Measuring Acoustic Impedance Of Eye Patents (Class 600/400)
  • Patent number: 10806342
    Abstract: A changing force is applied to a cornea to cause a corneal deformation cycle. Signal information related to a corneal radius of curvature during the corneal deformation cycle is inverted and calibrated to an effective curvature defined as the inverse of the radius of curvature of the cornea. A dynamic relationship between the effective curvature of the cornea and the force applied to the cornea during the corneal deformation cycle is represented, and at least one biomechanical property of the corneal tissue, for example a bending modulus, is determined from the dynamic relationship.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: Reichert, Inc.
    Inventor: David A. Luce
  • Patent number: 10667793
    Abstract: An ultrasound device performs an ultrasound scan to acquire a video clip having a plurality of images in a selected zone of a set of lungs. The ultrasound device detects B lines in each of the images of the video clip. The ultrasound device assigns a score to each of the images of the video clip based at least in part on the detected number of B lines. The ultrasound device highlights the detected B lines in each of the images of the video clip. The ultrasound device identifies a representative image from the highlighted images of the video clip in the selected zone. The identification of the representative image is based at least in part on the assigned score of each of the images. The ultrasound device displays the identified representative image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Menachem Halmann, Alexander Sokulin, Peter Lysyansky, Lilach Vanuk, Cynthia Owen
  • Patent number: 9226729
    Abstract: The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, ultrasound image generation apparatus and method transmit ultrasound waves to a subject into which a puncture tool is inserted, receive reflected waves reflected from the subject and the puncture tool, and generate echo signals of time-sequential frames based on the received reflected waves, and generate an ultrasound image of the subject based on the generated echo signals. These apparatus and method generate a differential echo signal between time-sequential frames from the echo signals, perform a tip detection process based on the differential echo signal to thereby detect at least one tip candidate including a tip end of the puncture tool, highlight a tip candidate of the puncture tool detected to thereby generate a tip image, and display the tip image of the highlighted puncture tool so as to be superimposed on the generated ultrasound image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Rika Tashiro, Kimito Katsuyama, Yukiya Miyachi
  • Patent number: 8692206
    Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods are described including implantable radiation sensing devices having exposure determination devices that determines cumulative exposure information based on the at least one in vivo measurand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Inventors: Roderick A. Hyde, Muriel Y. Ishikawa, Eric C. Leuthardt, Michael A. Smith, Elizabeth A. Sweeney, Lowell L. Wood, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20130342810
    Abstract: According to one aspect of the invention, an eyeball biological information collection device that is arranged to be worn by a subject includes a ultrasonic sensor part and a pressing part. The ultrasonic sensor part is configured to transmit an ultrasonic wave to an eyeball of the subject and receive a reflection wave of the ultrasonic wave reflected within the eyeball at a time of use of the eyeball biological information collection device. The pressing part is configured to press the ultrasonic sensor part to eyelid of the subject at the time of use.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2013
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Inventor: Tsutomu NISHIWAKI
  • Publication number: 20130085370
    Abstract: In systems and methods for generating cross-linking activity in an eye, a feedback system monitors a biomechanical strength of the eye in response to the photoactivation of a cross-linking agent applied to an eye. The feedback system includes a perturbation system that applies a force to the eye and a characterization system that determines an effect of the force on the eye. The effect of the force provides an indicator of the biomechanical strength of the eye. The characterization system determines the effect of the force on the eye by measuring an amount of deformation caused by the force or a rate of recovery from the deformation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2012
    Publication date: April 4, 2013
    Applicant: Avedro, Inc.
    Inventor: Avedro, Inc.
  • Patent number: 8357111
    Abstract: A method and system for designing a patient-specific orthopaedic surgical instrument includes coupling a knee sleeve to a leg of the patient. The knee sleeve includes sensors configured to generate sensor data indicate of the position of the respective sensor. The method also include determining angulation data indicative of the angulation of the knee based on the sensor data. The angulation data may be indicative of, for example, the ligament laxity of the knee. The method may also include generating a medical image(s) of the knee. The design of the patient-specific orthopaedic surgical instrument is determined based on the angulation data and the medical image(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: DePuy Products, Inc.
