William Norbert Reining, 84Oregon, WI

6359449, Mar 19, 2002

Jun 29, 1999

09/343166

William N. Reining - Madison WI
Marshall J. Bell - Stoughton WI

Intellectual Property LLC - Cross Plains WI

G01R 2708

324692

A conductance sensor uses a high impedance feedback oscillator to drive a single coil at the natural resonant frequency of the coil coupled to a measured material. The amplitude of the driving signal is also feedback controlled. The error signal of the amplitude control yields a measurement of resistance of the measured material. The combination of frequency adjustment and amplitude control eliminates non-resistance impedance effects and amplitude-dependent effects allowing high precision, high sensitivity measurement.

6471106, Oct 29, 2002

Nov 15, 2001

09/998937

William N. Reining - Cross Plains WI

Intellectual Property LLC - Cross Plains WI

B25C 104

227 8, 227 2, 227156, 32420716, 324248, 324439, 324637

A device for discharging fastening elements, and a method of preventing a device from discharging fastening devices into human flesh, are disclosed. The device includes a coil proximate a location of discharge, a capacitive element coupled in parallel with the conductive coil to form a resonant tank circuit, an oscillator that drives the tank circuit, a frequency detector, an amplitude control circuit and a processor. The detector detects a frequency of oscillation of the tank circuit as affected by a material proximate the coil. In response to an electrical signal from the oscillator, the control circuit generates a control signal that is provided back to the oscillator. Based upon the frequency and an additional signal functionally related to the control signal, the processor provides an output signal that prevents the device from discharging when the material proximate the coil is human flesh.

6615073, Sep 2, 2003

Feb 2, 2000

09/496836

Dorin Panescu - Sunnyvale CA
William Reining - Cross Plains WI

SciMed Life Systems, Inc. - Maple Grove MN

A61B 50428

600509, 600522

A cardiac mapping and pacing system includes a cardiac catheter having multiple electrodes and further includes an electrophysiological biological recorder. An interface system coupled between the multiple electrodes and the biological recorder permits the biological recorder to receive, process and display data acquired from the electrodes even though the number of electrodes may exceed the number of available inputs to the biological recorder. An application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) implemented as a CMOS switching circuit matrix is used to effectively interface a number of individual electrodes with a variety of existing and custom biological recorders.

6805605, Oct 19, 2004

Mar 17, 2003

10/391029

Lynn E. Reining - Cross Plains WI, 53528
William N. Reining - Cross Plains WI, 53528

A63H 3304

446 91, 446484

An electrically conductive block component and method of producing such a block component are disclosed. The electrically conductive block component includes a main block section having first and second faces opposed to one another and a first channel extending through the main block section from the first face to the second face. The electrically conductive block component also includes a first conductive pin positioned within the first channel and having first and second end portions proximate the first and second faces, respectively. The first and second end portions of the first conductive pin are configured so that the electrically conductive block component can be both physically assembled with and electrically coupled to another electrically conductive block component.

6975206, Dec 13, 2005

Aug 30, 2002

10/234080

William N. Reining - Cross Plains WI, US

Intellectual Property, LLC - Cross Plains WI

H04Q005/22
G08C019/00
H03K009/06

340 102, 34082564, 340 104, 340 1032, 375239

A method of communicating information from first and second transponders (or multiple transponders) to a central monitoring device, and a communications apparatus, are disclosed. The method includes receiving a starting indication at the transponders, determining start times for the transponders in response to that indication, and transmitting first and second sets of bursts from the first and second transponders, respectively. The bursts of the first set occur at at least some of a first set of potential transmission times within an interrogation period, and the bursts of the second set occur at at least some of a second set of potential transmission times during that period. Each of the potential transmission times of the burst sets are respectively determined in relation to the start times of the respective transponders. The potential transmission times of the respective burst sets are separated from one another by one of a bit-cell period and a multiple thereof.

7027859, Apr 11, 2006

Sep 26, 1994

08/312336

Larry A. McNichols - Coon Rapids MN, US
John D. Badzinski - Coon Rapids MN, US
William N. Reining - Cross Plains WI, US
Gary A. Lattin - Forest Lake MN, US
Ronald P Haak - Menlo Park CA, US
Joseph B. Phipps - Plymouth MN, US

ALZA Corporation - Mountain View CA

A61N 1/30

604 20, 604110

An electrotransport device () for delivering one or more therapeutic agents through the skin includes electrodes () for contacting the skin (), at least one electrode containing the agent, a power source () for generating electrical current (I) for delivering the agent, a current generating and controlling means (), and a disabling means () for permanently and irreversibly disabling the current. The disabling means () may include a timer means (), a counter means (), or a body parameter sensor () and limit comparator () to effect permanent disabling. The disabling means may be a permanent transition to a disabled logic state, a permanent discharge of a power supply source (), or a permanent diversion of electrotransport current from the electrodes (), or a combination of the above. The permanent disabling means may include a circuit connection means () having a frangible conducting member () which permanently fractures and causes an irreversible open circuit in the connection to the electrodes () upon removing a disposable/single use electrode assembly () from a reusable portion of an electrotransport device.

7068028, Jun 27, 2006

Sep 12, 2003

10/661884

William N. Reining - Cross Plains WI, US

Intellectual Property LLC - Cross Plains WI

G01B 7/14

32420726, 32420716

A method and system for detecting a position of a metallic object are disclosed. The method includes (a) exciting a coil with an electrical signal to produce an electromagnetic field enveloping the object, (b) allowing a frequency of the electrical signal to be at the resonant frequency of the coil as affected by the object, and (c) adjusting a control signal controlling a characteristic of the electrical signal so that the characteristic substantially equals a predetermined standard level. The method further includes (d) periodically coupling and decoupling a resistive element in parallel with the coil while performing (a)–(c), and (e) deriving a signal based upon the control signal. The derived signal is indicative of a difference between first and second values of an intermediate signal functionally related to the control signal, which are obtained when the resistive element is coupled in parallel with the coil and decoupled, respectively.

2006011, Jun 1, 2006

Jan 18, 2006

11/334001

Larry McNichols - Elk River MN, US
John Badzinski - Coon Rapids MN, US
William Reining - Cross Plains WI, US
Gary Lattin - Nemo SD, US
Ronald Haak - Menlo Park CA, US
Joseph Phipps - Sunnyvale CA, US

A61K 9/22

604890100

An electrotransport device for delivering one or more therapeutic agents through the skin includes electrodes for contacting the skin, at least one electrode containing the agent, a power source for generating electrical current (I) for delivering the agent, a current generating and controlling means and a disabling means for permanently and irreversibly disabling the current. The disabling means may include a timer means, a counter means, or a body parameter sensor and limit comparator to effect permanent disabling. The disabling means may be a permanent transition to a disabled logic state, a permanent discharge of a power supply source, or a permanent diversion of electrotransport current from the electrodes, or a combination of the above. The permanent disabling means may include a circuit connection means having a frangible conducting member which permanently fractures and causes an irreversible open circuit in the connection to the electrodes upon removing a disposable/single use electrode assembly from a reusable portion of an electrotransport device.