Patents Examined by Dominic J Bologna
  • Patent number: 11294062
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices for laser mapping and color imaging with increased dynamic range are disclosed. A system includes an emitter for emitting pulses of electromagnetic radiation and an image sensor comprising a pixel array for sensing reflected electromagnetic radiation, wherein the pixel array comprises a plurality of pixels each configurable as a short exposure pixel or a long exposure pixel. The system includes a controller comprising a processor in electrical communication with the image sensor and the emitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Inventors: Joshua D. Talbert, Donald M. Wichern
  • Patent number: 11293858
    Abstract: Systems and methods to measure Total THC easily and accurately in cannabis plant material to discriminate between legal hemp and illegal marijuana. In a particularly preferred embodiment, infrared spectral measurements are made of samples, a plurality of calibration models are applied, and a given sample is classified as to whether it is hemp or marijuana.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Big Sur Scientific, LLC
    Inventor: Brian C. Smith
  • Patent number: 11287336
    Abstract: This applications relates to methods and apparatus monitoring of subsea cables (100), for example subsea power or telecommunication cables, and in particular to determining a burial status for such cables. The method involves interrogating a sensing optical fibre (107) with an interrogator unit (108) to perform distributed fibre optic sensing. The sensing optical fibre (107) is deployed along the path of the subsea cable (100) and may, in some instances, form part of the subsea cable. A frequency spectrum of the respective measurement signal from at least one sensing portion of the sensing fibre (107), which corresponds to pressure variations (?P(t)) due to surface water waves (109) to determine a burial status. High frequency components of the pressure variation that are detected in any unburied section (106) are attenuated in buried sections (105).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Inventor: Alastair Godfrey
  • Patent number: 11287246
    Abstract: A method and related device for measuring the profile of a surface of an object to be measured having zones made from at least two different materials, the object to be measured forming part of a plurality of substantially identical objects, the plurality of objects also including at least one reference object having at least one reference surface, the method including the following steps: determining a correction function, from a first profile signal of a first reference surface and a second profile signal from a second reference surface, the second reference surface being metallized; acquiring a profile signal from the surface of the object to be measured; and applying the correction function to the profile signal from the surface of the object to be measured to obtain a corrected profile signal; the profile signals being obtained from interferometric measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignees: UNITY SEMICONDUCTOR, COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Jean-François Boulanger, Stéphane Godny
  • Patent number: 11280739
    Abstract: A surface enhanced luminescence system may include a laser and a controller to output control signals causing the laser to irradiate the pre-analyte exposed plasmonic surface while maintaining a profile of the pre-analyte exposed plasmonic surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Raghuvir N. Sengupta, Anita Rogacs
  • Patent number: 11280676
    Abstract: Devices, systems and methods for optical spectroscopy using a Fourier transform that improve measurement speed, and relax the sampling rate and dynamic range requirements compared to conventional techniques, are described. One exemplary method for optical Fourier transform spectroscopy includes receiving a broadband signal, spectrally partitioning the broadband signal to generate a plurality of spectral channel interferograms, computing a one-dimensional Fourier transform of a function of each of the plurality of spectral channel interferograms to generate each of a plurality of channel spectrums, and reconstructing a spectrum of the broadband signal based on the plurality of channel spectrums. Embodiments of the disclosed technology include a free-space channel dispersed Fourier transform spectrometer and an integrated silicon-on-insulator Fourier transform spectrometer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
    Inventors: Brandon Hong, Abdelkrim El Amili, Andrew Grieco, Yeshaiahu Fainman, Ang Li
  • Patent number: 11280740
    Abstract: A luminescence-enhancement system can include a luminescence-enhancement sensor having a substrate and a group of nanofingers with individual nanofingers that can be flexible and include a support end attached to the substrate, a distal tip positioned distally with respect to the substrate, and a middle portion between the support end and the distal tip. A coating of a metal or metal alloy can be applied to the substrate and the distal tip that is conductively continuous. The middle portion can be devoid of the coating or the coating at the middle portion is conductively discontinuous. A liquid ejector can be present and can include a jetting nozzle to eject a liquid droplet having a volume of 2 pL to 10 ?L. The group of nanofingers and the jetting nozzle can be positionable relative to one another for the droplet to be deposited on the group of nanofingers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Steven Barcelo, Anita Rogacs, Raghuvir N. Sengupta
  • Patent number: 11275013
    Abstract: Methods and devices are provided for use with a biological sample, wherein in one example, the device comprising a sample holder and an excitation source for providing excitation energy into the light conduit towards the sample holder. In one embodiment, the device comprises an imaging cytometer. Optionally, the device comprises a flow cytometer. Optionally, a light conduit comprises an optical fiber. Optionally, the optical fiber has an outer cross-sectional shape different from an inner optical core cross-sectional shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Labrador Diagnostics LLC
    Inventor: Peiqian Zhao