    Inventors: James Caillouette, Jose F. Guzman, Jason T. Sherman
  • Publication number: 20120277569
    Abstract: The invention teaches a method, apparatus and system for measuring bio-medical attributes of the eye, such as internal or intraocular pressure. The invention enables taking measurements of the relative location of various surfaces of components of the eye under different conditions. The invention provides for applying a pressure disturbance to the eye acoustically and, using non-invasive optical techniques to perform measurements of vibrations or measurements of the time varying relative location of one or more surfaces or structures in a manner correlated with the pressure disturbance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2012
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Inventor: Josh N. Hogan
  • Publication number: 20100324406
    Abstract: A non-contact ultrasonic tonometer comprises: a ultrasonic transducer that transmits an ultrasonic pulse wave to an examinee's eye and receives the ultrasonic pulse wave reflected from the eye in a non-contact manner; a transmission unit that transmits a drive signal to the ultrasonic transducer to cause the ultrasonic transducer to repeat transmission of the ultrasonic pulse wave K times at a constant interval 1/T in order to transmit a burst wave to the eye, where “T” is a burst frequency and “K” is a burst wave number that is the number of cycles of pulse wave; and an arithmetic unit that determines intraocular pressure (IOP) based on an output signal from the ultrasonic transducer when the ultrasonic transducer receives the burst wave reflected from the eye.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2010
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Applicant: NIDEK CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tetsuyuki Miwa
  • Publication number: 20100312087
    Abstract: A non-contact ultrasound measurement device comprises: a first unit including an ultrasound transducer adapted to transmit and receives an ultrasonic wave in a non-contact manner with respect to an object to be examined, the first unit being adapted to process an output signal from the transducer and measure a first characteristic of the object; and a second unit including at least one of an observation unit for observing the object from front in a non-contact manner and a measurement unit for measuring a second characteristic of the object from front in a non-contact manner, wherein the transducer comprises: an aperture being provided in the central part of the transducer and having a sufficient size to be utilized for observation or measurement of the object by the second unit, and a transmitting and receiving part of the ultrasonic wave being provided to surround the aperture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2010
    Publication date: December 9, 2010
    Applicants: NIDEK CO., LTD., MicroAcoustic Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Tetsuyuki Miwa, Masayuki Jinde, David W. Schindel
  • Publication number: 20100249569
    Abstract: A non-contact ultrasonic tonometer for measuring an intraocular pressure of an examinee's eye in non-contact manner by use of an ultrasonic wave, comprises: an ultrasonic transducer including a transmitter which emits an ultrasonic transmission pulse wave to the eye and a receiver which detects an ultrasonic reflection pulse wave from the eye, the transducer being arranged to be placed in a position apart from the eye and to transmit and receive the pulse wave with respect to the eye through the medium of air; and a calculation part being arranged to obtain a peak amplitude level of the reflection pulse wave based on an output signal from the ultrasonic transducer and measure the intraocular pressure based on the obtained peak amplitude level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2010
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicant: NIDEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masayuki Jinde, Tetsuyuki Miwa, Kenichiro Makino
  • Patent number: 7798962
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring corneal resistance to deformation use an empirically derived function wherein an inward applanation pressure P1 and an outward applanation pressure P2 obtained during a corneal deformation cycle caused by a fluid pulse are separately weighted so as to minimize dependence of the calculated corneal resistance factor (CRF) on intraocular pressure. In one embodiment, the function is optimized, at least in part, to maximize statistical correlation between the calculated corneal resistance factor (CRF) and central corneal thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Reichert, Inc.
