Patents Examined by Jay L. Politzer
  • Patent number: 6412336
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for determining the viscosity of the circulating blood of a living being over plural shear rates caused by a decreasing pressure differential by monitoring the changing weight of the blood, or the changing level of a column of blood over time. The apparatus and method utilize a riser, a capillary tube, a collector and a mass detector, such as a precision balance or a load cell, for monitoring the changing weight of a sample of fluid that flows through these components under the influence of the decreasing pressure differential; alternatively, the apparatus and method use a column level detector to monitor the changing level of the column of blood over time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: Rheologics, Inc.
    Inventors: Sehyun Shin, Young Cho, Kenneth Kensey, William N. Hogenauer, Sangho Kim
  • Patent number: 6412338
    Abstract: A viscometer for sensing or characterizing the stress required to shear a fluid at a given rate includes a pair of members coaxially mounted for relative rotation. Between the members is an annular gap defining a flow path for the fluid. The flow path is configured such that during differential rotation of the members, fluid is caused to flow through the annular gap that is a function of the differential rotation and the viscosity of the fluid. A sensor measures the torque or torque equivalent required to achieve such differential rotation between the members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: The Lubrizol Corporation
    Inventors: Frederick P. Boyle, Gary Garvin, Klaus-Werner Damm, Daniel H. Heath, Herman F. George, Peter J. Moore, Dale Hicks, Terence E. Robinson
  • Patent number: 6408683
    Abstract: An asphalt stability testing vessel includes a container, an external heater, an internal heater, an agitator assembly, a temperature controller, and at least one sampling tube. The external heater is disposed on the outside surface area of the container. The external heater is surrounded by a thermal insulator. The internal heater is located inside the container and at substantially the bottom thereof. The agitator includes a motor, a shaft, and at least one propeller. The top of the container has at least one opening for the insertion of a sampling tube. The asphalt stability testing vessel is used to prepare modified asphalt binder for numerous stability tests. The tests include external heat without agitation, internal heat with high agitation, and internal heat without agitation. The values of complex shear modulus and phase angle obtained from the modified asphalt binder are analyzed for separation and degradation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventors: Hussain U. Bahia, Huachun Zhai
  • Patent number: 6401520
    Abstract: A personal sampling method and apparatus for real time respirable dust dosimetry for dust exposure assessment is provided to aid in assuring the respiratory health of workers. An embodiment uses a low flow-rate gas sampling pump for differential pressure measurements across a glass fiber collection filter in a disposable detector tube (12) or dust detecting device coupled to the pump inlet. The dust detecting device includes an elongated tubular element (12) having the filter (30) positioned between proximal and distal ends of the tube (12) for trapping dust mass. A pressure transducer (16) at the proximal end (36) measures the pressure from the flow of gas. The pump draws the flow of gas through the dust detecting device from the distal end (38) towards the proximal end (36) trapping the dust mass at the filter (30).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services
    Inventors: Jon C. Volkwein, Steven J. Page, Harry DoBroski, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6397666
    Abstract: A method is provided for determining the concentration of a solution having a predetermined osmotic pressure and/or for generating a solution with a predetermined osmotic pressure. The method is performed by placing a sample of a solution into a sample cell, the sample cell including therein a membrane supported therein; sealing the sample in the sample cell; introducing gas at a predetermined elevated pressure substantially equal to the predetermined osmotic pressure; and generating a dialyzate by allowing the solution to dialyze through the membrane until equilibrium is achieved and no more dialyzate passes through while the sample cell is maintained at the predetermined elevated pressure, the sample remaining in the sample cell having an osmotic pressure substantially equal to the predetermined elevated pressure; collecting the dialyzate of said generating step; and weighing the dialyzate of said collecting step to determine the concentration of the solution remaining in the sample cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: David C. Boris
  • Patent number: 6397662
    Abstract: The system includes an access assembly for communicating with the gas filled insulating units, flexible electrodes for insertion through the access assembly to the gas and for sensing the concentration of the gas, and a meter for measuring and displaying the concentration of the gas that is sensed through the electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: CAN-BEST Building Sciences Corporation
    Inventor: Elie Alkhoury
  • Patent number: 6393900
    Abstract: An aerosol can content analyzer workstation is disclosed which will make available the drug content of an aerosol can by a mechanical extraction process wherein the extraction is performed by isolating the bottom portion of the aerosol can in an extraction chamber. The aerosol can bottom is pierced by a metal punch after the aerosol can bottom is isolated. An extraction solvent is dispensed through spray holes in the metal punch in order to extract the contents from within the can. The extract is then collected in a collection flask and the extract is analyzed in order to determine the drug content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Assignee: SmithKline Beecham Corporation
    Inventors: Charles Amick Buckner, III, Jeffrey Scott Thomas
  • Patent number: 6393899
    Abstract: An automated biomonitoring system for monitoring water quality includes an exposure chamber for housing an aquatic organism having ventilatory behavior and body movement sensitive to water quality. Electrodes capture electrical signals produced by the organism during its ventilatory behavior and body movement, and a controller responsive to signals from the electrodes determines one or more ventilatory parameters based on the signals. The ventilatory parameters are compared with corresponding thresholds to determine when the water to which the organism is exposed has caused physiological stress to the organism. The signals captured by the electrodes may be corrected for variations in water conductivity so that the signals processed by the controlled are not influenced by conductivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Assignee: Geo-Centers, Inc.