  • Patent number: 11275027
    Abstract: A method for use in measuring one or more characteristics of patterned structures, the method including providing measured data comprising data indicative of at least one Raman spectrum obtained from a patterned structure under measurements using at least one selected optical measurement scheme each with a predetermined configuration of at least one of illuminating and collected light conditions corresponding to the one or more characteristics to be measured, processing the measured data, and determining, for each of the at least one Raman spectrum, a distribution of Raman-contribution efficiency (RCE) within at least a part of the structure under measurements, being dependent on characteristics of the structure and the predetermined configuration of the at least one of illuminating and collected light conditions in the respective optical measurement scheme, and analyzing the distribution of Raman-contribution efficiency and determining the one or more characteristics of the structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: NOVA LTD
    Inventors: Gilad Barak, Yanir Hainick, Yonatan Oren, Vladimir Machavariani
  • Patent number: 11268891
    Abstract: A fire extinguishing agent concentration measuring system including a first window, a second window positioned relative to the first window thereby defining a sensing volume between the first window and the second window, a tube configured to port a flow including the agent from an environment through the sensing volume, and a fluid motion mechanism in operable communication with the tube configured to cause the flow through the tube and through the sensing volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: KIDDE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Mark P. Fazzio, Harlan Hagge, Qing Edda Liu, Eli Baldwin, David William Frasure, Adam Chattaway, Jeffrey Angle
  • Patent number: 11268899
    Abstract: A method comprises a) radiating at least one measurement light pulse having a pulse duration and intensity onto a measurement area of the inhomogeneous sample; b) detecting at least one pressure transient at the measurement area; and c) calculating a value for the energy density absorbed by the sample during the pulse duration from a curve of the at least one pressure transient at the start and at the end of the at least one measurement light pulse. The method further includes: repeating steps a) to c) for different angles of incidence of the measurement light; modelling the inhomogeneous sample as a stack of layers, each layer being assigned at least a layer thickness and an absorption coefficient, at least one absorption coefficient of a layer being a fitting parameter; and performing a fitting procedure for the fitting parameters; outputting the fitted fitting parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: QUANTUNE TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
    Inventors: Raphael Schlesinger, Jan-Ferenc Kischkat, Hermann Von Lilienfeld-Toal
  • Patent number: 11262185
    Abstract: A method comprises: splitting laser light into sample light, reference light, and monitor light; routing the reference light into a reference arm of an OCT interferometer; routing the monitor light into a monitor device, which generates at least one optical monitor signal representing at least one time-dependent property of the monitor light; generating at least one electric monitor signal from the at least one optical monitor signal; illuminating in a point-shaped manner a sample with sample light, wherein the illumination point is guided on the surface of the sample along a predetermined trajectory; superimposing the light scattered by the sample with the reference light emerging from the reference arm to generate an electric OCT signal; wherein the at least one electric monitor signal and the electric OCT signal are AD-converted in alternating sequence, in each case equidistantly in time, to form a single digital data stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: OPTORES GMBH
    Inventors: Robert Huber, Wolfgang Draxinger, Tom Pfeiffer
  • Patent number: 11262240
    Abstract: A spectrometer 1A includes a package 2 having a stem 4 and a cap 5, an optical unit 10A disposed on the stem 4, and a lead pin 3 for securing the optical unit 10A to the stem 4. The optical unit 10A includes a dispersive part 21 for dispersing and reflecting light entering from a light entrance part 6 of the cap 5, a light detection element 30 having a light detection part 31 for detecting the light dispersed and reflected by the dispersive part 21, a support 40 for supporting the light detection element 30 such that a space is formed between the dispersive part 21 and the light detection element 30, and a projection 11 protruding from the support 40, the lead pin 3 being secured to the projection 11. The optical unit 10A is movable with respect to the stem 4 in a contact part of the optical unit 10A and the stem 4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Takafumi Yokino, Katsumi Shibayama, Katsuhiko Kato
  • Patent number: 11262312
    Abstract: An exemplary laser microscope can be provided, comprising at least one first laser source which emits at least one (e.g., pulsed) excitation beam, a scanning optical configuration (e.g., configured to scan the excitation beam over the surface of a sample), a focusing optical configuration (e.g., configured to focus the excitation beam onto the sample), and at least one detector configured to detect light emitted by the sample due to an optical effect in response to the excitation beam. A second laser source facilitates a pulsed ablation beam for a local ablation of the material of the sample. The ablation beam can be guided to the sample via the scanning and focusing optical configurations. The first and second laser sources can be fed by a mutual continuous wave pump laser and/or a mutual pulsed pump laser. The first laser source can emit pulses with at least two different wavelengths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignees: LEIBNIZ-INSTITUT FUR PHOTONISCHE TECHNOLOGIEN E.V., FRIEDRICH-SCHILLER-UNIVERSITAT JENA
    Inventors: Jürgen Popp, Michael Schmitt, Tobias Meyer-Zedler, Stefan Nolte, Roland Ackermann, Jens Limpert
  • Patent number: 11254611
