Patents by Inventor Steffan Sowards

Steffan Sowards 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: 20240358355
    Abstract: A system and method for monitoring sepsis in a patient. Logic processes ultrasound image data acquired by one or more pads applied to the patient. The logic determines vascular parameters values, such as blood vessel size or shape, and the logic further determines a sepsis status and/or progression from the vascular parameter values by performing an algorithm on the vascular parameter values. The algorithm is defined utilizing artificial intelligence techniques applied to an ongoing collection data sets acquired from a plurality of sepsis monitoring systems across a plurality of patients undergoing sepsis events, where each data set includes one or more vascular parameter values and a corresponding independently acquired sepsis status for the sepsis event. The data set may also include patient data such as weight, age, etc. The pads may be wirelessly coupled with a system module. The vascular parameters may include multiple vascular sites on the patient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2023
    Publication date: October 31, 2024
    Inventors: Steffan Sowards, William Robert McLaughlin, Stefan Josef Fellner
  • Publication number: 20240353275
    Abstract: A system, apparatus and method directed to detecting damage to an optical fiber. The optical fiber includes core fibers including a plurality of sensors configured to (i) reflect a light signal based on received incident light, and (ii) change a characteristic of the reflected light signal based on experienced strain. The system can include a console having memory storing logic that, when executed, causes operations of providing receiving reflected light signals of different spectral widths of the broadband incident light by one or more of the plurality of sensors, processing the reflected light signals to detect fluctuations of a portion of the optical fiber, and determining a location of the portion of the optical fiber or a defect affecting a vessel in which the portion is disposed based on the detected fluctuations. The portion may be a distal tip of the optical fiber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2024
    Publication date: October 24, 2024
    Inventors: Anthony K. Misener, Steffan Sowards, Shayne Messerly, William Robert McLaughlin
  • Publication number: 20240342325
    Abstract: Ultraviolet light disinfection systems expose medical devices, surfaces, patients and healthcare clinicians to UV light having wavelengths consist with killing microorganisms. UV light systems may use logic to govern the operation of UV light sources so as to apply a disinfecting dose of the UV light. UV detectors measure UV light exposure. Enclosures contain medical devices and flood the medical devices with the UV light. Some enclosures accommodate a person. Some UV systems project UV light onto high-touch surfaces of a healthcare environment. Some systems may be deployed within a patient transport vehicle. Some UV systems may be incorporated into medical devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2024
    Publication date: October 17, 2024
    Inventors: Robin Scott Urry, Dustin Payne, Debra K. Cloward, Matthew J. Prince, Timothy M. Snelling, Craig Hayden, Taylor A. Brown, Jacob M. Sobelman, Paul T. Westwood, Stefan Josef Fellner, Steffan Sowards, Christopher Quach, Amelia Marie Smith, William Robert McLaughlin, Christopher Winland
  • Publication number: 20240335237
    Abstract: A medical network system is communicatively coupled with a number medical device tracking systems that utilize magnetic systems to track elongate medical devices along anatomical pathways within patients having differing physical attributes, such as height and weight. The medical network system collects tracking records from the medical device tracking systems and applies machine learning and/or artificial intelligence technics to the tracking record data to correlate recorded anatomical pathways with the differing physical attributes. The medical network system receives a patient value set of physical attributes for a specific patient from a medical device tracking system and provides a predicted anatomical pathway based on the correlation and the patient value set. The medical device tracking systems tracts the elongate medical device with respect to the predicted anatomical pathway during placement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2023
    Publication date: October 10, 2024
    Inventors: Steffan Sowards, William Robert McLaughlin
  • Patent number: 12106840
    Abstract: An apparatus device features a housing; an input/output (I/O) interface, and one or more control logic units deployed to operate within the housing and communicatively coupled to the I/O interface. Each of the one or more control logic units can be configured to (i) control operations of at least one medical device controlled by a control logic unit of the one or more control logic units when the medical device is communicatively coupled to the I/O interface, and (ii) collect a subset of data acquired at least during placement of a vascular access device within a vasculature of a patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2024
    Assignee: Bard Access Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Steffan Sowards, Anthony K. Misener, William Robert McLaughlin
  • Patent number: 12102481
    Abstract: A medical ultrasound system that includes an ultrasound probe and one of number of optional accessories attached to the ultrasound probe. The accessory exchanges data with the probe and receives power from the probe. The accessory includes processors and logic that governs it operation thereby adding functionality to the probe. The accessory receives input and provides output via any of a number of communication mechanisms, i.e., wireless, electrical, optical, RFID, IR, and the like. The accessory adds functionality to the probe, such as fiber optic shape sensing, obtaining electrical signals, obtaining bio-impedance measurements, tracking a needle, and determining the orientation of the probe. The accessory may include a needle guide, a triphalangeal support structure, or an acoustically transparent cap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2024
    Assignee: Bard Access Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony K. Misener, Steffan Sowards, William Robert McLaughlin
  • Publication number: 20240307024
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are dynamically adjusting ultrasound-imaging systems and methods thereof. For example, an ultrasound-imaging system can include an ultrasound probe, a console, and a display screen. The ultrasound probe includes an array of ultrasonic transducers that, when activated, emit generated ultrasound signals into a patient, receive reflected ultrasound signals from the patient, and convert the reflected ultrasound signals into corresponding electrical signals for processing into ultrasound images. The console is configured to execute instructions for dynamically adjusting a distance of activated ultrasonic transducers from a predefined target or area, an orientation of the activated ultrasonic transducers to the predefined target or area, or both the distance and the orientation of the activated ultrasonic transducers with respect to the predefined target or area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2024
