Patents by Inventor Jeffrey M. Hoffman

Jeffrey M. Hoffman 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: 11963681
    Abstract: A surgical instrument comprises a body, shaft, and end effector. The shaft couples the end effector and body together. The end effector comprises an anvil and lower jaw configured to receive a surgical staple cartridge. The anvil is configured to pivot toward and away from the staple cartridge and lower jaw. The shaft assembly comprises a knife member configured to longitudinally translate to thereby substantially simultaneously cut clamped tissue and staple the severed tissue. The end effector may comprise lockout features configure to prevent longitudinal translation of the knife member. The end effector or staple cartridge may comprise lockout bypass features configured to prevent lockout of the knife member. These lockout bypass features may operate to permit longitudinal translation of the knife member once or multiple times. The end effector may comprise features configured to ensure proper alignment of the anvil relative to the staple cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Cilag GmbH International
    Inventors: Jason M. Rector, Douglas B. Hoffman, Robert J. Simms, John C. Schuckmann, Ryan J. Laurent, Frederick E. Shelton, IV, Jeffrey C. Gagel, Nicholas Fanelli
  • Patent number: 11911003
    Abstract: A computer-assisted surgical system simultaneously provides visible light and alternate modality images that identify tissue or increase the visual salience of features of clinical interest that a surgeon normally uses when performing a surgical intervention using the computer-assisted surgical system. Hyperspectral light from tissue of interest is used to safely and efficiently image that tissue even though the tissue may be obscured in the normal visible image of the surgical field. The combination of visible and hyperspectral images are analyzed to provide details and information concerning the tissue or other bodily function that were not previously available.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Ian E. McDowall, Jeffrey M. DiCarlo, Brian D. Hoffman, William Jason Culman
  • Patent number: 10628554
    Abstract: An electronic image of a paper prescription is received; prescription information is extracted from the image, and a communication is sent to the prescribing physician for approval. If approval is received, delivery of the medication to the patient is approved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: CVS Pharmacy, Inc.
    Inventors: John Robert Hoenick, William A. McKibbin, Jeffrey M. Hoffman, Dustin W. Humphreys
  • Publication number: 20170053094
    Abstract: An electronic image of a paper prescription is received; prescription information is extracted from the image, and a communication is sent to the prescribing physician for approval. If approval is received, delivery of the medication to the patient is approved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2015
    Publication date: February 23, 2017
    Inventors: John Robert Hoenick, William A. McKibbin, Jeffrey M. Hoffman, Dustin W. Humphreys
  • Patent number: 7075696
    Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes a projection system, which includes a plurality of cubic crystalline optical elements that each impart retardance to a beam of radiation. The optical elements are aligned along an optical axis of the projection system and include two adjacent crystalline optical elements having a common crystalline lattice direction oriented along the optical axis. A first of the two adjacent elements is rotated about the optical axis with respect to a second of the adjacent elements with a predetermined rotation angle. The crystalline optical elements are selected and positioned along the optical axis and the rotation angle is selected such that, for each of two substantially perpendicular polarization states of the beam of radiation having a radiation wavelength of about 193 nm, the patterned beam of radiation has less than about 0.012 waves RMS of wavefront aberration across an exit pupil of the projection system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Jeffrey M. Hoffman, James P. McGuire, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7072124
    Abstract: A magnification loupe carried by spectacles has a Galilean lens system comprising a single-element eyepiece lens and a two-element objective lens. The loupes may be mounted to eyeglass frames by a flip-up mounting member, or they may be mounted through the eyeglass lenses of the spectacles. The loupes provide high magnification while minimizing weight to thereby reduce strain and discomfort to users. In an exemplary embodiment, the objective lens has a non-circular shape that provides a wide field of view while further minimizing the weight of the loupe. A correction lens may be interchangeably coupled to the loupe housing to permit selective replacement with another correction lens to vary the working distance of the loupe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Assignee: Kerr Corporation
