Patents by Inventor Thomas Eugene Old

Thomas Eugene Old 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: 20220167869
    Abstract: Systems and methods described herein use near field communications to locate a radiating transponder, such as a pill swallowed by a patient. The system can be triggered to turn on and transmit a waveform to a set of antennas attached to, coupled with, or near the patient. The magnetic field emitted by the transponder can be measured by the receiving antennas, for example, using principles of mutual inductance. The differential phase and/or time shifts between the antennas can contain sufficient information to find the location of the transponder and optionally its orientation relative to body coordinates. The system can display the location and/or orientation of the transponder. Further, the pill can include a reservoir to deliver a payload at a particular site of the patient's body based at least in part on the determined location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2021
    Publication date: June 2, 2022
    Inventors: Thomas Eugene Old, John Christopher Baker, Neal J. Carron, Donald Gordon Pritchett
  • Patent number: 11058322
    Abstract: Systems and methods described herein use near field communications to locate a radiating transponder, such as a pill swallowed by a patient. The system can be triggered to turn on and transmit a waveform to a set of antennas attached to, coupled with, or near the patient. The magnetic field emitted by the transponder can be measured by the receiving antennas, for example, using principles of mutual inductance. The differential phase and/or time shifts between the antennas can contain sufficient information to find the location of the transponder and optionally its orientation relative to body coordinates. The system can display the location and/or orientation of the transponder. Further, the pill can include a reservoir to deliver a payload at a particular site of the patient's body based at least in part on the determined location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Rock West Medical Devices, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Eugene Old, John Christopher Baker, Neal J. Carron, Donald Gordon Pritchett
  • Patent number: 10945635
    Abstract: Systems and methods described herein can use near field communications to locate a radiating transmitter, such as a pill transmitter swallowed by a patient. In some embodiments, the pill transmitter can include multiple transmitting elements configured to transmit signals in an axis orthogonal with respect to each other. Further, in some embodiment, the pill transmitter can also include multiple transmitting elements in each of the three axes where the three axes may be perpendicular with respect to each other. The magnetic field emitted from the pill transmitter can be measured by the receiving antennas, for example, using principles of mutual inductance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Rock West Medical Devices, LLC
    Inventors: Neal Jay Carron, Thomas Eugene Old, Donald Gordon Pritchett, John Christopher Baker
  • Publication number: 20190380618
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to a flexible circuit for insertion into a pill capsule. The flexible circuit has a first portion having an electrical contact to electrically connect with a battery, a second portion having an electrical contact to electrically connect with the battery, a first arm separating the first portion and second portion, a third portion comprising a first antenna, a second arm separating the first portion and third portion, a fourth portion comprising a second antenna, a third arm separating the first portion and fourth portion, a third arm separating the first portion and fourth portion, and a fifth portion comprising a third antenna. The first portion, second portion, and first arm form a first receptacle to receive a battery. The third portion, fourth portion, and fifth portion form a second receptacle to receive a cube ferrite core.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2019
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Inventors: Neal Jay Carron, Thomas Eugene Old, Donald Gordon Pritchett, John Christopher Baker
  • Publication number: 20190117115
    Abstract: Systems and methods described herein use near field communications to locate a radiating transponder, such as a pill swallowed by a patient. The system can be triggered to turn on and transmit a waveform to a set of antennas attached to, coupled with, or near the patient. The magnetic field emitted by the transponder can be measured by the receiving antennas, for example, using principles of mutual inductance. The differential phase and/or time shifts between the antennas can contain sufficient information to find the location of the transponder and optionally its orientation relative to body coordinates. The system can display the location and/or orientation of the transponder. Further, the pill can include a reservoir to deliver a payload at a particular site of the patient's body based at least in part on the determined location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Publication date: April 25, 2019
    Inventors: Thomas Eugene Old, John Christopher Baker, Neal J. Carron, Donald Gordon Pritchett
  • Patent number: 10251580
