Patents Examined by Faye Boosalis
  • Patent number: 9709485
    Abstract: A new technique which uses a pump-probe methodology to place a molecule into one or more excited rotational and/or vibrational states. By evaluating spectral changes due to at least one discrete frequency of pump photons a multi-dimensional characterization of the molecule's excited state energy level results. This multi-dimensional characterization typically involves evaluating the changes between excited and unexcited state measurements. The differential nature of the evaluation makes the technique self-referencing and solves problems common to many spectroscopic techniques. The multi-dimensionality of the technique provides high specificity and immunity to interferents. The preferred embodiments involve excitation by using photons suited to pumping the rotational states and evaluating the effects by probing the energy levels of one of more vibrational states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Kestrel Corporation
    Inventors: Eugene W Butler, Timothy M Stratman, Boyd V Hunter, Paul Harrison, Jason M Cox
  • Patent number: 9702816
    Abstract: A detector for oil condition monitoring includes an optical fiber having a first end and a second end having an end face. A sensor body has a gap in which a sample of the oil may be received and a reflecting surface, the second end of the optical fiber being embedded in the sensor body and having an end face spaced from the reflecting surface across the gap. Light emitted from the optical fiber can pass through the sample of oil and be reflected by the reflecting surface back into the optical fiber. By interferometry of the respective signals, the condition of the oil can be determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: AKTIEBOLAGET SKF
    Inventors: Florin Tatar, Defeng Lang
  • Patent number: 9696433
    Abstract: A radiation measurement apparatus includes an array-type radiation detector and an information calculation unit which obtains information on energies detected by pixels of the detector and information on a pixel on which a radiation ray is incident. The information calculation unit includes an energy conversion unit which converts a detected signal of a pixel which is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold value into a detected energy value, a judgment value calculation unit which obtains a judgment value used to judge whether Compton scattering has been generated in the pixel in accordance with the detected energy, a judgment unit which judges whether the Compton scattering has been generated in the pixel in accordance with the judgment value, and a determination unit which obtains information on a pixel on which a radiation ray is first incident in accordance with a result of the judgment performed by the judgment unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koji Yasui
  • Patent number: 9695356
    Abstract: Metal halide scintillators are described. More particularly, the scintillators include doped (e.g., europium-doped) ternary metal halides, such as those of the formulas A2BX4 and AB2X5, wherein A is an alkali metal, such as Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs or any combination thereof; B is an alkali earth metal, such as Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba or any combination thereof; and X is a halide, such as Cl, Br, I, F or any combination thereof. Radiation detectors comprising the novel metal halide scintillators and other ternary metal halides, such as those of the formulas A2EuX4 and AEu2X5, wherein A is an alkali metal and X is a halide, are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: University of Tennessee Research Foundation
    Inventors: Luis Stand, Mariya Zhuravleva, Charles L. Melcher
  • Patent number: 9689869
    Abstract: A portable fluorescence analysis system comprises a fluorescence strip, a fluorescence excitation device and a mobile Internet device. The fluorescence strip comprises a fluorescence probe configured for detecting an analyte within a specimen. The fluorescence excitation device comprises a sleeve and an excitation light source module. The fluorescence strip is arranged at the one open end of the sleeve. The excitation light source module is arranged at the same opening side of the sleeve and configured for providing an excitation light to excite the fluorescence probe to generate fluorescence. The mobile Internet device comprises an image capturing module and configured for capturing a fluorescence image of the fluorescence strip via the other opening of the sleeve and analyzing fluorescence intensity of the fluorescence image to determine the content of the analyte. The above-mentioned system can be applied to the point of care testing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: National Tsing Hua University
    Inventors: Shih-Jie Lo, Min-Wei Hung, Jer-Liang Yeh, Da-Jeng Yao, Chao-Min Cheng
  • Patent number: 9692989
    Abstract: A method of validating or verifying a process for cleaning a surface contaminated with at least one chemical substrate, comprising the steps of: capturing an infrared image of the surface using infrared chemical imaging; utilizing at least one algorithm to interpret the captured image to extract an infra-red signal from the at least one chemical substrate to determine the amount of the at least one chemical substrate present on the surface; and determining if the amount of the at least one detected chemical substrate exceeds a threshold value, thereby indicating that a repeat cleaning process is required or thereby indicating that no further cleaning is required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Inventor: Ian Jones
  • Patent number: 9683885
    Abstract: An infrared countermeasure system comprises a transparent infrared camera dome with an anti-icing surface coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventors: Michael J. Powers, Donald K. Smith
  • Patent number: 9678218
