Patents Examined by Allen C. Ho
  • Patent number: 11058388
    Abstract: Various embodiments are described herein for a system and method of integrated X-ray imaging and microscopic imaging of an imaging area having a sample on a sample stage. An X-ray apparatus may be disposed within the imaging area and be configured to acquire X-ray image data of at least a portion of the sample. A microscopic imaging apparatus may be disposed within the imaging area and be configured to acquire microscopic image data of the at least a portion of the sample. In some embodiments, a processing unit may then control the X-ray apparatus to acquire X-ray image data of the at least the portion of the sample, and generate one or more corresponding X-ray images; determine a region of interest (ROI) of the sample based on the one or more X-ray images; and control the microscopic imaging apparatus to obtain at least one microscopic image based on the ROI.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: PERIMETER MEDICAL IMAGING, INC.
    Inventors: David Rempel, Andrew Berkeley, Elizabeth Alice Munro, Yaaseen Atchia
  • Patent number: 11047800
    Abstract: Provided is a method of evaluating carbon concentration of a silicon sample, which includes: forming an oxide film on at least a part of a surface of an evaluation-target silicon sample; irradiating a particle beam onto a surface of the oxide film; irradiating excitation light having energy larger than a band gap of silicon onto the surface of the oxide film, onto which the particle beam has been irradiated; measuring intensity of photoluminescence emitted from the evaluation-target silicon sample irradiated with the excitation and evaluating carbon concentration of the evaluation-target silicon sample on the basis of the measured intensity of photoluminescence, wherein the photoluminescence is band-edge luminescence of silicon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: SUMCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazutaka Eriguchi, Shuichi Samata, Syun Sasaki
  • Patent number: 11051388
    Abstract: Some embodiments include a system, comprising: an enclosure configured to enclose a vacuum; a cathode disposed within the enclosure; an anode disposed within the enclosure configured to receive a beam of electrons from the cathode; a motor disposed within the enclosure and configured to rotate the anode in response to a drive input; and a circuit electrically connected to the drive input, and configured to generate a phase signal based on a voltage of the drive input and a current of the drive input, the phase signal indicating a phase difference between the voltage of the drive input and the current of the drive input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Varex Imaging Corporation
    Inventors: Michelle Richmond, Gary F. Virshup, Dan Jones
  • Patent number: 11047813
    Abstract: The method and device to ensure the safety of people's life and health is based on the measurements of an intensity of spontaneous electromagnetic radiation caused by a deformation from a structure or a device, a nucleation and a growth of plant cells and living organisms; calculating an energy stored in a portion of a structure or cells based on the measured intensity; performing a comparison of the energy stored in the portion of the structure with a critical value for the structure and pathological changes in the cells; and indicate a potential failure of the structure or the level of pathological changes based on the performed comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Inventor: Volodymyr Pavlovich Rombakh
  • Patent number: 11033246
    Abstract: A radiographic imaging apparatus for capturing a radiographic image by emitting radiation onto an object to be imaged comprises: a storage device for storing therein imaging conditions for a radiographic image; a control device for controlling several sections in the radiographic imaging apparatus to perform preparation for the image capture based on the imaging conditions loaded from the storage device; and an input device for accepting an input by an operator, wherein the input device is configured to accept an input of a result of a decision by the operator as to whether or not to modify the imaging conditions loaded from the storage device, and the control device controls several sections in the radiographic imaging apparatus to start the preparation for the image capture before the input device accepts the input of the result of the decision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ryosuke Fujimoto, Shigeru Chikamatsu
  • Patent number: 11020066
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to the field of a cabinet x-ray incorporating a stationary x-ray source array, and an x-ray detector, for the production of organic and non-organic images. Stationary x-ray digital cabinet tomosynthesis systems and related methods are disclosed. According to one aspect, the subject matter described herein can include an x-ray tomosynthesis system having a plurality of stationary field emission x-ray sources configured to irradiate a location for positioning an object to be imaged with x-ray beams to generate projection images of the object. An x-ray detector can be configured to detect the projection images of the object. A projection image reconstruction function can be configured to reconstruct tomography images of the object based on the projection images of the object. In the preferred embodiment, the x-ray source or sources are statically affixed in a range from about 350° to and including about 10°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Kub Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Vikram Butani, Yan Chen, Chester Lowe, Vignesh Mandalapa-Bhoopathy, Edwin Maria-Selvaraj, Roberto Velasco, Peter Yasutake
  • Patent number: 11022570
    Abstract: An X-ray transmission inspection apparatus includes an X-ray source for irradiating a sample with X-rays, a two-dimensional sensor for detecting transmission X-rays passing through the sample, a sample moving mechanism for moving the sample, a calculation unit for processing an image of the transmission X-rays detected by the two-dimensional sensor, and a display unit for displaying a cross-sectional image. When V1 is a speed at which the sample moves, F is a frame rate of the two-dimensional sensor, A is a sample pitch of the two-dimensional sensor, and LS is a distance between the X-ray source and the two-dimensional sensor, the calculation unit creates a cross-sectional image taken at a distance L from the X-ray source by adding the images of the pixels positioned at an interval of [(LS×V2)/(L×F×A)] in a direction in which the sample moves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECH SCIENCE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yoshiki Matoba
