Patents by Inventor Benjamin A. Flugstad

Benjamin A. Flugstad has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8669879
    Abstract: Techniques are provided for alerting a person to check a medical device while conserving battery power. The medical device initiates a status alert if a readiness condition of the medical device is no longer being met. The status alert includes notification periods during which an audible sound is emitted alternating with off periods during which substantially no audible sound is emitted. The audible sounds may include certain tones or at least one spoken word. At least one of the duration of successive notification periods or the duration of successive off periods may be varied. In this manner, the medical device may provide audible sound at different times during the day in an attempt to get the attention of a person. In addition, the medical device may sense an activity to determine when to provide the audible sound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Physio-Control, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph L. Sullivan, Benjamin A. Flugstad, Glenn Morita
  • Publication number: 20130172951
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present concept are directed to external defibrillators that include a utility light for use by one or more rescuers using the defibrillator. In one implementation, an external defibrillator has a housing, an energy storage module for storing an electrical charge, a defibrillation port for guiding the stored electrical charge to a person, and a processor for determining when to guide the electrical charge. The defibrillator also includes a user interface that includes a screen showing indications by light, and a separate utility light coupled to the housing via a light-coupling structure. The utility light is structured to generate and cast a beam of light with a beam divergence angle of no more than 160 degrees in order to illuminate a certain point of the local environment. This illumination capability may help rescuers reach a person in need of medical attention and apply medical assistance to the person.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2013
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Applicant: Physio-Control, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Frank, Jil Cruz, Micha Coleman, Benjamin A. Flugstad, Fred W. Chapman
  • Patent number: 8386034
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present concept are directed to external defibrillators that include a utility light for use by one or more rescuers using the defibrillator. In one implementation, an external defibrillator has a housing, an energy storage module for storing an electrical charge, a defibrillation port for guiding the stored electrical charge to a person, and a processor for determining when to guide the electrical charge. The defibrillator also includes a user interface that includes a screen showing indications by light, and a separate utility light coupled to the housing via a light-coupling structure. The utility light is structured to generate and cast a beam of light with a beam divergence angle of no more than 160 degrees in order to illuminate a certain point of the local environment. This illumination capability may help rescuers reach a person in need of medical attention and apply medical assistance to the person.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Physio-Control, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Frank, Jil Cruz, Micha Coleman, Benjamin A. Flugstad, Fred W. Chapman
  • Patent number: 8344899
    Abstract: Techniques are provided for alerting a person to check a medical device while conserving battery power. The medical device initiates a status alert if a readiness condition of the medical device is no longer being met. The status alert includes notification periods during which an audible sound is emitted alternating with off periods during which substantially no audible sound is emitted. The audible sounds may include certain tones or at least one spoken word. At least one of the duration of successive notification periods or the duration of successive off periods may be varied. In this manner, the medical device may provide audible sound at different times during the day in an attempt to get the attention of a person. In addition, the medical device may sense an activity to determine when to provide the audible sound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Physio-Control, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph L. Sullivan, Benjamin A. Flugstad, Glenn Morita
  • Publication number: 20120081230
    Abstract: Techniques are provided for alerting a person to check a medical device while conserving battery power. The medical device initiates a status alert if a readiness condition of the medical device is no longer being met. The status alert includes notification periods during which an audible sound is emitted alternating with off periods during which substantially no audible sound is emitted. The audible sounds may include certain tones or at least one spoken word. At least one of the duration of successive notification periods or the duration of successive off periods may be varied. In this manner, the medical device may provide audible sound at different times during the day in an attempt to get the attention of a person. In addition, the medical device may sense an activity to determine when to provide the audible sound.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2010
    Publication date: April 5, 2012
    Applicant: PHYSIO-CONTROL, INC.
    Inventors: Joseph L. Sullivan, Benjamin A. Flugstad, Glenn Morita
  • Publication number: 20120071940
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present concept are directed to external defibrillators that include a utility light for use by one or more rescuers using the defibrillator. In one implementation, an external defibrillator has a housing, an energy storage module for storing an electrical charge, a defibrillation port for guiding the stored electrical charge to a person, and a processor for determining when to guide the electrical charge. The defibrillator also includes a user interface that includes a screen showing indications by light, and a separate utility light coupled to the housing via a light-coupling structure. The utility light is structured to generate and cast a beam of light with a beam divergence angle of no more than 160 degrees in order to illuminate a certain point of the local environment. This illumination capability may help rescuers reach a person in need of medical attention and apply medical assistance to the person.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2011
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Applicant: PHYSIO-CONTROL, INC.