    Abstract: A wave height analyzer generates pre-sensitivity correction data using a radiation pulse signal transmitted from a room temperature amplifier, a heater value acquired from a temperature control section, a base line of a current flowing to a TES acquired from a base line monitor mechanism. The wave height analyzer outputs the pre-sensitivity correction data to a sensitivity correction arithmetic operation unit and receives post-sensitivity correction data, on which sensitivity correction is performed. The wave height analyzer generates composite data of a combination of the pre-sensitivity correction data and the post-sensitivity correction data. A spectrum display section receives pieces of composite data sequentially created by the wave height analyzer and displays at least one of a spectrum before sensitivity correction and a spectrum after sensitivity correction, in response to receiving an operator's request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECH SCIENCE Corporation
    Inventors: Keiichi Tanaka, Atsushi Nagata
  • Patent number: 9678011
    Abstract: System for visualization of conformal contact. The system visualizes conformal contact between a patterned stamp and a transparent impression surface. A patterned stamp is provided that includes a fluorescent structure for contact with the impression surface. A source of UV light is provided for transmission through the transparent impression surface to interact with the fluorescent structure to generate visible light re-emitted by the fluorescent structure. An imaging system captures the visible light to form a high-contrast image of an area of conformal contact between the patterned stamp and the impression surface. The high-contrast image comprises bright and dark regions representing contact and no contact respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignees: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
    Inventors: Larissa F. Nietner, Scott T. Nill, David E. Hardt, Muhammad A. Hawwa, Hussain Al-Qahtani
  • Patent number: 9678227
    Abstract: A superconductive transition edge sensor detects radiation. A wave height analyzer generates an energy spectrum of radiation using a detection signal which is output from the superconductive transition edge sensor. A temperature control section and a base line monitor mechanism acquire a physical quantity of data having correlation with detection sensitivity of the superconductive transition edge sensor. A sensitivity correction arithmetic operation unit associates the physical quantity of a plurality of pieces of the acquired data at a plurality of different timings over a predetermined period of time with the detection signal at a certain timing and corrects the detection signal at the certain timing in accordance with the detection sensitivity of the superconductive transition edge sensor by using information regarding the correlation between the physical quantity of the plurality of pieces of data and the detection sensitivity of the superconductive transition edge sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECH SCIENCE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Keiichi Tanaka, Satoshi Nakayama
  • Patent number: 9678020
    Abstract: Example embodiments relate to an apparatus and method for inspecting a substrate defect. The substrate defect inspecting apparatus includes a substrate, a light source emitting an infrared beam to the substrate, a detector detecting the infrared beam reflected from the substrate, and a defect analyzer receiving first information and second information from the detector and analyzing defects existing in the substrate. According to at least one example embodiment, the second information is acquired during a later process than the first information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Joon-Seo Song, Woo-seok Ko, Ji-Young Shin, Seong-Jin Yun, Yu-Sin Yang, Sang-Kil Lee, Chung-Sam Jun
  • Patent number: 9669121
    Abstract: A method for a hand-held device comprising illuminating, with a first UV LED associated with the hand-held device, a surface of an object with UV light, acquiring with a visible-light image sensor on the hand-held device, a first image of the surface of the object while the surface of the object is illuminated by the first UV LED, performing with the processor in the hand-held device, a function upon the first image to determine a type of contaminant disposed upon the surface of the object, determining with the processor in the hand-held device, sanitation techniques to perform in response to the type of contaminant that is determined, and displaying with a touch-screen display on the hand-held device, the sanitation techniques to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: RAYVIO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yitao Liao, Robert Walker, Doug Collins, Sheung Li
  • Patent number: 9670406
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a zinc sulphide phosphor and to a process for producing same. The invention further relates to a security document or document of value, to a security feature and to a method for detecting same. The phosphor according to the invention can act as electroluminescent phosphor and thus be excited by an electrical field, and this can result in emission of electroluminescent light in the blue and/or green color region of the visible spectrum. The phosphor can moreover be excited by UV radiation in the wavelength range than 345 nm to 370 nm, and can thus emit photoluminescent light in the blue color region of the visible spectrum. The phosphor can moreover be excited by UV radiation in the wavelength range from 310 nm in 335 nm, and can thus emit photoluminescent light in the green color region of the visible spectrum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignees: LEUCHTSTOFFWERK BREITUNGEN GMBH, BUNDESDRUCKEREI GMBH
    Inventors: Detlef Starick, Manfred Paeschke, Sven Roesler, Jakob Kuen, Andreas Deichsel, Christian Kunath, Monika Voh
