Patents Assigned to Smiths Industries
  • Medico-surgical tube with sealing cuff and a suction lumen at the top of the cuff
    Patent number: 5201310
    Abstract: A cuffed tracheal tube has a suction lumen extending along the tube and opening through a suction aperture immediately adjacent the upper, proximal end of the cuff. The inflatable cuff is attached to the external surface of the tube by collars. The proximal collar is everted within the inflatable portion of the cuff so that it does not extend beyond the inflatable portion and so that the maximum amount of secretions can be removed through the suction aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 13, 1993
    Assignee: Smiths Industries Public Limited Company
    Inventor: Christopher S. Turnbull
  • Optical fibre couplings
    Patent number: 5185836
    Abstract: A coupling between two optical fibre cables has a ceramic ferrule at the end of each cable through which its fibre projects. Each fibre is melted into a spherical termination which sits in a frusto-conical recess at the end of the ferrule. A layer of a transparent resilient adhesive lies between the termination and the recess. The ferrules extend respectively into recesses at opposite ends of a ceramic tube which has a passageway coated with a reflecting layer so that radiation from one cable is focussed by its termination on the termination of the other cable and stray radiation is reflected by the reflecting layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 9, 1993
    Assignee: Smiths Industries Public Limited Company
    Inventor: Peter D. Baker
  • Tracheal tube assemblies and liners
    Patent number: 5184611
    Abstract: A tracheostomy tube assembly has a right-angle swivel connector connected to the machine end of a tracheostomy tube within which extends a liner. A fitment at the machine end of the liner has two annular collars between which several apertures open into the fitment. If the liner should be displaced rearwardly in the connector and the machine end of the liner becomes blocked, gas can flow through the apertures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1991
    Date of Patent: February 9, 1993
    Assignee: Smiths Industries Public Limited Company
    Inventor: Christopher S. Turnbull
  • Method and apparatus for lavaging with oxygenated irrigating fluid while suctioning
    Patent number: 5181908
    Abstract: A suction catheter and method of using same in which oxygenated irrigating fluid is provided to the suctioning site. The oxygenated fluid can be formed using a Y-connector to mix oxygen and fluid in a single conduit, a reservoir of fluid having oxygen bubbled into it, or through the use of an oxygen exchanger. Pressurized oxygen-containing gas may be fed to the Y-connector to force the gas and irrigating fluid out through the catheter. The suction may be a dual lumen catheter or a tube within a tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 26, 1993
    Assignee: Smiths Industries Medical Systems Inc.
    Inventor: Craig J. Bell
  • Optical temperature sensors
    Patent number: 5180227
    Abstract: An optical temperature sensor has an outer probe with a sapphire element at its forward end within a stagnation chamber through which hot gas flows and heats a thermally-emissive coating on the element. A lens focusses radiation emitted by the coating onto one end of a fibre-optic cable that extends within the rear of the probe. A gas passage along the probe enables cooling gas to flow from an inlet at the rear end, around the fibre optic cable, lens and through an outlet rearwardly of a transparent thermal barrier which protects the sapphire element from the cooling gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 19, 1993
    Assignee: Smiths Industries Public Limited Company
    Inventors: Laurence N. John, Neil A. Corner
  • Electro-optic apparatus
    Patent number: 5175592
    Abstract: A radiation pyrometer has four rectangular photodiodes mounted in an orthogonal array. Radiation from a hot body is focussed as a circular image centrally of the array. The outputs of diagonally opposite photodiodes are connected together to form two identical output channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1992
    Assignee: Smiths Industries Public Limited Company
    Inventor: Jeffrey Watson
  • Coupling for braided cable
    Patent number: 5174769
