Patents Examined by Marcus Taningco
  • Patent number: 9297910
    Abstract: A nuclear scanner includes an annular support structure (32) which supports a plurality of detector modules (30). Each detector module includes a cooling and mounting structure (34) to which a plurality of tiles (40) are mounted by passing pins (46-49) through holes (38) in the cooling and mounting structure (34) to position each tile and thermally connect each tile to the cooling and mounting structure (34). A tile mount (44) on the side of the tile that makes contact with the cooling and mounting structure has a smooth face to make contact with the cooling and mounting structure to provide good thermal contact between the tile (40) and the cooling and support structure (34).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventor: Jinling Liu
  • Patent number: 9299545
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for calibrating mass spectrometers. In accordance with one implementation, a system comprises a calibrant chamber within a housing of a mass spectrometer. The system also comprises a permeation tube enclosed within the calibrant chamber, wherein the tube contains a calibrant chemical that continuously outgasses the calibrant chemical. The outgassed calibrant chemical may be introduced to the mass spectrometer for analysis. The system may also comprise a heating block to control the temperature of the calibrant chemical. The system may further comprise a valve that introduces a known amount of the calibrant chemical into the calibrant chamber. In accordance with the present disclosure, systems and methods are provided for calibrating a mass spectrometer abundance scale.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: 1ST DETECT CORPORATION
    Inventors: David Rafferty, James Wylde, Michael Spencer, Warren Mino
  • Patent number: 9289578
    Abstract: For position sensors, e.g., a fiber-based system, that build a shape of an elongated member, such as a catheter, using a sequence of small orientation measurements, a small error in orientation at the proximal end of the sensor will cause large error in position at distal points on the fiber. Exemplary methods and systems are disclosed, which may provide full or partial registration along the length of the sensor to reduce the influence of the measurement error. Additional examples are directed to applying selective filtering at a proximal end of the elongated member to provide a more stable base for distal measurements and thereby reducing the influence of measurement errors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: HANSEN MEDICAL, INC.
    Inventors: Sean P. Walker, Serena H. Wong, June Park, Neal A. Tanner
  • Patent number: 9292938
    Abstract: Embodiments of the computer-implemented methods, storage mediums, and systems may be configured to determine locations of particles within a first image of the particles. The particles may have fluorescence-material associated therewith. The embodiments may include calculating a transform parameter, and the transform parameter may define an estimated movement in the locations of the particles between the first image of the particles and a second image of the particles. The embodiments may further including applying the transform parameter to the locations of the particles within the first image to determine movement locations of the particles within the second image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Luminex Corporation
    Inventor: Matthew S. Fisher
  • Patent number: 9293307
    Abstract: A novel electron multiplier that regulates in real time the gain of downstream dynodes as the instrument receives input signals is introduced. In particular, the methods, electron multiplier structures, and coupled control circuits of the present invention enable a resultant on the fly control signal to be generated upon receiving a predetermined threshold detection signal so as to enable the voltage regulation of one or more downstream dynodes near the output of the device. Accordingly, such a novel design, as presented herein, prevents the dynodes near the output of the instrument from being exposed to deleterious current pulses that can accelerate the aging process of the dynode structures that are essential to the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Thermo Finnigan LLC
    Inventors: Viatcheslav Kovtoun, Raman Mathur
  • Patent number: 9283403
    Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for positioning a radiation source with respect to one or more regions of interest in a coordinate system. Such systems and methods may be used in emission guided radiation therapy (EGRT) for the localized delivery of radiation to one or more patient tumor regions. These systems comprise a gantry movable about a patient area, where a plurality of positron emission detectors, a radiation source are arranged movably on the gantry, and a controller. The controller is configured to identify a coincident positron annihilation emission path and to position the radiation source to apply a radiation beam along the identified emission path. The systems and methods described herein can be used alone or in conjunction with surgery, chemotherapy, and/or brachytherapy for the treatment of tumors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: RefleXion Medical, Inc.
