University System of Maryland

Innovital, LLC

Techno-sciences, Inc. (corporation)

Inno Vital Systems, Inc.

Curt Steven Kothera

Norman Mark Wereley

Gregory Hiemenz

Benjamin K S Woods

Amit Navin Shah

William Sanford Krimsky

Peter C Chen

Pablo J Sztein

Gregory John Hiemenz

Wei Hu

Peter Che-Hung Chen

Grum Tamrat Ngatu

Jayant Sirohi

Edward A Bubert

Shane M Boyer

A handheld system that is used with an endotracheal tube to facilitate endotracheal intubation is disclosed. The device includes a lighted bougie and an intubating channel, a handle, at least one sensor, a midline alignment light, a tongue grasper, a power source, and electronics. These components combine to form an integrated airway management system. During operation of the system, the light transilluminates the anterior neck tissue of the patient and glows brightly in the midline when the bougie is placed in the trachea.

Endotracheal intubation assistance system

The present invention is a simple-to-use IV placement assist device with an added safety feature. A catheter advancer is slidably integrated with a base to guide advancement of a catheter linearly along the insertion path of the needle and catheter. A safety feature is engaged by a movable component moving from a first position to a second position, such movable enabling relative movement between the base and catheter advancer and/or catheter assembly, rotation of the needle about its length axis, and/or minor advancement of the catheter assembly to sheath the tip of the needle. The IV placement assist device stabilizes and guides the critical needle insertion and catheter advancement steps of a complication-prone and very common procedure.

Intravenous access assist device with safety feature

A device () for medical procedure localization that provides a template that indexes the site of interest along a first axis or plane that is defined by anatomical landmarks of a patient. An embodiment is disclosed in which a first axis is an axillary line from the patient's axilla (armpit) toward the iliac crest (pelvis) and the site of interest is a distance away from the axilla along said first axis. The site of interest is the 3rd, 4or 5intercostal space, into which a needle/catheter and/or chest tube may be placed for decompression.

Device for medical procedure localization and/or insertion

A device to assist performing medical procedures that references anatomical landmarks through adjustable components to identify and stabilize a procedure site and provide guidance in performing the procedure. In one embodiment, an airway creation assist device (ACAD) can be dimensionally adjusted for different patient sizes and properly aligned using anatomical landmarks. The ACAD provides an adjustable template that enables accurate identification of the airway creation site, including but not limited to the cricothyroid membrane. The ACAD uses an insertion guide to guide the obturator and airway tube safely and consistently into the trachea, with a mechanical stop to prevent damaging the posterior trachea wall. The ACAD improves efficacy of the procedure, and makes perforating an incorrect airway creation procedure difficult. In another embodiment, a chest decompression assist device (DAD) Is disclosed for decompression treatment of air and/or fluid in the chest.

Assist device for medical procedures

A device () for medical procedure localization and/or insertion that can be dimensionally adjusted for different patient sizes and properly aligned and stabilized using anatomical landmarks. The device () for medical procedure localization and/or insertion provides an adjustable template that indexes the site of interest at the intersection of a first axis or plane and a second axis or plane. An embodiment is disclosed in which a first axis is the axillary line through the patient's axilla (armpit) and iliac crest (pelvis), and a second axis is the patient's ideal horizontal nipple line. The intersection of the first and second axes is the 4th or 5th intercostal space, into which a needle and/or chest tube may be placed for decompression.

A fluidic artificial muscle actuator consisting of an inner elastic bladder surrounded by a braided filament sleeve and sealed off on either end with end fittings. Pressurization of the actuator produces force and/or motion through radial movement of the bladder and sleeve which forces the sleeve to move axially. Both contractile and extensile motions are possible depending on the geometry of the braided sleeve. The fluidic artificial muscle actuator is manufactured using a swaging process which plastically deforms swage tubes around the end fittings, braided sleeve, and pressure bladder, creating a strong mechanical clamping action that may be augmented with adhesive bonding of the components. The swaging system includes the swaging die and associated components which are used to plastically deform the swage tube during assembly of the actuator.

Fluidic artificial muscle actuator and swaging process therefor

A wearable spinal support system having an upper body adapter engaging the head and/or torso of a wearer and a lower body adapter engaging the hips/pelvis, the upper and lower body adapters joined by an articulated structural column. The structural column is made up of stacked vertebral elements each having an aperture provided there through such that a tendon can be fed through the aligned apertures of the vertebral elements. The tendons are fixed at one end and each engaged to mechanical control element at the other end such that the tension/payout in each tendon is independently variable under direction of a controller receiving sensor feedback in order to support the loaded upper body of the wearer and position it relative to the lower body when desirable according to the controller.

