Patents Assigned to The California Institute of Technology
  • Patent number: 11879946
    Abstract: A method for abnormality detection in an energy unit includes passively detecting an abnormality in an energy unit by detecting electromagnetic radiation generated by the abnormality, the energy unit comprising at least one of an electrical energy unit and an electrochemical energy unit. A method for detecting an abnormality in an energy unit includes (a) applying a signal to the energy unit, (b) performing a plurality of measurements, at a respective plurality of different locations within the energy unit, of a response of the energy unit to the signal, and (c) processing the plurality of measurements to identify the abnormality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Farshid Roumi, Jamshid Roumi
  • Patent number: 11882371
    Abstract: A lens-less 3-D imaging device includes, in part, a multitude of optical receiving elements positioned along a concave or flat surface defining a focal zone of the imaging device. Each optical receiving element has a field of view that overlaps with a field of view of a number of other optical receiving elements. The optical receiving elements may optionally be grating couplers or photo detectors. The optical receiving elements may be disposed on a circuit board. The circuit board may be flexible and include control circuitry configured to form the image in accordance with the received responses of the optical receiving elements and further in accordance with the optical transfer functions of the of optical receiving elements. The circuit boards may include one or more flex sensors or strain gauges adapted to determine their curvatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Alexander D. White, Parham Porsandeh Khial, Seyed Ali Hajimiri
  • Patent number: 11879162
    Abstract: A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions to cause a system to detect a genetic variation in a polynucleotide analyte in a sample. A fluorophore is attached to a first primer, a quencher is attached to a second primer, and the first primer and the second primer are specific for the polynucleotide analyte. The primers are configured to amplify the polynucleotide analyte having the genetic variation and a corresponding polynucleotide analyte lacking the generic variation. There is a detectable difference between a measured change in signal generated by the fluorophore and quencher, when using the first and second primers to amplify the polynucleotide analyte with the genetic variation, and a change in signal generated by the fluorophore and quencher, when using the first and second primers to amplify the corresponding polynucleotide analyte lacking the genetic variation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Aditya Rajagopal, Mark D. Goldberg, Erika F. Garcia, Xiomara L. Madero, Thomas A. Tombrello, Axel Scherer
  • Publication number: 20240021428
    Abstract: A method for processing a surface, comprising obtaining a substrate comprising an epitaxially grown semiconductor; reacting a surface of the semiconductor and/or a surface of a dielectric layer on the semiconductor, with a reactant comprising a gas or a plasma, to form a reactive layer on the dielectric layer and/or the semiconductor, wherein the reactive layer comprises a chemical compound including the reactant and elements of the dielectric layer or the semiconductor; and processing (e.g.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2023
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Applicants: California Institute of Technology, University of Southern California
    Inventors: Harold Frank Greer, Rehan Kapadia, Debargyha Sarkar
  • Patent number: 11873485
    Abstract: Programmable guide RNAs (gRNAs) play a central role in the CRISPR revolution sweeping biology and medicine by directing the function of a Cas protein effector to a target gene of choice. To achieve programmable control over regulatory scope, the activity of a conditional guide RNA (cgRNA) depends on the presence or absence of an RNA trigger, allowing for cell-selective regulation of CRISPR/Cas function. Unlike a standard gRNA, a cgRNA is programmable at multiple levels, with the target-binding sequence controlling the target of Cas activity (edit, silence, induce, or bind a gene of choice) and the trigger binding sequence controlling the scope of Cas activity. cgRNA mechanisms that are allosteric allow for independent design of the target and trigger sequences, providing the flexibility to select the regulatory target and scope independently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Lisa Hochrein, Mikhail H. Hanewich-Hollatz, Zhewei Chen, Heyun Li, Shashank Gandhi, Marianne Bronner, Niles A. Pierce
  • Patent number: 11873518
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to modified tryptophan synthase and more particularly to modified beta-subunits of tryptophan synthase. The disclosure further relates to cells expressing such modified subunits and methods of producing non-canonical amino acids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: David K. Romney, Javier Murciano Calles, Jori E. Wehrmuller
  • Patent number: 11866768
