Patents Assigned to California Institute Technology
  • Patent number: 11939688
    Abstract: Photoelectrochemical (PEC) technology for the conversion of solar energy into chemicals may require cost-effective photoelectrodes to efficiently and stably drive anodic and/or cathodic half-reactions to complete the overall reactions for storing solar energy in chemical bonds. Apparatus and systems incorporating effectively transparent metal catalysts enable the design and/or implementation of PEC devices for light harvesting. Triple-junction photocathodes with the triangular catalyst grids are provided to improve the efficiency of the photocathodes to generate renewable fuel from sunlight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Wen-Hui Cheng, Harry A. Atwater, Rebecca Saive, Matthias H. Richter, Sisir Yalamanchili, Michael D. Kelzenberg, Kelly McKenzie
  • Publication number: 20240092509
    Abstract: A device can be configured as an under-constrained deployable system. Such a system can use under-constrained deployable couplers. A device may include a second segment coupled to the first segment by a high strain structure, wherein the high strain structure is bent to store deployment energy in a stowed configuration. Releasing the stored deployment energy can allow an under-constrained deployable system to transition to an expanded configuration. A tensioning system can transition an under-constrained deployable system to a deployed configuration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Applicant: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Jonathan Sauder, Nacer E. Chahat, Juan M. Mejia-Ariza
  • Publication number: 20240097405
    Abstract: An integrated photonic architecture for coherent signal generation and processing. This architecture can enhance coherent transceiver performance for many applications, including remote sensing, LiDAR, high-speed data communication, and high performance computing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Applicant: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Aroutin Khachaturian, David Baum, Seyed Ali Hajimiri
  • Patent number: 11932668
    Abstract: Provided herein are methods of selective screening. In addition, various targeting proteins and sequences, as well as methods of their use, are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Benjamin E. Deverman, Paul H. Patterson, Viviana Gradinaru
  • Publication number: 20240088283
    Abstract: A high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) including a channel; a barrier confining mobile charge carriers in the channel; a drain contact to the channel; a source contact to the channel; and a gate contact coupled to the channel and modulating a current, comprising the mobile charge carriers flowing in response to a voltage VSD applied between the source contact and the drain contact, when an RF signal electric field and DC bias electric field are applied between the gate contact and the source contact. An offset between the conduction bands of the channel and barrier is increased to a level that suppresses real space transfer noise associated with a portion of the mobile charge carriers being thermionically emitted out of the channel into the barrier when the VSD is applied, wherein the RST noise is reduced by at least a factor of two as compared to a HEMT where the alloy composition of the barrier is lattice matched.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2023
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Applicant: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Austin Minnich, Iretomiwa Esho, Bekari Gabritchidze, Kieran A. Cleary
  • Patent number: 11925472
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a fast-scanning optical-resolution photoacoustic (fsOR-PAE) endoscope for imaging vasculature within tissues in vivo that includes an ultrasonic transducer and a scanning mirror within a lumen of an elongate casing. The scanning mirror is configured to direct the laser pulses from the pulsed laser source to a focal spot outside the casing in a scanning pattern via an imaging window formed in the casing. The scanning mirror is further configured to direct a plurality of photoacoustic signals from the focal spot to the ultrasonic transducer via the imaging window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignees: Washington University, California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Lihong Wang, Konstantin Maslov, Methodius Tuuli, Molly Stout, George Macones, Chiye Li, Junhui Shi, Yuan Qu
  • Patent number: 11926589
    Abstract: This invention relates to a process for the synthesis of a non-racemic cyclohexene compound of formula (I) by a Diels-Alder reaction of a compound of formula (II) with a compound of formula (III) wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, R9 and Y have the meanings as defined in the description in the presence of a catalyst comprising at least one m-valent metal cation Mm+ wherein the metal M is selected from Scandium (Sc), Yttrium (Y), Lanthanum (La), Cerium (Ce), Praseodymium (Pr), Neodymium (Nd), Promethium (Pm), Samarium (Sm), Europium (Eu), Gadolinium 15 (Gd), Terbium (Tb), Dysprosium (Dy), Holmium (Ho), Erbium (Er), Thulium (Tm), Ytterbium (Yb), Lutetium (Lu), Gallium (Ga) and Indium (In), and m is an integer of 1, 2 or 3, and a chiral ligand of the formula (IV) wherein R10a, R10b, R10c, R10d, R10a?, R10b?, R10c?, R10d?, Z and Z? have the meanings as defined in the description.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignees: BASF CORPORATION, CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Sarah Reisman, Michael Rombola, Carolyn L. Ladd, Martin John McLaughlin, Stephan Zuend, Roland Goetz
