Patents by Inventor Nils Schweizer
Nils Schweizer 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: 11975881Abstract: A carrier (1) for the simultaneous measurement of sealing temperature, sealing time and sealing force in a primary packaging line for ophthalmic lenses comprises a temperature sensing plate (2), a force sensing plate (3), and a supporting plate (4). Temperature sensing plate (2) is arranged atop force sensing plate (3), which is arranged atop supporting plate (4).Type: GrantFiled: September 13, 2021Date of Patent: May 7, 2024Assignee: Alcon Inc.Inventors: Jens Wolfstädter, Alfred Fischer, Felix Brinckmann, Nils Schweizer
-
Publication number: 20240141059Abstract: Provided herein are heavy chain constant regions (referred to as “modified heavy chain constant regions”), or functionally equivalent fragments thereof, that enhance biological properties of antibodies relative to the same antibodies in unmodified form. An exemplary modified heavy chain constant region includes an IgG2 hinge and three constant domains (i.e., CH1, CH2, and CH3 domains), wherein one or more of the constant region domains are of a non-IgG2 isotype (e.g., IgG1, IgG3 or IgG4). The heavy chain constant region may comprise wildtype human IgG domain sequences, or variants of these sequences. Also provided herein are methods for enhancing certain biological properties of antibodies that comprise a non-IgG2 hinge, such as internalization, agonism and antagonism, wherein the method comprises replacing the non-IgG2 hinge of the antibody with an IgG2 hinge.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 30, 2023Publication date: May 2, 2024Inventors: Nils LONBERG, Alan J. KORMAN, Mark J. SELBY, Bryan C. BARNHART, Aaron P. YAMNIUK, Mohan SRINIVASAN, Karla A. HENNING, Michelle Minhua HAN, Ming LEI, Liang SCHWEIZER, Sandra V. HATCHER, Arvind RAJPAL
-
Publication number: 20240131810Abstract: An apparatus (1) for photolithographically forming an ophthalmic lens (L) comprises: a container (2) comprising a container bottom (20) with an inner surface (200) including a concave portion (201); a piston (4) comprising a distal piston end face (400) with a convex portion (401); wherein the piston (4) is arranged in the container (2) such that the convex portion (401) faces the concave portion (201), and wherein the piston is movably arranged in the container (2); a light source (5, 50) being arranged beneath the container bottom (20) for emitting light towards the container bottom (20); a mask (6) arranged between the light source (5, 50) and the container bottom (20), the mask (6) comprising a plurality of pixels (60) which are configured to be individually controlled to either allow the light emitted from the light source (5, 50) to pass through the individual pixels (60) and to impinge on that part of the container bottom (20) having the concave portion (201) of the inner surface (200), or to not alType: ApplicationFiled: October 19, 2023Publication date: April 25, 2024Inventors: Felix Brinckmann, Nils Schweizer
-
Publication number: 20240009946Abstract: An apparatus for removal of an ophthalmic lens, such as a contact lens, for example a soft contact lens, from a lens treatment container for the accommodation of the ophthalmic lens during a lens treatment process, comprises: an exhaust air box comprising at least one inlet for allowing ambient air to be drawn into the exhaust box; an outlet in fluid communication with the exhaust air box, the outlet capable of being connected to a source of negative pressure; at least one tube having a proximal end connected to the at least one inlet of the exhaust air box, and a distal end having a displaceable nozzle; and an actuator connected to the nozzle, for displacing the nozzle from a standby position to a lens removal position, and back to the standby position.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 5, 2023Publication date: January 11, 2024Inventors: Felix Brinckmann, Nils Schweizer
-
Patent number: 11851291Abstract: A method for transporting a blister strip of ophthalmic lenses: only one single blister strip is provided at a start location and one magazine compartment of two magazine compartments contains n blister strips while the other magazine compartment contains n+1 blister strips, the single buster strip is picked up at the start location by one of the gripper units of a first gripper and is transported into that magazine compartment containing the n blister strips, by moving the first gripper to that magazine compartment containing the n blister strips and releasing the single blister strip from the first gripper into that magazine compartment, or by moving the first gripper to a hand-over station and releasing the single blister strip from the first gripper into the hand-over station, transporting the single blister strip from the hand-over station into that magazine compartment containing the n blister strips using a second gripper.Type: GrantFiled: February 11, 2021Date of Patent: December 26, 2023Assignee: Alcon Inc.Inventors: Felix Brinckmann, Nils Schweizer, Jens Wolfstädter
