Patents by Inventor Christopher A. Julian
Christopher A. Julian 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).
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Publication number: 20150138157Abstract: There is provided a method of generating a primary effect in a vibratory panel device comprising at least N+M transducers connected to a panel, where N and M are integers greater than or equal to 1. Each transducer is electrically connected to signal processing circuitry and the signal processing circuitry is configured to receive signals from or provide signals to each transducer. The method comprises: obtaining N electrical signals to be applied respectively to N of the transducers to produce the primary effect; and processing the N electrical signals to produce M additional electrical signal(s), such that when the M signal(s) are applied to respective transducers other than the N transducers, a secondary effect is produced. The secondary effect may be for example cancellation of any audio output resulting from providing haptic feedback.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 17, 2013Publication date: May 21, 2015Inventors: Neil John Harris, Christopher Julian Travis
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Publication number: 20150130323Abstract: A panel for use in a vibratory panel device comprises a substrate, a layer of electroactive material applied to the substrate and a layer of material applied to the electroactive material forming separate active areas whereby signals may be applied to or received from respective areas of the electroactive material, wherein the layer of material forming the active areas forms at least three active areas comprising at least two primary active areas and at least one secondary active area, the secondary active area being positioned relative to the two primary active areas such that one or both of the following conditions is provided: at least one secondary active area can be driven to at least partially offset any net displacement of the panel caused by driving two of the primary active areas; and the at least one secondary active area can sense vibrations of the panel affecting both of the two primary active areas.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 17, 2013Publication date: May 14, 2015Inventors: Neil John Harris, Christopher Julian Travis
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Publication number: 20150133858Abstract: A connector assembly for controllable articles is described herein. The connector assembly engages force transmission elements used to transmit force from one or more force generators with the force transmission elements used to manipulate a controllable article. Additionally, the connector assembly provides organization thereby simplifying the process of connecting a plurality of elements, usually with a quick, single movement.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 10, 2014Publication date: May 14, 2015Applicant: INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS, INC.Inventors: Christopher A. JULIAN, Amir BELSON, Aaron W. BROWN, Mark HARASYM, Marc S. KREIDLER, Robert M. OHLINE, Scott J. REINER, Enrique ROMO, Charles E. SWINEHART, Katherine WHITIN
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Patent number: 9028511Abstract: Devices and methods for tissue acquisition and fixation, or gastroplasty, are described. Generally, the devices of the system may be advanced in a minimally invasive manner within a patient's body, e.g., transorally, endoscopically, percutaneously, etc., to create one or several divisions or plications within the hollow body organ. Such divisions or plications can form restrictive barriers within a organ, or can be placed to form a pouch, or gastric lumen, smaller than the remaining stomach volume to essentially act as the active stomach such as the pouch resulting from a surgical Roux-En-Y gastric bypass procedure. Moreover, the system is configured such that once acquisition of the tissue by the gastroplasty device is accomplished, any manipulation of the acquired tissue is unnecessary as the device is able to automatically configure the acquired tissue into a desired configuration.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 2004Date of Patent: May 12, 2015Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.Inventors: Gary Weller, Alex T. Roth, Christopher Julian, Jamy Gannoe, Andrew H. Hancock, Craig Gerbi
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Patent number: 8939902Abstract: A medical device for managing tissue in an organ, such as the stomach, for retracting or positioning tissue and related organs to allow certain regions of the stomach to be acquired for a gastroplasty procedure. The medical device includes an elongated body having a proximal end and a distal end, and a tissue treatment device attached to the distal end of the elongated body. The tissue treatment device includes a first jaw opposite a second jaw, and each jaw is adapted to acquire tissue. A retractor is disposed along the tissue treatment device and adapted to be moveable from a delivery position to a retraction position to move or manage the tissue of the stomach. The medical device also includes a collapsible barrier disposed between the first and second jaws of the tissue treatment device to direct tissue into the first and second jaws separately.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2011Date of Patent: January 27, 2015Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.Inventors: Alex T. Roth, Craig Gerbi, Andrew H. Hancock, Gary Weller, Christopher Julian, James Gannoe
