Patents by Inventor William T. Ryder

William T. Ryder 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: 9033867
    Abstract: A self propelled, endoscopic apparatus formed of a flexible, fluid-filled toroid and a motorized or powerable frame The apparatus may be used to advance a variety of accessory devices into generally tubular spaces and environments for medical and non-medical applications. The apparatus when inserted into a tubular space or environment, such as the colon of a patient undergoing a colonoscopy, is advanced by the motion of the toroid. The toroid's surface circulates around itself in a continuous motion from inside its central cavity along its central axis to the outside where its surface travels in the opposite direction until it again rotates into its central cavity. As the device advances within the varying sizes, shapes and contours of body lumens, the toroid compresses and expands to accommodate and navigate the environment. The motion of the toroid can be powered or unpowered and the direction and speed may be controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Troy J. Ziegler, Timothy P. Sheridan, William T. Ryder
  • Patent number: 8353817
    Abstract: A self propelled, endoscopic apparatus formed of a flexible, fluid-filled toroid and a motorized or powerable frame. The apparatus may be used to advance a variety of accessory devices into generally tubular spaces and environments for medical and non-medical applications. The apparatus when inserted into a tubular space or environment, such as the colon of a patient undergoing a colonoscopy, is advanced by the motion of the toroid. The toroid's surface circulates around itself in a continuous motion from inside its central cavity along its central axis to the outside where its surface travels in the opposite direction until it again rotates into its central cavity. As the device advances within the varying sizes, shapes and contours of body lumens, the toroid compresses and expands to accommodate and navigate the environment. The motion of the toroid can be powered or unpowered and the direction and speed may be controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Troy J. Ziegler, Timothy P. Sheridan, William T. Ryder
  • Patent number: 8062225
    Abstract: An immersion bag system for use with an ultrasound probe to overcome near field artifact including a flexible thin wall thickness immersion bag with an attached flexible collar having an integral internal seal. The immersion bag contains a gel or other ultrasound transmission medium and is sealingly and removably attached by a mutually formed probe/seal valve to the tip end of an ultrasound probe. The immersion bag is able to conform to a cornea, as well as to other surfaces, whether flat or irregular, thereby enabling an ultrasound probe to be used easily on such surfaces. An ultrasound probe, in use with the immersion bag system, is maintained at a distance above the contact surface of the immersion bag and is positionable about the vertical axis while the immersion bag maintains stationary conformal contact with the structure against which it is in contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: ESI, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas C. Prager, Thomas A. Burba, David R. Hardten, William T. Ryder
  • Patent number: 8012095
    Abstract: An immersion bag system for use with an ultrasound probe to overcome near field artifact includes a flexible thin wall thickness immersion bag with an attached flexible collar having an integral internal seal. The immersion bag contains a gel or other ultrasound transmission medium and is sealingly and removably attached by a mutually formed probe/seal valve to the tip end of an ultrasound probe. The immersion bag is able to conform to a cornea, as well as to other surfaces, whether flat or irregular, thereby enabling an ultrasound probe to be used easily on such surfaces. An ultrasound probe in use with the immersion bag system is maintained at a distance above the contact surface of the immersion bag and is positionable about the vertical axis while the immersion bag maintains stationary conformal contact with the structure against which it is in contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: ESI, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas C. Prager, Thomas A. Burba, David R. Hardten, William T. Ryder
  • Publication number: 20100198011
    Abstract: A self propelled, endoscopic apparatus formed of a flexible, fluid-filled toroid and a motorized or powerable frame. The apparatus may be used to advance a variety of accessory devices into generally tubular spaces and environments for medical and non-medical applications. The apparatus when inserted into a tubular space or environment, such as the colon of a patient undergoing a colonoscopy, is advanced by the motion of the toroid. The toroid's surface circulates around itself in a continuous motion from inside its central cavity along its central axis to the outside where its surface travels in the opposite direction until it again rotates into its central cavity. As the device advances within the varying sizes, shapes and contours of body lumens, the toroid compresses and expands to accommodate and navigate the environment. The motion of the toroid can be powered or unpowered and the direction and speed may be controlled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2010
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Applicant: SoftScope Medical Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Troy J. Ziegler, Timothy P. Sheridan, William T. Ryder
  • Patent number: 7736300
    Abstract: A self propelled, endoscopic apparatus formed of a flexible, fluid-filled toroid and a motorized or powerable frame The apparatus may be used to advance a variety of accessory devices into generally tubular spaces and environments for medical and non-medical applications. The apparatus when inserted into a tubular space or environment, such as the colon of a patient undergoing a colonoscopy, is advanced by the motion of the toroid. The toroid's surface circulates around itself in a continuous motion from inside its central cavity along its central axis to the outside where its surface travels in the opposite direction until it again rotates into its central cavity. As the device advances within the varying sizes, shapes and contours of body lumens, the toroid compresses and expands to accommodate and navigate the environment. The motion of the toroid can be powered or unpowered and the direction and speed may be controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: SoftScope Medical Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Troy J. Ziegler, Timothy P. Sheridan, William T. Ryder
  • Patent number: 7520845
    Abstract: A selector of a selectorized dumbbell comprises a keyboard having a plurality of keys that can be depressed into a weight selecting position. In this weight selecting position, a cam actuator on each key forces a pair of connecting pins apart to couple a particular weight to the handle. Preferably, to minimize the risk of accidental weight detachment from the handle, a pair of keys and two pairs of connecting pins couple each weight to the handle in a redundant fashion. The pins in each pair slide apart from one another to couple a weight to the handle and slide towards one another to uncouple a weight from the handle with the sliding motion of the pins being perpendicular to the axis of a hand grip of the handle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Intellex, Inc.
