Patents Examined by Bernard Souw
  • Patent number: 10020160
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a charged particle beam device which can realize improved contrast of an elongated pattern in a specific direction, such as a groove-like pattern. In order to achieve the above-described object, the present invention proposes a charged particle beam device including a detector for detecting a charged particle obtained based on a charged particle beam discharged to a sample. The charged particle beam device includes a charged particle passage restricting member that has at least one of an arcuate groove and a groove having a longitudinal direction in a plurality of directions, and a deflector that deflects the charged particle discharged toward the groove from the sample. The charged particle discharged from the sample is deflected to a designated position of the groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Koichi Kuroda, Hajime Kawano, Makoto Suzuki, Yuzuru Mizuhara
  • Patent number: 10020161
    Abstract: A method for irradiating a planning target volume with charged particles includes delivering the charged particles to the planning target volume with a charged particle therapy system including a charged particle beam path and a gantry configured to rotate about the planning target volume and to direct the charged particle beam path; rotating the gantry, during an irradiation session, to a plurality of positions; during the rotation, irradiating the planning target volume with the charged particles at a first energy level at one or more of the plurality of positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania
    Inventor: Alejandro Carabe-Fernandez
  • Patent number: 10020180
    Abstract: The present invention provides methods and systems for a modular ion generator device that includes a bottom portion, two opposed side portions, a front end, a back end, and a top portion. A cavity is formed within the two opposed side portions, front end, back end, and top portion. At least one electrode is positioned within the cavity, and an engagement device is engaged to the front end and/or an engagement device engaged to the back end for allowing one or more modular ion generator devices to be selectively secured to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: Global Plasma Solutions, LLC
    Inventor: Charles Houston Waddell
  • Patent number: 10020083
    Abstract: A supported radiation protective garment is presented that can be worn by a medical provider under a standard surgical gown during procedures that involve the use of radiation. When used by the provider, the protective garment is lifted by vertical support members which can be extended downward and retracted upward. Rolling or sliding means at the lower end of the vertical support members allow the provider to move unhindered while wearing the radiation protective garment. The provider has access to a control mechanism that allows the shifting between retracted and extended positions of the vertical support members without breaking sterility. An alternative embodiment presents an upper apron portion of the protective garment, which can be manually connected by an assistant to a lower rolling base portion. The invention allows the provider to wear a heavy protective garment, offering significantly better radiation protection than standard ‘lead aprons’, while not being burdened by the weight of the garment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Inventor: Christian Martin Heesch
  • Patent number: 10010634
    Abstract: A disinfecting system includes a housing. An ultraviolet light (UV) source is secured to the housing and configured to emit UV light for disinfection of a target. A processor is secured to the housing in communication with the UV light source. The processor is configured to activate the UV light source for a selected amount of time suitable for disinfection of the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: P Tech, LLC
    Inventors: Peter M. Bonutti, Justin Beyers, Tonya M. Bierman
  • Patent number: 10014167
    Abstract: An ion optical apparatus and a mass spectrometer are provided. The ion optical apparatus includes at least one planar insulating substrate which is covered with metal patterns to form an electrode array including a plurality of cell electrodes, wherein each of the cell electrodes is arrayed according to a first direction to form a geometric pattern distribution of the electrode array, wherein cell electrodes are applied with radio frequency (RF) voltages having different phases to confine ions, a direct current (DC) voltage gradient is applied along at least part of the cell electrodes in the electrode array to drive ions to move in the first direction along the electrode array, and a corresponding electric field distribution is formed by the geometric pattern distribution to drive ions to move in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction, thereby realizing ion deflection, focusing or defocusing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: SHIMADZU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Xiaoqiang Zhang, Qiao Jin, Wenjian Sun
  • Patent number: 10014169
    Abstract: The invention generally relates to apparatuses for focusing ions at or above ambient pressure and methods of use thereof. In certain embodiments, the invention provides an apparatus for focusing ions that includes an electrode having a cavity, at least one inlet within the electrode configured to operatively couple with an ionization source, such that discharge generated by the ionization source is injected into the cavity of the electrode, and an outlet. The cavity in the electrode is shaped such that upon application of voltage to the electrode, ions within the cavity are focused and directed to the outlet, which is positioned such that a proximal end of the outlet receives the focused ions and a distal end of the outlet is open to ambient pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: PURDUE RESEARCH FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Robert Graham Cooks, Zane Baird, Wen-Ping Peng
