Patents by Inventor Christopher D. Brown
Christopher D. Brown 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).
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Publication number: 20120065484Abstract: A method of determining a measure of a tissue state (e.g., glycation end-product or disease state) in an individual. A portion of the tissue of the individual is illuminated with excitation light, then light emitted by the tissue due to fluorescence of a chemical with the tissue responsive to the excitation light is detected. The detected light can be combined with a model relating fluorescence with a measure of tissue state to determine a tissue state. The invention can comprise various light excitation and detection configurations. The invention also can comprise correction techniques that reduce determination errors due to detection of light other than that from fluorescence of a chemical in the tissue. Other biologic information can be used in combination with the fluorescence properties to aid in the determination of a measure of tissue state. The invention also comprises apparatuses suitable for carrying out the method.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 9, 2011Publication date: March 15, 2012Inventors: Edward L. Hull, Marwood Neal Ediger, Christopher D. Brown, John D. Maynard, Robert D. Johnson
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Patent number: 8121671Abstract: A method of determining a measure of a tissue state (e.g., glycation end-product or disease state) in an individual. A portion of the tissue of the individual is illuminated with excitation light, then light emitted by the tissue due to fluorescence of a chemical with the tissue responsive to the excitation light is detected. The detected light can be combined with a model relating fluorescence with a measure of tissue state to determine a tissue state. The invention can comprise single wavelength excitation light, scanning of excitation light (illuminating the tissue at a plurality of wavelengths), detection at a single wavelength, scanning of detection wavelengths (detecting emitted light at a plurality of wavelengths), and combinations thereof. The invention also can comprise correction techniques that reduce determination errors due to detection of light other than that from fluorescence of a chemical in the tissue.Type: GrantFiled: May 3, 2006Date of Patent: February 21, 2012Assignee: VeraLight, Inc.Inventors: Edward L. Hull, Marwood Neal Ediger, Christopher D. Brown, John D. Maynard, Robert D. Johnson
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Publication number: 20110309247Abstract: We disclose apparatus that includes: (a) an enclosure including an aperture; (b) a prism mounted in the enclosure so that a surface of the prism is exposed through the aperture; (c) an optical assembly contained within the enclosure, the optical assembly including a radiation source and a radiation detector, the source being configured to direct radiation towards the prism and the detector being configured to detect radiation from the source reflected from the exposed surface of the prism; and (d) an electronic processor contained within the enclosure, the electronic processor being in communication with the detector. The apparatus can be configured so that, during operation, the electronic processor determines information about a sample placed in contact with the exposed surface of the prism based on radiation reflected from the exposed prism surface while it is in contact with the sample.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 15, 2011Publication date: December 22, 2011Inventors: Masud Azimi, Arran Bibby, Christopher D. Brown, Peili Chen, Kevin J. Knopp, Daryoosh Vakhshoori, Peidong Wang
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Patent number: 8081305Abstract: We disclose an apparatus comprising: a hand-portable optical analysis unit including an optical interface; and a device configured to receive and releasably engage the hand-portable optical analysis unit. The device comprises: a housing; a sample unit in the housing; and a resilient member configured to bias the sample unit and the hand-portable analysis unit towards each other when the hand-portable optical analysis unit is received in the device to compress a sample disposed between the sample unit and the optical interface of the optical analysis unit. Methods of analyzing samples are also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2009Date of Patent: December 20, 2011Assignee: Ahura Scientific Inc.Inventors: Masud Azimi, Arran Bibby, Christopher D. Brown, Peili Chen, Kevin J. Knopp, Daryoosh Vakhshoori, Peidong Wang, Stephen McLaughlin