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system for manufacturing cement wherein ground particles of cement and calcium sulfate are subjected to infrared sensors, laser sensors, or both, so that emanated, irradiated, transmitted, and/or absorbed energy having wavelengths principally within the range of 700 nanometers to 1 millimeter can be monitored and compared to stored data previously obtained from ground cement and sulfate particles and preferably correlated with stored strength, calorimetric, or other data values, such that adjustments can be made to the mill processing conditions, such as the form or amounts of calcium sulfate (e.g., gypsum, plaster, anhydride), or cement additive levels. The strength and other properties of cement can be thus adjusted, and its quality can be more uniform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Inventors: Elise Berodier, Nathan A. Tregger, Josephine H. Cheung, David F. Myers, Li Zhang, Dorota Kazmierczak, Lawrence R. Roberts, Denise A. Silva, Richard Sibbick, Jeffrey Thomas, Mark F. Roberts, Riccardo Stoppa, Elizabeth Burns
  • Patent number: 11248969
    Abstract: A method is provided for determining temperature changes of an optical fibre having Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) patterns provided in at least one portion (Portion 1) of the optical fibre. The optical fibre is connected between a first detector arrangement and a second detector arrangement. Light is emitted into the optical fibre in a first direction from the first detector arrangement, which receives reflections from the FBG patterns of the emitted light. The reflections are processed for determining a current temperature change related to the optical fibre. On the basis of predetermined criteria, light is emitted into the optical fibre in an opposite second, direction from the second detector arrangement. The second detector arrangement receives reflections from the FBG patterns of the light emitted in the second direction and the reflections are processed for determining a current temperature change related to the optical fibre.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: SAAB AB
    Inventors: Roy Josefsson, Daniel Eckerstroem
  • Patent number: 11248962
    Abstract: A method of analyzing foreign matter in a sample includes: measuring an optical spectrum for each of a plurality of measurement points of a measurement region on the sample by a microscopic spectroscope; calculating a feature value of each measured spectrum by a computer; determining whether each of the measurement points is on the foreign matter or not based on each feature value; retaining the spectrum of the measurement point that is determined to be on the foreign matter, and deleting the spectrum of the measurement point that is not determined to be on the foreign matter or storing the same to a storage unit; and executing multivariate analysis of the spectra of the plurality of the measurement points that are determined to be on the foreign matter or classifying the same with AI search.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: JASCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kento Aizawa, Yoshiko Kubo, Erika Taira, Yuji Higuchi
  • Patent number: 11243115
    Abstract: Systems and methods for determining one or more properties of a sample are disclosed. The systems and methods disclosed can be capable of measuring along multiple locations and can reimage and resolve multiple optical paths within the sample. The system can be configured with one-layer or two-layers of optics suitable for a compact system. The optics can be simplified to reduce the number and complexity of the coated optical surfaces, et al. on effects, manufacturing tolerance stack-up problems, and interference-based spectroscopic errors. The size, number, and placement of the optics can enable multiple simultaneous or non-simultaneous measurements at various locations across and within the sample. Moreover, the systems can be configured with an optical spacer window located between the sample and the optics, and methods to account for changes in optical paths due to inclusion of the optical spacer window are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Inventors: Mark Alan Arbore, Gary Shambat, Matthew A. Terrel
  • Patent number: 11231299
    Abstract: A high-performance distributed fiber sensing system based on EHz ultrafast pulse scanning. During testing of a disturbance signal, an internally frequency converted pulse light emitted by an EHz ultrafast pulse scanning laser enters a sensing fiber after passing through a circulator, and a backward Rayleigh scattering signal transmitted by the sensing fiber enters an unbalanced Michelson interferometer after passing through a coupler. By designing an arm length difference between two interference arms, interferences sequentially occur for the backward Rayleigh scattering light at a position where lengths of two adjacent arms differ. A signal received after passing through the unbalanced Michelson interferometer includes a phase difference signal caused by an external disturbance signal in the sensing fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: LASER INSTITUTE OF SHANDONG ACADEMY OF SCIENCE
    Inventors: Ying Shang, Chen Wang, Chang Wang, Jiasheng Ni, Wenan Zhao, Chang Li, Bing Cao, Sheng Huang, Yingying Wang, Yanbin Wu
  • Patent number: 11226459
    Abstract: Described herein is an integrated photonics device including a light emitter, integrated edge outcoupler(s), optics, and a detector array. The device can include a hermetically sealed enclosure. The hermetic seal can reduce the amount of moisture and/or contamination that may affect the measurement, analysis, and/or the function of the individual components within the sealed enclosure. Additionally or alternatively, the hermetic seal can be used to protect the components within the enclosure from environmental contamination induced during the manufacturing, packaging, and/or shipping process. The outcoupler(s) can be formed by creating one or more pockets in the layers of a die. Outcoupler material can be formed in the pocket and, optionally, subsequent layers can be deposited on top. The edge of the die can be polished until a targeted polish plane is achieved. Once the outcoupler is formed, the die can be flipped over and other components can be formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Inventors: Michael J. Bishop, Vijay M. Iyer, Jason S. Pelc, Mario J. Costello