Robert Jason Howe

US Patent:

7255192, Aug 14, 2007

Filed:

Oct 26, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/973622

Inventors:

Douglas P. Perrin - Cambridge MA, US
Robert D Howe - Cambridge MA, US

Assignee:

President and Fellows of Harvard College - Cambridge MA

International Classification:

F04B 39/00

US Classification:

180305, 417572

Abstract:

A self-actuating robot or vehicle tether capable of moving itself, remaining free while traversing around obstacles, and free itself is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a valve is mounted to the tether or robot. An inflow conduit attached to or in the tether is connected to the valve. A fluid flows through the tether and the valve is opened and closed to create a waterhammer effect in the inflow conduit. The forces created on the tether from the waterhammer effect result in motion of the tether and in freeing of the tether from obstructions. Closing and opening the valve further creates pressure changes in the tether, thereby causing momentary dimensional changes in the tether. In an alternative embodiment, a plurality of valves are placed along the tether. Pulsing of the plurality of valves while a fluid flows through the tether results in the tether effectively moving itself.

US Patent:

20130190726, Jul 25, 2013

Filed:

Apr 29, 2011

Appl. No.:

13/643625

Inventors:

Samuel Kesner - Somerville MA, US
Robert Howe - Cambridge MA, US
Shelton Yuen - Berkeley CA, US
Pedro Del Nido - Lexington MA, US
Douglas Perrin - Cambridge MA, US
Nikolay Vasilyev - Newton MA, US

Assignee:

CHILDREN'S MEDICAL CENTER CORPORATION - Boston MA
PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE - Cambridge MA

International Classification:

A61M 25/01

US Classification:

604510, 604 9501

Abstract:

A catheter system allows for percutaneous intervention on the fast-moving structures inside the heart. The device consists of a steerable catheter sheath, an actuated, multi-degree of freedom moving catheter, and a catheter end effector, such as a fixation device. An actuator controls the motion of the catheter guide-wire in the catheter sheath to follow the motion of the target tissue. A control system controls the actuator and compensates for mechanical characteristics of the system including friction and backlash. A 3-D imaging system can be used to view the motion of the target tissue and the catheter end effector and produce 3-D imaging data. The 3-D imaging data can be used by the control system to track the target tissue and accurately position the end effector with respect to the moving target tissue allowing a clinician to repair the target tissue while it is moving. The system can be used to perform mitral valve annuloplasty wherein the actuated catheter compensates for the heart valve motion and an end effector fixation device is used to place fixation items, like anchors or staples, into the heart valve tissue to fix the annulus.

US Patent:

59837276, Nov 16, 1999

Filed:

Aug 19, 1997

Appl. No.:

8/914730

Inventors:

Parris S. Wellman - Somerville MA
Jae S. Son - El Segundo CA
Robert D. Howe - Cambridge MA

Assignee:

Pressure Profile Systems - Somerville MA

International Classification:

G01L 900
G01L 708

US Classification:

73724

Abstract:

An improved fluid pressure sensor/sensor array is shown to provide high resolution, sensitivity which can be easily controlled based on anticipated or detected pressure range, and reliable pressure measurements with easy installation and low fabrication cost. A fluid pressure sensor is provided having a substantially incompressible mounting structure with a cavity formed therein. An elastic membrane is attached to said mounting structure and across said cavity, separating the cavity from the fluid to be measured. At least one non-contact transducer is attached to the mounting structure in the cavity to detect deflection at a selected plurality of regions on the membrane. The sensitivity and pressure range of the sensor can be chosen by preselecting the elasticity of the membrane, stretching the membrane across the cavity under a preselected tension, maintaining a predetermined reference pressure in the cavity, and/or actively controlling the membrane tension. For a pressure sensor array, there are at least two fluid pressure sensors, where at least one sensor is of the type described herein. A sensor array can also be formed by multiple cavities within a single mounting structure.

