U.S. Patent 8257391 was awarded to Tyco Healthcare Group LP on 2012-09-04 and describes a “Annular support structures.” This patent has been cited 352 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:

Reinforcing lumen rings are configured and adapted for use in conjunction with a circular endoscopic stapling instrument having a staple cartridge assembly and an anvil assembly. The reinforcing lumen rings maintain anastomotic lumen, e.g. as formed by the circular endoscopic stapling apparatus, in an open condition. The reinforcing lumen rings can include an annular ring having an outer terminal edge and an inner terminal edge, the outer terminal edge having a diameter which is substantially equal to an outer diameter of the staple cartridge assembly and the inner terminal edge having a diameter which is substantially equal to an inner diameter of the staple cartridge assembly. Link: U.S. Patent 8257391

This patent was originally filed on 2011-02-07 which gives it a processing time of 575 days, compared to an average processing time of 958 in the field. Tyco Healthcare Group LP has 1168 total patents. The first named inventor is Joseph P. Orban, III of Norwalk, CT. The primary examiner was Julian Woo.

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