Patents Examined by Etsub Berhanu
  • Patent number: 9782120
    Abstract: Concepts for measuring and monitoring characteristics of osseous tissue are presented. In various embodiments, a monitoring probe may be inserted through a hollow passageway within a cannulated screw during an operation in order to measure characteristics of the osseous tissue in which the cannulated screw is inserted. In various embodiments, the cannulated screw may be inserted into a femoral head, through a physis, and into an epiphysis for stabilization of Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis. During surgical treatment thereof, a pressure transducer may be inserted into the osseous tissue through the cannulated screw in order to monitor epiphysis perfusion through the femoral head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Inventor: Tim Schrader
  • Patent number: 9784506
    Abstract: A refrigerant pipe attachment structure is provided, in which it can be ensured that a refrigerant pipe is held and thermal resistance between the refrigerant pipe and a heat transfer member can be sufficiently reduced. A heat transfer member formed with an elongated groove into which a refrigerant pipe is fitted and thermally contacting a cooling target is provided. An elastic member formed in an elongated plate shape extending along an extension direction of the refrigerant pipe and including a pipe-facing part facing the refrigerant pipe is provided. A pressing mechanism configured to press the elastic member toward the heat transfer member is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: DAKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Junichi Teraki
  • Patent number: 9782076
    Abstract: Method and system for providing diabetes management is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: ABBOTT DIABETES CARE INC.
    Inventors: R. Curtis Jennewine, Kimberly A. Krapek
  • Patent number: 9775567
    Abstract: Described herein are methods and systems for calculating a corrected Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR). An illustrative method includes delivering a first pressure sensing device including a pressure sensor to a location in a blood vessel having a stenosis, positioning the pressure sensor distal to the stenosis, measuring the distal pressure, measuring the proximal pressure, and calculating a corrected FFR using the measured proximal and distal pressures and applying a correction factor or correction equation. The corrected FFR may approximate a FFR that would have been obtained if the pressure measured downstream of the stenosis was measured using a second pressure sensing device having a second maximum cross-sectional area in a distal portion of the second pressure sensing device that is different from the first maximum cross-sectional area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: ACIST Medical Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Todd M. Suchecki, Alan K. Evans
  • Patent number: 9772145
    Abstract: A plate heat exchanger that evenly distributes an inflowing fluid to heat exchange channels located within the plate heat exchanger. The plate heat exchanger includes a fluid distributor in order to evenly distribute the inflowing fluid throughout the heat exchange channels. The fluid distributor includes protruding resistors that decrease in size as each protruding resistor is located further away from the inflowing fluid inlet of the fluid distributor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Daisuke Ito
  • Patent number: 9766011
    Abstract: The present invention is a process for removing carbon dioxide from a compressed gas stream including cooling the compressed gas in a first heat exchanger, introducing the cooled gas into a de-sublimating heat exchanger, thereby producing a first solid carbon dioxide stream and a first carbon dioxide poor gas stream, expanding the carbon dioxide poor gas stream, thereby producing a second solid carbon dioxide stream and a second carbon dioxide poor gas stream, combining the first solid carbon dioxide stream and the second solid carbon dioxide stream, thereby producing a combined solid carbon dioxide stream, and indirectly exchanging heat between the combined solid carbon dioxide stream and the compressed gas in the first heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: NEWVISTAS CAPITAL, LLC
    Inventors: Larry Baxter, Paul Terrien, Pascal Tessier, Christopher Hoeger
  • Patent number: 9763592
    Abstract: A method and system for instructing a user behavior change comprising: collecting a first and a second bioelectrical signal dataset; generating an analysis based upon the first and the second bioelectrical signal datasets; and providing a behavior change suggestion to the user based upon the analysis. The method can further comprise collecting a third bioelectrical signal dataset associated with a performance of an action by the user in response to the behavior change suggestion; generating an adherence metric based upon the third bioelectrical signal dataset and at least one of the first and the second bioelectrical signal datasets; providing a stimulus configured to prompt an action by the user; and providing at least one of the analysis and an analysis based upon the adherence metric to the user. An embodiment of the system comprises a biosignal detector and a processor configured to implement an embodiment of the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Emotiv, Inc.
