Patents by Inventor Daniel K. Smith
Daniel K. Smith 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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Patent number: 11944531Abstract: Devices, systems and/or methods for repairing soft tissue adjacent a soft tissue repair site. In one embodiment, a repair device configured to couple to soft tissue is provided. The repair device includes a capture portion and an anchor portion. The capture portion configured to extend with radial portions. The anchor portion includes a base with multiple legs extending therefrom. The multiple legs are configured to move from a linear position to a formed position such that, in the formed position, the multiple legs couple to structure of the capture portion.Type: GrantFiled: January 12, 2018Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignee: CONEXTIONS, INC.Inventors: Erik N. Kubiak, Roy M. Taylor, Zackery K. Evans, Cody L. Gehrke, Daniel K. Smith, Richard J. Linder, Scott D. Miles, Tyler J. Cole
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Publication number: 20240082899Abstract: Spiral forming methods can be used to join edges of a rolled material along a spiral joint to form conical and/or cylindrical structures. Alignment of the edges of the rolled material can be controlled in a wrapping direction as the material is being joined along the spiral joint to form the structure. By controlling alignment of the edges of the material as the edges of the material are being joined, small corrections can be made over the course of forming the structure facilitating control over geometric tolerances of the resulting spiral formed structure.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 29, 2023Publication date: March 14, 2024Inventors: Eric D. SMITH, Rosalind K. TAKATA, Daniel AINGE, Loren Daniel BRIDGERS
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Publication number: 20240085623Abstract: According to various embodiments, an array of elements forms an artificially-structured material. The artificially-structured material can also include an array of tuning mechanisms included as part of the array of elements that are configured to change material properties of the artificially-structured material on a per-element basis. The tuning mechanisms can change the material properties of the artificially-structured material by changing operational properties of the elements in the array of elements on a per-element basis based on one or a combination of stimuli detected by sensors included in the array of tuning mechanisms, programmable circuit modules included as part of the array of tuning mechanisms, data stored at individual data stores included as part of the array of tuning mechanisms, and communications transmitted through interconnects included as part of the array of elements.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 20, 2023Publication date: March 14, 2024Inventors: Daniel Arnitz, Patrick Bowen, Seyedmohammadreza Faghih Imani, Joseph Hagerty, Roderick A. Hyde, Edward K.Y. Jung, Guy S. Lipworth, Nathan P. Myhrvold, David R. Smith, Clarence T. Tegreene, Yaroslav A. Urzhumov, Lowell L. Wood, JR.
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Publication number: 20230346539Abstract: Devices, systems and/or methods for repairing soft tissue adjacent a soft tissue repair site. In one embodiment, the repair device includes an anchor member having a base with at least four legs extending from the base. The base extends with a generally flat circular profile defining an upper surface and an underside surface with a central opening extending therethrough. Further, the at least four legs extend from the base with an elongated angled portion, the elongated angled portion being oriented at an angle less than seventy-five degrees relative to the underside surface of the base. With this arrangement, the anchor member may be fixated to soft tissue by rotating the base with a delivery tool so that the elongated angled portion of the at least four legs facilitates the anchor member sinking into the soft tissue and fixating thereto.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 10, 2023Publication date: November 2, 2023Inventors: Erik N. Kubiak, Roy M. Taylor, Zackery K. Evans, Barrett J. Yates, Daniel K. Smith, Cody L. Gehrke
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Publication number: 20230301770Abstract: Devices, systems and/or methods for repairing soft tissue adjacent a soft tissue repair site. In one embodiment, a repair device includes an anchor member, a capture member and one or more flexible members. The anchor member includes a base with at least four legs extending integrally from the base, the at least four legs configured to be moveable from a straight first position to a formed second position. The capture member is configured to be coupled to the anchor member such that the at least four legs of the anchor member move around structural portions of the capture member with the at least four legs of the anchor member in the formed second position. The one or more flexible members are coupled to the base of the anchor member, the one or more flexible members extending at least partially along the base of the anchor member.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 21, 2023Publication date: September 28, 2023Inventors: Erik N. Kubiak, Roy M. Taylor, Zackery K. Evans, Barrett J. Yates, Daniel K. Smith, Cody L. Gehrke
