Patents Examined by Albert Gagliardi
  • Patent number: 6633037
    Abstract: A method of the present invention includes exposing a structure to first electromagnetic radiation including at least one wavelength absorbed by a predetermined substance that is to be detected. Such substance can be water, a water-soluble substance, or fungi, the presence of which can be a significant problem in a structure such as a house or building. The method includes sensing second electromagnetic radiation from the structure, the second radiation based on the first radiation. The method also includes determining whether the substance is present in the structure, based on the sensed second radiation. If the substance to be detected is water and the determining step reveals a water-suspect area in the structure, the method can include testing the water-suspect area of the structure to determine whether water is present therein. If water is confirmed by the determination to be present in the structure, the method can include a step of determining the source of the water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2003
    Inventor: Patrick J. Toomey
  • Patent number: 6630672
    Abstract: The invention relates to a system for the on-line measurement of a parameter in a processing stream. The system comprises a scanning head mounted adjacent a continuous stream of processed material, the scanning head comprising a remote light source and reflected light gathering and transmission apparatus; a near infrared spectrophotometer which includes a monochromator for resolving the reflected light into light of a discrete wavelength; a database containing a reference calibration equation linking absorption characteristics by wavelength and the quantified presence of the parameter of interest; and a computer for measuring the parameter by application of the calibration equation to the obtained spectrum for a sample and managing said system. The invention also comprises a method of on-line measurement of a parameter in a processing stream by NIR spectroscopy and networks comprising systems according to the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2003
    Assignees: Bureau of Sugar Experiment Stations, Sugar North Limited
    Inventors: George Alexander Brotherton, Stephen Paul Staunton, Nils Berding, Phillip John Lethbridge, Donald Lachlan Mackintosh, Philip Gwyther Atherton, Scott Clifford Grimley
  • Patent number: 6627892
    Abstract: An infrared detector has a window in a cover having a cavity for exposing detector pixels to incident radiation. The window has an antireflective element formed within the cavity as a field of posts. The field of post structures is formed in a cavity by etching the posts in a desired pattern first, and forming the cavity by a general etch over the whole field afterward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: Barrett E. Cole
  • Patent number: 6614045
    Abstract: A planar image detector records image information as an electrostatic latent image and generates electric currents in accordance with the latent image when the image detector is scanned with a reading electromagnetic wave. A pre-exposure light source section irradiates an electromagnetic wave to an entire area of the image detector before the recording of the latent image. A reading exposure light source section located between the image detector and the pre-exposure light source section produces the reading electromagnetic wave and scans the image detector with the reading electromagnetic wave. Current detector detects the currents flowing out of the image detector in accordance with the latent image when the image detector is scanned with the reading electromagnetic wave. All of the elements described above are accommodated within a single same case housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2003
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takashi Shoji
  • Patent number: 6610983
    Abstract: A method of the present invention includes exposing a structure to first electromagnetic radiation including at least one wavelength absorbed by a predetermined substance that is to be detected. Such substance can be water, a water-soluble substance, or fungi, the presence of which can be a significant problem in a structure such as a house or building. The method includes sensing second electromagnetic radiation from the structure, the second radiation based on the first radiation. The method also includes determining whether the substance is present in the structure, based on the sensed second radiation. If the substance to be detected is water and the determining step reveals a water-suspect area in the structure, the method can include testing the water-suspect area of the structure to determine whether water is present therein. If water is confirmed by the determination to be present in the structure, the method can include a step of determining the source of the water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2003
    Inventor: Patrick J. Toomey
  • Patent number: 6608311
    Abstract: An image detector using arrays of photodiodes, and in particular to a radiological image detector. In the image detector, all the photodiodes of one and the same array are linked to adapter amplifiers embodied in the form of at least one integrated circuit. In each integrated circuit, an adapter amplifier, to which no photodiode is linked, delivers a voltage serving as a reference to define a bias voltage to be applied to the photodiodes. This arrangement makes it possible in particular to associate photosensitive arrays with amplifiers exhibiting different voltage thresholds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignee: Thomson Tubes Electroniques
    Inventors: Guy Roziere, Bernard Munier
  • Patent number: 6605813
    Abstract: A low cost benchtop molecular beacons (oligonucleotide probes) reader utilizes an array of light emitting diodes to excite the fluorescence of the reaction of the combining of the molecular beacons with actual DNA strands. If the Molecular beacons match with the DNA the reaction will fluoresce a known wavelengths. If there is no match, the reaction will not fluoresce. The molecular beacons reader uses an array of light emitting diodes at given wavelengths. The unit also incorporates the proper filters depending on the wavelength required. The unit has interchangeable cartridges with the filters and light emitting diodes that can be easily changed. The system is used after the PCR process (polymerase chain reaction) and the samples are viewed in PCR strips or PCR plates directly out of a thermocycler. This unit serves as a low cost go-no-go test with easy to use equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2003
    Assignee: BHK, Inc.