    Inventors: Tan Le, Geoffrey Mackellar
  • Patent number: 9752816
    Abstract: Provided is an indoor unit for an air conditioner. The indoor unit for the air conditioner includes a case having at least one suction hole, a heat exchanger disposed at a side of the suction hole, a fan rotatably disposed at a discharge side of the heat exchanger, a front panel coupled to a front portion of the case, the front panel including a discharge part, a discharge panel disposed on the discharge part, and a guide device disposed to surround the fan, the guide device having a curved surface for guiding air discharged from the fan to the guide part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Soonchul Hwang, Sanghyuk Son, Jaeyoung Kim
  • Patent number: 9752491
    Abstract: A cooling system including a heat exchanger, an airflow containment unit, and an airflow conduit. The airflow containment unit is configured to direct airflow to and from the heat exchanger. The airflow conduit is in fluid communication with the airflow containment unit and is configured to direct airflow to the airflow containment unit from an air inlet at an exterior of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Denso International America, Inc.
    Inventor: Patrick Powell
  • Patent number: 9746132
    Abstract: Described herein are at least systems and methods for cryogenic fluid delivery which utilize pumpless delivery of cryogenic fluid. The systems and methods utilize hydraulic pressure, saturation pressure, or a combination of both hydraulic pressure and saturation pressure to deliver cryogen to a use device, such as an engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Chart Inc.
    Inventors: Keith Gustafson, Erik Gustafson
  • Patent number: 9746215
    Abstract: A thermodynamic system for powering a reciprocating device includes a refrigerant passing in a closed loop between a refrigerant compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator. The system includes a heat source for heating the refrigerant, and an engine for receiving the heated refrigerant. The engine includes a housing, a shaft axially movable within the housing, a piston attached to the shaft, a shifter for reversing piston direction, and porting for passing the refrigerant into and out of the engine housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Thermanalysis Engineering Corp.
    Inventors: Robert A. Hunt, Ivo M. Dabelic
  • Patent number: 9746228
    Abstract: Methods and systems for controlling a chiller system to achieve control stability while maintaining optimum efficiency. Particularly, methods and systems for controlling a centrifugal compressor speed and an inlet guide vane position that establishes three distinct regions in the control path: (i) during initial unloading from full load, the inlet guide vane position is kept at a fully open position while the centrifugal compressor speed is changed to achieve the desired cooling capacity; (ii) between an inflection point and a transition point, keeping the centrifugal compressor speed constant while the inlet guide vane position is changed to achieve the desired cooling capacity; and (iii) between the transition point and zero cooling capacity, changing both the inlet guide vane position and the centrifugal compressor speed to achieve the desired cooling capacity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: TRANE INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventor: Lee L. Sibik
  • Patent number: 9737230
    Abstract: A neurostimulation device includes a plurality of electrodes adapted to be electrically connected to a subject to receive multichannel electrical signals from the subject's brain, a multichannel seizure detection unit electrically connected to the plurality of electrical leads to receive the multichannel electrical signals, and a neurostimulation unit in communication with the multichannel seizure detection unit. The plurality of electrodes are at least three electrodes such that the multichannel electrical signals are at least three channels of electrical signals, and the multichannel seizure detection unit detects a presence of a seizure based on multichannel statistics from the multichannel electrical signals including higher order combinations than two-channel combinations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Sridevi V. Sarma, Sabato Santaniello, Samuel P. Burns, Munther Dahleh
  • Patent number: 9739515
    Abstract: A heat pump device includes a compressor including a compression mechanism that compresses a refrigerant and a motor that drives the compression mechanism, an inverter that applies a voltage for driving the motor, a converter that applies a voltage to the inverter, an inverter control unit that generates a driving signal for driving the inverter, and a converter control unit that generates a driving signal for driving the converter. The inverter control unit includes a heating-operation-mode control unit that controls a driving-signal generating unit such that the driving-signal generating unit outputs, as inverter driving signals, PWM signals for heating the compressor without rotationally driving the motor by feeding a high-frequency current that the motor cannot follow in a heating operation mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shota Kamiya, Kazunori Hatakeyama, Kenta Yuasa, Shinya Matsushita, Shinsaku Kusube, Tsutomu Makino