  • Patent number: 11920668
    Abstract: Systems and methods in accordance with embodiments of the invention implement bulk metallic glass-based macroscale gears. In one embodiment, a method of fabricating a bulk metallic glass-based macroscale gear, where at least either the thickness of the gear is greater than 3 mm or the diameter of the gear is greater than 9 mm, includes: obtaining design parameters of the gear to be formed; selecting a bulk metallic glass from which the gear will be formed based on the obtained design parameters, where the selected bulk metallic glass is characterized by a resistance to standard modes of wear and a resistance to brittle fracture such that a gear can be formed from the selected bulk metallic glass that accords with the obtained design parameters; and fabricating the gear from the selected bulk metallic glass that accords with the obtained design parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Douglas C Hofmann, Andrew Kennett, Kobie T. Boykins
  • Patent number: 11921141
    Abstract: A graphene-based broadband radiation sensor and methods for operation thereof are disclosed. The radiation sensor includes an electrical signal path for carrying electrical signals and one or more resonance structures connected to the electrical signal path. Each resonance structure includes a resonator having a resonant frequency. Each resonance structure also includes a graphene junction connected in series with the resonator, the graphene junction including a graphene layer and having an impedance that is dependent on a temperature of the graphene layer. Each resonance structure further includes a heating element that is thermally coupled to the graphene layer and is configured to receive an incident photon, where the temperature of the graphene layer increases in response to the heating element receiving the incident photon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Raj M. Katti, Harpreet Singh Arora, Keith C. Schwab, Michael L Roukes, Stevan Nadj-Perge
  • Patent number: 11920225
    Abstract: Elements formed from magnetic materials and their methods of manufacture are presented. Magnetic materials include a magnetic alloy material, such as, for example, an Fe-Co alloy material (e.g., the Fe-Co-V alloy Hiperco-50(R)). The magnetic alloy materials may comprise a powdered material suitable for use in additive manufacturing techniques, such as, for example direct energy deposition or laser powder bed fusion. Manufacturing techniques include the use of variable deposition time and energy to control the magnetic and structural properties of the materials by altering the microstructure and residual stresses within the material. Manufacturing techniques also include post deposition processing, such as, for example, machining and heat treating. Heat treating may include a multi-step process during which the material is heated, held and then cooled in a series of controlled steps such that a specific history of stored internal energy is created within the material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Samad A. Firdosy, Robert P. Dillon, Ryan W. Conversano, John Paul C. Borgonia, Andrew A. Shapiro-Scharlotta, Bryan W. McEnerney, Adam Herrmann
  • Patent number: 11912807
    Abstract: A composite for sensing heat or infrared light includes a block copolymer including a first structural group represented by Chemical Formula 1, a second structural group represented by Chemical Formula 2, and a third structural group represented by Chemical Formula 3; and a polyvalent metal ion that is coordinated with a side chain group of the block copolymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Yeong Suk Choi, Tae Hyun Kim, Linghui Wang, Vincenzo Costanza, Zhun Zhou, Chiara Daraio
  • Publication number: 20240061449
    Abstract: Systems and methods for performing high-speed geofencing in accordance with various embodiments of the invention are disclosed. One embodiment includes a robotics platform including a set of one or more motors, at least one sensor, a controller comprising a set of one or more processors, and a memory containing a controller application and a backup controller application, wherein the controller application configures the set of processors to control the robotics platform by performing the steps of receiving user commands, generating commands controlling the set of one or more motors based on the received commands.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2023
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Applicant: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Aaron D. Ames, Andrew W. Singletary
  • Publication number: 20240061316
    Abstract: A device including a programmable photonic processor configured to operate on optical pulses to perform computational sequences of linear operations and nonlinear operations each based on a parametric nonlinear optical process; a memory coupled to the processor and programmable to store or accumulate the analog optical pulse amplitudes of the optical pulses; a control circuit controlling the transfer of the analog optical pulse amplitudes between the processor and the memory according to a computation schedule; and wherein information is multiplexed in time by encoding the information onto the analog optical pulse amplitudes of the optical pulses occupying time bins at a fixed repetition rate such that the optical pulses, occupying different ones of the time bins, can be made to interact using appropriate temporal delays.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2023