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Publication number: 20230233200Abstract: Devices, systems and/or methods for fixating soft tissue to bone are provided. In one embodiment, a repair device for fixating soft tissue to bone with a bone anchor includes a soft tissue anchor and one or more flexible members. The soft tissue anchor includes a base with multiple legs extending from the base. The one or more flexible members are coupled to the base and configured to extend from the base to the bone anchor with a fixed length. With this arrangement, the fixed length of the one or more flexible members is configured to maintain a fixed distance between the soft tissue anchor and the bone anchor such that, as the bone anchor is seated into bone, the one or more flexible members pulls the soft tissue anchor down against the soft tissue to fixate the soft tissue to the bone.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 9, 2023Publication date: July 27, 2023Inventors: Erik N. Kubiak, Barrett J. Yates, Roy M. Taylor, Zackery K. Evans, Daniel K. Smith, Daniel L. Gruppo, Roy W. Sanders
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Patent number: 11696822Abstract: Devices, systems and/or methods for repairing soft tissue adjacent a soft tissue repair site. In one embodiment, the repair device includes an anchor member having a base with at least four legs extending from the base. The base extends with a generally flat circular profile defining an upper surface and an underside surface with a central opening extending therethrough. Further, the at least four legs extend from the base with an elongated angled portion, the elongated angled portion being oriented at an angle less than seventy-five degrees relative to the underside surface of the base. With this arrangement, the anchor member may be fixated to soft tissue by rotating the base with a delivery tool so that the elongated angled portion of the at least four legs facilitates the anchor member sinking into the soft tissue and fixating thereto.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2018Date of Patent: July 11, 2023Assignee: CONEXTIONS, INC.Inventors: Erik N. Kubiak, Roy M. Taylor, Zackery K. Evans, Barrett J. Yates, Daniel K. Smith, Cody L. Gehrke
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Patent number: 11583384Abstract: Devices, systems and/or methods for repairing soft tissue adjacent a soft tissue repair site. In one embodiment, a repair device includes an anchor member, a capture member and one or more flexible members. The anchor member includes a base with at least four legs extending integrally from the base, the at least four legs configured to be moveable from a straight first position to a formed second position. The capture member is configured to be coupled to the anchor member such that the at least four legs of the anchor member move around structural portions of the capture member with the at least four legs of the anchor member in the formed second position. The one or more flexible members are coupled to the base of the anchor member, the one or more flexible members extending at least partially along the base of the anchor member.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2018Date of Patent: February 21, 2023Assignee: CONEXTIONS, INC.Inventors: Erik N. Kubiak, Roy M. Taylor, Zackery K. Evans, Barrett J. Yates, Daniel K. Smith, Cody L. Gehrke
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Patent number: 11547397Abstract: Devices, systems and/or methods for fixating soft tissue to bone are provided. In one embodiment, a repair device for fixating soft tissue to bone with a bone anchor includes a soft tissue anchor and one or more flexible members. The soft tissue anchor includes a base with multiple legs extending from the base. The one or more flexible members are coupled to the base and configured to extend from the base to the bone anchor with a fixed length. With this arrangement, the fixed length of the one or more flexible members is configured to maintain a fixed distance between the soft tissue anchor and the bone anchor such that, as the bone anchor is seated into bone, the one or more flexible members pulls the soft tissue anchor down against the soft tissue to fixate the soft tissue to the bone.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2019Date of Patent: January 10, 2023Assignee: CONEXTIONS, INC.Inventors: Erik N. Kubiak, Barrett J. Yates, Roy M. Taylor, Zackery K. Evans, Daniel K. Smith, Daniel L. Gruppo, Roy W. Sanders, Matthew J. Swift
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Publication number: 20220015752Abstract: Devices, systems and/or methods for fixating soft tissue to bone are provided. In one embodiment, a repair device for fixating soft tissue to bone with a bone anchor includes a soft tissue anchor and one or more flexible members. The soft tissue anchor includes a base with multiple legs extending from the base. The one or more flexible members are coupled to the base and configured to extend from the base to the bone anchor with a fixed length. With this arrangement, the fixed length of the one or more flexible members is configured to maintain a substantially fixed pre-determined distance between the soft tissue anchor and the bone anchor such that, as the bone anchor is seated into bone, the one or more flexible members pulls the soft tissue anchor down against the soft tissue to fixate the soft tissue to the bone.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 7, 2021Publication date: January 20, 2022Inventors: Erik N. Kubiak, Barrett J. Yates, Roy M. Taylor, Zackery K. Evans, Daniel K. Smith, Adriana M. Topete, Matthew J. Swift
