Robert J Todd
Land Surveyors in Salt Lake City, UT

5891017, Apr 6, 1999

May 7, 1997

8/853099

Carl A. Swindle - Dana Point CA
Robert Joseph Todd - Salt Lake City UT

Baxter Research Medical, Inc. - Midvale UT

A61B 1700

600205

The present invention is directed to new and useful methods and apparatus for isolating and immobilizing tissue for improved presentation in a surgical site, preferably in coronary bypass on a beating heart. At the same time, the present invention also helps avert ischemic damage to tissues downstream. A surgical stabilizer in accordance with the present invention offers physical manipulation of a surgical site, which improves the surgeon's sewing, grasping, and visualizing abilities at the site, and in turn, may increase the confidence and patency of the graft. The stabilizer is used to compress or to suction a region of the heart just below a stenotic coronary artery. The surgeon may selectively articulate the tissue by spreading it apart or pushing it together, as per his or her preference, or per the requirements of the surgical situation. The surgeon may lock in place the handle via a ratchet mechanism to hold the specific open or closed articulation of the surgical stabilizer. With the tissue thus isolated and immobilized, the surgeon may then graft the bypass vessel distal to the stenosis in the coronary artery.

5084031, Jan 28, 1992

Sep 12, 1989

7/406382

Robert J. Todd - Salt Lake City UT
Douglas L. Smith - Murray UT
Michael N. Kelly - Salt Lake City UT

Research Medical, Inc. - Midvale UT

A61M 500

604248

A three-way double stopcock and associated tubing is disclosed with which to connect both a cardioplegia solution source and a pressure monitor for the solution selectively and alternatively to either an antegrade cardioplegia catheter or a retrograde cardioplegia catheter. The stopcock includes a hollow valve body with three solution infusion ports communicating to the interior thereof in a coplanar arrangement at a first longitudinal point on the valve body. Three cardioplegia pressure monitoring ports also communicate through the valve body to the interior thereof at a second longitudinal position distinct from the first. Mounted in the valve body is a cylindrical valve core selectively rotatable about the longitudinal axis thereof between a first position in which the cardioplegia solution source and the pressure monitor are coupled to the antegrade cannula and a second position in which the cardioplegia solution source and the pressure monitor are coupled to the retrograde catheter. Formed in the valve core are a set of valving passageways for communicating with selective of the infusion ports and a set of valving passageways for communicating with selective of the pressure monitoring ports.

5556386, Sep 17, 1996

Apr 3, 1995

8/415360

Robert J. Todd - Salt Lake City UT

Research Medical, Inc. - Salt Lake City UT

A61M 500

604247

Pressure relief valve apparatus is disclosed for shunting fluids under conditions of overpressure, thereby preventing further increases in the pressure within a fluid delivery system. A presently preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the invention is formed of two components, a valve body member and a valve tube member. The valve body member is provided with first and second connector elements for use in connecting the pressure relief valve into a medical fluid delivery circuit. It is also provided with first and second bores passing through the first and second connector elements, respectively, and exiting at respective first and second exit ports on the side of the valve body member. A valve seat comprising a raised annular ridge around the circumference of the valve body member separates the first and second exit ports. The valve tube member is formed from an elastic material, preferably silicone tubing, and is placed in elastic tension over the valve body member so as to cover both exit ports and the valve seat.

5021045, Jun 4, 1991

Apr 28, 1988

7/187230

Gerald D. Buckberg - Los Angeles CA
Robert J. Todd - Salt Lake City UT

Research Medical, Inc. - Salt Lake City UT

A61M 2902

604 53

This invention relates to a retrograde cardioplegia catheter and its method of use. The catheter contains two lumens, an infusion lumen through which the cardioplegic solution flows and a pressure sensing lumen for monitoring the fluid pressure at the point where the solution exits the catheter. A slightly tapered, self-filling balloon is secured to the distal end of the catheter. Also, located at the distal end of the catheter is a soft, rounded tip to prevent damage to the sensitive intimal tissues of the coronary sinus. A stylet having a predetermined curve at the distal end and a handle at the proximal end is removably located within the infusion lumen. The predetermined curve at one end of the stylet enables the cardioplegia catheter to be inserted quickly and accurately within the coronary sinus through a very small incision made in the right atrium. After the catheter is securerd in place, the stylet is withdrawn. The catheter remains in position for the duration of the operation in order to periodically readminister the cardioplegia solution.

