Patents by Inventor Brian M. Taff

Brian M. Taff 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: 9623659
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a fluid ejection device includes a die substrate having first and second fluid slots along opposite substrate sides and separated by a substrate central region. First and second internal columns of closed chambers are associated with the first and second slots, respectively, and the internal columns are separated by the central region. Fluidic channels extending across the central region fluidically couple closed chambers from the first internal column with closed chambers from the second internal column. Pump actuators in each closed chamber pump fluid through the channels from slot to slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Alexander Govyadinov, Craig Olbrich, Brian M. Taff
  • Publication number: 20160368266
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a fluid ejection device includes a die substrate having first and second fluid slots along opposite substrate sides and separated by a substrate central region. First and second internal columns of closed chambers are associated with the first and second slots, respectively, and the internal columns are separated by the central region. Fluidic channels extending across the central region fluidically couple closed chambers from the first internal column with closed chambers from the second internal column. Pump actuators in each closed chamber pump fluid through the channels from slot to slot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2016
    Publication date: December 22, 2016
    Inventors: Alexander Govyadinov, Craig Olbrich, Brian M. Taff
  • Patent number: 9493261
    Abstract: A sterilizable containment that includes an inner packaging and an outer packaging. The outer packaging encloses the inner packaging and includes at least two electric feedthroughs. The inner packaging includes at least two electric contacts, wherein each of the at least two electric contacts of the inner packaging matches one of the at least two electric feedthroughs of the outer packaging to provide an electric connection between a respective feedthrough and the corresponding contact when the inner and the outer packaging are closed. Each of the contacts of the inner packaging feed electrical charge from outside of the inner packaging to the inside of the inner packaging and vice versa. The inner packaging includes electrically conducting media that allows propagation of electrical charge between the contacts of the inner packaging and an implantable medical device included inside in a packaging when the containment is filled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: BIOTRONIK SE & CO. KG
    Inventors: Brian M. Taff, Hannes Kraetschmer, Jeffrey A. von Arx
  • Patent number: 9457584
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a fluid ejection device includes a die substrate having first and second fluid slots along opposite substrate sides and separated by a substrate central region. First and second internal columns of closed chambers are associated with the first and second slots, respectively, and the internal columns are separated by the central region. Fluidic channels extending across the central region fluidically couple closed chambers from the first internal column with closed chambers from the second internal column. Pump actuators in each closed chamber pump fluid through the channels from slot to slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Alexander Govyadinov, Craig Olbrich, Brian M. Taff
  • Publication number: 20160257116
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a fluid ejection device includes a die substrate with a chiclet adhered by its front side to the die substrate. The fluid ejection device also includes an ink delivery slot formed through the chiclet from its back side to its front side. The fluid ejection device further includes a mixing bead at the back side of the chiclet, adjacent the ink delivery slot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2016
    Publication date: September 8, 2016
    Inventor: Brian M. Taff
  • Patent number: 9421384
    Abstract: An implantable medical device includes an actuator and/or sensor portion to be fixed to bodily tissue by means of a fixation mechanism, to act on the tissue and/or to detect a signal from the tissue, wherein at least one detector element, preferably a plurality of detector elements, adapted for detecting the close proximity of bodily tissue, is arranged on the actuator and/or sensor portion of the device, and an output of the or each detector element being connected or connectable to a detection signal evaluation unit for deriving a fixation state verification from detection signals provided by the or each detector element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: BIOTRONIK SE & Co. KG
    Inventors: Brian M. Taff, Hannes Kraetschmer, Jie Lian
  • Patent number: 9403372
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a fluid ejection device includes a fluidic channel having first and second ends and a drop generator disposed within the channel. A fluid reservoir is in fluid communication with the first and second ends of the channel, and an alternating-current electro-osmotic (ACEO) pump is disposed within the channel to generate net fluid flow from the reservoir at the first end, through the channel, and back to the reservoir at the second end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Brian M. Taff, Sadiq Bengali, Greg Scott Long
  • Publication number: 20160213919
    Abstract: A medical implant, a catheter, and a system including a medical implant and a catheter, where the catheter is used to position the medical implant and to reposition or explant the medical implant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2016
    Publication date: July 28, 2016
    Inventors: Wantjinarjo Suwito, Hannes Kraetschmer, Dirk Muessig, R. Hollis Whittington, Eric Austin, J. Christopher Moulder, Jeffrey A. von Arx, Nima Badie, Brian M. Taff, Warren Dabney
  • Patent number: 9375928
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a fluid ejection device includes a die substrate with a chiclet adhered by its front side to the die substrate. The fluid ejection device also includes an ink delivery slot formed through the chiclet from its back side to its front side. The fluid ejection device further includes a mixing bead at the back side of the chiclet, adjacent the ink delivery slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Brian M. Taff
  • Publication number: 20160167375
    Abstract: An inkjet printhead includes an inkjet nozzle with a main actuator and at least one peripheral actuator in the same firing chamber. A determination is made as to whether the inkjet nozzle has sat idle, e.g., not firing for a threshold period of time. When the inkjet nozzle has sat idle, both the main actuator and the peripheral actuator are activated to jet at least one ink drop to renew the inkjet nozzle to mitigate decap conditions. When the inkjet nozzle has not sat idle, only the main actuator is activated to jet ink drops.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2016
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Inventors: Brian M. Taff, Erik D. Torniainen, Daniel A. Kearl
  • Publication number: 20160082745
