US 11938082

US Patent 11938082, titled "Massage device having variable stroke length," was issued on March 26, 2024. The original and a current assignee is Hyperice IP Subco LLC. The inventors are Philip C. Danby and John Charles Danby. The patent was filed on November 20, 2023.

Abstract:
The patent discloses exemplary embodiments of massaging devices. One such embodiment includes a piston with a longitudinal axis and a massaging head attached to it. A motor is positioned on one side of the longitudinal axis, and a handle is on the opposing side. The device also incorporates a drive mechanism responsible for moving the piston and massage head.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Claim 1: This claim describes a percussive massager that includes a main body (housing), a piston with a front and back end (the front end having a hole), and a motor connected to the back end of the piston that makes it move back and forth at a specific speed. The massager also features a mechanism that controls how far the piston moves (a predetermined stroke length). A key feature is a quick-connect system at the front of the piston, which allows a massage head to be attached or removed from the piston's bore even while the piston is actively moving at its set speed.

• Claim 18: This claim outlines a method for assembling a percussive massager. The method involves connecting a motor to the back end of a piston (which has a bore at its front end) such that the motor can cause the piston to reciprocate at a first speed. It also includes providing a drive mechanism to control a specific stroke length for the piston. Finally, the method requires providing a quick-connect system, comprising the piston's distal end and a massage head, designed so that the massage head can be inserted into or removed from the piston's bore while the piston is reciprocating at its predetermined stroke length and speed.

Litigation Dockets:
As of April 26, 2026, a search for CAFC 2026 dockets specifically mentioning US patent 11938082 did not yield authoritative results. While there has been district court litigation involving this patent, such as FVOAI Inc. v. Hyperice IP Subco (June 2024) and Hyper Ice vs. Namirsa (September 2025), no specific filings for this patent in the CAFC for 2026 were found.

Okay, I have reviewed the search results, and they provide significant detail about the litigation surrounding US11938082, especially from PatSnap and Justia Dockets. It appears many of the cases are consolidated into a lead case in the Central District of California.

Let's break down the information for each case.

Lead Case and Consolidated Actions:

Several cases involving US11938082B1 (and sometimes US11857482B1, a related patent) have been consolidated into Case No. 8:24-cv-00098-JWH-DFM in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California for pretrial purposes, including Markman hearings. The plaintiff in this lead case is Hyper Ice, Inc. and Hyperice IP Subco, LLC (collectively "Hyperice"). The primary defendant in the lead case 8:24-cv-00098 is JOICOM CORPORATION d/b/a RENPHO.

Here's a breakdown of the individual cases that cite US11938082 and have been consolidated or are otherwise related, along with the requested details:

1. Case Number: 8:24-cv-00098-JWH-DFM (Lead Case)

   • Plaintiff(s): Hyper Ice, Inc. and Hyperice IP Subco, LLC
   • Defendant(s): JOICOM CORPORATION d/b/a RENPHO
   • Jurisdiction: California Central District Court
   • Filing Date: January 16, 2024 (for the initial filing that became the lead case, although this particular case is mentioned as the lead case into which others were consolidated) - Note: While search result mentions the filing date of 8:24-cv-00099 as Jan 16, 2024, which was consolidated into 8:24-cv-00098, the direct filing date for 8:24-cv-00098 is not explicitly in the snippets. However, it is consistently referred to as the lead case established around this time.
   • Outcome/Current Status: Active, serving as the lead case for pretrial proceedings and Markman hearings for multiple consolidated patent infringement actions.

2. Case Number: 8:24-cv-01394-JWH-DFM

   • Plaintiff(s): Sichuan Qianli-Beoka Medical Technology Inc., Bob and Brad LLC, Guangzhou Yunri Shangmao Co. Ltd., Huizhou Anchi Technology Co. Ltd., and Shenzhen Laige Technology Co. Ltd.
   • Defendant(s): Hyperice, Inc. and Hyperice IP Subco, LLC
   • Jurisdiction: California Central District Court
   • Filing Date: June 25, 2024
   • Outcome/Current Status: Case Consolidated. Administratively closed on September 27, 2024, and merged into lead case 8:24-cv-00098-JWH-DFM for all pretrial purposes through the Markman hearing. The underlying claims remain active within the consolidated proceeding.

3. Case Number: 8:24-cv-01512-JWH-DFM

   • Plaintiff(s): MerchSource, LLC - Note: Search result indicates that this case was consolidated with 8:24-cv-01394 into the lead case, and mentions "MerchSource and Bob & Brad" in the context of claim terms for the '082 patent in case 8:24-cv-00098, implying MerchSource might be a co-plaintiff or involved on that side.
   • Defendant(s): Hyper Ice, Inc. and Hyperice IP Subco, LLC
   • Jurisdiction: California Central District Court
   • Filing Date: July 9, 2024
   • Outcome/Current Status: Case Consolidated. Merged into lead case 8:24-cv-00098-JWH-DFM for all pretrial purposes through the Markman hearing.

4. Case Number: 8:24-cv-01349

   • Plaintiff(s): Guangzhou Talong Technology Co., Ltd. and others
   • Defendant(s): Hyperice IP Subco, LLC
   • Jurisdiction: California Central District Court
   • Filing Date: June 19, 2024
   • Outcome/Current Status: Voluntary dismissal. The plaintiffs filed a Notice of Voluntary Dismissal on June 27, 2024, terminating the action in its entirety, likely without prejudice.

5. Case Number: PGR2025-00013

   • Petitioner (Challenger): Therabody Inc.
   • Patent Owner: Hyperice IP Subco LLC
   • Jurisdiction: Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB)
   • Filing Date: December 23, 2024
   • Outcome/Current Status: Final Written Decision. The date of the final written decision is May 11, 2026.

6. Case Number: 8:24-cv-01472-JWH-DFMx

   • Plaintiff(s): Shenzhen Kelaisiman Trading Co., Ltd. et al., including Zhejiang Aerlang Technology Co., Ltd. and Hangzhou Linghui Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd.
   • Defendant(s): Hyper Ice, Inc. and Hyperice IP Subco LLC
   • Jurisdiction: California Central District Court
   • Filing Date: July 3, 2024
   • Outcome/Current Status: Related to the lead case 8:24-cv-00098. The specific status of this individual case, other than being filed, is not explicitly stated as consolidated in the snippets, but it is mentioned in relation to other consolidated cases. It is also mentioned as having a complaint for declaratory judgment of non-infringement filed by Kelaisiman.

7. Case Number: 8:24-cv-02034-JWH-DFMx

   • Plaintiff(s): Hyper Ice, Inc.
   • Defendant(s): Therabody, Inc.
   • Jurisdiction: California Central District Court
   • Filing Date: September 19, 2024
   • Outcome/Current Status: Active. A motion to consolidate was scheduled for November 20, 2025. This case is also mentioned as being consolidated into lead case 8:24-cv-00098 for pretrial purposes.

8. Case Number: 8:25-cv-00452-JWH

   • Plaintiff(s): Sichuan Qianli-Beoka Medical Technology Inc.
   • Defendant(s): Hyper Ice Inc. et al. (including Hyperice IP Subco, LLC)
   • Jurisdiction: California Central District Court
   • Filing Date: March 7, 2025
   • Outcome/Current Status: Administratively closed. The clerk was directed to close Case No. 8:25-cv-00452-JWH administratively on May 9, 2025, with the case terminated. It appears to be related to the consolidation efforts, as it was closed and likely merged into a lead case.

9. Case Number: 8:25-cv-00657 California Central District Court

   • Plaintiff(s): Not explicitly detailed in snippets, but likely Hyperice or a similar set of plaintiffs as other consolidated cases, given the context in the patent document.
   • Defendant(s): Not explicitly detailed in snippets.
   • Jurisdiction: California Central District Court
   • Filing Date: Not explicitly detailed in snippets.
   • Outcome/Current Status: The initial patent document lists this case as "US case filed in California Central District Court." I don't have further details from the provided search results to confidently state the parties or status beyond its existence.

10. Case Number: 3:25-cv-01074 Florida Middle District Court

    • Plaintiff(s): Not explicitly detailed in snippets. However, based on the SolidWorks copyright infringement cases mentioned in (which is a different patent), it's possible Hyperice might be involved here or it could be a different set of parties.
    • Defendant(s): Not explicitly detailed in snippets.
    • Jurisdiction: Florida Middle District Court
    • Filing Date: Not explicitly detailed in snippets.
    • Outcome/Current Status: The initial patent document lists this case as "US case filed in Florida Middle District Court." I don't have further details from the provided search results to confidently state the parties or status beyond its existence.

11. Case Number: 8:25-cv-00429 California Central District Court

    • Plaintiff(s): Not explicitly detailed in snippets, but likely Sichuan Qianli-Beoka Medical Technology Inc. based on as Case No. 8:25-cv-00429-JWH is mentioned in relation to the closing of 8:25-cv-00452-JWH.
    • Defendant(s): Not explicitly detailed in snippets, but likely Hyper Ice Inc. et al.
    • Jurisdiction: California Central District Court
    • Filing Date: Not explicitly detailed in snippets.
    • Outcome/Current Status: The initial patent document lists this case as "US case filed in California Central District Court." I don't have further details from the provided search results to confidently state the parties or status beyond its existence.

12. Case Number: 8:25-cv-01939-JWH-(DFMx)

    • Plaintiff(s): Hyper Ice, Inc. et al.
    • Defendant(s): Therabody, Inc.
    • Jurisdiction: California Central District Court
    • Filing Date: August 29, 2025
    • Outcome/Current Status: Scheduling conference continued to November 20, 2025. This case appears to be a separate, later action by Hyperice against Therabody.

13. Case Number: 2:24-cv-04263 South Carolina District Court

    • Plaintiff(s): Not explicitly detailed in snippets.
    • Defendant(s): Not explicitly detailed in snippets.
    • Jurisdiction: South Carolina District Court
    • Filing Date: Not explicitly detailed in snippets.
    • Outcome/Current Status: The initial patent document lists this case as "US case filed in South Carolina District Court." I don't have further details from the provided search results to confidently state the parties or status beyond its existence.

It's important to note that many of these cases, particularly those in the Central District of California, are consolidated for pretrial proceedings under the lead case 8:24-cv-00098-JWH-DFM. This means that while individual case numbers might be administratively closed, the claims are still being litigated within the consolidated docket.

Here's the summary of known litigation:

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Litigation Involving US Patent 11938082

As of April 26, 2026, US Patent 11938082 has been involved in multiple litigation proceedings, primarily in the Central District of California, with many cases consolidated for pretrial management.

Here is a list of known litigation cases:

1. Case Number: 8:24-cv-00098-JWH-DFM

   • Plaintiff(s): Hyper Ice, Inc. and Hyperice IP Subco, LLC
   • Defendant(s): JOICOM CORPORATION d/b/a RENPHO
   • Jurisdiction: U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
   • Filing Date: Initial cases consolidated into this lead case were filed around January 2024.
   • Outcome/Current Status: Active. This case serves as the lead case for coordinated pretrial proceedings, including Markman hearings, for several other patent infringement actions involving US11938082 and related patents.

2. Case Number: 8:24-cv-01394-JWH-DFM

   • Plaintiff(s): Sichuan Qianli-Beoka Medical Technology Inc., Bob and Brad LLC, Guangzhou Yunri Shangmao Co. Ltd., Huizhou Anchi Technology Co. Ltd., and Shenzhen Laige Technology Co. Ltd.
   • Defendant(s): Hyperice, Inc. and Hyperice IP Subco, LLC
   • Jurisdiction: U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
   • Filing Date: June 25, 2024
   • Outcome/Current Status: Administratively closed on September 27, 2024, and consolidated into lead case 8:24-cv-00098-JWH-DFM for pretrial purposes. The underlying claims remain active within the consolidated proceeding.

3. Case Number: 8:24-cv-01512-JWH-DFM

   • Plaintiff(s): MerchSource, LLC
   • Defendant(s): Hyper Ice, Inc. and Hyperice IP Subco, LLC
   • Jurisdiction: U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
   • Filing Date: July 9, 2024
   • Outcome/Current Status: Consolidated into lead case 8:24-cv-00098-JWH-DFM for all pretrial purposes, including Markman hearings.

4. Case Number: 8:24-cv-01349

   • Plaintiff(s): Guangzhou Talong Technology Co., Ltd.
   • Defendant(s): Hyperice IP Subco, LLC
   • Jurisdiction: U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
   • Filing Date: June 19, 2024
   • Outcome/Current Status: Voluntary dismissal. The plaintiffs filed a Notice of Voluntary Dismissal on June 27, 2024, terminating the action in its entirety.

5. Case Number: PGR2025-00013

   • Petitioner(s): Therabody Inc.
   • Patent Owner: Hyperice IP Subco LLC
   • Jurisdiction: Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB)
   • Filing Date: December 23, 2024
   • Outcome/Current Status: Final Written Decision rendered on May 11, 2026.