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to a flexible circuit for insertion into a pill capsule. The flexible circuit has a first portion having an electrical contact to electrically connect with a battery, a second portion having an electrical contact to electrically connect with the battery, a first arm separating the first portion and second portion, a third portion comprising a first antenna, a second arm separating the first portion and third portion, a fourth portion comprising a second antenna, a third arm separating the first portion and fourth portion, a third arm separating the first portion and fourth portion, and a fifth portion comprising a third antenna. The first portion, second portion, and first arm form a first receptacle to receive a battery. The third portion, fourth portion, and fifth portion form a second receptacle to receive a cube ferrite core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: Rock West Medical Devices, LLC
    Inventors: Neal Jay Carron, Thomas Eugene Old, Donald Gordon Pritchett, John Christopher Baker
  • Patent number: 10045713
    Abstract: Systems and methods described herein use near field communications to locate a radiating transponder, such as a pill swallowed by a patient. The system can be triggered to turn on and transmit a waveform to a set of antennas attached to, coupled with, or near the patient. The magnetic field emitted by the transponder can be measured by the receiving antennas, for example, using principles of mutual inductance. The differential phase and/or time shifts between the antennas can contain sufficient information to find the location of the transponder and optionally its orientation relative to body coordinates. The system can display the location and/or orientation of the transponder. Further, the pill can include a reservoir to deliver a payload at a particular site of the patient's body based at least in part on the determined location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: Rock West Medical Devices, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Eugene Old, John Christopher Baker, Neal Jay Carron, Donald Gordon Pritchett
  • Publication number: 20180214049
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to a flexible circuit for insertion into a pill capsule. The flexible circuit has a first portion having an electrical contact to electrically connect with a battery, a second portion having an electrical contact to electrically connect with the battery, a first arm separating the first portion and second portion, a third portion comprising a first antenna, a second arm separating the first portion and third portion, a fourth portion comprising a second antenna, a third arm separating the first portion and fourth portion, a third arm separating the first portion and fourth portion, and a fifth portion comprising a third antenna. The first portion, second portion, and first arm form a first receptacle to receive a battery. The third portion, fourth portion, and fifth portion form a second receptacle to receive a cube ferrite core.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2018
    Publication date: August 2, 2018
    Inventors: NEAL JAY CARRON, THOMAS EUGENE OLD, DONALD GORDON PRITCHETT, JOHN CHRISTOPHER BAKER
  • Patent number: 9131842
    Abstract: Systems and methods described herein use near field communications to locate a set of antennas attached to, coupled with, or near the patient. A signal emitted by an antenna in the set of antennas can be received by the other antennas in the set. A second signal can be further transmitted from another antenna in the set. The differential phase and/or time shifts between the antennas from the multiple signal transmissions can contain sufficient information to find the locations of the antennas in antenna centric coordinates. The antenna locations can then be used to find a location of a pill transmitter swallowed by the patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: Rock West Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Eugene Old, John Christopher Baker, Neal J. Carron, Donald Gordon Pritchett
  • Publication number: 20150196229
    Abstract: Systems and methods described herein use near field communications to locate a radiating transponder, such as a pill swallowed by a patient. The system can be triggered to turn on and transmit a waveform to a set of antennas attached to, coupled with, or near the patient. The magnetic field emitted by the transponder can be measured by the receiving antennas, for example, using principles of mutual inductance. The differential phase and/or time shifts between the antennas can contain sufficient information to find the location of the transponder and optionally its orientation relative to body coordinates. The system can display the location and/or orientation of the transponder. Further, the pill can include a reservoir to deliver a payload at a particular site of the patient's body based at least in part on the determined location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2015
    Publication date: July 16, 2015
    Inventors: Thomas Eugene Old, John Christopher Baker, Neal Jay Carron, Donald Gordon Pritchett
  • Publication number: 20150112189
    Abstract: Systems and methods described herein can use near field communications to locate a radiating transmitter, such as a pill transmitter swallowed by a patient. In some embodiments, the pill transmitter can include multiple transmitting elements configured to transmit signals in an axis orthogonal with respect to each other. Further, in some embodiment, the pill transmitter can also include multiple transmitting elements in each of the three axes where the three axes may be perpendicular with respect to each other. The magnetic field emitted from the pill transmitter can be measured by the receiving antennas, for example, using principles of mutual inductance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2014
