Patents by Inventor Ronald B. Richard

Ronald B. Richard 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: 8717027
    Abstract: Apparatuses, methods, and other embodiments associated with determining organ viability are described. According to one embodiment, an apparatus includes logic configured to apply nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) energy to a kidney positioned in a hypothermic pulsative perfusion (HPP) apparatus. The NMR energy is produced according to an MRS 31P specific pulse sequence. The HPP apparatus has an integrated RF coil. The HPP may also have an integrated magnet. The RF coil is positioned and oriented to facilitate optimizing 31P MRS of the kidney. The apparatus also includes logic configured to receive spectrum data from the kidney. The spectrum data is produced in response to applying the NMR energy to the kidney. The apparatus also includes logic configured to provide objective, quantitative kidney viability data (e.g., PME/Pi, ATP/ADP) from the spectrum data. More generally, MRI/MRS compatible HPP apparatuses are configured to interact with dedicated NMR spectroscopy apparatuses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Fujita, John L. Patrick, Ronald B. Richard
  • Publication number: 20120161770
    Abstract: Apparatuses, methods, and other embodiments associated with determining organ viability are described. According to one embodiment, an apparatus includes logic configured to apply nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) energy to a kidney positioned in a hypothermic pulsative perfusion (HPP) apparatus. The NMR energy is produced according to an MRS 31P specific pulse sequence. The HPP apparatus has an integrated RF coil. The HPP may also have an integrated magnet. The RF coil is positioned and oriented to facilitate optimizing 31P MRS of the kidney. The apparatus also includes logic configured to receive spectrum data from the kidney. The spectrum data is produced in response to applying the NMR energy to the kidney. The apparatus also includes logic configured to provide objective, quantitative kidney viability data (e.g., PME/Pi, ATP/ADP) from the spectrum data. More generally, MRI/MRS compatible HPP apparatuses are configured to interact with dedicated NMR spectroscopy apparatuses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2010
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Inventors: Hiroyuki FUJITA, John L. Patrick, Ronald B. Richard
  • Patent number: 5924068
    Abstract: An electronic news receiving device receives text data for an electronic edition of a newspaper in the evening and audibly reads the newspaper to the user the next day. The newsreader includes a receiver which receives an electronic edition of a newspaper transmitted by a transmitter at an electronic news preparer's facility. The news preparer may mark words that do not conform to conventional letter-to-sound rules with a pronunciation flag and provide pronunciation data for the words with the electronic edition of the newspaper. The data may be compressed by providing a dictionary in the news receiving device and, at the preparer's facility, translating each word into a dictionary address. The transmission channel may include a telephone line, the vertical blanking interval of a television signal, a cable television channel, an AM/FM subcarrier signal or a satellite channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1999
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Ronald B. Richard, Kazue Hata, Stephen Johnson, Steve D. Pearson, Judson Hofmann, Brian A. Hanson