Patents Represented by Attorney Kilpatrick Stockton LLP

Find this attorney in the Justia Lawyer Directory

  • Variable geometry rim surface acetabular shell liner
    Patent number: 7682398
    Abstract: There is provided an acetabular shell liner, and particularly a constrained liner, having a variable rim surface geometry to improve the range of motion of a femoral component within the liner and decrease the incidence of dislocation and subluxation. There are also provided methods of making and using the acetabular shell liner. Prosthetic devices, and particularly hip joint prostheses, containing the acetabular shell liner having a variable rim surface geometry are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Smith & Nephew, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael A. Croxton, Brian W. McKinnon
  • Vehicle cup and plate holders
    Patent number: 7681852
    Abstract: A system of multifunctional food and beverage holders for use in motor vehicles and other locations. The components of this system facilitate safe, convenient and flexible handling of food and beverages in automobiles and other vehicles utilizing tray/plates for holding food that can attach to a handle, rest on a flat surface or be secured in the vehicle by attachment to a cup holder adaptor that can be temporarily locked in a vehicle cup holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Inventor: Charles Magee
  • Snap-hook assemblies with added components
    Patent number: 7683790
    Abstract: Snap hook assemblies in which additional components have been incorporated are detailed. The assemblies maintain the general shapes of carabiners rather than those of conventional versions of the incorporated components. Included among the incorporated components may be light sources, knife blades, compasses, can or bottle openers, and watches, for example, although other components may be incorporated instead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Abstrac Products, Inc.
    Inventor: L. Hanson Luquire
  • Apparatus and methods for manufacturing cigarettes
    Patent number: 7677251
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for manufacturing small quantities of cigarettes provides for such manufacture in a substantially simultaneous fashion while maintaining consistent quality between the cigarettes. The apparatus and method provide for delivering at least one charge of tobacco filler from a supply of tobacco filler onto a predetermined length of wrapping paper in a garniture. The wrapping paper can be formed about the charge of tobacco filler by a forming mechanism in the garniture to form a cigarette rod having a finite length. The formed cigarette rod can then be transferred to a cutting device where, in a separate step, the cigarette rod can be cut into a plurality of individual cigarettes. The cigarettes may have filter elements attached, and may be packaged for a consumer. The filter element and tipping paper can provide for air dilution of the cigarettes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
    Inventors: Vernon Brent Barnes, August Joseph Borschke
  • Shock absorbing fabric structures
    Patent number: 7677360
    Abstract: A shock absorbing fabric structure is a one-piece webbing. The shock absorbing fabric structure has a tubular-shaped high strength sheath and a high elongation member inside of the sheath. The sheath and the high elongation member are secured together at spaced apart connection locations and the high elongation member is generally not secured to the sheath between the connection locations. Heat treatment shrinks the length of the high elongation member. The sheath does not substantially shrink from the heat treatment relative to the high elongation member and gathers together in an accordion-like arrangement. A tensile load applied to the fabric structure stretches the high elongation member and unfolds the gathered sheath. The high strength sheath supports the tensile load when completely unfolded while the high elongation member absorbs energy as it stretches or elongates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: YKK Corporation of America
    Inventors: Hajime Tanaka, Tim Russell
  • Pet cleaning apparatus
    Patent number: 7677202
    Abstract: A pet cleaning apparatus comprises a cleaning tub, a saturated solution generator and an air-bubble generating nozzle. The saturated solution generator is connected to the cleaning tub and configured to generate a saturated solution by saturating a pressurized fluid with air. The air-bubble generating nozzle is connected to the cleaning tub and the saturated solution generator and configured to generate a fine air-bubble in the saturated solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Shoei Butsuryu Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsunejiro Takahashi, Toshitaka Okumura, Koichi Kubo
  • Communicating with an implanted wireless sensor
    Patent number: 7679355
    Abstract: The present invention determines the resonant frequency of a sensor by adjusting the phase and frequency of an energizing signal until the frequency of the energizing signal matches the resonant frequency of the sensor. The system energizes the sensor with a low duty cycle, gated burst of RF energy having a predetermined frequency or set of frequencies and a predetermined amplitude. The energizing signal is coupled to the sensor via magnetic coupling and induces a current in the sensor which oscillates at the resonant frequency of the sensor. The system receives the ring down response of the sensor via magnetic coupling and determines the resonant frequency of the sensor, which is used to calculate the measured physical parameter. The system uses a pair of phase locked loops to adjust the phase and the frequency of the energizing signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: CardioMEMS, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark G. Allen, Michael Ellis, Jason Kroh, Donald J. Miller
  • Patterned thermal liner for protective garments
    Patent number: 7676855
    Abstract: Disclosed are thermal liners for protective garments and protective garments that comprise thermal liners. In one embodiment, a thermal liner comprises an insulation layer comprising a batt of entangled flame resistant fibers, the insulation layer having a three-dimensional pattern that defines a plurality of closed-cell air pockets that are configured to trap air to insulate a wearer of the thermal liner, the insulation layer being shaped and configured for inclusion in the protective garment and for donning by the wearer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Southern Mills, Inc.
