Other

Xros, Inc.

Tencor Instruments

Hewlett-packard Company

Xerox Corporation

Alza Corporation

Varian Associates, Inc.

Otokinetics Inc.

United States Surgical Corporation

Xeros, Inc.

American International Technologies, Inc.

D.b.a. Adagio

Adagio Associates, Inc.

Lesinski, Ltd., Inc.

Armand P Neukermans

Timothy G Slater

S George Lesinski

Marc R Schuman

Jack D Foster

Sam Calmes

James P Downing

Michel J N Cormier

John L Vaught

Stanley E Stokowski

Rajiv R Ramaswami

Ralph C Wolf

Douglass McManigill

Steven M Clark

Donald R Bradbury

Garrett A Garrettson

Philip Downing

David Wolze

Felix T Theeuwes

Michael E Fein

Dale R Ims

Barry Block

James H Boyden

Arun Malhotra

John M Green

Peter C Jann

Jane Ang

Josef Berger

Sateesh S Bajikar

William P Kruger

Steven G Eaton

John S Forker

Gregory A Reznick

Tyler L Baughman

Jerry Hurst

Frederic N Schwettmann

Kuo L Chiang

J Richard Gyory

John F Heanue

Marcos Karnezos

Christopher F Bevis

Joseph Creagan Trautman

George J Kren

Kenneth P Gross

Brian Tremaine

James Bernard Kruger

Alfred A Amkraut

Richard L Grant

Brian C Leslie

Jiri Pecen

Franklin R Koenig

Lee K Galbraith

Bernard M Oliver

James J Sullivan

Wai-Loong Lim

Wei-Qi Lin

Lawrence R Hanlon

Dennis C Thompson

Graham J Siddall

Hyunok Lynn Kim

Andrew I Poutiatine

Avtar S Nat

Charles E Tyler

Lawrence J LaBarre

Arnold Adams

Sean S Cahill

Christopher P Neukermans

Attilio Melera

Timothy R Groves

Howard H Nakanos

Soheil Saadat

Alan E Loh

Herman F Kelderman

Kellee Eng

Sara L Sendelbeck

Bruce P Edwards

Herman F Keldermann

Kevyn Irving

Stanley Stokowksi

Matthew B Lutzker

Linda E Whittlesey

A fenestration piercing the otic capsule bone of the cochlea receives a therapeutic appliance, such as a microactuator, plug, micropump for drug or therapeutic agent delivery, electrode, and the like. Several different ways of achieving a 'water tight' seal between the otic capsule bone and the therapeutic appliance are provided. The therapeutic appliance may be implanted with or without a sheath or sleeve lining the wall of the fenestration formed using specialized surgical burrs. The burrs permit safely fenestrating the otic capsule bone adjacent to the scala tympani of the cochlea without damaging the basilar membrane or organ of corti. This approach may also be adopted for safely fenestrating other areas of the inner ear such as the scala vestibuli, bony labyrinth of semicircular canals, or walls of the vestibule, or the oval or round windows thereof.

Hearing aid microactuator

A set of fenestration burrs, for fenestrating otic capsule bone (), includes an initial burr () and a sequence of fenestration polishing burrs (). A polishing burr (), of each of the burrs (), carries at least one spiraling flute ('). Fenestrations () piercing the bone () formed using the burrs () exhibit uniform diameters while excluding bone dust from the inner ear. An implantable casing () includes a hollow collar () from which projects a hollow sleeve () receivable into the fenestration (). The casing () is secured there by at least one prong () jutting from the sleeve (). A therapeutic appliance () is insertable into the casing (). A flange () extending from one end of the sleeve () carries at least one L-shaped slot () open at one end and extending circumferentially around the flange ().

Implantable therapeutic appliance for the cochlea

A fenestration () piercing the otic capsule bone of the cochlea () receives a therapeutic appliance, such as a microactuator (), plug (), micropump for drug or therapeutic agent delivery, electrode (), etc. Disclosed are several different ways of achieving a 'water tight' seal between the otic capsule bone and the therapeutic appliance. Also disclosed are specific ways of implanting the therapeutic appliance both with and without a sheath () lining the wall of the fenestration () formed using specialized surgical burrs ().

Therapeutic appliance for cochlea

A percutaneous agent delivery or sampling device comprising a sheet having a plurality of microblades for piercing and anchoring to the skin for increasing transdermal flux of an agent and for improving the attachment of the device to the skin.

Device and method for enhancing transdermal flux of agents being delivered or sampled

A device and method for enhancing skin piercing by microprotrusions involves pre-stretching the skin to enhance pathway formation when the microprotrusions are pressed into the skin. An expandable device includes skin engaging opposite ends that contact the skin surface so that when the device is expanded the skin is stretched. The skin is placed under a tension of about 0.01 to about 10 megapascals, preferably about 0.05 to 2 megapascals. The device has a plurality of microprotrusions which penetrate the skin while the skin is being stretched by the expanded device. Another stretching device employs suction for skin stretching.

