Patents by Inventor William E. Butler

William E. Butler 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: 20200305822
    Abstract: Techniques are provided for reconstructing cardiac frequency phenomena from a sequence of angiographic images, i.e., two-dimensional projection images acquired at faster than cardiac rate (greater than two-fold), and analyzed to provide a spatiotemporal reconstruction of moving vascular pulse waves according to that projection. In aspects, a cardiac frequency bandpass filter and/or a Eulerian magnification may be applied to the angiographic data to output the spatiotemporal reconstruction of cardiac frequency angiographic phenomena.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventor: William E. Butler
  • Publication number: 20200305901
    Abstract: Forceps can include a drive pin, an outer tube, a first jaw, a second jaw, and an inner shaft. The outer tube can extend along a longitudinal axis. The first jaw can be pivotably connected to the outer tube. The first jaw can include a first flange that can be located at a proximal portion of the first jaw. The first flange can include a first chamfered edge configured to limit extension of the first flange laterally beyond an outer surface of the outer tube when the first jaw is in a closed position. The inner shaft can be located within the outer tube and can extend along the longitudinal axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Christian J. Fiksen, William E. Butler, Hanam Pham
  • Publication number: 20200305902
    Abstract: Forceps including a housing, a first body, a second body and a drive shaft. The first body has a passageway extending therethrough. The drive shaft extending through the passageway and connected to the first body such that the first body and the drive shaft are slidable with respect to the housing to drive jaws located at a distal portion of the drive shaft between an open position and a closed position. The second body having a second passageway. The drive shaft extending through the second passageway such that the second body is guided by the drive shaft and is slidable relative to the first body and the drive shaft to displace a blade shaft between a retracted position and an extended position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Zane R. Ward, William E. Butler, Jeffrey J. Nelson, Christian J. Fiksen, Eric J. Boone
  • Publication number: 20200305957
    Abstract: Medical devices including a housing, an actuator, a body having a passageway extending through the body, a drive shaft extending through the passageway, and a clip coupled to the body and the drive shaft to fix the body relative to the drive shaft. The medical device further including features to couple the clip to at least one of the body and/or the drive shaft such that back out of the clip is inhibited.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: William E. Butler, Jeffrey Nelson
  • Publication number: 20200305905
    Abstract: Forceps can include an outer tube, a first jaw, a second jaw, and an inner tube. The outer tube can extend along a longitudinal axis and can include a pair of outer arms extending from a distal portion of the outer tube. The first jaw can be pivotably connected to the outer tube and the first jaw can include a first flange and a second flange each located at a proximal portion of the first jaw. The first flange and the second flange can each include a proximal portion extending outward of the outer tube when the jaws are in an open position. The proximal portions can be shaped to limit extension of the proximal portions laterally beyond the outer arms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Christian J. Fiksen, William E. Butler, William Kratoska, Hanam Pham
  • Publication number: 20200305916
    Abstract: Medical devices for operating an end effector including a housing, a drive shaft, a drive body and a drive link. The drive shaft is moveable relative to the housing to actuate the end effector. The drive body is operably coupled to the drive shaft. The drive body includes a proximal collar and a distal collar. The drive link includes a proximal cam surface and distal cam surface, and the drive link is operatively coupled to the housing and actuatable to translate the drive shaft with respect to the housing. The proximal cam surface is configured to interface with the proximal collar when the drive link displaces proximally to translate the drive body in a proximal direction, and the distal cam surface is configured to interface with the distal collar when the drive link displaces distally to translate the drive shaft in a distal direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: William E. Butler, Jeffrey J. Nelson
  • Publication number: 20200286237
    Abstract: Angiographic data is obtained by injecting a chemical contrast agent intravascularly, and imaging passage of the contrast as a function of time, thereby generating a sequence of images. To correct error from uncalibrated timestamps embedded in the image metadata, radio-opaque markers are used to generate a watermark embedding timestamp data in obtained images. The radio-opaque markers cause opacification on the x-ray images in the form of dynamic watermarks that encode timestamps. The positions of the markers in the watermark (cast from the radio-opaque markers) are then processed and analyzed to generate an accurate timestamp for the image. By generating an accurate timestamp, synchronized calculations of the images with other data sources are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2020
    Publication date: September 10, 2020
    Inventor: William E. Butler
  • Publication number: 20200245961
    Abstract: An angiogram is a study of blood vessels where an angiographic chemical contrast agent is injected while a sequence of images (typically x-rays) are obtained. The contrast pattern on the sequence of images provides information about the vascular anatomy and physiology. The discovery that contrast in blood vessels varies at cardiac frequency in magnitude and phase, which may be visualized as a spatiotemporal reconstruction of cardiac frequency angiographic phenomena, enables a set of processes for increasing the signal to noise ratio or equivalently the informational content of an angiogram. In this invention, the organization of cardiac frequency magnitude and phase enables equivalent information on anatomy and physiology to be obtained with less dose of injected chemical contrast agent, less x-ray dose, and/or less navigation of the injecting catheter within blood vessels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2020
