Patents Examined by Casey Bryant
  • Patent number: 9860459
    Abstract: A portable signaling device for use in a reduced visibility environment. The signaling device includes a housing for carrying the signaling device into the reduced visibility environment, the housing having a signaling side and an attachment side, the signaling side configured to transmit an infrared signal and the attachment side configured to be secured to a structure within the environment, and an infrared energy source located within the housing, the infrared energy source including a power source, an emitter connected to the power source, and a switching mechanism connected to the power source and the emitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Scott Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Wesley Mcchord Barbee, Richard Sabacinski, Jerry Allen Phifer
  • Patent number: 9835838
    Abstract: A scanning luminescence light microscope for spatial high resolution imaging a structure marked with a luminescent marker comprises a light source for luminescence inhibition light and for further light; a light shaping and aligning device; and a detector registering luminescence light emitted by the luminescent marker. The device, by means of two optical gratings and an objective lens, forms two crossing line gratings of the luminescence inhibition light, and two crossing line gratings of the further light so that local intensity minima of an overall intensity distribution of the luminescence inhibition light are delimited in at least two directions, and that local intensity maxima or local intensity minima of an overall intensity distribution of the further light coincide with the local intensity minima of the luminescence inhibition light. Further, the device moves the overall intensity distributions of the further light and the luminescence inhibition light to scan the structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Wissenschaften e.V.
    Inventors: Stefan W. Hell, Andriy Chmyrov
  • Patent number: 9835740
    Abstract: A PET detector and method thereof are provided. The PET detector may include: a crystal array including a plurality of crystal elements arranged in an array and light-splitting structures set on surfaces of the plurality of crystal elements, the light-splitting structures jointly define a light output surface of the crystal array; a semiconductor sensor array, which is set in opposite to the light output surface of the crystal array and is suitable to receive photons from the light output surface, the semiconductor sensor array comprises a plurality of semiconductor sensors arranged in an array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: SHANGHAI UNITED IMAGING HEALTHCARE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shaohui An, Qiang Zhang
  • Patent number: 9820636
    Abstract: The attenuation and other optical properties of a medium are exploited to measure a thickness of the medium between a sensor and a target surface. Disclosed herein are various mediums, arrangements of hardware, and processing techniques that can be used to capture these thickness measurements and obtain three-dimensional images of the target surface in a variety of imaging contexts. This includes general techniques for imaging interior/concave surfaces as well as exterior/convex surfaces, as well as specific adaptations of these techniques to imaging ear canals, human dentition, and so forth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Douglas P. Hart, Federico Frigerio, Davide M. Marini
  • Patent number: 9821448
    Abstract: The ergonomic thermoluminescent dosimeter adapter provides ergonomic design that reduces the risk of repetitive motion injury. The ergonomic thermoluminescent dosimeter adapter includes a form fitting hand trigger and a handle portion mounted on a base. The handle portion has a slot adapted to receive the TLD tool. The TLD tool inserts into the adapter and fastening devices secure the TLD tool to the adapter. In operation, the adapter base is positioned on a flat surface such as a table and adjusted to a comfortable working height until the hand trigger is in a comfortable gripping position. The adapter is held with one hand and the hand trigger is squeezed with the other hand until the targeted TLD holder opens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AS REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY
    Inventors: John Estabillo Tate, Curtis Wayne Gent, D. Suzanne Gregor, William Andrew Harrell
  • Patent number: 9816947
    Abstract: Apparatus for optical imaging of Cerenkov luminescence from an object subsequent to the object receiving a dose of a radiopharmaceutical, the apparatus comprising: a light tight enclosure within which the object can be received at a sample location; an imaging means; a means to mitigate direct particle impingement between the sample location and the imaging means; and one or more optical elements for transmitting Cerenkov photons from within the light tight enclosure to the imaging means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: LIGHTPOINT MEDICAL LIMITED
    Inventors: David Tuch, Nicholas Collier, Kunal Vyas, Euan Morrison
  • Patent number: 9810578
