Patents by Inventor David R. Strait

David R. Strait has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6520914
    Abstract: A contained water ultrasonic densitometer employs pre-inflated bladders holding coupling fluid about ultrasonic transducers. The bladders in a relaxed state define a cavity smaller than the human heel so that when the heel is inserted, the bladders conform to the heel in a wiping action removing entrapped air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: Lunar Corporation
    Inventors: Richard F. Morris, Steven Morris, David R. Strait
  • Patent number: 6298109
    Abstract: An x-ray imaging system provides automatic adjustment of x-ray tube voltage and current as deduced from two exposures at different voltages. Real-time image distortion removal and image rotation are accomplished by computer processing using a generalized image transformation polynomial. Scatter in the image is reduced by calculating a scatter map based on a blurring of the received image and normalizing the scatter map to point scatter measurements made with an x-ray occluder eliminating direct exposure of certain areas of the image. Improved signal to noise ratio in a moving x-ray image is provided by averaging stationary portions of the image over a longer time than the moving portions of the image. A non-linear white compression function further reduced image noise by transforming the raw image to a gray scale having equal noise intervals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2001
    Assignee: Lunar Corporation
    Inventors: David L. Ergun, David R. Strait, Cornelis H. Slump, Geert Jan Laanstra, Hendrik Kuipers, Marcel J. Dijkstra, Hans Sjoerd Peter van der Schaar
  • Publication number: 20010020128
    Abstract: A contained water ultrasonic densitometer employs pre-inflated bladders holding coupling fluid about ultrasonic transducers. The bladders in a relaxed state define a cavity smaller than the human heel so that when the heel is inserted, the bladders conform to the heel in a wiping action removing entrapped air.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2000
    Publication date: September 6, 2001
    Inventors: Richard F. Morris, Steven Morris, David R. Strait
  • Patent number: 6277076
    Abstract: A contained water ultrasonic densitometer employs pre-inflated bladders holding coupling fluid about ultrasonic transducers. The bladders in a relaxed state define a cavity smaller than the human heel so that when the heel is inserted, the bladders conform to the heel in a wiping action removing entrapped air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2001
    Assignee: Lunar Corporation
    Inventors: Richard F. Morris, Steven Morris, David R. Strait
  • Patent number: 6018565
    Abstract: An x-ray imaging system provides automatic adjustment of x-ray tube voltage and current based on an identification and removal of background pixels in the image and a calculation of the functional relationship between voltage and current and dose for the particular imaged object as deduced from two exposures at different voltages. Real-time image distortion removal and image rotation are accomplished by computer processing using a generalized image transformation polynomial. Scatter in the image is reduced by calculating a scatter map based on a blurring of the received image and normalizing the scatter map to point scatter measurements made with an x-ray occluder eliminating direct exposure of certain areas of the image. Improved signal to noise ratio in a moving x-ray image is provided by averaging stationary portions of the image over a longer time than the moving portions of the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2000
    Assignee: Lunar Corporation
    Inventors: David L. Ergun, David R. Strait, Cornelis H. Slump, Geert Jan Laanstra, Hendrik Kuipers, Marcel J. Dykema, Hans Sjoerd Peter van der Schaar
  • Patent number: 6007243
    Abstract: A compact mobile x-ray C-arm system employs a cart supporting a video monitor on a top shelf and other imaging equipment on lower shelves opening from the front of the cart. The C-arm is supported by a pivot attached to the side of the cart below the platform allowing the C-arm to extend forward without obstructing the shelves or video monitor and yet providing for a balanced operation permitting a smaller footprint area of the cart. Use of the C-arm as a heat sink for the x-ray source and swiveling casters to allow an additional axis of rotation allow a more compact structure to be produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Assignee: Lunar Corporation
    Inventors: David L. Ergun, David R. Strait
  • Patent number: 4991961
    Abstract: An interferometer modulator (10) has a housing (12) that encloses a moving mirror (14) attached to a mirror arm (18) which is suspended by links (34, 36) from the housing (12). The links (34, 36) are attached to the mirror arm (18) at swinging pivots (42, 44) and are attached to the housing (12) at fixed pivots (46, 48). One of the fixed pivots (46) is mounted within an adjustable block (68) the position of which may be adjusted by the turning of adjust screws (82, 76). Turning of one of the adjust screws (82) adjusts the distance between the fixed pivots (46, 48) to match the distance of the swinging pivots (42, 44), thus correcting for vertical tilt. Turning of the second of the adjust screws (76) compensates for any angular differences that would prevent the links (34, 36) from moving in the same plane of motion, thus correcting for horizontal tilt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 12, 1991
    Assignee: Nicolet Instrument Corporation
    Inventor: David R. Strait