Gregory Martin

Implantable Cardiac Stimulator With Electrode-Tissue Interface Characterization

Application

#6473648 Oct 29, 2002

Filed

Dec 6, 1999

Inventor

David Prutchi (Lake Jackson, TX) · Patrick J. Paul (Lake Jackson, TX) · Gregory R. Martin (Pearland, TX)

Appl. No.

09/454619

Assignee

Intermedics Inc. (Angleton, TX)

International Classification

A61N 1362

U.S. Classification

607 28, 607 8

Abstract

A cardiac stimulator capable of measuring pacing impedance includes a tank capacitor for delivering charge to the heart via device leads, a shunt resistor, and high-impedance buffers for measuring pacing current through the shunt resistor. Soon after the leading edge of the stimulation pulse, the voltage across the shunt resistor, as sampled by a high-impedance buffer, indicates lead and cardiac tissue resistance. Just prior to opening the pacing switch to terminate the stimulation pulse, the voltage across the shunt resistor is sampled by a high-impedance buffer and held once again to allow the capacitance of the lead/heart tissue to be calculated. In alternative embodiments, a high-impedance buffer measures the voltage between the tank capacitor and ground immediately following the stimulation pulse to allow estimation of the lead/heart tissue capacitance. In one alternative embodiment, a look-up table is created in main memory and searched to find the closest lead/heart tissue capacitance estimate to any arbitrary degree of accuracy. In another alternative embodiment, the lead/heart tissue capacitance is estimated by successive approximation to any arbitrary degree of accuracy.

Claim

We claim: 1. An implantable apparatus for measuring a lead/tissue resistance and a Helmholtz capacitance of a patient's heart, comprising: an impedance circuit including a first signal and a second signal, wherein the impedance circuit records a first voltage; a processor coupled to the impedance circuit and receiving the first signal and the second signal from the impedance circuit, wherein the processor is adapted to determine the lead/tissue resistance from the first signal and the Helmholtz capacitance from the second signal; and a pulse generator producing a pulse, wherein the first signal depends on the first voltage recorded by the impedance circuit within 10 &mgr;sec after a start of the pulse. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the impedance circuit records a second voltage, wherein the second signal depends on the second voltage recorded by the impedance circuit after the first voltage. 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second signal depends on the second voltage recorded less than 10 &mgr;sec before an end of the pulse. 4.

Method Of Forming An Electrical Connector

Application

#6532654 Mar 18, 2003

Filed

Jan 12, 2001

Inventor

Luc Gilbert Guerin (Quebec, CA) · Mario J. Interrante (New Paltz, NY) · Mark Joseph LaPlante (Montgomery, NY) · David Clifford Long (Wappingers Falls, NY) · Gregory Blair Martin (Wappingers Falls, NY) · Thomas P. Moyer (Lagrangeville, NY) · Glenn A. Pomerantz (Kerhonkson, NY) · Thomas Weiss (Poughkeepsie, NY)

Appl. No.

09/759014

Assignee

International Business Machines Corporation (Armonk, NY)

International Classification

H01R 4300

U.S. Classification

29884, 29874, 29877, 439 66, 439 78, 439608, 361760, 361772

Abstract

A method of forming an electrical connector including providing a metallic sheet having a multitude of connector blanks formed therein, each of the connector blanks having a base portion, a contact portion and a singulation arm; forming each of the connector blanks into a connector having a predetermined shape wherein each of the connectors remain connected to the metallic sheet by their respective singulation arms and wherein the singulation arms are nonplanar with respect to the metallic sheet; joining the base of each of the connectors to a first substrate; and severing the singulation arms to separate each of the connectors from the metallic sheet wherein the base of each of the connectors is joined to the first substrate. In a preferred embodiment, the contact portion contacts a second substrate.

Claim

What is claimed is: 1. A method of forming an electrical connector comprising: providing a metallic sheet having a plurality of connector blanks formed therein, each of the connector blanks having a base portion, a contact portion and a singulation arm; forming each of the connector blanks into a connector having a predetermined shape wherein each of the connectors remain connected to the metallic sheet by their respective singulation arms and wherein the singulation arms are nonplanar with respect to the metallic sheet; joining the base of each of the connectors to a first substrate; and severing the singulation arms to separate each of the connectors from the metallic sheet wherein the base of each of the connectors is joined to the first substrate and the contact portion is adapted for contacting a second substrate. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of severing includes repeatedly moving the metallic sheet in a direction parallel to a plane of the first substrate. 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of severing includes embrittling at least a portion of the singulation arms and exceeding the yield stress of the embrittled singulation arms. 4.

Perfusion Sensitive Biopsy Extractor

Application

#6632183 Oct 14, 2003

Filed

Feb 12, 2001

Inventor

Harry Frederick Bowman (Needham, MA) · Gregory T. Martin (Cambridge, MA)

Appl. No.

09/783915

Assignee

Thermal Technologies, Inc. (Cambridge, MA)

International Classification

A61B 1000

U.S. Classification

600564, 600567, 600504, 600363, 606167

Abstract

A technique for quantifying perfusion and removing a biopsy sample at a site in a living body wherein an instrument having a perfusion sensor is introduced into the body at a site to be investigated to there interrogate the tissue. The biopsy specimen is collected when the perfusion sensor produces a signal indicative of perfused, viable tissue.