-
Patent number: 11852902Abstract: A cleaner for cleaning grippers for the transport of ophthalmic lenses comprises: an exhaust air box comprising at least one inlet opening for allowing ambient air as well as lenses, lens parts, debris and fluid adhered to the grippers to be sucked into an interior of the exhaust air box, an outlet opening in fluid communication with the interior of the exhaust air box and a cleaner head arranged on the exhaust air box and comprising a plurality of receiver sleeves for receiving the grippers to be cleaned, a plurality of shutters, wherein each individual shutter of the plurality of shutters is arranged to open or close the fluid communication of at least one receiver sleeve (5) of the plurality of receiver sleeves (5) and the interior of the exhaust air box (1).Type: GrantFiled: January 14, 2021Date of Patent: December 26, 2023Assignee: Alcon Inc.Inventors: Felix Brinckmann, Nils Schweizer, Roger Biel
-
Publication number: 20230271337Abstract: A gripper for the transportation of an ophthalmic lens comprises: a gripper shaft having a longitudinal shaft axis and a fluid channel extending through the gripper shaft; a connector at the proximal end of the gripper shaft for connecting a flexible supply tube and the proximal end of the gripper shaft; a support movably accommodating the gripper shaft; a spring mounted between the support and the gripper shaft, the spring biasing the gripper shaft distally away from the support; and a gripper head attached to the gripper shaft at a distal end portion thereof, the gripper head having a further fluid channel extending therethrough, the gripper head further having a suction opening which is centrally arranged in a distal end surface of the gripper head, the suction opening being in fluid communication with the fluid channel of the gripper shaft through further fluid channel. The gripper head is configured to be pivotable about a pivot portion of the gripper head.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 24, 2023Publication date: August 31, 2023Inventors: Felix Brinckmann, Sergej Riskin, Nils Schweizer, Johannes Neumann
-
Publication number: 20230083845Abstract: An automated production line for the production of ophthalmic lenses comprises: a production line front end comprising: a first and a second injection-molding machine, a casting module, a filling station and a capping station, a stacking module and a curing module, a destacking module and a demolding and delensing module a production line back end comprising: a treatment module, an inspection module, wherein self-driving shuttles in the inspection module can form a queue and act as a buffer for the primary packaging module if an interruption of the primary packaging module and variations of the cycle time in the primary packaging module are buffered so that the extraction module is able to operate largely independently from the upstream and downstream components of the manufacturing line.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 12, 2022Publication date: March 16, 2023Inventors: Matthias Schwab, Matthias Braun, Roger Biel, Nils Schweizer, Nicholas Gollas, Shu Zong
-
Publication number: 20230084287Abstract: An automated production line for the production of ophthalmic lenses comprises: a production line front end (1) comprising: a first injection-molding machine (10) and a second injection-molding machine (12) a casting module (14) comprising a filling station (144) and a capping station (145); a stacking module (15) and a curing module (16); a destacking module (17) and a demolding and delensing module a production line back end (2) comprising: an inspection module (21); Wherein the inspection module comprising a rail system in which self-driving shuttles carrying the inspection cuvettes are arranged on a closed-loop rail, wherein the rail system can be adapted to the available space in the production plant/hall using curves and straight portions in the manner known from a model railway.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 12, 2022Publication date: March 16, 2023Inventors: Matthias Schwab, Matthias Braun, Roger Biel, Nils Schweizer, Nicholas Gollas, Susanne Fechner, Shu Zong
-
Publication number: 20220081143Abstract: A carrier (1) for the simultaneous measurement of sealing temperature, sealing time and sealing force in a primary packaging line for ophthalmic lenses comprises a temperature sensing plate (2), a force sensing plate (3), and a supporting plate (4). Temperature sensing plate (2) is arranged atop force sensing plate (3), which is arranged atop supporting plate (4).Type: ApplicationFiled: September 13, 2021Publication date: March 17, 2022Inventors: Jens Wolfstädter, Alfred Fischer, Felix Brinckmann, Nils Schweizer