    Publication date: September 19, 2024
    Inventors: Steffan Sowards, William Robert McLaughlin, Anthony K. Misener
  • Patent number: 12089815
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are medical systems and devices that include an elongate probe configured for insertion into a patient, where the elongate probe includes an atraumatic tip and where the atraumatic tip includes one or more of a loop, a curl, coil, a flexible distal tip section, a steerable distal tip section, a distal tip section configured to transition away from a first shape toward a second shape upon insertion of the elongate probe within the patient. The optical fiber includes sensing core fibers configured to facilitate a determination of a physical state of the elongate probe. The elongate probe is also configured to project illuminating light away from a distal end and receive imaging light at the distal end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignee: Bard Access Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Steffan Sowards, William Robert Mclaughlin, Anthony K. Misener
  • Patent number: 12064569
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a system, apparatus and method directed to placing a medical instrument in a vasculature of a patient body, including an optical fiber with one or more core fibers. The system can include a console having non-transitory computer-readable medium storing logic that, when executed, causes operations of providing an incident light signal to the optical fiber, receiving a reflected light signal of the incident light, wherein the reflected light signal is reflected from at least one of red blood cells or tissue within the patient body, processing the reflected light signal to determine an oxygen level within the patient body near a distal tip of the optical fiber. The method may further include determining a location of the distal tip of the optical fiber within the patient body at least based on the oxygen level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2024
    Assignee: Bard Access Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: William Robert McLaughlin, Steffan Sowards, Anthony K. Misener, Shayne Messerly
  • Publication number: 20240252141
    Abstract: Medical device systems including an elongate medical device having a proximal end including one or more sensor connectors, a distal end including one or more sensors or emitters communicatively coupled to the one or more sensor connectors, and a quick-release drive connector including one or more sensor connector attachments configured to detachably couple to the one or more sensor connectors. The one or more sensor connector attachments can be configured to drive the one or more sensors or emitters of the elongate medical device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2024
    Publication date: August 1, 2024
    Inventors: Anthony K. Misener, Steffan Sowards
  • Patent number: 12048586
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to a stabilization feature configured to be coupled to an ultrasound probe, or similar medical device and grasped by one or more fingers of a user. The user can then manipulate the stabilization feature and probe assembly without requiring any opposing pressure to be applied by the thumb. As such a user is free to use the thumb to operate controls disposed on the probe, or stabilize a skin surface, or the like. The stabilization feature can include a first portion configured to be grasped by one or more fingers, and a second portion configured to engage the probe. Further, the second portion can engage the probe through a sheath to maintain a sterile barrier therebetween. Alternatively, the first portion can be grasped by one or more fingers through a sheath to maintain a sterile barrier therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2024
    Assignee: Bard Access Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Bart Peterson, Steffan Sowards, Bradley M. Wilkinson, Anthony K. Misener, Mark Newby, William Robert McLaughlin
  • Patent number: 12048491
    Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system is disclosed that can include an ultrasound probe including a transducer array configured to acquire ultrasound images, and a console including a processor and non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of logic modules that, when executed by the processor, are configured to perform operations including receiving an ultrasound image, detecting one or more targets within the ultrasound image, and generating a visualization from the ultrasound image to center the one or more detected targets within a displayed portion of the ultrasound image. Generating the visualization may include cropping the ultrasound image to center the one or more detected targets within a displayed portion of the ultrasound image. Generating the visualization may include increasing a magnification of a cropped portion of the ultrasound image to center the one or more detected targets within a displayed portion of the ultrasound image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2024
    Assignee: Bard Access Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Steffan Sowards, William Robert McLaughlin, Anthony K. Misener
  • Patent number: 12038338
    Abstract: A system, apparatus and method directed to detecting damage to an optical fiber. The optical fiber includes core fibers including a plurality of sensors configured to (i) reflect a light signal based on received incident light, and (ii) change a characteristic of the reflected light signal based on experienced strain. The system can include a console having memory storing logic that, when executed, causes operations of providing receiving reflected light signals of different spectral widths of the broadband incident light by one or more of the plurality of sensors, processing the reflected light signals to detect fluctuations of a portion of the optical fiber, and determining a location of the portion of the optical fiber or a defect affecting a vessel in which the portion is disposed based on the detected fluctuations. The portion may be a distal tip of the optical fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: Bard Access Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony K. Misener, Steffan Sowards, Shayne Messerly, William Robert McLaughlin
  • Publication number: 20240226352
