Patents Examined by Andrew Israel
  • Patent number: 6172370
    Abstract: An X-ray imaging array is described together with a method for its manufacture. The array is defined by a set of PN junctions in a silicon wafer that extend all the way through between the two surfaces of the wafer. The PN junctions are formed using neutron transmutation doping that is applied to P-type silicon through a mask, resulting in an array of N-type regions (that act as pixels) in a sea of P-type material. Through suitable placement of the biassing electrodes, a space charge region is formed that is narrower at the top surface, where X-rays enter the device, and wider at the lower surface. This ensures that most of the secondary electrons, generated by the X-ray as it passes through the wafer, get collected at the lower surface where they are passed to a charge readout circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2001
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Chungpin Liao, Jen-Chau Wu
  • Patent number: 6172362
    Abstract: A high-energy photon imaging system including an imaging head, a signal processor, a data acquisition system and an image processing computer. The imaging head includes a detector including a plurality of closely-packed detection modules. Each detection module includes a plurality of detection elements mounted to a circuit carrier. The detection elements produce electrical pulses having amplitudes indicative of the magnitude of radiation absorbed by the detection elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2001
    Assignee: Digirad Corporation
    Inventors: Clinton L. Lingren, Stanley J. Friesenhahn, Jack F. Butler, F. Patrick Doty, William L. Ashburn, Frank L. Augustine, Boris Apotovsky
  • Patent number: 6169284
    Abstract: A system for the detection of infrared light (IR with wavelength &lgr;>800 nm) of high sensitivity. It is based on the measurement of the capacitance in structures made of amorphous silicon, constituted of a junction having two electrodes connecting to outside and susceptible of being built using already-known technologies for the deposition of thin films. The p+ and n+ layers (FIG. 1) are made of materials strongly doped with boron and phosphorous atoms. During the fabrication process the temperatures are such as to permit its construction on various substrates. The technologies used make its fabrication possible on large areas and its conformation in two-dimensional matrices of high resolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2001
    Assignee: Universita Degli Sudi di Roma “La Sapienza”
    Inventors: Domenico Caputo, Fabrizio Palma
  • Patent number: 6169289
    Abstract: Multi-photon excitation fluorescence microscopy is carried out by focusing an excitation beam by an objective lens onto a specimen and collecting the multi-photon fluorescence light emitted from the specimen to the objective lens and directing the fluorescent light on an optical path to a detector. Fluorescent light emissions from the specimen collected by a condenser lens on the opposite side of the specimen from the objective lens are directed to a dichoic mirror, which reflects the light photons back into the condenser lens and thence into and through the objective lens where they are directed on an optical path to the detector. Significantly increased fluorescent photon collection efficiency is obtained as well as improved image intensity of the detected fluorescent light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2001
    Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventors: John G. White, David L. Wokosin
  • Patent number: 6169283
    Abstract: An image sensing device including an imaging sensor, a package having opposing side portions, and an infrared light selective element coupled to the opposing side portions and overlying a top side portion of the imaging sensor, the selective element including a plastic element and a dye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2001
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Edward J. Bawolek, Kabul Sengupta, Zong-Fu Li
  • Patent number: 6166385
    Abstract: A laser scanning microscope produces molecular excitation in a target material by simultaneous absorption of three or more photons to thereby provide intrinsic three-dimensional resolution. Fluorophores having single photon absorption in the short (ultraviolet or visible) wavelength range are excited by a beam of strongly focused subpicosecond pulses of laser light of relatively long (red or infrared) wavelength range. The fluorophores absorb at about one third, one fourth or an even smaller fraction of the laser wavelength to produce fluorescent images of living cells and other microscopic objects. The fluorescent emission from the fluorophores increases cubicly, quarticly or even higher power law with the excitation intensity so that by focusing the laser light, fluorescence as well as photobleaching are confined to the vicinity of the focal plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2000
    Assignee: Cornell Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventors: Watt W. Webb, Chris Xu
  • Patent number: 6166383
    Abstract: A non-dispersive infrared gas analyzer for determining concentrations of carbon dioxide and/or carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxides has two measuring cells 4, 6 consecutively traversed by a beam, with an optopneumatic detector 22 for carbon dioxide and an optopneumatic detector 23 for carbon monoxide arranged between them. Detectors 7, 8 for hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides are arranged on the measuring cell 6 located downstream from detectors 22, 23 in the direction of the beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2000
    Assignee: Siemens AG
    Inventors: Ludwig Kimmig, Peter Krause, Michael Ludwig, Karlheinz Schmidt
  • Patent number: 6163026
    Abstract: An imaging system having an imaging sensor providing sensor signals in response to incident light and control signals, control circuitry configured to generate control signals for controlling said imaging sensor, signal processing circuitry for generating image data in response to said sensor signals, and a light selective element for selecting the incident light encountered by said imaging sensor, the light selective element comprising an ionically-colored glass having a surface that is treated with a chemical stabilizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2000
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Edward J. Bawolek, Kabul Sengupta
  • Patent number: 6160258
    Abstract: A gamma camera arrangement and method for imaging a patient without moving the patient from the regular hospital bed to a patient carrier bed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2000
    Assignee: GE Medical Systems Israel, Ltd.
