Patents Assigned to Paul Scherrer Institute
  • Publication number: 20050161618
    Abstract: A system for treating a patient by proton therapy, also called gantry, includes a proton beam guide involving, in particular, magnets, quadropoles, and the like and having an outlet aperture for guiding and directing the proton beam to the side in the patient that is to be treated. In addition, a patient table that cab en displaced in a controllable manner is provided for moving the patient into a desired position relative to the proton beam. The inventive proton beam guide and control device is mounted down from the patient table in the direction of the beam guide in a supported manner whereby being able to rotate or pivot about a horizontal axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2005
    Publication date: July 28, 2005
    Applicant: PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUT
    Inventor: Eros Pedroni
  • Publication number: 20040241524
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to an intermediate layer between end plates of a fuel cell enables individual fuel cells to be removed form the stack in a simple manner, thus reducing production costs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2004
    Publication date: December 2, 2004
    Applicant: PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUT
    Inventors: Felix Buechi, Martin Ruge, Daniel Schmid
  • Patent number: 6819588
    Abstract: The invention is essentially characterized in that in a first step a substrate is provided, which is coated with defined pattern of protrusions of a coating layer of a different material, so that an interface is defined between the substrate and the coating layer. As an example, the patterned coating layer can be applied by first forming an essentially homogeneous coating layer, which is then partially removed by means of photolithographic and etching techniques, leaving nanometer sized protrusions in that layer. As a next step, the surface provided with these structures is modified by selectively removing protrusions by means of a micro-device. Such a micro-device can be formed in a similar way to a scanning probe microscope (SPM) tip. The presence or absence of a protrusion represents a readable data bit information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Assignee: Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI)
    Inventors: Bettina Baumeister, Thomas A. Jung, Ernst Meyer, Christoph Walter, Laura Heyderman
  • Patent number: 6814694
    Abstract: An apparatus for carrying out proton therapy on a patient comprises a proton beam guiding device using magnets, quadrupoles, and an end-mounted device for proton beam guiding and control device with an exit window for guiding or directing the proton beam to the treatment spot in the patient. A patient table of the apparatus can be moved in a controlled manner in such a way that the patient can be placed in a desired position with respect to the proton beam. The proton beam guiding and controlling device can be turnably or rotatably mounted around a horizontal axis of rotation in such a way that the patient table which is arranged approximately on the plane of the axis of rotation remains accessible from one side at all moments for the person treating the patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2004
    Assignee: Paul Scherrer Institut
    Inventor: Eros Pedroni
  • Patent number: 6737760
    Abstract: Negative feedback control of a power supply is improved with respect to accuracy of control in that the controlled value is monitored by parallel analog to digital conversion. Additionally, within the negative feedback control loop adjustment of the controlled value to follow a rated value is performed by pulse-width modulation. So as not to be bound with respect to accuracy of adjustment by pulse-width modulation to a minimum pulse-width adjustment increment, fine adjustment is additionally done by superimposing to the pulse-width modulation a pulse-frequency modulated signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Assignee: Paul Scherrer Institut
    Inventor: Felix Jenni
  • Publication number: 20030133324
    Abstract: The invention is essentially characterized in that in a first step a substrate is provided, which is coated with defined pattern of protrusions of a coating layer of a different material, so that an interface is defined between the substrate and the coating layer. As an example, the patterned coating layer can be applied by first forming an essentially homogeneous coating layer, which is then partially removed by means of photolithographic and etching techniques, leaving nanometer sized protrusions in that layer. As a next step, the surface provided with these structures is modified by selectively removing protrusions by means of a micro-device. Such a micro-device can be formed in a similar way to a scanning probe microscope (SPM) tip. The presence or absence of a protrusion represents a readable data bit information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2002
    Publication date: July 17, 2003
    Applicant: PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUT (PSI)
    Inventors: Bettina Baumeister, Thomas A. Jung, Ernst Meyer, Christoph Walther, Laura Heyderman
  • Patent number: 6515898
