Patents by Inventor Paul Alexander

Paul Alexander 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: 10682133
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a combination suture passer and grasper instrument having a needle which can deliver a suture to a repair site, and then use deformable wire arms to capture the suture and drag it into a hollow interior of the needle, thus eliminating the need for two separate instruments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: Smith & Nephew, Inc.
    Inventor: Paul Alexander Torrie
  • Publication number: 20200165103
    Abstract: The invention describes a method of ensuring the integrity of a stairlift installation constructed from re-used components. Data representative of the form of a stairlift rail is stored in a control facility included in the stairlift carriage and then compared with data sensed in real time. A stairlift carriage may be disabled in the event sensed data varies from stored data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Inventors: Nigel Titchener, Paul Alexander Cook
  • Patent number: 10660632
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a cannula. The cannula includes a shaft having a distal end and a proximal end and a handle coupled to the proximal end of the shaft. The distal end of the shaft includes a tip having a spherical radius.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Smith & Nephew, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Alexander Torrie, Victor Manuel Ilizaliturri
  • Patent number: 10653401
    Abstract: A medical device for repairing soft tissue is disclosed. The medical device includes a cannulated probe positionable a tear in the soft tissue and a stop. The cannulated probe has an inlet about a proximal end and at least one outlet about a distal end with a lumen therethrough. The inlet is operatively connectable to an adhesive source to receive the adhesive therein. The outlet(s) is/are positionable about the tear to emit the adhesive about the tear. The stop is disposable about a periphery of the probe a distance from the inlet, and is positionable adjacent a surface of the soft tissue to terminate advancement of the cannulated probe into the soft tissue whereby a delivery portion of the cannulated probe is positionable about the soft tissue to deliver the adhesive about the tear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Smith & Nephew, Inc.
    Inventors: Steve Bowman, Ruth Cheng, Graham Smith, Paul Alexander Torrie
  • Publication number: 20200143020
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for cognitive user identification recommendation. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for cognitive user identification recommendation includes monitoring typing patterns of an end user as the end user enters data in different fields of different applications of a computing device having a device type and categorizing each of the fields and applications according to field type and application type. The method further includes generating a data structure mapping the user typing patterns to each type of field and application to model user input behavior of the end user. The method also includes transmitting the data structure to a requesting application for prompting the end user to provide a particular type of password mapped to the modeled user input and consistent with a field type of the password and a type of requesting application.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2018
    Publication date: May 7, 2020
    Inventors: Hernan Cunico, Paul Alexander Frank, Martin Keen, Richard D. Johnson
  • Patent number: 10639046
    Abstract: A system and method for harvesting autologous tissue, mincing it into fragments that are visible and measurable when filtered, and delivering a portion of the tissue back into the patient without the need to directly touch the tissue. During the same surgical procedure, the tissue can be mixed with a biocompatible agent before introduction into the repair site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Smith & Nephew, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Alexander Torrie, Kenneth W. Krause
  • Patent number: 10610427
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a military stretcher system. The system includes a military hand-carried stretcher. An adaptor is provided for adapting the stretcher to fasten to a military transportation stretcher holder, typically used on vessels and in vehicles and in aircraft. Advantageously, the adaptor may adapt the stretcher to fasten to the holder (e.g. a racking system) conventionally used to hold a known NATO type stretcher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: AERO MEDICAL ENGINEERING PTY LTD
    Inventors: Brian MacDonald, Dijon Johnson, Jason Stephenson, Michael Hinchy, Glenn McKay, Paul Alexander Ceprnich, Kirby James Nankivell, Jack Nelson Beet
  • Patent number: 10606943
    Abstract: An approach is provided in which a fault-injecting system injects a natural language fault into a first text segment to produce a second text segment that are both written in a natural language. The fault-injecting system receives a third text segment from a reviewer that includes at least one correction to the second text segment. The fault-injecting system compares the third text segment against the first text segment and generates an efficacy score. The efficacy score indicates whether the correction in the third text segment corrects the natural language fault. In turn, the fault-injecting system sends the efficacy score to an author of the first text segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Hernan A. Cunico, Paul Alexander Raphael Frank, Martin G. Keen, Adam J. Smye-Rumsby
  • Patent number: 10580153
