ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 17 -- United States Patent no. 12,415,038, issued on Sept. 16, was assigned to URO-1 Inc. (Winston-Salem, N.C.).
"Endoscopic cannula" was invented by Phillip Jack Snoke (Winston-Salem, N.C.), Philip Morrison Allred III (Kernersville, N.C.), John Joseph Smith (Winston Salem, N.C.) and Ted Belleza (LaSelva Beach, Calif.).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A cannula comprising a hollow tube made of a biocompatible, thermoplastic polymer, memory shape material, tipped with an injection needle or an electrode at it distal end, assumes desired shapes as it distally emerges from a lumen or channel of an instrument such as an introducer or endoscope. The desires shapes include a cur...