Patents by Inventor Michael J. Brown

Michael J. Brown 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: 20200192423
    Abstract: An electronic device such as a wearable electronic device may have a band. The band may form a stand-alone device or a strap for a wristwatch unit or other device. Electrical components may be mounted on flexible printed circuit substrates. A substrate may be encapsulated by elastomeric polymer material or other material forming the band. The elastomeric polymer material may form cavities that receive the electrical components. Components such as light-emitting diodes may be mounted to the flexible printed circuit substrates so that the light-emitting diodes are located in the cavities. Reflective sidewalls in the cavities may reflect light from the light-emitting diodes outwardly through a thinned portion of the band. Light-diffusing material in the cavities may be formed from clear polymer with light-scattering particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2018
    Publication date: June 18, 2020
    Inventors: Yung-Yu Hsu, Shubham A. Gandhi, Mingjing Ha, Paul S. Drzaic, Chang-Chia Huang, Han-Chieh Chang, Bryce T. Bradford, David W. Lum, Bhaskar Banerjee, Adam Adjiwibawa, David A. Doyle, Hong Luo, Michael J. Brown
  • Patent number: 10624666
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an ultrasonic transmission component of an ultrasonic surgical instrument includes forming, via additive manufacturing, a waveguide, including a body portion, a curved blade extending distally from the body portion, and a lumen extending through a portion of the body portion and a portion of the curved blade. Another method of manufacturing an ultrasonic transmission component of an ultrasonic surgical instrument includes forming, via additive manufacturing, a waveguide, including a body portion and a blade extending distally from the body portion. At least one of the body portion or the blade defines a varied density.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: Covidien LP
    Inventor: Michael J. Brown
  • Patent number: 10588654
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an ultrasonic transmission component of an ultrasonic surgical instrument includes forming, via additive manufacturing, a waveguide, including a body portion, a curved blade extending distally from the body portion, and a lumen extending through a portion of the body portion and a portion of the curved blade. Another method of manufacturing an ultrasonic transmission component of an ultrasonic surgical instrument includes forming, via additive manufacturing, a waveguide, including a body portion and a blade extending distally from the body portion. At least one of the body portion or the blade defines a varied density.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Covidien LP
    Inventor: Michael J. Brown
  • Publication number: 20190343550
    Abstract: An ultrasonic surgical instrument includes an elongated assembly releasably engagable with an ultrasonic transducer and including a waveguide having a blade at a distal end and a torque adapter towards a proximal end. Fixed and movable sleeves are disposed about the waveguide and support and operably couple to a jaw member at the respective distal ends thereof. A drive tube is fixed to the movable sleeve such that translation of the drive tube pivots the jaw member relative to the blade. A torque housing is slidably disposed about the drive tube, longitudinally fixed about the fixed sleeve, and fixedly about the torque adapter. A rotation knob is longitudinally fixed about the torque housing and operably coupled to the torque housing such that the torque housing and the rotation knob cooperate to define a torque wrench inhibit application of additional torque to the waveguide above a torque limit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2019
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Inventors: MICHAEL J. BROWN, JASON L. CRAIG
  • Patent number: 10368898
    Abstract: An ultrasonic surgical instrument includes an elongated assembly releasably engagable with an ultrasonic transducer and including a waveguide having a blade at a distal end and a torque adapter towards a proximal end. Fixed and movable sleeves are disposed about the waveguide and support and operably couple to a jaw member at the respective distal ends thereof. A drive tube is fixed to the movable sleeve such that translation of the drive tube pivots the jaw member relative to the blade. A torque housing is slidably disposed about the drive tube, longitudinally fixed about the fixed sleeve, and fixedly about the torque adapter. A rotation knob is longitudinally fixed about the torque housing and operably coupled to the torque housing such that the torque housing and the rotation knob cooperate to define a torque wrench inhibit application of additional torque to the waveguide above a torque limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: COVIDIEN LP
    Inventors: Michael J. Brown, Jason L. Craig
  • Publication number: 20190038307
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an ultrasonic transmission component of an ultrasonic surgical instrument includes forming, via additive manufacturing, a waveguide, including a body portion, a curved blade extending distally from the body portion, and a lumen extending through a portion of the body portion and a portion of the curved blade. Another method of manufacturing an ultrasonic transmission component of an ultrasonic surgical instrument includes forming, via additive manufacturing, a waveguide, including a body portion and a blade extending distally from the body portion. At least one of the body portion or the blade defines a varied density.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2017
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Inventor: MICHAEL J. BROWN
  • Patent number: 10135034
    Abstract: Display panel configurations are described in which a pixel-level integrated black matrix layer is combined with an elliptical polarizer. The elliptical polarizer may allow for increased transmission of emissive LEDs in the display panel, while the black matrix layer may mitigate internal reflection of ambient light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Ion Bita, Jean-Jacques P. Drolet, Enkhamgalan Dorjgotov, Michael J. Brown
