Patents Examined by Alex T Devito
  • Patent number: 12203796
    Abstract: A fluid level sensing system includes a mounting strip and fluid sensing nodes coupled to the mounting strip. Each fluid sensing node is switchable between a fluid present state and a fluid absent state. Each fluid sensing node includes a prism, a photoemitter and a photoreceptor. The photoemitter and photoreceptor are interposed between the prism and the mounting strip. In the absence of fluid around the prism, the photoreceptor receives greater than a threshold amount of light from the photoemitter internally reflected by the prism to switch the fluid sensing node to the fluid absent state. When the prism is covered in fluid, the photoreceptor receives less than the threshold amount of light from the photoemitter to switch the fluid sensing node to the fluid present state. A processor determines a fluid level based on the fluid detection states of the fluid sensing nodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventor: Nathaniel Ross Bernklau
  • Patent number: 12203826
    Abstract: A method for operating an exhaust gas sensor in an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine of a vehicle. The exhaust gas sensor includes a ceramic sensor element having at least one measuring electrode and a heating device. A binary dewpoint end signal is calculated, based on data which relate to the internal combustion engine and the exhaust gas sensor, which indicates whether or not the occurrence of liquid water in the exhaust system is still to be expected. Whenever the vehicle is turned off and the dewpoint end signal simultaneously has the value which signals that the occurrence of liquid water in the exhaust system is still to be expected, the sensor element is heated by its heating device to a temperature for a certain period of time in such a way that the sensor element dries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Michael Bessen, Dorothea Welke, Felix Guenther, Maik Thiele, Manuel Marks, Mathias Klenk
  • Patent number: 12174097
    Abstract: A built-in multi-zone fast evenly mixed sampling device of a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) outlet flue is provided. The device includes: a sampling component, comprising a sampling branch pipe disposed on an outer wall of the SCR outlet flue, a sampling pool connected with the sampling branch pipe and a slanting branch pipe connected between the sampling pool and the sampling branch pipe, wherein a sampling probe is disposed on the sampling pool; a dust cleaning component, comprising a flange disposed on an upper end of the sampling branch pipe, a connecting line disposed on the flange and a suspension iron disposed on a lower end of the connecting line, wherein a lower end of the suspension iron extends out of the sampling branch pipe; and a replacement component, disposed at the sampling pool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: HUANENG SHANGHAI SHIDONGKOU SECOND POWER PLANT
    Inventors: Qingwen Zhang, Chengzheng Lu, Fei Huang, Jianian Guan, Xiaolei Yuan
  • Patent number: 12158454
    Abstract: A hybrid trap including a replaceable open-tubular capillary trap followed by a packed trap is used to collect, preconcentrate, and recover a sample, such as VOCs and SVOCs found in air. The capillary stage prevents losses and carryover of the heavy fraction and can also collect the particles in air that contain the heavier SVOCs, also preventing them from reaching the packed stage. The packed stage traps lighter organic compounds that are not as prone to carryover due to channeling. The capillary and packed traps together provide quantitative recovery of compounds boiling from as low as ?50° C. to as high as 600° C. The sample can be directly desorbed onto the GC column, which avoids losses and contamination caused by other approaches that thermally desorb samples through transfer lines and rotary valves more remote to the GC oven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2024
    Assignee: Entech Instruments Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel B. Cardin
  • Patent number: 12153025
    Abstract: A method for a multistep analysis of a measuring program of a portable gas measuring device includes performing a factory setting of the portable gas measuring device, connecting a container having a known gas standard and performing a reference measurement, wherein a multidimensional reference measurement is recorded, selecting a measuring program for target materials from a list on the device, performing a measurement on a sample in dependence on the selected measuring program, wherein a multidimensional measured variable is recorded, automatically performing an analysis to identify at least one of the one or more target materials in the sample and the respective concentrations thereof, wherein the analysis is based on the multidimensional measured variable from the measurement on the sample, the multidimensional reference measurement for the gas standard, the values for the plurality of target materials or measuring programs, and the factory setting for the portable gas measuring device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2024
    Assignee: Dräger Safety AG & Co. KGaA
    Inventors: Matthias Schmittmann, Johannes Weber, Paul Weber, Arne Jünemann
  • Patent number: 12140498
    Abstract: A method for authorizing an update of a switching threshold of a magnetic-field sensor for an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, in order to ensure an immunity of the sensor to external magnetic disturbances. The sensor detects magnetic-field variations induced by a passage of the teeth of a target in proximity to the sensor, by generating a magnetic signal exhibiting oscillations, certain of which may be due to magnetic disturbances and be not to be taken into account in the update by the sensor of the switching threshold, which is recomputed depending on a detected amplitude of at least two consecutive oscillations of the magnetic field. An update of the switching threshold is suspended when an oscillation frequency computed between the at least two consecutive oscillations is higher than a maximum oscillation frequency computed from a predetermined speed of rotation of the engine and from the number of teeth on the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Denis Bouscaren
  • Patent number: 12123812
    Abstract: A method of automated preparation of a sample material for a chemical or compositional analysis is disclosed that includes arranging the sample material in a receptacle, storing the sample inside the receptacle in a conditioning cabinet, and grinding the sample material by way of a ball mill apparatus. The ball mill apparatus may include an extraction container, at least one grinding element provided in the extraction container and an agitator adapted to move the at least one grinding element relative to the extraction container when the sample material is placed in the extraction container. The method may further include placing the sample material together with the receptacle in the extraction container, and grinding the receptacle together with the sample material by agitating the extraction container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Assignee: ACCROMA LABTEC AG
