Patents Examined by David J Makiya
  • Patent number: 9297638
    Abstract: An electrically tunable terahertz two-path plasmonic interferometer with an integrated detection element can down convert a terahertz field to a rectified DC signal. The integrated detector utilizes a resonant plasmonic homodyne mixing mechanism that measures the component of the plasma waves in-phase with an excitation field that functions as the local oscillator in the mixer. The plasmonic interferometer comprises two independently tuned electrical paths. The plasmonic interferometer enables a spectrometer-on-a-chip where the tuning of electrical path length plays an analogous role to that of physical path length in macroscopic Fourier transform interferometers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignees: Sandia Corporation, Research Foundation of The City of New York
    Inventors: Gregory Conrad Dyer, Eric A. Shaner, Gregory Aizin
  • Patent number: 9299737
    Abstract: An image pickup device includes a sensor substrate. The sensor substrate includes: plural photoelectric conversion elements and driving elements for the plural photoelectric conversion elements which are formed on a substrate; wirings electrically connected to the driving elements; and a shield electrode disposed in a region between the plural photoelectric conversion elements and the wirings in a layer different from that of the wirings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Takayuki Kato, Kaoru Taketa, Hiroki Sugiyama, Shinya Ibuki
  • Patent number: 9297700
    Abstract: A photonic sensor, comprising: a platform, a temperature sensor on the platform; and a structure formed on or as part of the platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Martin Lambkin, William Allan Lane
  • Patent number: 9291724
    Abstract: An imaging system (100) includes a direct conversion detector pixel (111) that detects radiation traversing an examination region and generates an electrical signal indicative thereof, wherein the signal includes a persistent current, which is produced by a direct conversion material of the pixel and which shifts a level of the signal. A persistent current estimator (116) estimates the persistent current and generates a compensation signal based on the estimate. A pre-amplifier (112) receives the signal and the compensation signal, wherein the compensation signal substantially cancels the persistent current, producing a persistent current compensated signal, and that amplifies the compensated signal, generating an amplified compensated signal. A shaper (114) generates a pulse indicative of energy of the radiation illuminating the direct conversion material based on the amplified compensated signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventor: Roland Proksa
  • Patent number: 9285487
    Abstract: A system for assaying an eluate for Technetium-99m and Molybdenum-99 content includes an inner ionization chamber including a well configured to receive the eluate, an outer ionization chamber concentric with the inner ionization chamber, and attenuating material positioned between the inner and outer ionization chambers. A computing device is configured to determine a Technetium-99m content of the eluate based on a first current measured in the inner ionization chamber, and determine a Molybdenum-99 content of the eluate based on at least a second current measured in the outer ionization chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: MALLINCKRODT LLC
    Inventors: Kevin B. Graves, Bryan S. Petrofsky, Sumit Verma
  • Patent number: 9282942
    Abstract: In this device and the associated method, a connection unit that can be attached to an arm bearing an x-ray source and an x-ray receiver is fashioned such that said connection unit compensates for a pivot movement of the arm so that a compression unit arranged at the connection unit remains stationary during a pivot movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thomas Mertelmeier, Ralf Nanke
  • Patent number: 9282941
    Abstract: A method for imaging with a radiotherapy device is provided. The radiotherapy device includes a movably mounted imaging apparatus with an X-ray source and an oppositely disposed X-ray detector. The method includes preparing a first image with the imaging apparatus from a first imaging direction. The imaging apparatus is moved to a position that permits the preparation of a second image from a second imaging direction extending at an angle to the first imaging direction. The method also includes preparing the second image with the imaging apparatus from the second imaging direction, and verifying the position of an object to be irradiated using the first image and the second image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Michael Grasruck, Robert Heiter
  • Patent number: 9279727
    Abstract: A method and system for determining a shape of an irradiance pulse to which a semiconductor wafer is to be exposed during a thermal cycle are disclosed. The method includes receiving, with a processor circuit, thermal cycle parameters specifying requirements of the thermal cycle, and determining, with the processor circuit, a shape of a heating portion of the irradiance pulse. Determining includes optimizing at least one parameter of a flux profile model of the heating portion of the irradiance pulse to satisfy the requirements while minimizing frequency-domain energy spectral densities of the flux profile model at resonant frequencies of the wafer, to minimize vibration of the wafer at the resonant frequencies when the wafer is exposed to the irradiance pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Mattson Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Cibere, David Malcolm Camm