    Abstract: A coupling for one end of screened conduit has two brass cones which are nested together and through which extend screened cables. Several apertures are formed around the inner cone which open into the space between the two cones. The braiding of each cable is stripped to one side and threaded through individual apertures so that it extends into the space between the cones. A threaded clamping nut urges the two cones together so that the braiding is clamped between them and good electrical connection is made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1992
    Assignee: Smiths Industries Public Limited Company
    Inventor: Kenneth W. J. Dearman
  • Aircraft performance monitoring
    Patent number: 5170163
    Abstract: An aircraft performance monitor 1 receives signals representative of the height h, rate of change of height h and vertical acceleration .theta. of the aircraft. The monitor 1 determines when (h-A(.sub.n.sbsb.1.sup.n.sbsp.2 +K.sub.1 h+K.sub.2 .theta. goes beyond a predetermined limit and generates a warning signal and disables the autopilot. The signal representative of vertical acceleration may be derived from the rate of change of pitch attitude of the aircraft, from the elevator angle or from an accelerometer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 8, 1992
    Assignee: Smiths Industries Public Limited Company
    Inventors: Philip H. Collins, Robin D. T. Mosedale
  • Triple conduit suction catheter
    Patent number: 5167622
    Abstract: A suction catheter provided with three conduits to provide th functions of suctioning, lavaging and oxygenating. The suction conduit is connected to a suction control member. The second conduit for the irrigating fluid is connected to a source of said fluid. The third conduit is connected to a source of gas under pressure. The gas conduit terminates within the irrigation conduit to form a common chamber at the distal end of the irrigation conduit from which fluid is propelled out by the pressurized gas. The gas may preferably contain oxygen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1992
    Assignee: Smiths Industries Medical Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Rudolph Muto
  • Medico-surgical collection bag assemblies
    Patent number: 5160330
    Abstract: A two-part ostomy bag assembly has a patient fitment comprising a plate with an adhesive rear surface adhered on the skin around with stoma. The front surface of the plate is of PVC and non-adhesive. An annular flange with a rear surface of PVC is welded around its inner edge to the plate, leaving its outer edge free. The bag itself is w.c. disposable, having an adhesive disc secured to the inside wall of the bag around its opening which, in use, is secured to the front surface of the flange on the patient fitment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1992
    Assignee: Smiths Industries Public Limited Company
    Inventor: David E. Cross
  • Voltage-controlled oscillator with wide modulation bandwidth
    Patent number: 5159293
    Abstract: A voltage-controlled oscillator capable of very high ratios of modulation to oscillation frequency is disclosed embodying a resonant circuit with an inductance and two tuning diodes connected with opposite polarity in series across the inductance, a cross-coupled feedback amplifier circuit with two matched MMIC inverting amplifiers capacitively cross-coupled to the resonant circuit for driving the resonant circuit into oscillation at its resonant frequency to produce an output carrier wave, and a transmission line resonator connected to the resonant circuit between the tuning diodes to couple a wide band frequency modulating voltage thereto for modulating the output carrier wave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1992
    Assignee: Smiths Industries
    Inventor: Gerald F. Pulice
  • Interface configuration for rate sensor apparatus
    Patent number: 5157461
    Abstract: An optical rate sensor apparatus (300) measures rates of angular rotation along a plurality of orthogonal axes. The apparatus (300) comprises a passive ring Sagnac interferometric arrangement having a light source circuit (308) and a series of multi-turn fiber optic rings (302, 304, 306). An optics/modulator circuit (312) selectively switches optical waves emitted from the light source circuit (308) into gyroscope channels and transmits the signals through fiber optic rings as counter-propagating optical waves. The optics/modulator circuit (312) also recombines the optical waves after they emerge from the corresponding rings. The optics/modulator circuit (312) includes optical components integrated onto an integrated optics chip (IOC) consisting substantially of lithium niobate. Optical fibers (606, 608) are coupled from the rings (302, 304, 306) to the integrated optics chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1992
    Assignee: Smiths Industries Aerospace & Defense Systems Inc.
