Patents Examined by Albert Gagliardi
  • Patent number: 7208743
    Abstract: The invention relates to an instrument which uses an individual semi-conductive detector with special coverings as an essential sensor, and a method whereby the amplitude information of the signals from said semi-conductive detector are used to determine a person's dose in mixed neutron/photon-fields. Said instrument is highly sensitive and has a low energy dependency. It is possible for the dose to be read directly, and to emit a warning if the dose limit is exceeded. The inventive method enables a compact person's dose meter, which is immune to interference, to be produced with low power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2007
    Assignee: Bundesrepublik Deutschland, vertreten durch das Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Arbeit, dieses wiederum vertreten durch den Präsidenten der Physikalisch-Technischen Bundesanstalt
    Inventors: Marlies Luszik-Bhadra, Wilfried Wendt
  • Patent number: 7205551
    Abstract: Method and system for correcting chromatic aberrations in a charged-particle beam for automated correction of chromatic aberrations. The system directs a part of the charged-particle beam as a probe at a specimen. The system includes an extraction unit for extracting probe profiles from scanned images created by the beam, a chromatic aberration calculator for calculating chromatic aberrations in the system from the extracted probe profiles, and a correction unit for operating a chromatic aberration corrector based on the calculated chromatic aberrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2007
    Assignee: Jeol Ltd.
    Inventor: Shinobu Uno
  • Patent number: 7202477
    Abstract: A scintillator composition is disclosed, containing a solid solution of at least two cerium halides. A radiation detector for detecting high-energy radiation is also described herein. The detector includes the scintillator composition mentioned above, along with a photodetector optically coupled to the scintillator. A method for detecting high-energy radiation with a scintillation detector is also described, wherein the scintillation crystal is based on a mixture of cerium halides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2007
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Alok Mani Srivastava, Steven Jude Duclos, Holly Ann Comanzo, Qun Deng, Lucas Lemar Clarke
  • Patent number: 7199381
    Abstract: A performance of a stimulable phosphor layer is enhanced by filling a filler in spacing of columnar crystals of a stimulable phosphor layer in a radiation image conversion panel having a stimulable phosphor layer in the form of columnar crystals formed by a vapor deposition method. According to the foregoing radiation image conversion panel, entire columnar crystals were able to be evenly surface-treated by penetrating the surface treatment agent into spacing of columnar crystals and by being treated for the surface of columnar crystals with the surface treatment agent in surface tension not more than 25 mN/m, and functions concerning properties such as the prevention of reflection and scattering of a stimulating light, water-repelling, oil-repelling, moisture resistance, antifouling and so forth can also be added.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Medical & Graphic, Inc.
    Inventor: Takehiko Shoji
  • Patent number: 7199368
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a device for detecting crossing of a horizontal land demarcation marker of a carriageway for motor vehicles, characterized in that it includes at least one box (2) to be placed under the vehicle and enclosing means for projecting two light beams (4, 6) onto the carriageway (8) in two distinct zones (10, 12) that do not overlap, and distinct means for picking up each of the two light beams (14, 16) after reflection onto the carriageway (8).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: EM Microelectronic-Marin SA
    Inventors: Michel Willemin, Andreas Hirt
  • Patent number: 7196330
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a passive infrared sensor includes an infrared sensing element 4, a pair of lenses 5R and 5L that set mutually substantially 180° opposing side detection areas of the infrared sensing element 4, and mirrors 6R and 6L that cause infrared light from the side detection areas to enter the infrared sensing element 4. An infrared light incident surface of the passive infrared sensor is disposed facing the opposite direction from an attachment surface 30 to which the passive infrared sensor is attached at the time of installation, and the passive infrared sensor is also disposed with a lens 5C that sets plural front detection areas in the front direction. A slit 7 for allowing infrared light to be transmitted is formed in the mirrors 6R and 6L in order to allow the infrared light from the front detection areas to enter the infrared sensing element 4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2007