    Abstract: The invention is essentially characterized in that in a first step a substrate is provided, which is coated with defined pattern of protrusions of a coating layer of a different material, so that an interface is defined between the substrate and the coating layer. As an example, the patterned coating layer can be applied by first forming an essentially homogeneous coating layer, which is then partially removed by means of photolithographic and etching techniques, leaving nanometer sized protrusions in that layer. As a next step, the surface provided with these structures is modified by selectively removing protrusions by means of a micro-device. Such a micro-device can be formed in a similar way to a scanning probe microscope (SPM) tip. The presence or absence of a protrusion represents a readable data bit information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2003
    Assignee: Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI)
    Inventors: Bettina Baumeister, Thomas A Jung, Ernst Meyer
  • Patent number: 5991480
    Abstract: A light beam (6) is applied to a waveguide (3) in order to measure properties of the beam (6), e.g. the wavelength. According to the invention, the waveguide (3) has locally and/or time-varying resonances, e.g. by suitably designed grid couplers (4, 5). A light signal (7) is thus generated in the waveguide (3) as a direct measurement of the property to be measured and can be further processed by suitable means or evaluated. It is thus possible, for example, advantageously to produce a simple and inexpensive spectrometer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignee: Paul Scherrer Institut
    Inventors: Rino Kunz, Jurg Duebendorfer
  • Patent number: 5656386
    Abstract: The electrochemical cell comprises a pair of electrodes (2a, 2b) whose electrode body (3a, 3b) consists of porous base material with a catalyst deposited on carbon particles. Between the electrodes, a membrane film (4) made of a hydrophillic, proton-conducting polymer material is arranged which acts as electrolyte and separator. The material of the membrane film (4) is a base polymer which is radiation-grafted with terminally sulphonated vinyl radicals and is selected from the group formed by substituted and unsubstituted polyolefins, substituted and unsubstituted vinyl polymers and their copolymers, the vinyl radicals being derived from vinyl monomers which are selected from the group formed by substituted and unsubstituted vinyl monomers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1997
    Assignee: Paul Scherrer Institut
    Inventors: Gunther G. Scherer, Felix N. Buchi, Bhuvanesh Gupta
  • Patent number: 5442169
    Abstract: A method that allows a plurality of variables to be measured with the aid of an integrated optical sensor module. Because all the components necessary for carrying out the method are integrated on the same substrate, the sensor becomes small, compact, stable, malfunction-free and economical. The sensor module substantially comprises a sensor field, an analyzer, and an information field. The method comprises making the variables to be measured interact in sensor fields with guided waves, analyzing the effect on the wave, determining from that the value of the measuring variables, and displaying the results in the information field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 15, 1995
    Assignee: Paul Scherrer Institut
    Inventor: Rino E. Kunz
  • Patent number: 5268747
    Abstract: The apparatus comprises at least one light source (3) and a plurality of test channels with in each case one optoelectronic converter (4a, 4b). In the light path between the light source and the converter is provided at least one light channel (5a, 5b) and the test material (1). The light channels are constructed as optical elements for bounding or defining a light bundle. A plurality of light channels is juxtaposed in a common casing (6a, 6b) on at least part of the light path. In each light channel can be provided a beam splitter element (12) and together form a single beam splitter (12) removably arranged in the casing. The converters (4a) can be juxtaposed on the same casing as the beam splitter (12) and each is associated with a light channel (5a). Two casings (6a, 6b) can be provided, the light source (3) in the first casing (6a) and the converters (4b) in the second casing (6b) are juxtaposed and associated with in each case one light channel (5a, 5b).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1993
    Assignee: Schwizerische Eidgenossenschaft Paul Scherrer Institute
    Inventor: Wilfried Schoeps
  • Patent number: 5093073
    Abstract: In this decontamination process, the surfaces contaminated with radioactive substances, in particular on components of cooling circuits in nuclear reactors, are treated in a first treatment step with an aqueous decontamination solution, containing chromic acid and permanganic acid, at a temperature in the range from 270 to 350 K, in particular at usual room temperature. The contaminated surface layers are thus oxidized by means of the permanganic acid, while the effect of the chromic acid is that the modified surface layers do not adhere firmly. In a second treatment step, the surface layers thus modified are removed by a chemical treatment in the same temperature range, as a result of dissolution, or/and removed by mechanical or hydraulic action. Aqueous solutions of organic acids are suitable for the chemical treatment in the second treatment step, it also being advantageously possible to add reducing agents and complexing agents and/or corrosion inhibitors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 3, 1992
    Assignees: ABB Reaktor GmbH, Paul Scherrer Institut
    Inventor: Erhard Schenker