Patents by Inventor Willem A. Crone
Willem A. Crone 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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Publication number: 20240074660Abstract: An eye-imaging apparatus including red, green, and blue light sources, one or more optical lenses, a light guide cable to transmit light from the light source, a one-chip color image sensor including a shutter, the color image sensor being operable to measure red, green, and blue light in the imaging path and transmit measured colored light in respective red, green, and blue channels. The red, green, and blue light sources are sequentially flashed in synchronization with the operation of the image sensor and the color image sensor captures red, green, and blue images in synchronization with the flashed color. The color image sensor transmits the colored images on respective color channels one at a time.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 10, 2023Publication date: March 7, 2024Applicant: Natus Medical IncorporatedInventors: Yan Zhou, Willem Crone, John Allison
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Patent number: 11864833Abstract: An eye-imaging apparatus and system is described including circular fiber array ends arranged at skewed angles relative to the optical axis of the imaging path, a light intensity distribution converter along the illumination path to convert a bell-shaped distribution into a top-hat distribution, an image sensor, and high frequency response light source(s) operating in flash illumination mode in synchronization with the image sensor. As a result, unnecessary exposure of illumination light to a patient eye is minimized while the illumination light can span a wide enough coverage range with desired intensity and spectral distribution to cover the desired angular field of view and spectral range on a retina.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2020Date of Patent: January 9, 2024Assignee: Natus Medical IncorporatedInventors: Yan Zhou, Willem Crone, John Allison
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Patent number: 11857261Abstract: A prism array light redistribution apparatus for an eye imaging system including light transmitting fibers, light receiving fibers, and a micro prism array optically coupled to bridge the light transmitting fibers and the light receiving fibers, configured to receive light having a bell-shaped angular distribution from the light transmitting fibers and refract light emitted by the light transmitting fibers to enter the light receiving fibers.Type: GrantFiled: November 16, 2022Date of Patent: January 2, 2024Inventors: Yan Zhou, Willem Crone, John Allison
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Publication number: 20230077076Abstract: A prism array light redistribution apparatus for an eye imaging system including light transmitting fibers, light receiving fibers, and a micro prism array optically coupled to bridge the light transmitting fibers and the light receiving fibers, configured to receive light having a bell-shaped angular distribution from the light transmitting fibers and refract light emitted by the light transmitting fibers to enter the light receiving fibersType: ApplicationFiled: November 16, 2022Publication date: March 9, 2023Applicant: Natus Medical IncorporatedInventors: Yan Zhou, Willem Crone, John Allison
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Patent number: 11547296Abstract: A prism array light redistribution apparatus for an eye imaging system including light transmitting fibers, light receiving fibers, and a micro prism array optically coupled to bridge the light transmitting fibers and the light receiving fibers. The array may be further configured to receive light having a bell-shaped angular distribution from the light transmitting fibers and refract the received light to enter the light receiving fibers such that a square-shaped angular distribution of light emits from a light emitting end of the light receiving fibers.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 2020Date of Patent: January 10, 2023Inventors: Yan Zhou, Willem Crone, John Allison
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Patent number: 11426071Abstract: An eye-imaging apparatus and system is described including arrayed optical fibers having a high numerical aperture and circular fiber array ends arranged at skewed angles relative to the optical axis of the imaging path. Circular fiber array ends are arranged to emit the illumination light into an eye at a skewed angle and a light intensity distribution converter along the illumination path to convert a bell-shaped distribution into a top-hat distribution. As a result, illumination uniformity on the retina of the eye is improved.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2020Date of Patent: August 30, 2022Assignee: Natus Medical IncorporatedInventors: Yan Zhou, Willem Crone, John Allison
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Publication number: 20210106224Abstract: An eye-imaging apparatus and system is described including circular fiber array ends arranged at skewed angles relative to the optical axis of the imaging path, a light intensity distribution converter along the illumination path to convert a bell-shaped distribution into a top-hat distribution, an image sensor, and high frequency response light source(s) operating in flash illumination mode in synchronization with the image sensor. As a result, unnecessary exposure of illumination light to a patient eye is minimized while the illumination light can span a wide enough coverage range with desired intensity and spectral distribution to cover the desired angular field of view and spectral range on a retina.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 8, 2020Publication date: April 15, 2021Applicant: Natus Medical IncorporatedInventors: Yan Zhou, Willem Crone, John Allison
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Publication number: 20210106222Abstract: An eye-imaging apparatus and system is described including arrayed optical fibers having a high numerical aperture and circular fiber array ends arranged at skewed angles relative to the optical axis of the imaging path. Circular fiber array ends are arranged to emit the illumination light into an eye at a skewed angle and a light intensity distribution converter along the illumination path to convert a bell-shaped distribution into a top-hat distribution. As a result, illumination uniformity on the retina of the eye is improved.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 21, 2020Publication date: April 15, 2021Applicant: Natus Medical IncorporatedInventors: Yan Zhou, Willem Crone, John Allison