  • Patent number: 10126480
    Abstract: A display may have a backlight unit with a row of light-emitting diodes that emit light into the edge of a light guide plate. The light guide plate may have opposing upper and lower surfaces. The upper surface of the light guide plate may have ridges and the lower surface of the light guide plate may have bumps. The edge of the light guide plate may have light mixing structures. The light mixing structures may include edge surfaces that refract light at a high angle. The high angle light may then be reflected by a reflective surface so that the light propagates down the light guide plate. Some light may pass through the light mixing structures and propagate down the light guide plate without being reflected by the reflective surface. This arrangement may reduce the mixing distance of the backlight unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Michael J. Brown, David A. Doyle
  • Patent number: 10067283
    Abstract: A display may have a backlight unit with a row of light-emitting diodes that emit light into the edge of a light guide plate. The light guide plate may have opposing upper and lower surfaces. Backlight may be extracted from the light guide plate using an array of bumps on the lower surface and ridges on the upper surface. Ridge density may vary as a function of location across the display. Some of the ridges may be terminated along a meandering border between regions of differing ridge density. Ridge length and endpoint location can be dithered along borders between regions and ridge widths and thicknesses may be tapered down towards the endpoints. Ridges may be patterned to reduce the density of the ridges immediately adjacent the light-emitting diodes and thereby avoid over-extraction of the light at the light-emitting diodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Michael J. Brown
  • Publication number: 20180221047
    Abstract: An assembly tool for use with an ultrasonic surgical instrument includes a body portion, a neck, and a head portion. The body portion includes a base and first and second legs extending from the base to define a receiving area therebetween. The neck is attached to the body portion and the head portion is attached to the neck. The head portion defines a central opening. The first and second legs of the body portion are configured to engage a portion of a housing of an ultrasonic surgical instrument received within the receiving area, and the head portion is configured to engage a rotation knob of the ultrasonic surgical instrument received within the central opening to rotationally fix the rotation knob relative to the housing. Kits including the assembly tool and methods of assembling an ultrasonic surgical instrument using the assembly tool are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2017
    Publication date: August 9, 2018
    Inventor: MICHAEL J. BROWN
  • Patent number: 9986984
    Abstract: A method of assembling a surgical instrument includes coupling a power bus to a switch base that has a top, a bottom, and side surfaces; adhering a membrane to the top surface of the switch base over the power bus to form a switch base assembly; positioning the switch base assembly within a first portion of a switch base cavity defined by a lower housing portion; and joining the lower housing portion with an upper housing portion. The upper housing portion defines a second portion of the switch base cavity. Joining the lower housing portion with the upper housing portion disposes the switch base within the first portion of the switch base cavity and prevents fluid from penetrating a proximal portion of the switch base cavity within which an electrical lead is coupled to the power bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: COVIDIEN LP
    Inventors: Robert B. Stoddard, Ian C. McEachern, Michael J. Brown
  • Patent number: 9921356
    Abstract: A display may have a backlight unit with a row of light-emitting diodes that emit light into the edge of a light guide layer. The light guide layer may have opposing upper and lower surfaces. The upper surface of the light guide layer may have ridges and the lower surface of the light guide layer may have bumps. The edge of the light guide layer may have light mixing structures. The light mixing structures may include an alternating pattern of protrusions with different shapes. For example, triangular protrusions of a first size may be patterned with triangular protrusions of a second size. The light mixing structures may reduce the mixing distance of the backlight unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Michael J. Brown
  • Publication number: 20170319229
    Abstract: An ultrasonic surgical instrument includes an elongated assembly releasably engagable with an ultrasonic transducer and including a waveguide having a blade at a distal end and a torque adapter towards a proximal end. Fixed and movable sleeves are disposed about the waveguide and support and operably couple to a jaw member at the respective distal ends thereof. A drive tube is fixed to the movable sleeve such that translation of the drive tube pivots the jaw member relative to the blade. A torque housing is slidably disposed about the drive tube, longitudinally fixed about the fixed sleeve, and fixedly about the torque adapter. A rotation knob is longitudinally fixed about the torque housing and operably coupled to the torque housing such that the torque housing and the rotation knob cooperate to define a torque wrench inhibit application of additional torque to the waveguide above a torque limit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2017
    Publication date: November 9, 2017
    Inventors: MICHAEL J. BROWN, JASON L. CRAIG
  • Publication number: 20170082788