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Patent number: 8078243Abstract: A method of determining a measure of a tissue state (e.g., glycation end-product or disease state) in an individual. A portion of the tissue of the individual is illuminated with excitation light, then light emitted by the tissue due to fluorescence of a chemical with the tissue responsive to the excitation light is detected. The detected light can be combined with a model relating fluorescence with a measure of tissue state to determine a tissue state. The invention can comprise single wavelength excitation light, scanning of excitation light (illuminating the tissue at a plurality of wavelengths), detection at a single wavelength, scanning of detection wavelengths (detecting emitted light at a plurality of wavelengths), and combinations thereof. The invention also can comprise correction techniques that reduce determination errors due to detection of light other than that from fluorescence of a chemical in the tissue.Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 2006Date of Patent: December 13, 2011Assignee: VeraLight, Inc.Inventors: Marwood Neal Ediger, John D Maynard, Robert D Johnson, Edward L Hull, Christopher D Brown
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Publication number: 20110257918Abstract: Methods and systems for determining information about a sample are disclosed. The methods can include measuring spectral information for a sample and determining a quantity related to a signal-to-noise ratio for the spectral information, repeating the measuring and determining until a value of the quantity is beyond a threshold value, and comparing the spectral information to reference information to determine information about the sample.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 15, 2011Publication date: October 20, 2011Inventors: Christopher D. Brown, Gregory H. Vander Rhodes
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Patent number: 7928391Abstract: We disclose apparatus that includes: (a) an enclosure including an aperture; (b) a prism mounted in the enclosure so that a surface of the prism is exposed through the aperture; (c) an optical assembly contained within the enclosure, the optical assembly including a radiation source and a radiation detector, the source being configured to direct radiation towards the prism and the detector being configured to detect radiation from the source reflected from the exposed surface of the prism; and (d) an electronic processor contained within the enclosure, the electronic processor being in communication with the detector. The apparatus can be configured so that, during operation, the electronic processor determines information about a sample placed in contact with the exposed surface of the prism based on radiation reflected from the exposed prism surface while it is in contact with the sample.Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 2010Date of Patent: April 19, 2011Assignee: Ahura Scientific Inc.Inventors: Masud Azimi, Arran Bibby, Christopher D. Brown, Peili Chen, Kevin J. Knopp, Daryoosh Vakhshoori, Peidong Wang
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Publication number: 20100315629Abstract: Disclosed are apparatus, kits, methods, and systems that include a radiation source configured to direct radiation to a sample; a detector configured to measure radiation from the sample; an electronic processor configured to determine infotmation about the sample based on the measured radiation; a housing enclosing the source, the detector, and the electronic processor, the housing having a hand-held form factor; an arm configured to maintain a separation between the sample and the housing, the arm including a first end configured to connect to the housing and a second end configured to contact the sample; and a layer positioned on the second end of the arm, the layer being configured to contact the sample and to transmit at least a portion of the radiation from the sample to the detector.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 15, 2010Publication date: December 16, 2010Inventors: Kevin J. Knopp, Robert L. Green, Brendon D. Tower, Christopher D. Brown, Gregory H. Vander Rhodes
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Publication number: 20100290042Abstract: An apparatus includes: a handheld Raman analyzer that can include: a common platform; a laser assembly mounted on a laser platform, the laser platform supported on the common platform by a first material and a second thermally conductive material wherein the first material is softer than the second material; an optical probe head assembly disposed on the common platform, the optical probe head assembly spaced apart from the laser assembly; a spectrometer assembly disposed on the common platform, the spectrometer assembly spaced apart from the optical probe head assembly; and an analysis apparatus configured to identify a specimen based on a Raman signature received from the spectrometer. The laser assembly can be optically coupled to the optical probe head assembly by at least a first free-space coupling region and the optical probe head assembly optically coupled to the spectrometer assembly by at least a second free-space coupling region.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 4, 2008Publication date: November 18, 2010Applicant: Ahura Corporation, a Massachusetts corporationInventors: Daryoosh Vakhshoori, Peili Chen, Masud Azimi, Peidong Wang, Yu Shen, Kevin J. Knopp, Leyun Zhu, Christopher D. Brown, Gregory H. Vander Rhodes
