Patents Examined by Meenakshi Sahu
  • Patent number: 9551655
    Abstract: A sensor platform is provided for interrogating a sample with an electromagnetic (EM) wave. The platform includes: a dielectric material having opposing first and second planar surfaces; a first array of loop elements embedded in the first planar surface of the dielectric material, wherein slots are formed between the loop elements in the first array of loop elements and configured to host a sample material therein; and a second array of loop elements embedded in the second planar surface of the dielectric material and formed symmetrically with respect to the first array of loop elements, wherein slots are also formed between the loop elements of the second array of loop elements. The loop elements in the first array and the second array are comprised of a conductive material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: The Regents Of The University Of Michigan
    Inventors: Pinaki Mazumder, Nan Zheng, Kyungjun Song, Mahdi Aghadjani
  • Patent number: 9551795
    Abstract: A position-sensitive ionizing-radiation counting detector includes a radiation detector gas chamber having at least one ultra-thin chamber window and an ultra-thin first substrate contained within the gas chamber. The detector further includes a second substrate generally parallel to and coupled to the first substrate and defining a gas gap between the first substrate and the second substrate. The detector further includes a discharge gas between the substrates and contained within the gas chamber, where the discharge gas is free to circulate within the gas chamber and between the first and second substrates at a given gas pressure. The detector further includes a first electrode coupled to one of the substrates and a second electrode electrically coupled to the first electrode. The detector further includes a first discharge event detector coupled to at least one of the electrodes for detecting a gas discharge counting event in the electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Integrated Sensors, LLC
    Inventor: Peter S. Friedman
  • Patent number: 9553222
    Abstract: A Ge-on-Si photodetector constructed without doping or contacting Germanium by metal is described. Despite the simplified fabrication process, the device has responsivity of 1.24 A/W, corresponding to 99.2% quantum efficiency. Dark current is 40 nA at ?4 V reverse bias. 3-dB bandwidth is 30 GHz.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Elenion Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Wetteland Baehr-Jones, Yi Zhang, Michael J. Hochberg, Ari Novack
  • Patent number: 9547105
    Abstract: A distance of a gas flow path and a velocity of the gas flow therein are calculated using pulsed neutron data and noise data. The gas saturation and distance to flow path obtained from the pulsed neutron data and gas velocity and distance to flow path obtained from the noise data are compared with each other to obtain a first calculated distance and a first calculated velocity. The distance and the velocity of the gas flow are calculated using Doppler data. The distance and velocity values are compared with the first calculated distance and first calculated velocity to obtain a second calculated distance and velocity values. The distance and the velocity of the gas flow are calculated using temperature data. The distance and velocity values are compared with the second calculated distance and velocity to determine a distance of a cement interface and a velocity of a gas flow therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Sevices, Inc.
    Inventor: Luis F. Quintero
  • Patent number: 9528881
    Abstract: A detector element for a microbolometer detector includes a platform structure spaced apart from a substrate. The platform structure has a peripheral region surrounding a central region. First and second contacts are located at the peripheral region proximate opposing first and third edges of the peripheral region. A stiff beam structure extends across the central region between the first and second contacts, and at least one sensor is located at the peripheral region proximate at least one of second and fourth edges of the peripheral region. An optically absorptive material structure of a grid pattern of first and second material portions may be located at the central region. First material portions perpendicular to the beam structure may connect to the beam structure and to inner edges of the peripheral region, and none of the second material portions extend continuously between and couples to opposing inner edges of the peripheral region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: NXP USA, Inc.
