Patents Issued in July 2, 2019
  • Patent number: 10334989
    Abstract: One of the most common cooking activities is browning of ground beef, turkey, lamb, or chicken for use in various dishes from sloppy Joe's, to tacos, to spaghetti sauces, and countless others. The present inventor recognized that browning using conventional techniques and devices requires use of multiple tools that increase preparation and clean up time. In response, they devised, among other things, a single tool that allows not only effective separation and turning of the ground meat during cooking, but also serving of the ground meat. In one embodiment, the tool includes a handle with a flat spatula head having a ridged fin structure on its topside. The fin structure extends from the front edge of the spatula back toward the handle, allowing the front edge of the spatula in combination with a front most edge of the fin structure to function as chopper-separator and allowing the spatula portion to facilitate serving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Inventors: Katherine Waymire, Melessa E. Paynter
  • Patent number: 10334990
    Abstract: A cutting board with removable drip pan system includes at least one drip pan and a cutting board. The cutting board includes a top surface, a bottom surface, a front edge, a back edge, and a pair of opposing sides, and is constructed from materials suitable for direct contact with food. A pair of guides is positioned along the bottom surface of the cutting board to receive the edges of the drip pan. A plurality of channels each having at least one aperture are positioned along the top surface to direct liquids from the top surface into the drip pan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Inventor: Bruce P. Russell
  • Patent number: 10334991
    Abstract: A combination cutting and straining apparatus includes a cutting board that includes a planar configuration having opposed top and bottom surfaces, the cutting board having opposed front and rear edges and having first and second side edges extending between ends of the front and rear edges, respectively. The bottom surface of the cutting board defines first and second grooves that are proximate to and extend parallel to the first and second side edges, respectively, and extend between the front and rear edges, respectively. A strainer basket includes a bottom wall and a plurality of walls extending upwardly from peripheral edges of the bottom wall, respectively, for collectively defining an interior straining area. Side walls of the strainer basket include upper edges received in respective grooves for slidable movement of the cutting board atop the strainer basket. Cutting board legs are pivotally coupled to a bottom surface of the cutting board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Inventor: Ashok Patel
  • Patent number: 10334992
    Abstract: A rotary unit selectively adds additives to water in a conventional bathtub automatically without a bather having to touch the additives or leave the conventional bathtub to get the additives. The rotary unit includes a plurality of pressurized canisters and a controller. The plurality of pressurized canisters are configured in a circular configuration and are disposed directly adjacent to, and communicatable with, the conventional bathtub. Each pressurized canister contains a different one of the additives. The controller is in communication with the plurality of pressurized canisters, and as such, the controller is utilized to choose one of the additives to add to the water in the conventional bathtub automatically without the bather having to touch the chosen one of the additives or leave the conventional bathtub to get the chosen one of the additives.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Inventor: Wai Kin Chau
  • Patent number: 10334993
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a customized shower pan or floor includes the steps in which the desired shower stall area is measured to determine an outer periphery with regard to the existing drain in situ and then a shower pan mold is constructed with both an outer and a drain periphery. In a first embodiment, a resin/filler is poured partway in to the mold and then pre-cut tiles are placed in a desired manner on top of the resin while it cures. In a second embodiment, a single slab is poured with a resin/filler mixed with crushed or powdered stone, metal, or the like. The set shower pan is then placed and the drain periphery is grouted to the existing drain and plumbed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Inventor: Joseph Nastasi
  • Patent number: 10334994
