Patents by Inventor Donald Malackowski

Donald Malackowski 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: 10820912
    Abstract: A powered surgical tool system capable of providing energization signals to plural powered surgical handpieces. The system includes a console to which at least one footswitch is attached. The footswitch can be mapped to control any one of the handpieces connected to the console. The console includes a display on which representations of the footswitch and handpieces connected to the console are presented. The representations of the handpieces are in different colors. When the footswitch is mapped to a specific handpiece, the representation of the footswitch is presented in the same color as the representation of the handpiece to which the footswitch is mapped. When plural footswitches are attached to the console, the representation of each footswitch is presented in a color corresponding to the color of the representation of the handpiece to which the footswitch is mapped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: STRYKER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael R. Wildgen, Donald Malackowski, Michael D. Dozeman, Paul M. Hoekstra
  • Publication number: 20170172583
    Abstract: A powered surgical tool system capable of providing energization signals to plural powered surgical handpieces. The system includes a console to which at least one footswitch is attached. The footswitch can be mapped to control any one of the handpieces connected to the console. The console includes a display on which representations of the footswitch and handpieces connected to the console are presented. The representations of the handpieces are in different colors. When the footswitch is mapped to a specific handpiece, the representation of the footswitch is presented in the same color as the representation of the handpiece to which the footswitch is mapped. When plural footswitches are attached to the console, the representation of each footswitch is presented in a color corresponding to the color of the representation of the handpiece to which the footswitch is mapped.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2017
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Inventors: Michael R. Wildgen, Donald Malackowski, Michael D. Dozeman, Paul M. Hoekstra
  • Publication number: 20150025367
    Abstract: A marker for use with a surgical navigation system for tracking the tissue with which the marker is associated. The overall dimensions of the mark is such that it is shaped to be disposed below the skin of the patient in which the marker is implanted. The marker has a stem that allows the marker to be implanted in hard tissue such as bone. A head, containing navigation system components is located above the stem or spike. The stem is formed with a section of reduced tensile strength. Once the procedure is completed, a force is applied to the marker. The force breaks the stem at the separation zone. This allows the portion of the marker above the separation zone to be removed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2014
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Inventors: Donald Malackowski, Robert Brindley
  • Publication number: 20060241404
    Abstract: The shape and orientation of rigid or nearly rigid moveable bodies are determined using a shape characterization. Sensors capture a plurality of representations of different perspectives of the body that are analyzed to determine a bounding volume of the body. The shape of the body is determined from the bounding volume. The position of the body is determined using tracking devices that sense the position of the body. The bounding volume and position information are combined to define the shape and orientation in space of the body, and in particular the position of a point of interest on the body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2005
    Publication date: October 26, 2006
    Inventors: Jose Luis de la Barrera, Waldean Schulz, Donald Malackowski
  • Publication number: 20060224766
    Abstract: An operating room system that enables real time control between applications connected to a backbone within the operating room so that these devices can effectively communicate and interact in real time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2005
    Publication date: October 5, 2006
    Inventors: Donald Malackowski, Chunwu Wu
  • Publication number: 20050020909
    Abstract: A display unit for use with a surgical navigation system that includes a body; a screen capable of displaying data; a communications link capable of sending and receiving data to and from the surgical navigation system; and an attachment device to attach the display unit to a body of a surgical instrument to be manipulated relative to a patient's anatomy, a tracking unit associated with the surgical instrument that can be tracked by the surgical navigation system; where the screen can display information received from the surgical navigation system. A method for using the display unit attached to a surgical instrument is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2003
    Publication date: January 27, 2005
    Inventors: Jose Moctezuma de la Barrera, Donald Malackowski
  • Patent number: 6522101
    Abstract: A rechargeable battery (22). Internal to the battery is a memory (34) that has data identifying specific charging steps, sequences, that should be executed in order to apply charging current to the battery and to test the charge state of the battery. The battery memory also includes a power required data field that indicates the power required to charge the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: Stryker Corporation