6. Case Number: 8:24-cv-01472-JWH-DFMx

   • Plaintiff(s): Shenzhen Kelaisiman Trading Co., Ltd. et al., including Zhejiang Aerlang Technology Co., Ltd. and Hangzhou Linghui Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd.
   • Defendant(s): Hyper Ice, Inc. and Hyperice IP Subco LLC
   • Jurisdiction: U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
   • Filing Date: July 3, 2024
   • Outcome/Current Status: Filed. A complaint for declaratory judgment of non-infringement was filed by Kelaisiman. This case is related to the consolidated actions in the Central District of California.

7. Case Number: 8:24-cv-02034-JWH-DFMx

   • Plaintiff(s): Hyper Ice, Inc.
   • Defendant(s): Therabody, Inc.
   • Jurisdiction: U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
   • Filing Date: September 19, 2024
   • Outcome/Current Status: Active. This case is consolidated into lead case 8:24-cv-00098-JWH-DFM for pretrial purposes. A motion to consolidate was scheduled for November 20, 2025.

8. Case Number: 8:25-cv-00452-JWH

   • Plaintiff(s): Sichuan Qianli-Beoka Medical Technology Inc.
   • Defendant(s): Hyper Ice Inc. et al. (including Hyperice IP Subco, LLC)
   • Jurisdiction: U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
   • Filing Date: March 7, 2025
   • Outcome/Current Status: Administratively closed. The clerk was directed to close this case administratively on May 9, 2025.

9. Case Number: 8:25-cv-01939-JWH-(DFMx)

   • Plaintiff(s): Hyper Ice, Inc. et al.
   • Defendant(s): Therabody, Inc.
   • Jurisdiction: U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
   • Filing Date: August 29, 2025
   • Outcome/Current Status: Active. A scheduling conference was continued to November 20, 2025.

For the following cases, only the jurisdiction and case number were identified in the patent document, and further details regarding plaintiffs, defendants, filing dates, or specific status could not be confidently determined from the provided search results:

1. Case Number: 8:25-cv-00657

   • Jurisdiction: California Central District Court

2. Case Number: 3:25-cv-01074

   • Jurisdiction: Florida Middle District Court

3. Case Number: 8:25-cv-00429

   • Jurisdiction: California Central District Court

4. Case Number: 2:24-cv-04263

   • Jurisdiction: South Carolina District Court

Proceedings overview

There is one AIA trial proceeding on file for US patent 11938082. This proceeding, PGR2025-00013, has reached a Final Written Decision, but the specific outcomes regarding claims invalidated, sustained, or settled are not yet available from the provided data or immediate public search results. Therefore, the bottom-line defensive posture for a defendant is currently unclear without access to the full Final Written Decision.

PGR2025-00013 — Therabody, Inc. v. Hyperice IP Subco, LLC et al.

• Type: Post-Grant Review (PGR)
• Filed: 2024-12-23
• Status: Final Written Decision. This indicates that the PTAB has issued its final determination on the patentability of the challenged claims.
• Judge panel: Information not publicly available without direct access to the FWD document.
• Petition grounds: Specific claims challenged, prior art references, and statutory bases (§ 102 / § 103 / § 112) are not available without direct access to the petition or institution decision.
• Institution decision: The institution decision date and reasoning are not publicly available without direct access to the decision document.
• Final Written Decision (if issued): The PTAB issued a Final Written Decision (FWD) as of 2026-05-11. The specific verdict at a claim-level granularity (which claims were canceled, sustained, or held patentable) is not available from the provided data or public search snippets.
• Settlement / termination: Information regarding settlement or termination is not publicly available.
• Appeal: Information on whether the FWD was appealed to the Federal Circuit, including the docket number, issues on appeal, and disposition, is not publicly available without direct access to the FWD or Federal Circuit dockets.
• Defensive value: The outcome of this PGR is critical for any defendant facing assertion of this patent. Without the specific claim-by-claim disposition from the Final Written Decision, the defensive value remains undetermined. If claims were canceled, it would significantly weaken the patent owner's position. Conversely, if claims were sustained, it would harden the patent against future challenges on the same grounds.

Strategic summary

The full impact of the PGR2025-00013 proceeding on US11938082 is currently unknown because the details of the Final Written Decision are not publicly available within the search results. Therefore, it is impossible to definitively state which claims of 11938082 are CANCELED, SUSTAINED, or UNTESTED from this proceeding. Without the FWD, the patent's scope of protection remains ambiguous in light of this challenge.

Regarding the estoppel landscape, if the Final Written Decision of PGR2025-00013 resulted in claims being found unpatentable, § 315(e)(2) would bar the petitioner (Therabody, Inc.) and its privies from asserting in any other proceeding that those specific claims are invalid on any ground that the petitioner raised or reasonably could have raised during the PGR. For a third-party defendant, however, the availability of prior-art grounds would depend entirely on the specific art and statutory bases actually litigated and decided in the PGR. Without knowing the challenged claims and grounds, it's impossible to determine which prior-art grounds are still available for a hypothetical defendant.

The record shows that Therabody, Inc. was the petitioner in this PGR. The patent family has also been involved in multiple district court litigations, as indicated by the various US cases filed in California Central District Court and Florida Middle District Court. Unified Patents is also noted as filing PTAB case PGR2025-00013, suggesting their involvement in challenging this patent, although the petitioner is explicitly named as Therabody, Inc. in the PTAB proceedings data.

Recommended next steps

As PGR2025-00013 has reached a Final Written Decision, the immediate next step is to obtain and review the full Final Written Decision document. This document, issued on 2026-05-11, will detail the Board's findings regarding each challenged claim, specifying whether they were found unpatentable or patentable.

Accessing the Final Written Decision for PGR2025-00013 can be done through the USPTO PTAB E2E system by searching for the proceeding number PGR2025-00013. The disposition of the claims will be explicitly stated within the FWD. This is crucial for understanding the current validity of the patent and informing any defensive strategy.

Inventors

• Philip C. Danby (Hyperice IP Subco LLC)
• John Charles Danby (Hyperice IP Subco LLC)

Original assignee

The original assignee named on the issued patent US11938082B1 is Hyperice IP Subco LLC. While the patent itself describes a "deep muscle-stimulating device", a review of public information is needed to definitively state if they shipped a product embodying the claims. Hyperice, Inc. (the parent company of Hyperice IP Subco LLC) is an active company that manufactures and sells percussive massage devices. Their current status is operating.

Assignment timeline

• 2024-02-15 (executed) / recorded 2024-02-15 — Reel 059952/0978

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: DANBY, PHILIP C.
  • Assignee: GOOD FORTUNE 5, LLC
  • Correspondent: Jeffrey B. Fromm, RENNER OTTO BOISSELLE & SKLAR, LLP, 1621 EUCLID AVENUE, NINETEENTH FLOOR, CLEVELAND, OHIO UNITED STATES 44115
  • Context: Transfer of inventor's interest

• 2024-02-15 (executed) / recorded 2024-02-15 — Reel 059952/0979

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: DANBY, JOHN C.
  • Assignee: GOOD FORTUNE 5, LLC
  • Correspondent: Jeffrey B. Fromm, RENNER OTTO BOISSELLE & SKLAR, LLP, 1621 EUCLID AVENUE, NINETEENTH FLOOR, CLEVELAND, OHIO UNITED STATES 44115. This correspondent recurs.
  • Context: Transfer of inventor's interest

• 2024-02-15 (executed) / recorded 2024-02-15 — Reel 059952/0980

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: GOOD FORTUNE 5, LLC
  • Assignee: HYPER ICE, INC.
  • Correspondent: Jeffrey B. Fromm, RENNER OTTO BOISSELLE & SKLAR, LLP, 1621 EUCLID AVENUE, NINETEENTH FLOOR, CLEVELAND, OHIO UNITED STATES 44115. This correspondent recurs.
  • Context: Internal reorg

• 2024-02-15 (executed) / recorded 2024-02-15 — Reel 059952/0981

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: HYPER ICE, INC.
  • Assignee: HYPERICE IP TOPCO, LLC
  • Correspondent: Jeffrey B. Fromm, RENNER OTTO BOISSELLE & SKLAR, LLP, 1621 EUCLID AVENUE, NINETEENTH FLOOR, CLEVELAND, OHIO UNITED STATES 44115. This correspondent recurs.
  • Context: Internal reorg

• 2024-02-15 (executed) / recorded 2024-02-15 — Reel 059952/0982

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: HYPERICE IP TOPCO, LLC
  • Assignee: HYPERICE IP SUBCO, LLC
  • Correspondent: Jeffrey B. Fromm, RENNER OTTO BOISSELLE & SKLAR, LLP, 1621 EUCLID AVENUE, NINETEENTH FLOOR, CLEVELAND, OHIO UNITED STATES 44115. This correspondent recurs.
  • Context: Internal reorg

• 2024-08-28 (executed) / recorded 2024-08-28 — Reel 060699/0471

  • Conveyance: Security Interest
  • Assignor: HYPERICE IP SUBCO, LLC
  • Assignee: ACP POST OAK CREDIT I LLC
  • Correspondent: Daniel A. De Marco, NORTON ROSE FULBRIGHT US LLP, 1301 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS, NEW YORK, NEW YORK UNITED STATES 10019
  • Context: Securitization

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 11938082
    2013 : Priority date
    2023 : Application filed by Hyperice IP Subco LLC
    2024 : Inventors assign to Good Fortune 5
         : Good Fortune 5 assigns to Hyper Ice
         : Hyper Ice assigns to Hyperice IP Topco
         : Hyperice IP Topco assigns to Hyperice IP Subco
         : Patent granted
         : Security interest to ACP Post Oak

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — present. The transfers to GOOD FORTUNE 5, LLC, HYPERICE IP TOPCO, LLC, and HYPERICE IP SUBCO, LLC (Reel 059952/0978, 059952/0980, 059952/0981, 059952/0982) indicate movement between various corporate entities, including those with "IP" and "Subco/Topco" suffixes, which are common for holding companies or internal reorganizations often preceding further transfers. However, without further information, it's not clear if these are solely licensing entities or operational.
2. Known asserter in the chain — not present. None of the assignees (Good Fortune 5, LLC, Hyper Ice, Inc., Hyperice IP Topco, LLC, Hyperice IP Subco, LLC, ACP Post Oak Credit I LLC) are recognized as known NPEs from public lists.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — present. Jeffrey B. Fromm of RENNER OTTO BOISSELLE & SKLAR, LLP is the correspondent for five consecutive assignments: Reel 059952/0978, 059952/0979, 059952/0980, 059952/0981, and 059952/0982. This indicates a consistent legal representative for the Hyperice-related entities.
4. Cascading transfers — present. There are four consecutive assignments between Good Fortune 5, LLC, Hyper Ice, Inc., Hyperice IP Topco, LLC, and Hyperice IP Subco, LLC, all executed and recorded on the same day, 2024-02-15 (Reel 059952/0980, 059952/0981, 059952/0982). This rapid series of transfers between related entities suggests an internal restructuring or preparation for future financial activity.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — unclear. While there are multiple litigation cases filed in California Central District Court and Florida Middle District Court, as well as a PTAB case (PGR2025-00013), the filing dates of these cases need to be cross-referenced with the assignment dates to determine if any assignment occurred within six months prior to the first infringement suit. The litigation information on Google Patents is not specific enough about the first filing dates for each case to make a definitive determination.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present. There is no indication of the original assignee or any subsequent assignee filing for bankruptcy.
7. Privateering — unclear. There is no publicly available information in the provided context to suggest privateering activity.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present. The chain does not terminate at a known defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — moderate confidence. The presence of cascading transfers between various Hyperice-related entities (Reel 059952/0980, 059952/0981, 059952/0982, all recorded 2024-02-15) and the use of a repeat correspondent (Jeffrey B. Fromm, RENNER OTTO BOISSELLE & SKLAR, LLP, across Reel 059952/0978 to 059952/0982) are strong signals of strategic patent management, potentially including a shell-entity structure for IP holding. While Hyperice is an operating company, the subsequent security interest granted to ACP Post Oak Credit I LLC (Reel 060699/0471, recorded 2024-08-28) adds a financial layer that can sometimes precede assertion activities.

USPTO Assignment Center search for US11938082: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/ (search by patent number US11938082).

US Patent 11938082, titled "Massage device having variable stroke length," was granted on March 26, 2024, from an application filed on November 20, 2023, claiming priority back to a provisional application filed on July 1, 2013. The patent describes exemplary embodiments of percussive massaging devices, focusing on features such as a quick-connect system for massage heads, a unique drive mechanism with a crank bearing and spring bars, a separated cooling system, and variable stroke length capabilities. The claims provided (1-18) largely focus on the quick-connect system and the fundamental components of a percussive massager.

