Patents Represented by Attorney Howard R. Berkenstock, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4196323
    Abstract: A consolidated input connector-selector switch and calibration switch for a medical instrument wherein the input connector and switch is mounted in the medical instrument housing partially in registry with an opening through the panel thereof. The selector switch is a multi-position rotary switch of a plurality of input and output terminals rotatable through a discrete number of positions. The switch is adapted to receive a connector having a plurality of signal leads and is operably connected with through drive means with the selector switch by rotation of the input connector rotates the selector switch. Additionally, the combination connector-selector switch is movable between forward and rearward positions being preferably biased forwardly and coupled with calibration switch means such that axial movement of the connector-selector switch combination actuates the calibration function within the medical instrument.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1977
    Date of Patent: April 1, 1980
    Assignee: American Optical Corporation
    Inventor: Joseph D. Napoli
  • Patent number: 4154586
    Abstract: Providing visual means for indicating when vapor/gas respirator cartridges have exhausted their capacity to provide respiratory protection at or below a hazardous concentration level. In combination with a vapor/gas indicator adapted to undergo a change in color with contact by an organic vapor or gas, there is provided a catalytic agent for enhancing activation and reaction of the indicator agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 1978
    Date of Patent: May 15, 1979
    Assignee: American Optical Corporation
    Inventors: John A. Jones, Adolfo V. Ayes
  • Patent number: 4154502
    Abstract: A short fiber optic image transmitter receives an image produced by a fiberscope objective and transmits the image to the image receiving end of the flexible fiber optic bundle of the fiberscope. The short image transmitter is oscillated about an axis normal to its direction of image transmission for causing images transmitted thereby to scan across the image receiving end of the fiberscope bundle. Synchronous scanning of the opposite image emitting end of the fiberscope bundle renders the received images stationary and of enhanced resolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 1978
    Date of Patent: May 15, 1979
    Assignee: American Optical Corporation
    Inventor: Walter P. Siegmund
  • Patent number: 4154590
    Abstract: Glass lenses or lens blanks, containing all the ingredients necessary to produce phototropic or photochromic behavior, are treated in a conventional production furnace to produce a locally variable heat treatment, wherein at least one portion thereof is raised to a temperature exceeding the glass strain point but not the softening point, and other portions are heated to variable temperatures decreasing from the strain point. The treatment causes development of phototropic or photochromic behavior only in those portions of the lenses or lens blanks exposed to the temperature above the strain point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 1977
    Date of Patent: May 15, 1979
    Assignee: American Optical Corporation
    Inventor: Alexander F. Menyhart
  • Patent number: 4149527
    Abstract: In cardiac signal processing apparatus, there is provided improved means for suppressing pacer signal artifacts, including both the discharge pulse and the recharge waveform (tail) of such artifact. Rate-limiting circuitry is used to substantially suppress the discharge pulse. However additional circuitry responsive to the detection of a pacer pulse is operative to obtain a measure of the electrical discharge of the discharge portion of the respective pacer pulse and to use such measure to generate a tail suppression signal which, when added to the original signal, substantially cancels the original pacer tail.A feed-back loop is opened by the rate-limiter when a pacer pulse occurs and in turn permits a large signal to be imposed on a threshold-level-type pacer pulse detector for connecting the large signal (pacer pulse) to a capacitor during the discharge portion of the pacer pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1977
    Date of Patent: April 17, 1979
    Assignee: American Optical Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas K. Naylor, Alan S. Cushing
  • Patent number: 4149868
    Abstract: A method of treating ophthalmic quality lenses or lens blanks that produces a reversible progressive local variation in phototropic behavior with a continuous variation in transmissivity. The lens or lens blank is composed of a potentially phototropic glass containing all the necessary ingredients including uniformly dispersed silver halide particles therein to develop a phototropic behavior during the heat treatment of the present method. The steps of the present method include mounting the lens or lens blank in carrier means, heating the lens or lens blank thus mounted in a heat treatment furnace at a temperature sufficient to develop the phototropic behavior of the potentially phototropic glass. Characteristically the required heat treatment temperature to develop this phototropic behavior is one which exceeds the strain point of the glass but not the softening point thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1978
