ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 5 -- United States Patent no. 12,239,337, issued on March 4, was assigned to Covidien LP (Mansfield, Mass.).
"Endoscopic instrument" was invented by Robert B. Stoddard (Steamboat Springs, Colo.), James S. Cunningham (Boulder, Colo.), William J. Dickhans (Longmont, Colo.), Russell D. Hempstead (Lafayette, Colo.), Eric R. Larson (Boulder, Colo.), Duane E. Kerr (Loveland, Colo.), William H. Nau Jr. (Longmont, Colo.), Anthony B. Ross (Boulder, Colo.) and John J. Kappus (Boulder, Colo.).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "An endoscopic instrument is provided and includes a housing including an elongated shaft assembly extending distally therefrom. The elongated shaft assembly incl...