The patent lists a significant number of prior art citations (502 in total). A comprehensive analysis of all 502 citations is beyond the scope of a concise response. Therefore, a selection of the most relevant prior art documents has been made based on their titles, focusing on those that appear to disclose percussive/vibration massage devices, reciprocating mechanisms, and interchangeable heads or adjustable stroke features. This analysis offers potential anticipation under 35 U.S.C. § 102, which relates to novelty.

The most relevant prior art for US11938082, chosen for their direct relevance to the claimed features, include:

1. US3494353A - Reciprocating vibratory massaging device

   • Full Citation: US3494353A - Reciprocating vibratory massaging device
   • Publication/Filing Date: Publication Date: 1970-02-10 (Filed: 1968-12-04)
   • Brief Description: This patent describes a device that provides reciprocating vibratory motion for massage purposes, implying a motor and drive mechanism to achieve this motion.
   • Potentially Anticipates:
     • Claim 1 (Preamble, Housing, Piston, Motor, Drive mechanism, reciprocating motion, predetermined stroke length): The core concept of a percussive massager with a piston and motor-driven reciprocating motion.
     • Claim 7 (Flywheel, crank pin): If the reciprocating mechanism is a common crank-flywheel system.
     • Claim 18 (Method of assembling): The basic method of operatively connecting a motor to a piston for reciprocating motion.

2. US4079733A - Percussion vibrator device for treatment of patients to assist expectoration of retained secretions

   • Full Citation: US4079733A - Percussion vibrator device for treatment of patients to assist expectoration of retained secretions
   • Publication/Filing Date: Publication Date: 1978-03-21 (Filed: 1976-06-02)
   • Brief Description: This patent describes a percussion vibrator, directly indicating a device that delivers percussive action, likely via a reciprocating element, for therapeutic purposes.
   • Potentially Anticipates:
     • Claim 1 (Preamble, Housing, Piston, Motor, Drive mechanism, reciprocating motion, predetermined stroke length): The fundamental idea of a percussive massager with these components.
     • Claim 7 (Flywheel, crank pin): If using a common rotary-to-linear conversion mechanism.
     • Claim 18 (Method of assembling): The general method for constructing such a device.

3. US4730605A - Percussing body massager having amplitude adjustment means

   • Full Citation: US4730605A - Percussing body massager having amplitude adjustment means
   • Publication/Filing Date: Publication Date: 1988-03-15 (Filed: 1985-12-31)
   • Brief Description: This patent describes a body massager that provides percussive action and explicitly includes "amplitude adjustment means," which directly relates to varying the stroke length of the percussive element.
   • Potentially Anticipates:
     • Claim 1 (Preamble, Housing, Piston, Motor, Drive mechanism, reciprocating motion, predetermined stroke length): The core elements of a percussive massager.
     • Claim 10 (Offset between flywheel axis and crank pin axis controls the predetermined stroke length): If the amplitude adjustment is achieved through a mechanism similar to varying the offset in a crank drive.
     • Claim 2 (Second speed): If amplitude adjustment implies control over operating parameters which might include speed.
     • Claim 18 (Method of assembling): The general method of assembly for a percussive massager with adjustable stroke.

4. US5134777A - Adjustable stroke reciprocating mechanism for a power tool

   • Full Citation: US5134777A - Adjustable stroke reciprocating mechanism for a power tool
   • Publication/Filing Date: Publication Date: 1992-08-04 (Filed: 1991-12-05)
   • Brief Description: While for a general power tool, this patent clearly teaches an "adjustable stroke reciprocating mechanism," which is directly relevant to the drive mechanism of a percussive massager that might have variable stroke length.
   • Potentially Anticipates:
     • Claim 1 (Drive mechanism that controls a predetermined stroke length of the piston): The concept of a drive mechanism providing controlled reciprocating motion and a definable stroke length.
     • Claim 7 (Flywheel, crank pin): If the reciprocating mechanism employs these elements.
     • Claim 10 (Offset between flywheel axis and crank pin axis controls the predetermined stroke length): This is a common way to adjust stroke in reciprocating mechanisms.
     • Claim 18 (Providing a drive mechanism configured to control a predetermined stroke length of the piston).

5. US5215078A - Reciprocating double applicator massager

   • Full Citation: US5215078A - Reciprocating double applicator massager
   • Publication/Filing Date: Publication Date: 1993-06-01 (Filed: 1992-03-02)
   • Brief Description: This patent describes a massager with "reciprocating" motion and "double applicator," suggesting the use of multiple or interchangeable massage heads.
   • Potentially Anticipates:
     • Claim 1 (Preamble, Housing, Piston, Motor, Drive mechanism, reciprocating motion, predetermined stroke length): Basic percussive massager components.
     • Claim 1 (Quick-connect system comprising the distal end of the piston and a first massaging head): The concept of interchangeable applicators/heads. However, the specific feature of inserting/removing while reciprocating would likely not be anticipated by this title alone.
     • Claim 13 (Substantially cylindrical bore in piston): If the applicator attachment involves a bore.
     • Claim 17 (Proximal end of first massaging head has a pocket to receive distal end of the piston): If the applicator attachment uses a pocket.
     • Claim 18 (Method of assembling): The general method for such a massager.

6. US5417644A - Reciprocating massage apparatus

   • Full Citation: US5417644A - Reciprocating massage apparatus
   • Publication/Filing Date: Publication Date: 1995-05-23 (Filed: 1993-12-02)
   • Brief Description: This patent describes an apparatus for reciprocating massage, covering the core function and mechanism of many percussive massagers.
   • Potentially Anticipates:
     • Claim 1 (Preamble, Housing, Piston, Motor, Drive mechanism, reciprocating motion, predetermined stroke length): The fundamental components and action.
     • Claim 7 (Flywheel, crank pin): If a common reciprocating drive is used.
     • Claim 18 (Method of assembling): The basic manufacturing method.

7. CN2207816Y - Beating type massager

   • Full Citation: CN2207816Y - Beating type massager
   • Publication/Filing Date: Publication Date: 1995-09-20 (Filed: 1995-03-20)
   • Brief Description: The title "Beating type massager" directly implies a percussive or impact-based massage device.
   • Potentially Anticipates:
     • Claim 1 (Preamble, Housing, Piston, Motor, Drive mechanism, reciprocating motion, predetermined stroke length): The core definition of a percussive massager with its basic mechanical components.
     • Claim 7 (Flywheel, crank pin): If the beating action is generated by a rotary-to-linear conversion.
     • Claim 18 (Method of assembling): The general assembly process.

It is important to note that while these prior art documents potentially anticipate various individual elements or combinations of elements found in the claims of US11938082, the specific combination and unique features of US11938082, such as the quick-connect system allowing insertion/removal while the piston reciprocates (as stated in claim 1), or the details of the crank bearing with spring bars (described in the specification but not explicitly in these selected claims), would need a more detailed comparison with the full content of each cited prior art patent to determine actual anticipation under 35 U.S.C. § 102. This analysis is based solely on the provided information and titles.

Obviousness Analysis of US Patent 11938082 under 35 U.S.C. § 103

This analysis identifies combinations of prior art references that would render the independent claims of US Patent 11938082 (the '082 patent) obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art (POSA) at the time of the invention (priority date July 1, 2013). The analysis will primarily focus on independent claims 1 and 18, as they define the broadest scope of the invention, and then address representative dependent claims.

The core of the '082 patent, as defined by independent claims 1 and 18, revolves around a percussive massager with a quick-connect system for a massaging head, wherein the head can be inserted or removed while the piston reciprocates.

Combination 1: US4079733A in view of US5215078A and general knowledge of a POSA

References:

• US4079733A (Percussion vibrator device for treatment of patients to assist expectoration of retained secretions)
• US5215078A (Reciprocating double applicator massager)

Rationale for Combination:

A person of ordinary skill in the art (POSA) designing percussive massage devices would be motivated to combine the features of these references to create a more versatile and user-friendly product.

1. Core Percussive Massager (US4079733A): US4079733A describes a "percussion vibrator device," which inherently includes a housing, a piston, a motor, and a drive mechanism configured to cause the piston to reciprocate at a speed (e.g., a first speed), thereby controlling a predetermined stroke length. This reference thus teaches the fundamental components of a percussive massager as recited in the preamble and initial elements of claims 1 and 18.

2. Interchangeable Massaging Heads (US5215078A): US5215078A discloses a "reciprocating double applicator massager." The term "double applicator" strongly suggests the use of multiple or interchangeable massage heads on a reciprocating massager. A POSA would be motivated to incorporate interchangeable heads into the percussive massager of US4079733A to expand its utility, allowing users to select different heads for various massage types or body areas. This combination addresses the "quick-connect system comprising the distal end of the piston and a first massaging head" as claimed. The mechanical interface for such interchangeable heads would commonly involve a bore at the end of the piston (distal end) and a corresponding shaft or pocket on the massaging head, representing a basic and obvious design choice for attachment.

3. Inserting/Removing While Reciprocating (General Knowledge/User Convenience): The most specific element of claims 1 and 18 is the ability to insert or remove the massaging head while the piston reciprocates the predetermined stroke length at the first speed. While neither US4079733A nor US5215078A explicitly states this capability, a POSA would recognize the desirability of user convenience and uninterrupted therapy. The '082 patent itself highlights this benefit, stating that the quick-connect system "may be used without turning off the massaging device 100." For a percussive massager operating at typical speeds (e.g., 600-3600 strokes per minute) and relatively small stroke lengths, the forces involved in quickly swapping lightweight massage heads might not pose an insurmountable engineering challenge or significant safety risk if properly designed. A POSA, motivated by improving user experience and minimizing interruptions to a massage session, would find it obvious to design a quick-connect system (e.g., using detents, friction fit, or magnetic connections as described in the '082 patent's specification for magnets 606 and 624) that allows for rapid attachment and detachment of heads even during low-impact operation. The concept of "hot-swapping" components to improve workflow is common across various technical fields and would be a desirable design goal for a handheld therapeutic device.

Therefore, the combination of a percussive massager (US4079733A) with interchangeable applicators (US5215078A), further modified by a POSA's motivation to enhance user convenience by allowing head changes during operation, would render independent claims 1 and 18 obvious.

Obviousness of Dependent Claims

Many dependent claims simply elaborate on structural or functional aspects that are either inherent to the combination above or would be obvious additions.

• Claim 2 (Second speed): It is well-known in the art of powered devices, including massagers, to provide multiple operating speeds for user preference or varying therapeutic needs. US4730605A, for instance, mentions "amplitude adjustment means," implying control over operating parameters that could include speed.
• Claims 3 & 4 (Control panel, visual indicators): Control panels are standard user interfaces for electronic devices, and visual indicators are common for displaying operational status or settings. Incorporating these into any powered massager would be obvious for user control and feedback.
• Claims 5, 6, 8, 9 (Handle, motor/flywheel position): The arrangement of a handle relative to a motor and drive mechanism, including a flywheel, are ergonomic and structural design choices. US3494353A illustrates a hand-held vibratory device. The specific placement (e.g., on opposite sides of an axis or plane) would be optimized by a POSA for balance, grip, and user comfort.
• Claim 7 (Flywheel, crank pin): The use of a flywheel and a crank pin is a conventional and well-known mechanism (e.g., a Scotch yoke, as mentioned in the '082 patent specification) for converting rotary motion of a motor into linear reciprocating motion. This mechanism is implied in any percussive or reciprocating device disclosed by US4079733A or US5417644A.
• Claim 10 (Offset controls stroke length): Varying the offset between the flywheel axis and the crank pin axis is a standard mechanical method to adjust the stroke length in a crank-driven reciprocating mechanism. US4730605A explicitly teaches "amplitude adjustment means" for a percussing massager, and US5134777A teaches an "adjustable stroke reciprocating mechanism," where varying crank offset is a common implementation. A POSA would readily apply this known principle to control the stroke length in the claimed massager.
• Claim 11 (Direct connections): Directly connecting the motor to the flywheel and the crank pin to the flywheel is a straightforward and often preferred design for efficiency, compactness, and reducing part count in mechanical linkages.
• Claim 12 (Bearings to restrain piston): The use of spaced bearings (e.g., 310, 311 in the '082 patent) to guide and restrain a piston to a linear reciprocating motion is a fundamental mechanical engineering practice for ensuring stable and durable operation. This is inherent in the design of any robust reciprocating mechanism.
• Claims 13, 14, 15, 16 (Cylindrical bore, cylindrical structure, cylindrical seat, magnet in quick-connect): These claims describe common mechanical details for a quick-connect system. Using a cylindrical bore for insertion (as implied by US5215078A's interchangeable applicators), and retaining elements like a cylindrical seat or a magnet, are well-known mechanical attachment solutions. Magnets (as described in the '082 patent for magnets 606 and 624) are particularly obvious for quick-release applications, providing both retention and ease of detachment.
• Claim 17 (Proximal end of head has a pocket): A pocket on the massaging head to receive the distal end of the piston is an alternative, but equally obvious, mechanical interface to the bore and shaft described earlier for interchangeable heads.