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Publication number: 20210106223Abstract: A prism array light redistribution apparatus for an eye imaging system including light transmitting fibers, light receiving fibers, and a micro prism array optically coupled to bridge the light transmitting fibers and the light receiving fibers. The array may be further configured to receive light having a bell-shaped angular distribution from the light transmitting fibers and refract the received light to enter the light receiving fibers such that a square-shaped angular distribution of light emits from a light emitting end of the light receiving fibers.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 6, 2020Publication date: April 15, 2021Applicant: Natus Medical IncorporatedInventors: Yan Zhou, Willem Crone, John Allison
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Patent number: 8577434Abstract: An emitter device may include at least two emitters, such as LEDs. The coaxially disposed emitters may emit light in substantially the same area so that no apparent distance is perceived between individual emitters, as in emitter devices in which the emitters are disposed adjacent one another. The coaxially disposed emitters may include emitters suitable for pulse oximetry and/or water fraction measurements, for example.Type: GrantFiled: December 24, 2008Date of Patent: November 5, 2013Assignee: Covidien LPInventors: Adnan Merchant, Willem Crone
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Patent number: 8328356Abstract: An apparatus and method is disclosed that enables an existing handheld eye imaging device to do direct measurement on images taken from the patient eye. In a preferred embodiment, a reticle is arranged in the handheld eye imaging device so that a reticle image is superimposed on the object image. In addition to allowing the user to make measurements, the reticle superimposed eye image can also be used to align the eye with the handheld eye imaging device, be used for registering images taken at different times, and also be used for finding previously recorded points on the images for comparison purposes.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2009Date of Patent: December 11, 2012Assignee: Clarity Medical Systems, Inc.Inventors: Yeou-Yen Cheng, Barry Linder, Willem Crone, Yan Zhou
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Publication number: 20100118270Abstract: An apparatus and method is disclosed that provides a means for mounting a separate optical element, such as a gonio lens, to a hand-held eye imaging device. In this way, the doctor only needs to use one hand to hold the imaging apparatus while the other hand can be freed to open the patient eye lid and also maintain a safe relative distance of the gonio lens with respect to the patient's eye. The gonio lens and adaptor can each or both be made disposable and also mechanically switchable relative to each other as well as relative to the handheld eye imaging device so that different portions of the patient eye can be imaged sequentially without the need to rotate the hand held eye imaging device.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 27, 2009Publication date: May 13, 2010Applicant: CLARITY MEDICAL SYSTEMS, INC.Inventors: William Shea, Yeou-Yen Cheng, Shelly Reed, Willem Crone, Barry Linder, Phillip Baker, Yan Zhou
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Publication number: 20100110378Abstract: An apparatus and method is disclosed that enables an existing handheld eye imaging device to do direct measurement on images taken from the patient eye. In a preferred embodiment, a reticle is arranged in the handheld eye imaging device so that a reticle image is superimposed on the object image. In addition to allowing the user to make measurements, the reticle superimposed eye image can also be used to align the eye with the handheld eye imaging device, be used for registering images taken at different times, and also be used for finding previously recorded points on the images for comparison purposes.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 26, 2009Publication date: May 6, 2010Applicant: CLARITY MEDICAL SYSTEMS, INC.Inventors: Yeou-Yen Cheng, Barry Linder, Willem Crone, Yan Zhou
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Publication number: 20090211586Abstract: In one embodiment, a pliable film adapted to conform to parts of an optical examination device and provide a barrier between the eye of a patient being examined and the optical examination device.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 23, 2009Publication date: August 27, 2009Applicant: CLARITY MEDICAL SYSTEMS, INC.Inventors: William Shea, Keith Mullowney, Barry Linder, Phil Baker, Shelly Reed, Willem Crone, Yeou-Yen Cheng
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Publication number: 20090177053Abstract: An emitter device may include at least two emitters, such as LEDs. The coaxially disposed emitters may emit light in substantially the same area so that no apparent distance is perceived between individual emitters, as in emitter devices in which the emitters are disposed adjacent one another. The coaxially disposed emitters may include emitters suitable for pulse oximetry and/or water fraction measurements, for example.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 24, 2008Publication date: July 9, 2009Applicant: Nellcor Puritan Bennett LLCInventors: Adnan Merchant, Willem Crone
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Patent number: 6356774Abstract: A method for operating an oximeter sensor, and corresponding apparatus, which includes an encoded temperature characteristic of a light emitter in the sensor. The encoded temperature characteristic is read, and is used to modify a drive of the light emitter in the sensor. This enables a light emitter to be operated at its maximum allowable intensity to maximize a signal to noise ratio, without burning a patient, in accordance with the particular characteristics of that light emitter.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 1999Date of Patent: March 12, 2002Assignee: Mallinckrodt, Inc.Inventors: Michael J. Bernstein, Michael E. Fein, William L. Shea, Willem A. Crone, Paul D. Mannheimer, Bradford Chew, Adnan Merchant
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Patent number: 6064899Abstract: An oximeter probe segment with a first fiber optic for carrying light to a patient, and a second fiber optic for carrying return light from the patient. The light is of a wavelength spectrum which can be shifted by travelling through the first and second fiber optics. The probe segment includes an element which is configured to provide a signal corresponding to the shift of the wavelength spectrum through the first and second fiber optics. This signal can either be used to actually measure the shift, or the signal can itself be a coded value corresponding to the shift.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 1998Date of Patent: May 16, 2000Assignee: Nellcor Puritan Bennett IncorporatedInventors: Michael E. Fein, Willem A. Crone