US Patent Issued to Covidien on March 17 for "Articulating ultrasonic surgical instruments and systems" (Colorado Inventor)

ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 17 -- United States Patent no. 12,575,850, issued on March 17, was assigned to Covidien LP (Mansfield, Mass.).

"Articulating ultrasonic surgical instruments and systems" was invented by Zachary S. Heiliger (Nederland, Colo.).

According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "An ultrasonic surgical instrument includes an ultrasonic transducer and an ultrasonic waveguide coupled to the ultrasonic transducer and extending therefrom. The ultrasonic waveguide includes a proximal body portion coupled to and extending distally from the ultrasonic transducer and defining a longitudinal axis. The ultrasonic waveguide further includes a distal body portion defining a blade, and a plurality of spheres...