    Inventor: Chad Dawson
  • Patent number: 9528879
    Abstract: An infrared detection element includes first and second pyroelectric elements which are arranged in a single pyroelectric substrate. First pyroelectric element includes a first surface electrode, a first back face electrode, and a first portion interposed between first surface and back face electrodes. First portion is provided as part of pyroelectric substrate. Second pyroelectric element includes a second surface electrode, a second back face electrode, and a second portion interposed between second surface and back face electrodes. Second portion is provided as part of pyroelectric substrate. Pyroelectric substrate is provided in part thereof surrounding first pyroelectric element with a slit shaped along an outer periphery of first pyroelectric element. Slit is formed out of regions in which a first surface wiring and a first back face wiring are disposed. Part of pyroelectric substrate surrounding second pyroelectric element is continuously formed over an entire circumference of second portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshifumi Watabe, Sadayuki Sumi, Yuichi Inaba, Junichi Hozumi, Takahiko Hirai, Tsuyoshi Kuroda
  • Patent number: 9519844
    Abstract: Methods for identifying and quantifying wrinkles in a composite structure by processing infrared imaging data. Temperature versus time profiles for all pixels in the field of view of an infrared camera are calculated, enabling thermal signatures to be produced. By comparing the thermal signature of the part under test with the thermal signature of a reference standard representing a similar part having wrinkles of known size and shape, the presence of wrinkles can be detected. The wrinkle wavelength can be determined by measuring the infrared image and applying a transfer function. If the geometric information acquired using infrared thermography does not reach a certain quality factor (for a quality prediction) or is incomplete, an ultrasonic transducer array probe running wrinkle quantification software can be rotated into position and scanned over the wrinkle area. The ultrasonic imaging data can be combined with the infrared imaging data to enable an improved quantification of the wrinkle geometry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Jeffrey G. Thompson, Gary E. Georgeson, Tyler M. Holmes, Hong Hue Tat
  • Patent number: 9513171
    Abstract: The invention provides a detector comprising a metamaterial absorber and a micro-bolometer arranged to detect terahertz (THz) radiation. The metamaterial absorber can absorb multiple frequency bands, from the infrared and the THz regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The detector is scalable to be suitable for use in a focal plane array. The invention also provides a hybrid of a plasmonic filter, e.g. for optical radiation, and a metamaterial absorber for terahertz (and/or infrared) radiation, to create a single material capable of absorbing narrow band terahertz radiation and filtering radiation in another part of the spectrum, e.g. optical radiation. Such material has great potential in future imaging technology where hybridization can maximize the spectral information density of an optical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: THE UNIVERSITY COURT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW
    Inventors: David Robert Sime Cumming, James Paul Grant, Iain James Hugh McCrindle
  • Patent number: 9500846
    Abstract: Excitation light is focused to a focus within a sample and the focus is scanned within a volume in the sample with scanning optical elements. Signal light emitted from the focus is de-scanned, with the one or more scanning optical elements, onto a wavefront sensor as the focus is scanned within the volume. Based on the descanned signal light, an average aberration created by the volume of the sample of a wavefront of the excitation light is determined. A wavefront of the excitation light is corrected by an amount according to the determined average aberration while the focus is scanned within the volume, the signal light is imaged onto a photosensitive detector as the focus is scanned within the volume, and a wavefront of the imaged signal light is corrected by an amount according to the determined average aberration while the focus is scanned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: Howard Hughes Medical Institute
    Inventors: Robert E. Betzig, Kai Wang
  • Patent number: 9494467
    Abstract: An infrared detection element includes first and second pyroelectric elements which are arranged in a single pyroelectric substrate. First pyroelectric element includes a first surface electrode, a first back face electrode, and a first portion interposed between first surface and back face electrodes. First portion is provided as part of pyroelectric substrate. Second pyroelectric element includes a second surface electrode, a second back face electrode, and a second portion interposed between second surface and back face electrodes. Second portion is provided as part of pyroelectric substrate. Pyroelectric substrate is provided in part thereof surrounding first pyroelectric element with a slit shaped along an outer periphery of first pyroelectric element. Slit is formed out of regions in which a first surface wiring and a first back face wiring are disposed. Part of pyroelectric substrate surrounding second pyroelectric element is continuously formed over an entire circumference of second portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshifumi Watabe, Sadayuki Sumi, Yuichi Inaba, Junichi Hozumi, Takahiko Hirai, Tsuyoshi Kuroda
  • Patent number: 9494483
    Abstract: A measuring system (10) for measuring an imaging quality of an EUV lens (30) includes a diffractive test structure (26), a measurement light radiating device (16) which is configured to radiate measurement light (21) in the EUV wavelength range onto the test structure, a variation device (28) for varying at least one image-determining parameter of an imaging of the test structure that is effected by a lens, a detector (14) for recording an image stack including a plurality of images generated with different image-determining parameters being set, and an evaluation device (15) which is configured to determine the imaging quality of the lens from the image stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
    Inventors: Ralf Frese, Michael Samaniego, Markus Deguenther, Helmut Haidner, Rainer Hoch, Martin Schriever
  • Patent number: 9484481