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Inventors: Neal Jay Carron, Thomas Eugene Old, Donald Gordon Pritchett, John Christopher Baker
  • Patent number: 8900142
    Abstract: Systems and methods described herein use near field communications to locate a radiating transponder, such as a pill swallowed by a patient. The system can be triggered to turn on and transmit an amplitude shift keyed waveform (or other type of waveform) to a set of antennas attached to, coupled with, or near the patient at roughly known locations. The magnetic field emitted by the transponder can be measured by the receiving antennas, for example, using principles of mutual inductance. The differential phase and/or time shifts between the antennas can contain sufficient information to find the location of the transponder and optionally its orientation relative to body coordinates. The system can display the location and/or orientation of the transponder and may optionally provide other information about the movement, flow, or other characteristics of pill to assist clinicians with diagnosis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Rock West Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Eugene Old, John Christopher Baker, Neal J. Carron, Donald Gordon Pritchett
  • Publication number: 20140309967
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the method to identify the source of a signature signal by processing sparse digital data collected by a sensor system in a laboratory, field, or other application. The invention specifically addresses weak, obscured, or partially sampled signatures collected by a sensor system. The method takes advantage of all sources of data using an innovative method that uses Bayes Theorem for performing probability arithmetic and statistical inference. The method requires an exclusive and exhaustive library of candidate signatures. The method finds the most likely signature candidate from the library that has the highest likelihood of being responsible for the measured signal. In addition, the method can work with mixtures of library candidates to find the most likely mixture that explain the data. The method is applicable to a variety of sensor systems that collect and digitize data as signal strength (ordinate) versus measurement attribute (abscissa).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2013
    Publication date: October 16, 2014
    Inventors: Thomas Eugene Old, Neal Jay Carron, Scott Mark Frasier, John Christopher Baker
  • Publication number: 20140058221
    Abstract: Systems and methods described herein use near field communications to locate a radiating transponder, such as a pill swallowed by a patient. The system can be triggered to turn on and transmit an amplitude shift keyed waveform (or other type of waveform) to a set of antennas attached to, coupled with, or near the patient at roughly known locations. The magnetic field emitted by the transponder can be measured by the receiving antennas, for example, using principles of mutual inductance. The differential phase and/or time shifts between the antennas can contain sufficient information to find the location of the transponder and optionally its orientation relative to body coordinates. The system can display the location and/or orientation of the transponder and may optionally provide other information about the movement, flow, or other characteristics of pill to assist clinicians with diagnosis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2013
    Publication date: February 27, 2014
    Applicant: Rock West Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Eugene Old, John Christopher Baker, Neal J. Carron, Donald Gordon Pritchett
  • Publication number: 20140051949
    Abstract: Systems and methods described herein use near field communications to locate a set of antennas attached to, coupled with, or near the patient. A signal emitted by an antenna in the set of antennas can be received by the other antennas in the set. A second signal can be further transmitted from another antenna in the set. The differential phase and/or time shifts between the antennas from the multiple signal transmissions can contain sufficient information to find the locations of the antennas in antenna centric coordinates. The antenna locations can then be used to find a location of a pill transmitter swallowed by the patient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2013
    Publication date: February 20, 2014
    Applicant: Rock West Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Eugene Old, John Christopher Baker, Neal J. Carron, Donald Gordon Pritchett
  • Publication number: 20080128628
    Abstract: A neutron detector, and method for fabricating same, having an active layer comprised of organic and inorganic materials such as polymers and/or small molecules. These materials function as a semiconductor host matrix that transports carriers excited by neutron absorption. The active layer is comprised of host semiconductor materials, composites of the host semiconductor materials with other polymers molecules, and particles, or multi-layer structures of the host semiconductor materials with other materials. The host semiconductor materials include in their molecular structure neutron capturing atoms such as 10B, 6Li, 157Gd, 235U, 239Pu, 51V, and 103Rh, or alternatively are blended with molecules or particles that contain the above atoms in addition to electron accepting molecules or particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2007
    Publication date: June 5, 2008
    Applicant: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
    Inventors: Daniel Moses, Thomas Eugene Old