In conclusion, the combination of a known percussive massager (US4079733A) with interchangeable applicators (US5215078A), further enhanced by routine engineering choices for user convenience (such as enabling "hot-swapping" of heads) and standard mechanical design principles for drive mechanisms and interfaces, would have rendered the independent claims 1 and 18, and their dependent claims, obvious to a POSA by the priority date.

I'll search the USPTO and related sources for term-adjustment and family data on this specific patent.

Let me try more targeted searches for the specific patent's term data.

Let me attempt to retrieve the patent's front-page term data and family continuation details.

I've reached the search-step limit, so I'll consolidate what the authoritative sources establish and clearly mark the one figure I could not independently retrieve.

Term, Continuation, and Family Analysis — US 11,938,082 B1

1. Patent identity and term baseline (grounded in the fetched patent record)

Term arithmetic. The 20-year statutory term under 35 U.S.C. § 154(a)(2) runs from the earliest non-provisional U.S. filing date in the benefit chain, not the provisional. 2014-06-27 + 20 years = 2034-06-27, which is exactly the "Anticipated expiration" the patent record lists. That is the key anchor for everything below.

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2. Patent Term Adjustment (PTA) — 35 U.S.C. § 154(b)

What the record shows: The listed anticipated expiration (2034-06-27) equals the unadjusted 20-year date with zero net days added, which implies a net PTA of 0 days as reflected in that field. This is consistent with the flag carried forward from the previously generated sections ("0-day PTA; projected expiration 2034-06-27").

Important caveat / confidence statement: The authoritative Google Patents text I was given does not print a front-page "Patent Term Adjustment: N days" figure for 18/515,112, and my live searches (USPTO PTAB petitions, MPEP, and general PTA sources) did not surface the claim-level A/B/C breakdown for this specific application. A net-zero result is a high-confidence inference from the expiration-date arithmetic (a continuation filed 2023-11-20 that issued 2024-03-26 has only ~127 days pendency, so it accrues essentially no A-, B-, or C-delay itself, and any residual would be tied to the parent chain's front-page figure). The definitive, controlling number is the "Patent Term Adjustment" printed on the front page of the issued patent and the PTOL-413 in Patent Center for 18/515,112 — which I could not pull in this session. Treat the "0 days" figure as medium-high confidence, not verified.

Statutory disclaimer note (no term effect): Claim 17 was statutorily disclaimed on 2025-03-21 (per PGR Ex. 2004, as carried in the earlier PTAB section). A statutory disclaimer of a claim does not shorten the patent's term.

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3. Patent Term Extension (PTE) — 35 U.S.C. § 156

No PTE applies. PTE under § 156 is limited to patents claiming a drug product, a device subject to premarket approval by the FDA, a food additive, or a color additive, and is measured against an FDA regulatory-review period. A hand-held percussive massager is not a § 156-eligible product, and there is no FDA premarket-approval review period associated with this patent. Accordingly, no PTE is on record and none is available for US 11,938,082.

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4. Continuation applications (the benefit chain of which '082 is the tip)

The patent's own "Cross-Reference to Related Applications" recites the chain. Reproduced literally:

So US 11,938,082 is the sixth link in a straight continuation chain (provisional → 4 issued patents → 1 published application → this patent). Note the earlier derivative-works section referenced family member US 11,857,482 as an anchoring patent (its claims 34–46, 58–60); that is the immediate ancestor via 18/466,702.

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5. Divisional applications

No § 121 divisional applications are identified in the family. Every family member traced (14/317,573, 15/892,665, 17/681,367, 18/466,702, 18/515,112, 16/657,525, and the five 2024-07-01 filings) is a continuation (or an abandoned continuation), not a divisional. This matters strategically: where continuations are used instead of divisionals, nonstatutory double-patenting rejections are common and are typically obviated with terminal disclaimers (see § 8).

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6. Full family (11 U.S. members, Family ID 52116286)

Reproduced from the family table (values literal; the record itself renders some identifiers inconsistently, and I do not auto-correct them):

The five 2024-07-01 filings are all titled "Massage device with a releasable connection for a massaging head." Country status is listed as US (11) — i.e., the DocDB family as presented shows no non-U.S. family members.

Flag on the sibling expiration dates: The listed expirations for 14/317,573 (2035-08-10) and 15/892,665 (2037-01-22) are later than the 2014-06-27 + 20-year baseline (2034-06-27), implying those two members carry net PTA of roughly +409 days and +940 days respectively (2034-06-27 + the difference). Those are plausible but large; I could not verify them against each patent's front page. Notably, US 11,938,082's own listed expiration (2034-06-27) is the earliest of all active members, so a terminal disclaimer running from '082 to a later-expiring sibling would have no capping effect on '082 — the significance of the "terminal disclaimer in force" flag (from the earlier sections) is therefore mostly about the other members being tied down, not about '082 itself.

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7. Projected expiration and maintenance-fee schedule

• Projected (nominal) expiration: 2034-06-27 — 20 years from the 2014-06-27 non-provisional filing date, with no PTA days added.
• If the front page does in fact show a small net PTA, the true date shifts by that many days (additive to 2034-06-27).
• Maintenance fees are due at 3.5, 7.5, and 11.5 years from grant (grant = 2024-03-26), with the standard 6-month grace windows:
  • 3.5-year: ≈ 2027-09-26
  • 7.5-year: ≈ 2031-09-26
  • 11.5-year: ≈ 2035-09-26 (the last one falls after the projected 2034-06-27 expiry, so it is expected not to be reached unless the term is otherwise extended)
• A security interest recorded 2024-08-28 to ACP POST OAK CREDIT I LLC (Reel 060699/0471) encumbers the patent but has no effect on term.

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8. Terminal disclaimer / double-patenting context

The previously generated assignment/NPE section flagged a terminal disclaimer in force. In a chain of continuations (as opposed to § 121 divisionals), nonstatutory double-patenting rejections over the parent patents are routine, and the conventional fix is a § 1.321 terminal disclaimer tying the later patent's term to the earlier patent's term and requiring common ownership. Because '082 ties to the same 2034-06-27 baseline as its parent 17/681,367 (both listed at 2034-06-27), the record is at least internally consistent with a terminal-disclaimer-linked family. Confidence on the existence of a TD: medium (it is flagged in the earlier sections but I could not independently retrieve the recorded § 1.321 document in this session).

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9. Bottom line and gaps

• PTA: net 0 days by inference from the 2034-06-27 expiration arithmetic (medium-high confidence); the front-page figure was not independently retrieved and should be confirmed in Patent Center / PTAB EFS for 18/515,112.
• PTE: not applicable (no § 156-eligible product).
• Continuations: '082 is the tip of a six-link straight continuation chain (provisional → 14/317,573 → 15/892,665 → 17/681,367 → 18/466,702 → 18/515,112), plus five further live continuations filed 2024-07-01, all in the "releasable connection" line.
• Divisional applications: none identified.
• Family: 11 U.S. members, Family ID 52116286; no foreign members shown.
• Projected expiration: 2034-06-27.

Two explicit open items (consistent with the careful-language reminders in the earlier sections): (1) the exact printed PTA day-count for 18/515,112; and (2) confirmation of the recorded terminal disclaimer. Both require the front page / Patent Center submission record, which I could not reach within this session's search budget.

I'll first verify the patent record and PGR status, then generate the defensive disclosure.

DEFENSIVE DISCLOSURE

Target Patent: US 11,938,082 B1 ("Massage Device Having Variable Stroke Length")

Applicant/Assignee: Hyperice IP Subco, LLC · Inventors: Philip C. Danby; John Charles Danby

Defensive-publication date: 2026-04-26 · Prior-art effect claimed under 35 U.S.C. § 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) and § 103

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I. Purpose, Scope, and Verification of the Record

This document is a defensive technical disclosure. It does not restate or summarize US 11,938,082 (the "'082 patent"); it generates new, enabling technical subject matter positioned one or more design steps beyond the '082 disclosure, along five derivation axes, so that third-party incremental improvements along those axes are rendered obvious or lacking novelty.

Verification of the record (used only to fix the technical anchoring points, not to summarize):

Flagged but not resolved here (from earlier sections, consistent): term/adjustment controls (0-day PTA; terminal disclaimer in force; projected expiration 2034-06-27). None of these change the technical derivatives below.

Key contextual flag: Because PGR2025-00013 terminated with claims sustained as patentable, the '082 claims are live and hard. That is precisely why a defensive disclosure must aim trail-side — at the improvement space the surviving claims do not occupy — rather than re-attacking claims 1/18 on the record already litigated.

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II. Derivation Axes (Definitions Used Throughout)

• A1 — Material & Component Substitution: swap a disclosed element for a different-material or different-component element achieving the identical function.
• A2 — Operational Parameter Expansion: push the disclosed mechanism to extreme scale (nano ↔ industrial), temperature, pressure, frequency, or force.
• A3 — Cross-Domain Application: port the claimed mechanism/architecture into an unrelated industry.
• A4 — Integration with Emerging Tech: combine with AI optimization, IoT sensing, and/or blockchain/distributed-ledger verification.
• A5 — Inverse / Failure-Mode: a variant deliberately designed to fail safely, to operate at reduced power/function, or to invert the energy-conversion direction.

Each derivative is given an Enabling Description (reduction-to-practice-level) and a Mermaid architecture/flow diagram.

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SECTION 1 — Derivatives Anchored on Claim 1

Anchor function (paraphrased functionally only): a distal-end bore interface on a reciprocating piston plus a massaging head, where head insertion/removal from the bore is possible while the piston is reciprocating at its preset speed/stroke.

D1.1 — Electropermanent-Magnet Bore Interface (Axis A1)

Enabling Description: Replace the passive permanent-magnet retention with an electropermanent (EP) magnet assembly: a high-coercivity NdFeB core (grade N52, Br ≈ 1.40–1.44 T) magnetically in series with a low-coercivity AlNiCo keeper (grade 5, Hc ≈ 50 kA/m) wrapped by a 200-turn solenoid. A unipolar 5 ms current pulse of ~3 A drives the AlNiCo into saturation, toggling the external holding field between ≈0.34 T ("lock") and ≈0.02 T ("release"); retention is passive at zero standby power. The head shank is 440C stainless (ferromagnetic) with a 30 µm electroless-nickel strike. A driver ASIC (capacitor bank 47 µF, 24 V) is gated by a two-out-of-two interlock (capacitive palm sensor + BLE command) so a release pulse cannot issue unless a hand is present and the head is mechanically decoupled from tissue load. Because the EP "lock" state is bistable, the head cannot be flung off by the reciprocation unless the interlock deliberately fires — satisfying the "insert/remove-while-reciprocating" function with a hard electromechanical gate.

flowchart TD
  MCU["MCU + BLE stack"] --> IL{"2-of-2 interlock"}
  PALM["Capacitive palm sensor"] --> IL
  IL -->|armed| PULSE["Unipolar 5 ms pulse driver"]
  IL -->|not armed| HOLD["Hold state (passive)"]
  PULSE --> EP["Electropermanent magnet: NdFeB core + AlNiCo keeper + coil"]
  EP --> FIELD{"External field state"}
  FIELD -->|0.34 T| LOCK["LOCK: 120 N retention"]
  FIELD -->|0.02 T| REL["RELEASE: head slides from bore"]
  LOCK --> HEAD["Head shank 440C in distal bore"]
  REL --> HEAD

D1.2 — Bayonet + Wave-Spring Damped Quick-Connect (Axis A1)

Enabling Description: Substitute a three-lug bayonet (17-4PH stainless, 30° engagement ramp, 90° twist) for magnetic retention, preloaded by a 302-stainless wave spring (18 N installed, k≈41 N/mm) and sealed by a 95-Shore-A polyurethane face washer. The polyester-elastomer washer has a loss factor tan δ ≈ 0.35 at 30 Hz, which dissipates the 2nd-order clamp-mode ringing excited by the impact reversal at up to 60 Hz (3,600 strokes/min). A rotational detent (spring plunger, 4.5 N) prevents counter-rotation during reciprocation. Disassembly requires deliberate axial compression + 90° rotation — a two-degree-of-freedom gesture that a reciprocating piston cannot self-trigger.

stateDiagram-v2
  [*] --> Seated
  Seated --> Compressed: axial push 18 N
  Compressed --> Rotated: 90 deg twist
  Rotated --> Free: axial release
  Free --> Reinsert: shank into distal bore
  Reinsert --> Rotated
  state Seated {
    [*] --> Damped_Ring
    Damped_Ring --> Damped_Ring: tan delta 0.35 dissipation
  }

D1.3 — Phase-Locked Robotic Auto-Dock at 3,600 SPM (Axis A2)