    Inventors: Tommy Ray Shedd, Mark Wesley Widder, Jeffrey Daniel Leach, William Hendrik Van Der Schalie, Robert Charles Bishoff
  • Patent number: 6389880
    Abstract: A magnetic wind oxygen sensing device provides a local magnetic field defined by magnetic pole pieces, and employs a plurality of thermal elements in a bridge in the local magnetic field to measure oxygen concentration in a surrounding gas mixture, creating a magnetic wind and determining the thermal effects induced in sensing elements as a result of the wind. A pair of sensing elements are positioned such that one lies upstream and one downstream of each wind generator, and both are substantially in thermal equilibrium with adjacent gas so they are unaffected by changes in thermal capacity of background gas components. When oxygen is present, the two sensing elements are passively cooled below, and heated above the temperature set by a local heater, respectively. In the absence of oxygen, the sensors reside at the same temperature, so they are self zero-ing, and this zero point does not shift when background gases with differing thermal characteristics are present.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: Panametrics, Inc.
    Inventor: Emilio Meyer
  • Patent number: 6386026
    Abstract: A sample catcher comprises an inclined sampling screw conveyor which intercepts a continuous stream of drill cuttings from a shaker. A vaned metering rotor accepts a plurality of discrete samples from adjacent the conveyor's discharge. The vaned rotor is rotated at a lag rate proportional to the rate of penetration at the time the stream of cuttings with drilled. The plurality of discrete samples are discharged as a substantially continuous sample stream which is directed through a second conveyor to one or more analytical instruments. Further, the sample stream can be directed to a sample bag carousel which is index advanced for associating the bag contents with the drilling. The apparatus enables a method of analyzing cutting samples which correlate to the cuttings when drilled and in a process which is continuous.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2002
    Inventor: Konstandinos S. Zamfes
  • Patent number: 6382016
    Abstract: An inspection device is provided for inspecting whether the gap between the front and rear sides of a grommet is watertightly sealed. The inspection device includes a cylindrical member (10) into which electric wires (4) projected from a front end of a grommet (3) are inserted and a sealing means (11) for sealing the cylindrical member. Air is supplied into the cylindrical member (10). When the air flow stops due to pressurization of the cylindrical member (10), it is determined that the grommet (3) has passed an examination. Thus, it is possible to detect the gap between the electric wires (4) with high accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Araki, Katsumi Furukawa, Yoshitsugu Fujita
  • Patent number: 6378362
    Abstract: This invention provides saturated and unsaturated Vadose zone remote sample acquisition and in-situ contaminant character identification. The invention is addressed to the management of the Vadose zone. Matters of interest to the agricultural community may include, in addition to other factors, the quantity of nutrients in the saturated zone and the existence of contaminants and the potential for loss of nutrients to the unsaturated zone. Matters of interest to facilities engaging in pollution, toxic or other contaminant detection will be the presence of such contaminants in both the saturated and unsaturated zones and additionally of the transit of contaminants into the unsaturated zone having potential of interaction with the water table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2002
    Inventor: Larry Dickinson
  • Patent number: 6378364
    Abstract: A measurement device is provided that determines fluid properties from vibration frequencies of a sample cavity and a reference cavity. In one embodiment, the measurement device includes a sample flow tube, a reference flow tube, vibration sources and detectors mounted on the tubes, and a measurement module. The sample flow tube receives a flow of sample fluid for characterization. The reference flow tube is filled with a reference fluid having well-characterized properties. The measurement module employs the vibration sources to generate vibrations in both tubes. The measurement module combines the signals from the vibration detectors on the tubes to determine properties of the sample fluid, such as density, viscosity, compressibility, water fraction, and bubble size. The measurement module may further detect certain flow patterns such as slug flow, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2002
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael T. Pelletier, Mark A. Proett, Bruce H. Storm, Jr., James Robert Birchak, Thomas Edward Ritter
  • Patent number: 6374662
    Abstract: An odor measuring device has a collector tube containing an adsorbent which adsorbs sample components with odor at normal temperatures and desorbs them when heated. Flow routes for a sample gas containing sample components to be detected and an inactive gas are connected through valves to this collector tube. Initially, a sample gas containing sample components with odor is introduced into the collector tube at normal temperature such that the sample components to be detected are adsorbed to the adsorbent. Thereafter, the valves are switched such that the inactive gas is introduced into the collector tube while its temperature is increased by a heater, causing the sample components to be desorbed into the inactive gas and to be transported into an odor sensor. If odor sensors requiring oxygen for detection are used, an oxygen-containing gas such as air is mixed into the inactive gas after the latter has passed through the collector tube such that deterioration of the adsorbent by oxidation can be prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2002
    Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
    Inventors: Ryutaro Oda, Motoo Kinoshita, Kunihiko Okubo, Keiso Kawamoto, Hiroshi Nakano
  • Patent number: 6374668
    Abstract: A gas analyzer for an oil drilling rig normally flows gas captured from a mud pit source through parallel paths from the gas source to a total gas analyzer. One of the paths is a loop path. Periodically the loop path is switched from the source to the total gas analyzer and connected to a path from an air supply to a chromatograph. After a short time during which the gas from the loop path is transferred to the chromatograph then the loop path is switched back to the original parallel path. This arrangement permits a small instrument to perform both the functions of total gas analyzer and chromatograph.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2002
    Inventor: Dean John Richards
  • Patent number: 6370945
    Abstract: The invention provides a leak detection system comprising a conduit for carrying a fluid or gas and a control device for monitoring leaks in the conduit. The conduit is formed from first and second electrically conductive layers that are electrically insulated from each other. The control device includes an output, for introducing an electric charge to the first and second layers, a detector for detecting changes in the electric charge introduced to layers, and a response switch for triggering a predetermined response when a sufficient change in the electric charge is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2002
    Inventor: Michael Lee Roberts
  • Patent number: 6367323
    Abstract: A drill string section for use in making up a drill string for oil and gas drilling carries instrumentation for measurement and logging while drilling. The instrumentation includes a dynamic pressure device for measuring drill string bore pressure of incoming pressurized fluid and drill string annular pressure of returned pressurized fluid. The drill string section comprises a length of drill string pipe having a bore defined by an inner surface of a wall which has an outer surface. The instrumentation is provided in an elongate cylindrical tool shell. The outer surface of the tool shell has spaced apart seals which engage the inside surface of a cylindrical landing sleeve in the pipe bore. The seals are located in the sleeve on either side of communicating port(s) in the drill pipe wall, forming a leak tight annular region that eventually communicates through appropriate ports to a pressure transducer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: Ryan Energy Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul L. Camwell, Michael T. Sutherland, Anthony Robert Dopf, Derek W. Logan, Randall S. Liscombe
  • Patent number: 6367309
    Abstract: An insulation layer of a heating device for a sensor for determination of oxygen concentration in gas mixtures, in particular exhaust gasses of an internal combustion engine, is produced by applying a silicate-free insulation base material consisting only of barium oxide and/or strontium oxide with aluminum oxide to coat the heating device (50) and then heating the heating device with the insulation base material applied to it to temperatures of about 1350° to 1600° C. to form the insulation layer (60) by sintering. The sensor includes a Nernst measuring cell provided with a first electrode (16) and a second electrode (18) arranged in a solid electrolyte (20). The insulation layer (60) is arranged between the solid electrolyte (20) and the heating device (50).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Lothar Diehl, Karl-Hermann Friese
  • Patent number: 6360589
    Abstract: A liquid chromatograph and a column packing material effectively condensing cationic specimen and exhibiting a high resolution. The liquid chromatograph includes a pre-focusing column (30, 40) having a volume of less than 2.0 milliliters and packed with a column packing material, in which a porous support is coated by a silicone polymer having a Si—R—X (R is a spacer part, X is a sulfonic group) bond and a Si—R′ (R′ is a hydrophilic group) bond, wherein the specimen to be analyzed is supplied to the pre-focusing column in the state dispersed in a solvent for condensation. The condensed specimen is then separated in a separation column (16, 43) used for separating the specimen dispersed in the solvent, and the separated specimen is analyzed by a detector (17, 41).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2002
    Assignee: Shiseido Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Taketoshi Kanda, Aya Ohkubo, Yutaka Ohtsu, Michihiro Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 6360584
    Abstract: A device for measurement of an odor component in a sample gas prepares many target gases to be actually measured by a plurality of sensors with different response characteristics, each containing the odor component at a different concentration. Detection signals from these sensors are analyzed by a method of multivariate analysis such as the principal component analysis, and the odor component is characterized on the basis of such an analysis. For preparing the target gases, the sample gas containing the odor component is passed through a collector tube containing an adsorbent which adsorbs this odor component at normal and subnormal temperature and desorbs it when heated. After a specified amount of the odor component is adsorbed to the adsorbent, the tube is heated and an inert gas serving as carrier gas is passed through such that the desorbed odor component is carried to the detectors as a target gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2002
    Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
    Inventors: Kunihiko Okubo, Keiso Kawamoto, Motoo Kinoshita, Hiroshi Nakano, Jun-ichi Kita, Mitsuyoshi Yoshii, Hisamitsu Akamaru