    Inventor: David A. Luce
  • Patent number: 7776380
    Abstract: A method of making catheters is disclosed in which various additives are consolidated into polymer walls of the catheters. The method includes providing a core, spraying a base polymer material over the outer surface of the core, spraying an additive material over or together with the base polymer material, and consolidating the additive material and the base polymer material together to form the catheter wall. The base polymer material and additive material are each applied as a fine particulate powder or solution of fine particulate, which can be sprayed over an outer surface of the core and the catheter wall as the catheter is formed. The additive material can be selected from several therapeutic agents, diagnostic agents, and/or polymers for modifying the base polymer materials. The additive material can be consolidated with the base polymer material throughout the polymer wall or primarily on the outer surface of the polymer wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Volcano Corporation
    Inventor: Matt D. Pursley
  • Patent number: 7620227
    Abstract: A computer-aided detection system for evaluating tissue based on a series of timed images acquired both before and after a contrast agent is administered performs a temporal analysis of the tissue and then a spatial analysis in which the tissue is categorized. After the temporal and spatial analysis is performed, the results can be displayed. The displayed results can include both tissue characterization results, underlying curves used to determine the characterization, and confidence data regarding how good the characterization is expected to be. The confidence data can be provided, for example, by using variations in color schemes, displaying numerical confidence levels, or providing graphical features such as piecewise linear models.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: General Electric Co.
    Inventors: David Thomas Gering, Gopal B. Avinash, Sandeep N. Gupta
  • Patent number: 6673014
    Abstract: Noninvasive methods and apparatuses measuring the intraocular pressure (IOP) of the eye using vibratory excitation are disclosed. Prior art methods teaches that the natural frequencies of the eye vary as a function of the IOP, with each natural frequency being zero at zero IOP. The present invention recognizes that the eye has different and separate classes of natural frequencies that vary as function of the IOP, which have non-zero values for a zero value of IOP, and which have curves that extrapolate to negative IOPs to obtain zero values of frequency. Preferred methods and apparatuses of the present invention measure a first natural frequency of this class at an unknown IOP value, and thereafter compare it to one or more known values of the first natural frequency measured at corresponding known IOPs to estimate value of the unknown IOP. Preferred embodiments include measuring one or more additional natural frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: Itonix, Inc.
    Inventors: Avner Pierre Badehi, Raphael Klein, Arieh Glazer
  • Patent number: 6623418
    Abstract: A miniaturized radiation device, having a support member in the form of a flexible sheet, and a circuit pattern of electrical contact pads and interconnecting conductor lines or leads provided on said support member. The pads are interconnected via said patterned lines. There is also a plurality of radiation chips electrically connected to selected ones of said pads. Preferably the device is wrapped around a core member, that may be a wire, such that the assembly is suitable for the insertion into a living body for the controlled administration of radiation at a therapy location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2003
    Assignee: Radi Medical Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Leif Smith
  • Patent number: 6601021
    Abstract: Methods and Systems for analyzing data of a user viewing a display of dynamic hypermedia pages through a browser including monitoring and storing location and time of the user's gaze as eyetracker data, processing the eyetracker data into fixation data, monitoring and storing content of the displayed pages into a memory, restoring the displayed pages from the memory, mapping the fixations data onto the restored pages to thereby identify elements-of-regard, and storing the identified elements-of-regard in an elements-of-regard database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Stuart K. Card, Peter L. T. Pirolli, Robert W. Reeder
  • Patent number: 6594607
    Abstract: A medical screening apparatus and method includes a housing containing a user interface, an automatic medical test apparatus and a transmitting means for communicating the output of the medical test apparatus to a remote site for analysis. In one aspect, the user interface is a video display terminal capable of receiving user data and for displaying the medical test output. Preferably, the test output is automatically transmitted via a global telecommunication network, such as the Internet, to the remote site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2003
    Inventor: Kevin T. Lavery
