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Northwestern University's Technology Transfer Program encourages and assists faculty and students in patenting and licensing their inventions.

Some patents by Mechanical Engineering faculty and students are shown below.

5952796 : Cobots

Inventors: J. Edward Colgate, Michael Peshkin

An apparatus and method for direct physical interaction between a person and a general purpose manipulator controlled by a computer. The apparatus, known as a collaborative robot or "cobot," may take a number of configurations common to conventional robots. In place of the actuators that move conventional robots, however, cobots use variable transmission elements whose transmission ratio is adjustable under computer control via small servomotors. Cobots thus need few if any powerful, and potentially dangerous, actuators. Instead, cobots guide, redirect, or steer motions that originate with the person. A method is also disclosed for using the cobot's ability to redirect and steer motion in order to provide physical guidance for the person, and for any payload being moved by the person and the cobot. Virtual surfaces, virtual potential fields, and other guidance schemes may be defined in software and brought into physical effect by the cobot.

5941110: Adaptive method and apparatus for forming tailor welded blanks

Inventors: Jian Cao, Brad Kinsey

Method and apparatus for TWB forming with adaptive control of movable punch and/or die segments in a manner to maintain a holding force at the weld line by the punch and die segments during at least initial forming of the blank in a manner to control and limit movement of the weld line. A tailor welded metal blank having a weld line is positioned between a punch and a die with the weld line spanning a cavity defined between the punch and the die. One or more individual segments of the punch and of the die are moved in a manner to engage opposite side regions of the weld line to apply a holding force to the weld line. Relative movement of the punch and/or die segments is adaptively controlled during at least initial deformation of the blank by the punch in a manner to maintain the holding force applied to weld line at a selected holding force value to retain the weld line in a plane defined by the punch and die segments, thereby reducing weld line movement. After initial deformation of the blank by movement of the punch to a preset punch location, the punch and die segments can be retracted away from the weld line during subsequent deformation of the blank.

5410638: System for positioning a medical instrument within a biotic structure using a micromanipulator

Inventors: J. Edward Colgate, Mathew Glucksberg, Kenneth W. Grace

Abstract A device is provided for precision positioning of a medical instrument within a biotic structure through a hole in an exterior wall of the biotic structure. A structural member of the instrument extends through the hole of the biotic structure at a puncture point with the instrument disposed on the structural member at a first end within the biotic structure. A medical instrument holder disposed at a second end of the structural member outside the biotic structure is provided for retaining a medical instrument at a predetermined angle. The device also includes instrument manipulating apparatus for supporting and positioning the instrument holder to position the medical instrument at the desired location while maintaining the structural member substantially stationary in the plane of the exterior wall at the puncture point. A selectively moveable support has legs that are independently pivotally rotatable about a joint, such as a ball and socket joint. The moveable support is coupled to actuators for activating the selectively moveable support. An input device, which generates a positioning signal that corresponds to the surgeon's desired positioning of the medical instrument, is also included. A computer for controlling the actuators determines the correct movement of the selectively moveable support based on the electronic signal of the input device, which thereby positions the medical instrument at the correct location.

6198794: Apparatus and method for planning a stereotactic surgical procedure using coordinated fluoroscopy

Inventor(s): Michael Peshkin, Julio J. Santos-Munne

An apparatus and method is provided for coordinating two fluoroscope images, which permits accurate computer-based planning of the insertion point and angle of approach of a needle, drill, screw, nail, wire or other surgical instrumentation into the body of a patient, and subsequently guides the surgeon in performing the insertion in accordance with the plan.

5537854: Acoustic natural gas fuel sensor

Inventor(s): Scott Phillips, Richard M. Lueptow

A gaseous fuel analyzer having a flow through chamber equipped with sound producing means at one end and sound receiving means at the other for measuring an acoustic property of fuel flowing through the chamber and for numerically relating the acoustic property to the combustion character of the fuel.