    Abstract: A display may have a backlight unit with a row of light-emitting diodes that emit light into the edge of a light guide layer. The light guide layer may have opposing upper and lower surfaces. The upper surface of the light guide layer may have ridges and the lower surface of the light guide layer may have bumps. The edge of the light guide layer may have light mixing structures. The light mixing structures may include an alternating pattern of protrusions with different shapes. For example, triangular protrusions of a first size may be patterned with triangular protrusions of a second size. The light mixing structures may reduce the mixing distance of the backlight unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2016
    Publication date: March 23, 2017
    Inventor: Michael J. Brown
  • Publication number: 20170045663
    Abstract: A display may have a backlight unit with a row of light-emitting diodes that emit light into the edge of a light guide plate. The light guide plate may have opposing upper and lower surfaces. The upper surface of the light guide plate may have ridges and the lower surface of the light guide plate may have bumps. The edge of the light guide plate may have light mixing structures. The light mixing structures may include edge surfaces that refract light at a high angle. The high angle light may then be reflected by a reflective surface so that the light propagates down the light guide plate. Some light may pass through the light mixing structures and propagate down the light guide plate without being reflected by the reflective surface. This arrangement may reduce the mixing distance of the backlight unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2015
    Publication date: February 16, 2017
    Inventors: Michael J. Brown, David A. Doyle
  • Publication number: 20160331513
    Abstract: A breast prosthesis, including an elastomeric shell including an elastomeric shell including a front exterior surfaces including a first portion having a first surface texture, and a second portion having a second surface texture different than the first surface texture, and a back exterior surface having a third surface texture, and a front transition area that transitions between the first portion and the second portion of the front exterior surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2015
    Publication date: November 17, 2016
    Inventor: Michael J. Brown
  • Publication number: 20160178830
    Abstract: A display may have a backlight unit with a row of light-emitting diodes that emit light into the edge of a light guide plate. The light guide plate may have opposing upper and lower surfaces. Backlight may be extracted from the light guide plate using an array of bumps on the lower surface and ridges on the upper surface. Ridge density may vary as a function of location across the display. Some of the ridges may be terminated along a meandering border between regions of differing ridge density. Ridge length and endpoint location can be dithered along borders between regions and ridge widths and thicknesses may be tapered down towards the endpoints. Ridges may be patterned to reduce the density of the ridges immediately adjacent the light-emitting diodes and thereby avoid over-extraction of the light at the light-emitting diodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2015
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Inventor: Michael J. Brown
  • Publication number: 20160081679
    Abstract: A method of assembling a surgical instrument includes coupling a power bus to a switch base that has a top, a bottom, and side surfaces; adhering a membrane to the top surface of the switch base over the power bus to form a switch base assembly; positioning the switch base assembly within a first portion of a switch base cavity defined by a lower housing portion; and joining the lower housing portion with an upper housing portion. The upper housing portion defines a second portion of the switch base cavity. Joining the lower housing portion with the upper housing portion disposes the switch base within the first portion of the switch base cavity and prevents fluid from penetrating a proximal portion of the switch base cavity within which an electrical lead is coupled to the power bus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2015
    Publication date: March 24, 2016
    Inventors: ROBERT B. STODDARD, IAN C. MCEACHERN, MICHAEL J. BROWN
  • Publication number: 20160081742
    Abstract: A surgical instrument includes a switch base, a power bus coupled to the switch base, an electrical lead coupled to the power bus, an actuator operatively engaged with the power bus, an actuator operatively engaged with the power bus, a membrane, and a housing. The switch base has top, bottom, and side surfaces. The membrane is disposed over the top surface of the switch base and over the power bus to seal the top surface of the switch base. The housing defines proximal and distal ends and a switch base cavity between the proximal and distal ends. The housing includes bulkheads that form a plurality of fluid impermeable seals that are disposed adjacent one of the proximal and distal ends. The fluid impermeable seals are configured to deter fluid from penetrating a proximal portion of the switch base cavity within which the electrical lead is coupled to the power bus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2015
    Publication date: March 24, 2016
    Inventors: ROBERT B. STODDARD, IAN C. MCEACHERN, MICHAEL J. BROWN
  • Patent number: 9134082
    Abstract: A firearm including a barrel having a breech and a muzzle defining a length of the barrel is disclosed. The firearm includes a hand guard having a first end and a second end with a front sight is attached to at least one of the barrel adjacent the muzzle and the second end of the hand guard. A housing is coupled to the front sight and defines a chamber having a piston disposed therein and movable between static and displaced positions. A receiver is coupled to the first end and a bolt carrier is disposed within the receiver and moveable between firing and rearward positions. A carrier key is attached to the bolt carrier and moves concurrently with the bolt carrier and a rod is permanently affixed to the carrier key and extends to a distal end with the piston engaging the distal end when moving to the displaced position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: ADCOR INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventor: Michael J. Brown