Patents by Inventor Bill W. Colston, Jr.

Bill W. Colston, Jr. 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: 9434997
    Abstract: Methods to identify a set of probe polynucleotides suitable for detecting a set of targets and in particular methods for identification of primers suitable for detection of target microorganisms related polynucleotides, set of polynucleotides and compositions, and related methods and systems for detection and/or identification of microorganisms in a sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
    Inventors: Bill W. Colston, Jr., J. Patrick Fitch, Shea N. Gardner, Peter L. Williams, Mark C. Wagner
  • Publication number: 20090081675
    Abstract: Methods to identify a set of probe polynucleotides suitable for detecting a set of targets and in particular methods for identification of primers suitable for detection of target microorganisms related polynucleotides, set of polynucleotides and compositions, and related methods and systems for detection and/or identification of microorganisms in a sample.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2008
    Publication date: March 26, 2009
    Inventors: Bill W. COLSTON, JR., J. Patrick Fitch, Shea N. Gardner, Peter L. Williams, Mark C. Wagner
  • Patent number: 6451009
    Abstract: A guided laser ablation device. The device includes a mulitmode laser ablation fiber that is surrounded by one or more single mode optical fibers that are used to image in the vicinity of the laser ablation area to prevent tissue damage. The laser ablation device is combined with an optical coherence domain reflectometry (OCDR) unit and with a control unit which initializes the OCDR unit and a high power laser of the ablation device. Data from the OCDR unit is analyzed by the control unit and used to control the high power laser. The OCDR images up to about 3 mm ahead of the ablation surface to enable a user to see sensitive tissue such as a nerve or artery before damaging it by the laser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Luiz B. Dasilva, Bill W. Colston, Jr., Dale L. James
  • Patent number: 6419484
    Abstract: A dental drill that has one or multiple single mode fibers that can be used to image in the vicinity of the drill tip. It is valuable to image below the surface being drilled to minimize damage to vital or normal tissue. Identifying the boundary between decayed and normal enamel (or dentine) would reduce the removal of viable tissue, and identifying the nerve before getting too close with the drill could prevent nerve damage. By surrounding a drill with several optical fibers that can be used by an optical coherence domain reflectometry (OCDR) to image several millimeters ahead of the ablation surface will lead to a new and improved dental treatment device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2002
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Luiz B. DaSilva, Bill W. Colston, Jr., Dale L. James