Patently Speaking highlights the technological achievements of Fort Wayne area residents.
Gamma-shielded small RFID tag
•U.S. Patent No. 7,916,033
•Invented by: Michael D. Westrick, Huntertown
•Assigned to Solstice Medical LLC
Radio frequency identification tags are tiny devices that can transmit data short distances (maybe just a few feet). These tags are the bar codes of the 21st century. They can be used in security or credit cards, parts, containers and even medical devices. RFID tags can identify a particular store a product came from, security codes, and even medical histories. A hand-held sensor can pass over the RFID tag sending a signal to energize the tag and read the data.
Despite the RFID tag’s proven usefulness, the environment that medical implants find themselves in is not conducive to these tags. Even before the implant ever reaches the operating room, it has to be sterilized. Gamma ray sterilization is a common method of accomplishing this. Unfortunately, such radiation degrades the silicon material in the tag, rendering it useless.
This patent describes a new RFID tag that is not susceptible to gamma ray degradation. This RFID tag uses a combination of a shielded enclosure and folded antennae. The shield is made of gamma-absorbing metallic material to protect it from the radiation. The folded antennae can resonate at a quarter of the wavelength of the frequency used to communicate with the receiver. The shield does not, therefore, inhibit reception and the tag size can be minimized.
Marine seating system and apparatus
•U.S. Patent No. 7,913,637
•Invented by Robert E. Roehm II, Markle, and Clifford M. Roehm, Ossian
•Assigned to Roehm Marine LLC, Fort Wayne
This patent describes a new bench seat for flat-deck, pontoon-type boats.
Bench seats, resembling small sofas, are typically made with two wood box frames set side-by-side and then covered with cushions. Structurally this is fine, but a hard support right in the middle of the bench results. Obviously, this support is not comfortable to sit on.
To make these benches more comfortable while still using the wood box frame design, the sides of the boxes that join in the middle are rounded down. Cushioning is added on top. This combination reduces the effect of the hard-center support.
The preceding are lay descriptions of patents obtained from the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s public records and are provided for general information purposes only. Nothing contained herein is a legal description of any claimed invention, identification of novelty, or offer of legal advice. Because issued patents are based on applications often filed years earlier, the subject matter of some patents may have been available on the market for some time prior to the issuance of the patent. Additional information on these patents is available at www.uspto.gov.