    Assignee: Optex Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Michinori Noguchi
  • Patent number: 7196341
    Abstract: A binderless storage phosphor screen comprises a vacuum deposited CsBr:Eu phosphor layer on a support, wherein the support includes a layer of amorphous carbon and optionally one or more auxilliary layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2007
    Assignee: Agfa-Gevaert
    Inventor: Paul Leblans
  • Patent number: 7193214
    Abstract: Parametric processing capability is added to a typical sensor so that a target object can be more clearly distinguished from the background clutter in a given scenery. A polarizer with several segments of different polarization orientations is used to improve the typical sensor. The segments are sequentially advanced to pass therethrough infrared radiation images of pre-selected polarization orientations which are then collected by respective polarized frame grabbers. Image processing circuit processes these images to yield the polarization difference between any given pair of orthogonal polarizations. In a surveillance network, the polarization differences are subsequently used in the control center, to which such sensors are connected, to enhance the distinction of the observed objects against the background clutter suspended in the propagation medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventor: William C. Pittman
  • Patent number: 7180069
    Abstract: The present invention provides a radiation detector capable of detecting the radioactive substance accumulated in the tissue inside a body by inserting a detection unit into blood vessels. In the radiation detector of the present invention, comprising a detection unit (2) having a bar-type scintillator (4) which emits light by an incidence of radiation so as to transmit the light from the scintillator through an optical fiber, the detection unit is formed in a size capable of being inserted into the tubules while fine convexoconcaves are provided on the peripheral surface of the scintillator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignees: Nihon Medi-Physics Co., Ltd., Universal Giken Co., Ltd., SD Giken Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Motomura, Kazuhiro Saito
  • Patent number: 7173244
    Abstract: A radiation detector having a head and a main body. The head has a probe and a first articulation. The probe contains a radiation detection element, and is movable due to the first articulation. Separately from the first articulation, a second articulation is provided on the main body or the head or therebetween. Accordingly, the radiation detector can move in a different way that allowed for by the first articulation. Combining the motion by the first articulation with the motion by the second articulation increases flexibility of handling the radiation detector. Hence the radiation detector has improved ease of operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Tomita, Masanori Kinpara, Michiatsu Nakada, Yuji Shirayanagi, Shinjiro Matsui
  • Patent number: 7173247
    Abstract: The present invention concerns very fast scintillator materials comprising lutetium iodide doped with Cerium (Lu1-xI3:Cex; LuI3:Ce). The LuI3 scintillator material has surprisingly good characteristics including high light output, high gamma ray stopping efficiency, fast response, low cost, good proportionality, and minimal afterglow that the material is useful for gamma ray spectroscopy, medical imaging, nuclear and high energy physics research, diffraction, non-destructive testing, nuclear treaty verification and safeguards, and geological exploration. The timing resolution of the scintillators of the present invention provide compositions capable of resolving the position of an annihilation event within a portion of a human body cross-section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Radiation Monitoring Devices, Inc.
    Inventor: Kanai S. Shah
  • Patent number: 7166848
    Abstract: A pixelated detector assembly comprising a stack of thin detector crystals, each detector crystal having a pair of planar surfaces bound by edges substantially thinner than the dimensions of the surfaces. The stack is disposed such that the radiation to be detected is incident on one set of edges of the stack of detector crystals. The dimension of the planar surfaces in the general direction of incidence of the radiation incidence is sufficient to ensure that substantially all of the high energy photons to be detected are absorbed within the depth of the detector assembly. Each of the detector crystals has a two-dimensional pixelated anode array formed on one of its planar surfaces. A cathode is formed on its opposite planar surface, preferably covering substantially all of the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Orbotech Medical Solutions Ltd.