  • Patent number: 10008299
    Abstract: A container is designed to safely store radioactive debris from, for example, a nuclear reactor meltdown, in water or air. The container, with preferably although not necessarily all metal parts, has an overpack having an elongated cylindrical body extending between a top end and a bottom end, a planar bottom part at the bottom end, an open top at the top end, and a circular planar lid mounted over the open top. A basket is situated inside of the overpack. The basket has a plurality of elongated cylindrical canisters that are in parallel along their lengths. Each of the canisters has an elongated cylindrical body extending between a top end and a bottom end, a planar bottom part at the bottom end, an open top at the top end, and a circular planar lid mounted over the open top.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: NAC INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Jay G. Wellwood, George C. Carver, Vadim Z. Shtylman
  • Patent number: 10002740
    Abstract: An electron beam inspection device includes: a primary electron optical system that irradiates the surface of a sample with an electron beam; and a secondary electron optical system that gathers secondary electrons emitted from the sample and forms an image on the sensor surface of a detector. An electron image of the surface of the sample is obtained from a signal detected by the detector, and the sample is inspected. A cylindrical member that is formed with conductors stacked as an inner layer and an outer layer, and an insulator stacked as an intermediate layer is provided inside a lens tube into which the secondary electron optical system is incorporated. An electron orbital path is formed inside the cylindrical member, and the members constituting the secondary electron optical system are arranged outside the cylindrical member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masahiro Hatakeyama, Ryo Tajima, Kenichi Suematsu, Kenji Watanabe, Yasushi Toma, Kenji Terao, Takeshi Murakami
  • Patent number: 10001456
    Abstract: Methods and systems for separating and/or quantifying peptides using differential mobility spectrometry (DMS) are provided herein. In accordance with various aspects of the applicant's teachings, the methods and systems can provide for the separation of one or more peptides, for example, peptides that may be difficult to separate with conventional techniques, such as mass spectrometry (MS), by complexing the peptides with a metal cation (e.g., Ca2+) prior to DMS. In some aspects, the present teachings can prevent proton stripping from ionized peptides that can occur in DMS to prevent unintended and/or undesirable alterations to the peptide's charge state distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: DH Technologies Development Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: John L Campbell, Yves LeBlanc, Chang Liu
  • Patent number: 9983172
    Abstract: A method of mass spectrometry is disclosed comprising: providing an algorithm or relationship that relates the ion mobilities of an analyte ion through three gases of different polarizability to the mass of the analyte ion; measuring the ion mobilities of an analyte ion through first, second and third different drift gases; and using the measured ion mobilities and said algorithm or relationship to determine the mass of the analyte ion. Embodiments of the invention enable the mass of an analyte to be determined without having to know the specific properties of the analyte ion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: MICROMASS UK LIMITED
    Inventors: Keith George Richardson, John Brian Hoyes
  • Patent number: 9976985
    Abstract: An apparatus, system and method for detecting, identifying, classifying and/or quantifying chemical species in a gas flow using a micro-fabricated ion filter coupled to a system adapted to apply drive signals to the ion filter. Coupled to the ion filter is a system adapted to measure the output of the ion filter, which in turn is coupled to a system adapted to extract numerical parameters from the measured output of the ion filter to facilitate chemical detection, identification, classification and/or quantification of the gas flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: Owlstone Medical Limited
    Inventors: Ashley Wilks, Matthew Hart, Stephen Hartwell, Alison Hart, Lara E. Jamieson, Max Allsworth, John Somerville
  • Patent number: 9978572
    Abstract: A method of mass spectrometry is disclosed comprising providing a first device and a second device disposed downstream of the first device. The method further comprises introducing a potential difference between the exit of the first device and the entrance of the second device and reducing the total potential drop across the first and second devices by applying a reverse axial electric field to the first device and/or the second device. Ions are driven through the first device and/or the second device against the reverse axial electric field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: Micromass UK Limited
    Inventors: Kevin Giles, Steven Derek Pringle, Jason Lee Wildgoose
  • Patent number: 9978574