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Patent number: 11141189Abstract: A non-coring needle for use in accessing an implanted medical device is disclosed. The non-coring needle is configured to include a compact bevel face relative to standard non-coring needles. In one embodiment, the non-coring needle comprises a hollow cannula that defines a lumen and terminates at a sharpened distal tip. The cannula includes a proximal portion and a bent distal portion. The distal portion defines a bevel face extending proximally from the distal tip, and the bevel face includes the lumen distal opening. The bevel face defines an open angle of at least about one degree with respect to a longitudinal axis of the proximal portion of the cannula. The bevel face is also laterally offset from the proximal portion of the cannula by an offset distance of no more than about 0.010 inch. A portion of the bevel face is dulled to prevent access port septum coring.Type: GrantFiled: November 25, 2019Date of Patent: October 12, 2021Assignee: C. R. Bard, Inc.Inventors: Bradley J. VanderStek, Daniel K. Smith
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Patent number: 10973509Abstract: Devices, systems and/or methods for fixating soft tissue to bone are provided. In one embodiment, a repair device for fixating soft tissue to bone with a bone anchor includes a soft tissue anchor and one or more flexible members. The soft tissue anchor includes a base with multiple legs extending from the base. The one or more flexible members are coupled to the base and configured to extend from the base to the bone anchor with a fixed length. With this arrangement, the fixed length of the one or more flexible members is configured to maintain a substantially fixed pre-determined distance between the soft tissue anchor and the bone anchor such that, as the bone anchor is seated into bone, the one or more flexible members pulls the soft tissue anchor down against the soft tissue to fixate the soft tissue to the bone.Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 2019Date of Patent: April 13, 2021Assignee: CONEXTIONS, INC.Inventors: Erik N. Kubiak, Barrett J. Yates, Roy M. Taylor, Zackery K. Evans, Daniel K. Smith, Adriana M. Topete, Matthew J. Swift
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Publication number: 20200093511Abstract: A non-coring needle for use in accessing an implanted medical device is disclosed. The non-coring needle is configured to include a compact bevel face relative to standard non-coring needles. In one embodiment, the non-coring needle comprises a hollow cannula that defines a lumen and terminates at a sharpened distal tip. The cannula includes a proximal portion and a bent distal portion. The distal portion defines a bevel face extending proximally from the distal tip, and the bevel face includes the lumen distal opening. The bevel face defines an open angle of at least about one degree with respect to a longitudinal axis of the proximal portion of the cannula. The bevel face is also laterally offset from the proximal portion of the cannula by an offset distance of no more than about 0.010 inch. A portion of the bevel face is dulled to prevent access port septum coring.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 25, 2019Publication date: March 26, 2020Inventors: Bradley J. VanderStek, Daniel K. Smith
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Patent number: 10520360Abstract: A beam quality measurement system for determining beam quality of a high power laser beam from a laser system by power-in-the-bucket (PIB) measurements in a laboratory environment. The system includes a beam compressor assembly for compressing the diameter of the laser beam, and a diagnostic bench assembly that receives the reduced diameter low power beam from the beam compressor assembly. The bench assembly includes a pinhole array positioned at a focal plane of a lens and that includes a plurality of different sized pinholes and a translation stage for moving the pinhole array. The bench assembly also includes a power meter that receives the focused beam after it has passed through a pinhole in the pinhole array, where the power meter generates a signal that causes the stage to move the pinhole array to position another pinhole when the power meter identifies a maximum power received from one pinhole.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2018Date of Patent: December 31, 2019Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems CorporationInventors: Michael L. Dupuis, Daniel K. Smith, Daniel Lam, Christopher J. Lieto, Michael E. Farey, Joshua E. Rothenberg
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Patent number: 10492826Abstract: A non-coring needle for use in accessing an implanted medical device is disclosed. The non-coring needle is configured to include a compact bevel face relative to standard non-coring needles. In one embodiment, the non-coring needle comprises a hollow cannula that defines a lumen and terminates at a sharpened distal tip. The cannula includes a proximal portion and a bent distal portion. The distal portion defines a bevel face extending proximally from the distal tip, and the bevel face includes the lumen distal opening. The bevel face defines an open angle of at least about one degree with respect to a longitudinal axis of the proximal portion of the cannula. The bevel face is also laterally offset from the proximal portion of the cannula by an offset distance of no more than about 0.010 inch. A portion of the bevel face is dulled to prevent access port septum coring.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 2017Date of Patent: December 3, 2019Assignee: C. R. Bard, Inc.Inventors: Bradley J. VanderStek, Daniel K. Smith