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Patent number: 8888688Abstract: A connector assembly for controllable articles is described herein. The connector assembly engages force transmission elements used to transmit force from one or more force generators with the force transmission elements used to manipulate a controllable article. Additionally, the connector assembly provides organization thereby simplifying the process of connecting a plurality of elements, usually with a quick, single movement.Type: GrantFiled: November 12, 2004Date of Patent: November 18, 2014Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.Inventors: Christopher A. Julian, Amir Belson, Aaron W. Brown, Mark Harasym, Marc S. Kreidler, Robert M. Ohline, Scott J. Reiner, Enrique Romo, Charles E. Swinehart, Katherine Whitin
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Patent number: 8870900Abstract: Devices, systems and methods related to endoscopic surgery, particularly related to robotic surgical operations, provide a tissue stabilizer for endoscopically stabilizing a target tissue within a patient's body. For stabilizing a beating heart during a closed-chest coronary artery bypass grafting procedure, a stabilizer is inserted through an endoscopic cannula and provides sufficient surface area to contact the heart and effectively stabilize the target tissue area. The stabilizer can straddle a blood vessel, such as a coronary artery, which is targeted for an anastomosis. Vessel occlusion fasteners may occlude the target blood vessel prior to the anastomosis procedure.Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2007Date of Patent: October 28, 2014Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.Inventors: Christopher A. Julian, Michael Ikeda, Andris D. Ramans, Dean F. Hoornaert, Margaret M. Isaac
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Patent number: 8795166Abstract: A medical device for managing tissue in an organ, such as the stomach, for retracting or positioning tissue and related organs to allow certain regions of the stomach to be acquired for a gastroplasty procedure. The medical device includes an elongated body having a proximal end and a distal end, and a tissue treatment device attached to the distal end of the elongated body. The tissue treatment device includes a first jaw opposite a second jaw, and each jaw is adapted to acquire tissue. A retractor is disposed along the tissue treatment device and adapted to be moveable from a delivery position to a retraction position to move or manage the tissue of the stomach. The medical device also includes a collapsible barrier disposed between the first and second jaws of the tissue treatment device to direct tissue into the first and second jaws separately.Type: GrantFiled: December 27, 2010Date of Patent: August 5, 2014Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.Inventors: Alex T. Roth, Craig Gerbi, Andrew H. Hancock, Gary Weller, Christopher Julian, James Gannoe
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Patent number: 8784306Abstract: A medical device for managing tissue in an organ, such as the stomach, for retracting or positioning tissue and related organs to allow certain regions of the stomach to be acquired for a gastroplasty procedure. The medical device includes an elongated body having a proximal end and a distal end, and a tissue treatment device attached to the distal end of the elongated body. The tissue treatment device includes a first jaw opposite a second jaw, and each jaw is adapted to acquire tissue. A retractor is disposed along the tissue treatment device and adapted to be moveable from a delivery position to a retraction position to move or manage the tissue of the stomach. The medical device also includes a collapsible barrier disposed between the first and second jaws of the tissue treatment device to direct tissue into the first and second jaws separately.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2007Date of Patent: July 22, 2014Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.Inventors: Alex T. Roth, Craig Gerbi, Andrew H. Hancock, Gary Weller, Christopher Julian, James Gannoe
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Publication number: 20140200388Abstract: Systems, devices and methods for applying therapeutic transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to at least one superficial cortical target brain region and at least one deep brain target so that the induced current points between the superficial cortical and deep brain targets. Systems may include two TMS electromagnets configured for treating a patient by stimulating at least one deep brain region with one TMS magnet at the same time that a second TMS magnet stimulates at least one superficial cortical brain region. Also described are positioners to secure at least two TMS magnets in a substantially fixed arrangement relative to the patient's head, while allowing for fine adjustment of position and orientation of each of the TMS magnets individually to conform them to the shape of the contact surface of the body and to direct the vector direction of the overall induced current from the magnets.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 18, 2012Publication date: July 17, 2014Inventors: M. Bret Schneider, John W. Sadler, Ai-Ting Stephanie Yang, Christopher A, Julian
