Patents by Inventor Steven T. Charles

Steven T. Charles 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: 11166706
    Abstract: A surgical device includes a plurality of cameras integrated therein. The view of each of the plurality of cameras can be integrated together. A surgical tool that includes an integrated camera may be used in conjunction with the surgical device. The image produced by the camera integrated with the surgical tool may be associated with the images generated by the plurality of cameras integrated in the surgical device. The position and orientation of the cameras and/or the surgical tool can be tracked, and the surgical tool can be rendered as at least partially transparent. A surgical device may be powered by a hydraulic system, thereby reducing electromagnetic interference with tracking devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: CamPlex, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven T. Charles, John Tesar
  • Patent number: 11166844
    Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide an apparatus and method of using a multifunctional device to cut/tab a graft from a donor region of an eye. The apparatus includes a multifunctional device for ophthalmic surgery, having an insertion sleeve comprising an inner surface defining a compartment, a flat wire contained within the compartment folded to form a loop, wherein the flat wire comprises a sharp edge (continuous or tabbed) operable for cutting retinal tissue, and wherein the loop is positioned at a distal end of the insertion sleeve, and a handpiece coupled to the insertion tube and configured to adjust a size of the loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventor: Steven T. Charles
  • Patent number: 11129521
    Abstract: A surgical device includes a plurality of cameras integrated therein. The view of each of the plurality of cameras can be integrated together to provide a composite image. A surgical tool that includes an integrated camera may be used in conjunction with the surgical device. The image produced by the camera integrated with the surgical tool may be associated with the composite image generated by the plurality of cameras integrated in the surgical device. The position and orientation of the cameras and/or the surgical tool can be tracked, and the surgical tool can be rendered as transparent on the composite image. A surgical device may be powered by a hydraulic system, thereby reducing electromagnetic interference with tracking devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: CamPlex, Inc.
    Inventors: John Tesar, Steven T. Charles
  • Publication number: 20210290436
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein provide devices, systems, and methods for reducing intraocular pressure. For example, the disclosed devices, systems, and methods are useful for reducing intraocular pressure resulting from conditions, such as acute glaucoma, on a short-term basis until a definitive surgical procedure is performed. More particularly, valved trocar cannula systems for reducing intraocular pressure resulting from conditions, such as acute glaucoma, pending surgical intervention in an operating room are disclosed. In practice, a trocar assembly is used to place a valved cannula assembly in a patient's eye, such as in the anterior chamber or pars plana, to reduce high intraocular pressure. The valved cannula is then left in the patient's eye for a period of time to continuously allow aqueous humor or liquid vitreous humor to flow therethrough, until the patient may be surgically treated in an operating room.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2021
    Publication date: September 23, 2021
    Inventor: Steven T. Charles
  • Publication number: 20210220067
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to high dexterity manipulation systems for microsurgical procedures. The surgical system includes a master apparatus controllably coupled to a slave apparatus configured to couple to a patient's head with a dual tripod structure having two pluralities of linear actuator links pivotally supporting a surgical tool shaft. The motions of the linear actuator links are controlled to provide at least 6 degrees of freedom for the surgical tool shaft. The slave apparatus may further include a redundant axis rotatable tool shaft, thus enabling 7 degrees of freedom for a surgical tool. The surgical system includes sensors enabling forces of interaction between the slave apparatus and its environment to be reflected back to the master apparatus. Forces imparted onto the master apparatus by an operator can be fed forward to control the slave apparatus and scaled down to reduce the forces on target tissues.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2021
    Publication date: July 22, 2021
    Inventor: Steven T. Charles
  • Patent number: 11045089
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for automatically controlling a lens to cornea standoff. Automatic lens to cornea standoff control can include an ophthalmic microscope with a lens arrangement configured for viewing images of an eye, a front lens assembly with a high diopter lens for resolving an image of a posterior portion of the eye, and a sensor to monitor a distance between the high diopter lens and a surface of the eye. Automatic lens to cornea standoff control can also include a control system for receiving distance information and an actuator for the front lens assembly back to the threshold standoff distance, past the threshold standoff distance, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventor: Steven T. Charles
  • Publication number: 20210186624