  • Patent number: 9671379
    Abstract: Optically interacting electromagnetic radiation with a flowing atmospheric air composition and optically interacting the electromagnetic radiation with an integrated computational element (“ICE”), the ICE being configured to analyze for a contaminant in the flowing atmospheric air. A detector receives the electromagnetic radiation that has optically interacted with the flowing atmospheric air and the ICE and generates an output signal corresponding to a characteristic of the contaminant in the flowing atmospheric air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Rickey Lynn Morgan, Danny Keith Mints, Paul Lewis Mendenall
  • Patent number: 9664800
    Abstract: A scintillator element is disclosed where the scintillator element includes a scintillator formed of a scintillation material capable of converting non-visible radiation into scintillation light, wherein the scintillator has a plurality of laser-etched micro-voids within the scintillator, each micro-void having an interior surface, and an intrinsic reflective layer is formed on the interior surface of at least some of the micro-voids, wherein the intrinsic reflective layer is formed from the scintillation material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignees: University of Tennessee Research Foundation, Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark S. Andreaco, Peter Carl Cohen, Matthias J. Schmand, James L. Corbeil, Alexander Andrew Carey, Robert A. Mintzer, Charles L. Melcher, Merry A. Koschan
  • Patent number: 9664796
    Abstract: A method includes detecting on an ongoing basis the currently existing dose rates while a worker is performing a maintenance or other operation within the RCA, and visually outputting information that pertains to the ionizing radiation to which the worker is being exposed during the operation. The information that is visually output can include information such as the current dose rate and the overall dose to which the worker has been subjected, but can additionally include information such as the time remaining before which the worker will have been exposed to the maximum allowable dose. Furthermore, it is possible for the visual display to output visual indicia that represent a comparison the exposure to ionizing radiation that had been planned as a function of time prior to the operation being commenced with the actual exposure to ionizing radiation as the operation is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Company LLC
    Inventors: Michael S. Norrell, Joonhyung Choi, Melissa M. Walter, Sabryna D. Henze, Robert W. Flammang
  • Patent number: 9655573
    Abstract: Various methods, systems and apparatus are provided for brain imaging during virtual reality stimulation. In one example, among others, a system for virtual ambulatory environment brain imaging includes a mobile brain imager configured to obtain positron emission tomography (PET) scans of a subject in motion, and a virtual reality (VR) system configured to provide one or more stimuli to the subject during the PET scans. In another example, a method for virtual ambulatory environment brain imaging includes providing stimulation to a subject through a virtual reality (VR) system; and obtaining a positron emission tomography (PET) scan of the subject while moving in response to the stimulation from the VR system. The mobile brain imager can be positioned on the subject with an array of imaging photodetector modules distributed about the head of the subject.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Stanislaw Majewski, Julie Brefczynski-Lewis
  • Patent number: 9658350
    Abstract: A radiation detection device, including: a support structure; and a chalcopyrite crystal coupled to the support structure; wherein, when the chalcopyrite crystal is exposed to radiation, a visible spectrum of the chalcopyrite crystal changes from an initial color to a modified color. The visible spectrum of the chalcopyrite crystal is changed back from the modified color to the initial color by annealing the chalcopyrite crystal at an elevated temperature below a melting point of the chalcopyrite crystal over time. The chalcopyrite crystal is optionally a 6LiInSe2 crystal. The radiation is comprised of neutrons that decrease the 6Li concentration of the chalcopyrite crystal via a 6Li(n,?) reaction. The initial color is yellow and the modified color is one of orange and red. The annealing temperature is between about 450 degrees C. and about 650 degrees C. and the annealing time is between about 12 hrs and about 36 hrs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignees: CONSOLIDATED NUCLEAR SECURITY, LLC, FISK UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Ashley C. Stowe, Brenden Wiggins, Arnold Burger
  • Patent number: 9651483
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are material compositions that include a metal doped, alumina rich yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG:M). Also provided according to embodiments of the invention are scintillator compositions that include Y3-xMxAl5+yO12+z, as a primary phosphor and wherein 0?x<0.03, 0.001<y<0.2 and 0?z<0.012, or 0?x<0.01, 0.001<y<0.1 and 0?z<0.0625 and M comprises elements selected from cerium (Ce), praseodymium (Pr), neodymium (Nd), promethium (Pm), samarium (Sm), europium (Eu), gadolinium (Gd), terbium (Tb), dysprosium (Dy), holmium (Ho), erbium (Er), thulium (Tm), ytterbium (Yb), Chromium (Cr) and lutetium (Lu). and can include a single or a mixture of a these elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Kelvin Lynn, Drew Haven
  • Patent number: 9651423
    Abstract: A MEMS optical device and an array composed thereof are disclosed herein, wherein the MEMS optical device comprises a light absorbing element, a deforming element, and a magnetic detector, wherein the magnetic detector comprises a magnetic source and a magnetic sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Inventor: Biao Zhang