Patents by Inventor Thomas Jerger

Thomas Jerger 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: 11311022
    Abstract: A method for producing a mixture of oil and fluid food product includes placing a funnel into a pressure tank such that a stem of the funnel extends at least halfway down into the pressure tank. The pressure tank is flushed with nitrogen. Oil flows into the pressure tank through the funnel. A flow of nitrogen into the pressure tank is maintained through a side inlet of the pressure tank. Oil is dispensed from a pressure tank into the transfer line flowing a flow of fluid food product from a batch tank. The dispensed oil is dispersed into the flow of fluid food product in a inline shear mixer creating oil-in-fluid food product droplets. The oil-in-fluid food product droplets flow to the batch tank with the flow of fluid food product. The oil-in-fluid food product droplets are distributed in a volume of fluid food product in the batch tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: WHITEWAVE SERVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Elle Ann Clarke, Dennis Keith Chapman, Gary Thomas Jerger
  • Patent number: 10279322
    Abstract: An apparatus for distributing oil into fluid food product includes a batch tank, a transfer line, a pressure tank, a funnel, an oil dispenser, an inline shear mixer, and a flow line. The batch tank holds a volume of fluid food product. The transfer line is in fluid connection with the batch tank. The pressure tank holds a volume of oil. The funnel is disposed through a top opening in the pressure tank and dispenses oil into the pressure tank. A stem portion of the funnel extends at least halfway into an interior of the pressure tank. The funnel includes at least one vent. The oil dispenser dispenses oil from the pressure tank into a flow of fluid food product from the batch tank. The inline shear mixer mixes the fluid food product and the oil. The flow line flows the fluid food product-and-oil mixture to the batch tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: WhiteWave Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Elle Ann Clarke, Dennis Keith Chapman, Gary Thomas Jerger
  • Publication number: 20180235250
    Abstract: A method for producing a mixture of oil and fluid food product includes placing a funnel into a pressure tank such that a stem of the funnel extends at least halfway down into the pressure tank. The pressure tank is flushed with nitrogen. Oil flows into the pressure tank through the funnel. A flow of nitrogen into the pressure tank is maintained through a side inlet of the pressure tank. Oil is dispensed from a pressure tank into the transfer line flowing a flow of fluid food product from a batch tank. The dispensed oil is dispersed into the flow of fluid food product in a inline shear mixer creating oil-in-fluid food product droplets. The oil-in-fluid food product droplets flow to the batch tank with the flow of fluid food product. The oil-in-fluid food product droplets are distributed in a volume of fluid food product in the batch tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2017
    Publication date: August 23, 2018
    Inventors: Elle Ann Clarke, Dennis Keith Chapman, Gary Thomas Jerger
  • Publication number: 20180236418
    Abstract: An apparatus for distributing oil into fluid food product includes a batch tank, a transfer line, a pressure tank, a funnel, an oil dispenser, an inline shear mixer, and a flow line. The batch tank holds a volume of fluid food product. The transfer line is in fluid connection with the batch tank. The pressure tank holds a volume of oil. The funnel is disposed through a top opening in the pressure tank and dispenses oil into the pressure tank. A stem portion of the funnel extends at least halfway into an interior of the pressure tank. The funnel includes at least one vent. The oil dispenser dispenses oil from the pressure tank into a flow of fluid food product from the batch tank. The inline shear mixer mixes the fluid food product and the oil. The flow line flows the fluid food product-and-oil mixture to the batch tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2017
    Publication date: August 23, 2018
    Inventors: Elle Ann Clarke, Dennis Keith Chapman, Gary Thomas Jerger
  • Publication number: 20160331458
    Abstract: The invention relates to a laser handpiece 1, an exchangeable fiber-optic insert 10, and a control unit 70 therefor. The laser handpiece 1 comprises a optical waveguide 35, which is connected to a light coupling site in a base member 21 and in which the application element 10 for laser light is exchangeably attached to the base member 21. The base member 21 is mounted in a sleeve-type grip 3 for axial displacement therein. The light guide 10 can be wound around a control device 70 which has an annular gap 73 for this purpose and a lower housing part 75 which is offset from an upper housing part 74. An exchangeable fiber-optic insert 10, 27 acting as an application element is provided with a sleeve 80 serving as protection during transportation and as an assembling tool.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2016
    Publication date: November 17, 2016
    Inventors: Thomas Bierbaum, Siegried Goisser, Hermann Landgraf, Matthias Rein, Ralf Sutter, Thomas Jerger, Joachim Peuckert
  • Patent number: 9433475