    Inventors: Alvin Kovalsky, Max D. Miller
  • Patent number: 6603125
    Abstract: A nuclear camera system includes a detector (12) for receiving radiation from a subject (14) in an exam region (16). The detector (12) includes a scintillation crystal (20) that converts radiation events into flashes of light. An array of sensors (22) is arranged to receive the light flashes from the scintillation crystal (20). Each of the photomultiplier sensors (22) generates a respective sensor output value in response to each received light flash. A processor (26) determines when each of the radiation events is detected. At least one of an initial position and an energy of each of the detected radiation events is determined in accordance with respective distances (d1 . . . d19) from a position of the detected event to the sensors (22). An image representation is generated from the initial positions and energies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2003
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics, N.V.
    Inventors: Steven E. Cooke, John F. Vesel, Frank P. DiFilippo
  • Patent number: 6600157
    Abstract: A semiconductor device is provided which comprises a thin film transistor (TFT) comprising a gate electrode formed on an insulating substrate, a gate insulating film formed on the gate electrode, and a pair of electrodes having a semiconductor layer and an ohmic contact layer therebetween; and a gate wiring connected to the gate electrode, and a signal wiring connected to one of the pair of electrodes, wherein the gate wiring and the signal wiring are arranged in superposition in the film thickness direction with an interlayer insulating layer therebetween to have a plurality of crossings with each other and the interlayer insulating layer has a plurality of steps overstriding a lower wiring at the crossings. A radiation detection device and a radiation detection system that have the semiconductor device are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Minoru Watanabe, Satoshi Okada, Toshiko Koike
  • Patent number: 6597000
    Abstract: Labeled targets on a support synthesized with polymer sequences at known locations according to the methods disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,854 and PCT WO 92/10092 or others, can be detected by exposing marked regions of sample to radiation from a source and detecting the emission therefrom, and repeating the steps of exposition and detection until the sample is completely examined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2003
    Assignee: Affymetrix, Inc.
    Inventor: David Stern
  • Patent number: 6596997
    Abstract: The illustrated embodiment of the invention is an improvement to an infrared camera in which an uncooled warm stop is provided which includes an array of miniature retro-reflectors on its rear surface oriented toward the detector in the camera and away from the exterior light source of interest instead of having a diffuse (i.e., Lambertian or white) or specular (i.e., mirror-like) reflector on the rear or interior surface of the warm stop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2003
    Assignee: Irvine Sensors Corporation
    Inventor: Charles S. Kaufman
  • Patent number: 6586741
    Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for imaging a planetary surface region of interest (ROI). In a primary application, a plurality of space vehicles having antennas mounted thereupon are utilized to collect thermal radiation emitted from the ROI and generate corresponding thermal emission signals. Such thermal emission signals may be combined to yield one or more simple interferometric fringes. The simple fringes may be employed to yield a pixel image of the ROI. In one aspect, one or more simple interferometric fringes may be utilized to generate one or more compound interferometric fringes for use in formation of the pixel image. One or more compound fringes may be utilized to generate additional levels of compound fringes for use in formation of the pixel image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2003
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Carter M. Glass, Arthur Casimir Golubiewski, Lori K. Harrison, Scott David Alexander, Christopher Taylor Herring
  • Patent number: 6586739
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for detecting properties of a moving web of paper, more specifically for production control in the paper making process, with an infrared lighting device suited for illuminating the web of paper with infrared light and provided with a light exit portion, with a detector device for detecting infrared light reflected or transmitted by the web of paper which is provided with a light input portion and with a housing a) which is arranged in immediate proximity to the paper web, b) which is provided with a front face facing the web of paper and c) which accommodates the light exit portion and/or the light input portion provided with optical fibers. A plurality of n spherical lenses is arranged in a sealed manner in the front face, said spherical lenses being each optically coupled to an allocated optical fiber within the housing, said spherical lenses constituting, together with the corresponding optical fibers, the light exit portion and/or the light input portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2003
    Assignee: Metso Automation Oy
    Inventor: Ursula Schumacher
  • Patent number: 6583424