  • Patent number: 9274352
    Abstract: Optical devices that include one or more structures fabricated from polar-dielectric materials that exhibit surface phonon polaritons (SPhPs), where the SPhPs alter the optical properties of the structure. The optical properties lent to these structures by the SPhPs are altered by introducing charge carriers directly into the structures. The carriers can be introduced into these structures, and the carrier concentration thereby controlled, through optical pumping or the application of an appropriate electrical bias.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: James Peter Long, Joshua D. Caldwell, Jeffrey C. Owrutsky, Orest J. Glembocki
  • Patent number: 9274065
    Abstract: The present specification discloses a high speed scanning system for scanning cargo carried by rail. The system uses a two-dimensional X-ray sensor array with, in one embodiment, a cone-beam X-ray geometry. The pulse rate of X-ray source is modulated based on the speed of the moving cargo to allow a distance travelled by the cargo between X-ray pulses to be equal to the width of the detector, for a single energy source, and to half the width of the detector for a dual energy source. This ensures precise timing between the X-ray exposure and the speed of the passing object, and thus accurate scanning of cargo even at high speeds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: RAPISCAN SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventor: Edward James Morton
  • Patent number: 9274233
    Abstract: Provided is a measurement unit and measurement method for reducing attenuation due to optical fiber length and SN degradation due to background in a dosage rate monitor that uses optical fiber. This system comprises: a radiation detector for detecting radiation dosage; a light source for irradiating stimulating light on the radiation detector; a photodetector for detecting light generated by the radiation detector; an optical fiber for connecting the photodetector and the radiation detector and light source, and transmitting light from the light source and light from the radiation detector; a measurement unit for counting the pulses outputted from the photodetector; and an analysis unit for extracting the luminous energy originating from the radiation detector, from time information, wave height information, and the count value, which are measurement results obtained by the measurement unit, and converting the luminous energy to a dosage and dosage rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsunori Ueno, Hiroshi Kitaguchi, Takahiro Tadokoro, Akihisa Kaihara, Koichi Okada, Yoshinobu Sakakibara, Yuta Inamura, Hitoshi Kuwabara
  • Patent number: 9271693
    Abstract: An X-ray imaging system or radiographic imaging system includes a radiation generating apparatus and a radiographic imaging apparatus. An ionization chamber device is external to the radiographic imaging apparatus, for detecting a dose of the radiation transmitted through an object. Dose sensors are incorporated in the radiographic imaging apparatus, for detecting a dose of the radiation transmitted through the object. An exposure control unit is disposed with the radiation generating apparatus, for shutting off application of the radiation from the radiation generating apparatus according to a detection signal from the ionization chamber device or dose sensors. The ionization chamber device is communicably coupled with the radiation generating apparatus. An operating state of the ionization chamber device and dose sensors is acquired by monitoring, so failure of simultaneous inputting of their detection signals to the exposure control unit is prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: FUJIFILM CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takashi Tajima
  • Patent number: 9274067
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems, devices and methodologies related to calibration of an ion based imaging apparatus such as a proton computed tomography scanner. In some implementations, energy degrader plates having known water-equivalent thickness (WET) values can be introduced to an ion beam to introduce different energy degradation settings. Energy detector responses to individual ions subject to such energy degradation settings can be obtained. Such responses can be normalized and correlated to water-equivalent path lengths (WEPL) of the ions based on the known WET values. Such calibration utilizing degrader plates can be performed relatively quickly and can yield accurate WEPL values that facilitate estimation of, for example, a CT image based on relative stopping power of an object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: LOMA LINDA UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
    Inventors: Reinhard W. Schulte, R. Ford Hurley
  • Patent number: 9265971
    Abstract: A radiation dose received by a patient from a radiation therapy system can be verified by acquiring a cine stream of image frames from an electronic portal imaging device (EPID) that is arranged to detect radiation exiting the patient during irradiation. The cine stream of EPID image frames can be processed in real-time to form exit images providing absolute dose measurements at the EPID (dose-to-water values), which is representative of the characteristics of the radiation received by the patient. Compliance with predetermined characteristics for the field can be determined during treatment by periodically comparing the absolute dose measurements with the predetermined characteristics, which can include a predicted total dose in the field after full treatment and/or a complete irradiation area outline (CIAO). The system operator can be alerted or the irradiation automatically stopped when non-compliance is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignees: Varian Medical Systems, Inc., Varian Medical Systems International AG
