Patents by Inventor George Richard Downes, Jr.
George Richard Downes, Jr. 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).
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Patent number: 6626894Abstract: An ophthalmic laser system includes a laser beam delivery system and an eye tracker responsive to movement of the eye operable with a laser beam delivery system for ablating corneal material of the eye through placement of laser beam shot on a selected area of the cornea of the eye. The shots are fired in a sequence and pattern such that no laser shots are fired at consecutive locations and no consecutive shots overlap. The pattern is moved in response to the movement of the eye.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2000Date of Patent: September 30, 2003Assignee: Alcon, Inc.Inventors: Rudolph W. Frey, James H. Burkhalter, Gary P. Gray, Neil Zepkin, George Richard Downes, Jr., John E. McWhirter
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Patent number: 6626898Abstract: An ophthalmic laser system includes a laser beam delivery system and an eye tracker responsive to movement of the eye operable with a laser beam delivery system for ablating corneal material of the eye through placement of laser beam shot on a selected area of the cornea of the eye. The shots are fired in a sequence and pattern such that no laser shots are fired at consecutive locations and no consecutive shots overlap. The pattern is moved in response to the movement of the eye.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2000Date of Patent: September 30, 2003Assignee: Alcon, Inc.Inventors: Rudolph W. Frey, James H. Burkhalter, Gary P. Gray, Neil Zepkin, George Richard Downes, Jr., John E. McWhirter
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Patent number: 6626896Abstract: An ophthalmic laser system includes a laser beam delivery system and an eye tracker responsive to movement of the eye operable with a laser beam delivery system for ablating corneal material of the eye through placement of laser beam shot on a selected area of the cornea of the eye. The shots are fired in a sequence and pattern such that no laser shots are fired at consecutive locations and no consecutive shots overlap. The pattern is moved in response to the movement of the eye.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2000Date of Patent: September 30, 2003Assignee: Alcon, Inc.Inventors: Rudolph W. Frey, James H. Burkhalter, Gary P. Gray, Neil Zepkin, George Richard Downes, Jr., John E. McWhirter
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Patent number: 6626897Abstract: An ophthalmic laser system includes a laser beam delivery system and an eye tracker responsive to movement of the eye operable with a laser beam delivery system for ablating corneal material of the eye through placement of laser beam shot on a selected area of the cornea of the eye. The shots are fired in a sequence and pattern such that no laser shots are fired at consecutive locations and no consecutive shots overlap. The pattern is moved in response to the movement of the eye.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2000Date of Patent: September 30, 2003Assignee: Alcon, Inc.Inventors: Rudolph W. Frey, James H. Burkhalter, Gary P. Gray, Neil Zepkin, George Richard Downes, Jr., John E. McWhirter
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Patent number: 6626893Abstract: An ophthalmic laser system includes a laser beam delivery system and an eye tracker responsive to movement of the eye operable with a laser beam delivery system for ablating corneal material of the eye through placement of laser beam shot on a selected area of the cornea of the eye. The shots are fired in a sequence and pattern such that no laser shots are fired at consecutive locations and no consecutive shots overlap. The pattern is moved in response to the movement of the eye.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2000Date of Patent: September 30, 2003Assignee: Alcon, Inc.Inventors: Rudolph W. Frey, James H. Burkhalter, Gary P. Gray, Neil Zepkin, George Richard Downes, Jr., John E. McWhirter
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Patent number: 6626895Abstract: An ophthalmic laser system includes a laser beam delivery system and an eye tracker responsive to movement of the eye operable with a laser beam delivery system for ablating corneal material of the eye through placement of laser beam shot on a selected area of the cornea of the eye. The shots are fired in a sequence and pattern such that no laser shots are fired at consecutive locations and no consecutive shots overlap. The pattern is moved in response to the movement of the eye.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2000Date of Patent: September 30, 2003Assignee: Alcon, Inc.Inventors: Rudolph W. Frey, James H. Burkhalter, Gary P. Gray, Neil Zepkin, George Richard Downes, Jr., John E. McWhirter
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Patent number: 6585726Abstract: An ophthalmic laser system includes a laser beam delivery system and an eye tracker responsive to movement of the eye operable with a laser beam delivery system for ablating corneal material of the eye through placement of laser beam shot on a selected area of the cornea of the eye. The shots are fired in a sequence and pattern such that no laser shots are fired at consecutive locations and no consecutive shots overlap. The pattern is moved in response to the movement of the eye.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2000Date of Patent: July 1, 2003Assignee: Alcon, Inc.Inventors: Rudolph W. Frey, James H. Burkhalter, Gary P. Gray, Neil Zepkin, George Richard Downes, Jr., John E. McWhirter
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Patent number: 6451008Abstract: A surface treatment laser beam delivery and tracking system is provided. The laser generates laser light along a original beam path at an energy level suitable for treating (e.g., eroding) a surface. An optical translator shifts the original beam path onto a resulting beam path. An optical angle adjuster changes the angle of the resulting beam path relative to the original beam path such that the laser light is incident on, and spatially distributed, the surface to be treated. A motion sensor transmits light energy to the surface and receives reflected light energy from the surface via the optical angle adjuster. The light energy transmitted by the motion sensor travels on a path that is parallel to the shifted beam as they travel through the optical angle adjuster. The reflected light energy is used by the motion sensor to detect movement of the surface relative to the original beam path and generate error control signals indicative of the movement.Type: GrantFiled: August 17, 1999Date of Patent: September 17, 2002Assignee: Alcon, Inc.Inventors: Rudolph W. Frey, James H. Burkhalter, Gary P. Gray, Neil Zepkin, George Richard Downes, Jr., John E. McWhirter
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Patent number: 6315773Abstract: A method and system are provided for sensing eye motion, such as saccadic eye motion, in a non-intrusive fashion. An optical delivery arrangement converts a laser beam pulse into a plurality of light spots. The light spots are focused such that they are incident on a corresponding plurality of positions located on a boundary whose movement is coincident with that of eye motion. The boundary can be defined by two visually adjoining surfaces having different coefficients of reflection. Energy is reflected from each of the positions located on the boundary receiving the light spots. An optical receiving arrangement detects the reflected energy from each of the positions. Changes in reflected energy at one or more of the positions is indicative of eye motion.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 1997Date of Patent: November 13, 2001Assignee: Autonomous Technologies CorporationInventors: Rudolph W. Frey, John E. McWhirter, Neil Zepkin, George Richard Downes, Jr.