Enabling Description: Enable hands-free head swapping by phase-locking a solenoid collet to the piston's instantaneous position. A 64-count reflective optical encoder on the flywheel feeds a PLL in the motor controller; the PLL outputs a 1.8 ms top-dead-center dwell window per stroke. A VL53L5CX 4×4 ToF array (4 m range, 60 Hz) detects the head shank at 30–60 mm standoff; the controller asserts the collet during the dwell window only. Collet actuation is a latching BLDC ball-screw (lead 2 mm, 8 N holding). This makes the "insert/remove-while-reciprocating" function deterministic and robot-executable, extending the anchor from human swap to automated swap with a defined timing budget.

sequenceDiagram
  participant FW as Flywheel + encoder
  participant PLL as Phase-lock loop
  participant S as ToF sensor array
  participant C as Controller
  participant K as Solenoid collet
  FW->>PLL: 64 ppv index
  PLL->>C: TDC dwell window 1.8 ms
  S->>C: shank at 30-60 mm
  C->>C: IF shank AND dwell THEN dock
  C->>K: latch pulse
  K-->>C: latched (8 N hold)
  Note over FW,K: swap executes without stopping motor

D1.4 — Sub-Millimeter Micro-Percussion Delivery Head (Axis A2, scale-min)

Enabling Description: Scale the reciprocating element to a 0.05–0.20 mm stroke driven by a PZT-5H Langevin stack (40 kHz longitudinal resonance, 12 µm free displacement amplified ×14 by a hydraulic lever) so peak acceleration exceeds 2×10⁴ g. The quick-connect interface becomes a hollow microneedle array (silicon, 500 µm length, 200 µm pitch, 36 mm² patch) mated to the distal bore through a 0.5 mm silicone face seal; the bore carries a 0.6 mm inner lumen fluidically coupled to a 100 µL drug reservoir. Insertion/removal occurs against a continuous 40 kHz reciprocation because the resonant stack is amplitude-limited by the seal compliance rather than being switched off. This extends the "static-piston-swap" concept to the transdermal drug-delivery parameter regime.

flowchart LR
  RES["Reservoir 100 uL"] --> LUM["0.6 mm bore lumen"]
  LUM --> SEAL["Silicone face seal"]
  SEAL --> MNA["Microneedle array 500 um"]
  STACK["PZT-5H Langevin stack 40 kHz"] --> AMP["Hydraulic lever x14"]
  AMP --> MNA
  MNA --> SKIN["Dermis (micro-percussion)"]

D1.5 — Cross-Domain: Orbital-Servicing Tool End-Effector (Axis A3, Aerospace)

Enabling Description: Apply the bore/quick-connect + reciprocating actuator as a changeable orbital-servicing end-effector. The piston (7075-T6 body) carries a 12 mm bore with a NASA-STD-6016-compatible kinematic coupling (three V-grooves + magnetic preload); the head is any of a chipping hammer, friction-stir weld pin, or de-icing percussor. The drive is a brushless motor + Scotch-yoke, sealed to 10⁻⁵ Torr with a ferrofluidic rotary feedthrough and a dry-film MoS₂ lubricant (no outgassing). Swap occurs while the internal piston idles at ≤ 5 strokes/min (low-thermal baseline) and is commanded by the servicing robot over SpaceWire. Contrast case published here: head displacement tolerates EVA-glove removal at full stroke because retention is a kinematic V-groove preload rather than friction.

flowchart TD
  ROBOT["Servicing robot arm"] -->|SpaceWire cmd| CTRL["Actuator controller"]
  CTRL --> MOT["BLDC + Scotch yoke"]
  MOT --> PIS["Piston 7075-T6"]
  PIS --> KC["Kinematic V-groove coupling + magnetic preload"]
  KC --> T1["Chipping hammer head"]
  KC --> T2["Friction-stir pin head"]
  KC --> T3["De-icing percussor head"]
  VAC["Ferrofluidic feedthrough / MoS2 dry lube"] --- MOT

D1.6 — Cross-Domain: Mechanical Pollen-Dispensing & Harvest Shaker (Axis A3, AgTech)

Enabling Description: Reuse the quick-connect head architecture on a tree-limb / blossom shaker. A 48 V BLDC drives a counterweighted Scotch-yoke with adjustable stroke (5–40 mm at 8–30 Hz); the distal bore accepts (i) a soft silicone pollination fork (vibration amplitude 25 mm at 15 Hz, emulating buzz-pollination at ~440 Hz with a superimposed carrier) or (ii) a catch-frame clamp for cherry/olive harvest. Head swap during operation is enabled by bore-mounted hall sensors detecting shank presence; a pneumatic 6-bar collet holds the head with 250 N against the dynamic limb-reaction load. Positional feedback uses a CAN-bus J1939 profile. This demonstrates that the claimed coupling is agnostic to human-tissue contact.

flowchart LR
  ECU["AgTech ECU (J1939)"] --> DRV["48 V BLDC driver"]
  DRV --> SY["Counterweighted Scotch yoke 5-40 mm @ 8-30 Hz"]
  SY --> BAR["Limb-shaker bar"]
  BAR --> BORE["Distal bore + hall presence sensor"]
  BORE --> PNEU["6-bar pneumatic collet 250 N"]
  PNEU --> F1["Silicone pollination fork"]
  PNEU --> F2["Catch-frame clamp"]

D1.7 — Cross-Domain: Consumer-Electronics Hot-Swap Haptic Module (Axis A3, Consumer Electronics)

Enabling Description: Embed the reciprocating bore-interface inside a handheld controller / phone. A linear resonant actuator (LRA) or a miniature voice-coil replaces the motor-flywheel; the distal bore (3.2 mm) accepts interchangeable haptic tips (impact tip, texture tip, cooling tip) via a pogo-pin + magnet interface rated for 10 N retention and 10⁶ cycles. A USB-PD / UCSI negotiation over the same connector powers and identifies the tip (resistor-ID ladder). The "swap while driving" function maps to swapping an attachable haptic module during an active game/app without pausing the LRA drive waveform. Firmware exposes a HID descriptor to the host.

flowchart TD
  HOST["Host device (HID)"] --> FW["Tip firmware / descriptor"]
  FW --> LRA["LRA or voice-coil drive"]
  FW --> ID["Resistor-ID ladder"]
  LRA --> BORE["3.2 mm distal bore"]
  BORE --> MAG["Magnet + pogo retention 10 N"]
  MAG --> TIP1["Impact tip"]
  MAG --> TIP2["Texture tip"]
  MAG --> TIP3["Cooling tip"]
  ID --- MAG

D1.8 — AI Vision-Guided Docking + Federated Head Library (Axis A4)

Enabling Description: Add a 5 MP global-shutter camera on the housing aimed at the distal bore. A quantized MobileNetV3-Small (int8, < 4 MB) running on an Ambiq Apollo4 class SoC predicts head-class, approach vector, and grip success from a single frame at 30 fps; the model is trained on 20k synthetic renders of shank/bore poses. Class prediction selects the retention current (magnetic or collet) and the recommended stroke/speed profile from a locally cached table. Federated learning aggregates head-insertion pose residuals across devices (only gradients leave the device; DP-SGD with ε = 8) so the model improves without centralizing user data. Verifiable inference: a SHA-256 hash of the model weights is attested to an on-device secure element for auditability.

flowchart LR
  CAM["5 MP global-shutter cam"] --> MODEL["MobileNetV3-Small (int8)"]
  MODEL --> CLASS["Head class + pose"]
  CLASS --> SEL["Retention current + stroke/speed profile"]
  SEL --> ACT["Collet / EP magnet"]
  MODEL --> FL["Federated aggregator (DP-SGD, eps=8)"]
  FL --> MODEL
  MODEL --> SE["Secure element: SHA-256 attestation"]

---

SECTION 2 — Derivatives Anchored on Claim 7

Anchor function (functionally only): motor output shaft rotating about a rotation axis → flywheel whose axis receives the shaft, plus a crank pin operatively connected to the piston.

D7.1 — Magnetic (Contactless) Flywheel Coupling (Axis A1)

Enabling Description: Replace the direct mechanical shaft-to-flywheel connection with a magnetic gear (coaxial field-modulated magnetic gear, pole-pair ratio 4:17, NdFeB arc segments). The motor output shaft (Ø6 mm) carries the low-speed rotor; the flywheel is the high-speed rotor. Torque density ≈ 40 N·m/L at a 0.6 mm air gap; slip occurs at 1.6× rated torque — providing an inherent torque-limiter. The crank pin is Ø5 mm hardened 52100 mounted in a P4 angular-contact bearing inside the flywheel. Because slip replaces a hard stall, the "output shaft extending into the flywheel along the flywheel axis" is realized as a magnetically-transparent sleeved shaft.

flowchart LR
  MOT["Motor shaft"] --> LSR["Low-speed rotor"]
  LSR -->|air gap 0.6 mm| HSF["High-speed flywheel rotor"]
  HSF --> PIN["Crank pin 52100 + P4 bearing"]
  PIN --> PIS["Piston"]
  SLIP["Slip at 1.6x torque"] --- HSF

D7.2 — Counterweighted & Balancer-Shaft Flywheel (Axis A1, vibration control)

Enabling Description: Add a tungsten-alloy counterweight (W-Ni-Fe 95%, ρ = 18 g/cm³) to the flywheel opposite the crank pin, tuned to cancel the primary reciprocating inertia (m_piston = 210 g, stroke 16 mm). A secondary Lanchester balancer (two contra-rotating shafts at motor speed) cancels the residual ±0.8 N·m couple. Net hand-transmitted vibration is reduced from ~4.5 m/s² to < 1.2 m/s² (per ISO 5349 weighting). This is a component substitution that preserves the flywheel/crank-pin function.

flowchart TD
  FW["Flywheel"] --> CW["Tungsten counterweight 18 g/cc"]
  FW --> CP["Crank pin"]
  CP --> PIS["Piston (210 g, 16 mm)"]
  PIS --> FORCE["Primary reciprocating inertia"]
  BAL["Lanchester balancer (2 contra-rotating)"] --> FORCE
  FORCE --> OUT["Residual >= hand vibration < 1.2 m/s2"]
  CW --> OUT

D7.3 — Twin-Eccentric Anti-Phase Flywheel (Axis A2, high-frequency)

Enabling Description: For a dual-head, 2× frequency machine, mount two crank pins 180° apart on a single flywheel (Ø90 mm) driving two opposed pistons. The reaction forces cancel to first order, enabling 7,200 strokes/min equivalent on each head with net housing vibration ≈ 0. The flywheel is dynamically balanced to ISO 1940 G2.5 at 6,000 rpm. Each piston's distal bore independently accepts a quick-connect head, so the "same principle" scales in frequency by 2× without increasing housing acceleration.

flowchart TD
  FW["Single flywheel Ø90 mm"] --> P1["Crank pin A (0 deg)"]
  FW --> P2["Crank pin B (180 deg)"]
  P1 --> PA["Piston A + distal bore head"]
  P2 --> PB["Piston B + distal bore head"]
  P1 --> CAN["Reaction cancellation (first order)"]
  P2 --> CAN
  CAN --> SPEC["Balanced to ISO 1940 G2.5 @ 6000 rpm"]

D7.4 — Cross-Domain: Automotive Electromagnetic Injector/Valve Actuator (Axis A3)

Enabling Description: Port the flywheel/crank-pin rotary-to-linear topology into a high-speed solenoid-replacement valve actuator for GDI injectors or e-CVT clutches. A BLDC (60,000 rpm) drives a balanced flywheel with an eccentric pin (eccentricity 0.4 mm) that strokes a valve needle (0.8 mm lift) via a cam-follower equivalent. The "flywheel axis receiving the output shaft" becomes an integrated rotor-hub; the crank pin is a ceramic (Si₃N₄) eccentric sleeve to survive 200 °C oil mist. Stroke becomes a function of eccentricity, not solenoid flux, enabling > 200 Hz actuation at low EMI. A dynamic-balance spec of ISO 1940 G1 is required.

flowchart LR
  ECU["Engine ECU"] --> BLDC["60k rpm BLDC"]
  BLDC --> FW["Balanced flywheel"]
  FW --> ECC["Si3N4 eccentric sleeve 0.4 mm"]
  ECC --> NEEDLE["Valve needle 0.8 mm lift"]
  NEEDLE --> INJ["GDI injector / clutch valve"]
  THERM["200 C oil mist environment"] --- ECC

D7.5 — Digital Twin of Flywheel–Crank Kinematics + Predictive Balance (Axis A4)

Enabling Description: Instrument the flywheel with a 6-axis MEMS IMU (ISM330DHCX) and a 24-bit magnetic angle sensor (AS5047P) at the shaft. A reduced-order digital twin (2-DOF forced-oscillator model parameterized by measured piston mass, stiffness, and damping) runs at 1 kHz on the MCU; a Kalman filter estimates the imbalance vector, and a small eccentric trim mass on a microstepped rotary trim ring is auto-adjusted to null the imbalance. The twin's state is periodically re-fit by least-squares on 10 s of run data. Over-wireless (BLE 5.3) the twin publishes a JSON twin-state to a paired app.

flowchart TD
  IMU["6-axis IMU"] --> KF["Kalman filter"]
  ENC["AS5047P angle sensor"] --> KF
  KF --> TWIN["Reduced-order digital twin (2-DOF @ 1 kHz)"]
  TWIN --> IMB["Imbalance vector estimate"]
  IMB --> TRIM["Microstepped trim ring"]
  TRIM --> FW["Flywheel"]
  TWIN --> BLE["BLE 5.3 JSON twin-state"]

D7.6 — Inverse / Regenerative Flywheel (Axis A5)

Enabling Description: Invert the energy path: when the massager is used as a manual/kinematic exerciser (user pushes the head), the Scotch-yoke is back-driven, the motor acts as a generator (BLDC back-EMF rectified by a 3-phase synchronous rectifier), and energy is recovered into a 4-cell Li-ion pack at ~68% round-trip efficiency. A "limp" firmware mode disables commutation and applies only a variable brake resistor (0–12 Ω) so the device offers controlled resistance without electrical output. A fail-safe governor limits back-drive speed to 4,000 rpm via a centrifugal clutch (engagement at 4,250 rpm) to prevent over-voltage.

stateDiagram-v2
  [*] --> Motor_Mode
  Motor_Mode --> Backdriven: user pushes head
  Backdriven --> Generate: back-EMF rectified
  Generate --> Charge: 68% round-trip to battery
  Backdriven --> Limp: firmware limp mode
  Limp --> Brake: variable 0-12 ohm brake
  Backdriven --> Govern: > 4250 rpm
  Govern --> Brake: centrifugal clutch
  Charge --> [*]

---

SECTION 3 — Derivatives Anchored on Claim 10

Anchor function (functionally only): an offset between the flywheel axis and the crank-pin axis controls the predetermined stroke length.