    Abstract: This disclosure provides methods, systems, compositions, and kits for the multiplexed detection of a plurality of analytes in a sample. In some examples, this disclosure provides methods, systems, compositions, and kits wherein multiple analytes may be detected in a single sample volume by acquiring a cumulative measurement or measurements of at least one quantifiable component of a signal. In some cases, additional components of a signal, or additional signals (or components thereof) are also quantified. Each signal or component of a signal may be used to construct a coding scheme which can then be used to determine the presence or absence of any analyte.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Emil P. Kartalov, Aditya Rajagopal, Axel Scherer
  • Patent number: 11866695
    Abstract: Methods and systems and related compositions for separating through a solid matrix a mixture comprising a nucleic acid in a concentration of 1 ?M or less, together with a target compound having a water solubility equal to or greater than 0.001 g per 100 mL, which can be used for managing fluid flow, biochemical reactions and purification of the nucleic acid or other target analytes. The method comprises contacting the solid matrix with a target compound removing agent having a water solubility equal to or less than 0.05 g per 100 mL at 25° C. at 1 atm pressure with water having a solubility in the removing agent of less than 10 g per 100 mL at 25° C. at 1 atm pressure, the contacting performed to remove the target compound from the solid matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Rustem F. Ismagilov, Erik Jue, Daan Witters
  • Patent number: 11866398
    Abstract: This invention relates generally to the synthesis of ?12-Prostaglandin J product using stereoretentive ruthenium olefin metathesis catalysts supported by dithiolate ligands. ?12-Prostaglandin J products were generated with excellent selectivity (>99% Z) and in moderate to high/good yields (47% to 80% yield; 58% to 80% yield).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Jiaming Li, Xu Chen, Tonia S. Ahmed, Brian M. Stoltz, Robert H. Grubbs
  • Patent number: 11867556
    Abstract: A spectrometer includes a transparent substrate including a first surface and a second surface that face each other and are substantially parallel to each other; a slit provided on the first surface and through which light is incident onto the transparent substrate; a spectrum optical system including metasurface including a plurality of nanostructures that are two-dimensionally arranged and satisfy a sub-wavelength scattering condition, wherein the metasurface includes a focusing metasurface which includes first nanostructures of the plurality of nanostructures, and is configured to reflect, disperse, and focus the light incident thereon through the slit, at different angles based on respective wavelengths; and a sensor configured to receive the light from the focusing metasurface. When L is a total length of an optical path from the slit to the sensor and D is a thickness of the transparent substrate, L and D satisfy the following inequality: L/D>3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignees: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Seunghoon Han, Amir Arbabi, Andrei Faraon, Ehsan Arbabi
  • Patent number: 11867505
    Abstract: Interferometric speckle visibility spectroscopy methods, systems, and non-transitory computer readable media for recovering sample speckle field data or a speckle field pattern from an off-axis interferogram recorded by one or more sensors over an exposure time and determining sample dynamics of a sample being analyzed from speckle statistics of the speckle field data or the speckle field pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Joshua Brake, Jian Xu, Changhuei Yang
  • Patent number: 11866198
    Abstract: A method and system provide the ability to autonomously operate an unmanned aerial system (UAS) over long durations of time. The UAS vehicle autonomously takes off from a take-off landing-charging station and autonomously executes a mission. The mission includes data acquisition instructions in a defined observation area. Upon mission completion, the UAS autonomously travels to a target landing-charging station and performs an autonomous precision landing on the target landing-charging station. The UAS autonomously re-charges via the target landing-charging station. Once re-charged, the UAS is ready to execute a next sortie. When landed, the UAS autonomously transmits mission data to the landing-charging station for in situ or cloud-based data processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Roland Brockers, Stephan Michael Weiss, Danylo Malyuta, Christian Brommer, Daniel Robert Hentzen
  • Publication number: 20240005196
    Abstract: A photonic integrated circuit comprising one or more waveguides comprising a second order non-linearity configured to operate on optical pulses each having a pulse length shorter than 1000 optical cycles, as measured at their full width at half maximum. The circuit is configured to generate one or more quantum states carried by one or more of the optical pulses, manipulate one or more of the quantum states, and/or measure one or more of the quantum states.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2023
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Applicant: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Alireza Marandi, Rajveer Nehra, Ryoto Sekine, Luis M. Ledezma
  • Patent number: 11859705