    Inventors: Christof Baltes, Todd Holmes
  • Patent number: 9268056
    Abstract: A method for pulsed neutron well logging of a subsurface formation, includes irradiating the formation with a plurality of bursts of neutrons of a group of selected durations; detecting gamma rays resulting from interaction of the neutrons during a group of selected time gates which contains at least some early and late gamma ray counts. The gamma rays are detected at at least two axially spaced apart locations from a position of the irradiating. A weighted sum of the numbers of gamma rays detected in each of the time gates is calculated. A ratio of the weighted sum of detected gamma rays at a first axial spacing to the weighted sum at a second axial spacing is determined. The ratio is used to determine a hydrogen index of the subsurface formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Tong Zhou, David Rose
  • Patent number: 9267888
    Abstract: For spatial high resolution imaging of a structure of a sample comprising a luminophore, the sample is subjected to excitation inhibiting light transferring the luminophore out of an excitable electronic ground state into a protection state in which the luminophore is protected against electronic excitation by luminescence excitation light and luminescence de-excitation light. The excitation inhibiting light comprises a first local minimum. Next, the sample is subjected to the luminescence excitation light exciting the luminophore within the first local minimum into an excited luminescent state. Then, the sample is subjected to the luminescence de-excitation light returning the luminophore out of the excited luminescent state into the excitable electronic ground state. The luminescence de-excitation light comprises a second local minimum overlapping with the first local minimum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER WISSENS
    Inventor: Stefan W. Hell
  • Patent number: 9261622
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to borehole logging methods and apparatuses for estimating formation properties using nuclear radiation, particularly an apparatus and method for estimating amounts of silicon and/or oxygen in the formation using exposure time information. The method may include using nuclear radiation information from at least one nuclear radiation detector to estimate at least one parameter of interest. The method may also include reducing an error in the estimated formation properties due to speed variations of a nuclear radiation source that activates the silicon and oxygen in the formation. The apparatus may include at least one nuclear radiation detector. The apparatuses may include an information processing device to perform the methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: BAKER HUGHES INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Feyzi Inanc, Rafay Zahid Ansari, W. Allen Gilchrist, David M. Chace
  • Patent number: 9261469
    Abstract: Various embodiments of systems, components, modules, routines, and processes for luminescence based spectral measurement are described herein. In one embodiment, a method for measuring a scintillation property of a sample includes directing an ionizing radiation toward the sample, thereby inducing the sample to produce an emission. The method also includes acquiring a spectral luminescence of the produced emission by the sample, the spectral luminescence including a plurality of luminescence intensities at corresponding emission wavelengths or frequencies. The scintillation property of the sample may then be determined based on the acquired spectral luminescence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Inventor: Farida A. Selim
  • Patent number: 9261410
    Abstract: A terahertz electromagnetic wave generator according to the present disclosure includes: a thermoelectric material layer; a metal layer which partially covers the surface of the thermoelectric material layer; and a light source system which is configured to irradiate both a surface region of the thermoelectric material layer that is not covered with the metal layer and an edge of the metal layer with pulsed light, thereby generating a terahertz wave from the thermoelectric material layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kohei Takahashi, Tsutomu Kanno, Akihiro Sakai, Yuka Yamada
  • Patent number: 9261606
    Abstract: A Geiger-Mueller charge particle rate measurement system includes a clock management unit in combination with multiple oscillators and rate feedback controller to allow for reactive switching between the different oscillator frequencies to optimize system use. Controlling the clock management unit to send the appropriate frequency (clock signal) to the timers in response to measured rate date from the rate feedback controller facilitates operation at different clock speeds, which helps reduce power consumption when operated at lower speeds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Leidos, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Matthew Amendt, Ryan Shyffer