Patents Examined by Allison M Gionta
  • Patent number: 8163182
    Abstract: A field flow fractionator to separate particles contained within an injected sample aliquot is described. As required, said fractionator may be used to capture, for subsequent removal, specific predefined classes of such particles. Based upon the cross flow or asymmetric flow field flow fractionators, the fractionator disclosed contains means to vary the applied transverse flows at a plurality of locations along the length of its separating channel. A plurality of separated compartments, each lying below a distinct and corresponding membrane supporting permeable frit segment, are provided individual means to control the localized flow through the membrane section thereabove. A corresponding concentric compartment implementation achieves the same type of compartmentalized cross flow when integrated with a hollow fiber fractionator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Wyatt Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Philip J. Wyatt
  • Patent number: 8158001
    Abstract: A wafer-shaped hollow fiber module adapted for in-line use in a piping system. The piping system may include two standard bolted flange connections, and at least one wafer-shaped hollow fiber module sealed between the two standard bolted flange connections. The wafer shaped hollow fiber module includes: a cylindrical housing having an open end and a closed end having a first sealing surface and an inlet port; at least one side port through the cylindrical housing; an end cap united to the open end having a second sealing surface and an outlet port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Celgard LLC
    Inventors: Gareth P. Taylor, Amitava Sengupta
  • Patent number: 8157107
    Abstract: A liquid filter has a filter housing with a first thread and a drain passage. A filter element including a filter medium is arranged in the filter housing. A filter lid is provided with a second thread configured to engage the first thread for connecting the filter lid to the filter housing. The filter lid further has a filter by pass valve for bypassing the filter element when a pressure loss that is too high occurs when liquid passes through the filter medium of the filter element. First bayonet connectors are provided on the filter lid and second bayonet connectors are provided on the filter element for connecting the filter element to the filter lid by engaging the first bayonet connectors. A double-concentric seal is arranged on the filter element for closing off the drain passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Mann+Hummel GmbH
    Inventor: Martin Weindorf
  • Patent number: 8147693
    Abstract: A multi-layer filter including a first media layer surrounded by a second media layer, a third media layer surrounding the second media layer, and at least one retainer disposed between the first and second media layers or between the second and third media layers. The first, second and third media layers surround the central axis of the filter. The filter has multiple media layers in a compact package, providing increased media surface area which allows greater contaminant holding capacity, lower pressure drop, and lower face velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Cumins Filtration IP, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian J. Terry, Daniel M. Buckner, Barry M. Verdegan, John W. Clevenger, Jr., Ravi Yekula
  • Patent number: 8148166
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for measuring pH of low alkalinity samples. The present invention provides a sensor array comprising a plurality of pH indicators, each indicator having a different indicator concentration. A calibration function is generated by applying the sensor array to a sample solution having a known pH such that pH responses from each indicator are simultaneously recorded versus indicator concentration for each indicator. Once calibrated, the sensor array is applied to low alkalinity samples having unknown pH. Results from each pH indicator are then compared to the calibration function, and fitting functions are extrapolated to obtain the actual pH of the low alkalinity sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Bingzhi Chen, Weiyi Cui, Li Zhang, Caibin Xiao
  • Patent number: 8142660
    Abstract: A filtrate monitoring device and a filtrate monitoring system, which can monitor a membrane-type water filtrating/purifying system at all times and which can flexibly adjust themselves to the contents and sizes of impurities, are provided. The filtrate monitoring device monitors the filtrate having passed through the membrane-type water filtrating/purifying device. The filtrate monitoring device comprises: imaging/detecting means for shooting images in the filtrate having passed through the filtrating/purifying device, on the filtrate flowing in an observation bath of a filtrate observing cell disposed midway of the branched filtrate pipeline, thereby to specify the particles contained in the filtrate, and/or optical detecting means disposed midway of the filtrate pipeline before or after branching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Hirata Corporation
    Inventors: Seigo Murakami, Takenori Hirakawa, Takafumi Iseri
  • Patent number: 8137537
    Abstract: The present invention provides a filtered water monitoring device used for detecting damages in a filtration medium installed inside a membrane filtration water clarification device, thereby monitoring degradation of a performance thereof, in order to secure safety of filtered water flowing out from the membrane filtration water clarification device, comprising a branch filtered water pipeline system which is branched from a filtered water pipeline system connected to an outlet of the membrane filtration water clarification device, a filtered water observation plate which is installed in a certain position of the branch filtered water pipeline system, imaging means which takes an image of the filtered water in an observation tank of the filtered water observation plate and outputs image information thereon, and image analyzing means which receives the image information output from the imaging means, and compares the image information with a stored image pattern to identify impurities contained in the filtered
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignees: Hirata Corporation, Kumamoto Prefecture
    Inventors: Yuichiro Hirata, Seigo Murakami, Katsuya Nozaki
  • Patent number: 8123946
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for removal of metal sulphide particles from a liquid stream comprising a solvent and metal sulphide particles, using a filter system comprising at least one membrane, the method comprising contacting the liquid stream with the membrane, thereby transferring metal sulphide particles from the liquid stream onto the membrane surface to obtain a liquid stream depleted of metal sulphide particles and a filter system comprising a membrane enriched in metal sulphide particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventors: Johannes Leendert Willem Cornelis Den Boestert, Arian Nijmeijer, Wim M Bond, Hubert Willem Schenck