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a head tracking control system including at least one marker positioned on a head of a surgeon. The system further includes an infrared camera including at least two infrared sensors and that detects infrared light reflected off the at least one marker and sends a signal corresponding to the detected light to a processor, and that executes instructions on the processor to detect a movement of the at least one marker. The system also includes an intelligent tracking system that executes instructions on the processor to determine if the detected movement of the at least one marker corresponds to a defined head movement of the surgeon. The system further includes an ophthalmic surgical microscope including the processor. If the detected movement of the at least one marker corresponds to the defined head movement of the surgeon, the processor executes instructions to control the ophthalmic surgical microscope.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Inventor: Steven T. Charles
  • Publication number: 20210177393
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to illumination systems for surgical procedures, and more particularly, non-invasive trans-scleral illumination systems for ophthalmic surgical procedures. In one embodiment, an illumination system includes a speculum having two arms coupled to blades at distal ends thereof and a biasing member at proximal ends thereof. One or more optical fibers are disposed through at least one of the arms and have one or more termination points located within at least one of the blades. The optical fibers are configured to deliver light to an interior space of an eye when the eye is coupled to the speculum. In some embodiments, the illumination system further includes a temple support pad.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2020
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Inventor: Steven T. Charles
  • Patent number: 11033186
    Abstract: Systems and methods for imaging tissue are described. Particularly, systems and methods of imaging an inner limiting membrane, epi-retinal membrane, or posterior vitreous cortex of a patient's eye are disclosed. Imaging an inner limiting membrane, epi-retinal membrane, or posterior vitreous cortex may include applying a stain to the inner limiting membrane, epi-retinal membrane, or posterior vitreous cortex of the patient's eye, causing the stain to produce fluorescent light having a wavelength within a near-infrared range, capturing the fluorescent light, and producing an Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) image of the inner limiting membrane, epi-retinal membrane, or posterior vitreous cortex with an OCT imaging system that is configured to detect light within the near-infrared range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Inventor: Steven T. Charles
  • Patent number: 11033427
    Abstract: Vitreoretinal instruments and methods related thereto are disclosed herein. The disclosure describes various example vitreoretinal instruments having various aspirating port configurations. A vitreoretinal instrument may include a handle and a cannula coupled to the handle. The cannula may include a straight portion and a curved portion. The curved portion may be configurable between a straight configuration and a curved configuration. The curved configuration may include a first curved portion having a curvature defined by a first radius. The curved configuration may include a second curved portion having a curvature defined by a second radius different from the first radius. The curved portion may further include one or more ports formed in the curved portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventors: Steven T. Charles, Reto Grueebler, Philipp Schaller
  • Patent number: 10993614
    Abstract: OCT-enabled injection for vitreoretinal surgery may involve using an OCT image to detect when a surgical injector penetrates a desired tissue layer of the eye for receiving an injection. The injection may be triggered or automatically actuated based on the detection of the surgical injector from the OCT image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventor: Steven T. Charles
  • Patent number: 10982667
    Abstract: In certain embodiments, a fluidic pump system includes a brushless slotless direct current (BSDC) motor mechanically coupled to a fluidic pump, and a motor controller communicably coupled to the BSDC motor. The BSDC motor is configured to drive the fluidic pump, and the motor controller is configured to generate command signals to drive the BSDC motor. The fluidic pump system further includes commutation circuitry coupled to the BSDC motor that is configured to provide digital sine-wave commutation of the BSDC motor and to provide an indication of movement of the BSDC motor to the motor controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventor: Steven T. Charles
  • Patent number: 10945590
    Abstract: A surgical device includes a plurality of cameras integrated therein. The view of each of the plurality of cameras can be integrated together to provide a composite image. A surgical tool that includes an integrated camera may be used in conjunction with the surgical device. The image produced by the camera integrated with the surgical tool may be associated with the composite image generated by the plurality of cameras integrated in the surgical device. The position and orientation of the cameras and/or the surgical tool can be tracked, and the surgical tool can be rendered as transparent on the composite image. A surgical device may be powered by a hydraulic system, thereby reducing electromagnetic interference with tracking devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: CamPlex, Inc.