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Applicant: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Gordon H.Y. Li, Midya Parto, Ryoto Sekine, James Williams, Christian Leefmans, Alireza Marandi
  • Patent number: 11904045
    Abstract: An implantable device contains a drug or biosensing compound, protected from the external environment within a human body by several barriers which are broken upon activation of the device through electrothermal, chemical, and mechanical processes. The device allows accurate and repeated dosing within a human body, thus reducing the number of implantation procedures required. This device extends the lifetime of a biosensor, reducing the number of implantation procedures required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Samson Chen, Axel Scherer, Richard Daniel Smith, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11903708
    Abstract: A sensor implanted in tissues and including a sensing enzyme takes an electrical measurement and compares it to reference curves for the voltage current relationship. The sensor determines whether molecular compounds are present which interfere with the detection of the molecule of interest. If interfering species are found, the measurement voltage is set in a low range to reduce errors, while if the interfering species are not found, the measurement voltage is set in a high range to increase the detected signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Samson Chen, Axel Scherer, Muhammad Musab Jilani, Xiomara L. Madero
  • Patent number: 11905379
    Abstract: Described herein are associative polymers capable of controlling a physical and/or chemical property of non-polar compositions and related compositions, methods and systems. Associative polymers herein described have a non-polar backbone and functional groups presented at ends of the non-polar backbone, with a number of the functional groups presented at the ends of the non-polar backbone formed by associative functional groups capable of undergoing an associative interaction with another associative functional group with an association constant (k) such that the strength of each associative interaction is less than the strength of a covalent bond between atoms and in particular less than the strength of a covalent bond between backbone atoms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Julia A. Kornfield, Ming-Hsin Wei
  • Patent number: 11903595
    Abstract: A three dimensional magnetic sensor attached to a surgical nail is located based on an applied monotonic magnetic field gradient. Another three dimensional magnetic sensor locates a surgical drill. A display generates a real time image of the relative alignment of the surgical drill and of the surgical nail, allowing a surgeon to repair bone fractures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Saransh Sharma, Abhinav Agarwal, Mikhail Shapiro, Azita Emami
  • Patent number: 11905043
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for computing a trajectory of an object in space to a secondary body (M2) in orbit around a primary body to land on, or capture into orbit, or flyby M2 in a Three-Or-More Body Problem. A special plotting of sampled vectors from M2 are integrated backward using a Poincaré Map to form a “Swiss Cheese plot” to find a nominal trajectory. A funnel-like set of trajectories can be constructed along the nominal trajectory for navigation purposes. A global resonant encounter map over a sphere around M2 can be constructed to provide trajectories to, for example, flyby any point near M2, capture into orbit over any point about M2, land on any point on M2. Besides space exploration, there are many applications to the development of Cislunar space commercialization and colonization including asteroid capture and mining.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Martin W. Lo, Brian D. Anderson, Ryan Burns, Damon Landau, Jared T. Blanchard
  • Patent number: 11905578
    Abstract: Systems and methods for developing tough hypoeutectic amorphous metal-based materials for additive manufacturing, and methods of additive manufacturing using such materials are provided. The methods use 3D printing of discrete thin layers during the assembly of bulk parts from metallic glass alloys with compositions selected to improve toughness at the expense of glass forming ability. The metallic glass alloy used in manufacturing of a bulk part is selected to have minimal glass forming ability for the per layer cooling rate afforded by the manufacturing process, and may be specially composed for high toughness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Douglas C. Hofmann, Andre M. Pate, Scott N. Roberts
  • Patent number: 11898911
    Abstract: A photonic integrated circuit including an input for receiving input electromagnetic radiation having a bandwidth greater than 60 nm; a spectral splitter splitting the electromagnetic radiation into a plurality of spectral channels; a modulator for modulating an amplitude and a phase of one or more of the spectral channels so as to form modulated outputs; and a spectral recombiner for combining the modulated outputs into a single output port outputting output electromagnetic radiation having the desired output spectral intensity profile shaped by and synthesized from the modulated outputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignees: CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, OBSERVATOIRE DE LA COTE D'AZUR
    Inventors: Nemanja Jovanovic, Jeffrey B. Jewell, Pradip R. Gatkine, Gautam Vasisht, Charles A. Beichman, Nick Cvetojevic