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a fluid ejection device includes a die substrate having first and second fluid slots along opposite substrate sides and separated by a substrate central region. First and second internal columns of closed chambers are associated with the first and second slots, respectively, and the internal columns are separated by the central region. Fluidic channels extending across the central region fluidically couple closed chambers from the first internal column with closed chambers from the second internal column. Pump actuators in each closed chamber pump fluid through the channels from slot to slot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2015
    Publication date: March 24, 2016
    Inventors: Alexander Govyadinov, Craig Olbrich, Brian M. Taff
  • Patent number: 9289997
    Abstract: A method of monitoring nozzle condition in an array of inkjet nozzles includes ejecting at least one black ink drop from an inkjet nozzle, wherein the black ink includes a black colorant and a colloidal metal or metal-containing dopant. Light from a collimated light source is directed onto an ink drop-in-flight, and light-scatter from the drop is detected. The dopant increases light-scatter by the ink drop of an incident collimated light beam relative to the same ink without the dopant. From the detected light-scatter, an operational condition of the inkjet nozzle is determined. The dopant is visually undetectable in a printed mark made by the black ink, and the ink has a printed black optical density which is substantially the same as that of the same ink without the dopant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Alexander Govyadinov, Brian M. Taff, Vladek Kasperchik
  • Patent number: 9289982
    Abstract: An inkjet printhead includes an inkjet nozzle with a main actuator and at least one peripheral actuator in the same firing chamber. When the inkjet nozzle has sat idle, both the main actuator and the peripheral actuator are activated to jet at least one ink drop to renew the inkjet nozzle to mitigate decap conditions. When the inkjet nozzle has not sat idle, only the main actuator is activated to jet ink drops. The ink drops jetted by activating both the main and the peripheral actuators and the ink drops generated by activating only the main actuator have the same drop weight and drop velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Brian M. Taff, Erik D. Torniainen, Daniel A. Kearl
  • Publication number: 20150360468
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a fluid ejection device includes a die substrate with a chiclet adhered by its front side to the die substrate. The fluid ejection device also includes an ink delivery slot formed through the chiclet from its back side to its front side. The fluid ejection device further includes a mixing bead at the back side of the chiclet, adjacent the ink delivery slot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2013
    Publication date: December 17, 2015
    Applicant: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventor: Brian M. Taff
  • Patent number: 9211721
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a fluid ejection device includes a die substrate having first and second fluid slots along opposite substrate sides and separated by a substrate central region. First and second internal columns of closed chambers are associated with the first and second slots, respectively, and the internal columns are separated by the central region. Fluidic channels extending across the central region fluidically couple closed chambers from the first internal column with closed chambers from the second internal column. Pump actuators in each closed chamber pump fluid through the channels from slot to slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Alexander Govyadinov, Craig Olbrich, Brian M Taff
  • Patent number: 9156262
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a fluid ejection device includes a substrate with a fluid slot, and a chamber layer over the substrate that defines a firing chamber and a fluidic channel extending through the firing chamber and in fluid communication with the slot at first and second ends. The device includes a tophat layer formed as a two-layer stack over the chamber layer, and a nozzle bore over the firing chamber that comprises a greater cavity formed in a first layer of the stack and a lesser cavity formed in a second layer of the stack, the greater cavity encompasses a larger volume than the lesser cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Brian M. Taff, Michael Hager, Jason Oak
  • Patent number: 9134233
    Abstract: A drop detection method comprises ejecting an ink drop that includes a fluorescent agent, illuminating the ink drop in flight with excitation light to excite the fluorescent agent, detecting fluorescence emitted by the drop in flight, having a longer wavelength than a wavelength of the excitation light, and, prior to such detecting, filtering out light having a shorter wavelength than the fluorescence wavelength; and a printer with drop detection assembly for performing the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Brian M. Taff, Alexander Govyadinov
  • Publication number: 20150142073
    Abstract: A sterilizable containment that includes an inner packaging and an outer packaging. The outer packaging encloses the inner packaging and includes at least two electric feedthroughs. The inner packaging includes at least two electric contacts, wherein each of the at least two electric contacts of the inner packaging matches one of the at least two electric feedthroughs of the outer packaging to provide an electric connection between a respective feedthrough and the corresponding contact when the inner and the outer packaging are closed. Each of the contacts of the inner packaging feed electrical charge from outside of the inner packaging to the inside of the inner packaging and vice versa. The inner packaging includes electrically conducting media that allows propagation of electrical charge between the contacts of the inner packaging and an implantable medical device included inside in a packaging when the containment is filled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2014
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Applicant: BIOTRONIK SE & CO. KG
    Inventors: Brian M. TAFF, Hannes KRAETSCHMER, Jeffrey A. von ARX
  • Publication number: 20150097884
    Abstract: An inkjet printhead includes an inkjet nozzle with a main actuator and at least one peripheral actuator in the same firing chamber. When the inkjet nozzle has sat idle, both the main actuator and the peripheral actuator are activated to jet at least one ink drop to renew the inkjet nozzle to mitigate decap conditions. When the inkjet nozzle has not sat idle, only the main actuator is activated to jet ink drops. The ink drops jetted by activating both the main and the peripheral actuators and the ink drops generated by activating only the main actuator have the same drop weight and drop velocity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2012
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Inventors: Brian M. Taff, Erik D. Torniainen, Daniel A. Kearl
  • Publication number: 20150070446
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a fluid ejection device includes a fluidic channel having first and second ends and a drop generator disposed within the channel. A fluid reservoir is in fluid communication with the first and second ends of the channel, and an alternating-current electro-osmotic (ACEO) pump is disposed within the channel to generate net fluid flow from the reservoir at the first end, through the channel, and back to the reservoir at the second end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Applicant: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Brian M. Taff, Sadiq Bengali, Greg Scott Long