    Inventor: Donald Malackowski
  • Patent number: 6331761
    Abstract: A battery charger (20) for charging batteries that evaluates the post-charge state of the batteries. A load resistor (70) is associated with each battery. After the charging of the battery, a processor (124) receives signals indicating the voltage-at-load of the battery when it is connected to the load resistor. A memory (282) internal to the battery stores data indicating the number of times the battery has been charged. The processor, based on the data retrieved from the battery memory determines a minimum charge level for the battery based on the number of times the battery has been charged. Based on the voltage-at-load, the processor determines the charge in the battery and compares this charge to the minimum level. The processor then actuates a display (34) on the charger to indicate the results of this comparison. The processor also actuates a display component (32) to cause the charger to indicate the charge state of the battery relative to the amount of charge a new, fully charged battery can store.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2001
    Assignee: Stryker Corporation
    Inventors: Yashdeep Kumar, Donald Malackowski
  • Publication number: 20010020838
    Abstract: A charger (20) for simultaneously charging a plurality of batteries (22). The charger has a number of current sources (54) each of which selectively applies charging current to a separate battery. The generation of currents by the current sources is controlled by a controller (56). The controller maintains data indicating the total amount of power that the charger has available for charging batteries. When a battery is connected to a current source, the controller determines if the charger has enough power available to charge that battery. If this evaluation is positive, the controller causes the current source to supply the charging current and adjusts the power available data for the charger downwards to reflect the dedication of power to the battery. Upon the completion of the battery charging, the controller adjusts the power available data upwardly to reflect the availability of the power previously dedicated to that battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2000
    Publication date: September 13, 2001
    Applicant: Stryker Corporation ( Reel 010457/ Frame 0342)
    Inventor: Donald Malackowski
  • Patent number: 6184655
    Abstract: A charger (20) for simultaneously charging a plurality of batteries (22). The charger has a number of current sources (54) each of which selectively applies charging current to a separate battery. The generation of currents by the current sources is controlled by a controller (56). The controller maintains data indicating the total amount of power that the charger has available for charging batteries. When a battery is connected to a current source, the controller determines if the charger has enough power available to charge that battery. If this evaluation is positive, the controller causes the current source to supply the charging current and adjusts the power available data for the charger downwards to reflect the dedication of power to the battery. Upon the completion of the battery charging, the controller adjusts the power available data upwardly to reflect the availability of the power previously dedicated to that battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2001
    Assignee: Stryker Corporation
    Inventor: Donald Malackowski
  • Patent number: 6160376
    Abstract: A battery charger (20) for charging batteries that evaluates the post-charge state of the batteries. A load resistor (70) and a temperature sensor (286) are associated with each battery. After the charging of the battery, a processor (124) receives signals indicating the voltage-at-load of the battery when it is connected to the load resistor and the battery temperature. A memory (282) internal to the battery stores historical voltage-at-load data for the battery. The processor based, the voltage-at-load, the battery temperature and the historical voltage-at-load data for the battery determines an average voltage-at-load for the battery. Based on the average voltage-at-load and data specific to that battery, the processor determines the charge state of the battery. Data representative of the charge state is presented on a display (30) integral with the charger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2000
    Assignee: Stryker Corporation
    Inventors: Yashdeep Kumar, Donald Malackowski
  • Patent number: 6018227
    Abstract: A battery charger (20) for charging batteries to which different charging currents are applied in different instruction sequences. The charger includes a microprocessor (124) that controls the generation of current by a current source (110). A removable module (26) is attached to the charger for holding a particular type of battery. A memory (70) internal to the module contains data indicating the sequences in which charging currents are to be applied to the battery and when tests should be executed to determine if the battery should exit a particular charging step. The module memory also contains data indicating the currents that should be applied to the battery with which it is associated and the parameters of the exit condition tests. The charger is ideally used with a battery that has both and internal temperature sensor (286) and its own memory (282). The temperature sensor provides data useful for accurately determining the stored charge within the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2000
    Assignee: Stryker Corporation
    Inventors: Yashdeep Kumar, Donald Malackowski