  • Patent number: 11007381
    Abstract: Systems and methods provide radiotherapy treatment by focusing an electron beam on an x-ray target (e.g., a tungsten plate) to produce a high-yield x-ray output with improved field shaping. A modified electron beam spatial distribution is employed to scan the x-ray target, such as a 2D periodic beam path, which advantageously lowers the x-ray target temperature compared to the typical compact beam spatial distribution. As a result, the x-ray target can produce a high yield output without sacrificing the x-ray target life span. The use of a 2D periodic beam path allows a much colder x-ray target functioning regime such that more dosage can be applied in a short period of time compared to existing techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Varian Medical Systems, Inc
    Inventors: Anuj Purwar, Dragos Constantin, James Clayton
  • Patent number: 11000249
    Abstract: An X-ray detector (10) for a phase contrast imaging system (100) and a phase contrast imaging system (100) with such detector (10) are provided. The X-ray detector (10) comprises a scintillation device (12) and a photodetector (14) with a plurality of photosensitive pixels (15) optically coupled to the scintillation device (12), wherein the X-ray detector (10) comprises a primary axis (16) parallel to a surface normal vector of the scintillation device (12), and wherein the scintillation device (12) comprises a wafer substrate (18) having a plurality of grooves (20), which are spaced apart from each other. Each of the grooves (20) extends to a depth (22) along a first direction (21) from a first side (13) of the scintillation device (12) into the wafer substrate (18), wherein each of the grooves (20) is at least partially filled with a scintillation material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Heiner Daerr, Thomas Koehler
  • Patent number: 11004572
    Abstract: A charged particle detection material which can detect charged particles due to a discharge phenomenon or the like caused even in a very low voltage which cannot be observed by a prior art, as well as a charged particle detection film and a charged particle detection liquid using the material. The charged particle detection material and the charged particle detection film contain at least one of a fluorescent substance, a luminescent substance, an electroluminescent substance, a fractoluminescent substance, a photochromic substance, an afterglow substance, a photostimulated luminescent substance and a mechanoluminescent substance and can easily detect emission or incidence of charged particles in real time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Nao Terasaki, Kazuya Kikunaga
  • Patent number: 11000701
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a first X-ray detector that includes: a low energy scintillator operable to convert an incident X-ray spectrum into a first set of light photons; a first light imaging sensor operable to generate a set of low energy image signals from the first set of light photons, wherein a first exit radiation is a remainder portion of the first incident radiation after the X-ray spectrum passes through the low energy scintillator and the first light imaging sensor; an energy-separation filter operable to absorb or reflect at least a portion of the energy of the first exit X-ray spectrum and convert the first exit X-ray spectrum into a second exit X-ray spectrum; a second X-ray detector that includes: a high energy scintillator operable to convert the second exit X-ray spectrum into a second set of light photons; a second light imaging sensor operable to generate a set of high energy image signals from the second set of light photons; and a processor configured to: generate a high-energy image
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: VAREX IMAGING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Minghui Lu, Richard Aufrichtig, Joachim Steiger
  • Patent number: 11000256
    Abstract: Systems and methods for operating an imaging system to perform Cephalometric imaging. The imaging system includes a column, an upper shelf pivotably coupled to the column, a rotating part coupled to the upper shelf and linearly translatable along a length of the upper shelf in a direction radial to the column, a first x-ray source coupled to the rotating part, and an x-ray detector coupled to the rotating part on an opposite side of a first imaging volume from the first x-ray source. A center position of the Cephalometric patient support is determined relative to the imaging system in at least two dimensions by scanning the imaging volume while adjusting a pivot angle of the upper shelf and by scanning the imaging volume while adjusting a linear position of the rotating part along the upper shelf.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: PALODEX GROUP OY
    Inventors: Tero Isoaho, Ilpo Saarela, Esa Suuronen, Andreas Melin, Markku Ojala, Henri Setälä
  • Patent number: 10993682
    Abstract: A radiographic imaging apparatus in which a radiation source support unit supports a radiation source is adapted to be capable of being quickly carried to a use position in a small radius. A radiographic imaging apparatus includes a leg unit that includes three or more wheel units and is capable of traveling on an apparatus-placement surface by using wheels, a body unit that is held on the leg unit, an arm unit as a radiation source support unit that is connected to the body unit, a radiation source that is mounted on the arm unit, a battery that is received in the body unit and drives the radiation source, and a circuit that is received in the body unit and relates to the drive of the radiation source. The wheel unit is formed of a revolving caster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Nabeta, Ryosuke Ogura, Masayoshi Matsuura, Fumito Nariyuki, Haruyasu Nakatsugawa
  • Patent number: 10998371
