Patents by Inventor Carolyn A. MacDonald

Carolyn A. MacDonald has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7646850
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system for detecting a material in an object to be analyzed in a radiographic imaging system. The method includes providing wide-field illumination of an object with partially monochromatic x-ray radiation from a divergent source without restrictively collimating the x-ray radiation. The x-ray radiation scattered by the object outside of a predetermined range of angles defined about a characteristic angle is rejected. The characteristic angle is a scattering angle about which a material of the object coherently scatters the incident x-ray radiation. In addition, the method includes the step of detecting coherently-scattered radiation, which is the x-ray radiation diffracted by the object within the predetermined range of angles defined about the characteristic angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Assignee: The Research Foundation of State University of New York
    Inventor: Carolyn A MacDonald
  • Publication number: 20090225947
    Abstract: An x-ray imaging system includes an optical device having at least one point-focusing, curved monochromating optic for directing x-rays from an x-ray source towards a focal point. The at least one point-focusing, curved monochromating optic provides a focused monochromatic x-ray beam directed towards the focal point, and a detector is aligned with the focused monochromatic x-ray beam. The optical device facilitates x-ray imaging of an object when the object is located between the optical device and the detector within the focused monochromatic x-ray beam. In various embodiments: each point-focusing, curved monochromatic optic has an optical surface that is doubly-curved; the optical device facilitates passive image demagnification or magnification depending upon placement of the object and detector relative to the focal point; and at least one second point-focusing, curved monochromatic optic can be employed to facilitate refractive index or polarized beam imaging of the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2006
    Publication date: September 10, 2009
    Applicants: X-RAY OPTICAL SYSTEMS, INC., THE RESEARCH FOUNDATION OF STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
    Inventors: Carolyn A. MacDonald, Noor Mail, Zewu Chen
  • Patent number: 7583789
    Abstract: An x-ray imaging system includes an optical device having at least one point-focusing, curved monochromating optic for directing x-rays from an x-ray source towards a focal point. The at least one point-focusing, curved monochromating optic provides a focused monochromatic x-ray beam directed towards the focal point, and a detector is aligned with the focused monochromatic x-ray beam. The optical device facilitates x-ray imaging of an object when the object is located between the optical device and the detector within the focused monochromatic x-ray beam. In various embodiments: each point-focusing, curved monochromatic optic has an optical surface that is doubly-curved; the optical device facilitates passive image demagnification or magnification depending upon placement of the object and detector relative to the focal point; and at least one second point-focusing, curved monochromatic optic can be employed to facilitate refractive index or polarized beam imaging of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignees: The Research Foundation of State University of New York, X-Ray Optical Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Carolyn A. MacDonald, Noor Mail, Zewu Chen
  • Publication number: 20080175350
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system for detecting a material in an object to be analyzed in a radiographic imaging system. The method includes providing wide-field illumination of an object with partially monochromatic x-ray radiation from a divergent source without restrictively collimating the x-ray radiation. The x-ray radiation scattered by the object outside of a predetermined range of angles defined about a characteristic angle is rejected. The characteristic angle is a scattering angle about which a material of the object coherently scatters the incident x-ray radiation. In addition, the method includes the step of detecting coherently-scattered radiation, which is the x-ray radiation diffracted by the object within the predetermined range of angles defined about the characteristic angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2007
    Publication date: July 24, 2008
    Applicant: THE RESEARCH FOUNDATION OF STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
    Inventor: Carolyn A. MacDonald