Patents by Inventor Jeanette E. Southard
Jeanette E. Southard 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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Publication number: 20220370042Abstract: An ultrasound probe (“probe”) for use with an ultrasound imaging system is disclosed. In particular, the probe is sized and configured so as to be supported and readily used with as little as one finger on a single hand of a user of the imaging system. This configuration enables remaining fingers on the hand of the user to be employed for other purposes, such as skin traction and patient contact. In one embodiment, therefore, an ultrasound probe is disclosed, comprising a body, a lens included on head portion of the body, a stabilizing portion extending from the body and configured to stabilize the body on a skin surface of a patient without user assistance, and a finger grip portion configured to enable a user of the probe to grasp and maneuver the probe during use thereof with no more than two fingers on a single hand of the user.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 3, 2022Publication date: November 24, 2022Inventors: Jeanette E. Southard, Matthew J. Prince, Tab Robbins, Timothy L. Creamer, Kent F. Beck, Paul T. Westwood, Andrew J. Lengyel
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Patent number: 11413018Abstract: An ultrasound probe (“probe”) for use with an ultrasound imaging system is disclosed. In particular, the probe is sized and configured so as to be supported and readily used with as little as one finger on a single hand of a user of the imaging system. This configuration enables remaining fingers on the hand of the user to be employed for other purposes, such as skin traction and patient contact. In one embodiment, therefore, an ultrasound probe is disclosed, comprising a body, a lens included on head portion of the body, a stabilizing portion extending from the body and configured to stabilize the body on a skin surface of a patient without user assistance, and a finger grip portion configured to enable a user of the probe to grasp and maneuver the probe during use thereof with no more than two fingers on a single hand of the user.Type: GrantFiled: September 13, 2018Date of Patent: August 16, 2022Assignee: Bard Access Systems, Inc.Inventors: Jeanette E. Southard, Matthew J. Prince, Tab Robbins, Timothy L. Creamer, Kent F. Beck, Paul T. Westwood, Andrew J. Lengyel
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Patent number: 11413015Abstract: Systems and methods for assisting the placement of a catheter within the body of a patient through the use of an ultrasound imaging system are disclosed. In particular, the systems and methods described herein enable a clinician to determine, prior to insertion of the medical device, how much of the device will be disposed within the vessel, thus enabling the clinician to choose a catheter with suitable length. In one embodiment, an ultrasound imaging system for assisting with placement of the medical device comprises a console, a probe for producing an image of a target location, and a processor. The processor provides to a user proximity information relating to the anticipated proximity of the medical device to the target location prior to insertion of the medical device. A display is included for depicting the image, target location depth, and the proximity information of the medical device to the target location.Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 2018Date of Patent: August 16, 2022Assignee: C. R. Bard, Inc.Inventors: Jeanette E. Southard, Jeremy B. Cox, Paul D. Morgan, Shayne Messerly
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Patent number: 11020563Abstract: Systems and methods for assisting the placement of a catheter within a vessel of a patient via an ultrasound imaging system are disclosed. The systems and methods described herein relate to an automatic size comparison tool to enable a clinician to determine, prior to insertion of the catheter, whether a particularly sized catheter will fit within a designated vessel of the patient without violating a user-defined rule setting a maximum percentage of the vessel that may be occupied by the catheter. This in turn ensures that the catheter is properly sized for the vessel in which it is placed, according to user-defined preferences. Though described herein as implemented in connection with an ultrasound imaging system, in other embodiments the system and methods described herein can be included with other devices as well.Type: GrantFiled: July 14, 2017Date of Patent: June 1, 2021Assignee: C. R. Bard, Inc.Inventors: Jeanette E. Southard, Matthew J. Prince, Arthur E. Jaquez, Carr A. Harvey
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Publication number: 20210065857Abstract: A needle-guidance system is disclosed including single-patient equipment, multi-patient equipment, and an RFID reader-writer. The single-patient equipment can include a vascular access device (“VAD”) having a needle and an RFID tag. The RFID tag can be incorporated into the VAD or packaging for the VAD. The console can be configured to automatically start needle tracking for a clinician on an integrated display screen of the console after receiving RFID-tag data from the RFID tag and processing with a processor of the console instructions of needle-tracking software provided by memory of the console for the needle tracking. The RFID reader-writer can be configured to read the RFID-tag data from the RFID tag and write additional RFID-tag data to the RFID tag. The RFID reader-writer can be provided with the packaging for the VAD or the multi-patient equipment. A method of the needle-guidance system is also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 31, 2020Publication date: March 4, 2021Inventors: Jon B. Newman, Sarah L. Creasy, Kenneth W. Sykes, Jeanette E. Southard, Matthew J. Prince, Tab Robbins