    Abstract: A radiation detection technique employs field enhancing structures and electroluminescent materials to converts incident Terahertz (THz) radiation into visible light and/or infrared light. In this technique, the field-enhancing structures, such as split ring resonators or micro-slits, enhances the electric field of incoming THz light within a local area, where the electroluminescent material is applied. The enhanced electric field then induces the electroluminescent material to emit visible and/or infrared light via electroluminescent process. A detector such as avalanche photodiode can detect and measure the emitted light. This technique allows cost-effective detection of THz radiation at room temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Brandt Christopher Pein, Harold Young Hwang, Wendi Chang, Keith A. Nelson, Vladimir Bulovic, Nathaniel C. Brandt
  • Patent number: 9801760
    Abstract: A test device to calibrate the pulse energy of a laser device which provides pulsed laser radiation includes a measuring head with multiple measuring probes. The test device is used in such a way that by means of the laser radiation, multiple test ablations are made on a test surface, in an arrangement corresponding to the relative spatial arrangement of the measuring probes, and the depths of the test ablations are then measured, with simultaneous use of the multiple measuring probes of the measuring head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Wavelight GmbH
    Inventors: Evi Goos, Christof Donitzky, Christian Wuellner
  • Patent number: 9798018
    Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus related to beam stops. In one aspect, a device comprises a luminescent material, a beam stop plate, and an optical fiber. The luminescent material is a parallelepiped having a first side and a second side that are squares and having a third side that is a rectangle or a square. The first side and the second side are perpendicular to the third side. The beam stop plate is attached to the first side of the luminescent material. The optical fiber has a first end and a second end, with the first end of the optical fiber attached to the third side of the luminescent material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: The Regents of The University of California
    Inventors: Diane Bryant, Simon A. Morton
  • Patent number: 9800803
    Abstract: An optical system that includes a reconfigurable phase-change material (PCM) layer that includes a plurality of individually controllable pixel areas. Each individually controllable pixel area is variable between a first refractive index and a second refractive index. The PCM layer is configured to pass radiation incident on the PCM layer in accordance with a first mask pattern through the PCM layer in a downstream direction. A PCM controller is configured to control the plurality of individually controllable pixel areas to have respective refractive indices in accordance with the first mask pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Clara Rivero Baleine, Robert Muise
  • Patent number: 9797848
    Abstract: The invention relates to a photon detector (10), in particular an x-ray detector, in the form of a measurement finger, which extends along a detector axis (23) and has a detector head (11) at a first end of the measurement finger, wherein the detector head (11) comprises a plurality of at least two detector modules (22), each comprising a sensor chip (12) sensitive to photon radiation (14), in particular x-radiation, said sensor chip having an exposed end face (13) and a face facing away from the end face (13), wherein the detector modules (22) are arranged around the detector axis (23) in a plane (24) extending orthogonally to the detector axis (23).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: BRUKER NANO GMBH
    Inventors: Meiken Falke, Waldemar Hahn
  • Patent number: 9791365
    Abstract: A system for measuring thermal degradation of composites, may include a housing having an interior with an opening shaped to expose a test area of the composite to be tested to the interior; a light-emitting diode that emits primarily ultraviolet radiation, the diode mounted on the housing to direct the ultraviolet radiation into the interior and through the opening; an image sensor mounted on the housing and open to the interior to receive radiation emitted from the test area passing through the opening into the interior; and an image processor connected to receive a signal from the image sensor, the image processor determining a presence or absence of thermal degradation of the test area in response to the signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Paul H. Shelley, Jr., Gregory J. Werner, Milan Milosevic
  • Patent number: 9784859
    Abstract: A charged particle detector array includes one or more pairs of super modules, one super module in a pair of super modules is positioned above a volume of interest (VOI), and the other super module in the pair of super modules is positioned below the VOI. This calibration technique first calibrates individual super modules in the one or more pairs of super modules while treating each super module being calibrated as a rigid body. Each super module in the one or more pairs of super modules further includes multiple vertically-stacked modules, and each module in the multiple vertically-stacked modules is composed of multiple layers of drift tubes. The calibration technique then calibrates individual modules in each of the super modules while treating each module being calibrated as a rigid body. Next, the calibration technique calibrates individual drift tubes in each layer of the modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: Decision Sciences International Corporation
    Inventors: Gary Blanpied, Michael James Sossong, Shawn McKenney, Thomas Taylor, Kolo Wamba