    Inventors: Carl K. Towley, III, Gregory S. Olson, William T. Ryder
  • Publication number: 20080161693
    Abstract: An immersion bag system for use with an ultrasound probe to overcome near field artifact includes a flexible thin wall thickness immersion bag with an attached flexible collar having an integral internal seal. The immersion bag contains a gel or other ultrasound transmission medium and is sealingly and removably attached by a mutually formed probe/seal valve to the tip end of an ultrasound probe. The immersion bag is able to conform to a cornea, as well as to other surfaces, whether flat or irregular, thereby enabling an ultrasound probe to be used easily on such surfaces. An ultrasound probe in use with the immersion bag system is maintained at a distance above the contact surface of the immersion bag and is positionable about the vertical axis while the immersion bag maintains stationary conformal contact with the structure against which it is in contact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2007
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Inventors: Thomas C. Prager, Thomas A. Burba, David R. Hardten, William T. Ryder
  • Publication number: 20080032874
    Abstract: A selectorized dumbbell has a selector for coupling a desired number of weights from an array of nested weights to the handle of the dumbbell to select or determine the exercise mass of the dumbbell. The selector comprises a keyboard having a plurality of keys that can be depressed into a weight selecting position. In this weight selecting position, a cam actuator on each key forces a pair of connecting pins apart to couple a particular weight to the handle. A separate weight selection key is provided for each pair of connecting pins. At least one pair of connecting pins is provided for individually coupling each weight to the handle. Preferably, to minimize the risk of accidental weight detachment from the handle, a pair of keys and two pairs of connecting pins couple each weight to the handle in a redundant fashion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2006
    Publication date: February 7, 2008
    Inventors: Carl K. Towley, Gregory S. Olson, William T. Ryder
  • Patent number: 6971990
    Abstract: A self propelled, endoscopic apparatus formed of a flexible, fluid-filled toroid and a motorized or powerable frame. The apparatus may be used to advance a variety of accessory devices into generally tubular spaces and environments for medical and non-medical applications. The apparatus when inserted into a tubular space or environment, such as the colon of a patient undergoing a colonoscopy, is advanced by the motion of the toroid. The toroid's surface circulates around itself in a continuous motion from inside its central cavity along its central axis to the outside where its surface travels in the opposite direction until it again rotates into its central cavity. As the device advances within the varying sizes, shapes and contours of body lumens, the toroid compresses and expands to accommodate and navigate the environment. The motion of the toroid can be powered or unpowered and the direction and speed may be controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2005
    Inventors: Troy J. Ziegler, Timothy P. Sheridan, William T. Ryder
  • Publication number: 20040204702
    Abstract: A self propelled, endoscopic apparatus formed of a flexible, fluid-filled toroid and a motorized or powerable frame The apparatus may be used to advance a variety of accessory devices into generally tubular spaces and environments for medical and non-medical applications. The apparatus when inserted into a tubular space or environment, such as the colon of a patient undergoing a colonoscopy, is advanced by the motion of the toroid. The toroid's surface circulates around itself in a continuous motion from inside its central cavity along its central axis to the outside where its surface travels in the opposite direction until it again rotates into its central cavity. As the device advances within the varying sizes, shapes and contours of body lumens, the toroid compresses and expands to accommodate and navigate the environment. The motion of the toroid can be powered or unpowered and the direction and speed may be controlled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2004
    Publication date: October 14, 2004
    Inventors: Troy J. Ziegler, Timothy P. Sheridan, William T. Ryder