Patents by Inventor D. Eugene Hokanson

D. Eugene Hokanson 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: 5103825
    Abstract: Current-responsive light-emitting diodes of different colors are provided adjacent to the tip of the hand-held transducer probe of a medical Doppler device. Mechanism is provided to actuate the diodes of one color when the direction of internal body matter detected by the Doppler device is toward the probe and to actuate lights of a different color when the direction of detected internal body matter is away from the probe. In addition, power supply to the diodes is controlled so that increasing brightness indicates increasing velocity of the detected internal body matter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1992
    Assignee: D. E. Hokanson, Inc.
    Inventors: D. Eugene Hokanson, Roger C. Nelson
  • Patent number: 4739772
    Abstract: During a surgical operation, a conventional electroencephalograph provides several analog electrical signals of the brain waves of the patient, each signal indicating voltage fluctuations detected at a different area of the patient's scalp. The analog signals are converted to digital form for input to a multipurpose computer. The computer is programmed to produce respective reference traces on a video monitor indicating the voltage fluctuations detected during a preceding reference period. While the reference traces continue to be displayed, more current traces are produced on the video monitor in juxtaposed relationship to the reference traces. The current traces indicate the voltage fluctuations detected during the period immediately preceding their display. The current traces are replaced periodically with new current traces indicating more recent information. Any significant change in the patient's brain waves is detected by comparing the current traces with the reference traces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 1983
    Date of Patent: April 26, 1988
    Inventors: D. Eugene Hokanson, William M. Blackshear, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4556067
    Abstract: The analog broadband output signal of a medical Doppler device is sampled at a constant rate to convert the signal to digital form. The sample values are stored consecutively in a random access memory component. Such values are recalled from such component at a readout rate different from the sampling rate so as to create a frequency-shifted intermediate broadband signal corresponding to the Doppler output signal. Such intermediate signal is filtered and the power of the filtered intermediate signal is continuously compared to the power of the unfiltered intermediate signal. The readout rate from the memory component is adjusted to maintain approximately the same proportionate relationship of the power of the filtered intermediate signal to the power of the unfiltered intermediate signal. The continuously adjusted readout rate from the memory component indicates a "band edge" frequency above or below which a preselected proportion of the total power of the Doppler signal resides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 3, 1985
    Assignee: D. E. Hokanson, Inc.
    Inventors: D. Eugene Hokanson, Dennis C. Arneson
  • Patent number: 4532933
    Abstract: Side-by-side transmitting and receiving transducers of a medical Doppler ultrasound device are covered by a converging lens of synthetic rubber material through which the speed of ultrasound waves is slower than the speed of the waves in soft body tissue. The lens has a planar inner face butted against the planar transmitting and receiving faces of the transducers and a convexly curved outer face including two portions each extending over both transducers, one of such portions being smaller and more sharply curved than the other. The composite lens focuses the transmitted ultrasound waves in two zones overlapping in range so that the same transducer arrangement can be used in obtaining velocity information from deep or shallow blood vessels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1983
    Date of Patent: August 6, 1985
    Inventor: D. Eugene Hokanson