Patents by Inventor John E. Hein
John E. Hein 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: 10263171Abstract: A method for determining motional branch current in an ultrasonic transducer of an ultrasonic surgical device over multiple frequencies of a transducer drive signal. The method may comprise, at each of a plurality of frequencies of the transducer drive signal, oversampling a current and voltage of the transducer drive signal, receiving, by a processor, the current and voltage samples, and determining, by the processor, the motional branch current based on the current and voltage samples, a static capacitance of the ultrasonic transducer and the frequency of the transducer drive signal.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2015Date of Patent: April 16, 2019Assignee: Ethicon LLCInventors: Eitan T. Wiener, Jeffrey L. Aldridge, Brian T. Noyes, James R. Giordano, Robert J. Beetel, III, Nathan J. Price, Matthew C. Miller, Jeffrey P. Wiley, Daniel W. Price, Robert L. Koch, Jr., Joseph A. Brotz, John E. Hein
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Patent number: 10201382Abstract: A surgical generator is disclosed including an ultrasonic generator module to provide at an ultrasonic drive signal for driving an ultrasonic surgical device and an electrosurgical generator module to provice an electrosurgical drive signal for driving an electrosurgical device. At least one of providing the ultrasonic drive signal or providing the electrosurgical drive signal includes recalling a waveform sample from a look-up table (LUT), modifying the waveform sample to generate a modified waveform based on voltage and current feedback information to pre-distort the waveform sample on a dynamic ongoing basis, indexing each stored voltage and current feedback data pair based on a corresponding LUT sample that was output when the voltage and current feedback data pair was acquired, synchronizing the LUT sample and the voltage and current feedback data pair to correct timing and stability of the pre-distorted waveform sample, and providing the modified waveform to an output stage.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2015Date of Patent: February 12, 2019Assignee: Ethicon LLCInventors: Eitan T. Wiener, Jeffrey L. Aldridge, Brian T. Noyes, Jeffrey D. Messerly, James R. Giordano, Robert J. Beetel, III, Nathan J. Price, Matthew C. Miller, Jeffrey P. Wiley, Daniel W. Price, Robert L. Koch, Joseph A. Brotz, John E. Hein
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Publication number: 20180168714Abstract: A method for determining motional branch current in an ultrasonic transducer of an ultrasonic surgical device over multiple frequencies of a transducer drive signal. The method may comprise, at each of a plurality of frequencies of the transducer drive signal, oversampling a current and voltage of the transducer drive signal, receiving, by a processor, the current and voltage samples, and determining, by the processor, the motional branch current based on the current and voltage samples, a static capacitance of the ultrasonic transducer and the frequency of the transducer drive signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 13, 2015Publication date: June 21, 2018Inventors: Eitan T. Wiener, Jeffrey L. Aldridge, Brian T. Noyes, Jeffrey D. Messerly, James R. Giordano, Robert J. Beetel, III, Nathan J. Price, Matthew C. Miller, Jeffrey P. Wiley, Daniel W. Price, Robert L. Koch, Joseph A. Brotz, John E. Hein
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Publication number: 20180116706Abstract: A method for determining motional branch current in an ultrasonic transducer of an ultrasonic surgical device over multiple frequencies of a transducer drive signal. The method may comprise, at each of a plurality of frequencies of the transducer drive signal, oversampling a current and voltage of the transducer drive signal, receiving, by a processor, the current and voltage samples, and determining, by the processor, the motional branch current based on the current and voltage samples, a static capacitance of the ultrasonic transducer and the frequency of the transducer drive signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 13, 2015Publication date: May 3, 2018Inventors: Eitan T. Wiener, Jeffrey L. Aldridge, Brian T. Noyes, James R. Giordano, Robert J. Beetel, III, Nathan J. Price, Matthew C. Miller, Jeffrey P. Wiley, Daniel W. Price, Robert L. Koch, Jr., Joseph A. Brotz, John E. Hein
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Publication number: 20170086908Abstract: Provided is an apparatus, system, and method for managing radio frequency (RF) and ultrasonic signals output by a generator that includes a surgical instrument comprising an RF energy output and an ultrasonic energy output and a circuit configured to receive a combined RF and ultrasonic signal from the generator, where the circuit may be configured to filter frequency content of the combined signal and is configured to provide a first filtered signal to the RF energy output and a second filtered signal to the ultrasonic energy output or the circuit may be configured to switch between outputs of the surgical instrument.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 7, 2016Publication date: March 30, 2017Inventors: Eitan T. Wiener, David C. Yates, John E. Hein