Claim

What is claimed is: 1. Apparatus for removing a biopsy specimen from a biopsy specimen site in living tissue comprising: a biopsy probe; perfusion sensor means on said probe for introducing thermal energy into tissue, thereby defining an effective measurement zone within the tissue, and sensing the transport of said thermal energy within the effective measurement zone; and extraction means on said probe for extracting tissue in the effective measurement zone. 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising means for compensating for baseline tissue temperature fluctuations. 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 said perfusion sensor means is located on said probe at or near said extraction means so that said extraction means, when in use, is at least partially within said effective measurement zone. 4. Apparatus according to Claim 1 wherein said perfusion sensor means is located at the tip of said probe and at or near said extraction means. 5. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said perfusion sensor means is located on said probe adjacent to or within said extraction means. 6.

Multiwell Plate Having Transparent Well Bottoms

Application

#6767607 Jul 27, 2004

Filed

Aug 9, 2001

Inventor

Allison J. Tanner (Portsmouth, NH) · Gregory R. Martin (Acton, MA) · Hongming Wang (Lee, NH)

Appl. No.

09/925638

Assignee

Corning Incorporated (Corning, NY)

International Classification

B32B 310

U.S. Classification

428131, 422 99, 422100, 4352883, 4352884

Abstract

A multiwell plate is described that is used for assaying samples and is made from a plastic upper plate which forms the sidewalls of one or more wells and a glass lower plate which forms the bottom walls of the wells. The plastic upper plate and glass lower plate are attached and bound to one another by an enhanced adhesive. The enhanced adhesive includes an adhesive mixed with an additive that interacts with the adhesive, the plastic upper plate and the glass bottom plate in a manner that strengthens a bond between the plastic upper plate and the glass lower plate. Also described herein is a method for making such multiwell plates.

Claim

What is claimed is: 1. A multiwell plate forming a plurality of sample wells for holding samples to be assayed, said multiwell plate comprising: an upper plate that forms sidewalls of the sample wells, said upper plate made from a polymeric material; and a lower plate that forms bottom walls of the sample wells, said lower plate made from a pyrolized glass, wherein said upper plate was joined to said lower plate by an adhesive mixed with a silane monomer that polymerized to form a compatible network with the adhesive to strengthen a bond between said upper plate and said lower plate, wherein said polymeric material is plasma treated polymeric material after being subjected to a plasma treatment process to create reactive groups that would interact with the silane monomer in said adhesive to further strengthen the bond between said adhesive and said upper plate. 2. The multiwell plate of claim 1, wherein said pyrolized glass was subjected to a pyrolysis process to free silanol groups that would interact with the silane monomer in said adhesive to further strengthen the bond between said adhesive and said lower plate. 3. A multiwell plate forming a plurality of sample wells for holding samples to be assayed, said multiwell plate comprising: an upper plate that forms sidewalls of the sample wells, said upper plate made from a plasma treated polymeric material; and a lower plate that forms bottom walls of the sample wells, said lower plate made from a pyrolized glass, wherein said upper plate was joined to said lower plate by an adhesive mixed with a silane monomer that polymerized to form a compatible network with the adhesive to strengthen a bond between said upper plate and said lower plate. 4.

Conductive Polymer Interconnection Configurations

Application

#6858111 Feb 22, 2005

Filed

Jul 23, 2001

Inventor

Charles H. Perry (Poughkeepsie, NY) · Mark G. Courtney (Poughkeepsie, NY) · Lewis S. Goldmann (Bedford, NY) · Gregory B. Martin (Wappingers Falls, NY)

Appl. No.

09/911069

Assignee

International Business Machines Corporation (Armonk, NY)

International Classification

C09J005/00

U.S. Classification

156327, 1563077, 257737, 438614

Abstract

A method of forming an electrical connection between two devices is disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the method includes soldering a second solderable cap of an interconnection to a first contact pad of a first component. The interconnection further includes a conductive polymer comprising a polymer component and a conductive component A first solderable cap is disposed in contact with the conductive polymer, and the second solderable cap is disposed in contact with the conductive polymer opposite the first solderable cap. The first solderable cap is then soldered to a second contact pad of a second component.

Kiln Thermal And Combustion Control

Application

#7047089 May 16, 2006

Filed

May 11, 2004

Inventor

Gregory D. Martin (Georgetown, TX) · Eugene Boe (Austin, TX) · Stephen Piche (Austin, TX) · James David Keeler (Austin, TX) · Douglas Timmer (McAllen, TX) · Mark Gerules (Cedar Park, TX) · John P. Havener (Liberty Hill, TX)

Appl. No.

10/843160

Assignee

Pavilion Technologies (Austin, TX)

International Classification

G05B 13/02

U.S. Classification

700 29, 700 37, 700 40, 700 31, 700 30, 700 28, 700 47

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling a non-linear mill. A linear controller is provided having a linear gain k that is operable to receive inputs representing measured variables of the plant and predict on an output of the linear controller predicted control values for manipulatible variables that control the plant. A non-linear model of the plant is provided for storing a representation of the plant over a trained region of the operating input space and having a steady-state gain K associated therewith. The gain k of the linear model is adjusted with the gain K of the non-linear model in accordance with a predetermined relationship as the measured variables change the operating region of the input space at which the linear controller is predicting the values for the manipulatible variables. The predicted manipulatible variables are then output after the step of adjusting the gain k.