-
Patent number: 11204297Abstract: A method for determining whether a sealing area of a primary packaging container for an ophthalmic lens is unacceptable for properly sealing a foil to the sealing area is disclosed. The method involves comparing the temperature of an infrared image of the sealing area to a reference temperature to determine if the difference in temperature exceeds a predetermined threshold.Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 2020Date of Patent: December 21, 2021Assignee: Alcon Inc.Inventors: Felix Brinckmann, Gabriela Cocora, Nils Schweizer, Jens Wolfstaedter
-
Publication number: 20210323162Abstract: A method for calibrating lens grippers prior to use of the grippers in a lens manufacturing line includes providing a remote gripper calibration tool having an assembly plate and a Z-directional position sensor; providing a master gripper having a length dimension terminating in a tip, the length dimension being predetermined to match a desired final extension length of a lens gripper; mounting the master gripper to the assembly plate; measuring the Z-directional position of the tip of the master gripper with the Z-directional position sensor; unmounting the master gripper from the assembly plate; mounting a lens gripper to be calibrated to the assembly plate, the lens gripper having a tip, and calibrating the lens gripper by adjusting the final extension length of the tip of the lens gripper to a predetermined position relative to the measured Z-directional position of the tip of the master gripper.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 13, 2021Publication date: October 21, 2021Inventors: Felix Brinckmann, Nils Schweizer, Jens Wolfstaedter
-
Publication number: 20210253366Abstract: A method for transporting a blister strip of ophthalmic lenses: only one single blister strip is provided at a start location and one magazine compartment of two magazine compartments contains n blister strips while the other magazine compartment contains n+1 blister strips, the single buster strip is picked up at the start location by one of the gripper units of a first gripper and is transported into that magazine compartment containing the n blister strips, by moving the first gripper to that magazine compartment containing the n blister strips and releasing the single blister strip from the first gripper into that magazine compartment, or by moving the first gripper to a hand-over station and releasing the single blister strip from the first gripper into the hand-over station, transporting the single blister strip from the hand-over station into that magazine compartment containing the n blister strips using a second gripper.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 11, 2021Publication date: August 19, 2021Inventors: Felix Brinckmann, Nils Schweizer, Jens Wolfstädter
-
Publication number: 20210223578Abstract: A cleaner for cleaning grippers for the transport of ophthalmic lenses comprises: an exhaust air box comprising at least one inlet opening for allowing ambient air as well as lenses, lens parts, debris and fluid adhered to the grippers to be sucked into an interior of the exhaust air box, an outlet opening in fluid communication with the interior of the exhaust air box and a cleaner head arranged on the exhaust air box and comprising a plurality of receiver sleeves for receiving the grippers to be cleaned, a plurality of shutters, wherein each individual shutter of the plurality of shutters is arranged to open or close the fluid communication of at least one receiver sleeve (5) of the plurality of receiver sleeves (5) and the interior of the exhaust air box (1).Type: ApplicationFiled: January 14, 2021Publication date: July 22, 2021Inventors: Felix Brinckmann, Nils Schweizer, Roger Biel
-
Patent number: 11059680Abstract: A gripper (1) for an ophthalmic lens comprises a gripper head (14) having a bearing surface (140), the bearing surface (140) having at least one through-opening (14), the bearing surface (140) further having a separate detection through-opening (142) other than the at least one through-opening (141); a suction channel (170) arranged in an interior of the gripper, the suction channel (170) leading to the at least one through-opening (141) in the bearing surface (140); an overpressure channel (130) arranged in the interior of the gripper, the overpressure channel (130) leading to the at least one through-opening (141); and a detection vacuum tube (16) arranged in the interior of the gripper, the detection vacuum tube (16) leading to the separate detection through-opening (142) in the bearing surface (140).Type: GrantFiled: October 24, 2019Date of Patent: July 13, 2021Assignee: Alcon Inc.Inventors: Felix Brinckmann, Nils Schweizer, Gabriela Cocora, Alexander Bayer
-