    Inventor: Jerry L. Page
  • Needle assembly holder with rotatable safety sheath member
    Patent number: 5154285
    Abstract: The needle assembly holder of the present invention has mounted about its receptacle end a rotatable safety sheath so that irrespective of how the top of the cannula of the needle assembly is oriented with respect to the holder, the user can nonetheless obtain an unobstructed view of the tip of the cannula by rotating the safety sheath out of her line of sight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1992
    Assignee: Smiths Industries Medical Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: William H. Hollister
  • Device employing a substrate of a material that exhibits the pyroelectric effect
    Patent number: 5153930
    Abstract: An article is manufactured from a substrate of a material that exhibits the pyroelectric effect by depositing a film containing a selected material in a first state over a front surface of the substrate. At least one electrode is formed on the film, portions of the film being exposed around the electrode. The exposed portions of the film are subjected to a treatment such that they are converted from the first state to a second state, in which the material has a resistivity that lies within a desired range of values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1992
    Assignee: Smiths Industries Aerospace & Defense Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard E. DuPuy, Harold R. Gilles, Edwin Boyd Osgood
  • Radiation-emitting panels and display assemblies
    Patent number: 5150965
    Abstract: A radiation-emitting panel such as for back lighting a display has three transparent glass plates sealed together around their edges to form two gas-discharge volumes. The plates are supported within their edges by two identical arrays of pillars formed integrally from the plates. The lower surface of the lower plate is profiled with inverted frusto-pyramids and coated with a reflecting layer. Electrodes normally cause discharge within the upper volume, and the emission of light. Electrodes can be used to excite the lower volume, such as on failure of the upper volume, the reflector acting to reflect light preferentially into the pillars.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1992
    Assignee: Smiths Industries Public Limited Company
    Inventor: Neil A. Fox
  • Autoclaves
    Patent number: 5145647
    Abstract: The pressurization period of an autoclave is controlled by an oscillator which provides an output to the autoclave control unit. The control unit has a microprocessor with its own clock. The number of times that a portion of the program is carried out by the microprocessor during the pressurization period of the autoclave, is counted into a register to decrease a separately established count in the register. This separately established count is representative of the correct operating time of the pressurization period. If, at the end of the pressurization period, the count in the register exceeds zero by more than an allowable error, a fault indication is produced on a display and the autoclave door is maintained locked so as to prevent access to articles in the autoclave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1992
    Assignee: Smiths Industries Public Limited Co.
    Inventor: Richard Murray-Shelley
  • Autoclaves
    Patent number: 5145641
    Abstract: An autoclave has a water level sensor in a water reservoir in the pressure vessel. An external water tank is connected to the reservoir via an electrically-operated valve. An electrical resistance heating element in the reservoir heats the sensor if it indicates a full level at the start of operation, in order to dry any exposed part of the sensor and thereby prevent an erroneous output from the sensor caused by water clining to it. This heating of the sensor can be repeated if it continues to indicate a full level. If a low level output is produced by the sensor, the valve is opened to allow water to flow from the tank to the reservoir. If the valve remains open for longer than a predetermined time without the sensor indicating a full level, the autoclave produces a fault signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1992
    Assignee: Smiths Industries Public Limited Company
    Inventor: Richard M. Shelley
  • Speech processing apparatus and methods
    Patent number: 5142585
    Abstract: Speech processing apparatus has a store containing a reference vocabulary of words and carries out active word selection in accordance with mode data supplied to the apparatus. After this, the apparatus performs dynamic template adaptation in dependence on the output of a sensor that monitors environmental influences on the speaker of the kind that modify speech sounds made by the speaker. The sensor may be responsive to vibration or acceleration forces on the speaker, the apparatus using information about how vowel and consonant groupings are influenced by forces on the speaker to perform the template adaptation. Pattern matching is used to compare the speech sounds of the speaker with the modified signals after template adaptation to identify the most likely word spoken.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 25, 1992
    Assignee: Smiths Industries Public Limited Company
    Inventor: Michael R. Taylor
  • Blood containment device housing
    Patent number: D330417
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1992
    Assignee: Smiths Industries Medical Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Craig J. Bell
  • Package
    Patent number: D331009
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1992
    Assignee: Smiths Industries Medical Systems Inc.
    Inventor: Gregory P. Dahl