Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Joseph A. Marasco
  • Patent number: 6755956
    Abstract: A method is described for catalyst-induced growth of carbon nanotubes, nanofibers, and other nanostructures on the tips of nanowires, cantilevers, conductive micro/nanometer structures, wafers and the like. The method can be used for production of carbon nanotube-anchored cantilevers that can significantly improve the performance of scaning probe microscopy (AFM, EFM etc). The invention can also be used in many other processes of micro and/or nanofabrication with carbon nanotubes/fibers. Key elements of this invention include: (1) Proper selection of a metal catalyst and programmable pulsed electrolytic deposition of the desired specific catalyst precisely at the tip of a substrate, (2) Catalyst-induced growth of carbon nanotubes/fibers at the catalyst-deposited tips, (3) Control of carbon nanotube/fiber growth pattern by manipulation of tip shape and growth conditions, and (4) Automation for mass production.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLC
    Inventors: James Weifu Lee, Douglas H. Lowndes, Vladimir I. Merkulov, Gyula Eres, Yayi Wei, Elias Greenbaum, Ida Lee
  • Patent number: 6751280
    Abstract: A method of preparing high-specific-activity 195mPt includes the steps of: exposing 193Ir to a flux of neutrons sufficient to convert a portion of the 193Ir to 195mPt to form an irradiated material; dissolving the irradiated material to form an intermediate solution comprising Ir and Pt; and separating the Pt from the Ir by cation exchange chromatography to produce 195mPt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLC
    Inventors: Saed Mirzadeh, Miting Du, Arnold L. Beets, Furn F. Knapp, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6744027
    Abstract: An apparatus for thawing a frozen material includes: a microwave energy source; a microwave applicator which defines a cavity for applying microwave energy from the microwave source to a material to be thawed; and a shielded region which is shielded from the microwave source, the shielded region in fluid communication with the cavity so that thawed material may flow from the cavity into the shielded region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2004
    Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLC
    Inventors: Zakaryae Fathi, Robert J. Lauf, April D. McMillan
  • Patent number: 6740421
    Abstract: A method of preparing a biaxially textured article includes the steps of: rolling a metal preform while applying shear force thereto to form as-rolled biaxially textured substrate having an a rotated cube texture wherein a (100) cube face thereof is parallel to a surface of said substrate, and wherein a [100] direction thereof is at an angle of at least 30° relative to the rolling direction; and depositing onto the surface of the biaxially textured substrate at least one epitaxial layer of another material to form a biaxially textured article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLC
    Inventor: Amit Goyal
  • Patent number: 6716353
    Abstract: A method of separating lutetium from a solution containing Lu and Yb, particularly reactor-produced 177Lu and 177Yb, includes the steps of: providing a chromatographic separation apparatus containing LN resin; loading the apparatus with a solution containing Lu and Yb; and eluting the apparatus to chromatographically separate the Lu and the Yb in order to produce high-specific-activity 177Yb.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLC
    Inventors: Saed Mirzadeh, Miting Du, Arnold L. Beets, Furn F. Knapp, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6707018
    Abstract: A package for containing frozen liquids during an electromagnetic thawing process includes: a first section adapted for containing a frozen material and exposing the frozen material to electromagnetic energy; a second section adapted for receiving thawed liquid material and shielding the thawed liquid material from further exposure to electromagnetic energy; and a fluid communication means for allowing fluid flow between the first section and the second section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2004
    Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLC
    Inventors: Zakaryae Fathi, Robert J. Lauf
  • Patent number: 6649417
    Abstract: A tissue-based, deployable, standoff air quality sensor for detecting the presence of at least one chemical or biological warfare agent, includes: a cell containing entrapped photosynthetic tissue, the cell adapted for analyzing photosynthetic activity of the entrapped photosynthetic tissue; means for introducing an air sample into the cell and contacting the air sample with the entrapped photosynthetic tissue; a fluorometer in operable relationship with the cell for measuring photosynthetic activity of the entrapped photosynthetic tissue; and transmitting means for transmitting analytical data generated by the fluorometer relating to the presence of at least one chemical or biological warfare agent in the air sample, the sensor adapted for deployment into a selected area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLC
    Inventors: Elias Greenbaum, Charlene A. Sanders