    Inventors: Samuel Mazin, Akshay Nanduri
  • Patent number: 9274005
    Abstract: A semiconductor sensor includes a substrate and an absorber. The substrate includes at least one reflective component. The absorber is spaced apart from the at least one reflective component by a distance. The absorber defines a plurality of openings each having a maximum width that is less than or equal to the distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Ashwin K. Samarao, Gary O'Brien
  • Patent number: 9274055
    Abstract: A submersible fluorometer (10), includes: an excitation module (40) for exciting the fluorophore; and a detection module (42) for detecting the light emitted by the excited fluorophore, wherein the excitation module (40) includes a first light source (44) including a first UV LED and having a first wavelength lower than 300 nm, the excitation module (40) includes a second light source (46) including a second UV LED and having a second wavelength lower than 300 nm, the first and second wavelengths being different from each other, and the fluorometer includes an electronic circuit having a plurality of printed circuits positioned one below the other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignees: CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE (C.N.R.S.), UNIVERSITE D'AIX-MARSEILLE
    Inventors: Marc Tedetti, Madeleine Goutx
  • Patent number: 9268036
    Abstract: A radiation detector is offered which can suppress generation of sum peaks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: JEOL Ltd.
    Inventor: Genki Kinugasa
  • Patent number: 9267847
    Abstract: An infrared sensor for temperature sensing comprises a cap covering a substrate; an IR-radiation filtering window in the cap transparent to IR radiation; a first sensing element comprising a set of N thermocouples on the substrate covered by the cap, whose hot junctions may receive radiation; a second sensing element comprising a set of N thermocouples on the substrate covered by the cap whose hot junctions may not receive radiation; first connection modules for connecting a number N1 of thermocouples of the first sensing element, second connection modules for connecting a number N2 of thermocouples of the second sensing; connecting means for connecting an output of the first connection modules of the first sensing element with an output of the second connection modules of the second sensing element, and an output of the combined outputs of the sensing elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: MELEXIS TECHNOLOGIES NV
    Inventors: Viktor Kassovski, Luc Buydens, Sam Maddalena
  • Patent number: 9261612
    Abstract: Methods of evaluating a parameter of interest of a formation intersected by a borehole, including exposing a radiation sensor in the borehole to a calibration radiation source while a measurement operation using the radiation sensor is suspended. Methods may include exposing the radiation sensor to the calibration radiation source when the radiation sensor is stationary relative to the formation or during interruption of drilling operations or at predetermined intervals; processing response information, including performing a mitigation process on a portion of the response information relating to exposure of the radiation sensor to a calibration radiation source during measurement operations; or using the calibrated measurement information to estimate parameters of interest. Devices may include a radiation sensor, a calibrator including a calibration radiation source, and an actuator configured to intermittently expose the radiation sensor to the calibration radiation source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: BAKER HUGHES INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Feyzi Inanc, Daniel T. Georgi
  • Patent number: 9261648
    Abstract: A plasmonic structure comprises a substrate and an electro conductor provided in or on the substrate. The electro conductor comprises a first part configured to provide a first series of plasmon resonance modes (for incident radiation of a first wavelength) and a second part configured to provide a second series of plasmon resonance modes (for incident radiation of a second wavelength). The first and second parts are functionally connected in a linkage region, wherein the electro conductor is shaped such as to form a capacitive gap. The electro conductor is further configured to direct radiation incident on the plasmonic structure of the first wavelength predominantly toward a first direction and to direct radiation incident on the plasmonic structure of the second wavelength predominantly toward a second direction, in which the first direction and the second direction are separated by an angle of at least 60°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignees: IMEC VZW, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, KU LEUVEN R&D
    Inventor: Dries Vercruysse
  • Patent number: 9255995
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a scintillator radiation detector system includes a scintillator, and a processing device for processing pulse traces corresponding to light pulses from the scintillator, where the processing device is configured to: process each pulse trace over at least two temporal windows and to use pulse digitization to improve energy resolution of the system. According to another embodiment, a scintillator radiation detector system includes a processing device configured to: fit digitized scintillation waveforms to an algorithm, perform a direct integration of fit parameters, process multiple integration windows for each digitized scintillation waveform to determine a correction factor, and apply the correction factor to each digitized scintillation waveform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
    Inventors: Nerine Jane Cherepy, Stephen Anthony Payne, Owen B. Drury, Benjamin W. Sturm
  • Patent number: 9250332