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Patent number: 8721530Abstract: A steerable, tendon-driven endoscope is described herein. The endoscope has an elongated body with a manually or selectively steerable distal portion and an automatically controlled, segmented proximal portion. The steerable distal portion and the segment of the controllable portion are actuated by at least two tendons. As the endoscope is advanced, the user maneuvers the distal portion, and a motion controller actuates tendons in the segmented proximal portion so that the proximal portion assumes the selected curve of the selectively steerable distal portion. By this method the selected curves are propagated along the endoscope body so that the endoscope largely conforms to the pathway selected. When the endoscope is withdrawn proximally, the selected curves can propagate distally along the endoscope body. This allows the endoscope to negotiate tortuous curves along a desired path through or around and between organs within the body.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2011Date of Patent: May 13, 2014Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.Inventors: Robert M. Ohline, Joseph M. Tartaglia, Amir Belson, Alex T. Roth, Wade A. Keller, Scott C. Anderson, Christopher A. Julian
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Publication number: 20140105345Abstract: A hybrid numeric-analog clock synchronizer, for establishing a clock or carrier locked to a timing reference. The clock may include a framing component. The reference may have a low update rate. The synchronizer achieves high jitter rejection, low phase noise and wide frequency range. It can be integrated on chip. It may comprise a numeric time-locked loop (TLL) with an analog phase-locked loop (PLL). Moreover a high-performance number-controlled oscillator (NCO), for creating an event clock from a master clock according to a period control signal. It processes edge times rather than period values, allowing direct control of the spectrum and peak amplitude of the justification jitter. Moreover a combined clock-and-frame asynchrony detector, for measuring the phase or time offset between composite signals. It responds e.g. to event clocks and frame syncs, enabling frame locking with loop bandwidths greater than the frame rate.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 13, 2013Publication date: April 17, 2014Inventor: Christopher Julian Travis
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Publication number: 20140018824Abstract: Surgical accessories are presented in vivo and used by surgical tools in the surgical site to perform additional tasks without the need to remove the tools from the surgical site for tool change or instrument loading. The accessories can be introduced into the surgical site by a dedicated accessory introducer, or can be supported on the body of a surgical tool inserted into the surgical site and be manipulated using another surgical tool in the surgical site. The accessory introducer can be resiliently biased to bias the accessories toward a predetermined position in the surgical site.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 17, 2013Publication date: January 16, 2014Applicant: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.Inventors: Christopher A. Julian, Daniel T. Wallace, Frederick H. Moll, Dean F. Hoornaert, David J. Rosa, John G. Freund, John W. Hill
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Patent number: 8628547Abstract: Devices and methods for tissue acquisition and fixation, or gastroplasty, are described. Generally, the devices of the system may be advanced in a minimally invasive manner within a patient's body, e.g., transorally, endoscopically, percutaneously, etc., to create one or several divisions or plications within the hollow body organ. Such divisions or plications can form restrictive barriers within a organ, or can be placed to form a pouch, or gastric lumen, smaller than the remaining stomach volume to essentially act as the active stomach such as the pouch resulting from a surgical Roux-En-Y gastric bypass procedure. Moreover, the system is configured such that once acquisition of the tissue by the gastroplasty device is accomplished, any manipulation of the acquired tissue is unnecessary as the device is able to automatically configure the acquired tissue into a desired configuration.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 2004Date of Patent: January 14, 2014Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.Inventors: Gary Weller, Alex T. Roth, Christopher Julian, Jamy Gannoe, Andrew H. Hancock, Craig Gerbi
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Patent number: 8618886Abstract: A hybrid numeric-analog clock synchronizer, for establishing a clock or carrier locked to a timing reference. The clock may include a framing component. The reference may have a low update rate. The synchronizer achieves high jitter rejection, low phase noise and wide frequency range. It can be integrated on chip. It may comprise a numeric time-locked loop (TLL) with an analog phase-locked loop (PLL). Moreover a high-performance number-controlled oscillator (NCO), for creating an event clock from a master clock according to a period control signal. It processes edge times rather than period values, allowing direct control of the spectrum and peak amplitude of the justification jitter. Moreover a combined clock-and-frame asynchrony detector, for measuring the phase or time offset between composite signals. It responds e.g. to event clocks and frame syncs, enabling frame locking with loop bandwidths greater than the frame rate.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2011Date of Patent: December 31, 2013Inventor: Christopher Julian Travis