  • Patent number: 6635097
    Abstract: A strengthened, biaxially textured alloy article having a magnetism less than pure Ni includes a rolled and annealed, compacted and sintered powder-metallurgy preform article, the preform article having been formed from a powder mixture selected from the group of mixtures consisting of: Ni, Ag, Ag—Cu, Ag—Pd, Ni—Cu, Ni—V, Ni—Mo, Ni—Al, Ni—Cr—Al, Ni—W—Al, Ni—V—Al, Ni—Mo—Al, Ni—Cu—Al; and at least one fine metal oxide powder; the article having a grain size which is fine and homogeneous; and having a dominant cube oriented {100}<100> orientation texture; and further having a Curie temperature less than that of pure Ni.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLC
    Inventors: Amit Goyal, Robert K. Williams, Donald M. Kroeger
  • Patent number: 6610414
    Abstract: A biaxially textured alloy article having a magnetism less than pure Ni includes a rolled and annealed compacted and sintered powder-metallurgy preform article, the preform article having been formed from a powder mixture selected from the group of mixtures consisting of: at least 60 at % Ni powder and at least one of Cr powder, W powder, V powder, Mo powder, Cu powder, Al powder, Ce powder, YSZ powder, Y powder, Mg powder, and RE powder; the article having a fine and homogeneous grain structure; and having a dominant cube oriented {100}<100> orientation texture; and further having a Curie temperature less than that of pure Ni.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2003
    Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLC
    Inventors: Amit Goyal, Robert K. Williams, Donald M. Kroeger
  • Patent number: 6610413
    Abstract: A biaxially textured alloy article having a magnetism less than pure Ni includes a rolled and annealed compacted and sintered powder-metallurgy preform article, the preform article having been formed from a powder mixture selected from the group of mixtures consisting of: at least 60 at % Ni powder and at least one of Cr powder, W powder, V powder, Mo powder, Cu powder, Al powder, Ce powder, YSZ powder, Y powder, Mg powder, and RE powder; the article having a fine and homogeneous grain structure; and having a dominant cube oriented {100}<100> orientation texture; and further having a Curie temperature less than that of pure Ni.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2003
    Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLC
    Inventors: Amit Goyal, Robert K. Williams, Donald M. Kroeger
  • Patent number: 6607838
    Abstract: A biaxially textured alloy article having a magnetism less than pure Ni includes a rolled and annealed compacted and sintered powder-metallurgy preform article, the preform article having been formed from a powder mixture selected from the group of mixtures consisting of: at least 60 at % Ni powder and at least one of Cr powder, W powder, V powder, Mo powder, Cu powder, Al powder, Ce powder, YSZ powder, Y powder, Mg powder, and RE powder; the article having a fine and homogeneous grain structure; and having a dominant cube oriented {100}<100> orientation texture; and further having a Curie temperature less than that of pure Ni.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Inventors: Amit Goyal, Robert K. Williams, Donald M. Kroeger
  • Patent number: 6607839
    Abstract: A biaxially textured alloy article having a magnetism less than pure Ni includes a rolled and annealed compacted and sintered powder-metallurgy preform article, the preform article having been formed from a powder mixture selected from the group of mixtures consisting of: at least 60 at % Ni powder and at least one of Cr powder, W powder, V powder, Mo powder, Cu powder, Al powder, Ce powder, YSZ powder, Y powder, Mg powder, and RE powder; the article having a fine and homogeneous grain structure; and having a dominant cube oriented {100}<100> orientation texture; and further having a Curie temperature less than that of pure Ni.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLC
    Inventors: Amit Goyal, Robert K. Williams, Donald M. Kroeger
  • Patent number: 6602313
    Abstract: A biaxially textured alloy article having a magnetism less than pure Ni includes a rolled and annealed compacted and sintered powder-metallurgy preform article, the preform article having been formed from a powder mixture selected from the group of ternary mixtures consisting of: Ni powder, Cu powder, and Al powder, Ni powder, Cr powder, and Al powder; Ni powder, W powder and Al powder; Ni powder, V powder, and Al powder; Ni powder, Mo powder, and Al powder; the article having a fine and homogeneous grain structure; and having a dominant cube oriented {100}<100> orientation texture; and further having a Curie temperature less than that of pure Ni.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2003
    Assignee: UT Battelle, LLC
    Inventors: Amit Goyal, Robert K. Williams, Donald M. Kroeger
  • Patent number: 6599346
