Patents by Inventor Timothy P. Sheridan
Timothy P. Sheridan 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).
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Patent number: 9033867Abstract: A self propelled, endoscopic apparatus formed of a flexible, fluid-filled toroid and a motorized or powerable frame The apparatus may be used to advance a variety of accessory devices into generally tubular spaces and environments for medical and non-medical applications. The apparatus when inserted into a tubular space or environment, such as the colon of a patient undergoing a colonoscopy, is advanced by the motion of the toroid. The toroid's surface circulates around itself in a continuous motion from inside its central cavity along its central axis to the outside where its surface travels in the opposite direction until it again rotates into its central cavity. As the device advances within the varying sizes, shapes and contours of body lumens, the toroid compresses and expands to accommodate and navigate the environment. The motion of the toroid can be powered or unpowered and the direction and speed may be controlled.Type: GrantFiled: July 5, 2007Date of Patent: May 19, 2015Assignee: FUJIFILM CorporationInventors: Troy J. Ziegler, Timothy P. Sheridan, William T. Ryder
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Publication number: 20140012086Abstract: A self-propelling device includes a turning unit and a supporter. The supporter includes a first support sleeve, a second support sleeve and a cover formed respectively cylindrically. A drive wheel is secured to the first support sleeve in a rotatable manner. A pair of follower rollers are secured to the second support sleeve together. The cover is fitted on an outer surface of the second support sleeve externally, and disposed in the turning unit together with the second support sleeve. The turning unit is pressed by the follower rollers to the drive wheel. When the drive wheel rotates, the turning unit is circulated around the second support sleeve in a longitudinal direction of the first support sleeve. An inner wall of a body cavity will not be damaged, as the follower rollers are covered by the cover and do not appear externally even if the turning unit breaks.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 16, 2013Publication date: January 9, 2014Applicant: FUJIFILM CorporationInventors: Shinichi YAMAKAWA, Tsuyoshi ASHIDA, Takayuki NAKAMURA, Yasunori OHTA, Timothy P. SHERIDAN
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Patent number: 8353817Abstract: A self propelled, endoscopic apparatus formed of a flexible, fluid-filled toroid and a motorized or powerable frame. The apparatus may be used to advance a variety of accessory devices into generally tubular spaces and environments for medical and non-medical applications. The apparatus when inserted into a tubular space or environment, such as the colon of a patient undergoing a colonoscopy, is advanced by the motion of the toroid. The toroid's surface circulates around itself in a continuous motion from inside its central cavity along its central axis to the outside where its surface travels in the opposite direction until it again rotates into its central cavity. As the device advances within the varying sizes, shapes and contours of body lumens, the toroid compresses and expands to accommodate and navigate the environment. The motion of the toroid can be powered or unpowered and the direction and speed may be controlled.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2010Date of Patent: January 15, 2013Assignee: FUJIFILM CorporationInventors: Troy J. Ziegler, Timothy P. Sheridan, William T. Ryder
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Patent number: 8276480Abstract: A drive mechanism includes a drive assembly including a driven element, a first driveshaft, configured to be engaged with the drive assembly, the first driveshaft configured to rotate in a first direction and relate a first assembly torque to the drive assembly and a first drive torque to the driven element, and a torque adjusting mechanism operatively engaged with the drive assembly and configured to relate a second assembly torque, opposite in direction to the first assembly torque, to the drive assembly.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2009Date of Patent: October 2, 2012Assignee: FUJIFILM CorporationInventors: Timothy P. Sheridan, John J. Allen
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Publication number: 20100198011Abstract: A self propelled, endoscopic apparatus formed of a flexible, fluid-filled toroid and a motorized or powerable frame. The apparatus may be used to advance a variety of accessory devices into generally tubular spaces and environments for medical and non-medical applications. The apparatus when inserted into a tubular space or environment, such as the colon of a patient undergoing a colonoscopy, is advanced by the motion of the toroid. The toroid's surface circulates around itself in a continuous motion from inside its central cavity along its central axis to the outside where its surface travels in the opposite direction until it again rotates into its central cavity. As the device advances within the varying sizes, shapes and contours of body lumens, the toroid compresses and expands to accommodate and navigate the environment. The motion of the toroid can be powered or unpowered and the direction and speed may be controlled.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 13, 2010Publication date: August 5, 2010Applicant: SoftScope Medical Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Troy J. Ziegler, Timothy P. Sheridan, William T. Ryder
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Patent number: 7736300Abstract: A self propelled, endoscopic apparatus formed of a flexible, fluid-filled toroid and a motorized or powerable frame The apparatus may be used to advance a variety of accessory devices into generally tubular spaces and environments for medical and non-medical applications. The apparatus when inserted into a tubular space or environment, such as the colon of a patient undergoing a colonoscopy, is advanced by the motion of the toroid. The toroid's surface circulates around itself in a continuous motion from inside its central cavity along its central axis to the outside where its surface travels in the opposite direction until it again rotates into its central cavity. As the device advances within the varying sizes, shapes and contours of body lumens, the toroid compresses and expands to accommodate and navigate the environment. The motion of the toroid can be powered or unpowered and the direction and speed may be controlled.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 2005Date of Patent: June 15, 2010Assignee: SoftScope Medical Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Troy J. Ziegler, Timothy P. Sheridan, William T. Ryder
