Patents by Inventor Mark V. Weckwerth

Mark V. Weckwerth 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: 7118563
    Abstract: A dermatological treatment apparatus is disclosed that is cordless and sufficiently compact as to be hand-held. A self-contained housing is configured for gripping by a person's hand for cordless manipulation in a dermatologic treatment procedure. A light source and electrical circuit are contained within the housing. The circuit includes one or more batteries and an electronic control circuit for energizing the light source to produce output light pulses. A light path is within the housing including an aperture through which the output light pulses are propagated out of the housing having properties sufficient for providing efficacious treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignee: SpectraGenics, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark V. Weckwerth, Tobin C. Island, Robert E. Grove
  • Publication number: 20040176823
    Abstract: Disclosed are a method and a dermatological device for treatment of acne that includes an intense violet-blue diode light source and an output window that contacts the skin during the light emission to provide a heat sink for the skin. Another disclosed device configuration and method includes a handheld and cordless device with an intense violet-blue light source and a contact-based heat sink for the skin. A further configuration and method provides a small area illumination and a contact-based heat sink. A still further configuration and method provides a handheld and cordless device having a small area illumination and contact-based heat sink.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2004
    Publication date: September 9, 2004
    Inventors: Tobin C. Island, Robert E. Grove, Mark V. Weckwerth
  • Publication number: 20040176754
    Abstract: A skin contact sensor and method are disclosed in a dermatologic treatment device that includes a skin contacting structure, a treatment source capable of being activated to supply a dermatologic treatment through the skin contacting structure. A plurality of sensors are positioned around a periphery of the skin contacting structure, and control circuitry coupled to the plurality of sensors inhibits activation of the dermatologic treatment device unless contact with a compliant surface is sensed. Another embodiment employs a single sensor which is positioned distal to the skin contacting structure so that a non-compliant surface in contact with the skin contacting structure is unable to activate the single sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2004
    Publication date: September 9, 2004
    Inventors: Tobin C. Island, Mark V. Weckwerth, Robert E. Grove
  • Publication number: 20040176824
    Abstract: Disclosed is a handheld, cordless, self-contained dermatological device for localized repigmentation of skin which includes a housing configured for gripping by a person's hand, a battery in the housing, a source in the housing and which is capable of emitting electromagnetic radiation in a band from 320 nm to 400 mn, a control circuit in the housing, and an aperture in the housing. The aperture is configured, and the control circuit controls the coupling of the battery to the source, so that a fluence of electromagnetic radiation of one-tenth of a minimum erythemic dose (MED) of skin is delivered at the aperture in less than about 10 seconds. Methods for configuring and for using the disclosed apparatus are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2004
    Publication date: September 9, 2004
    Inventors: Mark V. Weckwerth, Robert E. Grove, Tobin C. Island
  • Publication number: 20040167501
    Abstract: A dermatologic hair-regrowth-inhibiting apparatus is disclosed which is cordless and sufficiently compact as to be hand-held. A self-contained housing is configured for gripping by a person's hand for cordless manipulation in a hair-regrowth-inhibiting procedure. A light source and electrical circuit are contained within the housing. The circuit includes one or more batteries for energizing the light source to produce output light pulses. A light path within the housing includes an aperture through which eye-safe light pulses are propagated out of the housing having properties sufficient for at least temporary hair-regrowth inhibition. A diffuser is disposed along the light path to reduce the integrated radiance to an eye-safe level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2004
    Publication date: August 26, 2004
    Inventors: Tobin C. Island, Robert E. Grove, Mark V. Weckwerth
  • Publication number: 20040167500
    Abstract: A dermatological treatment apparatus is disclosed that is cordless and sufficiently compact as to be hand-held. A self-contained housing is configured for gripping by a person's hand for cordless manipulation in a dermatologic treatment procedure. A light source and electrical circuit are contained within the housing. The circuit includes one or more batteries and an electronic control circuit for energizing the light source to produce output light pulses. A light path is within the housing including an aperture through which the output light pulses are propagated out of the housing having properties sufficient for providing efficacious treatment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2004
    Publication date: August 26, 2004
    Inventors: Mark V. Weckwerth, Tobin C. Island, Robert E. Grove
  • Publication number: 20040167502
    Abstract: A sensor for detecting the presence of skin is disclosed, one configuration of which uses multiple light emitting diodes, each of a unique wavelength band, and a broad-band photodetector to measure the remission of light at multiple wavelengths from a material being analyzed. Characteristics of the spectral remission of the material are used to discriminate human skin from materials that are not human skin. Further, an aesthetic medical device utilizing such a sensor in which the device is inhibited from operation if skin has not been detected. The incorporation of a skin sensor improves the safety of devices that emit radiation that otherwise would pose a hazard if not directed onto skin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2004