US Patent:

20200354613, Nov 12, 2020

Filed:

May 11, 2020

Appl. No.:

16/872088

Inventors:

- Cambridge MA, US
Yashraj S. NARANG - Cambridge MA, US
Canhui YANG - Somerville MA, US
Zhigang SUO - Lexington MA, US
Robert D. HOWE - Cambridge MA, US

International Classification:

C09J 7/38
C09J 7/29

Abstract:

A composite material is disclosed including: a first material including a plurality of crosslinked first polymer chains including a plurality of first polymer monomeric units; a coating layer on the surface of the first material, wherein the coating layer includes a plurality of adhesion polymer chains, wherein the plurality of adhesion polymer chains includes a plurality of the first polymer monomeric units and a plurality of first bond-forming units, wherein the adhesion polymer chains are interwoven with the first polymer chains; and a second material including a plurality of second polymer chains, wherein the coating layer is disposed in-between the first and the second material and contacting the surface of the first and the second material, and a portion of the second polymer chains includes a plurality of second polymer monomeric units and second bond-forming units; wherein the first and the second bond-forming units form one or more bonds.

US Patent:

20190358810, Nov 28, 2019

Filed:

Jul 18, 2017

Appl. No.:

16/318098

Inventors:

- Somerville MA, US
Leif Jentoft - Cambridge MA, US
Yaroslav Tenzer - Cambridge MA, US
Mark Keck - Medford MA, US
Robert Howe - Cambridge MA, US

International Classification:

B25J 9/16
B25J 13/08
B25J 15/00
B25J 15/06

Abstract:

Methods and systems for training a robotic manipulator. The system may include one or more sensor devices and a robotic manipulator for executing an item grasping strategy to grasp an item. The system may further evaluate the item grasping strategy to determine whether the strategy was successful.

US Patent:

20190361672, Nov 28, 2019

Filed:

Jul 18, 2017

Appl. No.:

16/318102

Inventors:

- Somerville MA, US
Leif Jentoft - Cambridge MA, US
Yaroslav Tenzer - Cambridge MA, US
Mark Keck - Medford MA, US
Robert Howe - Cambridge MA, US

International Classification:

G06F 7/00
B25J 13/08
B25J 15/00
B25J 19/02

Abstract:

Methods and systems for assessing a robotic grasping technique. The system in accordance with various embodiments may include a warehouse management system for retrieving and storing items, a robotic manipulator for grasping an item, and analysis module configured to receive data regarding a first grasp attempt by the robotic manipulator and analyze the received data to determine whether the robotic manipulator successfully grasped the item.

US Patent:

20190227224, Jul 25, 2019

Filed:

Oct 19, 2018

Appl. No.:

16/165490

Inventors:

- Cambridge MA, US
- Exeter, GB
Peter VUKUSIC - Exeter, GB
Robert D. HOWE - Cambridge MA, US

Assignee:

President and Fellows of Harvard College - Cambridge MA
University of Exeter - Exeter

International Classification:

G02B 6/02
G02B 6/036
G02B 6/028
G01L 1/24
G02B 1/00

Abstract:

The rolled photonic fibers presents two codependent, technologically exploitable features for light and color manipulation: regularity on the nanoscale that is superposed with microscale cylindrical symmetry, resulting in wavelength selective scattering of light in a wide range of directions. The bio-inspired photonic fibers combine the spectral filtering capabilities and color brilliance of a planar Bragg stack compounded with a large angular scattering range introduced by the microscale curvature, which also decreases the strong directional chromaticity variation usually associated with flat multilayer reflectors. Transparent and elastic synthetic materials equip the multilayer interference fibers with high reflectance that is dynamically tuned by longitudinal mechanical strain. A two-fold elongation of the elastic fibers results in a shift of reflection peak center wavelength of over 200 nm.

US Patent:

20170191891, Jul 6, 2017

Filed:

Mar 17, 2017

Appl. No.:

15/461781

Inventors:

- Cambridge MA, US
Yaroslav TENZER - Somerville MA, US
Robert HOWE - Cambridge MA, US

Assignee:

PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE - Cambridge MA

International Classification:

G01L 5/22

Abstract:

A tactile sensor includes a pressure transducer encapsulated in an elastic material that defines a contact surface and provides a transmission path that transmits contact forces or pressure distributions applied to the contact surface to the pressure transducer. The pressure transducer can be enclosed in a protective housing that defines a chamber around the transducer. The housing can include one or more openings that expose the chamber to the exterior pressure. The tactile sensor can be made by applying the elastic material in liquid form and exposing the housing to a vacuum that removes air inside the chamber allowing the liquid elastic material to flow into the chamber. Once cured, the elastic material defines a contact surface of the tactile sensor and serves to transfer contact forces applied to the contact surface to the transducer.