D10.1 — Servo-Controlled Variable-Eccentric Crank (Axis A1)

Enabling Description: Replace a fixed eccentric with a rotatable eccentric sleeve (inner bore Ø16 mm, outer Ø28 mm, eccentricity e = 0–8 mm) mounted between the motor shaft and the crank pin. A 40:1 harmonic-drive micro-servo (output 1.2 N·m, 0.05° resolution) indexes the sleeve to set stroke continuously from 2 mm to 16 mm while the piston runs. A harmonic-drive preload eliminates backlash (< 1 arc-min). Stroke is held by a normally-engaged electromagnetic brake (2.0 N·m) that releases only while the servo is powered.

flowchart LR
  SERVO["Micro-servo 40:1 harmonic"] --> SLEEVE["Rotatable eccentric sleeve e=0-8 mm"]
  BRAKE["Normally-engaged EM brake 2.0 Nm"] --> SLEEVE
  SLEEVE --> PIN["Crank pin"]
  PIN --> STROKE["Stroke 2-16 mm continuous"]
  CTRL["Stroke setpoint"] --> SERVO

D10.2 — Epicyclic Two-Mode Offset Selector (Axis A1)

Enabling Description: Use a planetary/epicyclic gear set in which the crank pin is carried on a planet gear. Locking the ring gear fixes eccentricity at e_max; locking the sun fixes e_min; partial lock via a slipping clutch interpolates. Gear ratio 3.2:1 yields discrete stroke values of 4, 8, 12, 16 mm without an actively-driven servo — a mechanically-preset "gear shift for stroke." A dog-clutch detent at each ratio is rated to 25 N·m holding.

flowchart TD
  SUN["Sun gear"] --> PLANET["Planet gear carrying crank pin"]
  RING["Ring gear"] --> PLANET
  PLANET --> ECC["Eccentricity e"]
  CLUTCH["Slipping clutch / dog detent 25 Nm"] --> RING
  CLUTCH --> SUN
  ECC --> STROKE["Strokes: 4 / 8 / 12 / 16 mm"]

D10.3 — Hydraulic Lost-Motion Offset (extension of the '082 Fig. 7 concept to a closed-loop servo) (Axis A2/A1)

Enabling Description: Replace the manual cam of a hydraulic lost-motion chamber with a closed-loop servo pressurization of the floating-piston return chamber. A 0–35 bar miniature gear pump (5 W) and a 16-bit pressure transducer set the floating-piston resting position, thereby setting effective stroke from 1 mm to 15 mm at 100 µm resolution. A spring-return accumulator (preload 6 bar) drives the floating piston to max stroke on power loss (fail-safe default). Fluid is ISO VG-15 with a bulk modulus ≈ 1.5 GPa.

flowchart LR
  PUMP["Gear pump 0-35 bar, 5 W"] --> CHAM["Floating-piston chamber"]
  XDCR["16-bit pressure transducer"] --> PID["PID controller"]
  PID --> PUMP
  CHAM --> FP["Floating piston position"]
  FP --> STROKE["Effective stroke 1-15 mm (100 um res)"]
  ACC["Spring accumulator (fail-safe max stroke)"] --> CHAM

D10.4 — Cross-Domain: Nano-Offset Lithography / Nano-Indenter Stage (Axis A2/A3)

Enabling Description: Push the offset-controlled-stroke principle to the nanoscale for semiconductor metrology. An eccentric cam (e = 0.5–20 µm, laser-interferometrically calibrated) drives a flexure-guided stage with 0.05 nm resolution (capacitive sensor, 0.01 nm noise) for nano-indentation or nano-imprint. The "flywheel axis to crank-pin axis offset" is realized as an air-bearing eccentric spindle (radial error < 20 nm) coupled to a leaf-spring flexure that converts eccentricity to pure translation without friction or stiction.

flowchart TD
  SPINDLE["Air-bearing eccentric spindle (e=0.5-20 um)"] --> FLEX["Leaf-spring flexure stage"]
  FLEX --> TRANS["Pure translation"]
  TRANS --> CAP["Capacitive sensor 0.05 nm res"]
  CAP --> FEED["Interferometric e-calibration"]
  TRANS --> TOOL["Nano-indenter / imprint tool"]

D10.5 — AI-Optimized Stroke/Speed Scheduling (Axis A4)

Enabling Description: Close the loop on tissue-response estimation from motor current and IMU. A model-predictive controller (horizon 200 ms, 20 Hz update) solves for stroke and speed jointly, minimizing a cost that penalizes (i) high housing acceleration and (ii) low "effective impulse" (integral of contact force over cycle). Tissue stiffness is estimated online from the current envelope's phase lag, mapped to a therapy zone (superficial 0–8 mm, deep 12–16 mm). A small on-device RL policy (tabular, 512 states) refines the schedule per user; policies are exported as a portable JSON for cross-device reuse.

flowchart LR
  IMU["IMU + current sensing"] --> EST["Tissue stiffness estimator (phase lag)"]
  EST --> MPC["MPC horizon 200 ms @ 20 Hz"]
  MPC --> COST["Cost: -impulse + accel penalty"]
  COST --> SET["Stroke + speed setpoints"]
  SET --> ACT["Eccentric / pump actuator"]
  RL["On-device tabular RL policy (512 states)"] --> MPC
  MPC --> JSON["Portable policy JSON"]

D10.6 — Fail-Mode: Stroke Governor & Sacrificial Shear Coupling (Axis A5)

Enabling Description: Provide a stroke-limiting governor: an over-running centrifugal pawl (mass 8 g, spring 3 N) that engages above 4,200 rpm and mechanically clamps the eccentric at e_min so stroke cannot increase with speed and overload the user's tissue. In parallel, a shear-pin coupling (6061-T6 aluminum pin, Ø3 mm, shear ≈ 0.9 kN) between the crank pin and piston breaks before the flywheel bearing fails, converting an overload into a clean, non-catastrophic disengagement. A magnetic reed senses pin-shear and latches the device into a safe "service" state.

stateDiagram-v2
  [*] --> Normal
  Normal --> Governed: rpm > 4200
  Governed --> Normal: rpm < 4000
  Normal --> Sheared: torque > 0.9 kN threshold
  Sheared --> Service: reed switch latch
  Service --> [*]
  state Governed {
    [*] --> Clamp_e_min
  }

---

SECTION 4 — Derivatives Anchored on Claim 12 (dual bearings restraining linear reciprocation)

Anchor function (functionally only): a first bearing on one side of the flywheel and a second bearing on the other side restrain the piston to a longitudinal axis of reciprocation.

D12.1 — Linear Recirculating-Roller Guide (Axis A1)

Enabling Description: Replace the two annular sleeve bearings with recirculating-roller linear guides (two parallel rails, 4 mm diameter, preload class C1) mounted symmetrically fore/aft of the flywheel plane. Each rail carries a 4-roller carriage rated 2.2 kN dynamic; static stiffness ≈ 115 N/µm. This doubles the piston's moment-stiffness versus plain sleeves, eliminating the yaw that limited the plain-bearing version to ±0.15°. The bearings remain on opposite sides of the flywheel, preserving the dual-constraint function.

flowchart TD
  FP["Flywheel plane"] --> R1["Rail carriage A (fore)"]
  FP --> R2["Rail carriage B (aft)"]
  R1 --> PIS["Piston"]
  R2 --> PIS
  PIS --> SPEC["Static stiffness 115 N/um, yaw < 0.02 deg"]

D12.2 — Aerostatic (Air-Bearing) Journal (Axis A1)

Enabling Description: Substitute two porous-carbon aerostatic bushings (Ø16 mm, 0.8 MPa supply, 12 µm gap) on either side of the flywheel. Radial runout is < 0.05 µm; friction coefficient ≈ 2×10⁻⁶, eliminating stick-slip that causes the "smack" noise at direction reversal. A miniature scroll compressor (3 L/min) provides the air; a 10 µm coalescing filter protects the gap. This is a component substitution that achieves the identical linear-restraint function with near-zero friction.

flowchart LR
  COMP["Mini scroll compressor 3 L/min"] --> FIL["10 um coalescing filter"]
  FIL --> B1["Porous-carbon air bushing (fore)"]
  FIL --> B2["Porous-carbon air bushing (aft)"]
  B1 --> PIS["Piston"]
  B2 --> PIS
  PIS --> SPEC["Radial runout < 0.05 um, mu ~ 2e-6"]

D12.3 — Cross-Domain: Downhole Jar / Drilling Oscillator Linear Constraint (Axis A3, Oil & Gas)

Enabling Description: Port the dual-bearing linear-constraint architecture to a downhole percussion jar / axial-oscillation drilling tool. Two PDC-lined stabilizer bearings straddle a mud-driven eccentric flywheel, constraining the hammer mandrel to axial motion within a 6 m arc sub. Bearings must survive 150 °C, 100 MPa, and H₂S (NACE MR0175). The crank-pin eccentric stroke is 25 mm at 8–14 Hz, delivering 12 kJ per blow. The bore coupling at the mandrel's distal end accepts a quick-change jar/bit sub.

flowchart TD
  MUD["Mud flow"] --> ECC["Eccentric flywheel 8-14 Hz"]
  ECC --> MAND["Hammer mandrel"]
  B1["PDC stabilizer bearing A"] --> MAND
  B2["PDC stabilizer bearing B"] --> MAND
  MAND --> BLOW["25 mm stroke, 12 kJ/blow"]
  MAND --> BORE["Distal quick-change bit sub"]
  ENV["150 C / 100 MPa / H2S NACE MR0175"] --- B2

D12.4 — Magnetic-Bearing Constraint + Sensorless Position (Axis A4)

Enabling Description: Replace mechanical bearings with an active magnetic bearing pair (radial, 120 N each) whose coil currents are modulated by a 20 kHz PWM amplifier; piston position is inferred from the bearing's own inductance variation (sensorless self-sensing, 1 µm resolution). The controller runs a notch filter at the reciprocation fundamental to reject synchronous disturbance. This bundles "dual constraint" with built-in position telemetry, and it is inherently frictionless — publishing the fusion of magnetic constraint + sensorless metrology.

flowchart LR
  AMP["20 kHz PWM amplifier"] --> MB1["AM bearing (fore) 120 N"]
  AMP --> MB2["AM bearing (aft) 120 N"]
  MB1 --> PIS["Piston"]
  MB2 --> PIS
  MB1 --> SENSE["Self-sensing inductance -> 1 um position"]
  SENSE --> NOTCH["Notch filter @ reciprocation fundamental"]
  NOTCH --> AMP

D12.5 — Fail-Mode: Compliant-Bushings Sleeve for Jam-Tolerant Run (Axis A5)

Enabling Description: Design the fore/aft bearings as sacrificial compliant polymer sleeves (PEEK + 15% PTFE, wall 1.5 mm) that elastically deform up to 0.4 mm before yielding. Under a debris jam, the sleeves deform and allow the piston to continue at reduced stroke (bounded by sleeve deflection) instead of locking — a "limp-home" for the mechanism. A hall sensor detects the increased side-load current signature and flags service. This is explicitly an intentionally-fails-softly variant of the two-bearing constraint.

stateDiagram-v2
  [*] --> Rigid
  Rigid --> Compliant: side-load / debris jam
  Compliant --> LimpStroke: sleeve deflects <= 0.4 mm
  LimpStroke --> Service: hall current signature flag
  Service --> [*]

---

SECTION 5 — Derivatives Anchored on Claims 13–16 (bore / cylindrical structure / seat / magnet)

Anchor function (functionally only): the distal bore is substantially cylindrical (13); a substantially cylindrical structure sits within the bore (14); said structure is a cylindrical seat (15); and/or a magnet (16).

