Patents Examined by Chu Chuan (JJ) Liu
  • Patent number: 9931068
    Abstract: A sensor (e.g., an optical sensor) that may be implanted within a living animal (e.g., a human) and may be used to measure an analyte (e.g., glucose or oxygen) in a medium (e.g., interstitial fluid, blood, or intraperitoneal fluid) within the animal. The sensor may include a sensor housing, an analyte indicator covering at least a portion of the sensor housing, and one or more therapeutic agents. The one or more therapeutic agents may reduce deterioration of the analyte indicator. The one or more therapeutic agents may be incorporated within the analyte indicator, a membrane covering at least a portion of the analyte indicator, and/or one or more drug eluting polymer matrices, which may be external to or within the sensor housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Senseonics, Incorporated
    Inventors: Philip Huffstetler, Jeremy Emken, Todd Whitehurst
  • Patent number: 9924894
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a non-invasive method of measuring skin thickness and blood glucose concentration of a subject by a Raman system. The advantage of the present invention is that a single Raman spectrum is used to measure both the skin thickness and glucose concentration. The skin thickness and Raman intensity retrieved from the same Raman spectrum are both utilized to yield a more accurate blood glucose concentration. The present invention also discloses a Raman system for measuring physiological data of a subject. It comprises a Raman spectroscopic unit and a signal processing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Chun Zhang, Tsz Ho Lau, Yuk Cheung Chan, Wei Mong Tsang
  • Patent number: 9907494
    Abstract: A near infrared spectrometer and method for wavelength and path length correction are disclosed. The spectrometer includes a number of photodiodes that transmit broadband near infrared measurement light into the tissue and at least one broadband detector which measures the light signal transmitted through the tissue. A processor estimates chromophore concentrations through a comparison of measured light attenuation and modeled light attenuation. The light attenuation model utilizes a light path length distribution derived from a Monte Carlo model and accounts for the spectral shape of the light source as a function of temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Hutchinson Technology Incorporated
    Inventors: Bryan J. Scheele, Nicholas H. Finstrom, Roger W. Schmitz
  • Patent number: 9901293
    Abstract: Sensors and methods for measurement of an analyte in a medium within a living animal are described. The sensor may include an inductive element that may receive power from an external device. The sensor may also include a charge storage device (CSD) and a memory. The sensor may perform analyte measurements initiated by the external device using power received from the external device and convey the analyte measurements to the external device using the inductive element. The sensor also may perform autonomous analyte measurements using the on board charge device's power and store the autonomous analyte measurements in the memory. The sensor may convey one or more stored analyte measurements to the external device using the inductive element using power received from the external device. The sensor may include a CSD-powered clock and a CSD-powered measurement scheduler that initiate the autonomous analyte measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Senseonics, Incorporated
    Inventors: Andrew DeHennis, Szymon Tankiewicz, Todd Whitehurst
  • Patent number: 9883804
    Abstract: Method, and the associated device, for examining a biological tissue, in particular dental tissue or tooth enamel of one or several teeth, the method including the steps of taking into account at least the fluorescence of the tissue detected in a first wavelength range and the fluorescence of the tissue detected in a second wavelength range. The device can be a surgery microscope with one or several filters. The filters can be swiveled into or out the Illumination beam path or the optical path of the light source of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: CARL ZEISS MEDITEC AG
    Inventor: Marco Wilzbach
  • Patent number: 9872621
    Abstract: An embodiment includes a functional near infrared (fNIR) system comprising: first, second, and third light emitting diodes (LED) and a photo detector; and at least one storage medium having instructions stored thereon for causing the system to: (a) emit photo energy at first, second, and third wavelengths from the first, second, and third LEDs during first and second time periods, (b) determine first, second, and third optical density changes and changes in first and second chromophore concentrations based on the emitted photo energy; and (c) determine and fit first, second, and third absorption values to a first absorption spectra curve based on the determined changes in first and second chromophore concentrations. Other embodiments are described herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Maynard C. Falconer, Willem M. Beltman
  • Patent number: 9861305
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for separating a composite signal into a plurality of signals is described. A signal processor receives a composite signal and separates a composite signal into separate output signals. Feedback from one or more of the output signals is provided to a configuration module that configures the signal processor to improve a quality of the output signals. In one embodiment, calibration data from multiple calibration data sets is used to configure the demodulation of the composite signal into separate output signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Masimo Corporation