    Abstract: Mass spectrometry systems include a core featuring an ion source, an ion trap, and an ion detector connected along a gas path, a pressure regulation subsystem connected to the gas path and configured to regulate a gas pressure in the gas path, a sample pre-concentrator connected to the gas path, where the sample pre-concentrator includes an adsorbent material, and a controller connected to the sample pre-concentrator, where during operation of the system, the controller is configured to heat sample particles adsorbed on the adsorbent material to desorb the particles from the adsorbent material and introduce the desorbed particles into the gas path, and a pressure difference between a gas pressure in the sample pre-concentrator and a gas pressure in at least one of the ion source, the ion trap, and the ion detector when the desorbed particles are introduced into the gas path is 50 mTorr or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: 908 Devices Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher D. Brown, Glenn A. Harris, Kevin J. Knopp, Michael Jobin, Michael Goodwin, Anthony G. Liepert, Cyril P. Blank
  • Patent number: 9963618
    Abstract: Adhesive compositions are described which can be selectively detackified or deadened. Articles using such adhesive compositions are also described. Also described are techniques in which select regions of adhesive layers in the articles are detackified. Also described are systems and methods using the various articles and adhesive compositions. And particular label constructions are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Avery Dennison Corporation
    Inventors: Robert H. De Boer, Ronald Haycox, David W. Whitman, Pavel Janko
  • Patent number: 9966220
    Abstract: An electron energy loss spectrometer is described having a direct detection sensor, a high speed shutter and a sensor processor wherein the sensor processor combines images from individual sensor read-outs and converts a two dimensional image from said sensor into a one dimensional spectrum and wherein the one dimensional spectrum is output to a computer and operation of the high speed shutter is integrated with timing of imaging the sensor. The shutter is controlled to allow reduction in exposure of images corresponding to the individual sensor readouts. A plurality of images are exposed by imaging less than the full possible exposure and wherein the plurality of images are combined to form a composite image. The plurality of images can be comprised of images created by exposing the sensor for different exposure times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Gatan, Inc.
    Inventors: Colin Trevor, Matthew Lent, Alexander Jozef Gubbens, Edward James, Ray Dudley Twesten, Roice Joseph, SanJay Parekh, Thomas Sha
  • Patent number: 9966160
    Abstract: A collimating system for collimating a radiation beam having a first multileaf collimator and a second multileaf collimator configured such that the radiation beam will pass through the first multileaf collimator before passing through the second multileaf collimator, and pass through the second multileaf collimator before hitting its target. The leaves of the first multileaf collimator and the leaves of the second multileaf collimator may be configured to move independently of one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: ViewRay Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Iwan Kawrykow, James F. Dempsey, Gopinath Kuduvalli, Gerald E. Fought, Amit Sharma
  • Patent number: 9960029
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method and device to desorb an analyte using heat to allow desorption of the analyte molecules, where the desorbed analyte molecules are ionized with ambient temperature ionizing species. In various embodiments of the invention a current is passed through a mesh upon which the analyte molecules are present. The current heats the mesh and results in desorption of the analyte molecules which then interact with gas phase metastable neutral molecules or atoms to form analyte ions characteristic of the analyte molecules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: IONSENSE, INC.
    Inventors: Jordan Krechmer, Brian D. Musselman
  • Patent number: 9960006
    Abstract: A charged-particle-beam device used for measuring the dimensions, etc., of fine circuit patterns in a semiconductor manufacturing process, wherein corrections are made in the defocusing and astigmatism generated during changes in the operating conditions of a Wien filter acting as a deflector of secondary signals such as secondary electrons, and the display dimensions of obtained images are kept constant. In the charged-particle-beam device, the Wien filter (23) is arranged between a detector and a lens (11) arranged on the test-sample side among two stages of lenses for converging a charged-particle beam, and a computing device (93) is provided for the interlocked control of the Wien filter (23) and a lens (12) arranged on the charged-particle-source side among the two stages of lenses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Noritsugu Takahashi, Yasunari Sohda, Wataru Mori, Yuko Sasaki, Hajime Kawano
  • Patent number: 9953823
    Abstract: An ionizing apparatus for ionizing a sample of gaseous fluid. The ionizing apparatus comprises an ionizer configured to provide reactant ions; an ion modifier configured to modify the reactant ions, and a reaction region arranged to receive the modified reactant ions and a sample and to combine the sample with the modified reactant ions to ionize the sample for analysis by a detector configured to identify a substance of interest in the sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: Smiths Detection-Watford Limited
    Inventors: Stephen Taylor, Jonathan Atkinson