Patents by Inventor Youzhi Liang

Youzhi Liang 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: 11208998
    Abstract: A microfluidic pumping system configured to prevent backflow from an outlet of the system toward an inlet of the system. The microfluidic pumping system comprising a gear housing that has an inlet and an outlet and that houses a drive gear, an idler gear and a drive shaft. The system further includes a front end plate that is coupled to a first surface of the gear housing and a rear end plate that is coupled to a second, different surface of the gear housing. Also coupled to the gear housing is a first and second Halbach magnet arrays that is disposed between the front end plate and the rear end plate. The first and second Halbach magnet arrays include one or more solenoids and the first Halbach magnet array is disposed proximate to the drive gear and the second Halbach magnet array is disposed proximate to the idler gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Anette E. Hosoi, Youzhi Liang, Irmgard Bischofberger, Yongbin Sun, Qing Zhang, Tianshi Fang
  • Publication number: 20200003208
    Abstract: A microfluidic pumping system configured to prevent backflow from an outlet of the system toward an inlet of the system. The microfluidic pumping system comprising a gear housing that has an inlet and an outlet and that houses a drive gear, an idler gear and a drive shaft. The system further includes a front end plate that is coupled to a first surface of the gear housing and a rear end plate that is coupled to a second, different surface of the gear housing. Also coupled to the gear housing is a first and second Halbach magnet arrays that is disposed between the front end plate and the rear end plate. The first and second Halbach magnet arrays include one or more solenoids and the first Halbach magnet array is disposed proximate to the drive gear and the second Halbach magnet array is disposed proximate to the idler gear.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Inventors: Anette E. Hosoi, Yongbin Sun, Youzhi Liang, Irmgard Bischofberger, Qing Zhang, Tianshi Fang
  • Patent number: 10309386
    Abstract: The systems and methods described herein are directed towards a solid state pumping system that utilizes an electric field applied across a channel formed within the solid state pump to move electro-rheological (ER) fluid from an inlet fluidly coupled to a first end of the channel to an outlet fluidly coupled to a second end of the channel. The solid state pumping system may include first, second and third plate with the second plate disposed between the first and third plate. The second plate may include a channel having first and second circuits coupled to opposing sides of the channel. In an embodiment, in response to a voltage applied thereto, the first and second circuits can provide an electric field voltage across the channel such that in response to the electric field voltage the ER fluid moves from the first end to the second end of the channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignees: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Utah State University
    Inventors: Youzhi Liang, Anette E. Hosoi, Matthew F. Demers, Karl D. Iagnemma, Jose R. Alvarado, Regan A. Zane, Michael Evzelman
  • Publication number: 20170298917
    Abstract: The systems and methods described herein are directed towards a solid state pumping system that utilizes an electric field applied across a channel formed within the solid state pump to move electro-rheological (ER) fluid from an inlet fluidly coupled to a first end of the channel to an outlet fluidly coupled to a second end of the channel. The solid state pumping system may include first, second and third plate with the second plate disposed between the first and third plate. The second plate may include a channel having first and second circuits coupled to opposing sides of the channel. In an embodiment, in response to a voltage applied thereto, the first and second circuits can provide an electric field voltage across the channel such that in response to the electric field voltage the ER fluid moves from the first end to the second end of the channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2016
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Applicants: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Utah State University
    Inventors: Youzhi Liang, Anette E. Hosoi, Matthew F. Demers, Karl D. Iagnemma, Jose R. Alvarado, Regan A. Zane, Michael Evzelman