    Inventor: Dov Maor
  • Patent number: 6153883
    Abstract: An energy dispersive X-ray detector assembly has a detector element of a high-purity silicon substrate with a pair of electrodes, one on either side of the silicon substrate, to create an depletion layer in the silicon substrate when an electric field is created between the electrodes to enable the detection of X-rays. The silicon substrate has a resistivity of at least 10 k.OMEGA..multidot.cm and a thickness in the incident direction of the X-rays of approximately 3 to 5 mm. A refrigerator system, such as a closed cycle gas circulation refrigerator, can be used to cool the detector element to enable the provision of a compact detector assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2000
    Assignee: Horiba, Ltd.
    Inventor: Shigetoshi Arai
  • Patent number: 6150655
    Abstract: A method for inferring the photoelectric absorption of a formation by directly mapping spectroscopic measurements of gamma rays induced in the formation using a fast neutron source. The mapping is accomplished by creating a polynomial function based on counts of gamma-ray events in the gamma-ray energy spectrum; the coefficients of the polynomial function are determined in known calibration environments, and the value of the polynomial is the inferred photoelectric absorption parameter. The spectroscopic measurements are preferably generated by sorting gamma-ray counts of the gamma-ray spectrum into a plurality of energy-dependent channels, and measuring these gamma-ray energy distributions during different portions of the firing cycle where different types of dominant gamma-ray production reactions occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2000
    Assignee: Computalog Research, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Charles Odom, Shawn Marie Bailey
  • Patent number: 6147351
    Abstract: A sensor device and a method for non-dispersive analysis of gas mixtures for determining the concentration of one gas component contained therein, whose absorbency may be influenced as a result of collision broadening by other components contained in a gas mixture (GC). The device includes: a measuring chamber (5), containing the gas mixture; a radiation source (4), emitting radiation (15) through the chamber; detector (10, 14, 16) for receiving radiation passed through the chamber; optical bandpass filters (9a-c) positioned between the detectors and the radiation source, the detectors being coupled with measuring ducts (1-3) or measuring cycles. An optical gas filter (11), contains said gas component or a mixture thereof and is located between the detector and the radiation source. From the first measuring duct is obtained a first signal (S1) and from the second measuring duct is obtained a second signal (S2) relating to radiation also passed through the optical gas filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2000
    Assignee: Instrumentarium Corp.
    Inventor: Matti Huiku
  • Patent number: 6144031
    Abstract: An infrared video camera system comprises an uncooled infrared sensor mounted and a thermally conductive thin walled radiation shield for shielding radiation from reaching an active surface of the uncooled infrared sensor. A TEC maintains the sensor active surface and the radiation shield at a substantially constant temperature. The uncooled infrared sensor and radiation shield are further housed in a hollow thermally conductive vacuum cover which is vacuum sealed with a base assembly and includes a vacuum sealed infrared transparent window in an aperture at a top end of the vacuum cover for allowing infrared radiation to reach the active surface and for forming a vacuum chamber enclosing the infrared sensor and radiation shield. A relay optical cell mounted to a camera body comprises at least one optical element for relaying an image formed at its entrance onto the active surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2000
    Assignee: Inframetrics Inc.