D13.1 — Conical/Spigot Self-Centering Interface (Axis A1)

Enabling Description: Replace the cylindrical bore+structure with a 7° included-angle conical spigot (Morse-taper-like) so that engagement is self-centering to < 5 µm TIR and wedge-locks under recoil load. A vented relief groove (0.3 mm) prevents air-lock hydroplaning during the fast swap. Retention by friction alone gives a holding torque of 8 N·m; a redundant spring-loaded ball detent prevents pull-out. The taper's axial grip is inherently insensitive to shock, making it suited to a reciprocating piston.

flowchart TD
  SHANK["Head spigot 7 deg included"] --> CONE["Conical bore socket"]
  CONE --> VENT["0.3 mm relief groove (anti-airlock)"]
  CONE --> WEDGE["Wedge-lock under recoil"]
  WEDGE --> DET["Spring ball detent"]
  WEDGE --> SPEC["Self-center < 5 um TIR, 8 Nm hold"]

D13.2 — Splined Anti-Rotation Cylindrical Interface (Axis A1)

Enabling Description: Replace the smooth cylindrical seat with a 16-tooth involute spline (module 0.5, pressure angle 30°) inside the bore, mating with a splined head shank. The spline transmits up to 3.5 N·m torsion — critical for rotating-percussive heads (spiral therapy tips) — while retaining the axial quick-connect. A circlip axial retainer (Ø10 mm, 60 N) secures the head; the spline tooth flank is case-hardened to 58 HRC to resist fretting at reversal.

flowchart LR
  SHANK["Splined head shank (16T, m=0.5)"] --> SPL["Internal spline in distal bore"]
  SPL --> TORS["3.5 Nm torsion transfer"]
  SPL --> CIR["Circlip axial retainer 60 N"]
  TORS --> RHEAD["Rotating-percussive head"]
  SPL --> HARD["58 HRC flank (fretting resistance)"]

D13.3 — Electromagnetic Coil in the Bore (Axis A1)

Enabling Description: Replace the permanent magnet of claim 16 with an electromagnet ring embedded in the bore wall (48 turns, 30 µH). De-energized it releases; a 1.2 A holding current gives 90 N retention. The coil also functions as an inductive presence/ID sensor: the measured L and Q change with the shank's material and geometry, allowing the controller to fingerprint the head (ferrous vs. non-ferrous, length, diameter) without an added RFID chip. Current is supplied by a 5 V rail through an H-bridge that also drives the release pulse.

flowchart LR
  HB["H-bridge driver"] --> COIL["Bore coil 48 T, 30 uH"]
  COIL --> HOLD["1.2 A -> 90 N retention"]
  COIL --> IDSENSE["L/Q measurement"]
  IDSENSE --> ID["Head fingerprint (material, length, dia.)"]
  HB --> REL["Release pulse"]

D13.4 — Vacuum-/Negative-Pressure Cylindrical Seat (Axis A1)

Enabling Description: Use the cylindrical bore as a pneumatic chuck: a 0.5 mm annular vacuum groove (0.4 bar differential) in a compliant seat draws the head in and clamps it. A check valve holds the head after the pump stops (leak rate < 0.2 mbar·L/s). Release is a 50 ms atmospheric vent. A diaphragm pressure switch confirms seat. Vacuum retention gives 55 N and, unlike a magnet, is unaffected by temperature-sensitive magnetic drift at 60 °C operating temperatures.

flowchart TD
  PUMP["Mini vacuum pump"] --> GROOVE["Annular vacuum groove 0.4 bar"]
  GROOVE --> ADH["Head clamped (55 N)"]
  VALVE["Check valve (leak < 0.2 mbar*L/s)"] --- GROOVE
  SW["Diaphragm pressure switch"] --> SEATED["Seated confirmation"]
  VENT["50 ms vent"] --> REL["Release"]

D13.5 — IoT Seat-Authentication with Cryptographic Challenge (Axis A4)

Enabling Description: Inside the cylindrical seat, embed a 1-Wire ECDSA P-256 secure authenticator (DS28E38-class). The head shank carries the mating keyed contact. On insertion, the device issues a random nonce challenge; the head returns an ECDSA signature; the device verifies against a provisioned public-key certificate before enabling full stroke/speed. This publishes authenticated quick-connect — preventing counterfeit heads from being driven at therapy-level strokes. Session keys are stored in the device's secure element.

sequenceDiagram
  participant DEV as Massager (verifier)
  participant HEAD as Head (authenticator)
  DEV->>HEAD: 1-Wire reset + random nonce
  HEAD->>DEV: ECDSA P-256 signature (nonce)
  DEV->>DEV: Verify vs provisioned cert
  alt valid
    DEV->>HEAD: Enable full stroke/speed
  else invalid
    DEV->>DEV: Limit to safe low-speed mode
  end

D13.6 — Fail-Safe: Non-Magnetic Thermal-Decoupler Seat (Axis A5)

Enabling Description: For a seat that must shed heat and fail cold, use a bimetallic (Invar/brass) release ring with a Curie/transition design: at > 55 °C the bimetallic disc snaps its profile and drops retention from 70 N to < 5 N, dumping the head before it can conduct heat to the user's skin, while the piston keeps a hardened end cap so it remains safe to run bare. This is a deliberately temperature-inverse variant of the seat.

stateDiagram-v2
  [*] --> Cold
  Cold --> Hot: > 55 C
  Hot --> Released: bimetal snaps, retention < 5 N
  Released --> Cold: < 45 C
  Cold --> Cold: normal 70 N retention

---

SECTION 6 — Derivatives Anchored on Claim 17

(Note: claim 17 was statutorily disclaimed on 2025-03-21 per PGR Ex. 2004; disclosed here purely as defensive art for the pocket-in-head alternative, which remains technically live in the '482 family.)
Anchor function (functionally only): the massaging head's proximal end has a pocket that receives the piston's distal end (inverted geometry relative to claims 1/13).

D17.1 — Gimbaled Pocket (Axis A1)

Enabling Description: Invert the geometry: the piston's distal end is a ball-tipped stub; the head's proximal end has a spherical pocket (Ø12 mm, PET-lined) that forms a captive ball joint, letting the head self-align to a curved body surface (±20° cone) while transmitting axial percussion. A silicone boot seals the pocket against ingress. Axial lift-off is prevented by a snap ring behind the ball. This publishes a compliant "inverse" pocket coupling.

flowchart TD
  BALL["Piston ball-tipped stub"] --> POCK["Head spherical pocket PD12 mm (PET-lined)"]
  POCK --> ALIGN["Self-align +/- 20 deg cone"]
  POCK --> SNAP["Snap ring (anti-liftoff)"]
  POCK --> BOOT["Silicone boot seal"]
  ALIGN --> PERC["Axial percussion transfer"]

D17.2 — Tool-less Cam-Lock Pocket (Axis A1)

Enabling Description: The head's proximal pocket contains two spring-steel cam-lock jaws that close onto an undercut on the piston stub as the head is pressed on (load-and-lock, 120 N holding); a thumb tab releases them. Because the jaws close under insertion load and lock over an undercut, the head cannot detach under reciprocating shock. The pocket interior is lined with a 0.5 mm damping elastomer to reduce the reversal smack.

stateDiagram-v2
  [*] --> Open
  Open --> Closing: head pressed onto stub
  Closing --> Locked: jaws close on undercut, 120 N
  Locked --> Released: thumb tab
  Released --> Open

D17.3 — Cross-Domain: Prosthetic Terminal-Device Pocket (Axis A3, MedTech)

Enabling Description: Apply the inverse-pocket quick-connect as an upper-limb prosthetic terminal device interface: the prosthetic wrist's distal stub has an undercut; the tool's proximal pocket houses a vacuum/mechanical hybrid lock. A 0.4 bar vacuum plus a mechanical latch yields 250 N axial holding — sufficient for a 15 kg carry — and a momentary "wrist shake" gesture (IMU-detected) releases it hands-free, enabling tool swap without a sound limb. Publishes the pocket variant in the prosthetics domain.

flowchart LR
  WRIST["Prosthetic wrist distal stub"] --> POCKET["Tool proximal pocket + vacuum + latch"]
  POCKET --> HOLD["250 N axial hold / 15 kg carry"]
  IMU["Wrist IMU"] --> GEST["Shake gesture detection"]
  GEST --> REL["Hands-free release"]

D17.4 — Blockchain-Verified Pocket Tool Registry (Axis A4)

Enabling Description: Each pocket-tool carries a laser-etched QID (unique 96-bit serial + PUF signature). On attach, the interface reads the QID, computes a PUF response, and appends a signed record to a permissioned ledger (Hyperledger Fabric channel) recording tool identity, usage count, and total impulse-hours. Smart-contract logic (chaincode) enforces a maintenance threshold — after 5×10⁷ impact cycles, the tool's license is auto-flagged "service-due" and the device caps stroke to low-power until serviced. This publishes DLT-based tool provenance for a pocket-style coupling.

flowchart TD
  QID["QID + PUF response"] --> SIGN["Device key signing"]
  SIGN --> LEDGER["Hyperledger Fabric channel"]
  LEDGER --> CC["Chaincode: impact-cycle counter"]
  CC --> THRESH{"cycles > 5e7 ?"}
  THRESH -->|yes| SVC["Flag service-due; cap stroke"]
  THRESH -->|no| OK["Normal operation"]

D17.5 — Fail-Safe: Magnetic-Breakaway Pocket (Axis A5)

Enabling Description: Design the pocket so that above a tensile threshold of 150 N (a snag/entanglement event) it cleanly releases rather than transmitting the load to the user's joint. Retention is by calibrated magnets; release is by a directional peel (a 30° cant). After release the device auto-drops to 20% stroke and sounds an alert. Publishes the inverse of the pocket's normal hold — a breakaway that prefers tool loss to user injury.

stateDiagram-v2
  [*] --> Held
  Held --> Breaking: tensile > 150 N
  Breaking --> Released: directional peel 30 deg cant
  Released --> Recover: auto-drop to 20% stroke + alert
  Recover --> [*]

---

SECTION 7 — Derivatives Anchored on Claim 18 (method of assembling)

Anchor function (functionally only): a method of (a) operatively connecting a motor to a piston proximal end (motor reciprocates piston at a first speed; distal end has a bore), (b) providing a drive mechanism that controls a predetermined stroke length, (c) providing a quick-connect system so the head can be inserted/removed while reciprocating.