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Patent number: 8551116Abstract: Surgical accessories are presented in vivo and used by surgical tools in the surgical site to perform additional tasks without the need to remove the tools from the surgical site for tool change or instrument loading. The accessories can be introduced into the surgical site by a dedicated accessory introducer, or can be supported on the body of a surgical tool inserted into the surgical site and be manipulated using another surgical tool in the surgical site. The accessory introducer can be resiliently biased to bias the accessories toward a predetermined position in the surgical site.Type: GrantFiled: April 24, 2012Date of Patent: October 8, 2013Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, IncInventors: Christopher A. Julian, Daniel T. Wallace, Frederick H. Moll, Dean F. Hoornaert, David J. Rosa, John G. Freund, John W. Hill
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Patent number: 8454503Abstract: A medical device for managing tissue in an organ, such as the stomach, for retracting or positioning tissue and related organs to allow certain regions of the stomach to be acquired for a gastroplasty procedure. The medical device includes an elongated body having a proximal end and a distal end, and a tissue treatment device attached to the distal end of the elongated body. The tissue treatment device includes a first jaw opposite a second jaw, and each jaw is adapted to acquire tissue. A retractor is disposed along the tissue treatment device and adapted to be moveable from a delivery position to a retraction position to move or manage the tissue of the stomach. The medical device also includes a collapsible barrier disposed between the first and second jaws of the tissue treatment device to direct tissue into the first and second jaws separately.Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 2005Date of Patent: June 4, 2013Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.Inventors: Alex T. Roth, Craig Gerbi, Andrew H. Hancock, Gary Weller, Christopher Julian, James Gannoe
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Patent number: 8449560Abstract: Devices and methods for tissue acquisition and fixation, or gastroplasty, are described. Generally, the devices of the system may be advanced in a minimally invasive manner within a patient's body to create one or more plications within the hollow body organ. A tissue treatment device attached to a distal end of a flexible elongated member and has a cartridge member opposite an anvil member. The cartridge member and the anvil member are movable between a closed position and an open position, and a moveable barrier is disposed between the cartridge and anvil members to help acquire a dual fold of tissue. The tissue treatment device can be repositioned to form multiple plications within the organ.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 2006Date of Patent: May 28, 2013Assignees: Ethicon, Inc.Inventors: Alex T. Roth, Andrew H. Hancock, Chris Pamichev, John Gaiser, Gary Weller, Christopher Julian, James Gannoe, Craig Gerbi, Crystine M. Lee
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Patent number: 8403838Abstract: A medical device for managing tissue in an organ, such as the stomach, for retracting or positioning tissue and related organs to allow certain regions of the stomach to be acquired for a gastroplasty procedure. The medical device includes an elongated body having a proximal end and a distal end, and a tissue treatment device attached to the distal end of the elongated body. The tissue treatment device includes a first jaw opposite a second jaw, and each jaw is adapted to acquire tissue. A retractor is disposed along the tissue treatment device and adapted to be moveable from a delivery position to a retraction position to move or manage the tissue of the stomach. The medical device also includes a collapsible barrier disposed between the first and second jaws of the tissue treatment device to direct tissue into the first and second jaws separately.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2007Date of Patent: March 26, 2013Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.Inventors: Alex T. Roth, Craig Gerbi, Andrew H. Hancock, Gary Weller, Christopher Julian, James Gannoe
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Patent number: 8403839Abstract: A medical device for managing tissue in an organ, such as the stomach, for retracting or positioning tissue and related organs to allow certain regions of the stomach to be acquired for a gastroplasty procedure. The medical device includes an elongated body having a proximal end and a distal end, and a tissue treatment device attached to the distal end of the elongated body. The tissue treatment device includes a first jaw opposite a second jaw, and each jaw is adapted to acquire tissue. A retractor is disposed along the tissue treatment device and adapted to be moveable from a delivery position to a retraction position to move or manage the tissue of the stomach. The medical device also includes a collapsible barrier disposed between the first and second jaws of the tissue treatment device to direct tissue into the first and second jaws separately.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2007Date of Patent: March 26, 2013Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.Inventors: Alex T. Roth, Craig Gerbi, Andrew H. Hancock, Gary Weller, Christopher Julian, James Gannoe