Patents by Inventor Weston Ross

Weston Ross 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: 11911099
    Abstract: The present disclosure enables improved laser treatments by enabling better estimation of laser-tissue interaction to better inform the planning of a treatment path for a laser signal through a treatment region. An embodiment in accordance with the present disclosure uses a laser signal to generate a feature in the treatment region, generates a surface profile of the treatment region that includes the feature, compares that surface profile to another surface profile of the treatment region taken before the generation of the feature, and infers at least one property for at least one tissue type in the treatment region based on the comparison. In some embodiments, the feature is generated such that it includes a plurality of tissue types previously identified in the treatment region, thereby enabling inference one or more properties for each tissue type and/or locating one or more boundaries between tissue types.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Duke University
    Inventors: Weston Ross, Patrick Codd
  • Publication number: 20230201627
    Abstract: A laser treatment system includes a sensor configured to detect a targeted therapy region. A processing unit is configured to generate a treatment path that consists of sequentially arranged laser spots to enable the treatment path to fully encompass a targeted therapy region to receive laser therapy. A steering device is alerted to move to a plurality of positions based on the treatment plan generated by the processing unit. A treatment laser provides laser therapy to the plurality of positions and targeted therapy region based on the treatment plan generated by the processing unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2021
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Inventors: Jigar PATEL, Weston ROSS, Matthew TUCKER, Guangshen MA, Patrick CODD
  • Publication number: 20230190379
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a method comprising ablating a substrate with a laser at an orientation to create a cavity in the substrate, scanning the cavity, and creating a three-dimensional surface for the cavity. The method further includes storing the three-dimensional surface in a dataset. The dataset includes a laser projected distance as an independent variable and a depth of cut as a dependent variable. The method further includes fitting parameters of a gaussian-based model for the laser and the substrate based on the dataset. The present disclosure also describes a method providing a pre-ablation surface, labeling a three-dimensional obstacle boundary that separates material to be remove by a laser and material to remain, and determining an orientation of the laser that results in a predicted post-ablation surface that does not intersect the three-dimension obstacle boundary.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2022
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Inventors: Guangshen Ma, Weston Ross, Patrick Codd
  • Publication number: 20230127514
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems and techniques for providing laser treatment. For example, a vasculature structure associated with a tissue region can be determined. Based on the vasculature structure, one or more laser parameters for configuring a laser to deliver laser energy to at least one blood vessel within the tissue region can be determined. Laser energy can be delivered to the at least one blood vessel to halt blood flow to a targeted area within the tissue region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2022
    Publication date: April 27, 2023
    Inventors: JIGAR PATEL, WESTON ROSS, PATRICK CODD
  • Patent number: 11439461
    Abstract: An automated laser-surgery system for performing a closed-loop surgical procedure is disclosed. The procedure includes forming a post-procedural goal based on a three-dimensional (3D) image of a surgical site, planning a path for a surgical laser signal based on the post-procedural goal, performing a procedural pass by steering the surgical laser signal along the path, measuring the surface of the surgical site after the procedural pass, updating a model based on the measured effect at the surgical site, and evaluating the success of the procedural pass based on the surface measurement and the post-procedural goal. If necessary, a new path is planned based on the post-procedural goal and the surface measurement a new pass based on that path is performed, and the surface is again measured to evaluate the success of the new pass. These operations are repeated as a closed-loop sequence as many times as necessary to achieve success.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Duke University
    Inventors: Patrick Codd, Kimberly Hoang, David Britton, Westin Hill, Weston Ross
  • Publication number: 20220100196
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a system and method for using thermal cameras to detect surfaces that have been in contact with individuals. The detection can be used to guide focused cleaning of the surfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2020
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Inventors: Weston ROSS, Patrick CODD, Daniel BUCKLAND, Matthew TUCKER, Guangshen MA
  • Publication number: 20210128236
    Abstract: An automated laser-surgery system for performing a closed-loop surgical procedure is disclosed. The procedure includes forming a post-procedural goal based on a three-dimensional (3D) image of a surgical site, planning a path for a surgical laser signal based on the post-procedural goal, performing a procedural pass by steering the surgical laser signal along the path, measuring the surface of the surgical site after the procedural pass, updating a model based on the measured effect at the surgical site, and evaluating the success of the procedural pass based on the surface measurement and the post-procedural goal. If necessary, a new path is planned based on the post-procedural goal and the surface measurement a new pass based on that path is performed, and the surface is again measured to evaluate the success of the new pass. These operations are repeated as a closed-loop sequence as many times as necessary to achieve success.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Publication date: May 6, 2021
    Inventors: Patrick CODD, Kimberly HOANG, David BRITTON, Westin HILL, Weston ROSS
  • Publication number: 20210045810
    Abstract: The present disclosure enables improved laser treatments by enabling better estimation of laser-tissue interaction to better inform the planning of a treatment path for a laser signal through a treatment region. An embodiment in accordance with the present disclosure uses a laser signal to generate a feature in the treatment region, generates a surface profile of the treatment region that includes the feature, compares that surface profile to another surface profile of the treatment region taken before the generation of the feature, and infers at least one property for at least one tissue type in the treatment region based on the comparison. In some embodiments, the feature is generated such that it includes a plurality of tissue types previously identified in the treatment region, thereby enabling inference one or more properties for each tissue type and/or locating one or more boundaries between tissue types.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2018
    Publication date: February 18, 2021
    Inventors: Weston ROSS, Patrick CODD
  • Publication number: 20200395118
    Abstract: Electronic identification tagging systems, methods, applicators, and tapes for tracking and managing medical equipment and other objects are disclosed. According to an aspect, a system includes electronic identification tag readers distributed within predetermined areas of an environment. The system also includes electronic identification tags attached to respective medical equipment within the environment. Further, the system includes a computing device comprising an object use analyzer configured to receive, from the electronic identification tag readers, information indicating presence of the electronic identification tags within the predetermined areas. The object use analyzer also analyzes usage of the medical equipment within the environment based on the received information. Further, the object use analyzer manages one of medical equipment supply or usage of the medical equipment during a medical procedure based on the analyzed usage of the medical equipment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2020
    Publication date: December 17, 2020
    Inventors: Patrick Codd, Westin Hill, Ian Hill, Weston Ross, Matthew Tucker