    Abstract: The invention relates to a laser handpiece 1, an exchangeable fiber-optic insert 10, and a control unit 70 therefor. The laser handpiece 1 comprises a optical waveguide 35, which is connected to a light coupling site in a base member 21 and in which the application element 10 for laser light is exchangeably attached to the base member 21. The base member 21 is mounted in a sleeve-type grip 3 for axial displacement therein. The light guide 10 can be wound around a control device 70 which has an annular gap 73 for this purpose and a lower housing part 75 which is offset from an upper housing part 74. An exchangeable fiber-optic insert 10, 27 acting as an application element is provided with a sleeve 80 serving as protection during transportation and as an assembling tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: SIRONA DENTAL SYSTEMS GMBH
    Inventors: Thomas Bierbaum, Siegfried Goisser, Hermann Landgraf, Matthias Rein, Ralf Sutter, Thomas Jerger, Joachim Peuckert
  • Publication number: 20150140504
    Abstract: In dentistry very often soft tissue has to be cut. It has become customary to cut soft tissue, in particular gum or gingiva, or to disinfect pockets in the gingiva that exist at the neck of teeth with the help of laser light. The same applies to a disinfection of the channel in the root of teeth (endodontic treatment). Prior art concepts of cutting soft tissue rely on the use of red or infrared diode lasers and lead to an excessive heating the tissue and damaging of surrounding tissue. We suggest a device for treatment comprising a laser diode with a wavelength of 445±15 nm, in particular 445±10 nm, for providing the laser light. The use of e.g. 445 nm for cutting soft tissues has numerous advantages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2014
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventors: Ralf SUTTER, Bernd Oehme, Thomas Jerger, Francesco Zanata
  • Publication number: 20100216088
    Abstract: The invention relates to a laser handpiece 1, an exchangeable fiber-optic insert 10, and a control unit 70 therefor. The laser handpiece 1 comprises a optical waveguide 35, which is connected to a light coupling site in a base member 21 and in which the application element 10 for laser light is exchangeably attached to the base member 21. The base member 21 is mounted in a sleeve-type grip 3 for axial displacement therein. The light guide 10 can be wound around a control device 70 which has an annular gap 73 for this purpose and a lower housing part 75 which is offset from an upper housing part 74. An exchangeable fiber-optic insert 10, 27 acting as an application element is provided with a sleeve 80 serving as protection during transportation and as an assembling tool.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2010
    Publication date: August 26, 2010
    Applicant: SIRONA DENTAL SYSTEMS GMBH
    Inventors: Thomas Bierbaum, Siegfried Goisser, Hermann Landgraf, Matthias Rein, Ralf Sutter, Thomas Jerger, Joachim Peuckert
  • Patent number: 6736784
    Abstract: A medical instrument for treating biological tissue comprises a housing (2), a pressure wave generation means (4) and a transmission means (8) for coupling the unfocused pressure waves into the body of living beings. The transmission means (8) comprises a pressure chamber (12) having an inlet and an outlet end, the pressure chamber (12) containing a liquid (14) into which pressure waves from the pressure wave generation means (4) can be coupled, which pressure waves can be transmitted to a membrane (16) arranged at the outlet end of the pressure chamber (12) which membrane (16) couples the pressure waves transmitted from the liquid unfocusedly into the biological tissue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Assignee: Ferton Holding S.A.
    Inventors: Andreas Menne, Thomas Jerger
  • Patent number: 6264661
    Abstract: A device for driving a wire pin, and in particular a Kirschner wire, into bone material, comprising a propelling device that acts upon the wire pin which may be inserted into the device from the free front end thereof, said propelling device being driven by periodically repeated impact strokes applied thereupon by an impacting member. The propelling device acts upon the wire pin without any clamping means being involved, which is achieved by the propelling device being designed as a transmitting member against which the free end face of the wire pin may evenly abut and which may transmit the impact strokes of the impacting member as impact pulses into the wire pin through the free end face thereof, with the impact pulses propagating through the wire pin as periodic compression waves so that the wire pin is successively driven into the bone material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2001
    Assignee: Ferton Holding SA
    Inventors: Thomas Jerger, Dirk Bernard Van Egmond, Thorsten Raabe
  • Patent number: 6217588
    Abstract: A metallic flexible probe for use in shock wave lithotripsy is provided next to its head portion and approximately at a transition to an adjoining initial length of the probe with a rated break point for causing without any disturbance of the energy flow along the length of the probe as optimized by different dimensional and material chracteristics of the probe a fracture at a position which most presumably will not lead to harmful injuries of the patient and to no damages of the surrounding lumen of the endoscope which is used in combination with a lithotripter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Assignee: Ferton Holding S.A.
    Inventors: Thomas Jerger, Uwe Horn, Emanuel Goin, Andreas Menne
  • Patent number: D629908
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Sirona Dental Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Jerger, Andreas Ries, Torsten Richter, Fritz Hensel