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Publication number: 20190261973Abstract: Devices, systems and/or methods for fixating soft tissue to bone are provided. In one embodiment, a repair device for fixating soft tissue to bone with a bone anchor includes a soft tissue anchor and one or more flexible members. The soft tissue anchor includes a base with multiple legs extending from the base. The one or more flexible members are coupled to the base and configured to extend from the base to the bone anchor with a fixed length. With this arrangement, the fixed length of the one or more flexible members is configured to maintain a fixed distance between the soft tissue anchor and the bone anchor such that, as the bone anchor is seated into bone, the one or more flexible members pulls the soft tissue anchor down against the soft tissue to fixate the soft tissue to the bone.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 27, 2019Publication date: August 29, 2019Inventors: Erik N. Kubiak, Barrett J. Yates, Roy M. Taylor, Zackery K. Evans, Daniel K. Smith, Daniel L. Gruppo, Roy W. Sanders
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Publication number: 20190247038Abstract: Devices, systems and/or methods for fixating soft tissue to bone are provided. In one embodiment, a repair device for fixating soft tissue to bone with a bone anchor includes a soft tissue anchor and one or more flexible members. The soft tissue anchor includes a base with multiple legs extending from the base. The one or more flexible members are coupled to the base and configured to extend from the base to the bone anchor with a fixed length. With this arrangement, the fixed length of the one or more flexible members is configured to maintain a substantially fixed pre-determined distance between the soft tissue anchor and the bone anchor such that, as the bone anchor is seated into bone, the one or more flexible members pulls the soft tissue anchor down against the soft tissue to fixate the soft tissue to the bone.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 19, 2019Publication date: August 15, 2019Inventors: Erik N. Kubiak, Barrett J. Yates, Roy M. Taylor, Zackery K. Evans, Daniel K. Smith, Adriana M. Topete
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Publication number: 20190209289Abstract: Devices, systems and/or methods for repairing soft tissue adjacent a soft tissue repair site. In one embodiment, the repair device includes an anchor member having a base with at least four legs extending from the base. The base extends with a generally flat circular profile defining an upper surface and an underside surface with a central opening extending therethrough. Further, the at least four legs extend from the base with an elongated angled portion, the elongated angled portion being oriented at an angle less than seventy-five degrees relative to the underside surface of the base. With this arrangement, the anchor member may be fixated to soft tissue by rotating the base with a delivery tool so that the elongated angled portion of the at least four legs facilitates the anchor member sinking into the soft tissue and fixating thereto.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 19, 2018Publication date: July 11, 2019Inventors: Erik N. Kubiak, Roy M. Taylor, Zackery K. Evans, Barrett J. Yates, Daniel K. Smith, Cody L. Gehrke
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Publication number: 20180250121Abstract: Devices, systems and/or methods for repairing soft tissue adjacent a soft tissue repair site. In one embodiment, a repair device includes an anchor member, a capture member and one or more flexible members. The anchor member includes a base with at least four legs extending integrally from the base, the at least four legs configured to be moveable from a straight first position to a formed second position. The capture member is configured to be coupled to the anchor member such that the at least four legs of the anchor member move around structural portions of the capture member with the at least four legs of the anchor member in the formed second position. The one or more flexible members are coupled to the base of the anchor member, the one or more flexible members extending at least partially along the base of the anchor member.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 27, 2018Publication date: September 6, 2018Inventors: Erik N. Kubiak, Roy M. Taylor, Zackery K. Evans, Barrett J. Yates, Daniel K. Smith, Cody L. Gehrke
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Publication number: 20180200042Abstract: Devices, systems and/or methods for repairing soft tissue adjacent a soft tissue repair site. In one embodiment, a repair device configured to couple to soft tissue is provided. The repair device includes a capture portion and an anchor portion. The capture portion configured to extend with radial portions. The anchor portion includes a base with multiple legs extending therefrom. The multiple legs are configured to move from a linear position to a formed position such that, in the formed position, the multiple legs couple to structure of the capture portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 12, 2018Publication date: July 19, 2018Inventors: Erik N. Kubiak, Roy M. Taylor, Zackery K. Evans, Cody L. Gehrke, Daniel K. Smith, Richard J. Linder, Scott D. Miles, Tyler J. Cole