    Abstract: A body scrubber holder apparatus including a rigid handle portion, a flexible body portion, and a holder portion including a holding aperture and designed to receive and retain a body scrubber. The holder portion includes retention pins extending transversely away from the body of the holder portion and into the holding aperture, such that the retention pins can fit into slots on a body scrubber or other device. The holder apparatus is shaped such that the strain force experienced by the apparatus is concentrated on the flexible body portion, which can flex when experiencing strain, and rebound to an original orientation when no longer experiencing strain. The strain force being concentrated on the body portion (as opposed to on the connection between the holder and the cleaning device) provides an advantage the strain force does not risk the breakage of the retention mechanism of the holder portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Reach Your Clean, LLC
    Inventor: Kenneth S. Burd
  • Patent number: 10334995
    Abstract: The decorative cover for a paper towel roll and holder is configured for use with a paper towel roll. The decorative cover for a paper towel roll and holder is placed over the paper towel roll for decorative purposes. The paper towel roll may be mounted on a paper towel holder. The decorative cover for a paper towel roll and holder comprises a cylinder, a top cap, and a slot. The cylinder is defined with a vertical face, a superior base, and an inferior base. The vertical face encloses the paper towel roll. The top cap encloses the superior base of the cylinder. The slot is an aperture formed in the vertical face. The free end of the paper towel roll is threaded through the slot such that paper towels may be drawn out of the paper towel roll without removing the decorative cover for a paper towel roll and holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Inventor: Stephanie Butler
  • Patent number: 10334996
    Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing paper product has an encasement that is configured to enclose the roll of paper. The encasement has a base at a longitudinal end for supporting the roll of paper in that encasement, with the base including a base opening for the paper to be inserted there through. The base also has an inner surface that is configured to contact the roll of paper, as well as an oppositely disposed outer surface. A dispensing portion of the apparatus is located adjacent the outer surface of the base, and is releasably coupled to the encasement. Coupling between the dispensing portion and the encasement is free of fasteners. The dispensing portion includes a rotatable dispensing element that has a dispensing orifice for dispensing paper from within said encasement to the exterior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: ESSITY HYGIENE AND HEALTH AKTIEBOLAG
    Inventors: Daniele Salvatore Tedesco, Craig Michael Billman, Michael Austin Dotsey, Bryan Fitzgerald Allard
  • Patent number: 10334997
    Abstract: A toilet paper dispenser is disclosed in which the dispenser does not need to be mounted to the wall or placed on the floor. The dispenser is typically made of a one-piece construction that installs easily to any existing toilet by way of the mounting bolt for the toilet seat. The toilet paper dispenser adjustably rotates between an extended position alongside the toilet seat and a storage position behind the toilet seat and under the toilet tank. The inventive toilet paper dispenser can receive any size roll of toilet paper, and loads by sliding the roll over the open end of the dispenser. A modified bolt hole can allow the dispenser to be installed and secured in place on the mounting bolt without the need of a retaining nut.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: HANDY TISSUE, LLC
    Inventors: David C. Yocom, Candice B. Yocom
  • Patent number: 10334998
    Abstract: An assembly offering to consumers a choice between two types of closure systems for a wipes flexible container is provided. The assembly comprises at least one flexible container and a reusable closure element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Brigitte Rubo, Heiner Wilhelm Maria Bouten, Oliver Heilmann
  • Patent number: 10334999
    Abstract: A tissue dispensing assembly for discrete tissue access includes a first shell that defines an interior space and a second shell that defines an internal space. The second shell has an upper end that is open. A plurality of tissues, which is rolled, is configured to position in the internal space. A first hole and a second hole are positioned in a top and a bottom of the first shell, respectively. A panel is coupled to and extends between a perimeter of the first hole and a circumference of the second hole to defines a chamber in the interior space. The second hole is positioned to insert the second shell into the chamber so that a terminal sheet of the plurality of tissues is positioned through the first hole. The terminal sheet is extracted by pulling concurrent with positioning of an adjacent sheet through the first hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Inventor: Cindy Brunelle
  • Patent number: 10335000
    Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing wipes and hygiene products with a rectangular container having a bottom, a top, and upstanding sides defining an enclosed space with one open side, and hanging disposed at the top or the sides of the dispenser and adapted for suspending the dispenser from an existing bathroom tissue holder's spindle roll or holder's bar used for mounting a conventional bathroom tissue roll, three hook like arms at the top end, a nipple on the outside of both side walls, a lip at the bottom of the front open side, openings on both side walls for to secure lugs, and detachable square side containers having lugs and an attached lid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Inventor: Steven Lim
  • Patent number: 10335001
    Abstract: Embodiments can provide a dust collection box and a robot vacuum cleaner. The dust collection box includes a box body and a lower lid. The box body defines a dust extraction port in the bottom thereof. The lower lid includes a first lateral portion and a second lateral portion opposite to each other. The first lateral portion is rotatably connected with the box body to enable the lower lid to open or close the dust extraction port. When the lower lid closes the dust extraction port, the second lateral portion is snap-fitted with the box body through a first snap structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignees: JIANGSU MIDEA CLEANING APPLIANCES CO., LTD., MIDEA GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Wei Hu, Xianmin Wei, Manzhi Jin
  • Patent number: 10335002
    Abstract: A hand-held vacuum cleaner includes a dust cup including a first cyclone, a cyclone assembly, and a filtration member. The cyclone assembly includes a plurality of second cyclones, a guiding channel is defined between two of the plurality of the second cyclones, the guiding channel is in communication with the first air vent and an airflow is guided to an outer circumference of the cyclone assembly by the guiding channel along a tangent line to a circumferential wall of the second cyclone adjacent to the guiding channel, each second cyclone has an air inducing notch and is provided with an air guiding pipe, the filtration member is disposed along the outer circumference of the cyclone assembly, and the airflow in the outer circumference of the cyclone assembly tangentially enters the second cyclone through the filtration member and the air inducing notch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: JIANGSU MIDEA CLEANING APPLIANCES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Xinzhou Wang, Yonghua Wang, Min Zhong
  • Patent number: 10335003
    Abstract: Method for an autonomous cleaning apparatus, the method comprising the steps of: scanning a vicinity of an autonomous cleaning apparatus by means of at least one sensor; detecting an unreachable area, being unreachable by the autonomous cleaning apparatus; detecting a door in proximity to the unreachable area; detecting that the unreachable area is unreachable due to the positioning of the door wing; automatically moving the door wing, by the autonomous cleaning apparatus, in order to obtain access to and clean the unreachable area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: ADVANCED DIGITAL BROADCAST S.A.
    Inventor: Bartosz Dabrowski
  • Patent number: 10335004
    Abstract: A mobile robot system is provided that includes a docking station having at least two pose-defining fiducial markers. The pose-defining fiducial markers have a predetermined spatial relationship with respect to one another and/or to a reference point on the docking station such that a docking path to the base station can be determined from one or more observations of the at least two pose-defining fiducial markers. A mobile robot in the system includes a pose sensor assembly. A controller is located on the chassis and is configured to analyze an output signal from the pose sensor assembly. The controller is configured to determine a docking station pose, to locate the docking station pose on a map of a surface traversed by the mobile robot and to path plan a docking trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: iRobot Corporation
    Inventors: Philip Fong, Jason Meltzer, Jens-Steffen Gutmann, Vazgen Karapetyan, Mario E. Munich
  • Patent number: 10335005
    Abstract: A robot cleaner includes a body to travel on a floor; an obstacle sensing unit to sense an obstacle approaching the body; an auxiliary cleaning unit mounted to a bottom of the body, to be extendable and retractable; and a control unit to control extension or retraction of the auxiliary cleaning unit when the obstacle is sensed. The control unit prevents the auxiliary cleaning unit from extending if a signal is received from a charger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sang Sik Yoon, Byung Chan Kim, Jun Hwa Lee, Jae Young Jung, Hee Won Jin
  • Patent number: 10335006
    Abstract: A container may include a body portion having opposing open and closed ends, and a trapezoid-shaped longitudinal side extending laterally between the open and closed ends. The open end may include a latch portion extending laterally and being opposite to the trapezoid-shaped longitudinal side. The container may also include a handle coupled to the open end, and switchingly coupled to the latch portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Inventor: Alan Cheek
