Patents by Inventor Martin Lehmann

Martin Lehmann 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).

  • Publication number: 20080092636
    Abstract: In a leak testing apparatus and a method for manufacturing unleaky closed containers having first and second flexible wall areas with different flexibility characteristics, a biasing member is moved toward and onto the first flexible area and a force detector monitors a biasing force at the second flexible area. A container is considered unleaky if a difference signal from force measuring signals at first and second points in time fulfills a test criteria. Sampling the biasing force monitored which results in the first force measuring signal includes determining maximum biasing force signal value which occurs during a time span up to and including the first point in time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Publication date: April 24, 2008
    Inventor: Martin Lehmann
  • Publication number: 20080054532
    Abstract: A method of monitoring pressure of a gas species up to at most a predetermined maximum pressure value is disclosed. The method includes exposing the gas species to transmission of laser light, periodically modulating the wavelength of the laser light over a wavelength band including at least one absorption line of the gas species, optoelectrically converting the transmitted laser light, thereby generating an electric output signal, performing at least one of first filtering the electric output signal with a filter characteristic having a lower cut-off frequency not lower than a transition frequency and of second filtering the electric output signal with a bandpass filter characteristic having an upper cut-off frequency not higher than the transition frequency and a lower cut-off frequency above the modulation frequency of the periodic wavelength modulation. The output of at least one of the filterings is evaluated as a pressure indicative signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Publication date: March 6, 2008
    Inventors: Martin Lehmann, Jean-Noel Fehr, Martin Liechti, Urban Schnell
  • Patent number: 7334482
    Abstract: A method of monitoring pressure of a gas species up to at most a predetermined maximum pressure value is disclosed. The method includes exposing the gas species to transmission of laser light, periodically modulating the wavelength of the laser light over a wavelength band including at least one absorption line of the gas species, optoelectrically converting the transmitted laser light, thereby generating an electric output signal, performing at least one of first filtering the electric output signal with a filter characteristic having a lower cut-off frequency not lower than a transition frequency and of second filtering the electric output signal with a bandpass filter characteristic having an upper cut-off frequency not higher than the transition frequency and a lower cut-off frequency above the modulation frequency of the periodic wavelength modulation. The output of at least one of the filterings is evaluated as a pressure indicative signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Inventors: Martin Lehmann, Jean-Noel Fehr, Martin Liechti, Urban Schnell
  • Publication number: 20080016951
    Abstract: For leak testing closed containers (9) which are filled with a filling product containing at least one liquid component the container is introduced in a test cavity (1) which is evacuated at least down to vapour pressure of that liquid component. The pressure in the surrounding of the container (9) and thus within test cavity (1) is monitored. Monitoring is performed by a vacuum pressure sensor (7), whereas lowering pressure surrounding the container (9) is performed by a vacuum pump (5). Leakage is detected by monitoring a pressure change in the surrounding of the container which is due to evaporation of liquid emerging from a leak and being evaporated in the low pressure surrounding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2007
    Publication date: January 24, 2008
    Inventor: Martin Lehmann
  • Patent number: 7313944
    Abstract: Leak testing a closed container with at least one flexible wall area is performed with the method and apparatus wherein a biasing arrangement compresses or expands the container under test. A biasing force is monitored with a force detector applicable to the wall of the container. The force detector generates an electric output first biasing force signal at a first point in time which is stored for comparison with the monitored biasing force signal at a second subsequent point in time to generate a difference signal as a leak indicative signal. Another difference signal is generated at the first point in time from the first force measuring signal stored and the first force measuring signal. This latter difference signal is stored as a zero offset signal which is used to compensate zero offset of the generated difference signal used as a leak indicative signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Inventor: Martin Lehmann
  • Patent number: 7260981
    Abstract: For leak testing closed containers (9) which are filled with a filling product containing at least one liquid component the container is introduced in a test cavity (1) which is evacuated at least down to vapor pressure of that liquid component. The pressure in the surrounding of the container (9) and thus within test cavity (1) is monitored. Monitoring is performed by a vacuum pressure sensor (7), whereas lowering pressure surrounding the container (9) is performed by a vacuum pump (5). Leakage is detected by monitoring a pressure change in the surrounding of the container which is due to evaporation of liquid emerging from a leak and being evaporated in the low pressure surrounding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2007
