for different tissue environments, and a method for backflushing the instrument to remove biological debris, among others.