Patents by Inventor Nick Morrill

Nick Morrill 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: 11895781
    Abstract: A method, system, apparatus, and/or device with a miniaturized impedance sensor. The method, system, apparatus, and/or device may include a substrate with locally non-flexible regions interconnected by a flexible material and a miniaturized impedance sensor disposed on the substrate. The miniaturized impedance sensor may include: an array of electrical contacts; an array of miniaturized electrodes disposed on the array of electrical contacts; and an interstitial filler disposed within the array of miniaturized electrodes. The locally non-flexible regions may correspond to subsets of the array of miniaturized electrodes. The locally non-flexible regions may retain shape as the flexible material changes shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Tula Health, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Davis, Nick Morrill, David Miller
  • Patent number: 11883146
    Abstract: A method, system, apparatus, and/or device to select a depth within a body part to measure an impedance. The method, system, apparatus, and/or device may include: a band configured to extend at least partially around a body part of a user; a user interface coupled to the band; a miniaturized impedance sensor embedded in the band and positioned in the band to be pressed against the body part when the user wears the band, the miniaturized impedance sensor including an array of miniaturized electrodes, where the array of miniaturized electrodes is configured to measure an impedance at a depth within the body part and the depth corresponds to a subdermal feature within the body part; a processing device coupled to the band, where the processing device is configured to select the depth within the body part to measure an impedance; and an electrical circuit embedded in the band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Brigham Young University
    Inventors: Robert Davis, Nick Morrill, David Miller
  • Patent number: 11883199
    Abstract: A method, system, apparatus, and/or device with interdigitated miniaturized electrodes. The method, system, apparatus, and/or device may include: a band configured to extend at least partially around a body part of a user, the body part including a dermal layer; a user interface coupled to the band; a processing device coupled to the band; a miniaturized impedance sensor integrated into the band and positioned in the band to be pressed against the dermal layer, the miniaturized impedance sensor comprising a row of interdigitated miniaturized electrodes alternating between a miniaturized electrode of a first set of miniaturized electrodes and another miniaturized electrode of a second set of miniaturized electrodes; and an electrical circuit embedded in the band interconnecting the user interface, the processing device, or the miniaturized impedance sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Tula Health Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Davis, Nick Morrill, David Miller
  • Patent number: 11877845
    Abstract: A method, system, apparatus, and/or device to determine a condition of a user using a spectrometer with a collimator on a glass substrate. The method, system, apparatus, and/or device may include: a band comprising a shape, size, and flexibility designed for attaching the band to a body part of a user; a light source embedded in the band that emits light comprising a constituent wavelength that provides an indication of a feature of the body part; an optical sensor positioned in the band to receive the constituent wavelength; and a glass substrate oriented in the band to receive the light, the glass substrate comprising: an optical filter that comprises a passband to isolate the constituent wavelength from other wavelengths of the light; and a carbon nanotube grid structure comprising walls and through-channels, the carbon nanotube grid structure adhered to the glass substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: Brigham Young University
    Inventors: Robert Davis, Richard Vanfleet, Nick Morrill, David Miller
  • Patent number: 11771334
    Abstract: A method, system, apparatus, and/or device to align a miniaturized impedance sensor over the muscular-walled tube of a user. The method, system, apparatus, and/or device may include: a band comprising a shape, size, and flexibility designed for attaching the band to a body part of a user, where the body part includes a dermal layer and a muscular-walled tube; a miniaturized impedance sensor embedded in the band and positioned in the band to be pressed against a portion of the body part adjacent to the muscular-walled tube as the user wears the band, where the miniaturized impedance sensor may include two or more miniaturized electrode strips or an array of miniaturized electrode pillars; and an alignment device embedded in the band and configured in the band to align the miniaturized impedance sensor over the muscular-walled tube as the user wears the band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Brigham Young University
    Inventors: Robert Davis, Nick Morrill, David Miller
  • Patent number: 11701023
