Deadline: June 30, 2016
Award: $2,000 for each accepted prior art citation
The Seeker is looking for prior art citations from sources that have been publicly disclosed or described prior to December 7, 2007 that clearly show or describe a tapered, flexible sleeve suitable for inserting into the human body.
Specifically, the Seeker wants information from patent or non-patent documents prior to December 7, 2007 that reference a prior art that that very clearly show the details that are needed to determine that the sleeve is tapered with a first opening larger than a second opening. Such a tapered sleeve is described and illustrated in patent (US 8,211,173). The figures below are from this patent:
Figure 1 shows a tapered conical sleeve (10) with the first opening (12) at a larger end of the sleeve and a smaller opening (14). Figures 2 and 3 show the sleeve containing an implant (20) being moved through the smaller opening (14). All images are from US 8,211,173.
For this search, relevant citations of greatest interest will relate to photographs or drawings of the sleeves that are described in the Mladick references (1, 2, 3). The published photographs in article 1 are not sufficiently clear to show the tapered conical sleeve. The other two (2, 3) Mladick references are letters in journals and do not have any images. A reference with the sleeve openings being the same size may be of interest but this is not optimal.
Information can be from primary or secondary sources and in any language. Submissions of non-English information will be reviewed more rapidly if you provide an English translation of the relevant passages.
The information will most likely be found in publically disclosed sources including but not limited to: scientific literature, presentations, public lectures, oral proceedings, conference proceedings, posters, research reports or proposals, citations, laboratory manuals, or publically available thesis.
Published work from major medical research or scientific publications is less likely to provide a successful solution to this Challenge because these have already been extensively explored.
To be considered, Submissions must:
- Have been be available or dated prior to December 7, 2007; and
- Show a clear illustration or clearly describes a tapered, flexible sleeve with a one opening larger than the other opening.
Key terms, key phrases:
sleeve, funnel, tapered sleeve
- RICHARD A. MLADICK, M.D., F.A.C.S. “No-Touch” Submuscular Saline Breast Augmentation Technique, Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 17:183-192, 1993 , New York, NY.
- RICHARD A. MLADICK, M.D., F.A.C.S. SIGNIFICANCE OF Staphylococcus epidermidis CAUSING SUBCLINICAL INFECTION, Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery: 15 April 2005 – Volume 115 – Issue 5 – pp 1426-1427, Virginia Beach, VA
- RICHARD A. MLADICK, M.D., F.A.C.S. Prevention of Capsular Contracture, Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery: May 1999 – Volume 103 – Issue 6 – pp 1773-1774, Virginia Beach, VA
A prior art citation is any presentation, oral proceeding, grant proposal, lecture notes, thesis (PhD or Masters), conference proceeding, conference poster, foreign language citation, government report or other dissemination of information or technology that publicly discloses the specific concepts related to the search prior to the date indicated.
Please be VERY specific about how your submission meets the request criteria, and include a copy of the actual citation, not just an excerpt.
I am interested to work on this challenge/Submit art citations.
Award amount to be determined before work begins.
