Patents by Inventor Willie Williamson, Jr.

Willie Williamson, Jr. 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: 7831096
    Abstract: Certain embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for representing a tool or implant in an image. Certain embodiments provide a user interface system for displaying a representation of a tool or implant with respect to an image. The system includes a processor configured to establish a surface boundary for a region of interest depict in the image and configured to determine a position of the tool or implant with respect to the surface boundary, and a display configured to dynamically display the image and the representation to a user. The processor generates a representation of the tool or implant based on the position with respect to the surface boundary. A portion of the tool or implant inside the surface boundary is depicted in the representation with a degree of transparency compared to a portion of the tool or implant outside the surface boundary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Willie Williamson, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6747646
    Abstract: A system and method for intra-operatively providing a surgeon with visual evaluations of possible surgical outcomes ahead of time, and generating simulated data, includes a medical imaging camera, a registration device for registering data to a physical space, and to the medical imaging camera, and a fusion mechanism for fusing the data and the images to generate simulated data, without correcting for distortion. The simulated data (e.g., such as augmented X-ray images) is natural and easy for a surgeon to interpret. In an exemplary implementation, the system preferably includes a data processor which receives a three-dimensional surgical plan or three-dimensional plan of therapy delivery, one or a plurality of two-dimensional intra-operative images, a three-dimensional model of pre-operative data, registration data, and image calibration data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Andre Gueziec, Alan David Kalvin, Willie Williamson, Jr., Kenong Wu
  • Patent number: 6415171
    Abstract: A system and method for intra-operatively providing a surgeon with visual evaluations of possible surgical outcomes ahead of time, and generating simulated data, includes a medical imaging camera, a registration device for registering data to a physical space, and to the medical imaging camera, and a fusion mechanism for fusing the data and the images to generate simulated data, without correcting for distortion. The simulated data (e.g., such as augmented X-ray images) is natural and easy for a surgeon to interpret. In an exemplary implementation, the system preferably includes a data processor which receives a three-dimensional surgical plan or three-dimensional plan of therapy delivery, one or a plurality of two-dimensional intra-operative images, a three-dimensional model of pre-operative data, registration data, and image calibration data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Andre Gueziec, Alan David Kalvin, Willie Williamson, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5824085
    Abstract: Methods, systems and apparatus for planning the position of a prosthesis in a long bone in orthopaedic surgical procedures, such as hip replacement surgery, knee replacement surgery, long bone osteotomies, and the like. A bone model is generated from a scanned image of a bone, a prosthesis model is selected from a library of prosthesis models and then a cavity model is formed based on the prosthesis model and/or the bone model. The cavity model may then be positioned over the bone model, either interactively by the surgeon or automatically through an algorithm based on clinical parameters, to determine a reasonable location for implantation of a prosthesis within the bone. The cavity model allows the surgeon to optimize placement of the implant within the bone, and it provides important clinical information to the surgeon, such as areas in which press fits are provided, extension areas for possible subsidence and access areas for allowing the surgeon to insert the implant into the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1998
    Assignee: Integrated Surgical Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Alind Sahay, Brent Mittelstadt, Willie Williamson, Jr., Joel Zuhars, Peter Kazanzides
  • Patent number: 5769092
    Abstract: Computer implemented systems and methods for removing bone cement or other material to replace a bone prosthesis is provided. A computer aided method of replacing a bone prosthesis according to the present invention comprises the steps of: receiving as input image data of a bone; identifying bounding contours of material in the image data surrounding a first bone prosthesis for removal; and generating system contours from the bounding contours, the system contours specifying a cavity to be cut in the bone to accommodate a second bone prosthesis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1998
    Assignee: Integrated Surgical Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Willie Williamson, Jr.