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Kitching, US

Gary J. Kitching, Prescott, WI US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20100114611METHOD AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR MEASURING AND UTILIZING EFFICIENCY OF MEDICAL RESOURCE AND SERVICES PROVIDERS - A method and computer program product is provided that, in various embodiments, may provide a measure of efficiency of resources used in medical treatment plan options. A normalized Relative Resource Value (RRV) may be obtained that measures the level of resources required to satisfy a “normal” case for a particular aspect of medical care. Applying this value against actual costs allows ranking and/or comparison of health care providers relative to one another on the basis of the price or resources applied or utilized. Moreover, applying the RRV against the quality of outcome allows comparison and ranking of providers on overall value. The invention may be applied to the components of medical care comprising, inter alia, acute inpatient, non-acute inpatient, outpatient, professional office-based care including scheduled outpatient, and pharmacy/prescriptions. The normalized RRV obtained under various embodiments of the invention may measure resource use for medical treatment plan options/resources independent of price. The RRV may be relative across, as well as within, each of the components of medical care. Thus, provider profiling generally as well as profiling across treatment plan options based on efficiency generally is within the scope of various embodiments of the invention. Moreover, providers may be compared based on efficiency for specific conditions, as well as across conditions, across treatment plan options and across components of care using various embodiments of the invention.05-06-2010

Ian Kitching, Saratoga, CA US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20080294405Tooth modeling - The present disclosure includes dental appliances, devices, and methods of making and using such appliances. In one embodiment, a method for tooth modeling includes receiving a patient information file for a treatment plan patient and analyzing the patient information file to determine whether the patient is a non-adult patient.11-27-2008
20080305451SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETECTING DEVIATIONS DURING THE COURSE OF AN ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT TO GRADUALLY REPOSITION TEETH - Method and system for detecting and correcting deviation during an orthodontic treatment plan is provided. The method includes the steps of receiving an un-segmented current teeth image representing a patient's teeth after an orthodontic treatment plan has begun and before the plan ends for the patient; matching a previously segmented teeth model with the current teeth image; and generating at least one corrective stage to define an intermediate tooth arrangement, wherein the at least one corrective stage repositions a digital teeth image so that a prescribed tooth arrangement of the previously segmented teeth model can be used.12-11-2008
20080305453TREATMENT PROGRESS TRACKING AND RECALIBRATION - The present invention relates to systems and methods of developing and tracking delivery and patient progression through an orthodontic treatment plan. One method includes identifying deviations from an orthodontic treatment plan, including receiving a digital representation of an actual arrangement of a patient's teeth after an orthodontic treatment plan has begun for the patient and prior to completion of the orthodontic treatment plan. The method further includes comparing the actual arrangement to a pre-determined planned arrangement to determine if the actual arrangement substantially deviates from the planned arrangement, the comparing comprising matching teeth from a previously segmented model to a surface of an unsegmented representation of the actual arrangement; and calculating one or more positional differences between the actual and planned arrangements of at least some of the corresponding teeth.12-11-2008
20080305454TREATMENT PLANNING AND PROGRESS TRACKING SYSTEMS AND METHODS - The present invention provides systems and methods of managing planning and delivery of an orthodontic treatment using planning tools, treatment guidelines, instructions and appointment planning tools customized to the individual patient being treated, as well as tools and methods for tracking delivery and patient progression through an orthodontic treatment plan.12-11-2008
20080306724TREATMENT PLANNING AND PROGRESS TRACKING SYSTEMS AND METHODS - The present invention provides systems and methods of managing planning and delivery of an orthodontic treatment using planning tools, treatment guidelines, instructions and appointment planning tools customized to the individual patient being treated, as well as tools and methods for tracking delivery and patient progression through an orthodontic treatment plan.12-11-2008
20120035901AUTOMATED TREATMENT STAGING FOR TEETH - Apparatus, system, and methods for utilizing one or more computing devices to stage the movement of teeth during an alignment treatment are disclosed. The computing device receives an electronic representation of the patient's teeth in their initial position and an electronic representation of the teeth a final position for each tooth. A route each tooth will travel to reach its final position is determined, and the teeth are scheduled to move according to a movement pattern. Moreover, the schedule of movement takes into account a maximum rate of tooth movement for each tooth, the path of movement for each tooth, the distance each tooth needs to move, any needed tooth staggering, any needed round-tripping or tooth movement slowing. The invention also includes techniques for determining an optimum number of stages for the treatment based on the schedule of movement.02-09-2012
20120225401SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETECTING DEVIATIONS DURING THE COURSE OF AN ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT TO GRADUALLY REPOSITION TEETH - Method and system for detecting and correcting deviation during an orthodontic treatment plan is provided. The method includes the steps of receiving an un-segmented current teeth image representing a patient's teeth after an orthodontic treatment plan has begun and before the plan ends for the patient; matching a previously segmented teeth model with the current teeth image; and generating at least one corrective stage to define an intermediate tooth arrangement, wherein the at least one corrective stage repositions a digital teeth image so that a prescribed tooth arrangement of the previously segmented teeth model can be used.09-06-2012