    Inventors: Walter M. Weber, Ammar Al-Ali, Mohamed K. Diab, Marcelo M. Lamego
  • Patent number: 9861303
    Abstract: An exemplary apparatus for measuring the concentration of a test substance in an organism disclosed herein includes: a measurement system which measures first and second concentrations that are concentrations of the test substance at positions A and B, respectively, where the positions A and B are located inside of the organism but outside of the blood vessel of the organism, and the position B is located more distant from the blood vessel than the position A is; and a decision circuit which determines, based on the first and second concentrations, whether or not an equilibrium has been established yet between a concentration of the test substance inside of the blood vessel and a concentration of the test substance measured at a position inside of the organism but outside of the blood vessel of the organism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsurou Kawamura, Yasuaki Okumura, Masaru Minamiguchi, Masahiko Shioi
  • Patent number: 9861315
    Abstract: The present invention pertains to a functional patch to be affixed to the skin, with the aim of measuring metabolic disruptions to organs, and general organ functions, of kidneys, liver, heart, pancreas and muscles (lactate), for example—more particularly it concerns the measurement of the glomerular filtration rate (GFR)—and also to a method for producing a functional patch of this kind.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Lohmann GMBH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Norbert Gretz, Daniel Schock-Kusch, Michael Herbertz, Ralf Nittenwilm
  • Patent number: 9854999
    Abstract: A pulse photometer includes a light emitter, a light detector, a first signal separator that separates a first signal component and a first noise component, a second signal separator that separates a second signal component and a second noise component, a first determining section, a second determining section, and a concentration calculating section that calculates a concentration of a light absorption material in blood of the subject based on a fundamental frequency of the first signal component or a fundamental frequency of the second signal component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: NIHON KOHDEN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshinori Ueda, Teiji Ukawa, Kazumasa Ito, Hideki Fujisaki
  • Patent number: 9848806
    Abstract: A pulse oximeter may reduce power consumption in the absence of overriding conditions. Various sampling mechanisms may be used individually or in combination. Various parameters may be monitored to trigger or override a reduced power consumption state. In this manner, a pulse oximeter can lower power consumption without sacrificing performance during, for example, high noise conditions or oxygen desaturations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: MASIMO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ammar Al-Ali
  • Patent number: 9848804
    Abstract: A sensor insertion device for inserting a detection element of a sensor configured to measure biological information of a subject into the body of the subject includes a device body; a data process unit attached to the device body, a movement mechanism detachably attached to the device body, the movement mechanism being configured to move the detection element together with an insertion needle configured to be stuck into the body of the subject to insert the detection element and the insertion needle into the body of the subject; and a displacement preventing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: TERUMO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takahiro Ohkoshi, Atsushi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 9848808
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for non-invasively determining a blood oxygen parameter value of a subject's tissue is provided. An embodiment of the method includes the steps of: a) providing a spectrophotometric sensor that includes a processing portion and a transducer, b) detecting at least a portion of transmitted light after passage through the subject's tissue and producing initial signal data from the detected light; and c) using the processing portion to: (i) determine a value representative of an attenuation of at least one wavelength of light detected; (ii) determine whether the representative attenuation value is outside a predefined range of attenuation values; and (iii) determine the blood oxygen parameter value using a first interrogation or an alternate interrogation setting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: CAS Medical Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Paul Benni
  • Patent number: 9839381
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a physiological measurement system that can automatically adjust the number of wavelengths used based on the quality of a sensor signal that is reflective of an optical radiation detected at a sensor after tissue attenuation. The signal quality is examined to determine if it is sufficient to support the use of a full set of wavelengths. If it is determined to be insufficient to support the full set, a reduced number of wavelengths is used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Cercacor Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Walter M. Weber, Ammar Al-Ali
