Patents by Inventor Michael J. Hofer

Michael J. Hofer 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: 10946422
    Abstract: Many hospitals and medical facilities have a need to safely dispose of their biomedical waste. Onsite processing, particularly with ozone, is often less expensive and safer than off site handling, but many facilities lack the room for conventional ozone equipment with appropriate capacity to meet their needs. Accordingly, the present inventors devised, among other things, an exemplary system that includes, among other features, an shredder, an upwardly inclined auger chamber, and a waste receptacle. The shredder shreds unsterilized waste and feeds into the lower end of the inclined auger chamber. The chamber includes ozone injectors to treat waste as the auger conveys it upward toward an outlet that drops the sterilized waste into the waste receptacle. The incline of the chamber allows for a smaller system footprint with sufficient processing capacity to satisfy the needs of smaller hospitals and clinics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Inventors: Peter A. Jude, Stephen E. Pellegrene, Michael J. Hofer
  • Publication number: 20200316660
    Abstract: Many hospitals and medical facilities have a need to safely dispose of their biomedical waste. Onsite processing, particularly with ozone, is often less expensive and safer than off site handling, but many facilities lack the room for conventional ozone equipment with appropriate capacity to meet their needs. Accordingly, the present inventors devised, among other things, an exemplary system that includes, among other features, an shredder, an upwardly inclined auger chamber, and a waste receptacle. The shredder shreds unsterilized waste and feeds into the lower end of the inclined auger chamber. The chamber includes ozone injectors to treat waste as the auger conveys it upward toward an outlet that drops the sterilized waste into the waste receptacle. The incline of the chamber allows for a smaller system footprint with sufficient processing capacity to satisfy the needs of smaller hospitals and clinics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2018
    Publication date: October 8, 2020
    Inventors: Peter A. Jude, Stephen E. Pellegrene, Michael J. Hofer
  • Publication number: 20150139854
    Abstract: To improve throughput of biomedical waste treatment, the present inventors devised an exemplary ozone-based system including a shredder, a roll-off treatment bin with ozone injectors, an ozone source, and a controller. The controller monitors electric current drawn by the shredder as shredded waste enters the ozone-enriched treatment bin. In response to current falling below a predetermined low level, indicating that a batch of waste has been shredded and loaded into the treatment bin, the controller starts a treatment timer. The timer measures elapsed ozone treatment or exposure time. If additional waste is added to the shredder and a subsequent low-current condition is detected, the controller restarts the treatment timer. Expiration of the timer indicates that the waste in the roll-off bin is sterilized and ready for transport to landfills. The exemplary system provides continuous waste processing and promises to boost throughput by 50% over some conventional ozone-based waste-treatment systems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2014
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventors: Peter A. Jude, Stephen E. Pellegrene, Michael J. Hofer
  • Patent number: 8784746
    Abstract: To improve throughput of biomedical waste treatment, the present inventors devised an exemplary ozone-based system including a shredder, a roll-off treatment bin with ozone injectors, an ozone source, and a controller. The controller monitors electric current drawn by the shredder as shredded waste enters the ozone-enriched treatment bin. In response to current falling below a predetermined low level, indicating that a batch of waste has been shredded and loaded into the treatment bin, the controller starts a treatment timer. The timer measures elapsed ozone treatment or exposure time. If additional waste is added to the shredder and a subsequent low-current condition is detected, the controller restarts the treatment timer. Expiration of the timer indicates that the waste in the roll-off bin is sterilized and ready for transport to landfills. The exemplary system provides continuous waste processing and promises to boost throughput by 50% over some conventional ozone-based waste-treatment systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Inventors: Peter A. Jude, Stephen E. Pellegrene, Michael J. Hofer
  • Patent number: 8652405
    Abstract: To improve throughput of biomedical waste treatment, the present inventors devised an exemplary ozone-based system including a shredder, a roll-off treatment bin with ozone injectors, an ozone source, and a controller. The controller monitors electric current drawn by the shredder as shredded waste enters the ozone-enriched treatment bin. In response to current falling below a predetermined low level, indicating that a batch of waste has been shredded and loaded into the treatment bin, the controller starts a treatment timer. The timer measures elapsed ozone treatment or exposure time. If additional waste is added to the shredder and a subsequent low-current condition is detected, the controller restarts the treatment timer. Expiration of the timer indicates that the waste in the roll-off bin is sterilized and ready for transport to landfills. The exemplary system provides continuous waste processing and promises to boost throughput by 50% over some conventional ozone-based waste-treatment systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Inventors: Peter A. Jude, Stephen E. Pellegrene, Michael J. Hofer
  • Patent number: D419107
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2000
    Assignee: Global Electric Motorcars L.L.C.
    Inventors: Michael J. Hofer, Neil Doty
  • Patent number: D419490
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2000
    Assignee: Global Electric Motorcars, LLC
    Inventors: Michael J. Hofer, Neil Doty