    Inventors: Mark Frank, Jil Cruz, Micha Coleman, Benjamin A. Flugstad, Fred W. Chapman
  • Patent number: 6784405
    Abstract: A food product is heated by maintaining the food product in an AC electrical field generated by an RF signal. As the heating takes place, maximum energy is delivered to the food product using automatic impedance matching to adjust the rate of the process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignees: The State of Oregon, acting by and through the State Board of Higher Education on Behalf of Oregon State University
    Inventors: Benjamin A. Flugstad, Qingyue Ling, Edward R. Kolbe, John Henry Wells, Yanyun Zhao, Jae W. Park
  • Patent number: 6657173
    Abstract: A food product is heated by maintaining the food product in an AC electrical field generated by an RF signal. As the heating takes place, maximum energy is delivered to the food product using automatic impedance matching to adjust the rate of the process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignees: State Board of Higher Education on Behalf of Oregon State University
    Inventors: Benjamin A. Flugstad, Qingyue Ling, Edward R. Kolbe, John Henry Wells, Yanyun Zhao, Jae W. Park
  • Publication number: 20030205571
    Abstract: A food product is heated by maintaining the food product in an AC electrical field generated by an RF signal. As the heating takes place, maximum energy is delivered to the food product using automatic impedance matching to adjust the rate of the process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2003
    Publication date: November 6, 2003
    Applicants: State of Oregon, Acting by and through the State Board of higher Education on Behalf of Oregon Stat, Benjamin A. Flugstad
    Inventors: Benjamin A. Flugstad, Qingyue Ling, Edward R. Kolbe, John Henry Wells, Yanyun Zhao, Jae W. Park
  • Publication number: 20020047009
    Abstract: A food product is heated by maintaining the food product in an AC electrical field generated by an RF signal. As the heating takes place, maximum energy is delivered to the food product using automatic impedance matching to adjust the rate of the process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2001
    Publication date: April 25, 2002
    Applicant: The State of OR acting by and through the State Board of Higher Edu. on Behalf of OR State Univ.
    Inventors: Benjamin A. Flugstad, Qingyue Ling, Edward R. Kolbe, John Henry Wells, Yanyun Zhao, Jae W. Park
  • Patent number: 6303166
    Abstract: A food product is heated by maintaining the food product in an AC electrical field provided by an RF signal at an RF frequency that matches a Debye resonance frequency or frequencies of one or more components of the food product. As the food product warms, the frequency of the RF signal is automatically adjusted to track changes in the Debye resonance frequency, which shifts in frequency as the temperature rises. Individual regions of the food product can be heated, by the use of grid electrodes, at different rates to assure uniform warming or to achieve a particular desired warming pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2001
    Assignee: The State of Oregon acting by and through the State Board of Higher Education on Behalf of Oregon State University
    Inventors: Edward R. Kolbe, Jae W. Park, John Henry Wells, Benjamin A. Flugstad, Yanyun Zhao
  • Patent number: 5625569
    Abstract: A low power flow measuring apparatus, including a battery for generating a supply signal, a power management unit for producing from the supply signal a first voltage signal that is always enabled and a second and third voltage signal that are selectively enabled, a sensor powered by the third voltage signal for generating a data signal representative of a magnitude of a predefined parameter, and a controller in communication with memory and the sensor and powered by the second signal, for controlling a reading of the data signal from the sensor and the storage of a data value corresponding to the data signal in memory. Interrupt logic, powered by the first voltage signal, activates the power management unit, upon the occurrence of a predefined event, to enable the second and third voltage signals, thereby enabling the controller to take a reading from the sensor. After a reading is taken and the data value written to memory, the power management unit disables the second and third signals to save power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 29, 1997
    Assignee: Trimmer Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Walter L. Trimmer, Benjamin A. Flugstad
  • Patent number: 5443490
    Abstract: A defibrillator patient circuit including a capacitor having a two terminals; a first relay having a common terminal, and two contact terminals, where the first relay's common terminal is connected to the capacitor's first terminal; a charger circuit having two terminals, where the charger circuit's first terminal is connected to the first relay's first contact terminal and where the charger circuit's second terminal is connected to the capacitor's second terminal; a second relay having a common terminal, and two contact terminals, where the relay's second contact terminal is connected to the capacitor's second terminal; a first defibrillation contact connected to the second relay's common terminal; a second defibrillation contact connected to the first relay's second switch contact; and an inductor connected in series with the capacitor, the two relays, and the two defibrillation contacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 22, 1995
    Assignee: Hewlett Packard Corporation
    Inventor: Benjamin A. Flugstad