    Abstract: A self-calibrating scanning system and method are used in the analysis of biomolecules on a microarray. The self-calibrating scanning system comprises an excitation light source, an optical portion, a detection portion and a calibration portion that includes a calibration apparatus and compensation portion. The calibration apparatus comprises a light source having a highly reproducible or calibrated light based on a preselected or reference light level. The calibration apparatus emits the calibrated light that is measured by the detection portion of the scanning equipment. If the detection components are stable, the components will measure a constant output value for the calibrated light over time. As a detection component changes with time, the output value will change for the same calibrated light. The method comprises the steps of initially calibrating the detection portion of the scanning system and subsequently calibrating the detection portion to compensate for sensitivity changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2003
    Assignee: Agilent Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth L. Staton, Andreas N. Dorsel
  • Patent number: 6583416
    Abstract: A infrared radiation detector array for providing an image signal of a scene is provided including a plurality of infrared radiation detectors having infrared radiation responsive elements. Each one of the plurality of infrared radiation detectors provides a proportionate electrical signal in response to infrared radiation of the scene incident thereto. At least one blind infrared radiation detector having a radiation responsive element is provided and shielded from infrared radiation of the scene. The blind infrared radiation detector provides a proportionate electrical signal in response to infrared radiation incident thereto. The blind infrared radiation detector is configured to provide a signal indicating thermal distortion of the infrared radiation detector array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2003
    Assignee: Sarnoff Corporation
    Inventor: Thomas Stephen Villani
  • Patent number: 6573505
    Abstract: A detector array that eliminates the channel spectrum effect. In one embodiment the detector consists of a charge couple device (CCD) detector having a photoactive layer supported on a wedge-shaped substrate. Incident radiation impinging any of the pixels and passing through the substrate to the wedge-shaped surface thereof is reflected back at an angle away from the pixel from which it passed through. An infrared array and a single element detector each including a wedge-shaped substrate are also disclosed. The detectors do not require costly signal processing equipment and further can be constructed in accordance with well known manufacturing techniques and with little or no additional cost beyond that normally associated with producing such devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2003
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Isaac Richman
  • Patent number: 6573512
    Abstract: A device for non-destructive analysis of plants includes a unit transmitting a calibrated excitation laser beam, a unit measuring and imaging the fluorescence emitted by the irradiated plant(s) and a unit for digitally processing, storing and editing or displaying the collected images. The transmitting unit provides at least two different laser excitation wavelengths simultaneously and the measuring and imaging unit includes a unit for forming, from a common fluorescence beam emitted by the plant(s), simultaneously or successively, at least two secondary beams, each having its own wavelength and each constituting a fluorescence image at a matrix sensor, over the whole surface thereof or over part of the surface thereof, each image being separate for each secondary beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2003
    Assignee: Communaute Europeene
    Inventors: Alfredo Lucia, Francine Heisel, Alphonse Martz, Joseph-Albert Miehe, Jean-Pierre Oberlin, Malgorzata Sowinska, Martin Zurn
  • Patent number: 6570158
    Abstract: An imaging system for imaging infrared-spectrum electromagnetic radiation that is emitted during cellular and molecular events. A plate upon which cellular and molecular events are to occur is placed very near to an IR detector. Typically, the plate and the detector are less than about one millimeter apart. In some embodiments, no collimating or focusing optics are present between the plate and the detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2003
    Inventor: Hya Feygin
  • Patent number: 6570178
    Abstract: A radiation image data readout apparatus in which read out is performed so that a detected light quantity for each CCD element of each CCD sensor is set at a quantity below the saturation charge quantity of each CCD element, and the level of noise is reduced. The radiation energy stored on a readout-line of a stimulable phosphor sheet is estimated, and based on the estimated quantity of radiation energy, a controller sets the readout conditions, which are formed of the charge accumulation time of the readout line and the binning conditions, and readout is performed by a line sensor according to these conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2003
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Yasuda
  • Patent number: RE38234
    Abstract: An ultraviolet detector comprises a metal tubular member which hermetically encloses an anode and a cathode therein and is filled with a discharged gas introduced therein from a metal exhaust tube. After the anode and the cathode are enclosed within the tubular member, the ultraviolet detector can be made without being subjected to any glass fusing process. Accordingly, the inside of the sealed vessel V1 can be prevented from being contaminated with fluorine, whereby the ultraviolet detector with stable characteristics can be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2003
    Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.
    Inventors: Hidenaga Warashina, Yuji Shimazu