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Publication number: 20090233747Abstract: A drive mechanism includes a drive assembly including a driven element, a first driveshaft, configured to be engaged with the drive assembly, the first driveshaft configured to rotate in a first direction and relate a first assembly torque to the drive assembly and a first drive torque to the driven element, and a torque adjusting mechanism operatively engaged with the drive assembly and configured to relate a second assembly torque, opposite in direction to the first assembly torque, to the drive assembly.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 11, 2009Publication date: September 17, 2009Applicant: SoftScope Medical Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Timothy P. Sheridan, John J. Allen
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Publication number: 20090227838Abstract: An apparatus includes a self-enclosed tube, sized and shaped to fit within and engage a human or animal body cavity, the tube comprising an inner surface defining an enclosed region and an outer surface that turns outward to engage the body cavity and turns inward to encompass a central region defining a concentric longitudinal path, wherein the tube is powerable to provide relative movement of the tube relative to the cavity in at least one of a forward or reverse direction with respect to the longitudinal path, and a compressible structure, configured to bias the outer surface of the tube outward to engage the body cavity at a first outer diameter, the compressible structure being deformable inward in response to a compressive force to provide a second outer diameter that is less than the first outer diameter.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 10, 2009Publication date: September 10, 2009Applicant: SoftScope Medical Technologies, Inc.Inventors: John J. Allen, Randall A. Meyer, Richard Cornelius, Troy J. Ziegler, Timothy P. Sheridan
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Patent number: 6971990Abstract: A self propelled, endoscopic apparatus formed of a flexible, fluid-filled toroid and a motorized or powerable frame. The apparatus may be used to advance a variety of accessory devices into generally tubular spaces and environments for medical and non-medical applications. The apparatus when inserted into a tubular space or environment, such as the colon of a patient undergoing a colonoscopy, is advanced by the motion of the toroid. The toroid's surface circulates around itself in a continuous motion from inside its central cavity along its central axis to the outside where its surface travels in the opposite direction until it again rotates into its central cavity. As the device advances within the varying sizes, shapes and contours of body lumens, the toroid compresses and expands to accommodate and navigate the environment. The motion of the toroid can be powered or unpowered and the direction and speed may be controlled.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2004Date of Patent: December 6, 2005Inventors: Troy J. Ziegler, Timothy P. Sheridan, William T. Ryder
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Publication number: 20040204702Abstract: A self propelled, endoscopic apparatus formed of a flexible, fluid-filled toroid and a motorized or powerable frame The apparatus may be used to advance a variety of accessory devices into generally tubular spaces and environments for medical and non-medical applications. The apparatus when inserted into a tubular space or environment, such as the colon of a patient undergoing a colonoscopy, is advanced by the motion of the toroid. The toroid's surface circulates around itself in a continuous motion from inside its central cavity along its central axis to the outside where its surface travels in the opposite direction until it again rotates into its central cavity. As the device advances within the varying sizes, shapes and contours of body lumens, the toroid compresses and expands to accommodate and navigate the environment. The motion of the toroid can be powered or unpowered and the direction and speed may be controlled.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 13, 2004Publication date: October 14, 2004Inventors: Troy J. Ziegler, Timothy P. Sheridan, William T. Ryder
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Patent number: 5213301Abstract: A suspension system for isolating a platform from external vibrations includes spring assemblies suspending the platform. In each spring assembly an elongated outer coil spring is suspended at an upper end thereof from a support structure. A tube is disposed loosely within the outer spring and is attached to a lower end of the spring so as to extend upwardly. An elongated inner coil spring is disposed loosely within the tube and is suspended from an upper point of the tube. The inner spring has a lower end attached to the platform. For friction dampening, o-rings are fitted on the inner spring in sliding contact with the tube.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 1991Date of Patent: May 25, 1993Assignee: The Perkin-Elmer Corp.Inventors: Masami Taguchi, Timothy P. Sheridan
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Patent number: 5184525Abstract: A mobile component carrier in an instrument includes a disk with a scalloped periphery. A larger bearing and a smaller bearing are mounted on a support structure. The larger bearing has a radius greater, and the smaller bearing has a radius less than that of each of the scallops. The disk is urged into the bearings which have a relative spacing such that the larger bearing seats against two adjacent intersections of the scallops, and the smaller bearing seats against a dished surface between two other adjacent intersections.Type: GrantFiled: April 15, 1992Date of Patent: February 9, 1993Assignee: The Perkin-Elmer CorporationInventors: Charles A. Brantingham, Timothy P. Sheridan