Patents by Inventor Michael L. Hamilton

Michael L. Hamilton 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).

  • Systems and methods for grinding refractory metals and refractory metal alloys
    Patent number: 8708781
    Abstract: A system for grinding surgical needles made of refractory metal alloys such as tungsten-rhenium alloys includes a rotatable grinding wheel having a grinding surface, a layer of a binding material, such as a nickel binding material layer, overlying the grinding surface, and a plurality of abrasive particles, such as ABN600 abrasive particles, embedded within the binding material layer. The abrasive particles are similarly sized and the binding material layer has a thickness that is about 65% of the size of the similarly sized abrasive particles. The system includes a lubricating device adapted to apply a lubricant to an interface between the grinding surface and distal ends of needle blanks and a rotating element coupled with the rotatable wheel for rotating the grinding surface at about 10,000 surface feet per minute.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Ethicon, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael L. Hamilton
  • SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR GRINDING REFRACTORY METALS AND REFRACTORY METAL ALLOYS
    Publication number: 20120142259
    Abstract: A system for grinding surgical needles made of refractory metal alloys such as tungsten-rhenium alloys includes a rotatable grinding wheel having a grinding surface, a layer of a binding material, such as a nickel binding material layer, overlying the grinding surface, and a plurality of abrasive particles, such as ABN600 abrasive particles, embedded within the binding material layer. The abrasive particles are similarly sized and the binding material layer has a thickness that is about 65% of the size of the similarly sized abrasive particles. The system includes a lubricating device adapted to apply a lubricant to an interface between the grinding surface and distal ends of needle blanks and a rotating element coupled with the rotatable wheel for rotating the grinding surface at about 10,000 surface feet per minute.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2010
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: Ethicon, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael L. Hamilton