    Abstract: A disinfecting device having a housing and an ultraviolet source located in the housing. The disinfecting device may include a tube that includes a first end connected to the housing and a second end free of the housing. An end cap may be located at the second end of the tube. In use, ultraviolet light may be emitted from the ultraviolet source and propagated to the end cap in order to disinfect a portion of a medical device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2023
    Publication date: July 11, 2024
    Inventors: Stefan Josef Fellner, Steffan Sowards, William Robert McLaughlin, Dustin Payne
  • Publication number: 20240226504
    Abstract: A catheter placement system includes a stylet disposed within a lumen of a catheter. The stylet includes an optical fiber configured for shape sensing. A device handle is selectively coupled with the stylet and selectively locked to the stylet to fix the position of the device handle along the stylet. A system module is operatively coupled with the stylet and logic of the system determines a shape of the stylet and depicts the shape on a display. The device handle is coupled with the stylet such that the optical fiber detects the position of the device handle along the stylet and the logic depicts a device handle icon together with the stylet shape. In accordance with temperature differences detected by the optical fiber, the logic determines the position of the insertion site along the stylet. The logic further depicts an insertion site icon together with the stylet shape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2023
    Publication date: July 11, 2024
    Inventors: Steffan Sowards, William Robert McLaughlin
  • Publication number: 20240215917
    Abstract: Optical-and-electrical medical systems and methods thereof are disclosed. Such a medical system can include a console, an optical shape-sensing (“OSS”) medical device including an optical-fiber stylet, one or more electrical medical devices, and a relay module for establishing one or more optical or electrical relay connections between the relay module and a remainder of the medical system including the console. The console can be configured for converting reflected optical signals from the optical-fiber stylet into shapes thereof for display. The relay module can include a primary receptacle configured to accept insertion of a medical barrier-piercing plug of the OSS medical device and establish a through-barrier optical connection therebetween. The relay module also can include one or more secondary receptacles configured to accept insertion of a corresponding number of electrical plugs of the one-or-more electrical medical devices and establish one or more under-barrier electrical connections therebetween.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2024
    Publication date: July 4, 2024
    Inventors: Steffan Sowards, Anthony K. Misener, William Robert McLaughlin
  • Patent number: 12027876
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a wireless medical device powering system configured to power an untethered medical device including a first medical device having an induction receiving coil, the induction receiving coil in communication with each of one or more electrical systems and a first medical device console comprising one or more processors, a non-transitory computer readable medium, and a plurality of logic modules. The system can include a wireless powering device configured to wirelessly provide power to the first medical device, the wireless powering device having a body including an induction transmitting coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: Bard Access Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Steffan Sowards, William Robert McLaughlin, Anthony K. Misener
  • Publication number: 20240188859
    Abstract: A system for treating infections in patients that includes an elongate probe configured for insertion into the patient body and a system module coupled with the probe. Sensors are disposed along the probe that detect infectious substances or physiological symptoms of the patient. The probe also includes light disseminating devices configured to expose the infectious substances to a light capable of disrupting the infectious substances, such as light within the ultraviolet spectrum. System logic may activate the light disseminating devices in response to sensor signals. A wireless connection enables clinician interaction with the system via external computing devices. The sensors may be disposed on external surfaces or internal luminal surfaces of the probe. The light disseminating devices may project the light away from the external surfaces or within a lumen of the probe. The light disseminating devices may include optical fibers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2022
    Publication date: June 13, 2024
    Inventors: Stefan Josef Fellner, Dustin Payne, Steffan Sowards, William Robert McLaughlin
  • Publication number: 20240180470
    Abstract: A catheter placement system that includes a catheter placement device having elongate body configured for insertion into a catheter lumen, where the elongate body includes a body lumen. A compartment at a proximal end of the body is in fluid communication with the body lumen. A saline solution disposed within the compartment and the body lumen defines an electrical path along the elongate body and an electrode at a distal end of the elongate body. A stylet extends along the elongate body, where the stylet includes a multi-core optical fiber extending along the stylet, and where the multi-core optical fiber includes a number of fiber Bragg gratings disposed along the optical fiber to enable shape sensing of the optical fiber. A system module optically and electrically coupled with the catheter placement device displays a shape of the elongate body and ECG waveform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2022
    Publication date: June 6, 2024
    Inventors: Steffan Sowards, William Robert McLaughlin
  • Patent number: 11992363
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are dynamically adjusting ultrasound-imaging systems and methods thereof. For example, an ultrasound-imaging system can include an ultrasound probe, a console, and a display screen. The ultrasound probe includes an array of ultrasonic transducers that, when activated, emit generated ultrasound signals into a patient, receive reflected ultrasound signals from the patient, and convert the reflected ultrasound signals into corresponding electrical signals for processing into ultrasound images. The console is configured to execute instructions for dynamically adjusting a distance of activated ultrasonic transducers from a predefined target or area, an orientation of the activated ultrasonic transducers to the predefined target or area, or both the distance and the orientation of the activated ultrasonic transducers with respect to the predefined target or area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: Bard Access Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Steffan Sowards, William Robert McLaughlin, Anthony K. Misener