    Inventors: John Tesar, Steven T. Charles
  • Patent number: 10932766
    Abstract: A surgical device includes one or more cameras integrated therein. The view of each of the one or more cameras can be integrated together and provided to a surgeon display and/or an assistant display. A surgical tool that includes an integrated camera may be used in conjunction with the surgical device. The image produced by the camera integrated with the surgical tool may be associated with the images generated by the one or more cameras integrated in the surgical device. The position and orientation of the cameras and/or the surgical tool can be tracked, and the surgical tool can be rendered as at least partially transparent. A surgical device may be powered by a hydraulic system, thereby reducing electromagnetic interference with tracking devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: CamPlex, Inc.
    Inventors: John Tesar, Steven T. Charles
  • Patent number: 10925589
    Abstract: A surgical device includes a plurality of cameras integrated therein. The view of each of the plurality of cameras can be integrated together to provide a composite image. A surgical tool that includes an integrated camera may be used in conjunction with the surgical device. The image produced by the camera integrated with the surgical tool may be associated with the composite image generated by the plurality of cameras integrated in the surgical device. The position and orientation of the cameras and/or the surgical tool can be tracked, and the surgical tool can be rendered as transparent on the composite image. A surgical device may be powered by a hydraulic system, thereby reducing electromagnetic interference with tracking devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: CamPlex, Inc.
    Inventors: John Tesar, Steven T. Charles
  • Publication number: 20210038070
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a scene camera system including a scene camera that includes a lens and may detect light reflected off an exterior of an eye into the lens and send a signal corresponding to the detected light to a processor. The system further includes a main camera that may detect light reflected off an interior structure of the eye and send a signal corresponding to the detected light to the processor. The system also includes an image processing system including the processor that executes instructions to produce a scene camera digital image of the eye and a main camera digital image of the eye. The system further includes a multiple picture-in-picture display that displays the scene camera digital image of the eye and the main camera digital image of the eye concurrently.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Publication date: February 11, 2021
    Inventor: Steven T. Charles
  • Publication number: 20210038067
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an adaptive optics system including at least one active pixel sensor array that detects light and sends a signal to a processor. The adaptive optics system also includes a wavefront correction system including at least one wavefront control structure and the processor, and that executes instructions on the processor to produce a digital image in which at least one wavefront distortion in the light detected by the active pixel sensor array is partially or fully corrected. The disclosure also provides methods of using the adaptive optics system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Publication date: February 11, 2021
    Inventor: Steven T. Charles
  • Publication number: 20210000461
    Abstract: A surgical device includes a plurality of cameras integrated therein. The view of each of the plurality of cameras can be integrated together to provide a composite image. A surgical tool that includes an integrated camera may be used in conjunction with the surgical device. The image produced by the camera integrated with the surgical tool may be associated with the composite image generated by the plurality of cameras integrated in the surgical device. The position and orientation of the cameras and/or the surgical tool can be tracked, and the surgical tool can be rendered as transparent on the composite image. A surgical device may be powered by a hydraulic system, thereby reducing electromagnetic interference with tracking devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2020
    Publication date: January 7, 2021
    Inventors: Steven T. Charles, John Tesar
  • Patent number: 10881286
    Abstract: A surgical retractor includes a plurality of cameras integrated therein. One such retractor includes a tubular retractor and an insert supporting said plurality of cameras can be disposed within a tubular retractor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: CamPlex, Inc.
    Inventors: John Tesar, Steven T. Charles
  • Publication number: 20200390598
    Abstract: Certain embodiments describe an endoilluminator having a tube that includes an interior compartment between a proximal end and a distal end of the tube, wherein the distal end of the tube is configured to be inserted into an eye. The endoilluminator also includes a handpiece coupled to a light source and the proximal end of the tube, wherein the endoilluminator is configured to filter an incident component of light transmitted by the light source and emit a polarized component of the transmitted light through the distal end of the tube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2020
    Publication date: December 17, 2020
    Inventor: Steven T. Charles