  • Patent number: 6579235
    Abstract: A device for passively measuring intraocular pressure of a patient including an in vivo sensor and an instrument external to the patient for remotely energizing the sensor, thereby permitting the instrument to determine the intraocular pressure. The device directly and continuously measures the intraocular pressure of a patient. The in vivo sensor in the intraocular pressure monitor includes a capacitive pressure sensor and an inductive component. An instrument, external to the patient, measures the pressure, provides readout of the pressure values and determines the intraocular pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2003
    Assignee: The Johns Hopkins University
    Inventors: Joseph L. Abita, Bliss G. Carkhuff, Roddy Frankel
  • Patent number: 6471647
    Abstract: An applanation tonometer with a replaceable prism for contacting a cornea has emitter and detector ports arranged opposite each other on opposite sides of a longitudinal axis, with the ports aimed at about 45° to the longitudinal axis. Light from an emitter then passes through the emitter port and crosses the prism axis to be incident and reflected from an emitter-reflecting surface of the prism and become incident on the applanation surface. Light reflected from the applanation surface is incident on and reflected from a detector-reflecting surface opposite and parallel with the emitter-reflecting surface to proceed across the prism axis to the detector port. Such an arrangement produces reliable applanation signals and varies the spacial intensity of light reflected from the applanation surface so that the tonometer can automatically distinguish between concentric and eccentric contact of the applanation surface with a cornea.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: FFHK Development Company, LLC
    Inventors: Francis Y. Falck, Robert W. Falck
  • Patent number: 6423001
    Abstract: Utilization of a contact device placed on the front part of the eye in order to detect physical and chemical parameters of the body as well as the non-invasive delivery of compounds according to these physical and chemical parameters, with signals preferably being transmitted continuously as electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared and the like. One of the parameters to be detected includes non-invasive blood analysis utilizing chemical changes and chemical products that are found in the front part of the eye and in the tear film. A transensor mounted in the contact device laying on the cornea or the surface of the eye is capable of evaluating and measuring physical and chemical parameters in the eye including non-invasive blood analysis. The system preferably utilizes eye lid motion and/or closure of the eye lid to activate a microminiature radio frequency sensitive transensor mounted in the contact device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2002
    Inventor: Marcio Marc Abreu
  • Publication number: 20020049374
    Abstract: Utilization of a contact device placed on the front part of the eye in order to detect physical and chemical parameters of the body as well as the non-invasive delivery of compounds according to these physical and chemical parameters, with signals preferably being transmitted continuously as electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared and the like. One of the parameters to be detected includes non-invasive blood analysis utilizing chemical changes and chemical products that are found in the front part of the eye and in the tear film. A transensor mounted in the contact device laying on the cornea or the surface of the eye is capable of evaluating and measuring physical and chemical parameters in the eye including non-invasive blood analysis. The system preferably utilizes eye lid motion and/or closure of the eye lid to activate a microminiature radio frequency sensitive transensor mounted in the contact device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2001
    Publication date: April 25, 2002
    Inventor: Marcio Marc Abreu
  • Patent number: 6314380
    Abstract: Method, apparatus and computer programs are described for compensating for the effect of temperature on the sensitivity of electrostatic ultrasound (US) transducers, particularly as used in an automotive occupancy sensing (AOS) systems for sensing the nature or type of occupant and the location of the occupant with respect to the vehicle interior. The invention permits the AOS to classify the occupancy state of the vehicle from a US echo signal substantially free of the effects of temperature on signal amplitude. A capacitive divider or voltage monitor is employed to measure the capacitance of the transducer. The voltage monitor output is used by the scaling algorithm of a compensator to determine the scaling factor to be applied to the US transducer signal to compensate for the effect of temperature on the transducer sensitivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2001
    Assignee: Robert Bosch Corporation Corp of Delaware
    Inventors: Ralf Seip, Russell C. Watts
  • Patent number: 6231523