    Inventors: Robert J. Herring, Andrew C. Neilson, Daniel L. Manitakos, Charles L. Confer, Kevin J. Haded, Uri Bin-Nun
  • Patent number: 6140649
    Abstract: A nuclear medical imaging system generates transmission and emission images simultaneously. The system includes a gamma camera and a linear transmission source disposed on opposite sides of an imaging region in which a patient lies. A plurality of views are taken at different rotational angles around a patient. At each angle, the view acquisition period is divided into two segments based on whether the transmission source is on or off. Emission image data is acquired either in both period segments or only while the transmission source is off. The transmission image data is acquired when the transmission source is on, and crosstalk image data is acquired when the transmission source is off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2000
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Albert Henry Roger Lonn
  • Patent number: 6133576
    Abstract: Broad spectrum ultraviolet inspection methods employ an achromatic catadioptric system to image the surface of an object, such as a semiconductor wafer or photomask, at multiple ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths over a large flat field (with a size on the order of 0.5 mm) in order to detect and identify defects. The imaging system provides broad band correction of primary and residual, longitudinal and lateral, chromatic aberrations for wavelengths extending into the deep UV. UV imaging applications include a method that illuminates an object with fluorescence-excitation radiation to stimulate fluorescent emission at a plurality of UV wavelengths, then images the fluorescent emissions and detects the images so formed in UV wavelength bands distributed over at least 50 nm (preferably 100-200 nm) wavelength. Photoresist patterns can be analyzed in this way.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2000
    Assignee: KLA Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: David R. Shafer, Yung-Ho Chuang, Bin-Ming B. Tsai
  • Patent number: 6133573
    Abstract: A gas volume concentration is determined. An electromagnetic radiation is emitted (state 1) through the gas volume. The radiation is filtered by temporally modulating the spectral transmission of said filter so as to obtain a temporal modulation of the energy of the radiation transmitted by the gas volume and this filter. This temporally modulated energy is detected and a signal E is extracted from it, the signal particularly depending on the concentration of the gas. The component Eac(1) of the time-variable signal and the component Edc(1) of the signal, which is not a time-variable signal are isolated. A radiation stops is emitted (state 0), and the component Eac(0) and the component Edc(0) of the signal received by the detector are isolated. The terms Eac(1)-Eac(0) and Edc(1)-Edc(0) are calculated, and the ratio (Eac(1)-Eac(0))/(Edc(1)-Edc(0)) is formed which then solely depends on the gas concentration c. From this, c is deduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2000
    Assignee: Schlumberger Industries, S.A.
    Inventors: Alain Bazin, Fran.cedilla.ois Grasdepot, Juan Pedro Silveira
  • Patent number: 6133575
    Abstract: This detector comprises a gas chamber (2) containing plane electrodes (4, 6, 8) delimiting conversion (C) and amplification (A) gaps. One of the electrodes is perforated with holes (18) and forms the detector cathode (6). The distance between the detector cathode and the anode (8) is less than 500 .mu.m. The intensity of the electric field in the amplification gap is ten times higher than the intensity of the electric field in the conversion gap. Application in particle physics, medicine, biology.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2000
    Assignee: Biospace Instruments
    Inventors: Georges Charpak, Ioannis Giomataris, Philippe Rebourgeard, Jean-Pierre Robert
  • Patent number: 6130431
    Abstract: Extreme ultraviolet light (EUV) is detected using a precisely defined reference pattern formed over a shallow junction photodiode. The reference pattern is formed in an EUV absorber preferably comprising nickel or other material having EUV- and other spectral region attenuating characteristics. An EUV-transmissive energy filter is disposed between a passivation oxide layer of the photodiode and the EUV transmissive energy filter. The device is monolithically formed to provide robustness and compactness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2000
    Assignee: E.U.V., L.L.C.
    Inventor: Kurt W. Berger
  • Patent number: 6124597
    Abstract: The Laser Induced Fluorescence Attenuation Spectroscopy (LIFAS) method and apparatus preferably include a source adapted to emit radiation that is directed at a sample volume in a sample to produce return light from the sample, such return light including modulated return light resulting from modulation by the sample, a first sensor, displaced by a first distance from the sample volume for monitoring the return light and generating a first signal indicative of the intensity of return light, a second sensor, displaced by a second distance from the sample volume, for monitoring the return light and generating a second signal indicative of the intensity of return light, and a processor associated with the first sensor and the second sensor and adapted to process the first and second signals so as to determine the modulation of the sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2000
    Assignee: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
    Inventors: Ramez E. N. Shehada, Vasilis Z. Marmarelis, Warren S. Grundfest
  • Patent number: 6121612
    Abstract: A night vision device includes an image intensifier tube having a photocathode responsive to light in the wavelength range extending from about 1 .mu.m to about 2 .mu.m. The photocathode releases photoelectrons in response to photons of light in this wavelength range. A photomultiplier tube includes such a photocathode to provide an image in response to light of such a wavelength. A method of making such a photocathode is set out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2000
    Assignee: Litton Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy W. Sinor, Joseph P. Estrera, David G. Couch