Patents by Inventor Lance E. Juffer

Lance E. Juffer 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: 8340776
    Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods for selectively activating medical devices are disclosed. A medical device in accordance with an illustrative embodiment includes an energy storage device, an acoustic transducer configured to convert an acoustic signal into an electrical signal, a signal detector configured to generate a trigger signal when the electrical signal exceeds a specific threshold established by a biasing element, a control circuit, and an activation/deactivation switch configured to switch the medical device between an inactive state and an active state in response to the trigger signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers, Inc.
    Inventors: Eyal Doron, Lance E. Juffer, Keith R. Maile, Andrew L. Cable
  • Publication number: 20100317929
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for powering and/or recharging medical devices implanted within the body are described. An illustrative implantable medical device includes a housing having an internal cavity and a flexible anchor assembly that is coupled to the housing. The flexible anchor assembly includes a first electrical conductor, a second electrical conductor, and a piezoelectric layer that is disposed between the first and second electrical conductors and that is configured to displace in response to a physiologic force applied to the flexible anchor assembly and generate a voltage differential between the first and second electrical conductors. The implantable medical device includes power circuitry that converts the voltage differential between the first and second electrical conductors into an operating current for powering one or more components within the implantable medical device and/or for recharging a rechargeable power supply within the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2010
    Publication date: December 16, 2010
    Inventors: Bin Mi, Lance E. Juffer, Keith R. Maile, Abhijeet V. Chavan, Thomas W. Piaget
  • Publication number: 20100317977
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for powering and/or recharging medical devices implanted within the body are described. An illustrative power generation module disposable within the interior space of an implantable medical device includes a module body that defines an interior cavity as well as a flexible diaphragm that spans the interior cavity. The flexible diaphragm includes a first electrical conductor, a piezoelectric layer disposed adjacent to the first electrical conductor, and a second electrical conductor disposed adjacent to the piezoelectric layer. The piezoelectric layer is configured to displace within the interior cavity and generate a voltage differential between the first electrical conductor and the second electrical conductor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2010
    Publication date: December 16, 2010
    Inventors: Thomas W. Piaget, Bin Mi, Lance E. Juffer, Keith R. Maile, Abhijeet V. Chavan, Cheng Zhang
  • Publication number: 20080243210
    Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods for selectively activating medical devices are disclosed. A medical device in accordance with an illustrative embodiment includes an energy storage device, an acoustic transducer configured to convert an acoustic signal into an electrical signal, a signal detector configured to generate a trigger signal when the electrical signal exceeds a specific threshold established by a biasing element, a control circuit, and an activation/deactivation switch configured to switch the medical device between an inactive state and an active state in response to the trigger signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2008
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Inventors: Eyal Doron, Lance E. Juffer, Keith R. Maile, Andrew L. Cable