    Abstract: A radiograph detector includes: a fluorescent layer, a bonding layer, and a light detector disposed in this order, wherein the fluorescent layer includes fluorescent particles, first binder resin, and second binder resin, and the second binder resin contains a binder polymer identical to a bonding layer forming polymer contained in the bonding layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Masashi Kondo, Hiromichi Shindou
  • Patent number: 9482562
    Abstract: A radiation detector head assembly is provided that includes a detector housing and a detector unit. The detector housing defines a cavity therein. The detector housing includes a shell and a shielding body. The shell defines at least a portion of a perimeter surrounding the shielding body, and includes an extrusion defining the at least a portion of a perimeter. The extrusion is formed from a first material that is configured for rigidity. The shielding body includes a second material configured to shield radiation. The detector unit is disposed within the cavity, and includes an absorption member and associated processing circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Yaron Hefetz, Jean-Paul Bouhnik, Nati Herman
  • Patent number: 9482764
    Abstract: A radiation detector system is provided including a semiconductor detector, plural pixelated anodes, and at least one processor. At least one of the pixelated anodes is configured to generate a collected charge signal corresponding to charge collected by the pixelated anode and to generate a non-collected charge signal corresponding to charge collected by an adjacent anode. The at least one processor includes a tangible and non-transitory memory having stored thereon instructions configured to direct the at least one processor to determine a collected value for the collected charge signal, to determine a non-collected value for the non-collected charge signal, determine a calibrated value for the non-collected charge signal, determine a total charge produced by a charge sharing event using the collected value and the calibrated value, and count the charge sharing event as a single event if the total charge exceeds a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Arie Shahar, Avishai Ofan, Yaron Glazer, Jeffrey Michael Levy
  • Patent number: 9481827
    Abstract: A core-shell nanoparticle is provided. The core-shell nanoparticle has a core comprising a metal fluoride doped with a first sensitizer and a shell surrounding the core, wherein the shell comprises a first layer comprising the metal fluoride doped with a second sensitizer and a first activator, and a second layer comprising the metal fluoride doped with a third sensitizer and a second activator, wherein the first activator and the second activator are different, and each is independently selected from the group consisting of Tm3+, Ho3+, and combinations thereof. A method of generating an optical signal using the core-shell nanoparticle and a method of preparing the core-shell nanoparticle is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignees: Agency for Science, Technology and Research, National University of Singapore
    Inventors: Xiaogang Liu, Weifeng Yang, Renren Deng
  • Patent number: 9476765
    Abstract: Monitoring a user's exposure to ultraviolet radiation, including determining the amount of radiation to which the user is exposed from different directions, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: SkinIO, LLC.
    Inventors: Jean-Christophe Lapiere, Mathieu Jean-Claude Andrew Hardy, Nicholas Michel Jacques Longo
  • Patent number: 9448039
    Abstract: A target marking system includes a light source emitting a thermal beam and an optics assembly directing the thermal beam to impact a target, the target directing radiation to the optics assembly in response to the impact. The target marking system further includes a detector, and an optics assembly optically connected to the detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: LaserMax, Inc.
    Inventors: Susan Houde-Walter, Daniel Joseph Balonek, Michael Wade Allen, William R. Houde-Walter, Brian L. Olmsted
  • Patent number: 9441480
    Abstract: An apparatus for estimating a property of a downhole fluid includes a carrier configured to be conveyed through a borehole penetrating the earth, a fluid extraction device disposed at the carrier and configured to extract a sample of the downhole fluid, and a probe cell having a window to receive the sample. The apparatus further includes a light source to illuminate the sample through the window with light photons, and a photodetector to receive light photons through the window that have interacted with the downhole fluid and generate a signal indicative of an amount of the received light photons. The generated signal is indicative of the property. The photodetector has an optical cavity having a semiconductor that has a difference between a valence energy band and a conduction energy band for electrons that is greater than the energy of each of the received light photons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: BAKER HUGHES INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Rocco DiFoggio, Sebastian Csutak
  • Patent number: 9442216
    Abstract: A sensor comprising a light emitter and light detector directly covered and encapsulated by a layer of light blocking compound. The light blocking compound can be thick enough between the light emitter and light detector to block substantially all light emitted by the light emitter from reaching the light detector directly, but be thin enough above the light emitter and light detector to allow at least some level of light emitted by the light emitter to escape out of the sensor, be reflected by another object, re-enter the sensor, and survive passing through the light blocking compound to enter the light detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: HANA MICROELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Vanapong Kwangkaew, Krisadayut Chansawang, Sirirat Silapapipat, Preecha Bootwicha, Sanjay Mitra
  • Patent number: 9437759
    Abstract: A Ge-on-Si photodetector constructed without doping or contacting Germanium by metal is described. Despite the simplified fabrication process, the device has responsivity of 1.24 A/W, corresponding to 99.2% quantum efficiency. Dark current is 40 nA at ?4 V reverse bias. 3-dB bandwidth is 30 GHz.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Coriant Advanced Technology, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Baehr-Jones, Yi Zhang, Michael J. Hochberg, Ari Novack