    Abstract: A method, system, apparatus, and/or device for measuring a physiological condition of a user. The method, system, apparatus, and/or device may include: a band configured to attach to a body part of a user; a housing coupled to the band; a processing device integrated into the band or disposed within the housing; an interface integrated into the band or disposed within the housing; and a miniaturized impedance sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Brigham Young University
    Inventors: Robert Davis, Nick Morrill, David Miller
  • Patent number: 11630316
    Abstract: A method, system, apparatus, and/or device to determine a condition of a user using a miniaturized collimator. The method, system, apparatus, and/or device may include: a carbon nanotube structure comprising a microtube that includes a set of aligned carbon nanotubes infiltrated by carbon and a through-channel, the carbon nanotube structure having a defined height to through-channel width aspect ratio, where: the defined height to through-channel width aspect ratio is based on a defined collimation to diffraction ratio; the set of aligned carbon nanotubes infiltrated by carbon is configured to absorb a first portion of light that travels through the through-channel at a first angle and impinges a side of a first through-channel portion; and the set of aligned carbon nanotubes infiltrated by the carbon is configured to allow a second portion of the light that enters the through-channel at a second angle to pass through the through-channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Brigham Young University
    Inventors: Robert Davis, Richard Vanfleet, Nick Morrill, David Miller
  • Patent number: 11589764
    Abstract: A method, system, apparatus, and/or device to determine a condition of a user using multiple sensors. The method, system, apparatus, and/or device may include: a band configured to extend at least partially around a body part of a user having a subdermal feature within body part; a light configured in the band to emit light into the body part; a miniaturized spectrometer positioned in the band to press against the body part to receive the light, where the miniaturized spectrometer comprises: an optical filter configured to isolate a relevant constituent wavelength of the light; a collimator configured to collimate the light; and an optical sensor configured to detect an intensity of the relevant constituent wavelength; and an impedance sensor integrated into the band and configured to be positioned against a same side of the body part as the miniaturized spectrometer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Brigham Young University
    Inventors: Robert Davis, Richard Vanfleet, Nick Morrill, David Miller
  • Patent number: 11471078
    Abstract: A method, system, apparatus, and/or device to determine a condition of a user using a wearable device with a miniaturized spectrometer. The method, system, apparatus, and/or device may include: a band configured to extend at least partially around a body part of a user, the body part comprising an internal feature within the body part; a light source embedded in the band, where the light source is configured to emit light into the body part as the user wears the band; a collimator; an optical filter; and an optical sensor, where the collimator, optical sensor, or the optical filter are arranged together to form a stack embedded in the band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Brigham Young University
    Inventors: Robert Davis, Richard Vanfleet, Nick Morrill, David Miller
  • Patent number: 11284809
    Abstract: A method, system, apparatus, and/or device to determine a condition of a user based on a heartbeat waveform. The method, system, apparatus, and/or device may include: a miniaturized impedance sensor configured to take a measurement from a muscular-walled tube within a body part of a user, where the miniaturized impedance sensor includes a first set of miniaturized electrodes configured to generate a signal within the muscular-walled tube and a second set of miniaturized electrodes configured to measure the signal; and a processing device programmed to interrogate the muscular-walled tube via the miniaturized impedance sensor. The processing device may be configured to generate the signal by the first set of miniaturized electrodes; measure the signal by the second set of miniaturized electrodes; generate a heartbeat waveform; and determine a condition of the user based on the heartbeat waveform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Inventors: Robert Davis, Nick Morrill, David Miller
  • Patent number: 11019734
    Abstract: A method, system, apparatus, and/or device to creating a set of miniaturized electrode pillars. The method, system, apparatus, and/or device may include patterning a set of miniaturized electrode pillars on a substrate and coating the set of miniaturized electrode pillars with an interstitial filler disposed between the set of miniaturized electrode pillars. The interstitial filler may insulate the set of miniaturized electrode pillars from each other and bolster the set of miniaturized electrode pillars.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Tula Health, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Davis, Nick Morrill, David Miller