  • Patent number: 8119001
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for filtering of oil circulating in an internal combustion engine, comprising an oil filter adapter for detachable fastening of an exchangeable oil filter to the engine block of the internal combustion engine. The invention is characterized in that the oil filter adapter has a receptacle with an inserted pin, the receptacle having an outflow for returning the oil flowing from the exchangeable oil filter, the receptacle having a channel which leads in particular to an oil pump, and the receptacle having a drain which leads in particular to the cylinder crankcase, the pin being inserted elastically pretensioned such that during operation the pin clears the outflow and closes the channel and the drain, and, when the exchangeable oil filter is loosened from the oil filter adapter, the pin is displaced by spring force and clears the outflow, the channel, and the drain. Furthermore the invention includes a pin which is designed for use in the device according to the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Audi AG
    Inventors: Xaver Stemmer, Michael Jung, Jürgen Albert Holl, Stefan Barte
  • Patent number: 8114289
    Abstract: A microfiltration apparatus and method for separating cells, such as circulating tumor cells, from a sample using a microfiltration device having a top porous membrane and a bottom porous membrane. The porous membranes are formed from parylene and assembled using microfabrication techniques. The porous membranes are arranged so that the pores in the top membrane are offset from the pores in the bottom membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignees: California Institute of Technology, University of Southern California
    Inventors: Siyang Zheng, Richard Cote, Henry Lin, Bo Lu, Yu-Chong Tai
  • Patent number: 8076153
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for measuring pH of low alkalinity samples. The present invention provides a sensor array comprising a plurality of pH indicators, each indicator having a different indicator concentration. A calibration function is generated by applying the sensor array to a sample solution having a known pH such that pH responses from each indicator are simultaneously recorded versus indicator concentration for each indicator. Once calibrated, the sensor array is applied to low alkalinity samples having unknown pH. Results from each pH indicator are then compared to the calibration function, and fitting functions are extrapolated to obtain the actual pH of the low alkalinity sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Bingzhi Chen, Weiyi Cui, Li Zhang, Caibin Xiao
  • Patent number: 8070951
    Abstract: Metal oxide particles heated while immersed in water in a closed container are combined with membrane filtration to remove contaminants from water. The use of the heated particles reduces fouling of the membrane typically encountered when membranes alone are used to remove contaminants from water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: University of Washington through its Center for Commercialization
    Inventors: Mark M. Benjamin, Yu-Jung Chang, Jaeshin Kim, Zhenxiao Cai
  • Patent number: 8062899
    Abstract: An improved chromatographic method for the separation, identification and quantification of contaminants associated with Eosinophelia-Myalgia Syndrome (EMS) includes a high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) method which utilizes a silica-based column and a gradient mobile phase. The method provides for effective, efficient, and economical quantitative and qualitative identification of 1,1?-Ethylidenebis L-tryptophan (EBT), 2,3-indolymethyl L-tryptophan (Peak 200), and 2-anilino-L-alanine (Peak 1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: NHK Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Elisha R. Oguri
  • Patent number: 8053246
    Abstract: To provide a method for enhancing analysis sensitivity of bio-related molecules in mass spectrometry. To provide a method for rapidly and conveniently analyzing biological acid molecules using the method of enhanced analysis sensitivity in mass spectrometry. A method of preparing a bio-related molecule to be subjected to mass spectrometry, in which at least a part of acid group(s) is esterified, comprising reacting a bio-related molecule comprising an acid group(s) with a triazene compound to esterify at least a part of said acid group(s). A method of analyzing bio-related molecules comprising reacting a bio-related molecule comprising an acid group(s) with a triazene compound to esterify said acid group(s), and then subjecting said bio-related molecule having an esterified acid group(s) to mass spectrometry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: National University Corporation Hokkaido University
    Inventors: Shin-Ichiro Nishimura, Yoshiaki Miura
  • Patent number: 8048307
    Abstract: The present invention generally relates to a filtration system having one or more apparatuses for filtering gases, liquids, or fluids (e.g., water) to remove particulate matter, and methods of making and using the apparatus. More particularly, embodiments relate to apparatuses and methods for applying centrifugal force(s) to push a fluid or gas to be filtered through a porous membrane or filter within the apparatus to separate particulate matter therefrom. The present invention takes advantage of the Coriolis effect within a cylindrical filter radiating out from a rotating central body. The filtration apparatus provides an energy efficient system for microfiltration (or other filtration process) to remove contaminants from gases and fluids, such as waste water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Inventor: Brent Lee
  • Patent number: 8038886
    Abstract: A container for use with a hemodialysis apparatus having a vent structure is described. The vent structure is porous, and allows air in the container to vent when the container is being filled with fluid, but expands when the vent structure becomes wet, when filling is complete, thereby closing off the pores and inhibiting (e.g., preventing) fluid from flowing through the vent structure, and reentry of air into the container. The vent structure can also include a micro-porous membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care North America
    Inventors: Thomas Irvin Folden, Martin Joseph Crnkovich, Colin Weaver
  • Patent number: 8017020
    Abstract: It has been discovered that jet fuel containing enhanced thermal stability additives and water can be delivered with a final water content of 15 ppm or less via existing jet fuel distribution system by controlling the fuel flow rate through the fuel delivery system comprising one or more filter coalescers and separator systems, said controlled fuel flow rate being determined by passing a sample of actual fuel through a sample of the fuel filter at various fuel flow rates to identify the flowrate at which the fuel effluent contains 15 ppm or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Exxonmobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Dennis H. Hoskin, Michele S. Touvelle, Krystal B. Wrigley, Paul P. Wells