Patents by Inventor Louis F. Muller

Louis F. Muller 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: 5260032
    Abstract: A device for use in a centrifuge to automatically prepare microscope slide specimens from samples of body fluids. A centrifuge tube and specimen slide are formed integrally in a unitary device. A lens clearance section is provided as a planar surface to avoid interference between the device and the rotatable lenses of a turret microscope while the device is in viewing position on the microscope stage. The device is constructed to minimize packing of sediment and other constituent elements of the sample at the entrance to the slide member and is so configured as to admit of a step during the centrifuge process which flexes the slide member to enhance the distribution of cells deposited therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1993
    Assignee: Davstar California, Inc.
    Inventor: Louis F. Muller
  • Patent number: 5030421
    Abstract: A generally tubular container integrally formed and communicating with a microscope slide member having an enclosed specimen chamber. The container is adapted to serve as a centrifugation tube and a permanent handle for manipulation of the microscope slide member. The back of the device is generally flat and the front and sides of the collection tube are generally rounded except for a concave region extending longitudinally from the upper face of the microscope slide member to provide clearance for rotating a lens turret for high power viewing of a specimen in the slide chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1991
    Assignee: Davstar Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Louis F. Muller
  • Patent number: 4981654
    Abstract: A unitary centrifuge tube and separable sediment dispenser comprises a generally tubular portion with a conical taper connected by a short tube to a sediment receptacle. The receptacle is designed to be easily separated from the centrifuge tube by twisting the receptacle and centrifuge tube with respect to each other. A short segment of the connecting tube which remains attached to the sediment receptacle allows convenient dispensing of the enclosed sediment by squeezing two opposed walls of the container. A second pair of opposed transverse sidewalls is designed to resist flexing during the separation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1988
    Date of Patent: January 1, 1991
    Assignee: Davstar Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: David H. Kuntz, Louis F. Muller
  • Patent number: 4872465
    Abstract: A light-weight, disposable face shield assembly for the protection of the eyes and face of a wearer from accidental exposure to infections, hazardous or undesirable substances. The shield assembly includes an elongated, generally rectangular, semi-flexible, transparent face protection panel having a central panel section and like side panel sections which are foldable rearwardly with respect to the central panel section and a semi-flexible head support strip for the face protection panel in alignment with the upper portion of such panel. The head support strip has its ends affixed to the ends of the face protection panel and is of a length that is less than the length of such panel. The head support strip also includes a central strip portion and like side strip portions which are foldable rearwardly with respect to the central strip portion with the fold lines of the head support strip lying within the fold lines of the face protection panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1988
    Date of Patent: October 10, 1989
    Inventors: David H. Kuntz, Louis F. Muller
  • Patent number: 4865812
    Abstract: The unitary device includes a generally tubular container having a generally central specimen collection space communicating with the open upper end of the container, and a microscope slide member below and integral with the container and having transparent flat front and rear walls throughout at least a portion thereof, and a central cavity therebetween communicating with the container space through the lower end of the container. The container is adapted to serve as a centrifugation tube and a permanent handle for manipulation of the microscope slide member. The back of the device is generally flat and the front and sides of the collection tube are generally rounded. In one embodiment, the device is of thermoformed plastic and may include a flexible front wall in the microscope slide member, overlaid by a removable flexible support strip attached thereto by spaced ribs of adhesive so that such front wall ripples and flexes during removal of the strip to uniformly mix sediment collected in the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 1987
    Date of Patent: September 12, 1989
    Assignee: Davstar Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: David H. Kuntz, Louis F. Muller
  • Patent number: 4825878
    Abstract: A light-weight, disposable face shield assembly for the protection of the eyes and face of wearers from accidental exposure to infectious, hazardous or undesirable substances. The shield includes a semi-flexible shield frame surrounding a semi-flexible, transparent face protection panel and a semi-flexible head support strip having an operative length less than the length of the upper horizontal frame portion and positioned adjacent the rear side thereof. The support strip is affixed at its ends to the shield assembly proximate the ends of the upper frame portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 2, 1989
    Inventors: David H. Kuntz, Louis F. Muller
  • Patent number: 4753249
    Abstract: A urinometer which prints out a patient record corresponding to the flow rate measurement. One embodiment of the invention comprises a Drake urinometer unit which is modified to generate the patient record automatically. Other embodiments of the invention include components which are fabricated by a vacuum forming process to provide low cost units which are disposable after a single use. One of these embodiments prints out a patient record on photosensitive paper. Another embodiment prints out a patient record on blotting paper. Another embodiment of the invention incorporates a specimen collector and a coupling arrangement whereby the urinometer automatically discards the initially voided urine so that a mid-stream (clean catch) sample can be collected automatically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1987
    Date of Patent: June 28, 1988
    Assignee: Davstar Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Louis F. Muller
  • Patent number: 4569090
    Abstract: An improved device adapted for selectively, inexpensively, sterilely, and rapidly collecting, in a simple manner, the mid-stream portion of urine during voiding. The components of the device are easy and economical to mass manufacture and assemble and are disposable. They comprise an open topped cup which is preferably generally inverted frusto-conical in shape and has a first small opening in the bottom thereof to drain off the initial portion of urine as it is voided. The cup sidewall has a second opening through which extends the neck of a urine collecting bottle, the open head of which is in the cup interior. A resilient plug, preferably of plastic, releasably grips the neck and seals the bottle to the cup, while shielding the bottle head from direct access of urine as it passes into the cup. The plug has a urine passageway extending upwardly therethrough into contact with the bottle head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 1984
    Date of Patent: February 11, 1986
    Assignee: Davstar Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Louis F. Muller
  • Patent number: D307053
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 3, 1990
    Assignee: Davstar Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Louis F. Muller