Optical Alchemy, Inc.

Platform Imaging, LLC

Marc Daigle

Heidi Burnham

Nathan E Wallace

Dennis L Fowler

Thomas F McNall

Daniel H Hammerle

Devices used during minimally invasive surgery (sometimes called minimal access surgery or laparoscopic surgery) for implantation and fixation of various cameras, for example, to the human body. An insertable device including a housing divided into two sections, a camera, a sensor, at least two LED lights, a lens flush located above the camera lens to clean a lens of the camera, and a motor for moving the camera in relation to the housing with pan and tilt capabilities. An insertion tool for inserting devices including a cannula, a top housing, and a bottom, wherein the bottom couples with the insertable device. A capture and fixation device for capturing and fixing an insertable device to an internal body cavity wall, the device includes a cannula, at least one slideable clamp device, and a retractable loop. Once the insertable device is positioned, the retractable loop fixes the insertable device to the body cavity wall.

Laparoscopic device implantation and fixation system and method

A multi-axis gimbal has each axis defined by a respective spherical shell driven by a flat, compact motor attached to the driven shell and to a next outer shell (or to an external mounting platform, in the case of the outermost shell). The shells rotate about respective axes. In one configuration, the outermost shell is referred to as the 'azimuth' shell because in use it rotates about a vertical axis. The next inner shell is an elevation shell that rotates about a first horizontal axis that is orthogonal to the axis of the camera or other sensor payload. An optional third shell can be used to provide 'roll' motion, such as rotating a camera about its axis to obtain a particular rotational orientation with respect to a target.

Multiple axis gimbal employing nested spherical shells

A disclosed sensor includes a light emitter configured to transmit an emitted light beam having a range of wavelengths toward a reflecting element that is configured to produce a reflected light beam having a particular wavelength that is a function of an angle of incidence of the emitted light beam from a normal of the reflecting element. The sensor also includes a color sensor in proximity to and fixed relative to the light emitter and configured to (i) receive the reflected light beam, (ii) detect the particular wavelength of the reflected light beam, and (iii) transmit a color signal indicating the particular wavelength of the reflected light beam. The sensor further includes processing circuitry disposed in electrical communication with the color sensor and configured to receive the color signal and calculate the angle of incidence based on the particular wavelength.

Angular position sensor for relative attitude sensing

A flash-bang projectile that generates one or more noise pulses and one or more flashes of light. In generating a noise pulse, the flash-bang projectile provides a housing that includes a gas chamber that entraps air. The gas chamber includes a compression device that, when the flash-bang projectile is shot or otherwise ejected by a gun or other form of ejection device, compresses the air that is entrapped in the gas chamber. A burst disk forms one wall of the gas chamber and is configured to rupture a selected time delay after the air has been compressed. Rupturing of the burst disk releases the compressed air entrapped in the gas chamber, allowing the air to be released through a horn nozzle, thereby generating a noise pulse. The flash-bang projectile may have more than one gas chambers, with associated compression devices, whose burst disks are configured to rupture with diverse time delays, in which case the flash-bang projectile can generate multiple noise pulses with corresponding delays. In generating a light flash, the flash-bang projectile includes one or more light generating devices, which may include items such as flash lamps, light-emitting devices, and the like, along with a control module for powering the light generating devices. The control module includes an electrical generating arrangement that uses a portion of the kinetic energy imparted to the flash-bang projectile when it is ejected to generate electrical energy. The electrical energy is, in turn, used to power the light generating devices. Electrical traces on the burst disks are broken when the burst disks rupture to facilitate synchronization of the light flashes with the noise pulses.

Flash-bang projectile

An optical element, such as a lens, is described that provides good transmission of radiation in the infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, that can be molded using an injection molding technique. The optical element comprises a moldable matrix in which is distributed a plurality of particles. The material comprising the matrix is selected so as to have a relatively low absorption of radiation in the infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, and the material comprising the particles is selected to have a relatively high transmissivity of radiation in the infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, and both materials are selected so as to have approximately the same index of refraction. The optical element comprising the matrix/particle composite is formed to provide surfaces having the contours that are required to provide the desired optical properties.

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Concord, MA, United States of America

Marc Daigle