    Abstract: An optical navigation system comprising a camera oriented to face towards a plurality of markers located at spaced apart locations from the camera, calculating means adapted to calculate an angle subtended between pairs of markers, the subtended angles being calculated by monitoring the pixel locations of the markers in a series of images captured by the camera, the optical navigation system additionally comprising means for creating a three-dimensional model whereby the location of the camera relative to the markers is determined by triangulating the subtended angles in the three-dimensional model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: MO-SYS ENGINEERING LIMITED
    Inventors: Michael Paul Alexander Geissler, Martin Peter Parsley
  • Patent number: 10580906
    Abstract: A semiconductor device comprising a pn junction diode and a method of making the same. The device includes a semiconductor substrate having a first conductivity type. The device also includes a buried oxide layer located in the substrate. The device further includes a semiconductor region having a second conductivity type extending beneath the buried oxide layer to form a pn junction with a semiconductor region having the first conductivity type. The pn junction is located beneath the buried oxide layer and extends substantially orthogonally with respect to a major surface of the substrate. The device also includes a field plate electrode comprising a semiconductor region located above the buried oxide layer for modifying an electric field at the pn junction by application of a potential to the field plate electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Viet Thanh Dinh, Marina Vroubel, Paul Alexander Grudowski
  • Publication number: 20200033298
    Abstract: A system for translating a sample plate over a fixed ultrasound transducer includes a sample plate holder holding a sample plate containing samples to be sonicated. A first actuator translates the sample plate linearly across a non-uniform ultrasound energy field output from a fixed ultrasound transducer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2019
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Inventors: Paul Alexander Dayton, Samantha Gail Pattenden, Marjan Mehrab Mohseni, Sandeep Kasoji, Kazuya James Tsunuta, Eric Nathan Marlkey
  • Patent number: 10541732
    Abstract: A process for cooperative aerial inter-antenna beamforming for communication between (a) multiple moving platforms, each platform having an aerial antenna mounted thereon, such that the aerial antennas have variable positions and orientations over time, and (b) at least one user antenna mounted on user equipment having a lower altitude than the aerial antennas; the process involving a first beamforming operation which beamforming operation involves; transmitting data relating to the positions and orientations of the aerial antennas to a processing system, the processing system calculating and transmitting beamforming instructions to the aerial antennas, the aerial antennas thereby transmitting or receiving respective component signals for each user antenna, the component signals for each user antenna having essentially the same information content but differing in their phase and usually amplitude, so as to form a cooperative beam from the cooperative sum of the signals between the aerial antennas and the use
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: Stratospheric Platforms Limited
    Inventors: Paul Alexander, Peter Davidson, Andrew Faulkner
  • Patent number: 10531892
    Abstract: The disclosure provides examples of a surgical needle for entering a joint space through tissue, such as the hip joint. The surgical needle includes a stylet movable within a hollow body. The hollow body has at one end, a tip of a bevel for cutting tissue and at another end, a feedback member providing a surgeon with tactile feedback. The stylet has at one end, a resistance reducing member that when positioned a preset distance from the bevel reduces the resistance of the surgical needle through tissue. At the other end of the stylet is a stylet hub. In some examples of the surgical needle, the stylet hub includes a proximal stop, stylet locking member and/or locking member. The surgical needle advantageously provides tactile feedback, reduces resistance, and minimizes or prevents damage to delicate structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: Smith & Nephew, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Alexander Torrie, Jennifer Stambek
  • Patent number: 10530429
    Abstract: A process for cooperative aerial inter-antenna beamforming for communication between (a) multiple moving platforms, each platform having an aerial antenna mounted thereon, such that the aerial antennas have variable positions and orientations over time, and (b) at least one antenna mounted on user equipment having a lower altitude than the aerial antennas; the process involving transmitting data relating to the positions and orientations of the aerial antennas to a processing system, the processing system calculating and transmitting beamforming instructions to the aerial antennas, the aerial antennas thereby transmitting or receiving respective component signals for each user antenna, the component signals for each user antenna having essentially the same information content but differing in their phase and usually amplitude, so as to form a cooperative beam from the cooperative sum of the signals between the aerial antennas and the user antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: Stratospheric Platforms Limited
    Inventors: Paul Alexander, Peter Davidson, Andrew Faulkner
  • Patent number: 10530445
