Patents by Inventor Thomas A. Lane

Thomas A. Lane 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: 11915826
    Abstract: An example device is configured to capture an image of a patient. The devices includes a camera configured to capture the image of the patient. The device further: captures contextual data associated with the image; allows a caregiver to select the image to be stored; forwards the image and the contextual data to a remote server for processing using artificial intelligence; and receives a proposed diagnosis from the remote server based upon the image and the contextual data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Welch Allyn, Inc.
    Inventors: John A. Lane, Chris R. Roberts, Thomas A. Gurgol, WonKyung McSweeney
  • Publication number: 20230391225
    Abstract: An electric machine and sitewide control system and method that use a trolley power system at a worksite is disclosed. The trolley power system allows electric machines at the worksite to draw power from the trolley power system to concurrently operate to perform tasks and recharge their batteries. This allows the batteries on electric machines to be smaller than they would otherwise be, since a fully charged battery is not needed when operational power can be drawn from the trolley power system. The trolley power system is segmented, such that if one segment is faulted, the other segments can operate to provide power to electric machines at the worksite. Additionally, a sitewide controller initiates operational changes, such as a change in speed, for the electric machines at the worksite to compensate for one or more faulted segments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2022
    Publication date: December 7, 2023
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Cameron Thomas Lane, Igor Strashny
  • Publication number: 20230372660
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for a valve shut-off system of a medical device. In one embodiment, the valve shut-off system of the medical device includes a first pin movable between a first position where a valve is opened and a second position where the valve is closed, the first pin including a slot, and a second pin having a mating geometry with the slot of the first pin, the second pin adjustable between a locked position that holds the first pin in the first position and an unlocked position that enables movement of the first pin between the first position and the second position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2023
    Publication date: November 23, 2023
    Inventor: Thomas Lane Bender, II
  • Publication number: 20230330627
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to methods and systems of purifying solvents. The purified solvents can be used for cleaning a semiconductor substrate in a multistep semiconductor manufacturing process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2023
    Publication date: October 19, 2023
    Inventors: Stephen Earl Dyer, Brendan Thomas Lane, Patrick Adams Mahoney, Sr.
  • Patent number: 11759599
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for a valve shut-off system of a medical device. In one embodiment, the valve shut-off system of the medical device includes a first pin movable between a first position where a valve is opened and a second position where the valve is closed, the first pin including a slot, and a second pin having a mating geometry with the slot of the first pin, the second pin adjustable between a locked position that holds the first pin in the first position and an unlocked position that enables movement of the first pin between the first position and the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: GE Precision Healthcare LLC
    Inventor: Thomas Lane Bender, II
  • Publication number: 20230255281
    Abstract: The presently disclosed subject matter relates generally to a treatment garment for use in clothed radiation treatment and diagnosis procedures, and methods of using the garment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2023
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Applicant: The Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital Operating Corporation
    Inventors: Benjamin Jeremiah Sintay, Sudhakar Puvvada, Thomas Lane Hayes, David Brian Wiant, Nicholas Corey Koch
  • Patent number: 11723497
    Abstract: A toilet seat lifting system includes a foot-operated bellows connected to a hinged rod which is surrounded by a sleeve. The rod is then extended by the air produced by the bellows and the rod is attached to the toilet seat with adhesive or suction cup. The rod includes a hollow outer rod and an inner rod that is inserted within the outer rod. The outer rod is then sealed against the inner rod through an air tight seal. When the bellows is actuated, air is supplied through the bottom rod and released within the outer rod. Since the outer rod is air tight, the pressure created by the air within the rod forces a latch at the top of the outer rod to open and release the pressure. The opening of the latch in turn actuates the lifting of the toilet seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Inventor: Thomas Lane
  • Publication number: 20230196846
    Abstract: A control system is programmed for monitoring the health and charge of batteries used to power a battery electric machine (BEM) or other heavy equipment and determining when maintenance, service, or replacement should be performed for the batteries as a function of data related to travel route segments over which the BEM or other heavy equipment is operated. The control system is programmed to receive historical information mapping the performance and energy consumption of a BEM or other heavy equipment, such as battery state-of-charge, power usage, battery state-of-health, and number of charge cycles for a battery supplying power to the BEM or other heavy equipment operating over a travel route segment, and instruct an operator to replace or perform maintenance on the batteries if the difference between present and historical performance exceeds a threshold level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2021
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Applicant: CATERPILLAR INC.
