Patents by Inventor L. Allan Butler

L. Allan Butler 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: 5818592
    Abstract: A non-contact optical method and apparatus for use in inspecting and measuring defects on a disk. The apparatus generates an interference pattern from a reference beam reflected from a surface of a transparent slider with a second beam reflected from a surface of a test disk. The resulting interference pattern is processed by a set of photodetectors and processing electronics to quantify and map the location and magnitude of asperities on the disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1998
    Assignee: Phase Metrics, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth Womack, L. Allan Butler, Michael Wahl
  • Patent number: 5781299
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for optically measuring the air gap between a transparent glass disk and an air bearing slider without separately measuring the real index of refraction n and extinction coefficient k of the slider using an external ellipsometer. The phase offset required to compute the air gap is computed from a measurement of the air slider reflectivity and from an empirically derived equation that correlates the index of refraction with the reflectance of the slider. The apparatus includes a light source for directing a light beam through the transparent member and air gap, and onto the reflective slider. The light reflects off of the slider and the transparent member to create an interference pattern. The reflected light is detected by a photodetector that is coupled to a computer. The slider reflectivity r is found from the reflected light. An empirically derived linear equation which correlates the real part (n) of the slider refractive index to reflectivity (r) is next used to estimate n from r.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1998
    Assignee: Phase Metrics
    Inventors: Kenneth H. Womack, L. Allan Butler
  • Patent number: 5080099
    Abstract: An electrode having multiple conductive polymer pads for performing multiple, electrical physiological functions from a single set of electrodes with respect to a patient at or about the same time, such as defibrillating, pacing, and monitoring of that patient's heart, is described. The electrode is advantageously integrated into a cardiac system having stimulating means coupled to the electrode for delivering electrical impulses to the electrode to be used to stimulate the patient's heart, and monitoring means also coupled to the electrode for receiving and displaying electrical impulses produced by the patient's heart. The conductive polymers which comprise the pads are optionally inherently adhesive, so that the pads will adhere to a patient's body over their entire surface area. Moreover, they are rubber-based, will not smear or leave a residue on a patient's skin, have lower impedance, and depolarize faster compared with present saline-based gels, further contributing to the multi-functional capability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 14, 1992
    Assignee: Cardiotronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Tim J. Way, L. Allan Butler
  • Patent number: 4955381
    Abstract: An electrode having multiple conductive polymer pads for performing multiple, electrical physiological functions from a single set of electrodes with respect to a patient at or about the same time, such as defibrillating, pacing, and monitoring of that patient's heart, is described. The electrode is advantageously integrated into a cardiac system having stimulating means coupled to the electrode for delivering electrical impulses to the electrode to be used to stimulate the patient's heart, and monitoring means also coupled to the electrode for receiving and displaying electrical impulses produced by the patient's heart.The conductive polymers which comprise the pads are optionally inherently adhesive, so that the pads will adhere to a patient's body over their entire surface area. Moveover, they are rubber-based, will not smear or leave a residue on a patient's skin, have lower impedance, and depolarize faster compared with present saline-based gels, further contributing to the multi-functional capability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 11, 1990
    Assignee: Cardiotronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Tim J. Way, L. Allan Butler