  • Patent number: 10335007
    Abstract: A bucket having a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction includes: a first extension in the longitudinal direction; a second extension in the transverse direction, the first extension being greater than the second extension; two longitudinal sides; a front transverse side; a rear transverse side; and at least one substantially bow-shaped handle. The at least one handle extends in the longitudinal direction and is pivotable in the transverse direction. A spout of the bucket includes a self-contained through-hole and is arranged in the front transverse side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: CARL FREUDENBERG KG
    Inventors: Markus Rueckheim, Christian Mast, Mike Kosub, Tomaso Cascione
  • Patent number: 10335008
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to an apparatus for rinsing and disinfecting utensils, on demand, with a controller operating the components that deliver a pro-determined volume or timed flow of water, and exposure time of sanitizer(s) to the intended objects. The spray embodiment has high performance conical spray nozzle(s) controlled by a controller that reduces water usage and that may vary depending on the viscosity of the material to be eliminated. The recirculating embodiment has a recirculating water system, with a controller operating the components that recirculate water throughout the system until the turbidity exceeds a chosen threshold, and displace with fresh water until the turbidity returns to a lower threshold. The water resumes recirculation until it again exceeds the chose turbidity threshold and the water in the system is again displaced by fresh water. Both spray and recirculating embodiments can contain multiple rinse stations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Inventors: Chris Gilreath, Thomas B. Pedersen
  • Patent number: 10335009
    Abstract: A dishwasher, including a chamber for washing dishes and a chamber for storing dishes is provided. A mechanism is also provided allowing the dish racks to move the dishes from the washing chamber to the storage chamber of the dishwasher once the wash is completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Inventor: Carol Hexem
  • Patent number: 10335010
    Abstract: A dishwasher may include a tub configured to accommodate one or more items to be washed, a spray arm rotatably mounted to the tub, and configured to spray water onto the one or more items to be washed, a sump disposed at a bottom surface of the tub and configured to store water and to supply stored water to the spray arm, a fixed gear unit fixed to the tub with gear teeth arranged along an outer circumferential surface of the fixed gear unit, a rotary gear unit rotatably mounted on the spray arm and configured to engage the gear teeth of the fixed gear unit, and a link member connected to the rotary gear unit and the spray arm, where the spray arm may include, a main arm with a pair of arms, and a pair of auxiliary arms rotatably connected to the main arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Seyoung Woo, Joonho Pyo, Daegyu Kim
  • Patent number: 10335011
    Abstract: Disclosed is a cleaning device for cleaning washware. The cleaning device may be a conveyor dishwasher. The cleaning device has at least one cleaning chamber and at least one transportation device. The transportation device transports the washware through the cleaning chamber in a transportation direction. The cleaning device has at least one final-rinse nozzle system for applying at least one final-rinse fluid, in particular fresh water, to the washware. The final-rinse nozzle system has at least two final-rinse nozzle units which are arranged in different positions transverse to the transportation direction. The final-rinse nozzle units can be switched independently of one another in order to apply the final-rinse fluid to the washware in the different positions independently of one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: MEIKO MASCHINENBAU GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventor: Jürgen Heppner
  • Patent number: 10335012
    Abstract: Provided are systems, methods, and apparatus for spraying water in a dishwasher. A dishwasher may include a wash chamber and at least one dish rack. The dishwasher may include a water inlet selectively connected to a dish spray device, which may connect a dish spray conduit with the wash chamber. The dish spray device may be oriented towards the at least one dish rack, such that the spray device may be configured to direct water onto the dishes for washing. The water inlet may be selectively connected to a fill device, which may connect the fill conduit with the wash chamber. The fill device may be configured to provide water to the circulation assembly without impinging the at least one dish rack. The one or more valves may selectively direct water from the water inlet to one or both of the dish spray device and the fill device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: ELECTROLUX HOME PRODUCTS, INC.