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Publication number: 20100198524Abstract: Methods and systems for determining information about a sample are disclosed. The methods can include measuring spectral information for the sample and determining a quantity related to a signal-to-noise ratio for the spectral information, repeating the measuring and determining until a value of the quantity is beyond a threshold value, and comparing the spectral information to reference information to determine the information about the sample.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 12, 2010Publication date: August 5, 2010Inventors: Christopher D. Brown, Gregory H. Vander Rhodes
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Publication number: 20100191493Abstract: Methods and systems for determining information about a sample are disclosed. The methods can include measuring spectral information for the sample and determining a quantity related to a signal-to-noise ratio for the spectral information, repeating the measuring and determining until a value of the quantity is beyond a threshold value, and comparing the spectral information to reference information to determine the information about the sample.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 12, 2010Publication date: July 29, 2010Inventors: Christopher D. Brown, Gregory H. Vander Rhodes
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Publication number: 20100133437Abstract: We disclose apparatus that includes: (a) an enclosure including an aperture; (b) a prism mounted in the enclosure so that a surface of the prism is exposed through the aperture; (c) an optical assembly contained within the enclosure, the optical assembly including a radiation source and a radiation detector, the source being configured to direct radiation towards the prism and the detector being configured to detect radiation from the source reflected from the exposed surface of the prism; and (d) an electronic processor contained within the enclosure, the electronic processor being in communication with the detector. The apparatus can be configured so that, during operation, the electronic processor determines information about a sample placed in contact with the exposed surface of the prism based on radiation reflected from the exposed prism surface while it is in contact with the sample.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 21, 2010Publication date: June 3, 2010Inventors: Masud Azimi, Arran Bibby, Christopher D. Brown, Peili Chen, Kevin J. Knopp, Daryoosh Vakhshoori, Peidong Wang
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Patent number: 7698080Abstract: Methods for determining the most likely composition of sample are disclosed. The methods can include: obtaining data from a sample, where the data includes a representation of a measured spectrum; determining a precision state of the representation of the measured spectrum; providing a plurality of library candidates; for each library candidate, providing data representing each library candidate, where the data includes a representation of a library spectrum; determining a representation of the similarity of the sample to each library candidate; determining the most likely composition of the sample based upon the determined representations of similarity of the sample to each library candidate; and displaying the most likely composition of the sample to a user.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 2007Date of Patent: April 13, 2010Assignee: Ahura CorporationInventors: Christopher D. Brown, Gregory H. Vander Rhodes
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Patent number: 7675611Abstract: We disclose apparatus that includes: (a) an enclosure including an aperture; (b) a prism mounted in the enclosure so that a surface of the prism is exposed through the aperture; (c) an optical assembly contained within the enclosure, the optical assembly including a radiation source and a radiation detector, the source being configured to direct radiation towards the prism and the detector being configured to detect radiation from the source reflected from the exposed surface of the prism; and (d) an electronic processor contained within the enclosure, the electronic processor being in communication with the detector. The apparatus can be configured so that, during operation, the electronic processor determines information about a sample placed in contact with the exposed surface of the prism based on radiation reflected from the exposed prism surface while it is in contact with the sample.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2007Date of Patent: March 9, 2010Assignee: Ahura Scientific Inc.Inventors: Masud Azimi, Arran Bibby, Christopher D. Brown, Peili Chen, Kevin J. Knopp, Daryoosh Vakhshoori, Peidong Wang
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Publication number: 20090237647Abstract: We disclose an apparatus comprising: a hand-portable optical analysis unit including an optical interface; and a device configured to receive and releasably engage the hand-portable optical analysis unit. The device comprises: a housing; a sample unit in the housing; and a resilient member configured to bias the sample unit and the hand-portable analysis unit towards each other when the hand-portable optical analysis unit is received in the device to compress a sample disposed between the sample unit and the optical interface of the optical analysis unit. Methods of analyzing samples are also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 30, 2009Publication date: September 24, 2009Inventors: Masud Azimi, Arran Bibby, Christopher D. Brown, Peili Chen, Kevin J. Knopp, Daryoosh Vakhshoori, Peidong Wang, Stephen McLaughlin
