Patents by Inventor Philip Dowds

Philip Dowds 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).

  • Publication number: 20100217204
    Abstract: A passive needle safety device for protecting the needle of an injection syringe after medication has been delivered to a patient comprising a body that can hold a syringe, a telescoping guard fitting over the body, and a spring deployed between the guard and body such that the guard is urged in an extend configuration distally relative to the body, the improvement comprising, trigger fingers for holding the guard and body together in an un-extended configuration against the force of the spring, and a plunger rod with a plunger head which pushes against the trigger fingers, the head having an angled surface that provides a lateral component of force to the trigger fingers to displace them from the latched configuration to an unlatched configuration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2010
    Publication date: August 26, 2010
    Inventors: Frederic P. Field, Philip Dowds, James M. Verespej
  • Patent number: 7583715
    Abstract: Structures and methods for electronic devices with improved conductive regions are provided. The conductive region may include digital alloy superlattice structures, which allow higher doping levels to be achieved than for a bulk (random) alloy with the same average composition. Furthermore, the superlattice structures may improve the resistivity of the region, improving the current spreading of the region and hence the electronic properties of electronic devices such as optoelectronic devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: STC.UNM
    Inventors: Peter O. Hill, Larry R. Dawson, Philip Dowd, Sanjay Krishna
  • Publication number: 20090209939
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a needle guard device or system that can be used with drugs requiring reconstitution. The needle guard is preferably a passive needle guard that can be used during reconstitution without activating the safety mechanism. Following administration of the medication, the needle guard shields a user from inadvertent needle sticks by extending a protective shield over the needle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2009
    Publication date: August 20, 2009
    Inventors: James M. Verespej, Philip Dowds
  • Patent number: 7500963
    Abstract: A medical injection system includes a needle guard and an automatic injection system. The needle guard has a cartridge housing coupled with a release mechanism and configured to house a medical cartridge having a needle, a plunger and a carrier configured to carry the dose. Coupled with the cartridge housing and the release mechanism is a shield that is extendable between a retracted and an extended position that substantially covers the needle. The release mechanism is engageable and configured to maintain the shield in the retracted position and allow the shield to extend upon engagement. The automatic injection system can be configured to house the needle guard and configured to inject the dose when activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignee: Safety Syringes, Inc.
    Inventors: Lars Tommy Westbye, Philip Dowds
  • Publication number: 20080300549
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a needle guard device or system that can be used with drugs requiring reconstitution. The needle guard is preferably a passive needle guard that can be used during reconstitution without activating the safety mechanism. Following administration of the medication, the needle guard shields a user from inadvertent needle sticks by extending a protective shield over the needle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2008
    Publication date: December 4, 2008
    Inventors: James M. Verespej, Lars T. Westbye, Philip Dowds
  • Publication number: 20080015513
    Abstract: A syringe system for the administration of lyophilized drugs includes a syringe barrel and a stopper and a needled guard each coupled with the syringe barrel. A reconstitution plunger is removably coupled with the stopper. A diluent is withdrawn from the syringe into a vial containing a lyophilized drug, and the diluent and drug are mixed to form a therapeutic agent. The reconstitution plunger is then replaced by an administration plunger. The length of the reconstitution plunger is greater than the length of the administration plunger in order to prevent activation of the needle guard during reconstitution. Alternatively, a single plunger system may be used in which the plunger can transition from an extended length during reconstitution to a shortened length during administration. During administration, a radial element of the plunger contacts latch members of the needle guard, whereupon the shield advances to an extended position covering the needle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2007
    Publication date: January 17, 2008
    Inventors: Lars Westbye, Philip Dowds
  • Patent number: 7294119
    Abstract: A syringe system for the administration of lyophilized drugs includes a syringe barrel and a stopper and a needled guard each coupled with the syringe barrel. A reconstitution plunger is removably coupled with the stopper. A diluent is withdrawn from the syringe into a vial containing a lyophilized drug, and the diluent and drug are mixed to form a therapeutic agent. The reconstitution plunger is then replaced by an administration plunger. The length of the reconstitution plunger is greater than the length of the administration plunger in order to prevent activation of the needle guard during reconstitution. Alternatively, a single plunger system may be used in which the plunger can transition from an extended length during reconstitution to a shortened length during administration. During administration, a radial element of the plunger contacts latch members of the needle guard, whereupon the shield advances to an extended position covering the needle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignee: Safety Syringes, Inc.