    Inventors: Michael Dennis Braunstein, Cameron Thomas Lane
  • Publication number: 20230194281
    Abstract: A control system for a battery electric machine (BEM) predicts the energy requirement of the BEM to complete one or more travel route segments along a path traversed by the BEM. The control system calculates the actual energy consumption of the BEM in completing the one or more travel route segments, compares the actual energy consumption with the predicted energy requirement, and updates the predicted energy requirement. The control system also maps the updated energy requirements for BEM’s to travel route segments to create a database of travel route segments mapped to energy requirements for particular BEM’s traveling over those segments. The control system may change the travel route segments for the BEM, tasks to be performed by the BEM, or repair or maintenance tasks to be performed on one or more travel route segments for the BEM based on a comparison of the predicted energy requirements with the actual energy consumption for the BEM traveling over the particular travel route segment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2021
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Applicant: CATERPILLAR INC.
    Inventors: Cameron Thomas Lane, Michael Dennis Braunstein
  • Publication number: 20230190529
    Abstract: The present invention concerns extensible absorbent wound dressings. The wound dressing has a wound contact layer having a proximal surface facing toward the wound and a distal surface facing away from the wound, and a backing layer having a proximal surface facing toward the wound and a distal surface facing away from the wound, the backing layer having an absorbent region located on a proximal surface thereof, the absorbent region comprising a plurality of discrete absorbent members, wherein the backing layer is configured to be positioned over the wound contact layer, such that the absorbent region is located adjacent to the distal surface of the wound contact layer, and wherein the absorbent region and the wound contact layer are configured to be detached at least in an area inside a perimeter of the absorbent region. The absorbent wound dressings of the present invention can be used to dress so-called truly three-dimensional anatomical areas, such as for example a knee or an elbow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2021
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Inventors: Mark O'BRIEN, Jennifer HAYNES, Neil JOHNSON, Thomas LANE, Nicola DEELEY
  • Patent number: 11679375
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to methods and systems of purifying solvents. The purified solvents can be used for cleaning a semiconductor substrate in a multistep semiconductor manufacturing process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Fujifilm Electronic Materials U.S.A., Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen Earl Dyer, Brendan Thomas Lane, Patrick Adams Mahoney, Sr.
  • Publication number: 20230186191
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to batteries health across a fleet of machines. The battery life on a machine varies significantly according to work applications. A site has a plurality of the same machine working in various applications to fulfill a productivity requirement. More particularly, the present disclosure pertains to a balancing state of health (SoH) of batteries across a fleet of machines. The harshness of the various machine applications on a given work site is determined using a site-wide model. The model proactively tracks the work history and current battery state of health of each machine to determine appropriate assignments such that the machines rotate through the various applications on a periodic basis. Additionally, the model ensures a sufficient state of health of the battery to complete the assigned task. The reduced battery life results in downtime troubleshooting a perceived problem along with the associated additional cost.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2021
    Publication date: June 15, 2023
    Applicant: Caterpillar Global Mining Equipment LLC
    Inventor: Cameron Thomas Lane
  • Publication number: 20230166601
    Abstract: A brake controller of a machine can be configured to determine brake power associated with braking operations, such as operations to slow the machine or maintain a speed of the machine. The brake controller can allocate the brake power among systems such as a battery system, a resistive grid, auxiliary systems, a mechanical brake system, and/or other systems, based on a defined priority order of the systems. For example, the brake controller can prioritize using a regenerative brake system to charge a battery system during a braking operation up to a currently-available capacity of the battery system, and allocating any remaining brake power to a lower-priority system. The mechanical brake system can be the lowest-priority system, such that use of the mechanical brake system can be avoided unless an amount of brake power exceeds capacities of higher-priority systems to consume the brake power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2021
    Publication date: June 1, 2023
    Applicant: Caterpillar Global Mining Equipment LLC
    Inventors: Karl P Schneider, Cameron Thomas Lane
  • Publication number: 20230168696
    Abstract: A system can plan a route for a machine, such as an electric vehicle or other mobile machine, from a current location of the machine to a maintenance station where a service operation is to be performed on the machine. The service operation can be associated with a target state of charge (SoC) for a battery of the machine. The system can plan the route such that an expected energy consumption level, associated with traversal of the route by the machine, causes the SoC of the battery to satisfy the target SoC when the machine arrives at the maintenance station. The system can also dynamically adjust the route, charges of the battery, and/or machine operations performed along the route, during travel to cause the SoC of the battery to satisfy the target SoC when the machine arrives at the maintenance station.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2021