John Kitching, Boulder, CO US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20090039881COMPACT ATOMIC MAGNETOMETER AND GYROSCOPE BASED ON A DIVERGING LASER BEAM - An atomic magnetometer that simultaneously achieves high sensitivity, simple fabrication and small size. This design is based on a diverging (or converging) beam of light that passes through an alkali atom vapor cell and that contains a distribution of beam propagation vectors. The existence of more than one propagation direction permits longitudinal optical pumping of atomic system and simultaneous detection of the transverse atomic polarization. The design could be implemented with a micro machined alkali vapor cell and light from a single semiconductor laser. A small modification to the cell contents and excitation geometry allows for use as a gyroscope.02-12-2009
20090256561INTEGRATED MICROCHIP INCORPORATING ATOMIC MAGNETOMETER AND MICROFLUIDIC CHANNEL FOR NMR AND MRI - An integral microfluidic device includes an alkali vapor cell and microfluidic channel, which can be used to detect magnetism for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Small magnetic fields in the vicinity of the vapor cell can be measured by optically polarizing and probing the spin precession in the small magnetic field. This can then be used to detect the magnetic field of in encoded analyte in the adjacent microfluidic channel. The magnetism in the microfluidic channel can be modulated by applying an appropriate series of radio or audio frequency pulses upstream from the microfluidic chip (the remote detection modality) to yield a sensitive means of detecting NMR and MRI.10-15-2009
20110031969ATOMIC MAGNETOMETER AND METHOD OF SENSING MAGNETIC FIELDS - A magnetometer and method of use is presently disclosed. The magnetometer has at least one sensor void of extraneous metallic components, electrical contacts and electrically conducting pathways. The sensor contains an active material vapor, such as an alkali vapor, that alters at least one measurable parameter of light passing therethrough, when in a magnetic field. The sensor may have an absorptive material configured to absorb laser light and thereby activate or heat the active material vapor.02-10-2011
20120176130Detection of J-Coupling Using Atomic Magnetometer - An embodiment of a method of detecting a J-coupling includes providing a polarized analyte adjacent to a vapor cell of an atomic magnetometer; and measuring one or more J-coupling parameters using the atomic magnetometer. According to an embodiment, measuring the one or more J-coupling parameters includes detecting a magnetic field created by the polarized analyte as the magnetic field evolves under a J-coupling interaction.07-12-2012

Patent applications by John Kitching, Boulder, CO US

Joseph Francis Kitching, Middletown, OH US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20120253769Systems and Methods for Airborne Particle Contamination Control - The present invention relates to a method for airborne particle contamination control, comprising: creating a simulation by modeling a turbulent airflow in an environment that includes an equipment of interest; plotting a flow parameter on the simulation to visualize a flow field of air according to a current design; creating an injection point on the simulation for particles in the environment; determining a particle concentration of the particles; determining, by a computing device and from the particle concentration, whether the current design provides contamination control; in response to determining that the current design does not provide contamination control, creating a modified design; and providing the modified design for implementation. The present invention further relates to a computing device for airborne particle contamination control. The present invention still further relates to a non-transitory computer-readable medium for airborne particle contamination control.10-04-2012

Kathryn J. Kitching US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20110060402Wettable ePTFE Medical Devices - Methods are provided for surface modifying a hydrophobic polymer substrate to increase wettability comprising the steps of pre-treating the hydrophobic polymer substrate with a radio frequency (RF)-generated first plasma and a RF-generated second plasma wherein the first plasma and the second plasma are applied sequentially, coating the hydrophobic polymer substrate with a hydrophilic coating; and polymerizing the hydrophilic coating on the hydrophobic polymer substrate by exposure to a RF-generated third plasma.03-10-2011

Philip A. Kitching, Oak Ridge, NC US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20110298559APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DIRECTIONAL COUPLING - Apparatuses and methods for directional coupling are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a directional coupler, a termination impedance, a switch, and a control block. The directional coupler includes a power input terminal, a power output terminal, a couple terminal and a terminate terminal. The power input terminal can receive a radio frequency signal from a power amplifier, and the power output terminal can be electrically connected to a load. The switch has an ON state and an OFF state, and includes an input electrically connected to the terminate terminal and an output electrically connected to the termination impedance. The switch is configured to provide a relatively low impedance path between the input and the output when in the ON state and to provide a relatively high impedance path between the input and the output when in the OFF state. The control block can set the state of the switch.12-08-2011