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Patent number: 6302879Abstract: A surface treatment laser beam delivery and tracking system is provided. The laser generates laser light along a original beam path at an energy level suitable for treating (e.g., eroding) a surface. An optical translator shifts the original beam path onto a resulting beam path. An optical angle adjuster changes the angle of the resulting beam path relative to the original beam path such that the laser light is incident on, and spatially distributed, the surface to be treated. A motion sensor transmits light energy to the surface and receives reflected light energy from the surface via the optical angle adjuster. The light energy transmitted by the motion sensor travels on a path that is parallel to the shifted beam as they travel through the optical angle adjuster. The reflected light energy is used by the motion sensor to detect movement of the surface relative to the original beam path and generate error control signals indicative of the movement.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 1998Date of Patent: October 16, 2001Assignee: Autonomous Technologies Corp.Inventors: Rudolph W. Frey, James H. Burkhalter, Gary P. Gray, Neil Zepkin, George Richard Downes, Jr., John E. McWhirter
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Patent number: 6003997Abstract: A method and system are provided for the constant path-length translation of a laser beam. At least one pair of mirrors disposed at an angle (e.g., 90.degree.) to one another and fixed in relation to one another are disposed in the path of the (incoming) laser beam. The mirrors are positioned such that the incoming laser beam impinges on the first mirror, is reflected to the second mirror, and iii) is reflected from the second mirror as an (outgoing) laser beam parallel to the incoming laser beam. A positioner is coupled to the mirrors for simultaneously moving them in a direction that is parallel to the target plane and in a plane defined by the incoming and outgoing laser beams.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 1997Date of Patent: December 21, 1999Assignee: Autonomous Technologies CorporationInventor: George Richard Downes, Jr.
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Patent number: 5980513Abstract: A surface treatment laser beam delivery and tracking system is provided. The laser generates laser light along a original beam path at an energy level suitable for treating (e.g., eroding) a surface. An optical translator shifts the original beam path onto a resulting beam path. An optical angle adjuster changes the angle of the resulting beam path relative to the original beam path such that the laser light is incident on, and spatially distributed, the surface to be treated. A motion sensor transmits light energy to the surface and receives reflected light energy from the surface via the optical angle adjuster. The light energy transmitted by the motion sensor travels on a path that is parallel to the shifted beam as they travel through the optical angle adjuster. The reflected light energy is used by the motion sensor to detect movement of the surface relative to the original beam path and generate error control signals indicative of the movement.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 1994Date of Patent: November 9, 1999Assignee: Autonomous Technologies Corp.Inventors: Rudolph W. Frey, James H. Burkhalter, Gary P. Gray, Neil Zepkin, George Richard Downes, Jr., John E. McWhirter
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Patent number: 5752950Abstract: A system is provided for use with an ophthalmic treatment laser that produces a treatment laser beam. The system automatically inhibits transmission of the treatment laser beam when a threshold amount of eye movement is detected. An eye movement sensor determines measurable amounts of eye movement such as saccadic eye movement. The eye movement sensor generates light energy that is eye safe, focuses the light energy on the eye, and detects energy reflected from the eye due to the incident light energy. The eye movement sensor determines the measurable amount of eye movement based on changes in the reflected energy. A dichroic beamsplitter is optically disposed between the ophthalmic treatment laser and the eye to direct the treatment laser beam to the eye. The beamsplitter is also optically disposed between the eye movement sensor and the eye to direct the sensor's light energy to the eye and the resulting reflected energy back to the sensor.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 1995Date of Patent: May 19, 1998Assignee: Autonomous Technologies Corp.Inventors: Rudolph W. Frey, Neil Zepkin, George Richard Downes, Jr.