Patents by Inventor Michael D. Foster

Michael D. Foster 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: 5702588
    Abstract: A method of separating soap fibers from the liquid phase component of grease to prepare the fibers for microscopic analysis includes the steps of admixing a sample of the grease with a solvent to remove the liquid phase component from the fibers and provide a final liquid product having the fibers in suspension therein, contacting the final product with a pair of spaced electrodes, applying a direct voltage across the electrodes to charge the same positive and negative respectively, and withdrawing for analysis a small quantity of the final product from a region thereof proximate the negative electrode after the voltage has been applied for a predetermined energization period. The withdrawn quantity may be deposited on a polished carbon stub and further prepared for analysis by a scanning electron microscope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 30, 1997
    Assignee: Semtech, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael R. Funk, Larry E. Irwin, Michael D. Foster