Patents Examined by Tiffany Weston
  • Patent number: 10327678
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide analyte sensors having optimized elements and/or configurations of elements as well as methods for making and using such sensors. Typical embodiments of the invention include glucose sensors used in the management of diabetes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: Medtronic MiniMed, Inc.
    Inventors: Rebecca K. Gottlieb, Rajiv Shah, Eric A. Larson, Chia Chiu
  • Patent number: 10327680
    Abstract: Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) may be used in conjunction with continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) to enable identification of valid and reliable sensor data, as well implementation of Smart Calibration algorithms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: MEDTRONIC MINIMED, INC.
    Inventors: Keith Nogueira, Taly G. Engel, Raghavendhar Gautham, Xiaolong Li, Bradley C. Liang, Rajiv Shah, Jaeho Kim, Mike C. Liu, Andy Y. Tsai, Jeffrey Nishida
  • Patent number: 10327668
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a device, system and a method for determining lung volume and parameters, and in particular, to such a spirometer device, system and method in which a non-occluding shutter is utilized allowing for continuous airflow through the flow tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Inventors: Leonid Chernyakhovsky, Hanan Itzkovitch, Mark Gaides
  • Patent number: 10321861
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a pH sensor adapted to be inserted into all soft tissues, such as muscle, fat or other organs e.g. heart, lung, kidney, liver, pancreas, renal gland etc., comprising one or more of: a) means to provide sensor calibration performance information; b) a sensor dislodgement alert, providing an indication to the user if the pH reading falls outside a predetermined range; c) an alert to indicate that the sensor has exceeded its usage period; and d) an alert to indicate that the sensor had exceeded its shelf life. There is also provided a method of assessing the efficacy of a treatment regime comprising the steps of determining any change in the pH of the soft tissue during treatment, where any change in the pH towards the preferred range for the tissue type is indicative of an effective treatment regime and any change in the pH away from the preferred range for the tissue type is indicative of a worsening in the condition of the tissue, and thus an ineffective treatment regime.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: SOFTCELL MEDICAL LIMITED
    Inventor: Kirsty McIntosh
  • Patent number: 10321840
    Abstract: Methods for constructing classifiers for binary classification of quantitative brain electrical activity data is described. The classifier building methods are based on the application of one or more evolutionary algorithms. In one embodiment, the evolutionary algorithm used is a genetic algorithm. In another embodiment, the evolutionary algorithm used is a modified Random Mutation Hill Climbing algorithm. In yet another embodiment, a combination of a genetic algorithm and a modified Random Mutation Hill Climbing algorithm is used for building a classifier. The classifier building methods are fully automated, and are adapted to generate classifiers (for example, Linear Discriminant Functions) with high sensitivity, specificity and classification accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: Brainscope Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Arnaud Jacquin, Asmir Vodencarevic
  • Patent number: 10321865
    Abstract: A diagnostic Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) procedure is applied to measure values of impedance-related parameters for one or more sensing electrodes. The parameters may include real impedance, imaginary impedance, impedance magnitude, and/or phase angle. The measured values of the impedance-related parameters are then used in performing sensor diagnostics, calculating a highly-reliable fused sensor glucose value based on signals from a plurality of redundant sensing electrodes, calibrating sensors, detecting interferents within close proximity of one or more sensing electrodes, and testing surface area characteristics of electroplated electrodes. Advantageously, impedance-related parameters can be defined that are substantially glucose-independent over specific ranges of frequencies. An Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) enables implementation of the EIS-based diagnostics, fusion algorithms, and other processes based on measurement of EIS-based parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: MEDTRONIC MINIMED, INC.