    Inventors: Brian L. Wilt, Patrick J. Shipley, Jeffrey M. Hoffman, Jasmin Côté
  • Patent number: 7009769
    Abstract: A photolithography tool including an optical system for transmitting a beam of radiation toward a substrate is presented. The optical system includes a plurality of calcium fluoride lens elements, optically transmissive of the beam of radiation, each having respective optical axes and imparting a retardance to the beam. The plurality of calcium fluoride lens elements are aligned along an optical path for propagation of the beam of radiation therethrough. Each of the calcium fluoride lens elements includes a cubic crystalline calcium fluoride that is aligned with its [111] lattice direction, or a lattice direction optically equivalent to the [111] lattice direction, substantially parallel with its optical axis. A first calcium fluoride lens element of the plurality of calcium fluoride lens elements is rotated about its optical axis with respect to a second calcium fluoride lens element. The optical system has less than or about 0.015 waves RMS of wavefront aberration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2006
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Jeffrey M. Hoffman, James P. McGuire
  • Patent number: 6947192
    Abstract: An optical system includes multiple cubic crystalline optical elements aligned along a common optical axis and having their crystal lattices oriented with respect to each other to minimize the effects of intrinsic birefringence and produce a system with reduced retardance. The optical system may be a refractive or catadioptric system having a high numerical aperture and using light with a wavelength at or below 248 nanometers. The net retardance of the system is less than the sum of the retardance contributions of the respective optical elements as the elements are oriented such that the intrinsic birefringences of the individual elements cancel each other out. In one embodiment, two [110] cubic crystalline optical elements are clocked with respect to one another and used in conjunction with a [100] cubic crystalline optical element to reduce retardance. Various birefringent elements, wave plates, and combinations thereof provide additional correction for residual retardance and wavefront aberrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Jeffrey M. Hoffman, James P. McGuire
  • Patent number: 6917458
    Abstract: An optical system includes multiple cubic crystalline optical elements aligned along a common optical axis and having their crystal lattices oriented with respect to each other to minimize the effects of intrinsic birefringence and produce a system with reduced retardance. The optical system may be a refractive or catadioptric system having a high numerical aperture and using light with a wavelength at or below 248 nanometers. The net retardance of the system is less than the sum of the retardance contributions of the respective optical elements as the elements are oriented such that the intrinsic birefringences of the individual elements cancel each other out. In one embodiment, two [110] cubic crystalline optical elements are clocked with respect to one another and used in conjunction with a [100] cubic crystalline optical element to reduce retardance. Various birefringent elements, wave plates, and combinations thereof provide additional correction for residual retardance and wavefront aberrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2005
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Jeffrey M. Hoffman, James P. McGuire
  • Patent number: 6885488
    Abstract: An optical system includes multiple cubic crystalline optical elements aligned along a common optical axis and having their crystal lattices oriented with respect to each other to minimize the effects of intrinsic birefringence and produce a system with reduced retardance. The optical system may be a refractive or catadioptric system having a high numerical aperture and using light with a wavelength at or below 248 nanometers. The net retardance of the system is less than the sum of the retardance contributions of the respective optical elements as the elements are oriented such that the intrinsic birefringences of the individual elements cancel each other out. In one embodiment, two [110] cubic crystalline optical elements are clocked with respect to one another and used in conjunction with a [100] cubic crystalline optical element to reduce retardance. Various birefringent elements, wave plates, and combinations thereof provide additional correction for residual retardance and wavefront aberrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2005
    Assignee: Optical Research Associates
    Inventors: Jeffrey M. Hoffman, James P. McGuire
  • Publication number: 20040263954
