Patents by Inventor Don S. Schmitt

Don S. Schmitt 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).

  • System and method for controlling pressure in a surgical tourniquet
    Patent number: 7485131
    Abstract: A system and method of controlling the pressure within a pressure cuff of a surgical tourniquet so as selectively to occlude blood flow within a portion of a limb of a patient, wherein a sensor determines when flow past the tourniquet is occurring so that corrective action may be taken, such as by increasing the pressure in the tourniquet or by notifying an operator of the flow past the tourniquet. The present invention may use an acoustic sensor to detect Korotkoff sounds indicating incipient blood flow past the tourniquet. When such signals are detected, the tourniquet controller may either incrementally increase the pressure in the tourniquet, or if a threshold would be exceeded by such an increase, signal an alarm indicative of the blood flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2009
    Assignee: Stryker Corporation
    Inventors: Michael E. Hovanes, Don S. Schmitt
  • System and method for controlling pressure in a surgical tourniquet using a remote unit
    Patent number: 7166123
    Abstract: The present invention is a surgical tourniquet controller which receives operational parameters from a remote unit, allowing flow components associated with controlling a surgical tourniquet to be collocated with a surgical tourniquet in use, while allowing an operator of the tourniquet to operate the flow components from a remote location, such as at an anesthesiologists position, thus reducing the involvement of the surgical tourniquet operator from the surgical field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Instrumed
    Inventors: Michael E. Hovanes, Don S. Schmitt
  • System and method for controlling pressure in a surgical tourniquet
    Publication number: 20040147956
    Abstract: A system and method of controlling the pressure within a pressure cuff of a surgical tourniquet so as selectively to occlude blood flow within a portion of a limb of a patient, wherein a sensor determines when flow past the tourniquet is occurring so that corrective action may be taken, such as by increasing the pressure in the tourniquet or by notifying an operator of the flow past the tourniquet. The present invention may use an acoustic sensor to detect Korotkoff sounds indicating incipient blood flow past the tourniquet. When such signals are detected, the tourniquet controller may either incrementally increase the pressure in the tourniquet, or if a threshold would be exceeded by such an increase, signal an alarm indicative of the blood flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2003
    Publication date: July 29, 2004
    Inventors: Michael E. Hovanes, Don S. Schmitt
  • System and method for controlling pressure in a surgical tourniquet using a remote unit
    Publication number: 20030236548
    Abstract: The present invention is a surgical tourniquet controller which receives operational parameters from a remote unit, allowing flow components associated with controlling a surgical tourniquet to be collocated with a surgical tourniquet in use, while allowing an operator of the tourniquet to operate the flow components from a remote location, such as at an anesthesiologists position, thus reducing the involvement of the surgical tourniquet operator from the surgical field.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2002
    Publication date: December 25, 2003
    Inventors: Michael E. Hovanes, Don S. Schmitt
  • System and method for controlling pressure in a surgical tourniquet
    Patent number: 6605103
    Abstract: A system and method of controlling the pressure within a pressure cuff of a surgical tourniquet so as selectively to occlude blood flow within a portion of a limb of a patient, wherein a sensor determines when flow past the tourniquet is occurring so that corrective action may be taken, such as by increasing the pressure in the tourniquet or by notifying an operator of the flow past the tourniquet. The present invention may use an acoustic sensor to detect Korotkoff sounds indicating incipient blood flow past the tourniquet. When such signals are detected, the tourniquet controller may either incrementally increase the pressure in the tourniquet, or if a threshold would be exceeded by such an increase, signal an alarm indicative of the blood flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2003
    Assignee: Instrumed, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael E. Hovanes, Don S. Schmitt
  • System and method for controlling pressure in a surgical tourniquet
    Publication number: 20020016610
    Abstract: A system and method of controlling the pressure within a pressure cuff of a surgical tourniquet so as selectively to occlude blood flow within a portion of a limb of a patient, wherein a sensor determines when flow past the tourniquet is occurring so that corrective action may be taken, such as by increasing the pressure in the tourniquet or by notifying an operator of the flow past the tourniquet. The present invention may use an acoustic sensor to detect Korotkoff sounds indicating incipient blood flow past the tourniquet. When such signals are detected, the tourniquet controller may either incrementally increase the pressure in the tourniquet, or if a threshold would be exceeded by such an increase, signal an alarm indicative of the blood flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2001
    Publication date: February 7, 2002
    Inventors: Michael E. Hovanes, Don S. Schmitt