    Abstract: Harmonic drives are used widely in robotics as a method for achieving high gear reductions and for driving force transmissions. The harmonic drive is made a three components: a wave generator, a flexspline, and a circular spline. Embodiments described flexsplines for a metal strain wave gearing. The cup of the flexspline is free from sharp edges and with a rounded bottom with a curvature maximized based on the geometry of the flexspline. Compared to a steel flexspline, implementations of flexsplines will have the same outer diameter, the same number of teeth and profile, the same input shaft/base, the same wall thickness near the teeth, but comprise a rounded bottom where the input shaft/base transitions to the straight wall of the flexspline, providing improved performance of BMG flexsplines by reducing low cycle fatigue failures due to stress concentrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Douglas C. Hofmann, Robert P. Dillon, Scott N. Roberts
  • Patent number: 11858969
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are engineered light-sensitive proteins, for example channelrhodopsins and variants thereof. Also disclosed are compositions for expressing the light-sensitive proteins in cells, tissues, organs and subjects, and methods for using the light-sensitive proteins to, for example, enable minimally-invasive neuronal circuit interrogation in living organism, and treat neuronal and ocular disorders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Viviana Gradinaru, Claire N. Bedbrook, Frances H. Arnold, Kevin K. Yang
  • Patent number: 11864472
    Abstract: A method for etching a surface including obtaining a structure comprising a plurality of nanowires on or above a substrate and a dielectric layer on or above the nanowires, wherein the dielectric layer comprises protrusions formed by the underlying nanowires; reacting a surface of the dielectric layer with a reactant, comprising a gas or a plasma, to form a reactive layer on the dielectric layer, wherein the reactive layer comprises a chemical compound including the reactant and elements of the dielectric layer and the reactive layer comprises sidewalls defined by the protrusions; and selectively etching the reactive layer, wherein the etching etches the protrusions laterally through the sidewalls so as to planarize the surface and remove or shrink the protrusions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Harold Frank Greer, Andrew D. Beyer, Matthew D. Shaw, Daniel P. Cunnane
  • Publication number: 20230421741
    Abstract: Among the various aspects of the present disclosure is the provision of systems and methods of phase-sensitive compressed ultrafast photography.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2023
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Applicant: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Lihong Wang, Taewoo Kim, Jinyang Liang, Liren Zhu
  • Patent number: 11855119
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a photonic device includes in part, forming a multitude of metal and dielectric layers over a semiconductor substrate to form a structure. The metal layers form a continuous metal trace that characterize an etch channel. At least one of the metal layers extends towards an exterior surface of the structure such that when the structure is exposed to a metal etch, the metal etch removes the metal from the exterior surface of the structure and flows through the etch channel to fully etch the metal layers. The metal etch leaves behind a dielectric structure characterizing a photonic device. The photonic device may be a suspended rib waveguide, a suspended channel waveguide, a grating coupler, an interlayer coupler, a photodetector, a phase modulator, an edge coupler, and the like. A photonics system may include one or more of such devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Craig E Ives, Seyed Mohammadreza Fatemi, Aroutin Khachaturian, Seyed Ali Hajimiri
  • Patent number: 11853850
    Abstract: A quantum phased array comprising one or more arrays of emitter elements each emitting one or more particles having one or more quantum wavefunctions; one or more a phase shifting elements coupled to the emitter elements, each of the phase shifting elements comprising a source of a vector potential applying one or more phase shifts to the one or more quantum wavefunctions; and a control circuit coupled to the one or more phase shifting elements, the control circuit configuring the one or more vector potentials to control an interference of the quantum wavefunctions forming a distribution of the one or more particles at a target, and wherein the distribution is described by a wavefunction interference pattern resulting from the interference controlled by the vector potentials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventor: Seyed Ali Hajimiri
  • Patent number: 11855348
    Abstract: Cascaded metasurfaces can control the phase, amplitude and polarization of an electromagnetic beam, shaping it in three dimensional configuration not achievable with other methods. Each cascaded metasurface has dielectric or metallic scatterers arranged in a period array. The shape of the scatterers determines the three dimensional configuration of the output beam and is determined with iterative calculations through computational simulations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Seyedeh Mahsa Kamali, Ehsan Arbabi, Andrei Faraon