Patents by Inventor John Koontz

John Koontz 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).

  • Publication number: 20230355438
    Abstract: Intraocular drainage devices are provided. An intraocular drainage device includes a drainage tube that provides for increased drainage of aqueous humour from the anterior chamber of the eye. A self-clearing device is disposed within the drainage tube. The self-clearing device provides an increased fluid flow path within the drainage tube in response to clotting from the body or clogging from debris in the aqueous humour. Methods of manufacturing intraocular drainage devices and methods of inserting intraocular drainage devices into the eye are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2021
    Publication date: November 9, 2023
    Inventors: John KOONTZ, Eric PORTEOUS, Jason MOHR, Khalid MANSOUR
  • Publication number: 20230301832
    Abstract: Ophthalmic devices include a housing and a cannula extending from the housing, the cannula having a lumen for fluid flow, a reservoir for holding fluid and an activation assembly. The activation assembly includes a rotatable wheel and a moveable housing ring coupled to the wheel, the coupled rotatable wheel and moveable housing ring configured to move inward together towards an interior of the housing when an inward force is applied to the wheel and to move outward together away from the interior of the housing when an outward force is applied to the coupled wheel and the moveable housing ring. Methods of operating ophthalmic devices are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2023
    Publication date: September 28, 2023
    Inventors: Khalid MANSOUR, Malik Y. KAHOOK, John KOONTZ, Jason MOHR, Eric PORTEOUS, Dustin TOBEY
  • Publication number: 20210212859
    Abstract: An ophthalmic device and methods of its use can be applied for treatment of various conditions including eye diseases, such as glaucoma, using minimally invasive surgical techniques. The ophthalmic device can be used to cut the trabecular meshwork (TM) in the eye. The device tip provides entry into the Schlemm's canal and ramped portions elevate the TM under tension and guide it to lateral blades. An entire strip of TM can be removed without leaving TM leaflets behind and without causing collateral damage to adjacent tissues.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2019
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Inventors: John KOONTZ, Eric PORTEOUS
  • Patent number: 10638080
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a system including an augmented reality device communicatively coupled to an imaging system of an ophthalmic microscope. The augmented reality device may include a lens configured to project a digital image, a gaze control configured to detect a focus of an eye of an operator, and a dimming system communicatively coupled to the gaze control and the outer surface and including a processor that receives a digital image from the imaging system, projects the digital image on the lens, receives a signal from the gaze control regarding the focus of the eye of the operator, and transitions the outer surface of the augmented reality device between at least partially transparent to opaque based on the received signal. The disclosure further includes a method of performing ophthalmic surgery using an augmented reality device and a non-transitory computer readable medium able to perform augmented reality functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: ALCON INC.
    Inventors: Mikhail Ovchinnikov, John Koontz, Andrew Steven Hopper, Cesario Dos Santos
  • Publication number: 20180220100
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a system including an augmented reality device communicatively coupled to an imaging system of an ophthalmic microscope. The augmented reality device may include a lens configured to project a digital image, a gaze control configured to detect a focus of an eye of an operator, and a dimming system communicatively coupled to the gaze control and the outer surface and including a processor that receives a digital image from the imaging system, projects the digital image on the lens, receives a signal from the gaze control regarding the focus of the eye of the operator, and transitions the outer surface of the augmented reality device between at least partially transparent to opaque based on the received signal. The disclosure further includes a method of performing ophthalmic surgery using an augmented reality device and a non-transitory computer readable medium able to perform augmented reality functions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2018
    Publication date: August 2, 2018
    Inventors: Mikhail Ovchinnikov, John Koontz, Andrew Steven Hopper, Cesario Dos Santos
  • Patent number: 9797390
    Abstract: A roller assembly comprises a central section with a hub; a plurality of arms coupled to the central section, each arm having a radial section, an arcuate section, and a bent section; and a plurality of rollers, one roller coupled to the bent section of each arm. The arms may be flexible such that the rollers are capable of moving with respect to the central section when the arms flex. The rolling surface of the rollers is arranged to engage a polymer sheet or flexible tubing throughout travel of the arms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Novartis AG
    Inventors: Gary P. Sorensen, John Koontz, Gregory S. Layser
  • Patent number: 9089367
    Abstract: In various embodiments, a surgical console may include a sensor strip with sensor strip sensors (e.g., field effect or capacitive sensors) offset vertically and configured to receive an input from a user corresponding to a vertical height of a patient's eyes relative to the surgical console. The surgical console may use the input from the sensor strip to determine a patient eye level (PEL) relative to a surgical console component and then use the PEL and the at least one component in controlling operation of at least one of a source of irrigation or a source of aspiration during an ophthalmic procedure. The surgical console may further include a plurality of visual indicators positioned relative to at least two of the plurality of sensor strip sensors and configured to be illuminated to correspond to a sensor detecting the touch input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: Alcon Research, Ltd.