    Inventors: Stefan Gafner, Beat Federer
  • Patent number: 12105062
    Abstract: A system and method for utilizing a carbide-derived carbon (CDC) fiber in solid-phase micro extraction. Optically pumping the carbide-derived carbon (CDC) fiber, as compared to using thermal desorption, enhances performance of the system. CDC provides for a broad based sorbent that is insensitive to high humidity. Optical pumping may be done axially or radially on a modified gas chromatography needle. In some cases, staged, or pulsed, optical pumping is used to drive off solvent or other lower boiling compounds first and then the desorption of the remaining analytes is cleaner and the instrumentation is less likely to be overloaded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2024
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventors: Michael J. Bowers, II, Don A. Harris, Tadd C. Kippeny
  • Patent number: 12105067
    Abstract: A detector system includes a droplet generator system, wherein the droplet generator system includes a droplet generator unit. The droplet generator unit is configured to create droplets from a liquid supplied to the droplet generator unit with a droplet generator liquid flow. The droplet generator unit is configured to create the droplets with a defined droplet generation frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2024
    Assignee: Dionex Softron GmbH
    Inventor: Joachim Wiechers
  • Patent number: 12098942
    Abstract: The proposed technical solution relates to measuring technology and is intended for measuring levels of measured medium in various branches of industry. The technical problem solved by the claimed invention is the production of a capacitive level sensor which demonstrates high operational reliability and provides highly accurate measurements. The technical result achieved by using the claimed invention consists in overcoming the disadvantages of the prior art, increasing the reliability and manufacturability of the design and thus increasing the accuracy of interface level measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2024
    Inventors: Boris Valerevich Pankov, Aleksandr Borisovich Maksimenko, Yury Anatolevich Diakonov, Alexandr Grigorievich Krestinov
  • Patent number: 12092619
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments provide methods, mediums, and systems for visualization and advanced data science on information collected in an analytical data system. Embodiments identify correlations and patterns in chromatography metadata around areas of potential user error. Correlations between these data sources may point to compliance risk areas. Metadata from the analytical system may be combined with other data sources and/or analytical data to correlate an analytical outcome with compliance artifacts. Supervised and/or unsupervised machine learning techniques may be used to combine these data source and learn correlations between them and compliance risks. The results of these analyses may be displayed on a dashboard, allowing a user to visualize compliance risks across an entire enterprise or supply chain. Automatic notifications of compliance risks may be generated and presented on a user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignee: Waters Technologies Ireland Limited
    Inventors: Richard Chapman, Simon Meffan-Main, Tracy Hibbs
  • Patent number: 12078618
    Abstract: A gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer includes a gas chromatograph having a column that separates a sample into components, a mass spectrometer provided in a vacuum housing, and an interface that introduces a sample that has been separated into components in the gas chromatograph into the mass spectrometer, and the interface includes a partition wall fixed to the vacuum housing to close an opening formed in the vacuum housing, a line pipe that is fixed to the partition wall to penetrate the partition wall, includes a sample outlet line of the column and introduces the sample into the mass spectrometer, a heater that heats the line pipe in an axial direction, and a fixer that fixes the heater being in contact with the partition wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: SHIMADZU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideki Sato, Takeshi Uchida
  • Patent number: 12078606
    Abstract: A gas sensor comprises a gas separation membrane comprising substituted polyacetylene where a substituent group is combined to a double-bonded carbon atom in the backbone chain of the substituted polyacetylene and a sensing element configured to detect gas permeated through the gas separation membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignees: FIGARO ENGINEERING INC., UNIVERSITY OF FUKUI
    Inventors: Masakazu Sai, Kenichi Yoshioka, Kuniyuki Izawa, Toshikazu Sakaguchi
  • Patent number: 12078624
    Abstract: A spectrophotometer (40) includes a sample placement unit (422) in which a sample to be analyzed is placed, a light source unit (411, 412) including a plurality of light sources that irradiates the sample placed in the sample placement unit (422) with light, a detection unit (425) that detects light emitted from the sample (422), a housing (41, 42) that accommodates the sample placement unit (422), the light source unit (411, 412), and the detection unit (425), a storage unit (71) in which information of a temperature value predetermined for each combination of one or a plurality of light sources among the plurality of light sources is stored, a light source designation accepting unit (721) that accepts designation related to a combination of one or a plurality of light sources among the plurality of light sources, a target temperature setting unit (722) that reads a temperature value corresponding to the combination of light sources accepted by the light source designation accepting unit from the storage uni
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: SHIMADZU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takuya Yonekura, Masato Watanabe
  • Patent number: 12071340
    Abstract: Provided are integrated analysis devices having features of macroscale and nanoscale dimensions, and devices that have reduced background signals and that reduce quenching of fluorophores disposed within the devices. Related methods of manufacturing these devices and of using these devices are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2024
    Assignee: Bionano Genomics, Inc.