Device and method for enhancing skin piercing by microprotrusions

A micro-mirror strip assembly having a plurality of two-dimensional micro-mirror structures with improved deflection and other characteristics is presented. In the micro-mirror structures, electrodes for electrostatic deflection are disposed on conical or quasi-conical entities that are machined, attached or molded into a substrate. The electrodes are quartered approximately parallel to or offset by 45 degrees from rotational axes to form quadrants. Torsion sensors are provided along the axes of rotation to control deflection of the quadrant deflection electrodes.

Two-dimensional micro-mirror array enhancements

One aspect is a method for controllably attenuating the beam of light () coupled between incoming and outgoing optical fibers () by misaligning minor surfaces () included of an optical switching module (). Misalignment of the mirror surfaces (and) causes only a portion of the beam of light () propagating along the incoming optical fiber (), which is less than when the light beam deflectors' mirror surfaces () are precisely aligned, to propagate along the outgoing optical fiber (). Thus, the optical switching module () controllably attenuates the beam of light () coupled between the incoming and the outgoing optical fibers (). Another aspect is a variable-optical-attenuator ('VOA') () that includes an optically reflective membrane () upon which the beam of light () impinges. Application of an electrostatic field between an adjacent electrode () and the membrane () deforms the membrane () thereby attenuating an impinging beam of light ().

Variable attenuation of free-space light beams

An agent delivery or sampling device () comprising a member () having a plurality of blades () for piercing the skin and a connecting medium () covering at least a part of the skin contacting side () of the member () for increasing transdermal flux of an agent.

Device and method for enhancing transdermal agent flux

A fiber optic switch ( ) includes a fiber optic switching module ( ) that receives and fixes ends ( ) of optical fibers ( ). The module ( ) includes numerous reflective light beam deflectors ( ) which may be selected as pairs for coupling a beam of light ( ) between a pair of optical fibers ( ). The module ( ) also produces orientation signals from each deflector ( ) which indicate its orientation. A portcard ( ) included in the switch ( ) supplies drive signals to the module ( ) for orienting at least one deflector ( ). The portcard ( ) also receives the orientation signals produced by that deflector ( ) together with coordinates that specify an orientation for the deflector ( ). The portcard ( ) compares the received coordinates with the orientation signals received from the deflector ( ) and adjusts the drive signals supplied to the module ( ) to reduce any difference between the received coordinates and the orientation signals. The switch ( ) also employs optical alignment to precisely orient pairs deflectors ( ) coupling a beam of light ( ) between optical fibers ( ).

Flexible, modular, compact fiber optic switch

A fiber optic switch ( ) includes a fiber optic switching module ( ) that receives and fixes ends ( ) of optical fibers ( ). The module ( ) includes numerous reflective light beam deflectors ( ) arranged in a V-shape which may be selected as pairs for coupling a beam of light ( ) between a pair of optical fibers ( ). The module ( ) also produces orientation signals from each deflector ( ) which indicate its orientation. A portcard ( ) supplies drive signals to the module ( ) for orienting at least one deflector ( ). The portcard ( ) also receives the orientation signals produced by that deflector ( ) together with coordinates that specify an orientation for the deflector ( ). The portcard ( ) compares the received coordinates with the orientation signals and adjusts the drive signals supplied to the module ( ) to reduce any difference between the received coordinates and the orientation signals. The switch ( ) also employs optical alignment to precisely orient pairs deflectors ( ) coupling a beam of light ( ) between optical fibers ( ).

Flexible, modular, compact fiber switch improvements

A fiber optic switch with a plurality of switches, each having one input and N outputs, the switches are arranged and oriented relative to each other so that the input of a switch is in line with the outputs of any adjacent switches of the plurality of switches, wherein each switch includes controllable mirror and has a solid state actuator to directly control the mirror, this facilitating selection of one of a plurality of outputs.

Arrangement for multiple 1xn optical switches

A scanner, through which a document moves while being scanned by a moving beam of light, includes a wheel that rotates responsive to document movement. The wheel includes a multi-sectioned optical encoder upon which the scanning beam of light impinges when in a position at which it does not impinge upon the document. The scanner also includes an optical detector which receives light that is not absorbed by the optical encoder sections. Thus, the optical detector generates an electrical signal that indicates document movement speed. A preferred embodiment the scanner includes a pair of cup-shaped wheels one of which carries the optical encoder that encircles an inner surface of the wheel adjacent to a lip thereof. An axle, also included in the preferred embodiment, spans between, is coupled to, and supports the wheels for rotation in unison about a longitudinal axis parallel to the axle.

Scanner document speed encoder

Methods for filling transducers of a fully implantable hearing aid system with liquids having either a high or a low vapor pressure are described. Methods are also described for avoiding damage to transducers during their testing and shipment.

Method for filling acoustic implantable transducers

A method for operating a monolithic, integrated, micromachined structure that includes a reference member and one or more dynamic members. Each dynamic member is supported from the reference member, either directly or indirectly, by torsion hinges. Supported in this way, each dynamic member exhibits a plurality of vibrational modes. Preferably, the structure is micromachined to establishes specified relationships between various pairs of vibrational modes. The method also includes applying force to each dynamic member that urges the member to rotate out of a rest position to a fixed particular angle.

Method of operating micromachined members coupled for relative rotation

Growing community of inventors

Palo Alto, CA, United States of America

Armand P Neukermans