Patents Examined by Jessica Stultz
  • Patent number: 8486125
    Abstract: Disclosed are several methods, apparatus, and a system for providing diabetic symptom relief through a laser based medical instrument. In one embodiment, a method includes generating a radiation of a laser-light created by a laser diode of a first medical instrument. In addition, the method includes applying a treatment of the radiation to a portion of a body. The method also includes reducing elevated blood glucose and/or glycosylated hemoglobin levels caused by one or more metabolic diseases such as diabetes. The method further includes providing a relief from the secondary complications of elevated blood glucose levels such as blurred vision, etc., when the treatment is complete.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: 2035, Inc.
    Inventors: Larry Lytle, Alf-Kare Eide Riisnaes, Kip Lytle, Shawn Gab
  • Patent number: 8488647
    Abstract: The present invention provides a semiconductor light emitting device realizing increased light detection precision by a simple manufacture process. One or more second oxidation layers are provided between an active layer and a semiconductor light detecting element in addition to a first oxidation layer for narrowing current. Since natural emission light includes many divergence components, the natural emission light is reflected and scattered by the second oxidation layer, and propagation of the natural emission light to the semiconductor light detecting element side is suppressed. The detection level of the natural emission light by the semiconductor light detecting element decreases, and light detection precision increases. The first and second oxidation layers are formed by a single oxidizing process so that the manufacturing process is simplified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro Arakida, Shiro Uchida, Masaki Shiozaki, Osamu Maeda
  • Patent number: 8486126
    Abstract: A method and device for light color therapy, which is a method for simultaneously exposing specific surface regions of the human body to light of specific but possibly different frequencies, temporal characteristics and polarization. The device is constructed to match anatomical details of the human body such as to apply the simultaneous local light exposures to the desired body regions and to compensate for possible movement of the head, thereby minimizing the time required for a single treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Inventor: Ed Kribbe
  • Patent number: 8488642
    Abstract: Provided is a gallium nitride based semiconductor light-emitting device with a structure capable of enhancing the degree of polarization. A light-emitting diode 11a is provided with a semiconductor region 13, an InGaN layer 15 and an active layer 17. The semiconductor region 13 has a primary surface 13a having semipolar nature, and is made of GaN or AlGaN. The primary surface 13a of the semiconductor region 13 is inclined at an angle ? with respect to a plane Sc perpendicular to a reference axis Cx which extends in a direction of the [0001] axis in the primary surface 13a. The thickness D13 of the semiconductor region 13 is larger than the thickness DInGaN of the InGaN layer 17, and the thickness DInGaN of the InGaN layer 15 is not less than 150 nm. The InGaN layer 15 is provided directly on the primary surface 13a of the semiconductor region 13 and is in contact with the primary surface 13a.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yusuke Yoshizumi, Yohei Enya, Masaki Ueno, Takashi Kyono
  • Patent number: 8488635
    Abstract: An actively Q-switched laser based on UV illumination mitigates pyroelectric effects in lithium niobate. An exemplary embodiment comprises a pump source; a dichroic mirror having one end optically facing said pump source; a gain medium optically facing another end of said dichroic mirror; a polarizer having one end optically facing another end of said gain medium; a quarter wave plate having one end optically facing another end of said polarizer; and a electro-optic crystal having one end optically facing said quarter wave plate, at least one side of said electro-optic crystal being electrically connected to Q-switch driver to have the crystal function as a Q-switch. A UV illumination source illuminates a side surface of said electrical-optic crystal with UV light. An output mirror receives an output from said Q-switch and produces a laser emission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Lew Goldberg, Brian J. Cole
  • Patent number: 8488643
    Abstract: A laser structure is provided in which an influence caused by a concave-convex structure on laser characteristics is reduced when the Epitaxial Lateral Overgrowth (ELO) technique is applied to a photonic-crystal surface emitting laser. A height of the mask structure is set such that a reflection peak wavelength of 0-th order diffracted light and a reflection peak wavelength of first-order diffracted light differ from each other for light that enters a concave-convex periodic structure, which is constituted by a first layer and a mask structure, from a photonic crystal. Further, reflection intensity of the 0-th order diffracted light from the concave-convex periodic structure is larger than reflection intensity of the first-order diffracted light from the concave-convex periodic structure at an oscillation wavelength ?.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Nagatomo, Shoichi Kawashima
  • Patent number: 8488639
    Abstract: Apparatus, systems, and methods having a frequency comb of large spacing can be used in a variety of applications. In various embodiments, a frequency comb is generated from a slave laser by injecting an optical output from a drive laser into the slave laser. One or more parameters of the drive laser and/or the slave laser can be adjusted such that a frequency comb can be generated at a multiple of the repetition rate of the drive laser. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: STC.UNM
    Inventors: Jean-Claude Diels, Ladan Arissian
  • Patent number: 8483247
    Abstract: An external-cavity tuneable laser includes a gain medium and a tuneable mirror wherein at least the tuneable mirror is in thermal contact with a thermally conductive platform. The tuneable mirror lays substantially horizontally on the thermally conductive platform significantly improving the thermal contact of the tuneable mirror with the platform. A laser beam from the gain medium is directed onto the tuneable mirror, which is mounted substantially horizontally with respect to the thermally conductive platform, by means of a deflector that deflects the beam or a large part of it toward one of the principal surfaces of the tuneable mirror. The resulting laser cavity is a folded cavity. The thermally conductive platform is preferably thermally coupled to a TEC that provides thermal control for the platform. The deflector may be a beam splitter that deflects part of the incoming light and transmits the remaining part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Giacomo Antonio Rossi, Alberto Rampulla