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Inventor: William E. Butler
  • Publication number: 20200245965
    Abstract: A plurality of image projections are acquired at faster than cardiac rate. A spatiotemporal reconstruction of cardiac frequency angiographic phenomena in three spatial dimensions is generated from two dimensional image projections using physiological coherence at cardiac frequency. Complex valued methods may be used to operate on the plurality of image projections to reconstruct a higher dimensional spatiotemporal object. From a plurality of two spatial dimensional angiographic projections, a 3D spatial reconstruction of moving pulse waves and other cardiac frequency angiographic phenomena is obtained. Reconstruction techniques for angiographic data obtained from biplane angiography devices are also provided herein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2020
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Inventor: William E. Butler
  • Patent number: 10672506
    Abstract: A method and device for reducing a complexity of procedure based medical charge capture and coding utilizing a computer system. The method and device including searching for previously generated coding scenarios associated with the provider, using existing coding scenarios or adding coding scenarios to a library, generating and filtering codes associated with at least one of the steps of searching, using, and adding, formatting a graphical user interface specification to use the codes from the generating and filtering step, and storing the graphical user interface for presentation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: Square Knot Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: William E. Butler
  • Patent number: 10653379
    Abstract: The brain appears to have organized cardiac frequency angiographic phenomena with such coherence as to qualify as vascular pulse waves. Separate arterial and venous vascular pulse waves may be resolved. This disclosure states the method of extracting a spatiotemporal reconstruction of the cardiac frequency phenomena present in an angiogram obtained at faster than cardiac frequency. A wavelet transform is applied to each of the pixel-wise time signals of the angiogram. If there is motion alias then instead a high frequency resolution wavelet transform of the overall angiographic time intensity curve is cross-correlated to high temporal resolution wavelet transforms of the pixel-wise time signals. The result is filtered for cardiac wavelet scale then pixel-wise inverse wavelet transformed. This gives a complex-valued spatiotemporal grid of cardiac frequency angiographic phenomena. It may be rendered with a brightness-hue color model or subjected to further analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Inventors: Benjamin I. Rapoport, William E. Butler
  • Publication number: 20190046147
    Abstract: The brain appears to have organized cardiac frequency angiographic phenomena with such coherence as to qualify as vascular pulse waves. Separate arterial and venous vascular pulse waves may be resolved. This disclosure states the method of extracting a spatiotemporal reconstruction of the cardiac frequency phenomena present in an angiogram obtained at faster than cardiac frequency. A wavelet transform is applied to each of the pixel-wise time signals of the angiogram. If there is motion alias then instead a high frequency resolution wavelet transform of the overall angiographic time intensity curve is cross-correlated to high temporal resolution wavelet transforms of the pixel-wise time signals. The result is filtered for cardiac wavelet scale then pixel-wise inverse wavelet transformed. This gives a complex-valued spatiotemporal grid of cardiac frequency angiographic phenomena. It may be rendered with a brightness-hue color model or subjected to further analysis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2018
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Inventor: William E. Butler
  • Publication number: 20190015633
    Abstract: An apparatus for imparting a tensile force to deflect a distal portion of a catheter while maintaining its exterior dimensions may include a handle grip including a cross-section of generally predetermined exterior dimensions, and a longitudinal axis. A flexible elongate member may include proximal and distal end portions, with the proximal end portion being coupled to the handle grip. An adjustment knob may include a cross-section of generally predetermined exterior dimensions, and is rotatably coupled to the handle grip around the longitudinal axis. An elongate deflection member may be operably coupled to the adjustment knob and to the distal end portion of the elongate member. Rotation of the adjustment knob may impart a tensile force to the deflection member thereby causing the distal end portion of the elongate member to deflect from a prior configuration while maintaining the generally predetermined exterior dimensions of the handle grip and the adjustment knob.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2018
    Publication date: January 17, 2019
    Inventors: Michael C. Bednarek, Eric J. Wilkowske, Richard E. Stehr, William E. Butler
  • Patent number: 10123761
    Abstract: The brain appears to have organized cardiac frequency angiographic phenomena with such coherence as to qualify as vascular pulse waves. Separate arterial and venous vascular pulse waves may be resolved. This disclosure states the method of extracting a spatiotemporal reconstruction of the cardiac frequency phenomena present in an angiogram obtained at faster than cardiac frequency. A wavelet transform is applied to each of the pixel-wise time signals of the angiogram. If there is motion alias then instead a high frequency resolution wavelet transform of the overall angiographic time intensity curve is cross-correlated to high temporal resolution wavelet transforms of the pixel-wise time signals. The result is filtered for cardiac wavelet scale then pixel-wise inverse wavelet transformed. This gives a complex-valued spatiotemporal grid of cardiac frequency angiographic phenomena. It may be rendered with a brightness-hue color model or subjected to further analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Inventor: William E. Butler