    Inventors: Han Cao, Michael David Austin, Parikshit A. Deshpande, Mark Kunkel, Alexey Y. Sharonov, Michael Kochersperger
  • Patent number: 12072342
    Abstract: A laboratory automated system can include a host conveyor assembly configured to transport a plurality of carriers and receptacles coupled thereto between at least a sample processing instrument and at least one assay instrument. The system includes an intermediate conveyor assembly configured to transport a plurality of carriers and receptacles coupled thereto from within sample processing instrument to the host conveyor assembly. The system also includes an intermediate conveyor assembly for each assay instrument configured to transport a plurality of carriers from host conveyor assembly to a respective processing position within the assay instrument. The intermediate conveyor assembly coupled to the assay instrument can include a buffer conveyor subassembly configured to receive carriers from the host conveyor assembly, and a spur conveyor assembly configured to transport a carrier to the processing position of the assay instrument.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2024
    Assignee: GEN-PROBE INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Gary Lair
  • Patent number: 12072321
    Abstract: A chromatographic apparatus for online enrichment of trace and ultra-trace components and an analytical method using the same. The apparatus includes an injection system, a vaporizing chamber, an enrichment system, a thermal box, a sample collection system, a focusing trap, a chromatographic analytical column system, a detector and an electronic control system. The method includes steps of sample enrichment, thermal desorption and back flushing, which are performed through a combination of a four-way valve and an electronic switch valve box.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2024
    Assignee: Asicotech Company Limited
    Inventors: Zhirong Gao, Yanjun Zhang
  • Patent number: 12055427
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally pertains to devices and methods for determining propellant mass based on average measurements irrespective of the fluid orientation in a fuel tank. The device is useful in detecting fuel levels in tanks where the fuel is in motion, for instance in aircraft (i.e., undergoing varying acceleration maneuvers) or spacecraft (i.e., a microgravity environment). The devices and methods can also be used for determining the liquid in a surface tension screen liquid acquisition device (LAD), and particularly, the incipient breakdown as gas bubbles enter or are formed inside the LAD as the screen dries or heat transfer induces vaporization. The same basic electrode configuration can be used to stir the liquid to reduce thermal stratification and condense vapor bubbles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2024
    Assignee: Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama for and on behalf of the University of Alabama in Huntsville
    Inventor: James B. Blackmon
  • Patent number: 12050208
    Abstract: An odor evaluation device, including: a gas chromatograph including a separation column configured to temporally separate a plurality of components contained in an odoriferous analysis-target gas; a timing detector configured to detect, for each of the plurality of components, a timing at which the component exits from the separation column; a gas collector configured to collect, into a sample bag, a gas containing all or some of the components exiting from the separation column when the analysis-target gas is passed through the separation column; a timing setter configured to allow a setting of a timing at which a component contained in the gas to be collected into the sample bag exits from the separation column; and a gas introducer configured to introduce a dilution gas into a passage connecting the separation column and the sample bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2024
    Assignees: SHIMADZU CORPORATION, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION, IWATE UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Junichi Kita, Masao Miyazaki, Motoo Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 12044661
    Abstract: An autosampler fora chromatograph includes a sample injector (2), an information inputter (6), a sequence data creator (8) that creates operating instruction sequence data based on an input injecting condition and saves each of an initial injection sequence, a repetitive injection sequence and a duplicate of the repetitive injection sequence in each of a first data region, a second data region and a third data region, a controller (10) that causes the sample injector (2) to execute a successive injecting operation, a sequence changer (12) that changes a duplicate of the repetitive injection sequence in the third data region based on a changed injecting condition when the changed injecting condition in regard to a repetitive injecting operation is input through the information inputter (6), and a sequence re-writer (14) that rewrites the repetitive injection sequence in the second data region with the repetitive injection sequence in the third data region when the repetitive injection sequence is executed repe
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: SHIMADZU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tomohiro Shagawa