    Abstract: A magnification loupe carried by spectacles has a Galilean lens system comprising a single-element eyepiece lens and a two-element objective lens. The loupes may be mounted to eyeglass frames by a flip-up mounting member, or they may be mounted through the eyeglass lenses of the spectacles. The loupes provide high magnification while minimizing weight to thereby reduce strain and discomfort to users. In an exemplary embodiment, the objective lens has a non-circular shape that provides a wide field of view while further minimizing the weight of the loupe. A correction lens may be interchangeably coupled to the loupe housing to permit selective replacement with another correction lens to vary the working distance of the loupe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2003
    Publication date: December 30, 2004
    Applicant: Kerr Corporation
    Inventors: Brian L. Wilt, Patrick J. Shipley, Jeffrey M. Hoffman, Jasmin Cote
  • Publication number: 20040145806
    Abstract: An optical system includes multiple cubic crystalline optical elements aligned along a common optical axis and having their crystal lattices oriented with respect to each other to minimize the effects of intrinsic birefringence and produce a system with reduced retardance. The optical system may be a refractive or catadioptric system having a high numerical aperture and using light with a wavelength at or below 248 nanometers. The net retardance of the system is less than the sum of the retardance contributions of the respective optical elements as the elements are oriented such that the intrinsic birefringences of the individual elements cancel each other out. In one embodiment, two [110] cubic crystalline optical elements are clocked with respect to one another and used in conjunction with a [100] cubic crystalline optical element to reduce retardance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2004
    Publication date: July 29, 2004
    Inventors: Jeffrey M. Hoffman, James P. McGuire
  • Patent number: 6683710
    Abstract: An optical system includes multiple cubic crystalline optical elements aligned along a common optical axis and having their crystal lattices oriented with respect to each other to minimize the effects of intrinsic birefringence and produce a system with reduced retardance. The optical system may be a refractive or catadioptric system having a high numerical aperture and using light with a wavelength at or below 248 nanometers. The net retardance of the system is less than the sum of the retardance contributions of the respective optical elements as the elements are oriented such that the intrinsic birefringences of the individual elements cancel each other out. In one embodiment, two [110] cubic crystalline optical elements are clocked with respect to one another and used in conjunction with a [100] cubic crystalline optical element to reduce retardance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2004
    Assignee: Optical Research Associates
    Inventors: Jeffrey M. Hoffman, James P. McGuire
  • Publication number: 20040001244
    Abstract: An optical system includes multiple cubic crystalline optical elements aligned along a common optical axis and having their crystal lattices oriented with respect to each other to minimize the effects of intrinsic birefringence and produce a system with reduced retardance. The optical system may be a refractive or catadioptric system having a high numerical aperture and using light with a wavelength at or below 248 nanometers. The net retardance of the system is less than the sum of the retardance contributions of the respective optical elements as the elements are oriented such that the intrinsic birefringences of the individual elements cancel each other out. In one embodiment, two [110] cubic crystalline optical elements are clocked with respect to one another and used in conjunction with a [100] cubic crystalline optical element to reduce retardance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2003
    Publication date: January 1, 2004
    Applicant: Optical Research Associates
    Inventors: Jeffrey M. Hoffman, James P. McGuire
  • Publication number: 20030234981
    Abstract: An optical system includes multiple cubic crystalline optical elements aligned along a common optical axis and having their crystal lattices oriented with respect to each other to minimize the effects of intrinsic birefringence and produce a system with reduced retardance. The optical system may be a refractive or catadioptric system having a high numerical aperture and using light with a wavelength at or below 248 nanometers. The net retardance of the system is less than the sum of the retardance contributions of the respective optical elements as the elements are oriented such that the intrinsic birefringences of the individual elements cancel each other out. In one embodiment, two [110] cubic crystalline optical elements are clocked with respect to one another and used in conjunction with a [100] cubic crystalline optical element to reduce retardance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2003
    Publication date: December 25, 2003
    Applicant: Optical Research Associates
    Inventors: Jeffrey M. Hoffman, James P. McGuire
  • Publication number: 20030099047