  • Patent number: 9737828
    Abstract: A cryopump includes a low-temperature cryopanel, a high-temperature cryopanel provided outside the low-temperature cryopanel, and a housing provided outside the high-temperature cryopanel. The high-temperature cryopanel includes an extension panel extending outward. The housing includes an inlet flange surrounding the extension panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: SUMITOMO HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Ken Oikawa
  • Patent number: 9726407
    Abstract: A temperature sensitive rod is communicated with a diaphragm that is displaceable in response to a pressure difference between an internal pressure of a sealed space, in which a temperature sensitive medium is sealed, and a pressure of a low pressure refrigerant outputted from an evaporator. A blind hole, which opens to the sealed space, is formed in an inside of the temperature sensitive rod. The temperature sensitive medium is a mixture gas of the refrigerant and an inert gas. A mixing ratio of the inert gas in the temperature sensitive medium corresponds to a ratio of an equivalent diameter of the blind hole relative to a depth of the blind hole in such a manner that a time constant of heat conduction from the temperature sensitive rod to the temperature sensitive medium is kept within a desired time constant range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Oshitani, Teruyuki Hotta, Syuichi Mizuno, Ryu Fukushima, Shigeji Ohishi
  • Patent number: 9717423
    Abstract: Methods for heart rate measurement based on pulse oximetry are provided that can tolerate some degree of relative displacement of a photoplethysmograph (PPG) heart rate monitor device. In some methods, artifact compensation based on a reference signal is performed on the PPG signal data to remove artifacts in the signal that may be caused, for example, by changes in ambient light and/or motion of a person wearing the monitor device. The reference signal used for artifact compensation may be generated using an LED of a complementary wavelength to that of the LED used to generate the PPG signal, or by driving an LED at a lower current than the current applied to generate the PPG signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Vitali Loseu, Sourabh Ravindran
  • Patent number: 9714794
    Abstract: A fin for a heat exchanger includes a flat portion having an upstream flat part and a downstream flat part parallel to a flow direction of a fluid. Multiple louvers are arranged in the flow direction. A fluid-turning part including a surface approximately parallel to the flow direction is arranged between two of the multiple louvers. A first portion of the louvers located upstream of the fluid-turning part are inclined in a direction opposite from a second portion of the louvers located downstream of the fluid-turning part. The first and second portion of the louvers include first louvers and second louvers. The first louvers are inclined from the flat portion at a first inclined angle larger than a second inclined angle at which the second louvers are inclined from the flat portion. The second louvers are arranged adjacent to the fluid-turning part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshihide Ninagawa, Nobuhiro Honma
  • Patent number: 9713433
    Abstract: A method of managing pain using neurophysiological data acquired from the brain of a subject is disclosed. The method comprises: identifying activity-related features in the data; parceling the data according to the activity-related features to define a plurality of capsules, each representing a spatiotemporal activity region in the brain; comparing at least some of the defined capsules to at least one reference capsule; and assessing the likelihood that the subject is experiencing pain responsively to the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: Elminda Ltd.
    Inventors: Ronen Gadot, Amir B. Geva, Amit Reches, Yaki Stern
  • Patent number: 9700256
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for detecting the seizure in a patient using a medical device. The determination is performed by collecting cardiac data; determining valid heart beats suitable for seizure detection from the cardiac data; calculating heart rate data of interest from the valid heart beats; and identifying a seizure event from the heart rate data. The medical device may then take a responsive action, such as warning, logging the time of the seizure, computing and storing one or more seizure severity indices, and/or treating the seizure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Cyberonics, Inc.
    Inventors: Ivan Osorio, Mark G. Frei