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Publication number: 20090213361Abstract: This disclosure relates to optical measurement and identification of samples.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 14, 2009Publication date: August 27, 2009Inventors: Gregory Vander Rhodes, Kevin J. Knopp, Christopher D. Brown, Myrle E. Sieger, III
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Publication number: 20080291426Abstract: We disclose apparatus that includes: (a) an enclosure including an aperture; (b) a prism mounted in the enclosure so that a surface of the prism is exposed through the aperture; (c) an optical assembly contained within the enclosure, the optical assembly including a radiation source and a radiation detector, the source being configured to direct radiation towards the prism and the detector being configured to detect radiation from the source reflected from the exposed surface of the prism; and (d) an electronic processor contained within the enclosure, the electronic processor being in communication with the detector. The apparatus can be configured so that, during operation, the electronic processor determines information about a sample placed in contact with the exposed surface of the prism based on radiation reflected from the exposed prism surface while it is in contact with the sample.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 28, 2007Publication date: November 27, 2008Applicant: AHURA CORPORATIONInventors: Masud Azimi, Arran Bibby, Christopher D. Brown, Peili Chen, Kevin J. Knopp, Daryoosh Vakhshoori, Peidong Wang
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Patent number: 7254501Abstract: A method for determining the most likely composition of a sample, including obtaining data from a sample, wherein the data includes a representation of a measured spectrum; determining the precision state of the representation of the measured spectrum; providing a plurality of library candidates and, for each library candidate, providing data representing each library candidate, wherein the data includes a representation of a library spectrum; determining a representation of the similarity of the sample to each library candidate using (i) the representation of the measured spectrum; (ii) the precision state of the representation of the measured spectrum; and (iii) the representation of the library spectrum for that library candidate; determining the most likely composition of the sample based upon the determined representations of similarity of the sample to each library candidate; and displaying the most likely composition of the sample to a user.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2005Date of Patent: August 7, 2007Assignee: Ahura CorporationInventors: Christopher D. Brown, Gregory H. Vander Rhodes
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Patent number: 7139598Abstract: A method of determining a measure of a tissue state (e.g., glycation end-product or disease state) in an individual. A portion of the tissue of the individual is illuminated with excitation light, then light emitted by the tissue due to fluorescence of a chemical with the tissue responsive to the excitation light is detected. The detected light can be combined with a model relating fluorescence with a measure of tissue state to determine a tissue state. The invention can comprise single wavelength excitation light, scanning of excitation light (illuminating the tissue at a plurality of wavelengths), detection at a single wavelength, scanning of detection wavelengths (detecting emitted light at a plurality of wavelengths), and combinations thereof. The invention also can comprise correction techniques that reduce determination errors due to detection of light other than that from fluorescence of a chemical in the tissue.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2004Date of Patent: November 21, 2006Assignee: Veralight, Inc.Inventors: Edward L. Hull, Marwood Neal Ediger, Christopher D. Brown, John D. Maynard, Robert D. Johnson
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Patent number: 7092832Abstract: Methods of reducing the effects of measurement device artifacts on a measurement of a sample are presented. A number of reference measurements performed with the measurement device are observed to identify reference independent components of the reference measurements. The variations of the reference independent components are used as surrogates for possible artifacts of the measurement device. A number of measurements of subjects similar to the sample are observed, and similarity components of the subject measurements that vary in a manner similar to the reference independent components may be identified. The sample measurement is then adjusted to remove at least part of the similarity components that correspond to the variations in the reference independent components. The adjustment of the sample measurement is thereby improved by reducing the effects of artifacts of the measurement device.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2003Date of Patent: August 15, 2006Assignee: InLight Solutions, Inc.Inventor: Christopher D. Brown