    Abstract: An optical system includes multiple cubic crystalline optical elements aligned along a common optical axis and having their crystal lattices oriented with respect to each other to minimize the effects of intrinsic birefringence and produce a system with reduced retardance. The optical system may be a refractive or catadioptric system having a high numerical aperture and using light with a wavelength at or below 248 nanometers. The net retardance of the system is less than the sum of the retardance contributions of the respective optical elements as the elements are oriented such that the intrinsic birefringences of the individual elements cancel each other out. In one embodiment, two [110] cubic crystalline optical elements are clocked with respect to one another and used in conjunction with a [100] cubic crystalline optical element to reduce retardance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2002
    Publication date: May 29, 2003
    Inventors: Jeffrey M. Hoffman, James P. McGuire
  • Patent number: 6312134
    Abstract: The invention is a seamless projection lithography system that eliminates the need for masks through the use of a programmable Spatial Light Modulator (SLM) with high parallel processing power. Illuminating the SLM with a radiation source (1), which while preferably a pulsed laser may be a shuttered lamp or multiple lasers with alternating synchronization, provides a patterning image of many pixels via a projection system (4) onto a substrate (5). The preferred SLM is a Deformable Micromirror Device (3) for reflective pixel selection using a synchronized pulse laser. An alternative SLM is a Liquid Crystal Light Valve (LCLV) (45) for pass-through pixel selection. Electronic programming enables pixel selection control for error correction of faulty pixel elements. Pixel selection control also provides for negative and positive imaging and for complementary overlapping polygon development for seamless uniform dosage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2001
    Assignee: Anvik Corporation
    Inventors: Kanti Jain, Thomas J. Dunn, Jeffrey M Hoffman
  • Patent number: 6307682
    Abstract: The present invention provides an illumination system for varying the size of an illumination field incident to a scattering optical element. The illumination field is subsequently imaged to a reticle in a photolithographic process. The illumination system includes, in series along an optical axis of the illumination system, an optical source, a beam conditioner, a first optical integrator, a first or input collimating lens, a zoom array integrator (ZAI), a second or output collimating lens, the optical scattering element, a relay lens, and the reticle. The ZAI includes an assembly of fixed and moveable lens components arranged to vary the size of the illumination field throughout a zoom range of the ZAI while maintaining telecentric illumination at a substantially fixed numerical aperture. Illumination telecentricity and substantially fixed numerical apertures are maintained at both the scattering optical element and the reticle throughout the zoom range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2001
    Assignee: Silicon Valley Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey M. Hoffman, Joseph M. Kunick, Mark Oskotsky, Lev Ryzhikov
  • Patent number: 5710619
    Abstract: In numerous applications of large-area patterning systems, the preferred image magnification is unity. However, in some applications, the size of the substrate may change slightly due to various thermal and/or chemical processing steps. To compensate for scale changes of the substrate, the magnification of the imaging system must vary slightly from unit magnification (typically by a fraction of a percentage) so that a layer already patterned on the substrate will have, after processing, proper image registration with the subsequent layer.This disclosure describes a lithography system for exposing large substrates at high imaging resolution and high exposure throughput, and specifically relates to a scan-and-repeat patterning system that employs a unitary mask-substrate stage and enables projection imaging of a substrate with capability to control the image magnification to compensate for changes of substrate dimensions occurring as a result of previous process steps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1998
    Assignee: Anvik Corporation
    Inventors: Kanti Jain, Jeffrey M. Hoffman
  • Patent number: 5696631
    Abstract: A unit magnification lens system suitable for imaging of features in photoresist designed for exposure at a wavelength of 248.4 nm using a krypton fluoride excimer laser. This lens system is characterized by a very long working distance in the object and image spaces to allow incorporation of minors in the imaging path. The optical system is refractive, telecentric, and symmetrical about the central aperture stop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 9, 1997
    Assignee: Anvik Corporation
    Inventor: Jeffrey M. Hoffman