U.S. Patent 8236010 was awarded to Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. on 2012-08-07 and describes a “Surgical fastener and cutter with mimicking end effector.” This patent has been cited 302 times by other U.S. patents which places it in the top 500 cited patents since 2010 according to our law firm research, and makes it of the most innovative medical technology patents in the field of instruments. The abstract states:

Methods and devices are provided for controlling movement of a working end of a surgical device. In one embodiment, methods and devices are provided for moving an end effector on a distal end of a surgical fastening device. Movement can include rotational movement of the end effector about an axis of the shaft, articulation of the end effector relative to the shaft, and actuation of an end effector, e.g., closing, firing, and/or cutting. In other embodiments, a single cable actuator is provided and is movable between a first position, in which it is effective to rotate an end effector without actuating (i.e., closing and firing) the end effector, and a second position, in which it is effective to actuate the end effector without rotating the end effector. In other aspects, methods and devices are provided for moving a flexible neck formed on a distal end of an accessory channel for use with an endoscope. Movement of the flexible neck can be used to control positioning of a tool extending through the flexible neck. Link: U.S. Patent 8236010

This patent was originally filed on 2006-03-23 which gives it a processing time of 2329 days, compared to an average processing time of 1933 in the field. Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. has 2128 total patents. The first named inventor is Mark S. Ortiz of Milford Charter Twp, MI. The assistant examiner was Erin Colello.

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