Patent number: 10901236Abstract: A packaging container (1) for a contact lens comprises a shell (2). The shell (2) comprises a cavity (10) having a drop-shaped perimeter (12), and a flange (20) having a flat upper surface (22) extending around the drop-shaped perimeter (12) of the cavity (10) in an upper surface plane (24). The cavity (10) comprises a bowl portion (30) including an at least partially spherical section (32) for accommodating the contact lens, and a chamfer portion (40) surrounding the bowl portion (30). The chamfer portion (40) is arranged between the bowl portion (30) and the drop-shaped perimeter (12) of the cavity (10) and includes a tapered outlet section (42) forming a tip towards the flange (20) to facilitate removal of the contact lens from the cavity (10).Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2019Date of Patent: January 26, 2021Assignee: Alcon Inc.Inventors: Nils Schweizer, Kai Breburda, Felix Brinckmann, Gabriela Cocora, Lukas Lomb
-
Publication number: 20200386647Abstract: A method for determining whether a sealing area (13) of a primary packaging container (1) for an ophthalmic lens is unacceptable for properly sealing a foil to the sealing area (13) comprises the steps of taking an infrared image (7) of the primary packaging container (1); determining in the infrared image (7) a plurality of individual pixels (700-709) which are arranged along an area (73) corresponding to the sealing area (13) of the primary packaging container (1); determining from the infrared image (7) the temperature (T0, T1, T2) of the individual pixels (700-709), and determining that the sealing area (13) is unacceptable in case the following conditions are fulfilled: a) the temperature (T1) of each individual pixel of a predetermined number of coherently arranged individual pixels (700, 703, 706) is lower than a reference temperature (T0), and b) the difference between the temperature (T1) of each individual pixel (700; 703; 706) of the coherently arranged pixels (700, 703, 706) and the referenceType: ApplicationFiled: June 5, 2020Publication date: December 10, 2020Inventors: Felix Brinckmann, Gabriela Cocora, Nils Schweizer, Jens Wolfstaedter
-
Publication number: 20200165120Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing a liquid into one or more cavities of one packaging shells for ophthalmic lenses, comprises a dispenser block, a dispenser head separate from the dispenser block. The apparatus further comprises one or more tubes connecting the dispenser block and the dispenser head. Additionally, the dispenser block comprises a reservoir for the liquid to be dispensed, and one or more dosing pumps for conveying the liquid from the reservoir to the dispenser head. The dispenser head comprises one or more dispensing tips detachably arranged on the dispenser head, each of the dispensing tips being in fluid communication with the dispenser block by a separate one of the one or more tubes.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 25, 2019Publication date: May 28, 2020Inventors: Jens Wolfstaedter, Felix Brinckmann, Nils Schweizer, Alfred Fischer
-
Publication number: 20200128932Abstract: A treatment container (1) for accommodating an ophthalmic lens (2) comprises a bottom (3), a side wall (4) surrounding the bottom (3) and together with the bottom (3) forming a cavity (5) for accommodating the ophthalmic lens, a container opening (6) arranged opposite to the bottom (3), and a fluid opening (7) arranged in the bottom (3) or in the side wall (4) of the treatment container (1). The fluid opening (7) is in fluid communication with the cavity (5). The treatment container (1) further comprises a fluid conveyance channel (8) and a supply connector (9). The fluid conveyance channel (8) is connected to the fluid opening (7) so as to be in fluid communication with the fluid opening (7).Type: ApplicationFiled: October 30, 2019Publication date: April 30, 2020Inventors: Harald Bothe, Felix Brinckmann, Alfred Fischer, Joachim Jung, Nils Schweizer, Sebastian Wedekind
-
Publication number: 20200130955Abstract: A gripper (1) for an ophthalmic lens comprises a gripper head (14) having a bearing surface (140), the bearing surface (140) having at least one through-opening (14), the bearing surface (140) further having a separate detection through-opening (142) other than the at least one through-opening (141); a suction channel (170) arranged in an interior of the gripper, the suction channel (170) leading to the at least one through-opening (141) in the bearing surface (140); an overpressure channel (130) arranged in the interior of the gripper, the overpressure channel (130) leading to the at least one through-opening (141); and a detection vacuum tube (16) arranged in the interior of the gripper, the detection vacuum tube (16) leading to the separate detection through-opening (142) in the bearing surface (140).Type: ApplicationFiled: October 24, 2019Publication date: April 30, 2020Inventors: Felix BRINCKMANN, Nils SCHWEIZER, Gabriela COCORA, Alexander BAYER