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Patent number: 10820885Abstract: An ultrasound imaging device including the ability to determine when a component, such as a removable probe cap, is attached to a portion of an ultrasound probe. Such a cap is employed in one embodiment to act as a spacer component to provide a standoff for the probe head. Detection of probe cap attachment to the ultrasound probe enables the resultant ultrasound image to be adjusted automatically by the ultrasound imaging system. In one embodiment, an ultrasound imaging system comprises an ultrasound probe, a cap or other component that is attachable to the probe, and a component attachment detection system for detecting attachment of the component to the probe. Once the cap is detected, an aspect of an ultrasound image produced by the imaging system is modified, such as cropping the image to remove undesired portions of the cap, such as the spacer component.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2013Date of Patent: November 3, 2020Assignee: C. R. Bard, Inc.Inventors: Benjamin A. Cohen, Jeremy B. Cox, Jeanette E. Southard, Shayne Messerly, Jay A. Muse, Kevin W. Stinger
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Publication number: 20200245971Abstract: An ultrasound probe assembly includes an ultrasound probe, an ultrasound cap, a solid hydrogel component, and a cover. The ultrasound probe can include a probe head and an orientation indicator. The probe head includes an acoustic surface. The ultrasound cap can include an opening defined by an opening perimeter, and a base configured to support a removable needle guide. The base can be aligned with the orientation indicator. The solid hydrogel component can include a probe-contacting side contacting the acoustic surface, a skin-contacting side extending through the opening, and an outer perimeter larger than the opening perimeter. The cover can be configured to cover the hydrogel component and at least a portion of the ultrasound cap.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 21, 2020Publication date: August 6, 2020Inventors: Eric W. Lindekugel, Jeremy B. Cox, Daniel B. Blanchard, Christian W. Crook, Eddie K. Burnside, Jeanette E. Southard, Kevin W. Stinger, Amir Orome
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Publication number: 20200237403Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for tracking medical devices such as needles and catheters. For example, an ultrasound-imaging system is configured to perform a set of operations for accessing a blood vessel, recommending a proper approach angle for approaching the blood vessel with the medical device, recommending a proper insertion angle for inserting the medical device in the blood vessel, ensuring a final placement of a sufficient length of the medical device within the blood vessel, and following, or tracking, a procedure for placing the medical device in the blood vessel. In addition, the ultrasound-imaging system is configured to perform a set of operations for optimizing an ultrasound image about the blood vessel or a targeted location of the blood vessel.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 30, 2020Publication date: July 30, 2020Inventors: Jeanette E. Southard, Matthew J. Prince, Tab Robbins, Tyler L. Durfee
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Patent number: 10639008Abstract: A probe cap for use with an ultrasound probe including a head portion and an acoustic surface is disclosed. In one embodiment, the probe cap includes a body that defines a cavity sized for releasably receiving the head portion of the probe therein. The probe cap body further defines a hole that is proximate the acoustic surface of the head portion. A compliant spacer component is disposed in the hole. The spacer component can include a hydrogel and provides an acoustic path between the acoustic surface and a tissue surface of a patient. The spacer component includes a skin contact surface that defines a concavity and is deformable against the tissue surface. Additional embodiments disclose various probe cap and accompanying needle guide designs for use in assisting a clinician with ultrasound probe use and needle insertion into a patient.Type: GrantFiled: August 9, 2011Date of Patent: May 5, 2020Assignee: C. R. Bard, Inc.Inventors: Eric W. Lindekugel, Jeremy B. Cox, Daniel B. Blanchard, Christian W. Crook, Eddie K. Burnside, Jeanette E. Southard, Kevin W. Stinger, Amir Orome
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Publication number: 20190076121Abstract: An ultrasound probe (“probe”) for use with an ultrasound imaging system is disclosed. In particular, the probe is sized and configured so as to be supported and readily used with as little as one finger on a single hand of a user of the imaging system. This configuration enables remaining fingers on the hand of the user to be employed for other purposes, such as skin traction and patient contact. In one embodiment, therefore, an ultrasound probe is disclosed, comprising a body, a lens included on head portion of the body, a stabilizing portion extending from the body and configured to stabilize the body on a skin surface of a patient without user assistance, and a finger grip portion configured to enable a user of the probe to grasp and maneuver the probe during use thereof with no more than two fingers on a single hand of the user.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 13, 2018Publication date: March 14, 2019Inventors: Jeanette E. Southard, Matthew J. Prince, Tab Robbins, Timothy L. Creamer, Kent F. Beck, Paul T. Westwood, Andrew J. Lengyel