    Abstract: A cuff (200), having a blood shutting bag (210) and a detection bag (220), is attached to an upper arm of a patient and a main device unit (100) is made to operate. A CPU (130) performs the measurement operation in accordance with a program inside a memory (160). First, the air pump (140) is started to deliver air to the respective bags, the cuff pressure is set higher than the systolic pressure, and after the blood flow at the upper arm has been stopped completely, a leak valve (150) is gradually opened to lower the cuff pressure. During the lowering of pressure, the Korotkoff sound that is generated at the detection bag (220) is detected by a sound wave sensor (110) and is taken as digital data into the memory (160). This Korotkoff sound is Fourier transformed and the result thereof is displayed as a spectral waveform on a display device (170) and printed out by means of a printer (180).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2001
    Inventor: Mitsuei Tomita
  • Patent number: 6213943
    Abstract: Utilization of a contact device placed on the front part of the eye in order to detect physical and chemical parameters of the body as well as the non-invasive delivery of compounds according to these physical and chemical parameters, with signals preferably being transmitted continuously as electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared and the like. One of the parameters to be detected includes non-invasive blood analysis utilizing chemical changes and chemical products that are found in the front part of the eye and in the tear film. A transensor mounted in the contact device laying on the cornea or the surface of the eye is capable of evaluating and measuring physical and chemical parameters in the eye including non-invasive blood analysis. The system preferably utilizes eye lid motion and/or closure of the eye lid to activate a microminiature radio frequency sensitive transensor mounted in the contact device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2001
    Inventor: Marcio Marc Abreu
  • Patent number: 6179779
    Abstract: An applanation tonometer with a replaceable prism for contacting a cornea has emitter and detector ports arranged opposite each other on opposite sides of a longitudinal axis, with the ports aimed at about 45 ° to the longitudinal axis. Light from an emitter then passes through the emitter port and crosses the prism axis to be incident and reflected from an emitter-reflecting surface of the prism and become incident on the applanation surface. Light reflected from the applanation surface is incident on and reflected from a detector-reflecting surface opposite and parallel with the emitter-reflecting surface to proceed across the prism axis to the detector port. Such an arrangement produces reliable applanation signals and varies the spacial intensity of light reflected from the applanation surface so that the tonometer can automatically distinguish between concentric and eccentric contact of the applanation surface with a cornea.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2001
    Assignee: FFHK Development Company LLC
    Inventors: Francis Y. Falck, Robert W. Falck
  • Patent number: 6123668
    Abstract: Utilization of a contact device placed on the front part of the eye in order to detect physical and chemical parameters of the body as well as the non-invasive delivery of compounds according to these physical and chemical parameters, with signals preferably being transmitted continuously as electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared and the like. One of the parameters to be detected includes non-invasive blood analysis utilizing chemical changes and chemical products that are found in the front part of the eye and in the tear film. A transensor mounted in the contact device laying on the cornea or the surface of the eye is capable of evaluating and measuring physical and chemical parameters in the eye including non-invasive blood analysis. The system preferably utilizes eye lid motion and/or closure of the eye lid to activate a microminiature radio frequency sensitive transensor mounted in the contact device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2000
    Inventor: Marcio Marc Abreu
  • Patent number: 5830139
    Abstract: A tonometer system for measuring intraocular pressure by accurately providing a predetermined amount of applanation to the cornea and detecting the amount of force required to achieve the predetermined amount of applanation. The system is also capable of measuring intraocular pressure by indenting the cornea using a predetermined force applied using an indenting element and detecting the distance the indenting element moves into the cornea when the predetermined force is applied, the distance being inversely proportional to intraocular pressure. Also provided is a method of using the tonometer system to measure hydrodynamic characteristics of the eye, especially outflow facility. The tonometer system includes a contact device for placement in contact with the cornea and an actuation apparatus for actuating the contact device so that a portion thereof projects inwardly against the cornea to provide a predetermined amount of applanation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1998
    Inventor: Marcio M. Abreu