    Inventor: Martin Lehmann
  • Publication number: 20070144265
    Abstract: A method of monitoring pressure of a gas species up to at most a predetermined maximum pressure value is disclosed. The method includes exposing the gas species to transmission of laser light, periodically modulating the wavelength of the laser light over a wavelength band including at least one absorption line of the gas species, optoelectrically converting the transmitted laser light, thereby generating an electric output signal, performing at least one of first filtering the electric output signal with a filter characteristic having a lower cut-off frequency not lower than a transition frequency and of second filtering the electric output signal with a bandpass filter characteristic having an upper cut-off frequency not higher than the transition frequency and a lower cut-off frequency above the modulation frequency of the periodic wavelength modulation. The output of at least one of the filterings is evaluated as a pressure indicative signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2007
    Publication date: June 28, 2007
    Inventors: Martin Lehmann, Jean-Noel Fehr, Martin Liechti, Urban Schnell
  • Publication number: 20070141685
    Abstract: The present invention relates to modified mevalonate kinases that are less sensitive to feedback inhibition, and to polynucleotides encoding them. The invention further pertains to vectors comprising these polynucleotides and host cells containing such vectors. The invention provides a method for producing the modified enzyme and a method for producing isoprenoid compounds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2004
    Publication date: June 21, 2007
    Inventors: Renyuan Bai, Markus Huembelin, Martin Lehmann, Rual Lopez-Ulibarri, Markus Wyss
  • Patent number: 7222537
    Abstract: A method of monitoring pressure of a gas species up to at most a predetermined maximum pressure value is disclosed. The method includes exposing the gas species to transmission of laser light, periodically modulating the wavelength of the laser light over a wavelength band including at least one absorption line of the gas species, optoelectrically converting the transmitted laser light, thereby generating an electric output signal, performing at least one of first filtering the electric output signal with a filter characteristic having a lower cut-off frequency not lower than a transition frequency and of second filtering the electric output signal with a bandpass filter characteristic having an upper cut-off frequency not higher than the transition frequency and a lower cut-off frequency above the modulation frequency of the periodic wavelength modulation. The output of at least one of the filterings is evaluated as a pressure indicative signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Inventors: Martin Lehmann, Jean-Noel Fehr, Martin Liechti, Urban Schnell
  • Publication number: 20070062162
    Abstract: The method of manufacturing a sealed container for containing a non-gaseous filler, which filler is to be protected from Oxygen gas, comprises the following steps in the indicated sequence: 1.) filling said filler into said container; 2.) evacuating said container substantially without evaporating parts of said filler; 3.) filling Nitrogen gas into said container; 4.) sealing the container. The method can be used in-line. The apparatus for cleaning filled containers containing a non-gaseous filler, comprises at least one holder for holding said containers; at least one pump adapted for evacuating said containers; a Nitrogen reservoir for supplying Nitrogen gas to be filled into said containers; a process control unit adapted to allowing for an evacuation of said containers by means of said at least one pump and subsequentially filling said Nitrogen gas into said containers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2005
    Publication date: March 22, 2007
    Inventor: Martin Lehmann
  • Publication number: 20070056355
    Abstract: In a leak testing apparatus and a method for manufacturing unleaky closed containers having first and second flexible wall areas with different flexibility characteristics, a biasing member is moved toward and onto the first flexible area and a force detector monitors a biasing force at the second flexible area. A container is considered unleaky if a difference signal from force measuring signals at first and second points in time fulfills a test criteria. Sampling the biasing force monitored which results in the first force measuring signal includes determining maximum biasing force signal value which occurs during a time span up to and including the first point in time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2005
    Publication date: March 15, 2007
    Inventor: Martin Lehmann
  • Publication number: 20060172390
    Abstract: A process for obtaining a consensus protein from a group of amino acid sequences of a defined protein family, proteins and polynucleotides so obtained, and compositions containing such proteins.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2006
    Publication date: August 3, 2006
    Inventor: Martin Lehmann
  • Publication number: 20060112759
    Abstract: A method and device for testing containers, the method calling for a difference in pressure to be generated between the pressure inside the container and the pressure immediately surrounding the container, the behavior of one of these pressures permitting the gas tightness of the container to be assessed. A pressure value is stored and subsequently compared with one of the pressures, the stored pressure value being stored electronically and compared with at least one value of the output signal from a pressure sensor. The container is housed in an enclosure which is connected to a pressure or suction line, and a pressure-value storage unit, a comparator unit and a pressure sensor are associated with the pressure or suction line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2006