    Abstract: To provide a radiation image detecting device providing high responsivity and high precision of an emission start judgment, an electronic cassette has a panel unit and a control unit. The panel unit has a two-dimensional array of normal pixels for accumulating signal charge upon receiving X-rays and detection pixels for detecting the X-rays. A signal processing circuit periodically samples a dose signal, corresponding to an X-ray dose per unit of time, from the detection pixels. An emission start judgment unit performs based on the dose signals of the detection pixels a first judgment process for judging whether X-ray emission has been started, and a second judgment process for judging whether a result of the first judgment process is correct. The control unit sets a second sampling cycle SP2 used in the second judgment process longer than a first sampling cycle SP1 used in the first sampling process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Yasufumi Oda
  • Patent number: 9250136
    Abstract: A pyrometry imaging system for monitoring a high-temperature asset which includes at least one component is provided. The system includes a lens element in optical communication with the at least one component. The lens element is configured to receive at least a portion of thermal radiation emitted from the at least one component. The system also includes a view limiting device positioned between the lens element and a dispersive element. The dispersive element is configured to split the at least a portion of thermal radiation emitted into a plurality of wavelengths. The system further includes at least one camera device in optical communication with the dispersive element. The at least one camera device is configured to receive at least one wavelength from the dispersive element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jonas Patrik Richard Gustavsson, Vivek Venugopal Badami, Nilesh Tralshawala, Jordi Estevadeordal
  • Patent number: 9244004
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for non-destructive, contact or non-contact inspection of composite assemblies using radiation having a frequency in the terahertz range (10 GHz-10 THz) of the spectrum, whereby said method is implemented as an embodiment of the system for non-destructive, contact or non-contact inspection of composite assemblies using terahertz radiation, that is also claimed under the present invention. Said method enables the forming of a two or three-dimensional image of the material structure of an assembly of composite materials, from which image detection and analysis of material conditions of the composite materials forming said composite assemblies is possible, irrespective of the way that the composite materials forming said composite assemblies were joined together, and without the need for a priori knowledge about the structural characteristics, shape or configuration of said composite materials (for instance layered, foam, placed on metal substrate).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: STICHTING SRON—NETHERLANDS INSTITUTE FOR SPACE RESEARCH
    Inventors: Andrei M. Barychev, Alena V. Belitskaya, Herman H. Van der Linden, Willem Jellema
  • Patent number: 9239267
    Abstract: An infrared sensor for temperature sensing comprises a cap covering a substrate; an IR-radiation filtering window in the cap transparent to IR radiation; a first sensing element comprising a set of N thermocouples on the substrate covered by the cap, whose hot junctions may receive radiation; a second sensing element comprising a set of N thermocouples on the substrate covered by the cap whose hot junctions may not receive radiation; first connection modules for connecting a number N1 of thermocouples of the first sensing element, second connection modules for connecting a number N2 of thermocouples of the second sensing; connecting means for connecting an output of the first connection modules of the first sensing element with an output of the second connection modules of the second sensing element, and an output of the combined outputs of the sensing elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: MELEXIS TECHNOLOGIES NV
    Inventors: Viktor Kassovski, Luc Buydens, Sam Maddalena
  • Patent number: 9239264
    Abstract: Highly advantageous transceiver systems with common mode phase drift rejection and associated methods are disclosed which utilize certain phase modulators in configurations that reduce or eliminate inconsistent interference patterns caused by phase modulator phase drift.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Inventor: Joseph R. Demers
  • Patent number: 9235796
    Abstract: A system of authenticating an item with a security mark includes a substrate (100); wherein the security mark is printed on the substrate with invisible ultraviolet (UV) absorbing ink (102); a coating comprised of UV fluorescent varnish (104) applied over the security mark and substrate; wherein an area comprising the security mark and coating with is illuminated with UV light; wherein a reduced fluorescence image of the security mark is identified; wherein the reduced fluorescence image is compared with the security mark; and wherein the item is authenticated if the reduced fluorescence image matches the security mark.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventors: Thomas D. Pawlik, Judith A. Bose
  • Patent number: 9234968
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a material includes at least one metal compound incorporated into a polymeric matrix, where the metal compound includes a metal and one or more carboxylate ligands, where at least one of the one or more carboxylate ligands includes a tertiary butyl group, and where the material is optically transparent. In another embodiment, a method includes: processing pulse traces corresponding to light pulses from a scintillator material; and outputting a result of the processing, where the scintillator material comprises at least one metal compound incorporated into a polymeric matrix, the at least one metal compound including a metal and one or more carboxylate ligands, where at least one of the one or more carboxylate ligands has a tertiary butyl group, and where the scintillator material is optically transparent and has an energy resolution at 662 keV of less than about 20%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
    Inventors: Nerine Cherepy, Robert Dean Sanner