    Inventors: Dennis A. Poyner, Mark D. Montgomery
  • Patent number: 10335013
    Abstract: A dishwasher includes a tub, a first dish rack, and a second dish rack disposed above the first dish rack in the tub. The second dish rack includes a frame configured to couple to and adjust in a vertical position relative to a plurality of mounting rails in the tub. The second dish rack also includes a collapsible portion coupled to the frame and configured to adjust in a vertical position relative to the frame. In some embodiments, the second dish rack further includes a feed pipe coupled to the collapsible portion, the feed pipe having at least one connection point configured to align with at least one water supply point, wherein each vertical position of the collapsible portion corresponds to a different alignment of the at least one connection point and the at least one water supply point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Viktor Kopyrin, Raveendran Vaidhyanathan
  • Patent number: 10335014
    Abstract: An endoscope system comprises an LED light source unit, an image sensor, an imaging distance calculator and a light source controller. The LED light source unit generates illumination light. The image sensor has a blue pixel, a green pixel, a red pixel and a specific pixel receiving at least light in a blue wavelength band and a green wavelength light, and images an observation object by reflected light of the illumination light from the observation object. The imaging distance calculator calculates an imaging distance that is a distance between the image sensor and the observation object. The light source controller controls the light source unit to increase a component of the blue wavelength band or the green wavelength band included in the illumination light according to the imaging distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Tatsuya Aoyama
  • Patent number: 10335015
    Abstract: Medical borescopes and related methods. In some embodiments, a medical borescope may comprise a handle and a tube extending from the handle. The tube may be partially, or wholly, defined by an at least substantially non-conductive material, such as a suitable plastic, ceramic, or other non-metallic material. A tip assembly may be positioned at a distal end of the tube. The tip assembly may comprise a light source, a lens assembly, a printed circuit board, and an image sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Xenocor, Inc.
    Inventors: John Langell, Lane Brooks
  • Patent number: 10335016
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a reflective optical objective (1) comprising: —a first reflecting element (3) including a front surface (3a) and a hack surface (3b), the front surface (3a) including a convex reflecting surface (11); and —a second reflecting element (5) including a concave reflecting surface (13) facing the convex reflecting surface (11) of the first reflecting element (3), the second reflecting element (5) including a transmissive section (7) permitting electromagnetic radiation to pass through the concave reflecting surface (13) of the second reflecting element (5) to the first reflecting element (3). The reflective optical objective (1) is characterized in that the reflective optical objective (1) includes a carrier material (9) embedding at least the front surface (3a) of the first reflecting element (3) and defining the distance (d) between the first (3) and second (5) reflecting elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL)
    Inventors: Davor Kosanic, Bastien Rachet, Victor Cadarso, Juergen Brugger
  • Patent number: 10335017
    Abstract: A pressure relief vent includes a vent enclosure, a connector, and a pressure relief arrangement. The vent enclosure defines a vent interior volume and the connector is operable to connect the vent enclosure to an instrument requiring pressure relief. The vent enclosure has a proximal end and a distal end, with the connector being located at the proximal end. The pressure relief arrangement is operable to remain in a closed condition in normal operation, but move from the closed condition to an open condition in response to a predefined pressure differential so as to release pressure from the instrument. A vent opening device may be included with the pressure relief vent and is operable to move the pressure relief arrangement to the open condition or open a separate passage through the vent enclosure to the atmosphere responsive to a manual operation applied at the vent enclosure distal end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: KARL STORZ Endovision, Inc.
