Patents Examined by Constantine Hannaher
  • Patent number: 8552396
    Abstract: A ground-based system that provides quasi real-time measurement and collection of snow-water equivalent (SWE) data in remote settings is provided. The disclosed invention is significantly less expensive and easier to deploy than current methods and less susceptible to terrain and snow bridging effects. Embodiments of the invention include remote data recovery solutions. Compared to current infrastructure using existing SWE technology, the disclosed invention allows more SWE sites to be installed for similar cost and effort, in a greater variety of terrain; thus, enabling data collection at improved spatial resolutions. The invention integrates a novel computational architecture with new sensor technologies. The invention's computational architecture is based on wireless sensor networks, comprised of programmable, low-cost, low-powered nodes capable of sophisticated sensor control and remote data communication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: The University of Vermont and State Agricultural College
    Inventors: Jeff Frolik, Christian Skalka
  • Patent number: 8541761
    Abstract: A radiation dosimeter including one or more optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Landauer, Inc.
    Inventors: R. Craig Yoder, Yoshikazu Tatsumi, Tse-Min Lo, Mark S. Akselrod
  • Patent number: 8536553
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for detecting radiation are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: DRTECH Corporation
    Inventors: Jung-Seok Kim, Byung-Hun Ko, Beom-Jin Moon, Jung-Kee Yoon
  • Patent number: 8536529
    Abstract: A surface chemistry measuring apparatus includes a processor, an array of tunable infrared laser spectrometers interfacing with the processor and configured for simultaneous measurement of surface chemistry across a surface to be measured using a range of infrared wavelengths and a display interfacing with the processor and adapted to display IR spectra of infrared wavelengths reflected from the surface to be measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Paul Griffin Vahey, Gregory James Werner, Paul H. Shelley
  • Patent number: 8530844
    Abstract: The invention relates to recording of position-specific optical measurements of substances such as foodstuff, building materials, combustion products etc. The invention provides online, in-situ recording of wavelength absorption spectra in substances, performed without removing a sample from the substance. In inhomogeneous products, the position correlated to each spectrum allows for extraction of both average values for larger regions as well as specific values characteristic for smaller individual portions. In a preferred embodiment, a probe with two elongate arms has light guiding and light collecting means for recording infrared absorption spectra of portions between them, as well as means for determining an insertion distance into the product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: SFK Technology A/S
    Inventors: Henrik Marnø, Klavs Martin Sørensen
  • Patent number: 8519348
    Abstract: A system for monitoring the state of calibration of a digital x-ray detector having a solid state sensor with a plurality of pixels, a scintillating screen and at least one embedded microprocessor, the system having means for capturing a digital image and a computer operable during normal diagnostic use of the detector, in cooperation with at least one embedded microprocessor, for performing pixelwise computations on the image and calculating a misregistration metric indicative of movement of the solid state sensor relative to the scintillating screen. A defect metric indicative of abnormal properties of pixels in the solid state sensor is calculated. It is then determined whether one or both of the misregistration metric and the defect metric exceeds a respective, preselected threshold value. The user of the system is alerted to conduct a calibration of the detector when either one or both of the respective threshold values have been exceeded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Carestream Health, Inc.
    Inventors: Karin Topfer, Richard T. Scott, Timothy J. Wojcik
  • Patent number: 8513613
    Abstract: The invention relates to a radiation detector (100), particularly for X-rays (X) and for ?-rays, which comprises a combination of (a) at least one primary conversion layer (101a-101f) with a low attenuation coefficient for the photons and (b) at least one secondary conversion layer (102) with a high attenuation coefficient for the photons. In preferred embodiments, the primary conversion layer (101a-101f) may be realized by a silicon layer coupled to associated energy-resolving counting electronics (111a-111f, 121). The secondary conversion layer (102) may be realized for example by CZT or GOS coupled to energy-resolving counting electronics or integrating electronics. Using primary conversion layers with low stopping power allows to build a stacked radiation detector (100) for spectral CT in which the counting rates of the layers are limited to feasible values without requiring unrealistic thin layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Christoph Herrmann, Christian Baeumer, Roger Steadman Booker, Guenter Zeitler
  • Patent number: 8513624
    Abstract: Systems and methods of detecting force on the nanoscale including methods for detecting force using a tetrapod nanocrystal by exposing the tetrapod nanocrystal to light, which produces a luminescent response by the tetrapod nanocrystal. The method continues with detecting a difference in the luminescent response by the tetrapod nanocrystal relative to a base luminescent response that indicates a force between a first and second medium or stresses or strains experienced within a material. Such systems and methods find use with biological systems to measure forces in biological events or interactions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Charina L. Choi, Kristie J. Koski, Sanjeevi Sivasankar, A. Paul Alivisatos
  • Patent number: 8502153
    Abstract: An optical proximity sensor and corresponding methods of measuring crosstalk in the sensor are disclosed. The amount of crosstalk generated between the light emitter and the light detector of an optical proximity sensor is measured and quantified according to one of two methods. The measured crosstalk may then be stored in a register or memory location and then subtracted from signals representative of signals indicative of the nearby presence of an object to be detected combined with crosstalk, thereby removing so the contribution or effect of crosstalk on such signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Chee Heng Wong, Han Kang Chong, Rani Ramamoorthy Saravanan
  • Patent number: 8487262
    Abstract: A radiometric for measuring a physical, measured variable of a fill substance located in a container and for outputting a measurement signal, which corresponds to a measured value of the physical, measured variable. The measuring device has available a single line-pair, via which energy supply of the total measuring device occurs, and via which transmission of the measurement signal occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventors: Hartmut Damm, Jochen Politt, Simon Weidenbruch, Mingzehn Jiang
  • Patent number: 8481972
    Abstract: A fluoroscopy apparatus that includes an illumination section including a light source for radiating illumination light and excitation light onto a subject; a fluoroscopic image acquisition section acquiring a fluoroscopic image of fluorescence generated in the subject; a return-light image acquisition section acquiring a reference image of return light returning from the subject; a distance-information acquisition section acquiring information about a distance between the return-light image acquisition section and the subject; and an image correction section correcting the fluoroscopic image by using the reference image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Toshiaki Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8481952