    Inventors: Raghavendhar Gautham, Ning Yang, Rajiv Shah
  • Patent number: 10314503
    Abstract: Systems and methods for tracking dynamic structure in physiological data are provided. In some aspects, the method includes providing physiological data, including electroencephalogram (“EEG”) data, acquired from a subject and assembling a time-frequency representation of signals from the physiological data. The method also includes generating a dynamic model of at least one non-stationary spectral feature, such as at least one non-stationary spectral peak, using the time-frequency representation and a user indication, and applying a dynamic model of at least one non-stationary spectral feature in a parameter estimation algorithm to compute concurrent estimates of spectral parameters describing the at least one non-stationary spectral feature. The method also includes tracking the spectral parameters of the at least one spectral feature over time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation
    Inventors: Michael J. Prerau, Patrick L. Purdon, Uri Eden
  • Patent number: 10314516
    Abstract: A method of diagnosing an air leak in a lung compartment of a patient may include: advancing a diagnostic catheter into an airway leading to the lung compartment; inflating an occluding member on the catheter to form a seal with a wall of the airway and thus isolate the lung compartment; measuring air pressure within the lung compartment during multiple breaths, using the diagnostic catheter; displaying the measured air pressure as an air pressure value on a console coupled with the diagnostic catheter; and determining whether an air leak is present in the lung compartment based on the displayed air pressure value during the multiple breaths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: Pulmonx Corporation
    Inventor: Surag Mantri
  • Patent number: 10314518
    Abstract: A system and method for determining FRC, TGV, TLC and RV includes a hand-held unit with a shutter assembly designed to minimize measured air displacement due to shuttering. Measurements of flow and pressure are used to derive the lung parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: PULMONE ADVANCED MEDICAL DEVICES, LTD.
    Inventors: Avi Lazar, Ori Adam, Yehoshua Sheinman
  • Patent number: 10307092
    Abstract: An analyte sensor is provided that comprises a substrate which includes a semiconductor material. Embodiments may include a core of a conductive material, and a cladding of a semiconductor material, in which the cladding may form at least a portion of a conducting path for a working electrode of the analyte sensor. Method of manufacturing and using the analyte sensor are described, as are numerous other aspects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Ascenia Diabetes Care Holdings AG
    Inventors: Mu Wu, Jiangfeng Fei, Serban Peteu, Hoi-Cheong Steve Sun, Raeann Gifford
  • Patent number: 10292603
    Abstract: A method of measuring blood pressure, including: sensing an atmospheric pressure, an applied pressure, and a blood pressure of a blood vessel delivered to a skin and outputting an electrical signal indicating a result of sensing the pressures; dividing the electrical signal into a divided electrical signal which includes a direct current (DC) signal and an alternating current (AC) signal; processing the divided electrical signal; calculating the applied pressure using the processed electrical signal; and calculating a blood pressure average using the calculated applied pressure and a swing value of the processed electrical signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: UMEDIX CORPORATION LIMITED
    Inventors: Sung Hun Woo, Yun Young Choi, Yun Seok Chang
  • Patent number: 10292622
    Abstract: A device and method for bioimpedance spectrography corrects for breathing artifacts. A breathing signal is used in conjunction with an impedance signal to adjust for a point in time within a respiratory cycle of a user at which the measurements are made. The correction allows the device to characterize tissue parameters accurately with fewer measurement points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Illapha Gustav Lars Cuba Gyllensten, Alberto Giovanni Bonomi, Jarno Mikael Riistama, Jennifer Caffarel, Harald Reiter
  • Patent number: 10289652
    Abstract: A method for operating measuring equipment for detecting at least one analyte in a bodily fluid by means of at least one continuously measuring blood glucose sensor. At least one calibration method is carried out for the prospective calibration of the measuring equipment. At least three calibration points are detected in the calibration method, wherein each calibration point comprises at least one measurement signal from the measuring equipment and at least one reference value of an associated reference measurement. A plurality of possible slopes are established between the calibration points. At least one robust estimation method, more particularly using a formation of at least one median, is used to determine at least one probable slope from the plurality of possible slopes. Furthermore, at least one measurement is carried out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care, Inc.