Active spinal support system

An Extensile Fluidic Muscle Actuator (FMA) that changes the normal direction of force and motion, achieving compressive force generation and extensile motion output with just a small increase in friction, weight, and cost is disclosed. The motion conversion is accomplished by a pushrod that is attached to the inside end of one of the actuator's end fittings, and extends through the actuator body and slidably out through the other end fitting. The other end fitting is held stationary by a seal housing that contains a sealing element to retain internal fluid pressure as the actuator moves. A linear bearing may also be installed to keep the rod aligned and centered properly in the seal. Upon pressurization of the actuator, the flexible body of the actuator will expand radially, causing relative contractile motion between the two end fittings. However, as the two end fittings are drawn towards each other, the pushrod is extended.

Extensile fluidic muscle actuator

An actuation system for trailing-edge flap control suitable for use in reducing vibration in rotorcraft blades as well as primary flight control and noise mitigation employing an antagonistic pair of fluidic artificial muscles (FAMs) located and operated inside the rotor blade. The FAMs are connected to a force transfer mechanism such as an inboard bellcrank and engaged to an outboard bellcrank by one or more linkages running spanwise out through the spar. The outboard mechanism translates the spanwise linkage motion into chordwise motion of a flap control rod which is connected to the trailing-edge flap. A torsion rod flexure (TRF) device is included connecting the trailing-edge flap to the blade. The actuation system can produce large flap deflections at relatively high operating frequencies for vibration reduction and noise cancellation and is capable of larger flap deflections at lower operating frequencies for embedded primary control of the rotorcraft.

Fluidic artificial muscle actuation system for trailing-edge flap

A MagnetoRheological Fluid Elastic (MRFE) lag damper system for adaptive lead-lag damping of helicopter main rotors. Embodiments include snubber dampers especially for hingeless helicopter rotors, and concentric bearing dampers. The snubber lag dampers include a flexible snubber body defining a cavity, a flexible or rigid interior (e.g., center) wall subdividing the cavity, and a flow valve in the interior wall or external to the cavity. The flexible snubber body may comprise elastomeric materials and metal rings stacked together to create a sealed MR fluid cavity. The shear deformation of the snubber body induces MR fluid flow through the valve, controlled by a magnetic field in the valve. An MRFE concentric bearing damper is also disclosed, comprising a pair of concentric tubes with elastomeric material injected and cured in an annular gap between the two tubes, and an MR fluid reservoir with piston-mounted MR valve housed inside the innermost tube.

Magnetorheological fluid elastic lag damper for helicopter rotors

An adaptive energy absorption system for a vehicle seat that functions in dual-modes, including a primary mode during severe (shock event) operation and a secondary mode during normal (non-shock event) operation. When operating in primary mode, the present system automatically adjusts a VPEA in real-time to keep loads transmitted to the occupant's body below acceptable injury threshold levels, and can recover to perform said function for multiple shock events. When operating in secondary mode the system reduces vehicle vibration transmitted to the occupant, thereby reducing fatigue and increasing situational awareness.

Adaptive energy absorption system for a vehicle seat

An assembly for controlling a vehicle, including a fluid contact surface constructed and arranged to act against a fluid passing over the fluid contact surface; and a support structure coupled to the fluid contact surface. The support structure is constructed and arranged to expand or contract between a first position and a second position, such that a first dimension of the support structure changes during movement of the support structure between the first position and the second position, while a second dimension of the support structure remains substantially constant during the movement of the support structure between the first position and the second position.

Cellular support structures used for controlled actuation of fluid contact surfaces

A fluid contact surface actuation system for a vehicle, including a first fluid contact surface constructed and arranged to act against a first fluid passing over the first fluid contact surface; and a first fluid actuator coupled to the first fluid contact surface to move the first fluid contact surface between a first position and a second position to enable control of the vehicle in a predetermined manner, the first fluid actuator having a first resilient bladder that receives a second fluid such that pressure of the second fluid moves the first bladder between a contracted configuration and an expanded configuration.

Growing community of inventors

Crofton, MD, United States of America

Curt Steven Kothera