Patents by Inventor Icko T. Iben

Icko T. Iben 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: 5484985
    Abstract: An in-situ method of extracting contaminants from a soil volume comprises applying a radiofrequency (RF) excitation signal to heat the soil with an array of electrodes. The electrodes are inserted into the contaminated volume or inserted into a matrix of holes drilled into the volume. A first row of electrodes is electrically coupled to a shield of a coaxial cable, with a second row electrically coupled to the central conductor of the coaxial cable. RF energy is applied to pairs of electrode rows through the coaxial cable and a matching network is installed in front of the electrode-row pair to maximize power flow into the electrode-row pair. This results in very evenly distributed voltages which results in even heating. A balanced-to-unbalanced transformer (balun) is installed at the input to the matching network to prevent the deposition of RF energy outside the target volume and creation of voltages that could be hazardous to personnel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 16, 1996
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: William A. Edelstein, Icko T. Iben, Otward M. Mueller, Egidijus E. Uzgiris, Peter B. Roemer