    Date of Patent: April 17, 1979
    Assignee: American Optical Corporation
    Inventor: Emil W. Deeg
  • Patent number: 4148160
    Abstract: A self-aligning and centering tool and tool holder system for lens surfacing apparatus. The tool and holder are provided with readily manually assembled and disassembled interlocking faces for precise automatic rotational alignment and centering or decentering of the tool without affect by wear from the abrading action of surfacing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1977
    Date of Patent: April 10, 1979
    Assignee: American Optical Corporation
    Inventor: Louis J. Prunier
  • Patent number: 4147990
    Abstract: An improved fast-recovery circuit for ECG amplifiers and the like. The fast-recovery circuit includes threshold responsive circuitry connected in parallel with part of the resistance associated with the integrator in a feedback circuit of the amplifier. The threshold responsive circuitry operates to increase feedback frequency response of the integrator when the normally very low frequency output signal of the amplifier exceeds a certain threshold. The improved circuit prevents the threshold circuitry from responding to pulses or excursions in the output signal of a relatively higher frequency content and which exceed the amplitude threshold for less than a predetermined interval, as for instance caused by pacer spikes, large QRS complexes and the like. Preferably, the improved threshold responsive means comprises transistor means connected across the integrator's resistance and having capacitance means across the base-emitter circuit thereof for inhibiting response to certain short duration signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1978
    Date of Patent: April 3, 1979
    Assignee: American Optical Corporation
    Inventors: Edwin A. Dokus, Thomas K. Naylor
  • Patent number: 4140110
    Abstract: In systolic pressure determining apparatus utilizing a pressure cuff and means for measuring a fluctuating quantity proportional to the sum of the cuff pressure and the fluctuating component proportioned to the pulsatile blood pressure, and including means for determining the maximum value of the fluctuating component as cuff pressure is varied, the improvement comprising means for converting the quantity into a representation of a time derivative of the fluctuating component means for obtaining the time integral of the time derivative over an interval of predetermined limits between initiation of systolic rise and systolic peak in each blood pressure pulse, and means extending the time integral, as a measure of pulse pressure amplitude, to the maximum value determining means. Specifically, certain crossings of a reference value by the time derivative are recognized as being the initiation of systolic rise and the systolic peak respectively, and the integration occurs over this interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1976
    Date of Patent: February 20, 1979
    Assignee: American Optical Corporation
    Inventors: William D. Jansen, Jerry D. Haney
  • Patent number: 4139694
    Abstract: Composition of matter and process for imparting a colorless appearance to cast allyl diglycol carbonate articles such as lenses and lens blanks and for simultaneously imparting to the article an ability to fluoresce when subjected to ultraviolet light. The composition comprises about 40 parts maleic anhydride, maleic acid, copolymers of propylene glycol with maleic acid or maleic anhydride, or mixtures thereof, and between about 0.5 and 1.5 parts of a mixture of 10 parts cobalt acetyl acetonate and between about 0.4 parts to 1.2 parts copper acetyl acetonate. Between about 0.05 and 0.15 parts of the composition is mixed with 1600 parts allyl diglycol carbonate monomer-catalyst prepolymer mixture and cast to form the desired article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1978
    Date of Patent: February 13, 1979
    Assignee: American Optical Corporation
    Inventor: Norman U. Laliberte
  • Patent number: 4125772
    Abstract: In a scanning charged particle microprobe such as a scanning electron microscope, means for generating an exponentially decaying electrical signal and means for generating a step function signal to be summed and applied to the microprobe to cause it to deflect in a step function compensated for the effects of eddy current induced fields.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1977
    Date of Patent: November 14, 1978
    Assignee: American Optical Corporation
    Inventor: Duane C. Holmes
  • Patent number: 4124822