    Inventors: Tyrel Waagen, Jeffrey Melanson
  • Patent number: 10335018
    Abstract: An actuating member for making a flexible elongate member for medical use perform a predetermined action. The actuating member includes a push/pull member, an operating member, and a cam member. The push/pull member includes a first moving portion and a second moving portion, which are movable relative to each other. The push/pull member is pushed/pulled in conjunction with a movement of the first moving portion and the second moving portion. The operating member is rotatable about an axis in a direction intersecting an axial direction of the elongate member. The cam member moves the first moving portion and the second moving portion in conjunction with rotation of the operating member. The push/pull member makes the elongate member perform at least one of (i) an advance/retraction action and (ii) a bending action by transmitting the movement of the first moving portion and the second moving portion to the elongate member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: TERUMO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Satoru Suehara
  • Patent number: 10335019
    Abstract: An image pickup element includes a first substrate, a second substrate, first pixels, and second pixels irradiated with light transmitted through the first pixels, and the second pixel includes a first PN junction surface parallel to a light-receiving surface, and a second PN junction surface positioned deeper than the first PN junction surface and parallel to the light-receiving surface, and the second pixel generates a second signal corresponding to light of a second wavelength band from electric charge obtained by the second PN junction surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Fukunaga
  • Patent number: 10335020
    Abstract: A medical device may include an insertion portion longitudinally extending between a proximal end and a distal end. The insertion portion may define a channel extending therethrough. The medical device may further include a handle coupled to the proximal end of the insertion portion. The handle may further include an irrigation port in fluid communication with the channel and coupled to a source of irrigation fluid. Additionally, the handle may include an actuator and a pressurizer. Manipulation of the actuator may be configured to actuate the pressurizer to urge irrigation fluid distally through the channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher L. Oskin
  • Patent number: 10335021
    Abstract: A minimally invasive surgical instrument including a viewing instrument and a wiper mechanism configured and adapted to clean a lens of the viewing instrument. The wiper mechanism includes a wiper that is configured and adapted to contact and translate across a surface of the lens. An actuator moves the wiper across the lens to clean the lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Covidien LP
    Inventors: Cormac O'Prey, Charlotte Adele Clark, Alistair Ian Fleming
  • Patent number: 10335022
    Abstract: The ear-mounted dental mirror support includes two arms, each having a hooked end configured to wrap around the back of an ear. The arms are connected to a cross-member at the end opposite the hook. A multi-rod adjustment member is pivotally attached to the cross-member. A mirror is pivotally attached to the free end of the adjustment member. The device is designed to be secured to a patient's ears by the arms with the cross-member resting on the patient's chin. The mirror can be adjusted to reflect different portions of the patient's mouth to help a person applying treatment visualize the treatment zone. The arms and cross-member may include projections to assist in securing a dental dam in place around the patient's mouth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: King Saud University
    Inventor: Eman Mohammed Saad Bin Saleh
  • Patent number: 10335023
    Abstract: An intubation assembly rod is configured to have an endotracheal tube carried thereon and includes an elongated body having a distal end and a proximal end. The distal end of the intubation assembly rod body is tapered, rounded, or spherical, and defines a leading end of the intubation assembly rod. The intubation assembly rod includes a longitudinally extending channel configured such that an elongated member of a device to which the intubation assembly rod may be attached may be inserted into the channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Inventor: Glenn P. Gardner
  • Patent number: 10335024
    Abstract: The various embodiments disclosed herein relate to procedural space maintenance devices, medical device positioning devices, and devices that provide both procedural space maintenance and device positioning. Further embodiments relate to medical device insertion and/or retraction devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska
    Inventors: Mark Rentschler, Shane Farritor
  • Patent number: 10335025
    Abstract: The invention relates to a system and to a method for training head movements of a person. Visual stimuli are generated with a visual stimulus generation device for a left and/or right eye of the person. Head movements of the person are captured with a measurement device. The head movement of the person captured with respect to a generated visual stimulus is assessed in a computational unit. Assessment information that is dependent on the assessment of the head movement captured with respect to a generated visual stimulus is then provided for the person with an output device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Vision International GmbH
    Inventors: Katharina Rifai, Siegfried Wahl
  • Patent number: 10335026