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a semiconductor substrate and a stack of layers of one or more dielectric materials and one or more conducting materials formed on the semiconductor substrate so as to define an array of pixel circuits including respective pixel electrodes at an upper layer of the stack of layers of one or more dielectric materials and one or more conducting materials and logic circuitry in an area adjacent to the array of pixel circuits. A light-absorbing layer is formed on the upper layer of the stack of layers of one or more dielectric materials and one or more conducting materials so as to overlie the area containing the logic circuitry and configured to absorb at least 90% of light that is incident on the light-absorbing layer. A layer of a photosensitive medium overlies the pixel electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Erin Hanelt, Hong-Wei Lee
  • Patent number: 10996369
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a vehicle-mounted type back scattering inspection system. The vehicle-mounted type back scattering inspection system includes a carriage and a back scattering imaging device, the scanning range of the back scattering imaging device is variable. As the scanning range of the back scattering imaging device of the present disclosure is variably set, the inspection range of the back scattering imaging device can be expanded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Inventors: Hao Yu, Ying Li, Weizhen Wang, Quanwei Song, Dongyu Wang, Haojie Chi, Jianmin Li, Yulan Li, Chunguang Zong, Zhiqiang Chen, Yuanjing Li, Li Zhang
  • Patent number: 10991539
    Abstract: The X-ray tube disclosed herein includes an electron emission unit including an electron emission element using a cold cathode; an anode unit disposed opposite to the electron emission unit, with which electrons emitted from the electron emission unit collide; and a focus structure disposed between the electron emission unit and a target unit disposed on a surface of the anode unit that is opposed to the electron emission unit. The electron emission unit is divided into a first region and a second region which can independently be turned ON/OFF. The X-ray tube is focus-designed such that collision regions, at the anode unit, of electron beams emitted from the respective first region and second region substantially coincide with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: NANO-X IMAGING LTD.
    Inventors: Hidenori Kenmotsu, Hitoshi Masuya, Koichi Iida
  • Patent number: 10973489
    Abstract: Computed tomography (CT) imaging system has at least one processing unit configured to receive operator inputs that include a modified system feature and a clinical task having a task object and also receive operator inputs for determining a task-based image quality (IQ) metric. The task-based IQ metric represents a desired overall image quality of image data for performing the clinical task. The image data acquired using a reference system feature. The at least one processing unit is also configured to determine an exposure-control parameter based on the task object, the modified system feature, and the task-based IQ metric. The at least one processing unit is also configured to direct the x-ray source to generate the x-ray beam during the CT scan, wherein at least one of the tube current or the tube potential during the CT scan is a function of the exposure-control parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Franco Rupcich, Dominic Crotty, Jiahua Fan, Parag Khobragade, Tal Gilat Schmidt
  • Patent number: 10973490
    Abstract: A radiation image photographing apparatus includes a hardware processor that, at a time of a radiation image photographing process, repeats a reset process of releasing a charge from a radiation detecting element by sequentially applying an on-voltage from a scan driver to scan lines, until a radiation irradiation is started, provides a predetermined waiting time to cause all switches to wait in an off-state after the reset process and before the next reset process, transitions to a charge accumulation mode of accumulating the charge in the radiation detecting element by applying an off-voltage to all scan lines, in response to radiation irradiation start, and transitions to a reading mode of releasing the charge from the radiation detecting element by applying the on-voltage to the scan lines, and performing an image data reading process by converting the released charge into image data, when a predetermined accumulation time has elapsed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Yuki Kawana
  • Patent number: 10969504
    Abstract: A method of capturing and analyzing information for a particle detection system comprises generating a reaction to a plurality of particles using a converter material, wherein the converter material is operable to interact with the plurality of particles. The method further comprises converting a response to the reaction to an electrical signal using a plurality of sensors, wherein the converter material is operable to be coated onto the plurality of sensors, and wherein each of the plurality of sensors comprises an array of discrete pixel sensors each with a respective (x,y) coordinate within the array. Further, the method comprises processing the electrical signal to generate data regarding each pixel on the array of discrete pixels and serializing the data collected from the plurality of sensors and transmitting the data over thin cables to a processing unit that is located at a separate and remote location from the plurality of sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: RHOMBUS HOLDINGS LLC
    Inventor: Anshuman Roy
  • Patent number: 10962490
    Abstract: An example method for aligning a spectrometer is described herein. The spectrometer includes a radiation source, a crystal analyzer, and a detector that are all positioned on an instrument plane. The method includes rotating the crystal analyzer about an axis that is within the instrument plane and perpendicular to a rotation plane such that (i) a reciprocal lattice vector of the crystal analyzer is within the instrument plane or (ii) a component of the reciprocal lattice vector within the rotation plane is perpendicular to the instrument plane. An origin of the reciprocal lattice vector is located on the axis. The method further includes tilting the crystal analyzer or translating the detector such that the reciprocal lattice vector bisects a line segment that is bounded by the detector and the radiation source. Example spectrometers related to the example method are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
    Inventors: Devon R. Mortensen, Gerald Todd Seidler