    Publication date: August 26, 2004
    Inventors: Mark V. Weckwerth, Tobin C. Island, Robert E. Grove
  • Publication number: 20040167592
    Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus and method which employs an energy source, one or more switches, electronic control circuitry, and a surface that can be placed in contact with a region of a person's skin containing a benign pigmented lesion. Within the apparatus, electrical current is passed through a heating element that is thermally coupled to the surface so that this surface is heated rapidly and then is subsequently cooled rapidly. By judicious choice of the rate of heating, maximum temperatures achieved, and rate of cooling, thermal injury to the skin can be confined primarily to the epidermal region of the skin in contact with the surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2004
    Publication date: August 26, 2004
    Inventors: Robert E. Grove, Mark V. Weckwerth, Tobin C. Island
  • Publication number: 20040167499
    Abstract: A dermatologic treatment apparatus is disclosed which includes one or more housings with at least one housing configured for manipulation in a dermatologic treatment procedure, a light source, and an electrical circuit. The circuit energizes the light source to produce output light pulses. A light path includes an aperture through which eye-safe light pulses are propagated having properties sufficient for providing efficacious treatment. An optical diffuser is disposed along the light path to reduce the integrated radiance to an eye-safe level. The apparatus produces an output fluence not less than 4 J/cm2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2004
    Publication date: August 26, 2004
    Inventors: Robert E. Grove, Mark V. Weckwerth, Tobin C. Island
  • Patent number: 6758845
    Abstract: Laser skin treatment apparatus includes a handpiece for delivering laser-radiation pulses from a laser to an area of skin being treated. The area being treated is larger than an area treatable in a single firing of the laser. The larger area is treated by treating adjoining sub-areas within the larger area by repeated firings of the laser. The laser is fired automatically depending on the position of the handpiece in the larger area. Several arrangements for determining the position of the handpiece are disclosed. These include optical detection by the handpiece of indicia drawn on the skin being treated; optical, magnetic, or mechanical detection of indicia on a separate guide for the handpiece or on a roller attached to the handpiece; and detection by determining time of travel of signals from a transponder in the handpiece to a fixed reference plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: Lumenis Inc.
    Inventors: Mark V. Weckwerth, John P. Beale, James Z. Holtz, Robert E. Grove
  • Patent number: 6110393
    Abstract: A class of epoxy bond and stop etch (EBASE) microelectronic fabrication techniques is disclosed. The essence of such techniques is to grow circuit components on top of a stop etch layer grown on a first substrate. The first substrate and a host substrate are then bonded together so that the circuit components are attached to the host substrate by the bonding agent. The first substrate is then removed, e.g., by a chemical or physical etching process to which the stop etch layer is resistant. EBASE fabrication methods allow access to regions of a device structure which are usually blocked by the presence of a substrate, and are of particular utility in the fabrication of ultrafast electronic and optoelectronic devices and circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2000
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventors: Jerry A. Simmons, Mark V. Weckwerth, Wes E. Baca
  • Patent number: 5825049
    Abstract: A double electron layer tunneling device is presented. Electrons tunnel from a two dimensional emitter layer to a two dimensional tunneling layer and continue traveling to a collector at a lower voltage. The emitter layer is interrupted by an isolation etch, a depletion gate, or an ion implant to prevent electrons from traveling from the source along the emitter to the drain. The collector is similarly interrupted by a backgate, an isolation etch, or an ion implant. When the device is used as a transistor, a control gate is added to control the allowed energy states of the emitter layer. The tunnel gate may be recessed to change the operating range of the device and allow for integrated complementary devices. Methods of forming the device are also set forth, utilizing epoxy-bond and stop etch (EBASE), pre-growth implantation of the backgate or post-growth implantation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1998
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventors: Jerry A. Simmons, Marc E. Sherwin, Timothy J. Drummond, Mark V. Weckwerth
  • Patent number: 5626526
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a golf training device capable of forming a two-dimensional, single planar and total symmetrical optical sensor net for detecting movement of a golf ball. The device comprises a square frame which has a signal producing means holding part on the first horizontal and the first vertical sides of the frame and a signal detecting means holding part on the second horizontal and the second vertical sides of the frame. On the signal producing means holding part, a light signal producing means including a light signal emitting means is installed to generate a two-dimensional, single planar optical path net. A light signal detecting means is spatially arranged in the opposite sides of the frame in accordance with the light emitting means to form a totally symmetrical optical sensor net for detecting the light signals from the light signal producing means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 6, 1997
    Inventors: Yi-Ching Pao, Mark V. Weckwerth
  • Patent number: D535746
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: SpectraGenics, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert E. Grove, Tobin C. Island, Mark V. Weckwerth, Neil Goldberg, Steven Nersesian