  • Patent number: 8483251
    Abstract: Provided is a Group III nitride semiconductor laser diode with a cladding layer capable of providing high optical confinement and carrier confinement. An n-type Al0.08Ga0.92N cladding layer is grown so as to be lattice-relaxed on a (20-21)-plane GaN substrate. A GaN optical guiding layer is grown so as to be lattice-relaxed on the n-type cladding layer. An active layer, a GaN optical guiding layer, an Al0.12Ga0.88N electron blocking layer, and a GaN optical guiding layer are grown so as not to be lattice-relaxed on the optical guiding layer. A p-type Al0.08Ga0.92N cladding layer is grown so as to be lattice-relaxed on the optical guiding layer. A p-type GaN contact layer is grown so as not to be lattice-relaxed on the p-type cladding layer, to produce a semiconductor laser. Dislocation densities at junctions are larger than those at the other junctions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yohei Enya, Yusuke Yoshizumi, Takashi Kyono, Katsushi Akita, Masaki Ueno, Takamichi Sumitomo, Takao Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8483250
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser driving device and an image forming apparatus are disclosed that are capable of accurately detecting the deterioration of the semiconductor laser with a smaller circuit size and regardless of the variation of the characteristics of the semiconductor laser and the use conditions of the semiconductor laser by adding a minimum circuit are disclosed. In the semiconductor laser driving device, the output voltage generated by an operational amplifier circuit by amplifying a voltage difference between a monitoring voltage (Vm) and a predetermined reference voltage (Vref) is transmitted to a bias current generating circuit unit as a bias current setting voltage (Vbi) through a sample/hold circuit having a switch (SW1) and a sample/hold capacitor (Csh). When the bias current setting voltage (Vbi) is greater than a predetermined voltage, a deterioration detecting circuit transmits a deterioration detecting signal indicating that the deterioration of the semiconductor laser is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomohiko Kamatani
  • Patent number: 8478124
    Abstract: The present invention is a device including a wavelength division multiplexer for multiplexing a plurality of optical carrier signals on an optical fiber. A mission processor, including an optical line terminal (OLT) is communicatively coupled to a wavelength division multiplexor branch unit via an optical fiber for generating a plurality of fiber optic branches. A plurality of fiber optic branches communicatively coupled with the wavelength division multiplexor branch unit for communicating one or more signals to at least one optical network unit, wherein the mission processor transmits a first signal having at least one downstream wavelength to the wavelength division multiplexor branch unit, and wherein the plurality of fiber optic branches are configured for transmitting a branch signals having a plurality of wavelengths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Raymond Zanoni, Peter J. Morgan
  • Patent number: 8477821
    Abstract: A vertical cavity surface emitting laser that includes: a substrate; a first reflector of a first conductive type formed on the substrate; an active region formed on the first reflector; a second reflector of a second conductive type formed on the active region; and a current confining layer formed between the first reflector and the second reflector; and a metallic electrode that is formed on the second reflector, and is electrically connected to the second reflector. A conductive region with an anisotropy where a length in a longitudinal direction is different from a length in a short direction is formed in the current confining layer, and an opening defining a beam aperture is formed in the metallic electrode, and a diameter of the opening in the longitudinal direction is smaller than the length of the conductive region in the longitudinal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Yoshikawa, Hideo Nakayama
  • Patent number: 8472491
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser device includes a semiconductor-layer lamination (20) having an active layer (26) formed over a substrate (11). The semiconductor-layer lamination (20) includes a front face which emits light, a strip-shaped optical waveguide formed in a direction transverse to the front face, a first region (20A) extending in a direction transverse to the front face, a second region (20B) having a top surface whose height is different from that of the first region (20A), and a planar region (20C) formed between the first region (20A) and the second region (20B), and having periodic surface undulations whose variation is smaller than that of the second region (20B). The optical waveguide is formed in the planar region (20C).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Masao Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 8472496
    Abstract: A device representing a reflector, for example, an evanescent reflector or a multilayer interference reflector with at least one reflectivity stopband is disclosed. A medium with means of generating optical gain is introduced into the layer or several layers of the reflector. The optical gain spectrum preferably overlaps with the spectral range of the reflectivity stopband. This device can be attached to air, semiconductor or dielectric material or multilayer structures and provide a tool for preferential amplification of the optical waves propagating at larger angles with respect to the interface with the evanescent or the multilayer interference reflector. Thus angle selective amplification or generation of light is possible. Several evanescent or interference reflectors can be used to serve the goal of preferable amplification the said optical waves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: VI Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Nikolay Ledentsov
  • Patent number: 8467429
    Abstract: A laser comprises an end pump light source and a gain medium having a first end, a second end, and four sides comprising a first, a second, a third, and a fourth side. The end pump light source is optically coupled to the first end and pumps the gain medium. The first side and the third side are tapered inwardly from the first end to the first end to the second end at a taper angle ? relative to a longitudinal lasing axis and have a polished finish capable of reflecting light inside the gain medium. The second side and the fourth side are substantially parallel to the longitudinal lasing axis have a ground blasted finish. The first side is also tilted inwardly at a slant angle ? from the fourth side to the second side. A laser beam R0 exits the second end of the gain medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Innova, Inc.