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Publication number: 20180228465Abstract: Systems and methods for assisting the placement of a catheter within the body of a patient through the use of an ultrasound imaging system are disclosed. In particular, the systems and methods described herein enable a clinician to determine, prior to insertion of the medical device, how much of the device will be disposed within the vessel, thus enabling the clinician to choose a catheter with suitable length. In one embodiment, an ultrasound imaging system for assisting with placement of the medical device comprises a console, a probe for producing an image of a target location, and a processor. The processor provides to a user proximity information relating to the anticipated proximity of the medical device to the target location prior to insertion of the medical device. A display is included for depicting the image, target location depth, and the proximity information of the medical device to the target location.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 12, 2018Publication date: August 16, 2018Inventors: Jeanette E. Southard, Jeremy B. Cox, Paul D. Morgan, Shayne Messerly
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Patent number: 9949720Abstract: Systems and methods for assisting the placement of a catheter within the body of a patient through the use of an ultrasound imaging system are disclosed. In particular, the systems and methods described herein enable a clinician to determine, prior to insertion of the medical device, how much of the device will be disposed within the vessel, thus enabling the clinician to choose a catheter with suitable length. In one embodiment, an ultrasound imaging system for assisting with placement of the medical device comprises a console, a probe for producing an image of a target location, and a processor. The processor provides to a user proximity information relating to the anticipated proximity of the medical device to the target location prior to insertion of the medical device. A display is included for depicting the image, target location depth, and the proximity information of the medical device to the target location.Type: GrantFiled: October 19, 2012Date of Patent: April 24, 2018Assignee: C. R. Bard, Inc.Inventors: Jeanette E. Southard, Jeremy B. Cox, Paul D. Morgan, Shayne Messerly
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Publication number: 20180015256Abstract: Systems and methods for assisting the placement of a catheter within a vessel of a patient via an ultrasound imaging system are disclosed. The systems and methods described herein relate to an automatic size comparison tool to enable a clinician to determine, prior to insertion of the catheter, whether a particularly sized catheter will fit within a designated vessel of the patient without violating a user-defined rule setting a maximum percentage of the vessel that may be occupied by the catheter. This in turn ensures that the catheter is properly sized for the vessel in which it is placed, according to user-defined preferences. Though described herein as implemented in connection with an ultrasound imaging system, in other embodiments the system and methods described herein can be included with other devices as well.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 14, 2017Publication date: January 18, 2018Inventors: Jeanette E. Southard, Matthew J. Prince, Arthur E. Jaquez, Carr A. Harvey
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Publication number: 20130338503Abstract: An ultrasound imaging device including the ability to determine when a component, such as a removable probe cap, is attached to a portion of an ultrasound probe. Such a cap is employed in one embodiment to act as a spacer component to provide a standoff for the probe head. Detection of probe cap attachment to the ultrasound probe enables the resultant ultrasound image to be adjusted automatically by the ultrasound imaging system. In one embodiment, an ultrasound imaging system comprises an ultrasound probe, a cap or other component that is attachable to the probe, and a component attachment detection system for detecting attachment of the component to the probe. Once the cap is detected, an aspect of an ultrasound image produced by the imaging system is modified, such as cropping the image to remove undesired portions of the cap, such as the spacer component.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 14, 2013Publication date: December 19, 2013Applicant: C. R. Bard, Inc.Inventors: Benjamin A. Cohen, Jeremy B. Cox, Jeanette E. Southard, Shayne Messerly, Jay A. Muse, Kevin W. Stinger
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Publication number: 20110313293Abstract: A probe cap for use with an ultrasound probe including a head portion and an acoustic surface is disclosed. In one embodiment, the probe cap includes a body that defines a cavity sized for releasably receiving the head portion of the probe therein. The probe cap body further defines a hole that is proximate the acoustic surface of the head portion. A compliant spacer component is disposed in the hole. The spacer component can include a hydrogel and provides an acoustic path between the acoustic surface and a tissue surface of a patient. The spacer component includes a skin contact surface that defines a concavity and is deformable against the tissue surface. Additional embodiments disclose various probe cap and accompanying needle guide designs for use in assisting a clinician with ultrasound probe use and needle insertion into a patient.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 9, 2011Publication date: December 22, 2011Applicant: C. R. Bard, Inc.Inventors: Eric W. Lindekugel, Jeremy B. Cox, Daniel B. Blanchard, Christian W. Crook, Eddie K. Burnside, Jeanette E. Southard, Kevin W. Stinger