Inventor(s): , Bruno F. Pouet, Tom C. Chatters, Sridhar Krishnaswamy

A video camera records a series of interferometric images of a test object, while the object is subjected to a repeated and varying level of stress. At least one pair of interferometric images, taken during the same video frame, and corresponding to different levels of stress, are added together, in an analog manner, to form a composite image which is then stored in digital form. During the next video frame, the phase of the light used to generate the interferometric image is altered, and the process is repeated. The digitally-stored composite images obtained during two successive video frames are subtracted from each other to produce a second-order composite image which reveals information about the condition of the object. The second-order composite image includes fringes of high contrast, and is not adversely affected by most ambient noise.

Inventor: Rodney S. Ruoff

Micron-sized particles are produced in quantity by one of various methods, including generally the steps of preparing a substrate surface through a lithographic process, the surface being characterized by defining a plurality of elements, depositing a layer of particle material on the substrate surface including the elements, processing the substrate surface to isolate the material deposited on the elements, and separating the particles from the elements. The size and shape of the elements predetermine the size and shape of the particles. The elements may comprise, inter alia, pillars of photoresist or spaces on the substrate surrounded and defined by photoresist.

5685792: Street and ice hockey stick

Inventor: Rodney S. Ruoff

An ice, street or roller hockey stick having a stick blade that prevents excessive wear. The stick includes a plurality of rods or members inserted in the bottom edge of the stick's blade. The rods or members are made of a material exhibiting higher wear resistance characteristics than the material used to form the bottom edge of the blade.

Inventors: Michel N. Ilbawi, J. Edward Colgate, David A. Johnson

A body-implantable device for controlling the size of a fluid flow passageway within the body, typically for use in a Fenestrated Fontan operation. A housing is provided and secured within the body, typically to the artificial septum sutured into place in the Fontan operation. A flow passageway extends through the housing. An antenna is responsive to electromagnetic signals emitted from outside the body and conveyed through the body without wires to the antenna. Means are provided for varying the cross-section of the flow passageway in a manner responsive to signals received by the antenna.

Inventors: Isaac M. Daniel, Sun Kyoung Kim, Jeremy G. Opperer

Methods to detect and characterize a defect in a fiber preform residing in a molding cavity for liquid composite molding (e.g. resin transfer molding) to make a composite component or structure. The defect may result from fiber preform misplacement in the molding cavity, accidental inclusions, preform density variations, and/or distortion of the preform. Gas pressures at multiple locations on a mold wall are measured during gas flow through the mold cavity containing the fiber preform. Normalized or measured pressures are analyzed by discriminant analysis to detect and characterize any defect in the tested fiber preform.

6152734: Dental anesthetic and delivery injection unit

Inventors: Walter Herbst, Michael Reiter

An improved injection device includes containing a pump and pump control circuitry, a handle with a needle for delivering a therapeutic agent to a patient, a cartridge holding the agent and a tube for delivering the agent from the cartridge to the handle. Preferably the cartridge is disposed in a cartridge holder coupled to the tube. A quick disconnect coupling is provided between the cartridge holder and the housing so that it can be easily mounted thereon. The housing further has a receptacle for receiving and storing the tip of the handle.

4482342: Blood processing system for cell washing

Inventors: Richard M. Lueptow, Jeffrey J. Peterson

A cell washing method and apparatus which utilizes centrifugation to separate blood components in a flexible bag. The less dense separated components e.g., supernatant, is expressed from the bag by centrifugal force acting on a plate adjacent the bag and the more dense component e.g., RBC's, remains. The bag is oriented at a double angle in the centrifuge so that less dense component accumulates at one location and more dense at a second location diagonally opposite the first location, thus facilitating removal of the less dense and washing of the more dense component.

6210042: Isothermal journal bearing

Inventors: Qian Wang, Yiding Cao

Described herein is an isothermal journal bearing that incorporates heat pipes for temperature reduction and uniformity. The heat pipes can be fabricated by turning and are arranged within the bearing wall circumferentially. Due to the high thermal conductance of the heat pipe, frictional heat produced at the contact and during the rubbing process can be dissipated promptly through the entire bearing wall, resulting in a lower temperature in the pressurized region and a relatively uniform temperature along the circumference of the bearing. The temperature reduction and uniformity would significantly reduce the bearing failure tendency due to heat accumulation and bearing thermal distortion.