    Inventor: M. Cem Gokay
  • Patent number: 8467422
    Abstract: A source of optical supercontinuum radiation is disclosed, for generating blue-enhanced spectral components using a pump wavelength of substantially 1064 nm. The source comprises a microstructured optical fibre and a pump laser arranged to generate lasing radiation at the pump wavelength of substantially 1064 nm. The microstructured optical fibre comprises a core region and a cladding region which surrounds the core region and the pump laser is adapted to launch the lasing radiation at the pump wavelength into the core region of the microstructured optical fiber to excite the fundamental mode of the fibre. The fiber comprises a zero dispersion wavelength within ±200 nm of the pump wavelength and can support a plurality of modes at the pump wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Fianium Ltd.
    Inventors: Jonathan Cave Knight, Dmitry Vladimirovich Skryabin, James Morgan Stone
  • Patent number: 8467426
    Abstract: A system and method for cooling an optical fiber includes a flexible heat sink member, a heat pipe evaporator, and a thermal storage medium. The flexible heat sink member is in thermal contact with the optical fiber. The heat pipe evaporator is configured to dissipate heat from the optical fiber. The thermal storage medium is in thermal contact with the flexible heat sink member and the heat pipe evaporator. The flexible heat sink member is configured to compensate for any mismatch in coefficient of thermal expansion between material of the optical fiber and material of the flexible heat sink member so as to provide radial compliance and to maintain direct thermal contact between the optical fiber and the flexible heat sink member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Joseph Ichkhan, John Schroeder, David A. Rockwell
  • Patent number: 8467677
    Abstract: A method for monitoring a passive optical network (1), PON, having a tree-like structure with a main line (3) and at least two branches (6.1 to 6.3), comprising: transmitting a wake-up signal (10) from the main line (3) to at least two monitoring units (DPM1 to DPM3) arranged in the at least two branches (6.1 to 6.3), in each of the monitoring units (DPM1 to DPM3), detecting the wake-up signal (10) and transmitting a response signal (A, B, C) back to the main line (3), each of the monitoring units (DPM1 to DPM3) generating a pre-defined time delay (?tA to ?tC) between the detection of the wake-up signal (10) and the start of the transmission of the response signal (A, B, C), and receiving the response signals (A, B, C) at the main line (3), the receiving times (R1 to R3) of the response signals (A, B, C) being different from each other, the difference between the receiving times (R1 to R3) being adjusted by the pre-defined time delays (?tA to ?tC) of the monitoring units (DPM1 to DPM3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Alcaltel Lucent
    Inventors: Michael Straub, Harald Schmuck, Lothar Jentsch, Jörg Hehmann
  • Patent number: 8462828
    Abstract: A system is provided to generate coherent single-frequency and single transverse mode light pulses. A laser produces a linearly-polarized continuous wave beam defined by a single longitudinal and transverse mode. A first rotator processes the beam such that optical polarization is rotated during a first time period and not rotated during a second and third time period. A second rotator is operated during the first period to rotate optical polarization of the beam, during the second period to not rotate the beam, and during the third period to rotate the beam. An optical loop amplifies the beam during the first and second periods. An amplifier device can be added to the loop for amplification. A first beam splitter allows the beam to enter the loop and a second splitter directs the beam along the loop during the first and second periods and out of the loop during the third period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: The United States of Americas as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Lee E. Estes
  • Patent number: 8460281
    Abstract: The invention relates to a field of systems for human skin medical treatments. The system consists in a biomedical apparatus (1) connected to a scanning device (5) by means of an articulated transmission system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Lasering S.r.l.
    Inventor: Dante Marchi