Patents by Inventor Christopher B. Catterson

Christopher B. Catterson 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: 6836502
    Abstract: A light source for a spectroscopy unit that measures tissue includes a block for engaging tissue and a light source. The block is formed of translucent material. The light source is positioned in close proximity to the block either directly or through use of a light fiber. The light source produces light at a single wavelength or small range of wavelengths shorter than the desired range of wavelengths to be produced by the light source for the spectroscopy unit. A luminescent material is placed in the light path between light source and the tissue to produce the desired wavelength of light when pumped by the light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2004
    Assignee: Hutchinson Technology Incorporated
    Inventors: Larry D. Canady, Christopher B. Catterson, Reuben W. Edgar, Jr., Ralph Henry Hill, Jr., Brian Lee Robey
  • Publication number: 20040068205
    Abstract: A system that remotely measures displacement between two objects. A passive sensor is affixed to each object, such that the sensors are substantially parallel. Each sensor has a permeable rod, a surrounding coil, and a tuning capacitor, and have substantially the same resonant frequency. When an interrogating device is placed near the sensors, the frequency responses of the sensors indicates their relative displacement and thus the displacement between the objects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2003
    Publication date: April 8, 2004
    Applicant: Southwest Research Institute
    Inventors: Susan W. Zogbi, Larry D. Canady, Jerome A. Helffrich, Stephen A. Cerwin, Kevin S. Honeyager, Armando de los Santos, Christopher B. Catterson
  • Patent number: 6656135
    Abstract: A system that remotely measures displacement between two objects. A passive sensor is affixed between the objects. The internal sensor uses magnetic coupling between two sensor elements to measure their relative displacement. The sensors are either a) a permeable rod and a complimentary coil in parallel with a tuning capacitor; or b) two permeable rods, each having its own surrounding coil and a tuning capacitor. One of the sensor elements is affixed to each object which is to be monitored. When an interrogating device is placed near the sensors, a resonance can be measured whose frequency characteristics change in a reproducible manner with the relative displacement of the sensors. The resulting resonance characteristics can be calibrated in such a way as to enable the displacement of the objects to be determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignee: Southwest Research Institute
    Inventors: Susan W. Zogbi, Larry D. Canady, Jerome A. Helffrich, Stephen A. Cerwin, Kevin S. Honeyager, Armando de los Santos, Christopher B. Catterson
  • Publication number: 20030181805
    Abstract: A light source for a spectroscopy unit that measures tissue includes a block for engaging tissue and a light source. The block is formed of translucent material. The light source is positioned in close proximity to the block either directly or through use of a light fiber. The light source produces light at a single wavelength or small range of wavelengths shorter than the desired range of wavelengths to be produced by the light source for the spectroscopy unit. A luminescent material is placed in the light path between light source and the tissue to produce the desired wavelength of light when pumped by the light source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2003
    Publication date: September 25, 2003
    Inventors: Larry D. Canady, Christopher B. Catterson, Reuben W. Edgar, Ralph Henry Hill, Brian Lee Robey
  • Publication number: 20020147416
    Abstract: A system that remotely measures displacement between two objects. A passive sensor is affixed between the objects. The internal sensor uses magnetic coupling between two sensor elements to measure their relative displacement. The sensors are either a) a permeable rod and a complimentary coil in parallel with a tuning capacitor; or b) two permeable rods, each having its own surrounding coil and a tuning capacitor. One of the sensor elements is affixed to each object which is to be monitored. When an interrogating device is placed near the sensors, a resonance can be measured whose frequency characteristics change in a reproducible manner with the relative displacement of the sensors. The resulting resonance characteristics can be calibrated in such a way as to enable the displacement of the objects to be determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2001
    Publication date: October 10, 2002
    Applicant: Southwest Research Institute
    Inventors: Susan W. Zogbi, Larry D. Canady, Jerome A. Helffrich, Stephen A. Cerwin, Kevin S. Honeyager, Armando de los Santos, Christopher B. Catterson