    Inventors: Lars Tommy Westbye, Philip Dowds
  • Publication number: 20060264825
    Abstract: The present invention provides an injection device including a syringe having a distal end for receiving a needle, and a plunger inserted into the proximal end. A guard is slidable on the syringe, has a proximal end, a distal end, and is biased from a first position wherein the needle is exposed toward a second position wherein the guard covers the needle. The syringe includes a body having a central cylindrical opening for receiving medicine and the plunger, and further includes a pair of longitudinally extending members on opposite sides of the body. The guard has an interior configuration for mating with the longitudinal members and sliding thereon. The syringe and guard preferably are formed of plastic. The injection device includes cooperating detents for retaining the guard and syringe in the first and second positions. A latch member extends proximally from the guard and is engageable by the plunger as the plunger is depressed to release the first set of cooperating detents.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2005
    Publication date: November 23, 2006
    Inventors: Lars Westbye, Philip Dowds
  • Publication number: 20060027823
    Abstract: Structures and methods for electronic devices with improved conductive regions are provided. The conductive region may include digital alloy superlattice structures, which allow higher doping levels to be achieved than for a bulk (random) alloy with the same average composition. Furthermore, the superlattice structures may improve the resistivity of the region, improving the current spreading of the region and hence the electronic properties of electronic devices such as optoelectronic devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2005
    Publication date: February 9, 2006
    Inventors: Peter Hill, Larry Dawson, Philip Dowd, Sanjay Krishna
  • Publication number: 20050277894
    Abstract: A syringe system for the administration of lyophilized drugs includes a syringe barrel and a stopper and a needled guard each coupled with the syringe barrel. A reconstitution plunger is removably coupled with the stopper. A diluent is withdrawn from the syringe into a vial containing a lyophilized drug, and the diluent and drug are mixed to form a therapeutic agent. The reconstitution plunger is then replaced by an administration plunger. The length of the reconstitution plunger is greater than the length of the administration plunger in order to prevent activation of the needle guard during reconstitution. Alternatively, a single plunger system may be used in which the plunger can transition from an extended length during reconstitution to a shortened length during administration. During administration, a radial element of the plunger contacts latch members of the needle guard, whereupon the shield advances to an extended position covering the needle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2004
    Publication date: December 15, 2005
    Inventors: Lars Westbye, Philip Dowds
  • Patent number: 6859474
    Abstract: The invention discloses improved structures of light-processing (e.g. light-emitting and light-absorbing/sensing) devices, in particular Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSELs), such as may find use in telecommunications applications. The disclosed VSCAL devices and production methods provide for an active region having a quantum well structure grown on GaAs-containing substrates, thus providing processing compatibility for light having wavelength in the range 1.0 to 1.6 ?m. The active region structure combines strain-compensating barriers with different band alignments in the quantum wells to achieve a long emission wavelength while at the same time decreasing the strain in the structure. The improved functioning of the devices disclosed results from building them with multicomponent alloy layers having a large number of constituents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2005
    Assignee: Arizona Board of Regents
    Inventors: Shane Johnson, Philip Dowd, Wolfgang Braun, Yong-Hang Zhang, Chang-Zhi Guo
  • Publication number: 20050020979
    Abstract: A medical injection system includes a needle guard and an automatic injection system. The needle guard has a cartridge housing coupled with a release mechanism and configured to house a medical cartridge having a needle, a plunger and a carrier configured to carry the dose. Coupled with the cartridge housing and the release mechanism is a shield that is extendable between a retracted and an extended position that substantially covers the needle. The release mechanism is engageable and configured to maintain the shield in the retracted position and allow the shield to extend upon engagement. The automatic injection system can be configured to house the needle guard and configured to inject the dose when activated. The automatic injection system has a drive system configured to depress the plunger and engage the release mechanism when the automatic injection system is activated, and an activation system configured to activate the automatic injection system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2003
    Publication date: January 27, 2005
    Inventors: Lars Westbye, Philip Dowds
  • Patent number: 6639931
    Abstract: A vertical cavity surface emitting laser device (10) has a discontinuity (11) formed within the body of the device. When the device is in use, the direction of polarization of light emitted from the device is substantially aligned with a boundary of the discontinuity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2003
    Assignee: University of Bristol
    Inventors: Philip Dowd, Ian Hugh White, Richard Vincent Penty, Peter John Heard, Geoffrey Charles Allen, Michael Renne Ty Tan
  • Patent number: 6566688
    Abstract: A compound semiconductor device is provided that includes a substrate and an active region disposed above the substrate. The active region includes at least two different pseudomorphic layers, the first layer having the form InxGa1−xPyAszSb1−y−z, and the second layer having the form InqGa1−qPrAssSb1−r−s. The first layer includes at least In, Ga, and As, and the second layer includes at least Ga, As, and Sb. It is preferable for the substrate to be GaAs or AlpGa1−pAs (0<p<1), or to have a lattice constant close to or equal to that of GaA For the first layer, it is preferable if x is between 0.05 and 0.7, y is between 0 and 0,35, z is between 0.45 and 1, and 1−y−z is between 0 and 0.25. For the second layer, it is preferable if q is between 0 and 0.25 and 1−r−s is between 0.25 and 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Arizona Board of Regents
    Inventors: Yong-Hang Zhang, Philip Dowd, Wolfgang Braun
  • Publication number: 20030091287
    Abstract: In the present invention, there is provided an optical device comprising a multimode interference (MMI) optical waveguide section having a number of electrodes extending over at least a portion of the length of the MMI section, where the application of an electrical bias to an electrode causes a local change in effective refractive index of the MMI section, thereby causing light preferentially to propagate along a path defined by the configuration of said electrode. Whereas current injection has been demonstrated in the prior art, the present invention operates by the application of a reverse bias electric field, via suitably shaped electrodes, to locally increase the reflective index within part of the device. Thus the electrodes on the device are used to create new wave guiding paths, rather than to minimise mode coupling to crossover states, as is the case with prior art devices. The shape and extent of the induced waveguides can be controlled by the shape of the electrodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2002
    Publication date: May 15, 2003
    Inventors: Yee Loy Lam, Jianqing Wu, Yuen Chuen Chan, Philip Dowd