    Inventors: Nikolaus Schmitt, Gerhard Frisch
  • Patent number: 10278617
    Abstract: A method is provided for sensing ammonia in a breath sample. The method comprises conditioning the breath sample so that the conditioned breath sample has a relative humidity greater than a relative humidity corresponding to a first inflection point of a downwardly concave lowest ammonia iso-concentration curve. It also comprises contacting the conditioned breath sample with an interactant that interacts with the ammonia in the conditioned breath sample, wherein the interaction causes a change in an optical characteristic in relation to the amount of the ammonia in the breath sample. It further comprises using the change in the optical characteristic to sense the ammonia in the breath sample. Related apparatuses are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Invoy Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Brent Satterfield, Lubna Ahmad, Rhett Martineau
  • Patent number: 10271737
    Abstract: A noninvasive arterial condition detecting system includes a processing device and an electronic stethoscope configured for auscultating carotid artery to receive sound signals. The processing device is connected to the electronic stethoscope. The processing device records the sound signals, preprocesses the sound signal to reduce noise, measures a trough-peak distance and a trough-peak time, and generates an estimate result of arterial conditions according to the trough-peak distance and the trough-peak time. The trough-peak distance and the trough-peak time are related to the health of the carotid artery walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: National Central University
    Inventors: Hui-Yang Huang, Chung-Wei Lee, Chung-Yi Yang, Hon-Man Liu, Norden Eh Huang
  • Patent number: 10251566
    Abstract: A method is provided for determining a central aortic pressure (AP) wave-form for a subject. The method includes measuring a peripheral artery pressure (PAP) waveform from the subject, employing a distributed model to define a pressure-to-pressure transfer function relating PAP to AP and a pressure-to-flow transfer function relating PAP to a central arterial flow in terms of the same unknown parameters, estimating the unknown parameters by finding the pressure-to-flow transfer function, which when applied to the measured PAP waveform, minimizes the magnitude of the central arterial flow waveform during diastole, and applying the pressure-to-pressure transfer function with the estimated parameters to determine an AP waveform for the subject.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: Board of Trustees of Michigan State University
    Inventors: Ramakrishna Mukkamala, Gokul Swamy, Nicholas Bari Olivier
  • Patent number: 10244951
    Abstract: Methods of measuring Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR) including advancing a sensor delivery device within a guiding catheter to a location of interest, the sensor delivery device comprising a distal sleeve including a distal sensor and a proximal sensor, advancing only a distal portion of the distal sleeve outside of the guiding catheter such that the distal sensor is outside of the guiding catheter and downstream of the location of interest and the proximal sensor is inside of the guiding catheter, measuring a distal fluid pressure with the distal sensor distal to the location of interest, measuring a reference fluid pressure with the proximal sensor inside of the guiding catheter, and calculating FFR. One or both of the proximal and distal sensor may be comprised of a material having a low thermal coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: ACIST Medical Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Jason F. Hiltner
  • Patent number: 10238914
    Abstract: An incentive spirometer is provided that allows a user to achieve Sustained Maximal Inspiration (SMI) through the use of helical tubes. Specifically, the incentive spirometer includes three chambers, wherein each chamber includes a ball traveling upwards through three helical tubes in sequential order and subsequently dropping down through a basket. Here, each of the helical tubes and corresponding baskets generally represent various levels of lung capacity achieved with repetitive use and operation of the incentive spirometer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Inventor: David L. Rettig, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10238334
    Abstract: A medical device including a probe configured to be orally inserted into a lumen extending into the thorax of the subject, a plurality of electrodes, and a control circuit. The probe includes a first electrode. The plurality of electrodes includes at least one second electrode and at least one third electrode configured to be disposed externally on the thorax of the subject on a first side of a sternum of the subject and a second side of the sternum of the subject, respectively, the second side opposite the first side. The control circuit is electrically coupled to the first electrode and the at least one second and third electrodes and configured to measure an impedance between the first electrode and each of the at least one second and third electrodes and determine a ratio of arterial blood volume relative to venous blood volume based upon the measured impedance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: ZOLL Medical Corporation
    Inventors: Gary A. Freeman, Ulrich Herken, Christopher L. Kaufman
  • Patent number: 10234942
    Abstract: This invention is a wearable and mobile Brain Computer Interface (BCI) device which can be embodied in a head-worn undulating band. This band can have an ear-engaging segment, a side segment which spans the side part of a person's forehead and/or face, and a top segment which spans the top of the person's head. This band can encircle a person's head and include an ear prong. This band can include a movable loop which can be moved to span across a person's forehead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Medibotics LLC
    Inventor: Robert A. Connor