  • Patent number: 10035000
    Abstract: An apparatus for imparting a tensile force to deflect a distal portion of a catheter while maintaining its exterior dimensions may include a handle grip including a cross-section of generally predetermined exterior dimensions, and a longitudinal axis. A flexible elongate member may include proximal and distal end portions, with the proximal end portion being coupled to the handle grip. An adjustment knob may include a cross-section of generally predetermined exterior dimensions, and is rotatably coupled to the handle grip around the longitudinal axis. An elongate deflection member may be operably coupled to the adjustment knob and to the distal end portion of the elongate member. Rotation of the adjustment knob may impart a tensile force to the deflection member thereby causing the distal end portion of the elongate member to deflect from a prior configuration while maintaining the generally predetermined exterior dimensions of the handle grip and the adjustment knob.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: St. Jude Medical, Atrial Fibrillation Division, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael C. Bednarek, Eric J. Wilkowske, Richard E. Stehr, William E. Butler
  • Publication number: 20170000441
    Abstract: The brain appears to have organized cardiac frequency angiographic phenomena with such coherence as to qualify as vascular pulse waves. Separate arterial and venous vascular pulse waves may be resolved. This disclosure states the method of extracting a spatiotemporal reconstruction of the cardiac frequency phenomena present in an angiogram obtained at faster than cardiac frequency. A wavelet transform is applied to each of the pixel-wise time signals of the angiogram. If there is motion alias then instead a high frequency resolution wavelet transform of the overall angiographic time intensity curve is cross-correlated to high temporal resolution wavelet transforms of the pixel-wise time signals. The result is filtered for cardiac wavelet scale then pixel-wise inverse wavelet transformed. This gives a complex-valued spatiotemporal grid of cardiac frequency angiographic phenomena. It may be rendered with a brightness-hue color model or subjected to further analysis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2016
    Publication date: January 5, 2017
    Inventor: William E. Butler
  • Publication number: 20160082227
    Abstract: An apparatus for imparting a tensile force to deflect a distal portion of a catheter while maintaining its exterior dimensions may include a handle grip including a cross-section of generally predetermined exterior dimensions, and a longitudinal axis. A flexible elongate member may include proximal and distal end portions, with the proximal end portion being coupled to the handle grip. An adjustment knob may include a cross-section of generally predetermined exterior dimensions, and is rotatably coupled to the handle grip around the longitudinal axis. An elongate deflection member may be operably coupled to the adjustment knob and to the distal end portion of the elongate member. Rotation of the adjustment knob may impart a tensile force to the deflection member thereby causing the distal end portion of the elongate member to deflect from a prior configuration while maintaining the generally predetermined exterior dimensions of the handle grip and the adjustment knob.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2015
    Publication date: March 24, 2016
    Inventors: MICHAEL C. BEDNAREK, ERIC J. WILKOWSKE, RICHARD E. STEHR, WILLIAM E. BUTLER
  • Patent number: 9132258
    Abstract: An apparatus for imparting a tensile force to deflect a distal portion of a catheter while maintaining its exterior dimensions may include a handle grip including a cross-section of generally predetermined exterior dimensions, and a longitudinal axis. A flexible elongate member may include proximal and distal end portions, with the proximal end portion being coupled to the handle grip. An adjustment knob may include a cross-section of generally predetermined exterior dimensions, and is rotatably coupled to the handle grip around the longitudinal axis. An elongate deflection member may be operably coupled to the adjustment knob and to the distal end portion of the elongate member. Rotation of the adjustment knob may impart a tensile force to the deflection member thereby causing the distal end portion of the elongate member to deflect from a prior configuration while maintaining the generally predetermined exterior dimensions of the handle grip and the adjustment knob.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: St. Jude Medical, Atrial Fibrillation Division, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael C. Bednarek, Eric J. Wilkowske, Richard E. Stehr, William E. Butler
  • Publication number: 20130290026
    Abstract: A method and device for reducing a complexity of procedure based medical charge capture and coding utilizing a computer system. The method and device including searching for previously generated coding scenarios associated with the provider, using existing coding scenarios or adding coding scenarios to a library, generating and filtering codes associated with at least one of the steps of searching, using, and adding, formatting a graphical user interface specification to use the codes from the generating and filtering step, and storing the graphical user interface for presentation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2013
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Inventor: William E. BUTLER
  • Publication number: 20130290014
    Abstract: In a method of enrollment selection of subjects for a clinical trial, a plurality of physician investigators is polled regarding each subject of a plurality of subjects. Responses of the plurality of physician investigators are aggregated for each subject. A subject of the plurality of subjects is enrolled in response to the subject having an aggregate of responses for the clinical trial that exceeds a predetermined minimum value of responses for the clinical trial.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2013
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Inventor: William E. Butler