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a processor that acquires a plurality of sets of tomographic signals acquired by an image sensor, and generates a representative value in each pixel position of the tomographic image, using the plurality of sets of tomographic signals, and generates the tomographic image with the representative value in each pixel position as a pixel value by determining a target region in which contrast is reduced in the tomographic image, using at least one set of tomographic signals, out of the plurality of sets of tomographic signals, and estimating an estimation value, in each pixel position of the target region, by performing statistical processing on a plurality of tomographic signals corresponding to the pixel position, out of the plurality of sets of tomographic signals. The tomographic image is generated with the estimation value as the representative value in the target region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuhisa Inao, Shinya Tanaka, Yohei Saito, Hayato Shioda
  • Patent number: 10335027
    Abstract: In exemplary implementations of this invention, an aberrometer is used to measure the refractive condition of any eye. An artificial light source emits light that travels to a light sensor. Along the way, the light enters and then exits the eye, passes through or is reflected from one or more spatial light modulators (SLMs), and passes through an objective lens-system. The SLMs modify a bokeh effect of the imaging system (which is only visible when the system is out-of-focus), creating a blurred version of the SLM patterns. The light sensor then captures one or more out-of-focus images. If there are refractive aberrations in the eye, these aberrations cause the SLM patterns captured in the images to be distorted. By analyzing differences between the distorted captured patterns and the undistorted SLM patterns, refractive aberrations of the eye can be computed and an eyewear measurement generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: EYENETRA, INC.
    Inventors: Vitor Pamplona, Ramesh Raskar
  • Patent number: 10335028
    Abstract: Apparatus for illuminating the retina of an eye. The apparatus includes an illumination device and a lens system. The illumination device and the lens system combine to provide incident illumination from an apparent point source located within the lens system. The apparatus also includes an illumination transfer device. The illumination transfer device has two foci and the apparent point source of the lens system is provided at a first focus point of the illumination transfer device and an eye is accommodated at a second focus point of the illumination transfer device. The illumination transfer device transfers the incident illumination from the apparent point source into the eye to illuminate the retina.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Optos PLC
    Inventors: Christopher David Creasey, Stuart Brian Milne, Andrew Fogg
  • Patent number: 10335029
    Abstract: An example eye fundus imaging apparatus can include: a display device; an image capture device configured to capture at least one image of a fundus of an eye; and a control module programmed to: display a target, the target indicating a desired position for the image capture device to capture the at least one image of the fundus of the eye; monitor a relative position of the eye with respect to the target; and when the relative position of the eye corresponds to the target, automatically capture the at least one image of the fundus of the eye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Welch Allyn, Inc.
    Inventors: Ynjiun Paul Wang, Ervin Goldfain, Eric G. Petersen
  • Patent number: 10335030
    Abstract: The present invention is a device that is used for glaucoma management by using an adjustable shunt that drains the aqueous humour from inside the eye in a precise way. This new device has a valve that prevents back flow of the drained fluid and that decreases the risk of hypotony, and also this device has an intraocular pressure indicator. In addition to the main device, there is a small device that is implanted throughout the iris, in order to shunt aqueous humour from posterior chamber to anterior chamber of the eye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Inventor: Rakan Elias Jamil Alhourani
  • Patent number: 10335031
    Abstract: A remote care system may include a platform that includes one or more memory devices and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the one or more memory devices. The platform may connect and communicate bi-directionally with a plurality of devices via a gateway device. At least some of the plurality of devices may include sensors capable of gathering vitals data from a patient. The vitals data may include different types of vitals data. The platform may connect and communicate bi-directionally with another plurality of devices. The other plurality of devices may be remote to the gateway device and the at least some of the plurality of devices. The platform may support continuous and live streaming of the vitals data from the sensors. The platform may perform a set of actions on a per patient basis based on analyzing the vitals data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Accenture Global Solutions Limited
    Inventors: Abir Kundu, Joydeep Bhaduri, Biswarup Roy, Zubair Hussain, Ramya Kumar
  • Patent number: 10335032
    Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring of biometric and contextual variables to assist in screening for, quantification of, and prediction of smoking behavior, and for assisting in smoking cessation are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Carrot, Inc.