    Inventors: Uri El-Hanany, Arie Shahar, Shimon Klier, Alex Tsigelman, Eldan Halberthal
  • Patent number: 7164131
    Abstract: Using biased, electrical power feedback to an electrical heater, the output signal from a pyroelectric detector is made to follow the waveform of incident electromagnetic radiation. The feedback power is applied to the detector to reduce the rate of change of the detector temperature that would otherwise be caused by the absorbed radiation. The combined signals from the radiation and feedback power produce a response that follows the radiation waveform with a fast rise time and with substantially less droop than previously reported. The high fidelity of the response waveform allows for a substantial simplification of the optical chopper designs and electronics needed to implement electrical calibration. In contrast to previous electrical calibration with pyroelectrics that needed very specialized electronics, with this method a variety instruments can be used for reading pyroelectric signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Inventor: Robert Joseph Phelan, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7164140
    Abstract: The stimulable phosphor panel includes a support having a substrate or the substrate and a sealing member, a stimulable phosphor layer formed on the substrate being the support through gas phase deposition, a moisture-proof protective layer for sealing the stimulable phosphor layer and a sealing adhesive layer for bonding an outer periphery of the moisture-proof protective layer to the support. The sealing adhesive layer has a moisture permeability of 1,000 g/m2·day or less as an adhesive after curing, a width of 2 mm to 10 mm, and a thickness of 0.5 ?m to 20 ?m. The producing method forms the stimulable phosphor layer on the support through gas phase deposition, forms the adhesive layer and bonds the moisture-proof protective layer to the support through the adhesive layer. The stimulable phosphor panel is capable of preventing deterioration of its characteristics due to moisture absorption over a long period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiji Tazaki, Yuichi Hosoi
  • Patent number: 7157696
    Abstract: The invention provides a test device or “phantom” for use in conjunction with medical imaging modalities. In one embodiment, the phantom replicates the attenuation and absorption properties of joint articular cartilage. The phantom is useful for quality assurance of images of joints obtained using an array of medical imaging modalities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Synarc, Inc.
    Inventors: David L. White, Manish Khotari, Richard A. Carano
  • Patent number: 7157711
    Abstract: A robust, compact spectrometer apparatus for determining respective concentrations or partial pressures of multiple gases in a gas sample with single as well as multiple and even overlapping, absorption or emission spectra that span a wide spectral range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: RIC Investments, LLC
    Inventor: James T. Russell
  • Patent number: 7148487
    Abstract: This invention is to provide a radiation image sensing apparatus capable of automatically adjusting an incident radiation dose without requiring high-speed driving while suppressing any attenuation of the radiation before detection, and a method of manufacturing the same. To accomplish this, a read TFT (1) is formed on an insulating substrate (11). The semiconductor layer (19) and n+-semiconductor layer (20) of an MIS photoelectric conversion element (2) are formed on a second insulating layer (18) that covers the read TFT (1) to be aligned with source and drain electrodes (16) functioning as lower electrodes. The semiconductor layer (21) of a TFT sensor (3) is formed to be aligned with a gate electrode (17) when viewed from the upper side. The semiconductor layers (19, 21) are formed from the same layer. The upper electrode (22) of the MIS photoelectric conversion element (2) is formed on the n+-semiconductor layer (20). Two ohmic contact layers (23) are formed on the semiconductor layer (21).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takamasa Ishii, Minoru Watanabe
  • Patent number: 7148486
    Abstract: An image detector for an x-ray device includes photosensors which have at least two contacts on which an electrical signal occurs when x-rays are detected. In each case, at least one contact of the photosensors is arranged on its rear side, facing away from the image source. Further, the material used for the photosensors is an organic photodiode material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Bjoern Heismann, Juergen Leppert, Thomas von der Haar
  • Patent number: 7148485
    Abstract: A low energy charged particle detector having a diode with a first layer and a top layer physically coupled to the first layer. The intersection between the first layer and the top layer defines a junction. The top layer is composed of a two-dimensional material such as a chalcogen-based material, providing an electrically passivated exposed outer surface opposite to the junction. The outer surface is exposed to receive low-energy charged particles from external sources. An appropriate control circuit is coupled to the diode, and operable to recognize the incidence of a particle upon the outer surface as a change in current or voltage potential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Gary A. Gibson
  • Patent number: 7148490
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for determining the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in a chemical process stream which may include interfering components. Still further, this invention is directed to a method and apparatus for the on-line, automated determination and control of hydrogen peroxide in a process stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Georgia Tech Research Corporation
    Inventors: Xin Sheng Chai, Jun Yong Zhu