    Abstract: A DC isolation amplifier having improved conductive isolation between its input and output. The amplifier includes an input section having a modulator and an output section having a demodulator and an oscillator section. The modulator and demodulator are nonconductively coupled through inductive loops of two closed-loop cores of magnetic material each having windings inductively coupled to the material of their associated core and to the other of the modulator or the demodulator. Additionally, a unitary closed loop winding couples the two cores such that the net EMF induced in the turns of the winding accordingly such that the respective component of the external magnetic field of the turns is substantially normal to the respective plane of each turn of this plurality. Additionally, this unitary loop is twisted between the cores to comprise a twisted pair additionally to minimize the effects from external magnetic fields. In the preferred embodiment, this loop is limited to two turns per core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1977
    Date of Patent: November 7, 1978
    Assignee: American Optical Corporation
    Inventor: Thomas K. Naylor
  • Patent number: 4108827
    Abstract: Composition of matter and process for imparting a colorless appearance to cast allyl diglycol carbonate articles such as lenses and lens blanks and for simultaneously imparting to the article an ability to fluoresce when subjected to ultraviolet light. The composition comprises about 40 parts maleic anhydride, maleic acid, copolymers of propylene glycol with maleic acid or maleic anhydride, or mixtures thereof, and between about 0.5 and 1.5 parts of a mixture of 10 parts cobalt acetyl acetonate and between about 0.4 parts to 1.2 parts copper acetyl acetonate. Between about 0.05 and 0.15 parts of the composition is mixed with 1600 parts allyl diglycol carbonate monomer-catalyst prepolymer mixture and cast to form the desired article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1976
    Date of Patent: August 22, 1978
    Assignee: American Optical Corporation
    Inventor: Norman U. La Liberte
  • Patent number: 4102567
    Abstract: Lens material suitable for ophthalmological use including implantation in the eye as an intraocular lens and as an ultra thin contact lens. The lenses are fabricated of polymethylmethacrylate (hereinafter PMMA) which PMMA is characterized by its very high molecular weight and almost complete freedom from strain. The PMMA may optionally be lightly cross-linked. The lens material is characterized by good machinability, color uniformity, and optical quality. It is substantially strain free and free from warpage when fabricated into extremely thin lenses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1976
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1978
    Assignee: American Optical Corporation
    Inventors: Patricia M. Cuffe, Albert R. LeBoeuf, Edward A. Travnicek
  • Patent number: 4101302
    Abstract: The invention achieves local variation, or a continuous gradation, in photochromic or phototropic properties across the face of glass lenses and lens blanks, especially those of ophthalmic quality. The lenses and lens blanks contain all those ingredients required to produce photochromic or phototropic behavior. They are exposed to a locally variable temperature field or environment, in such manner as to, in at least one portion of the lens or lens blank cause the temperature therein to exceed the strain point but not the softening point of the glass. In other portions of the lens or lens blank the temperature is below the strain point, thus causing development of phototropic or photochromic behavior only in those portions of the lens or lens blank exposed to the temperatures above the strain point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1977
    Date of Patent: July 18, 1978
    Assignee: American Optical Corporation
    Inventors: David A. Krohn, Emil W. Deeg
  • Patent number: 4092574
    Abstract: An ophthalmic refracting chart projector having rotary slide discs, the images on which are projected on a screen, having remote operating controls permitting selective showing of the slides in selectable sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1976
    Date of Patent: May 30, 1978
    Assignee: American Optical Corporation
    Inventors: Donald H. Hansen, Morey H. Waltuck
  • Patent number: D248110
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1976
    Date of Patent: June 6, 1978
    Assignee: American Optical Corporation
    Inventor: John R. Wright
  • Patent number: D250412
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1977
    Date of Patent: November 28, 1978
    Assignee: American Optical Corporation
    Inventor: John T. Armbruster
  • Patent number: D251279
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1977
    Date of Patent: March 13, 1979
    Assignee: American Optical Corporation
    Inventor: Stephen U. Winig
  • Patent number: D253442
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1977
    Date of Patent: November 20, 1979
    Assignee: American Optical Corporation
    Inventor: Stephen U. Winig