4804359, Feb 14, 1989

Oct 23, 1987

7/112723

Ronald P. Grunwald - Valleyford WA
Robert J. Todd - Salt Lake City UT

Research Medical, Inc. - Salt Lake City UT

A61M 500, A61M 2500

604 4

An improved venous cannula and obturator for interconnecting the superior and the inferior vena cava to the venous return line of a heart-lung machine. The cannula includes a pair of resilient, divergent hollow branches. The branches are of unequal length. The longer branch is to be received within the inferior vena cava and the shorter branch is to be received in the superior vena cava. The open branch ends are thus longitudinally staggered when the branches are clamped together by the obturator to facilitate insertion of the branch ends through a single incision within the atrium and ultimate disposition of the branches in the superior and inferior vena cavae. The obturator includes an elongated rod with a hub having a pair of axial legs to be received within the branches of the cannula. The obturator is provided to be slidably received with minimal frictional resistance within the interior lumen of the cannula and the cannula branches. The obturator includes features to minimize frictional resistance to axial movement of the obturator in the cannula, and that facilitate release of the cannula branches to separate within the atrium.

5013296, May 7, 1991

Sep 21, 1989

7/470702

Gerald D. Buckberg - Los Angeles CA
Robert J. Todd - Salt Lake City UT

Research Medical, Inc. - Salt Lake City UT

A61M 300

604 44

A cannula adapted for antegrade administration of cardioplegic solutions during surgical procedures on the heart. The cannula includes a flow lumen having a smooth interior surface to reduce hemolysis when blood is passed therethrough during reperfusion. Structures are included to allow the wall of the vessel, generally the aortic root, to be readily pierced so that fluid may pass through the flow lumen of the cannula into the heart. A suture flange is provided to secure the cannula to the heart. A pressure lumen is provided to communicate the pressure within the heart to a location where it can be monitored. A vent line is also provided to allow a surgeon to readily vent fluids out of the heart.

5358481, Oct 25, 1994

Jun 3, 1993

8/071692

Robert J. Todd - Salt Lake City UT
Kevin G. Marcus - Salt Lake City UT

Research Medical, Inc. - Salt Lake City UT

A61M 3700

604 4

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for variably controlling the ratio of blood to cardioplegia solution to be administered to a patient. A presently preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the invention comprises a multilumen tubing member having a blood supply lumen and three cardioplegia supply lumens, each having approximately the same tubing wall thickness, but having different inside diameters so that causing flow through different combinations of the cardioplegia lumens will result in different ratios of blood to cardioplegia. The four tubes comprising the multilumen tubing member are advantageously connected by web members, thereby facilitating use with a roller pump and minimizing the tangle of tubes.

5221257, Jun 22, 1993

Apr 26, 1991

7/692095

Michael Rosenbloom - St. Louis MO
Alan D. Muskett - St. Louis MO
Robert J. Todd - Salt Lake City UT

Research Industries Corporation - Midvale UT

A61M 3100

604 53

A guide for assisting in the cannulation of a patient comprising a flexible, tubular body having a hollow interior, a proximate end, and a distal end. The proximate end has an opening in communication with the hollow interior of the tubular body, and the distal end has a rounded, reinforced tip with a passageway therethrough which is in communication with the hollow interior. The guide is inserted and advanced to a position desired by the surgeon within a vein or artery, and then a cannula is threaded over the guide and advanced to the desired position before the guide is removed from the patient. The guide may be used in conjunction with a guide wire and/or a dilator.

6254578, Jul 3, 2001

Dec 28, 1998

9/221903

Ronald K. Grooters - West Des Moines IA
Robert J. Todd - Salt Lake City UT

A61M 500

604264

An improved aortic cannula is provided for use in heart by-pass surgery. The cannula includes an elongated tube with a terminal end. The terminal end has a ramped surface leading to the discharge opening. The ramped surface terminates in a lip having a tapered leading edge with a point for insertion of the cannula into the aorta. The tapered leading edge spreads a previously made incision to facilitate entry of the terminal end of the cannula into the aorta. With the improved cannula of the present invention, the size of the incision in the aorta is minimized and the damage or tearing of the aorta is eliminated or minimized. This ease of insertion also reduces the time required in the procedure of inserting the cannula into the aorta.

4335729, Jun 22, 1982

Mar 11, 1980

6/129495

Gordon S. Reynolds - Bountiful UT
Robert J. Todd - Salt Lake City UT

Sorenson Research Co., Inc. - Salt Lake City UT

A61B 502

128674

A novel apparatus and method for suppressing unwanted resonance in an electromanometry system. The apparatus includes a compliant air cavity connected through a variable impedance device which is coupled in parallel to the liquid-filled catheter of the electromanometry system. By varying the hydraulic impedance through which the compliant air cavity is coupled to the system, precise impedance matching capability is provided over a wide range of hydraulic impedance values, thereby permitting suppression of unwanted resonance and improved frequency response of recorded waveforms in a wide variety of catheter-transducer systems.