    Publication date: June 1, 2023
    Applicant: Caterpillar Global Mining Equipment LLC
    Inventor: Cameron Thomas Lane
  • Publication number: 20230166632
    Abstract: A system can assign a machine to dispense material at designated areas along a route at a worksite. For example, the machine can be an electric water truck on a mine site, and the electric water truck can be assigned to spray water at areas along a route to control dust on the mine site. The system can verify that the machine is carrying enough material to dispense along the assigned route. The system can also verify that the battery of the machine is charged to a level sufficient to power travel of the machine through the assigned route and to power operations to dispense the material, based at least in part on a changing amount and/or weight of the material as the machine progresses along the route.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2021
    Publication date: June 1, 2023
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Dennis Braunstein, Cameron Thomas Lane
  • Publication number: 20230136614
    Abstract: A fuel cell machine control system and method to provide extended range and operating times of a fuel cell machine with a fuel cell and battery is disclosed. In some cases, the energy capacity of the battery relative to the energy capacity of a fuel tank may be in the range of about 0.2 to about 1.5. The range and/or the operating time of the fuel cell machine is extended by using the fuel cell fuel to power the fuel cell machine and continuing operating the fuel cell machine after the fuel cell fuel is depleted using the battery. In some cases, the fuel cell machine may autonomously be moved to a refueling/charging station when the remaining charge in the battery is within a threshold level of being depleted. Additionally, a total energy available to operate the fuel cell machine may be determined and displayed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2021
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Applicant: Caterpillar Global Mining Equipment LLC
    Inventor: Cameron Thomas Lane
  • Publication number: 20230107318
    Abstract: Operating a machine includes supplying electric power from a fuel cell to a power bus connected to an electric motor and an energy storage device in a machine operated at a work site, and determining an expected efficiency gain condition based on at least one of terrain data of the work site or machine activity data of the machine. Operating a machine further includes prognostically limiting a power output of the fuel cell based on the determining an expected efficiency gain condition, and charging the energy storage device during occurrence of the expected efficiency gain condition using at least one of a regenerative energy device or the fuel cell. The energy storage device may be discharged during prognostically limiting a power output of the fuel cell so as to share a load demand of the power bus between the fuel cell and the energy storage device. Related apparatus and control logic is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2021
    Publication date: April 6, 2023
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventor: Cameron Thomas Lane
  • Patent number: 11554231
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for anesthetic agent leakage diagnostics. In one embodiment, a method for diagnosing leaks in an anesthetic vaporizer includes calculating a leakage rate based on measurements of an anesthetic agent level in a sump of the anesthetic vaporizer, the measurements received from a fluid level sensor at a first time and a second time, and outputting a maintenance alert responsive to the leakage rate exceeding a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas Lane Bender, II, Joseph James Lacey
  • Publication number: 20220289982
    Abstract: Ceramic-polymer composites and methods. The ceramic-polymer composites, in powder and/or pellet forms, comprise a plurality of core-shell particles, where: each of the core-shell particles comprises a core and a shell around the core; the core comprises a ceramic selected from the group of ceramics consisting of: Al2O3, Fe2O3, ZnO, ZrO2, and SiO2; and the shell comprises a polymer selected from the group of polymers consisting of: PC copolymers, polyetherimide (PEI), polyetherimide (PEI) copolymers, polyphenyl sulfone (PPSU), polyarylethersulfone (PAES), and poly ether sulfones (PES). In powder form, the core-shell particles are in a substantially dry powder form having a moisture content of less than 2% by weight. In pellet form, shells of adjacent core-shell particles are joined to resist separation of the adjacent core-shell particles and deformation of a respective pellet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Applicant: SHPP Global Technologies B.V.
    Inventors: Viswanathan KALYANARAMAN, Devendra Narayandas BAJAJ, Thomas Lane EVANS
  • Publication number: 20220289638
    Abstract: Semi-crystalline polymer-ceramic composites and methods. The ceramic-polymer composites, in powder and/or pellet forms, comprise a plurality of core-shell particles, where: each of the core-shell particles comprises a core and a shell around the core; the core comprises a ceramic that is selected from the group of ceramics consisting of: Al2O3, ZrO2, and combinations of Al2O3 and ZrO2; and the shell comprises a semi-crystalline polymer selected from the group of semi-crystalline polymers consisting of: polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyaryl ether ketone (PAEK), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), semi-crystalline polyimide (SC PI), and semi-crystalline polyamide (SC Polyamide). The core-shell particles can be in a powder form (e.g., a dry powder). In pellet form, shells of adjacent core-shell particles are joined to resist separation of the adjacent core-shell particles and deformation of a respective pellet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Applicant: SHPP Global Technologies B.V.
    Inventors: Viswanathan KALYANARAMAN, Devendra Narayandas BAJAJ, Thomas Lane EVANS