    Abstract: A biaxially textured alloy article having a magnetism less than pure Ni includes a rolled and annealed compacted and sintered powder-metallurgy preform article, the preform article having been formed from a powder mixture selected from the group of mixtures consisting of: at least 60 at % Ni powder and at least one of Cr powder, W powder, V powder, Mo powder, Cu powder, Al powder, Ce powder, YSZ powder, Y powder, Mg powder, and RE powder; the article having a fine and homogeneous grain structure; and having a dominant cube oriented {100}<100> orientation texture; and further having a Curie temperature less than that of pure Ni.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLC
    Inventors: Amit Goyal, Robert K. Williams, Donald M. Kroeger
  • Patent number: 6569384
    Abstract: A water quality sensor for detecting the presence of at least one chemical or biological warfare agent includes: a cell; apparatus for introducing water into the cell and discharging water from the cell adapted for analyzing photosynthetic activity of naturally occurring, free-living, indigenous photosynthetic organisms in water; a fluorometer for measuring photosynthetic activity of naturally occurring, free-living, indigenous photosynthetic organisms drawn into the cell; and an electronics package that analyzes raw data from the fluorometer and emits a signal indicating the presence of at least one chemical or biological warfare agent in the water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2003
    Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLC
    Inventors: Elias Greenbaum, Charlene A. Sanders
  • Patent number: 6562156
    Abstract: A method of making a bulk metallic glass composition includes the steps of: a. providing a starting material suitable for making a bulk metallic glass composition, for example, BAM-11; b. adding at least one impurity-mitigating dopant, for example, Pb, Si, B, Sn, P, to the starting material to form a doped starting material; and c. converting the doped starting material to a bulk metallic glass composition so that the impurity-mitigating dopant reacts with impurities in the starting material to neutralize deleterious effects of the impurities on the formation of the bulk metallic glass composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLC
    Inventor: Chain T. Liu
  • Patent number: 6468591
    Abstract: Buffer layer architectures are epitaxially deposited on biaxially-textured rolled-Ni and/or Cu substrates for high current conductors, and more particularly buffer layer architectures such as MgO/Ag/Pt/Ni, MgO/Ag/Pd/Ni, MgO/Ag/Ni, MgO/Ag/Pd/Cu, MgO/Ag/Pt/Cu, and MgO/Ag/Cu. Techniques used to deposit these buffer layers include electron beam evaporation, thermal evaporation, rf magnetron sputtering, pulsed laser deposition, metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), combustion CVD, and spray pyrolysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLC
    Inventors: Mariappan Paranthaman, Amit Goyal, Donald M. Kroeger, Frederic A. List, III
  • Patent number: 6447663
    Abstract: A method of nanometer-scale deposition of a metal onto a nanostructure includes the steps of: providing a substrate having thereon at least two electrically conductive nanostructures spaced no more than about 50 &mgr;m apart; and depositing metal on at least one of the nanostructures by electric field-directed, programmable, pulsed electrolytic metal deposition. Moreover, a method of nanometer-scale depletion of a metal from a nanostructure includes the steps of providing a substrate having thereon at least two electrically conductive nanostructures spaced no more than about 50 &mgr;m apart, at least one of the nanostructures having a metal disposed thereon; and depleting at least a portion of the metal from the nanostructure by electric field-directed, programmable, pulsed electrolytic metal depletion. A bypass circuit enables ultra-finely controlled deposition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLC
    Inventors: James Weifu Lee, Elias Greenbaum
  • Patent number: 6447714
    Abstract: A method of preparing a biaxially textured alloy article comprises the steps of preparing a mixture comprising Ni powder and at least one powder selected from the group consisting of Cr, W, V, Mo, Cu, Al, Ce, YSZ, Y, Rare Earths, (RE), MgO, CeO2, and Y2O3; compacting the mixture, followed by heat treating and rapidly recrystallizing to produce a biaxial texture on the article. In some embodiments the alloy article further comprises electromagnetic or electro-optical devices and possesses superconducting properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLC
    Inventors: Amit Goyal, Robert K. Williams, Donald M. Kroeger
  • Patent number: 6385835
    Abstract: A process and apparatus for manufacturing a superconductor. The process is accomplished by depositing a superconductor precursor powder on a continuous length of a first substrate ribbon, overlaying a continuous length of a second substrate ribbon on said first substrate ribbon, and applying sufficient pressure to form a bound layered superconductor comprising a layer of said superconducting precursor powder between said first substrate ribbon and said second substrates ribbon. The layered superconductor is then heat treated to establish the superconducting phase of said superconductor precursor powder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2002
    Assignee: UT Battelle
    Inventors: Donald M. Kroeger, Frederick A. List, III