    Abstract: A scintillation reflector can include a specular material having a first and second surface, and a first diffuse material arranged adjacent to the first surface of the specular material and proximal to the scintillator surface. The composite reflector may surround at least a portion of a scintillator surface as provide in a scintillation detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Saint-Gobain Ceramics & Plastics, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter R. Menge, Louis Perna
  • Patent number: 8471218
    Abstract: A detecting device includes a wavelength dispersion element for dispersing light into wavelengths and for emitting dispersed light, a photodetector for detecting the dispersed light, and a wavelength restriction element, which is arranged between the wavelength dispersion element and the photodetector and has an optical characteristic dependent on a wavelength, for restricting an incidence of light having a particular wavelength to the photodetector. Light that is part of the dispersed light and includes the light having has the particular wavelength is incident to the wavelength restriction element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Eiji Yokoi
  • Patent number: 8466424
    Abstract: A device that detects electromagnetic radiation, including an assembly of juxtaposed parallelepipedic semiconductor detection blocks, each detection block including a given length separating a detection face and at least one rear face opposite to the said detection face, a given thickness separating a first polarization face with one or more electrodes and a second polarization face with one or more other electrodes, and a given width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Commissariat á l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives
    Inventors: Olivier Monnet, Guillaume Montemont
  • Patent number: 8461529
    Abstract: A waveband imager includes an imaging pixel that utilizes photon tunneling with a thermally actuated bimorph structure to convert infrared radiation to visible radiation. Infrared radiation passes through a transparent substrate and is absorbed by a bimorph structure formed with a pixel plate. The absorption generates heat which deflects the bimorph structure and pixel plate towards the substrate and into an evanescent electric field generated by light propagating through the substrate. Penetration of the bimorph structure and pixel plate into the evanescent electric field allows a portion of the visible wavelengths propagating through the substrate to tunnel through the substrate, bimorph structure, and/or pixel plate as visible radiation that is proportional to the intensity of the incident infrared radiation. This converted visible radiation may be superimposed over visible wavelengths passed through the imaging pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLC
    Inventor: Scott R. Hunter
  • Patent number: 8461544
    Abstract: A radiation image capturing device has: a radiation image capturing section that is adapted to image capturing in a selected operation mode, an image processing section, a power supply section that supplies electric power for driving to the radiation image capturing section, a connection portion that electrically connects to at least one of a power supply device or an image processing device, and a control section. The control section effects control such that, in a case in which an operation mode that generates a predetermined generated heat amount or more is selected and the power supply device is connected to the connection portion, the power supply device is used instead of the power supply section, and, in a case in which an operation mode that generates a predetermined generated heat amount or more is selected and the image processing device is connected to the connection portion, the image processing device is used instead of the image processing section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Naoto Iwakiri, Yasunori Ohta, Futoshi Yoshida, Haruyasu Nakatsugawa, Naoyuki Nishino
  • Patent number: 8455844
    Abstract: A measurement system for use with fluorescent chemosensors has multiple stimulus light sources each coupled to at least one sensor. Multiple sensors each receiving light from a different light source connect to each of one or more photodetectors. A processing device drives the light sources in a time-division multiplexed manner, and reads the photodetector at an appropriate time for each sensor. The processing device calibrates the sensor readings and provides them in a way that is identified to the associated sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Colorado State University Research Foundation
    Inventors: Kevin L. Lear, Sean B. Pieper
  • Patent number: 8450689
    Abstract: A non-contacting type paint film thickness measuring device includes a generating portion for generating a terahertz pulse light, a detecting portion for detecting the terahertz pulse light, a measured wave form in time-series obtaining portion for obtaining a measured wave form indicating an electric field intensity of a terahertz echo pulse light, and an intrinsic wave form in time-series obtaining portion, having an intrinsic electric field spectrum calculating portion and an intrinsic wave form in time-series calculating portion, for calculating an intrinsic wave form in time-series of an object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideyuki Ohtake, Yuki Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 8450696
    Abstract: An auxiliary component that is used with a medical device is modified to provide for additional or enhanced functionality. In one specific embodiment, a sheath surrounds an intraoral electronic image sensor, and is provided with signal conductors integrated therein. Electrical communication is provided between the sensor and the sheath, such as via a direct electrical connection, a capacitive or inductive coupling or an optical link. The sheath, and particularly the signal conductors integrated therein, connects to a cable which in turn connects to another device, such as a processing module or computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Sirona Dental Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Valeriy Armencha, Mark Abramovich
  • Patent number: RE44367
    Abstract: The image and information processor includes an image information processing unit having a function for inputting patient information and radiation image capture information related to the patient information, a function for receiving a first radiation image having been read by a radiation image reading device and a function for performing image processing on the first radiation image, an image display device for the displaying at least one of the first radiation image and second radiation image having been subjected to the image processing and an external storage device for temporarily storing at least one of the first radiation image and the second radiation image in relation to the patient information; wherein the image information processing unit is constructed such that a serial radiography based on a plurality of radiographic conditions of the image capture information relating to one patient inputted by the input function can be reserved as a single inspection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Masashi Aonuma