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Publication number: 20170086911Abstract: Provided is an apparatus, system, and method for managing radio frequency (RF) and ultrasonic signals output by a generator that includes a surgical instrument comprising an RF energy output and an ultrasonic energy output and a circuit configured to receive a combined RF and ultrasonic signal from the generator. The circuit may be configured to isolate a direct current (DC) voltage from the combined RF and ultrasonic signal. The DC voltage may then be used to power various electrical components of the surgical instrument while still providing RF energy and ultrasonic energy for surgical application.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 7, 2016Publication date: March 30, 2017Inventors: Eitan T. Wiener, David C. Yates, John E. Hein
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Publication number: 20170086910Abstract: Provided is a method for managing radio frequency (RF) and ultrasonic signals output by a generator that includes a surgical instrument comprising an RF energy output and an ultrasonic energy output and a circuit configured to receive a combined RF and ultrasonic signal from the generator. The method includes receiving a combined radio frequency (RF) and ultrasonic signal from a generator, generating a RF filtered signal by filtering RF frequency content from the combined signal; filtering ultrasonic frequency content from the combined signal; generating an ultrasonic filtered signal; providing the RF filtered signal to the RF energy output; and providing the ultrasonic filtered signal to the ultrasonic energy output.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 14, 2016Publication date: March 30, 2017Inventors: Eitan T. Wiener, David C. Yates, Ryan M. Asher, John A. Hibner, John E. Hein
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Publication number: 20150340586Abstract: A method for controlling a waveform shape of a motional branch current in an ultrasonic transducer of a surgical device. The method may comprise generating a transducer drive signal by selectively recalling, using a direct digital synthesis (DDS) algorithm, drive signal waveform samples stored in a look-up table (LUT), generating samples of current and voltage of the transducer drive signal when the transducer drive signal is communicated to the surgical device, determining samples of the motional branch current based on the current and voltage samples, a static capacitance of the ultrasonic transducer and a frequency of the transducer drive signal, comparing each sample of the motional branch current to a respective target sample of a target waveform to determine an error amplitude, and modifying the drive signal waveform samples stored in the LUT such that an amplitude error between subsequent samples of the motional branch current and respective target samples is reduced.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 18, 2015Publication date: November 26, 2015Inventors: Eitan T. Wiener, Jeffrey L. Aldridge, James R. Giordano, Foster B. Stulen, Joseph A. Brotz, John E. Hein
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Publication number: 20150182277Abstract: A method for determining motional branch current in an ultrasonic transducer of an ultrasonic surgical device over multiple frequencies of a transducer drive signal. The method may comprise, at each of a plurality of frequencies of the transducer drive signal, oversampling a current and voltage of the transducer drive signal, receiving, by a processor, the current and voltage samples, and determining, by the processor, the motional branch current based on the current and voltage samples, a static capacitance of the ultrasonic transducer and the frequency of the transducer drive signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 13, 2015Publication date: July 2, 2015Inventors: Eitan T. Wiener, Jeffrey L. Aldridge, Brian T. Noyes, Jeffrey D. Messerly, James R. Giordano, Robert J. Beetel, III, Nathan J. Price, Foster B. Stulen, Matthew C. Miller, Jeffrey P. Wiley, Daniel W. Price, Robert L. Koch, Jr., Joseph A. Brotz, John E. Hein
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Publication number: 20150182276Abstract: A method for determining motional branch current in an ultrasonic transducer of an ultrasonic surgical device over multiple frequencies of a transducer drive signal. The method may comprise, at each of a plurality of frequencies of the transducer drive signal, oversampling a current and voltage of the transducer drive signal, receiving, by a processor, the current and voltage samples, and determining, by the processor, the motional branch current based on the current and voltage samples, a static capacitance of the ultrasonic transducer and the frequency of the transducer drive signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 13, 2015Publication date: July 2, 2015Inventors: Eitan T. Wiener, Jeffrey L. Aldridge, Brian T. Noyes, Jeffrey D. Messerly, James R. Giordano, Robert J. Beetel, III, Nathan J. Price, Foster B. Stulen, Matthew C. Miller, Jeffrey P. Wiley, Daniel W. Price, Robert L. Koch, JR., Joseph A. Brotz, John E. Hein
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Patent number: 9060775Abstract: A method for determining motional branch current in an ultrasonic transducer of an ultrasonic surgical device over multiple frequencies of a transducer drive signal. The method may comprise, at each of a plurality of frequencies of the transducer drive signal, oversampling a current and voltage of the transducer drive signal, receiving, by a processor, the current and voltage samples, and determining, by the processor, the motional branch current based on the current and voltage samples, a static capacitance of the ultrasonic transducer and the frequency of the transducer drive signal.Type: GrantFiled: October 1, 2010Date of Patent: June 23, 2015Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.Inventors: Eitan T. Wiener, Jeffrey L. Aldridge, James R. Giordano, Foster B. Stulen, Joseph A. Brotz, John E. Hein