    Inventors: David A. Thoe, John Koontz, Mikhail Boukhny
  • Publication number: 20140356204
    Abstract: A roller assembly comprises a central section with a hub; a plurality of arms coupled to the central section, each arm having a radial section, an arcuate section, and a bent section; and a plurality of rollers, one roller coupled to the bent section of each arm. The arms may be flexible such that the rollers are capable of moving with respect to the central section when the arms flex. The rolling surface of the rollers is arranged to engage a polymer sheet or flexible tubing throughout travel of the arms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2013
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Inventors: Gary P. Sorensen, John Koontz, Gregory S. Layser
  • Patent number: 8684145
    Abstract: In various embodiments, a braking system may include an actuator, a pawl gear coupled to the actuator, and a wheel gear plate. The braking system may further include a brake pad, an outer wheel coupled to the brake pad, and a spring washer plate configured to press the wheel gear plate against the brake pad such that the wheel gear plate is configured to inhibit rotation of the outer wheel through friction between the wheel gear plate and the brake pad when the pawl gear inhibits rotation of the wheel gear plate. In some embodiments, the braking system may further include a sensor and the actuator may be triggered to actuate the pawl gear in response to signals from the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Alcon Research, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mikhail Boukhny, David A. Thoe, John Koontz, Long Q. Nguyen, Scott B. Newton, Daniel Bauen, Cassilyn Bair, Lawrence E. Davis
  • Patent number: 8254014
    Abstract: An adaptive optics system is provided, comprising a spatial light modulator configured to modulate an incoming beam with an aberrated wavefront, a beamsplitter configured to receive the modulated beam from the spatial light modulator and to divide the modulated beam into a measurement beam and a reference beam, a spatial filter configured to spatially filter the reference beam, and to interfere the spatially filtered reference beam with the measurement beam to form an interferogram, an imaging device configured to capture an image of the interferogram, and a processor configured to determine the aberrated wavefront and to provide control signals to the spatial light modulator to mitigate aberrations in the aberrated wavefront.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Peter H. Chang, Sami J. Saab, Natarajan Shankar, John A. Koontz, Mark S. Ptak
  • Publication number: 20110301425
    Abstract: A task light system for a surgical console includes a task light that can be held to a coupling location on a surgical console. The task light has an inductive coupling, a light source, and a goose neck connecting the light source to the inductive coupling. The coupling location is located on a face of the surgical console. The coupling location is configured to magnetically attract and hold the inductive coupling. The face of the surgical console where the coupling location is located is a continuous surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2010
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: ALCON RESEARCH, LTD.
    Inventors: Mikhail Boukhny, Christopher C. Jung, John Koontz, David A. Thoe, Asheesh Sah
  • Publication number: 20110251548
    Abstract: In various embodiments, a surgical console may include a sensor strip with sensor strip sensors (e.g., field effect or capacitive sensors) offset vertically and configured to receive an input from a user corresponding to a vertical height of a patient's eyes relative to the surgical console. The surgical console may use the input from the sensor strip to determine a patient eye level (PEL) relative to a surgical console component and then use the PEL and the at least one component in controlling operation of at least one of a source of irrigation or a source of aspiration during an ophthalmic procedure. The surgical console may further include a plurality of visual indicators positioned relative to at least two of the plurality of sensor strip sensors and configured to be illuminated to correspond to a sensor detecting the touch input.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2011
    Publication date: October 13, 2011
    Inventors: David A. Thoe, John Koontz, Mikhail Boukhny
  • Publication number: 20110247903
    Abstract: In various embodiments, a braking system may include an actuator, a pawl gear coupled to the actuator, and a wheel gear plate. The braking system may further include a brake pad, an outer wheel coupled to the brake pad, and a spring washer plate configured to press the wheel gear plate against the brake pad such that the wheel gear plate is configured to inhibit rotation of the outer wheel through friction between the wheel gear plate and the brake pad when the pawl gear inhibits rotation of the wheel gear plate. In some embodiments, the braking system may further include a sensor and the actuator may be triggered to actuate the pawl gear in response to signals from the sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Publication date: October 13, 2011
    Inventors: Mikhail Boukhny, David A. Thoe, John Koontz, Long Q. Nguyen, Scott B. Newton, Daniel Bauen, Cassilyn Bair, Lawrence E. Davis
  • Patent number: 7764417
    Abstract: An adaptive optics system is provided, comprising a spatial light modulator configured to modulate an incoming beam with an aberrated wavefront, a beamsplitter configured to receive the modulated beam from the spatial light modulator and to divide the modulated beam into a measurement beam and a reference beam, a spatial filter configured to spatially filter the reference beam, and to interfere the spatially filtered reference beam with the measurement beam to form an interferogram, an imaging device configured to capture an image of the interferogram, and a processor configured to determine the aberrated wavefront and to provide control signals to the spatial light modulator to mitigate aberrations in the aberrated wavefront.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Peter H. Chang, Sami J. Saab, Natarajan Shankar, John A. Koontz, Mark S. Ptak
  • Patent number: D721814
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Alcon Research, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kevin Creed, John Koontz, David A. Thoe, David Weston, Patrick K. Hassett, William Monteleone, Marc Nestor
  • Patent number: D727498
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Alcon Research, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kevin Creed, John Koontz, David A. Thoe, Jeremy Robert Roth, David Weston, Patrick K. Hassett, William Monteleone