US Patent Issued to Intuitive Surgical Operations on July 29 for "Methods and apparatus for OFDR interrogator monitoring and optimization" (Virginia Inventors)

ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 30 -- United States Patent no. 12,372,344, issued on July 29, was assigned to Intuitive Surgical Operations Inc. (Sunnyvale, Calif.).

"Methods and apparatus for OFDR interrogator monitoring and optimization" was invented by Kevin M. Marsden (Blacksburg, Va.), Mark E. Froggatt (Blacksburg, Va.) and Matthew S. Wolfe (Blacksburg, Va.).

According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "Example embodiments add an optical amplifier to a multi-channel, continuously swept OFDR measurement system, adjust amplified swept laser output power between rising and falling laser sweeps, and/or utilize portions of a laser sweep in which OFDR measurements are not typically performed to enhance the integrity of...