Patents Assigned to American Optical Corporation
  • 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: 4091817
    Abstract: A heart pacer is presented wherein detection of P-waves from the wave complex is used to control the rate of ventricular stimulation by the pacer, where the control of the rate of the pacer (or the escape interval of the pacer) includes decreasing rates and may also include increasing rates. The pacer of the preferred embodiment is a demand pacer of the R-wave inhibited variety. The circuitry is capable of being implanted within the body of the patient as well as being employed in an external manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1976
    Date of Patent: May 30, 1978
    Assignee: American Optical Corporation
    Inventor: Sherwood Sheldon Thaler
  • Patent number: 4090830
    Abstract: A mold for casting a polarizing ophthalmic lens from a fluid thermosetting monomeric resin wherein the mold unit includes convex and a concaved mold elements spaced apart by a peripheral gasket and includes therebetween a polarizing sheet defining first and second molding compartments thereabout such that the polarizing sheet while forming a part of the mold structure is cast in situ in the ophthalmic lens and becomes an integral part thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 1976
    Date of Patent: May 23, 1978
    Assignee: American Optical Corporation
    Inventor: Norman U. Laliberte
  • Patent number: 4090790
    Abstract: The refractive power(s) of a lens which may possess cylindrical power are determined by retro-reflecting a particular target image through an optical system and varying the axial positioning of one or more elements in the system to bring the reflected image to one or two clear and unambiguous foci at a target plane. By employing a small, intense diffraction image as the target image and further detecting only reflected light passing through a pinhole area on the optical axis at the target plane, a single significant light energy peak is observed at system focus for a lens possessing sphere power only and two significant light energy peaks appear at the respective foci of the principal meridians if the lens also has cylinder power. Means are provided for recognizing the existence, number, and/or relative size of light energy peaks and for correlating their occurrence with the position of the movable element in the optical system to determine respective refractive powers of the test lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1976
    Date of Patent: May 23, 1978
    Assignee: American Optical Corporation
    Inventors: Martin Stephen Dragon, Peter Parkhill Clark
  • Patent number: 4085553
    Abstract: Ophthalmic lens surfacing with preformed tools (laps) requires the traditional blocking and pressing of a lens against the tool with force applied to the block. Lens blocks being thereby geometrically decentered in many of larger diameter lenses causing force applied to the block to be unevenly distributed over the lens-tool surfacing interface. This being detrimental to final lens surface shape and finish is avoided according to the present invention by the provision of a universally adjustable lens block adaptor designed to receive and distribute the surfacing pressure uniformly over the lens-tool interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 1977
    Date of Patent: April 25, 1978
    Assignee: American Optical Corporation
    Inventor: Louis Prunier
  • Patent number: 4085919
    Abstract: A cell for casting resinous ophthalmic lenses including an annular gasket of resilient material and a pair of meniscus glass mold halves between which a lens may be cast. The mold halves are loaded into one side of the gasket annulus, one fully entered and seated against an inwardly directed locating flange and the other peripherally snapped into an annular receiving groove spaced away from the flange.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 1977
    Date of Patent: April 25, 1978
    Assignee: American Optical Corporation
    Inventor: Philip J. Sullivan
  • Patent number: 4084037
    Abstract: A battery-connection system for a battery having a pair of battery terminals of opposite polarity and positionable in either of two reversed positionings relative to distribution means. The distribution means includes a pair of spaced electrical terminals of particular and opposite polarity electrically connected with a unit to be powered. A carrier interpositioned between the battery and distribution means including a first pair of electrical contacts in singularly-polarized electrical contacting engagement with the respective battery terminals and a second pair of spaced electrical contacts electrically connected with respective ones of the first pair of contacts for singularly-polarized electrical contacting engagement with the respective pair of distribution means terminals. Each contact of the carrier second pair is of opposite polarity to the other, and comprises a set of plural alternate contacts of the same polarity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1977
    Date of Patent: April 11, 1978
    Assignee: American Optical Corporation
    Inventor: David H. Morton
  • Patent number: 4080051
    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 temperature 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. The lenses resulting are characterized by trichromatic coefficients, x=0.306 and y=0.307, in the unactivated state and x=0.324 and y=0.321, in an activated state and including a small but effective quantity of cobalt oxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1976
    Date of Patent: March 21, 1978
    Assignee: American Optical Corporation
    Inventors: David A. Krohn, Emil W. Deeg
  • Patent number: 4079470
    Abstract: A chemically durable, biologically inert optical implant lens formed of a low density natural or synthetic crystal, such as Corundum, Sapphrie, Ruby, Sircon, Strontium Titanate, Diamond, Anatase or Ruby.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1977
    Date of Patent: March 21, 1978
    Assignee: American Optical Corporation
    Inventors: Emil W. Deeg, David A. La Marre
  • Patent number: 4076378