  • Patent number: 9778395
    Abstract: A method for scanning an individual with a security device includes providing a scanner, engaging the scanner in a first scanning mode to produce an initial scan of the individual with a controller, producing an initial representation based on the initial scan, determining a property of a second scanning mode based on information from the initial representation, and engaging the scanner in the second scanning mode to produce a second scan of the individual.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Inventors: W. Daniel Hillis, Roderick A. Hyde, Jordin T. Kare, Eric C. Leuthardt, Lowell L. Wood, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9778175
    Abstract: A high-sensitivity terahertz micro-fluidic channel sensor and a preparation method thereof. The sensor includes a substrate and a cover layer, respectively provided with a metal plane reflector and a metal microstructure layer; a micro-fluidic channel is formed between the metal plane reflector and the metal microstructure layer; and when the micro-fluidic channel tests liquid, a composite structure formed of the metal microstructure layer, the test liquid and the metal plane reflector shows good absorption properties. The method includes forming a metal plane reflector and a metal microstructure layer on a substrate and a cover layer, respectively; fixedly connecting the substrate to the cover layer, and forming a closed micro-fluidic channel between the substrate and the cover layer; and forming a through via, communicated to the micro-fluidic channel, on the substrate and/or the cover layer, to form a flow channel for transferring liquid to be tested to or from the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Inventors: Qin Chen, Fuhe Sun
  • Patent number: 9772410
    Abstract: A high pixel density intraoral x-ray imaging sensor includes a direct conversion, fully depleted silicon detector bump bonded to a readout CMOS substrate by cu-pillar bump bonds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: OY AJAT LTD.
    Inventors: Konstantinos Spartiotis, Henri Tapio Nykanen, Limin Lin, Tuomas Heikki Elmeri Lahtinen, Pasi Juhani Laukka
  • Patent number: 9766369
    Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatus and systems, as well as methods, may operate to select from multiple optical detectors and/or multiple detector amplifiers to form combinations of detectors and amplifiers as part of an optical detection system. The selection may be based on minimizing noise equivalent power (NEP) of the optical detector or a combination of an optical detector and a detector amplifier over a desired temperature range. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Raj Pai, Marian Morys, Homi Phiroze Cooper, John Thomas
  • Patent number: 9766352
    Abstract: A method of measuring ionizing radiation may include the steps of: a) creating charged particles; b) causing the charged particles to generate the electrons; c) collecting at least a portion of the multiplied free electrons using at least two anode pads provided within the chamber, each anode pad producing a corresponding anode output signal, to provide higher sensitivity; and d) recording each anode output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Atomic Energy of Canada Limited / Énergie Atomique du Canada Limitée
    Inventors: Marat Seydaliev, Jacques Dubeau
  • Patent number: 9759653
    Abstract: A method for determining the moisture content of at least one resin layer provided on at least one wooden board as carrier board, wherein between the at least one resin layer and the carrier board an NIR reflecting layer is provided, including recording of at least one NIR spectrum of the at least one resin layer provided on the at least one carrier board using a NIR detector in a wavelength range between 500 nm an 2500 nm; determining the moisture content of the resin layer by comparing the NIR spectrum recorded for the resin layer to be measured with at least one NIR spectrum recorded for at least one reference sample with known moisture content by means of a multivariate data analysis, wherein the at least one NIR spectrum recorded was determined previously using the same NIR detector in a wavelength range between 500 nm and 2500 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: Flooring Technologies Ltd.
    Inventors: Norbert Kalwa, Andre Denk
  • Patent number: 9756263
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an infrared (IR) imaging system for determining a concentration of a target species in an object is disclosed. The imaging system can include an optical system including an optical focal plane array (FPA) unit. The optical system can have components defining at least two optical channels thereof, said at least two optical channels being spatially and spectrally different from one another. Each of the at least two optical channels can be positioned to transfer IR radiation incident on the optical system towards the optical FPA. The system can include a processing unit containing a processor that can be configured to acquire multispectral optical data representing said target species from the IR radiation received at the optical FPA. Said optical system and said processing unit can be contained together in a data acquisition and processing module configured to be worn or carried by a person.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: REBELLION PHOTONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Robert Timothy Kester, Nathan Adrian Hagen