    Inventor: Charles Dunn
  • Method and system for processing transactions involving accounts for reimbursing medical expenses or patient responsible balances with multiple transaction substantiation modes
    Patent number: 7680679
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and system for processing transactions involving accounts for reimbursing medical expenses or patient responsible balances, wherein the accounts may be handled by multiple payors having multiple transaction substantiation requirements. Examples of such accounts include flexible spending accounts, health reimbursement arrangement accounts, medical savings account, health savings account and the like. The system and method of the present invention allow an employer that uses multiple payors for administering the aforementioned accounts to distinguish its employees based on their associated payors in order to determine the proper transaction substantiation requirement per each employee and associated payor without having required to collect payor data at the employee level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Evolution Benefits, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert E. Patricelli, Matthew J. Dallahan, Kent F. Rausch
  • Cascading style sheets (CSS) prototype pointer chaining in object-oriented environment
    Patent number: 7681178
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for providing an application include representing a plurality of hierarchical rules as a plurality of objects in a prototype pointer chain, and providing a function to search the rules for a desired style by traversing the prototype pointer chain. An exemplary method provides a user interface or application with one or more visual objects. The visual appearances of the visual objects is affected by style information retrieved by traversing a prototype pointer chain to search for style-related rules. A compiled file can include code that describes rules as objects and creates class inheritance relationships between those objects and code that describes a style-finding function. A displaying program instantiates the objects arranged in a prototype pointer chain and uses its own inheritance logic to traverse the chain according to the style-finding function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated
    Inventors: David George, Edwin Smith
  • System, method and data structure for simulated interaction with graphical objects
    Patent number: 7676356
    Abstract: Object simulation and interaction of and between computer-generated or graphical objects in a virtual space includes neutral scene graphs, data structures and procedures for using such graphs and data structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Immersion Corporation
    Inventors: Ron Carmel, Hugo J. C. DesRosiers, Daniel Gomez, James F. Kramer, Jerry Tian, Marc Tremblay, Christopher J. Ullrich
  • Systems and methods for scheduling and sequencing sessions or appointments
    Patent number: 7676386
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for scheduling patients in an organized and uniform way using a batch follow-up system. Such batch follow-up methods help a research site conducting research to prepare one or more of study supplies, patient charts, study goals, and data collecting requirements in preparation for the batch follow-up visits. Embodiments of the invention also relate to systems and methods for communicating initial and follow-up visit dates to patients. In certain instances, various communications (e.g., between the patients and the study site or between the study site and the study sponsor) may be electronic communications. Methods of scheduling and sequencing patient visits may be conducted over a network wherein reminders about follow-up visits are electronically generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Quintiles Transnational Corp.
    Inventor: Hugo Stephenson
  • Brush spring retainers
    Patent number: 7675216
    Abstract: Brush spring assemblies for heavy-duty use are addressed. Such assemblies may include constant-force springs used to bias carbon brushes into contact with commutator surfaces. They additionally may include temporary capture mechanisms for the springs, allowing the springs to be retracted—and retained in a retracted position—while brackets containing the springs are inserted into brush holders. Post insertion, the capture mechanisms may be manipulated so as to release the springs, permitting the springs thereafter to bias brushes toward the commutator surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Fulmer Company, LLC
    Inventor: Leo A. Eger
  • Composite porous materials and methods of making and using the same
    Patent number: 7674517
    Abstract: The invention provides composite porous materials in which a second material is fused to and/or is in the pores and/or is fused directly to some of the pore walls of a porous first material. The invention also provides methods of filtering a fluid using these composite porous materials and methods of manufacturing the composite porous materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Porex Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas H. Ramsey, Jerry Dean Raney, Jacob Shorr, Guoqiang Mao
  • Microorganism detector
    Patent number: 7674603
    Abstract: The invention relates to devices and methods for detecting and identifying microorganisms comprising a porous body having regions of differing pore size, said regions being associated with different chromogens specific to enzymes produced by microorganisms. Devices and methods according to the present invention may be useful in the detection and identification of food and water borne microorganisms as well as in the detection of bacteria that may be associated with infection, such as urinary tract infection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Prail Price Richardson Diagnostics Limited
    Inventors: Robert Graham Price, Nicola Karen Browne
  • Shock absorbing fabric structures
    Patent number: 7665575
    Abstract: A shock absorbing fabric structure is a one-piece webbing. The shocking absorbing fabric structure has a sheath and an elongation member inside of the sheath. The sheath and the elongation member are secured together at spaced apart connection locations and the elongation member is generally not secured to the sheath between the connection locations. Heat treatment shrinks the length of the elongation member. The sheath does not substantially shrink from heat treatment relative to the elongation member and gathers together in an accordion-like arrangement. A tensile load applied to the fabric structure stretches the elongation member and unfolds the gathered sheath. The sheath supports the tensile load when completely unfolded while the elongation member absorbs energy as it stretches or elongates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: YKK Corporation of America
    Inventors: Hajime Tanaka, Tim Russell
  • Slider for slide fastener
    Patent number: D610947
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: YKK Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeyoshi Takazawa, Hsu Hsien Hsiang
  • File and rasp grip
    Patent number: D611513
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Lee Valley Tools, Ltd.
    Inventor: Richard David Blair Coburn
  • Light fixture
    Patent number: D611642
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC
    Inventors: Philip Sieczkowski, James P. Compton
  • Bracket
    Patent number: D612534
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC
    Inventors: John T. Mayfield, III, Russell V. Rouse, Peter M. Schmidt