    Abstract: A tapered fiber optic array for conveying light from one station to another with differently sized light reception and emission areas and precontrolled values of light receiving and emitting numerical aperture. The array comprises a unit of juxtapositioned multiple core, individually clad and tapered optical fibers. The taper ratio determines its light reception and emission area sizes while the refractive index values of individual fiber cores and cladding establish, in conjunction with the taper ratio, the numerical aperture characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1976
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1978
    Assignee: American Optical Corporation
    Inventor: Henry B. Cole
  • Patent number: 4076542
    Abstract: A process for producing a photochromic silicate glass film is disclosed which is characterized by the steps of forming a solution containing silver ions and a film-forming silicate monomer in a solvent common to both, removing the solvent from the solution to produce a discreet film or a film coating on an article, and exposing the formed film to a source of halide ions to form fine silver halide particles within the film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1976
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1978
    Assignee: American Optical Corporation
    Inventors: Emil W. Deeg, Donald O. Hoffman
  • Patent number: 4076395
    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. The lenses resulting are characterized by trichromatic coefficients, x=0.310 and y=0.321, in the unactivated state and x=0.314 and y=0.319, in an activated state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1976
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1978
    Assignee: American Optical Corporation
    Inventors: Emil W. Deeg, David A. Krohn
  • Patent number: 4075572
    Abstract: An isolation amplifier comprising three separate conductively-isolated sections: (1) an input section including an AC modulator, (2) an output section including a demodulator, and (3) an improved oscillator or AC power section for reducing the undesirable effects of common mode interference signal sources coupled thereto through stray capacitance. The improved oscillator or power portion includes control elements for controlling the timing and direction of current conduction through the primary winding of a transformer having its secondary connected to the chopper or modulator. The control elements and circuitry associated therewith conduct in alternation and in a manner resulting substantially in conduction-overlap. Such conduction overlap is accomplished by means which accelerate initiation of conduction in one control element and possibly also retard the cessation of conduction in the other control element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 1977
    Date of Patent: February 21, 1978
    Assignee: American Optical Corporation
    Inventor: George A. Cavigelli
  • Patent number: 4074711
    Abstract: A conventional pressure cuff is attached to a living test subject. First means are provided for changing pressure in the cuff and thereby applying pressure to the subject. Second means communicating with the cuff are provided for measuring a quantity proportional to a time-dependent fluctuating component representative of pulsatile pressure within a blood vessel of the subject, the second means having a frequency response adequate to accurately follow the subject's blood pressure waveform, for instance at least about five times the subject's pulse rate, whereby the fluctuating quantity is proportional to amplitude of pulsatile pressure. The maximum value of the fluctuating quantity is determined as applied cuff pressure is changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 1976
    Date of Patent: February 21, 1978
    Assignee: American Optical Corporation
    Inventors: William Trevor Link, Henry Ferdinand Rugge, William David Jansen
  • Patent number: 4073579
    Abstract: Ophthalmic lenses with locally variable indices of refraction produced from microporous glass bodies diffused with inorganic salts and rendered transparent by heat treatment. Local variations in refractive index result from differences in concentrations of the salts produced by controlled diffusion and/or selective leaching after impregnation of the porous bodies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 1976
    Date of Patent: February 14, 1978
    Assignee: American Optical Corporation
    Inventors: Emil W. Deeg, David A. Krohn
  • Patent number: 4071343
    Abstract: Optical sections (lenses) of pseudophakoi having tangential holes are produced without drilling operations. A preform of lens material is drawn with embedded acid soluble rods and/or openings corresponding in diametral size and relative juxtaposition to the size, shape and locations of holes needed in a lens, a lens blank is cut from the drawn preform and portions of rods remaining therein are etched away prior to or following final edging and surface finishing of the lens blank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1976
    Date of Patent: January 31, 1978
    Assignee: American Optical Corporation
    Inventor: Walter P. Siegmund
  • Patent number: 4067065
    Abstract: A faceshield constructed and arranged to protect against chemical splash and other ambient foreign matter. A main support pivotally attachable to a safety cap carries a depending transparent facepiece detachably connected to the main support beneath an overhang. The connection is made with buttons suspended from the overhang and the overhang, in turn, shields the facepiece connection from direct exposure to splash. Provision for snap-fitting the main support to the safety cap brim avoids accidental displacement of the shield during use while permitting its release and selective pivoting to an out-of-the-way position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1976
    Date of Patent: January 10, 1978
    Assignee: American Optical Corporation
    Inventor: Patrick F. Slosek
  • Patent number: D247245
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1976
    Date of Patent: February 14, 1978
    Assignee: American Optical Corporation
    Inventor: John T. Armbruster
  • Patent number: D247251
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1976
    Date of Patent: February 14, 1978
    Assignee: American Optical Corporation
    Inventor: Joseph D. Napoli
  • Patent number: D247910
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 1977
    Date of Patent: May 16, 1978
    Assignee: American Optical Corporation
    Inventor: David W. Johnsen