Patents by Inventor Kirk Wellington Todd

Kirk Wellington Todd 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).

  • Active noise cancellation in an ophthalmic surgical system
    Patent number: 10438576
    Abstract: Active noise cancellation is employed to address unwanted acoustical noise generated by various equipment associated with an ophthalmic surgical system. Active noise cancellation may be used within a chassis of the ophthalmic surgical system, within an air compressor used with the ophthalmic surgical system, and within a reciprocating surgical probe used with the ophthalmic surgical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Novartis AG
    Inventors: Kirk Wellington Todd, Johan Gustaf Ekvall, Paul J. Essex, Steven T. Charles, Nicholas Max Gunn
  • Wireless ophthalmic surgical footswitch
    Patent number: 10243557
    Abstract: Disclosed is a surgical footswitch, comprising a base, a pedal mounted to the base, and a variable air capacitor mechanically coupled to the pedal, such that movement of the pedal is operative to vary the capacitance of the variable air capacitor. The footswitch further comprises a capacitance-sensing controller circuit electrically connected to the variable air capacitor and configured to measure a capacitance of the variable air capacitor and to produce a control signal based on the measured capacitance, such that the control signal reflects a position of the pedal or a change in the position of the pedal, and a wireless interface electrically connected to the capacitance-sensing controller circuit and configured to wirelessly relay the control signal to a surgical console.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Novartis AG
    Inventors: Johan Gustaf Ekvall, Paul J. Essex, Kirk Wellington Todd
  • WIRELESS OPHTHALMIC SURGICAL FOOTSWITCH
    Publication number: 20180083621
    Abstract: Disclosed is a surgical footswitch, comprising a base, a pedal mounted to the base, and a variable air capacitor mechanically coupled to the pedal, such that movement of the pedal is operative to vary the capacitance of the variable air capacitor. The footswitch further comprises a capacitance-sensing controller circuit electrically connected to the variable air capacitor and configured to measure a capacitance of the variable air capacitor and to produce a control signal based on the measured capacitance, such that the control signal reflects a position of the pedal or a change in the position of the pedal, and a wireless interface electrically connected to the capacitance-sensing controller circuit and configured to wirelessly relay the control signal to a surgical console.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2016
    Publication date: March 22, 2018
    Inventors: Johan Gustaf Ekvall, Paul J. Essex, Kirk Wellington Todd
  • ACTIVE NOISE CANCELLATION IN AN OPHTHALMIC SURGICAL SYSTEM
    Publication number: 20180018953
    Abstract: Active noise cancellation is employed to address unwanted acoustical noise generated by various equipment associated with an ophthalmic surgical system. Active noise cancellation may be used within a chassis of the ophthalmic surgical system, within an air compressor used with the ophthalmic surgical system, and within a reciprocating surgical probe used with the ophthalmic surgical system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2017
    Publication date: January 18, 2018
    Inventors: Kirk Wellington Todd, Johan Gustaf Ekvall, Paul J. Essex, Steven T. Charles, Nicholas Max Gunn