    Publication date: June 1, 2006
    Inventor: Martin Lehmann
  • Patent number: 7052869
    Abstract: A process for obtaining a consensus protein from a group of amino acid sequences of a defined protein family, proteins and polynucleotides so obtained, and compositions containing such proteins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2006
    Assignee: DSM Nutritional Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Martin Lehmann
  • Publication number: 20060081036
    Abstract: For leak testing closed containers (9) which are filled with a filling product containing at least one liquid component the container is introduced in a test cavity (1) which is evacuated at least down to vapour pressure of that liquid component. The pressure in the surrounding of the container (9) and thus within test cavity (1) is monitored. Monitoring is performed by a vacuum pressure sensor (7), whereas lowering pressure surrounding the container (9) is performed by a vacuum pump (5). Leakage is detected by monitoring a pressure change in the surrounding of the container which is due to evaporation of liquid emerging from a leak and being evaporated in the low pressure surrounding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2005
    Publication date: April 20, 2006
    Inventor: Martin Lehmann
  • Patent number: 7013712
    Abstract: A method and device for testing containers, the method calling for a difference in pressure to be generated between the pressure inside the container and the pressure immediately surrounding the container, the behavior of one of these pressures permitting the gas tightness of the container to be assessed. A pressure value is stored and subsequently compared with one of the pressures, the stored pressure value being stored electronically and compared with at least one value of the output signal from a pressure sensor. The container is housed in an enclosure which is connected to a pressure or suction line, and a pressure-value storage unit, a comparator unit and a pressure sensor are associated with the pressure or suction line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Inventor: Martin Lehmann
  • Patent number: 7000456
    Abstract: For leak testing closed containers (9) which are filled with a filling product containing at least one liquid component the container is introduced in a test cavity (1) which is evacuated at least down to vapour pressure of that liquid component. The pressure in the surrounding of the container (9) and thus within test cavity (1) is monitored. Monitoring is performed by a vacuum pressure sensor (7), whereas lowering pressure surrounding the container (9) is performed by a vacuum pump (5). Leakage is detected by monitoring a pressure change in the surrounding of the container which is due to evaporation of liquid emerging from a leak and being evaporated in the low pressure surrounding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Inventor: Martin Lehmann
  • Publication number: 20060021441
    Abstract: A method of monitoring pressure of a gas species up to at most a predetermined maximum pressure value is disclosed. The method includes exposing the gas species to transmission of laser light, periodically modulating the wavelength of the laser light over a wavelength band including at least one absorption line of the gas species, optoelectrically converting the transmitted laser light, thereby generating an electric output signal, performing at least one of first filtering the electric output signal with a filter characteristic having a lower cut-off frequency not lower than a transition frequency and of second filtering the electric output signal with a bandpass filter characteristic having an upper cut-off frequency not higher than the transition frequency and a lower cut-off frequency above the modulation frequency of the periodic wavelength modulation. The output of at least one of the filterings is evaluated as a pressure indicative signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2005
    Publication date: February 2, 2006
    Inventors: Martin Lehmann, Jean-Noel Fehr, Martin Liechti, Urban Schnell
  • Publication number: 20050115306
    Abstract: A method and device for testing containers, the method calling for a difference in pressure to be generated between the pressure inside the container and the pressure immediately surrounding the container, the behavior of one of these pressures permitting the gas tightness of the container to be assessed. A pressure value is stored and subsequently compared with one of the pressures, the stored pressure value being stored electronically and compared with at least one value of the output signal from a pressure sensor. The container is housed in an enclosure which is connected to a pressure or suction line, and a pressure-value storage unit, a comparator unit and a pressure sensor are associated with the pressure or suction line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2005
    Publication date: June 2, 2005
    Inventor: Martin Lehmann
  • Patent number: RE39649
    Abstract: A process for obtaining a consensus protein from a group of amino acid sequences of a defined protein family, proteins and polynucleotides so obtained, and compositions containing such proteins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2007
    Assignee: DSM IP Assets B.V.
    Inventor: Martin Lehmann