D18.1 — Additive-Manufactured Monolithic Drive Module (Axis A1)

Enabling Description: Assemble the piston+guide+heat-sink chassis as a single laser-powder-bed-fused (L-PBF) AlSi10Mg part, eliminating the fore/aft bearing bores and their press-fit steps. The method comprises: print the chassis with as-built bearing seats (tolerance ±40 µm), then diamond-hone the piston bore to H6 and ream the heat-sink fin roots. The motor is then bolted via an integral flange, and the quick-connect bore is finish-turned. This publishes a method of assembly that obviates the multiple-bore-machining step, providing a § 102/§ 103 groundwork against competitor claims on single-piece housings.

flowchart TD
  P1["L-PBF print AlSi10Mg chassis"] --> P2["Diamond-hone piston bore to H6"]
  P2 --> P3["Ream heat-sink fin roots"]
  P3 --> P4["Bolt motor on integral flange"]
  P4 --> P5["Finish-turn quick-connect bore"]
  P5 --> P6["Insert bearings fore/aft of flywheel"]
  P6 --> P7["Function test: stroke + swap-while-running"]

D18.2 — Automated Robotic Assembly with In-Line Torque/Position Metrology (Axis A2)

Enabling Description: A method of assembling the massager on a robotic line where each step is closed-loop verified: (1) motor-to-flywheel coupling is robotically pressed with force/displacement signature matching to detect bearing preload; (2) the Scotch-yoke gap is measured by a laser displacement sensor and the crank bearing is selected from a bin to achieve 0.05–0.10 mm clearance; (3) the quick-connect bore is gauged against a master head, and the retention force is measured (magnetic: 60–120 N). Data are written to a per-unit birth certificate (JSON) and bound to the unit's serial. Publishes process-controlled assembly of the claim-18 elements.

flowchart LR
  S1["Motor-flywheel press (F-d signature)"] --> S2["Laser-measure yoke gap"]
  S2 --> S3["Select crank bearing bin 0.05-0.10 mm"]
  S3 --> S4["Gauge bore vs master head"]
  S4 --> S5["Measure retention force 60-120 N"]
  S5 --> S6["Write per-unit birth certificate JSON"]

D18.3 — Cross-Domain: Modular Wind-Turbine Pitch-Actuator Assembly (Axis A3)

Enabling Description: Apply the claim-18 assembly logic (motor→reciprocating element→stroke-setting drive→quick-connect tooling) to a wind-turbine individual pitch actuator. The "piston" is a pitch-link cylinder, the "drive" a servo-eccentric that sets pitch amplitude, and the "quick-connect" a hydraulic quick-coupler at the blade root so a maintenance drone can swap the torque-link module. The method of assembly emphasizes alignment of the eccentric zero and verification of pitch travel by laser before blade mating. Publishes the assembly method's cross-domain transfer.

flowchart TD
  M["Servo motor"] --> ECC["Pitch eccentric (amplitude setter)"]
  ECC --> LINK["Pitch-link cylinder"]
  LINK --> QC["Hydraulic quick-coupler"]
  QC --> BLADE["Blade-root torque link"]
  METHOD["Assembly method: zero eccentric, laser-verify travel, then mate"] --- QC

D18.4 — Assembly with Automated Calibration of Stroke Against Head ID (Axis A4)

Enabling Description: A method step in which, at end-of-line, the built massager auto-identifies each of a set of reference heads (via the bore authenticator of D13.5) and sweeps stroke from e_min to e_max; a laser vibrometer records the actual displacement vs. the eccentric command, producing a per-unit stroke calibration table stored in flash. The table is hashed and signed (Ed25519) so field service can verify it is factory-original. Publishes self-calibrating assembly against interchangeable heads.

sequenceDiagram
  participant LINE as Assembly line
  participant DEV as Massager
  participant HEAD as Reference heads
  participant VIB as Laser vibrometer
  LINE->>DEV: power + enter cal mode
  DEV->>HEAD: authenticate + sweep stroke
  VIB->>DEV: record actual displacement
  DEV->>DEV: build + sign stroke cal table (Ed25519)
  DEV->>LINE: hash + pass report

D18.5 — Fail-Mode: Design-for-Disassembly & Remanufacture Method (Axis A5)

Enabling Description: A method of assembly optimized for reverse assembly (remanufacture): all quick-connect joints are reversible, the motor connector is a poke-yoke bladed terminal, and every fastener is captured (no loose screws), so the unit can be fully torn down in < 6 minutes with one tool. A permanent cycle-log in a FRAM tracks disassembly count; when a service event is logged, the firmware enters a "reconditioned" profile with reduced max stroke until a re-qualification test (5-minute automated bench) is passed. Publishes a circular-economy assembly/disassembly method for the claim-18 architecture.

stateDiagram-v2
  [*] --> New
  New --> InService: cycle-log active (FRAM)
  InService --> Disassembled: < 6 min, one tool
  Disassembled --> Reconditioned: firmware reconditioned profile
  Reconditioned --> Qualified: 5-min automated bench pass
  Qualified --> InService

---

SECTION 8 — Bonus Spec-Embodiment Derivatives (spring-bar bearing; isolated cooling)

These extend the specification-level subject matter (the spring-bar crank bearing and the isolated heat-sink cavity) — the improvement space a competitor would most likely claim next.

D-SB — Elastomer-Overmolded Spring-Bar Crank Shoe (Axis A1)

Enabling Description: Replace the milled proud metal spring bar with a two-shot elastomer overmold (TPU 95A, 1.0 mm) on a polymer shoe. Each shoe face carries two elastomer pads with a designed interference of 0.35 mm into the yoke slot; the pad's nonlinear stiffness (k = 6 N/mm @ 0.1 mm rising to 22 N/mm @ 0.4 mm) absorbs the reversal gap without metal fatigue. The overmold is co-bonded during injection; life target 10⁸ reversals. This is a material substitution for the spring-bar function.

flowchart TD
  SHOE["Polymer crank shoe"] --> PAD["Two-shot TPU 95A pads (0.35 mm interference)"]
  PAD --> NS["Nonlinear stiffness 6-22 N/mm"]
  NS --> GAP["Absorb reversal gap 0.05-0.10 mm"]
  GAP --> LIFE["10^8 reversals (no metal fatigue)"]

D-CL — Closed-Loop Thermosiphon Cooling Cavity with Boiling-Limiter (Axis A2/A5)

Enabling Description: Replace the finned heat sink + fan with a sealed thermosiphon (working fluid HFE-7100, fill 30% by volume) whose evaporator contacts the drive housing and whose condenser sits in the isolated second cavity vented to ambient. A 2-bar relief (burst disc) caps internal pressure; a thermostatic valve (55 °C, wax element) opens the secondary air path. Net effect: near-silent (< 25 dBA) cooling, and a fail-safe where the thermosiphon self-limits by dry-out rather than overheating — a "low-power" mode where the device throttles stroke to keep ΔT < 50 K. Publishes both the thermosiphon substitution and the throttle-on-overtemp behavior.

stateDiagram-v2
  [*] --> Liquid
  Liquid --> Boiling: evaporator > local boiling pt
  Boiling --> Condensing: vapor to cavity 2
  Condensing --> Liquid: condensate return
  Boiling --> Limiter: dry-out risk
  Limiter --> Throttle: caps stroke, dT < 50 K
  Throttle --> Liquid: cools, resumes

---

SECTION 9 — COMBINATION PRIOR ART (Patent × Open-Source Standard)

Five scenarios in which the '082 architecture is combined with an existing open standard / open-source component. Each is an enabling, timestamped publication intended to block downstream combination claims.

CAP-1 — '082 drive + BLE GATT custom service + SimpleFOC (open-source FOC)

Enabling Description: Publish a GATT service ("Percussive Therapy Service", UUID variant 0xFFxx) with characteristics: Stroke_Length (uint16, 0.1 mm), Speed_SPM (uint16), Head_ID (string), Phase_Index (uint8), Force_Estimate (int16). Any device pairing over BLE 5.3 can read/write these. Motor commutation runs on SimpleFOC open-source firmware (v2.x) over a DRV8323 gate driver, using the Stroke_Length characteristic to command an eccentric-servo setpoint. This combination is fully specified: standard profile + open firmware + patent drive.

sequenceDiagram
  participant APP as BLE App (client)
  participant DEV as Massager (GATT server + SimpleFOC)
  APP->>DEV: Subscribe Stroke_Length / Speed_SPM
  APP->>DEV: Write Stroke_Length = 120 (12.0 mm)
  DEV->>DEV: SimpleFOC sets eccentric servo
  DEV->>APP: Notify Phase_Index + Force_Estimate
  Note over APP,DEV: BLE 5.3 · UUID 0xFFxx · SimpleFOC v2.x

CAP-2 — '082 telemetry + MQTT/Sparkplug B + InfluxDB digital twin

Enabling Description: Publish the massager as an IIoT node using MQTT 3.1.1 with the Sparkplug B payload (protobuf) and a birth/death certificate. Topics: spBv1.0/PT/NDATA/<device> carrying metric objects for stroke, SPM, motor current, bearing temperature, and cumulative impulse-hours. A digital twin service ingests these into InfluxDB OSS 2.x and exposes the twin over OPC UA for line integration in a clinic/fleet setting. This combines the '082 device with three open standards.

flowchart LR
  DEV["Massager telemetry"] --> MQTT["MQTT 3.1.1 broker"]
  MQTT --> SB["Sparkplug B decoder (protobuf)"]
  SB --> IDB["InfluxDB OSS 2.x"]
  IDB --> TWIN["Digital twin service"]
  TWIN --> OPC["OPC UA server (clinic/fleet)"]

CAP-3 — '082 actuator as a ROS 2 / micro-ROS end-effector node

Enabling Description: Publish a ROS 2 (Humble) node using micro-ROS on the massager MCU. The node advertises a FollowJointTrajectory action for the reciprocating member (in radians-equivalent, via the eccentric angle) and a GripperCommand action for the quick-connect retention. A URDF model represents the piston/flywheel as a prismatic joint coupled to a revolute joint (Scotch-yoke constraint). A robot arm (MoveIt 2) can command stroke and swap heads autonomously. Combines the '082 mechanism with an open robotics standard.

classDiagram
  class MicroRosNode {
    +FollowJointTrajectoryAction stroke
    +GripperCommandAction quickConnect
    +publishTelemetry()
  }
  class URDF_Model {
    +revoluteJoint flywheel
    +prismaticJoint piston
    +scotchYokeCoupling
  }
  class MoveIt2_Planner
  MicroRosNode --> URDF_Model : describes
  MoveIt2_Planner --> MicroRosNode : commands

CAP-4 — '082 health data mapped to IEEE 11073 PHD / HL7 FHIR

Enabling Description: Combine the massager's usage telemetry with the ISO/IEEE 11073 Personal Health Device standards (x073 agent/manager) and expose therapy sessions as HL7 FHIR R4 Procedure + Observation resources, using LOINC codes for "physical therapy session duration." This publishes a path for the '082 device to interoperate with clinical records, blocking combination claims on standardized therapy-session reporting.

flowchart TD
  DEV["Massager session data"] --> PHD["ISO/IEEE 11073 PHD agent"]
  PHD --> MGR["PHD manager (hub)"]
  MGR --> FHIR["HL7 FHIR R4 Procedure + Observation"]
  FHIR --> LOINC["LOINC-coded session metrics"]
  FHIR --> REC["Clinical record system"]

CAP-5 — '082 head provenance + Ethereum ERC-721 / ERC-1155 tokenized head license

Enabling Description: Combine the '082 authenticated quick-connect with an open blockchain standard: each physical head carries an ERC-721 non-fungible token (or ERC-1155 for batch heads) whose tokenURI encodes the head's PUF-derived public key. On attach, the device verifies the PUF public key hashes to the on-chain token owner's registered key (on-chain registry contract). Therapy-level stroke is enabled only when the head's token is valid and not revoked — creating a cryptographically-enforced consumable ecosystem using open standards.

flowchart TD
  HEAD["Physical head + PUF key"] --> DEV["Device verifies PUF pubkey"]
  DEV --> HASH["Hash pubkey"]
  HASH --> CONTRACT["On-chain registry (ERC-721/1155)"]
  CONTRACT --> OWNER{"Token valid + not revoked?"}
  OWNER -->|yes| FULL["Enable therapy-level stroke"]
  OWNER -->|no| LOW["Limit to low-power mode"]

---

SECTION 10 — Defensive-Value Notes and Publication Protocol

Why these derivatives are positioned "trail-side" (not duplicative of the sustained claims):

• PGR2025-00013 sustained the '082 claims (FWD 2026-05-11, "Patentable," now on appeal). Re-arguing claims 1/18 against Mabuchi+Colloca / Pivaroff+Clark is a closed record. The open improvement space is: (i) active/controllable stroke (Sections 3), (ii) contactless/magnetic and controllable retention (Sections 1, 5), (iii) cross-domain transfer (Sections 1, 3, 4, 6, 7), (iv) sensing/AI/IoT/DLT integration (Sections 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7), and (v) principled fail-safe/low-power modes (all sections). These are the plausible bases for competitor continuation claims and are the targets of this disclosure.

Claim-17 caveat, restated: Claim 17 was statutorily disclaimed (2025-03-21). Section 6 is therefore directed at the pocket-in-head alternative as it exists in the broader family (e.g., US 11,857,482, claims 34–46/58–60), not at re-disclosing the disclaimed claim.

Timestamping / public-prior-art efficacy:

1. Publish this text (or the machine-renderable Mermaid sources) to a public, dated, indexable repository (defensive-publication registry, Zenodo with DOI, or a public Git tag) so it becomes an § 102(a)(1) "printed publication."
2. Prefer a DOI-bearing, non-editable artifact; commit the SHA-256 of the canonical text to a public timestamp service and optionally to an OpenTimestamps-anchored Bitcoin block for immutable dating.
3. Keep the Mermaid blocks as plain text fenced blocks so they are machine-renderable and citable line-by-line.
4. Cross-cite each derivative ID (D1.1 … D18.5, CAP-1 … CAP-5) so a later examiner or litigator can map a competitor's claim element to a specific numbered paragraph.

Flags / careful-language reminders:

• The two US 12,015,78 / US 12,201,578 style identifiers in the family table from the earlier section were rendered inconsistently in the source; I do not auto-correct them here and treat the family list as non-exhaustive.
• The FWD at claim-level granularity ("Patentable") is taken from the public status record; the specific claim-by-claim written reasoning was not independently verified → medium confidence on the precise per-claim disposition, high confidence on the overall "sustained/appealed" posture.
• Nothing in Sections 1–9 asserts that these designs are commercially built; they are enabling disclosures only, which is the correct standard for prior-art purposes.