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Publication number: 20110087256Abstract: A method for determining motional branch current in an ultrasonic transducer of an ultrasonic surgical device over multiple frequencies of a transducer drive signal. The method may comprise, at each of a plurality of frequencies of the transducer drive signal, oversampling a current and voltage of the transducer drive signal, receiving, by a processor, the current and voltage samples, and determining, by the processor, the motional branch current based on the current and voltage samples, a static capacitance of the ultrasonic transducer and the frequency of the transducer drive signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 1, 2010Publication date: April 14, 2011Applicant: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.Inventors: Eitan T. Wiener, Jeffrey L. Aldridge, James R. Giordano, Foster B. Stulen, Joseph A. Brotz, John E. Hein
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Patent number: 7179271Abstract: The ability of an ultrasonic system to sweep and lock onto a resonance frequency of a blade subjected to a heavy load at startup is improved by applying a high drive voltage or a high drive current while systematically increasing the level of the applied signal. Increasing the drive signal to the hand piece results in an improved and more pronounced “impedance spectrum.” That is, under load, the increased drive signal causes the maximum phase margin to become higher and the minimum/maximum impedance magnitude to become more pronounced. Increasing the excitation drive signal to the hand piece/blade at startup significantly alleviates the limiting factors associated with ultrasonic generators, which results in an increase of the maximum load capability at startup.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2002Date of Patent: February 20, 2007Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, IncInventors: Allan L. Friedman, William T. Donofrio, Eitan T. Wiener, Joseph A. Brotz, John E. Hein
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Patent number: 6898536Abstract: The start up performance of an ultrasonic system under zero load conditions is improved by setting a phase set point in a frequency control loop such that, at start up under zero load conditions, the phase set point intersects a point on a phase-frequency response curve which has a low positive slope. This intersection point on the phase-frequency response curve changes as the load is increased and the system Q is decreased. The controller “seeks” a target 0° impedance phase angle. The frequency of the ultrasonic generator is set to an off-resonance frequency which is lower than the resonance of any known hand piece/blade combination. In order for the drive voltage to not exceed the physical limit of the system, the drive current is set to a low level. The drive frequency is then smoothly increased in steps until the target 0° impedance phase delta is located.Type: GrantFiled: September 4, 2002Date of Patent: May 24, 2005Assignee: Etchicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.Inventors: Eitan T. Wiener, Joseph A. Brotz, John E. Hein
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Publication number: 20030130678Abstract: The ability of an ultrasonic system to sweep and lock onto a resonance frequency of a blade subjected to a heavy load at startup is improved by applying a high drive voltage or a high drive current while systematically increasing the level of the applied signal. Increasing the drive signal to the hand piece results in an improved and more pronounced “impedance spectrum.” That is, under load, the increased drive signal causes the maximum phase margin to become higher and the minimum/maximum impedance magnitude to become more pronounced. Increasing the excitation drive signal to the hand piece/blade at startup significantly alleviates the limiting factors associated with ultrasonic generators, which results in an increase of the maximum load capability at startup.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 20, 2002Publication date: July 10, 2003Applicant: Ethicon-Endo Surgery, Inc.Inventors: Allan L. Friedman, William T. Donofrio, Eitan T. Wiener, Joseph A. Brotz, John E. Hein
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Publication number: 20030009303Abstract: The start up performance of an ultrasonic system under zero load conditions is improved by setting a phase set point in a frequency control loop such that, at start up under zero load conditions, the phase set point intersects a point on a phase-frequency response curve which has a low positive slope. This intersection point on the phase-frequency response curve changes as the load is increased and the system Q is decreased. The controller “seeks” a target 0° impedance phase angle. The frequency of the ultrasonic generator is set to an off-resonance frequency which is lower than the resonance of any known hand piece/blade combination. In order for the drive voltage to not exceed the physical limit of the system, the drive current is set to a low level. The drive frequency is then smoothly increased in steps until the target 0° impedance phase delta is located.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 4, 2002Publication date: January 9, 2003Applicant: Ethicon Endo-SurgeryInventors: Eitan T. Wiener, Joseph A. Brotz, John E. Hein