    Inventors: David S. Utley, Allen Jameson, Jennifer Marler
  • Patent number: 10335033
    Abstract: A sensor interface is configured to receive a sensor signal. A transmitter generates a transmit signal. A receiver receives the signal corresponding to the transmit signal. Further, a monitor interface is configured to communicate a waveform to the monitor so that measurements derived by the monitor from the waveform are generally equivalent to measurements derivable from the sensor signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: MASIMO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ammar Al-Ali
  • Patent number: 10335034
    Abstract: A dependency-based startup method in a multi-modality medical processing system that includes receiving initialization information about a plurality of executable components to be started, the plurality of executable components including an executable modality component configured to communicate with a medical device communicatively coupled to the multi-modality medical processing system. The method also includes receiving dependency information about the executable modality component, the dependency information identifying one or more of the executable components upon which the executable modality component depends and transforming the initialization information and the dependency information into a dependency map that represents the dependencies between the plurality of executable components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: VOLCANO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Richard E. Mansker, Michael A. Echeverria
  • Patent number: 10335035
    Abstract: A shim coil device for compensating for basic magnetic field inhomogeneities during medical magnetic resonance imaging of a breast of a patient, said shim coil has a housing with a contact surface that configures to bear against a patient, and at least one shim coil element having a shim coil axis. The shim coil is arranged on the patient such that the at least one shim coil axis has an angle of inclination ? to the contact surface and/or to a patient surface, where ? is ?45° and ? is ?135°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Stephan Biber, Ralf Ladebeck, Kuan Jin Lee, Sebastian Martius, Elisabeth Weiland
  • Patent number: 10335036
    Abstract: A system and method of performing ultrasound modulated optical tomography. Ultrasound is delivered into a target voxel in an anatomical structure, and sample light is delivered into the anatomical structure, whereby a portion of the sample light passing through the target voxel is scattered by the biological tissue as signal light, and a portion of the sample light not passing through the target voxel is scattered by the anatomical structure as background light. The ultrasound and sample light are pulsed in synchrony, such that only the signal light is frequency shifted by the ultrasound. Reference light is combined with the signal light and background light to generate an interference light pattern, which is sequentially modulated to generate a plurality of different interference light patterns. Spatial components of each of the different interference light patterns are simultaneously detected and stored in bins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: HI LLC
    Inventors: Changhuei Yang, Adam Marblestone, Jamu Alford
  • Patent number: 10335037
    Abstract: A method for computing global longitudinal strain from cine magnetic resonance (MR) images includes automatically detecting landmark points in each MR long axis image frame included in a cine MR image sequence. A deformation field is determined between every pair of frames based on the landmark points. Myocardial pixels in the frames are labeled using a deep learning framework to yield myocardium masks. These myocardium masks are propagated to each frame using the deformation fields. A polar transformation is performed on each of the masked frames. The contours of the myocardium in each transformed frame are computed using a shortest path algorithm. Next, longitudinal strain is calculated at every pixel in the myocardium for the polar frames using the contours of the myocardium. Then, global longitudinal strain is computed by averaging the longitudinal strain at every pixel in the myocardium of the transformed frames.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GmbH
    Inventors: Marie-Pierre Jolly, Xiaoguang Lu
  • Patent number: 10335038
    Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for spectral unmixing of in vivo light data. The spectral unmixing separates image data according to spectra from multiple internal light sources in an effort to isolate one or more spectrum of interest. The spectral unmixing obtains images with a combination of different and known excitation and emission limits. The spectral unmixing then uses an iterative solution process to separate spectra for the multiple fluorescent light sources, and provides a spectrum and/or a spatial distribution map for at least one of the internal light sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Xenogen Corporation
    Inventors: Heng Xu, Bradley W. Rice