  • Patent number: 9833175
    Abstract: An apparatus for non-invasive blood glucose monitoring includes a light source for generating at least one ray of light, a beam splitter with a focusing function leads the light into an eyeball and focuses on the eyeball, a set of photo detectors for measuring optical angular information and absorption energy information of the light reflected from the eyeball and transmitted through the first beam splitter to the set of photo detectors, and a processing unit. The processing unit receives and processes the Optical angular information and the absorption energy information to obtain an Optical angular difference and an absorption energy difference between the light emitted from the light source and the light transmitted to the set of photo detectors, and analyzes the Optical angular difference and the absorption energy difference to obtain a glucose information, and since the glucose information has a corresponding relationship with a blood glucose information, the blood glucose information may be read.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Taiwan Biophotonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yu-Tang Li, Chang-Sheng Chu, Chih-Hsun Fan, Shuang-Chao Chung, Ming-Chia Li, Jyh-Chern Chen, Kuo-Tung Tiao
  • Patent number: 9814419
    Abstract: An array of emitters includes a device substrate having first and second sides, a thermally and electrically conductive layer disposed on the first side of the device substrate, and an interconnect layer disposed on a first plurality of portions of the second side of the device substrate. The array of the emitters further includes a plurality of emitters disposed in a second plurality of portions of the device substrate, where the plurality of emitters is electrically coupled to the thermally and electrically conductive layer. Also, the array of the emitters includes a plurality of wirebond contacts configured to electrically couple a portion of the interconnect layer to a corresponding emitter of the plurality of emitters, and a plurality of encapsulations, where one or more encapsulations of the plurality of encapsulations are disposed on at least a portion of a corresponding wirebond contact of the plurality of wirebond contacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jason Harris Karp, Christopher James Kapusta, Paul Jeffrey Gillespie, Christopher Fred Keimel, Jeffrey Michael Ashe, James Enrico Sabatini
  • Patent number: 9811635
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for monitoring health as related to immune system function, and for measuring the effects of toxins and other stresses. A method for pre-screening drugs for the pharmaceutical pipeline. A method for using an Immunogram as a research tool. A method for preparing compounds or drugs for treatment, therapy, or cure of diseases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Inventor: Samir Sofer
  • Patent number: 9808197
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a wearable electronic apparatus detects movement of a human body wearing the apparatus. The apparatus causes a first number of light emitters to emit light when a magnitude of the detected movement is less than a first value. The first number of light emitters is among a plurality of light emitters which emit light having different wavelengths, in which the light are received by a light receiver to obtain physiological information. The apparatus causes a second number greater than the first number of light emitters among the plurality of light emitters to emit light when the magnitude of the detected movement is greater than or equal to the first value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Takaya Matsuno, Takashi Sudo, Yasuhiro Kanishima
  • Patent number: 9801578
    Abstract: Optical systems are disclosed for use in identifying an analyte, such as glucose in blood or interstitial fluid (ISF), using a biomaterial, such as glucose binding protein (GBP), that is brought into contact with the analyte. An optical system includes a first filter adapted to reflect light emitted from a light-emitting diode to illuminate a fluorescent body, and further adapted to transmit light emitted from the fluorescent body, and a second filter adapted to separate light transmitted by the first filter into signal band light and reference band light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Becton, Dickinson and Company
    Inventors: Aaron Weber, David Tracy, James Salemme, John Prudden
  • Patent number: 9801584
    Abstract: A method is provided for determining contact of a sensor with a patient's tissue. The method comprises comparing the intensity of detected light at a first wavelength to a threshold, wherein the first wavelength is not used to determine a physiological characteristic of the patient, and determining if the sensor is in contact with the patient's tissue based on the comparison. In addition, a method is provided for determining the amount of light shunting during operation of the sensor. The method comprises comparing the intensity of detected light at a first wavelength to a threshold, wherein the first wavelength is not used to determine a physiological characteristic of the patient, and determining the amount of light shunting based on the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Covidien LP
    Inventor: Clark R. Baker, Jr.