    Abstract: A process for cooperative aerial inter-antenna beamforming for communication between (a) multiple moving platforms, each platform having an aerial antenna mounted thereon, such that one or more aerial antennas have variable positions and orientations over time, and (b) first and second antennas connected to user equipment having a lower altitude than the aerial antennas; the process involving transmitting data relating to the positions and orientations of the aerial antennas to a processing system, the processing system calculating and transmitting beamforming instructions to the aerial antennas, the aerial antennas thereby transmitting or receiving respective first component signals for the first user antenna, and transmitting or receiving respective second component signals for the second user antenna, the first component signals each having essentially the same information content but differing in their phase and usually amplitude, the second component signals each having essentially the same information c
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: Stratospheric Platforms Limited
    Inventors: Paul Alexander, Peter Davidson, Andrew Faulkner
  • Publication number: 20200007916
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for streaming multimedia data includes receiving a request to stream, by a first computing device, a first multimedia data file stored on a second computing device. The computer-implemented method further includes determining a first recommendation to skip viewing of a first logical segment included in the multimedia data file, wherein the first recommendation is based, at least in part, on analyzing a set of user insight information corresponding to a first classification associated with the first logical segment. The computer-implemented method further includes determining that a first confidence score associated with the first recommendation is below a predetermined threshold level. The computer-implemented method further includes providing, in response to determining that the first confidence score is below the predetermined threshold level, the first recommendation to a user while streaming the first multimedia data file via the first computing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2018
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Inventors: Martin G. Keen, Hernan A. Cunico, Paul Alexander Raphael Frank, Richard D. Johnson
  • Patent number: 10521732
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable media can obtain a plurality of content items that are available to be presented in a content feed of a first user, wherein each content item has a corresponding lifespan that indicates when the content item expires and is no longer available for presentation. A content feed having at least a first content item from the plurality of content items can be provided to a computing device of the first user. A determination can be made that at least one second user has provided feedback for the first content item, the feedback indicating an up-vote or a down-vote of the first content item. The lifespan of the first content item can be adjusted based at least in part on the feedback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Adrien Thomas Friggeri, Brady John Brayley Voss, James Glessal Pearce, Spencer G. Ahrens, Ismail Onur Filiz, Paul Alexander Dow, James Dylan Karraker
  • Patent number: 10519002
    Abstract: The invention provides a method and apparatus for controlling the speed of a stairlift (10). The speed of rotation of the carriage (12), whilst traversing bends in the rail (11), is monitored and the speed of the carriage drive motor (13) then controlled in reaction to the speed of rotation. A 3-axis gyroscope (31) is preferably used to monitor the speeds of rotation of the carriage (12) and the outputs from this gyroscope (31) may be processed to provide different degrees of speed control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Stannah Stairlifts Limited
    Inventors: Paul Alexander Cook, Gavin Scott Pugh
  • Publication number: 20190385134
    Abstract: Computer-implemented sending of notifications is disclosed and includes identifying, using natural language understanding and natural language classification, auto-renewing subscription service(s) associated with a user based on content of computing device(s) associated with the user and internet-available sources, the identifying resulting in identified auto-renewing subscription service(s).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2018
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Inventors: Martin G. KEEN, Adam SMYE-RUMSBY, Hernan A. CUNICO, Paul Alexander Raphael FRANK
  • Patent number: 10493038
    Abstract: An acoustically activatable particle of material includes a first substance that includes a component that is a gas 25° C. and atmospheric pressure. A second substance, different from the first substance, encapsulates the first substance to create a droplet or emulsion that is stable at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. At least some of the first substance exists in a gaseous phase at the time of encapsulation of the first substance within the second substance to form a bubble. After formation of the bubble, the bubble is condensed into a liquid phase, which causes the bubble to transform into the droplet or emulsion having a core consisting of a liquid. The droplet or emulsion is an activatable phase change agent having a core consisting of a liquid at 25° C. and atmospheric pressure. The first substance has a boiling point below 25° C. at atmospheric pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignees: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, The Arizona Board of Regents on Behalf of the University of Arizona, The Regents of the University of Colorado
    Inventors: Paul Alexander Dayton, Paul Steven Sheeran, Terry Onichi Matsunaga, Mark A. Borden