Patents Examined by Michael J. Tokar
  • Patent number: 5641964
    Abstract: An infrared human body detector has an infrared detector (PE) having at least one light-detecting surface and disposed in a plane, groups of divided infrared ray converging members (LR and LD) disposed in the plane about the infrared detector in surrounding relation thereto, a primary reflecting mirror member (M.sub.1 or M.sub.1 ') disposed inwardly of the groups of divided infrared ray converging members for reflecting, in a primary fashion, rays (B) applied inwardly through the respective groups of divided infrared ray converging members, and a secondary reflecting mirror member (M.sub.2) disposed inwardly of the groups of divided infrared ray converging members for introducing the reflected rays from the primary reflecting mirror member within a sensitive angle of the infrared detector to apply the rays to the light-detecting surfaces thereof, the secondary reflecting mirror member having a reflecting surface sufficiently small as compared with the surface areas of the infrared ray converging members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 24, 1997
    Assignee: Nippon Ceramic Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshiharu Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 5640019
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of determining the quality of an aluminized, luminescent screen 22 for a CRT 10. The luminescent screen 22 is disposed on an interior surface of a faceplate panel 12 with an aluminum layer 23 overlying the screen. The method includes the steps of: exposing the aluminum layer to ultraviolet radiation; and measuring the luminescence emitted by the screen through the aluminum layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 17, 1997
    Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: George Milton Ehemann, Jr., Richard LaPeruta, Jr., Edward Richard Garrity, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5635717
    Abstract: An apparatus for sensing and locating sources of ionizing radiation retained in a turnout in a body environment, including a hand-held probe and comprising a housing with a sensor circuit for outputting a response to interaction between the radiation and the sensor; a unit for processing signals from the sensor circuit; and an indicator responding to driving signals applied thereto by generating an audible or visual output. Said hand-held probe comprises at least one scintillating plastic optical fibre (2) connecting the sensing end to a light sensor (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 3, 1997
    Assignee: Dimason
    Inventor: Gheorghe D. Popescu
  • Patent number: 5635710
    Abstract: A penetrometer sensor probe and system with a detachable sleeve section which performs radiation measurements in subsurface formations. The penetrometer sensor probe measures radiation particularly gamma radiation in real time as the sensor probe is retrieved from a subsurface formation following an initial penetrometer push operation. A sacrificial sleeve surrounding the sensor probe's radiation detector is separated from the penetrometer after an initial push operation at a particular subsurface depth. During a retraction process, a sleeve section containing the radiation detector is detached from the sacrificial sleeve of the penetrometer. The sleeve provides both strength to the penetrometer and protects the probe's radiation detector from damage. Additionally, the detachable sleeve results in significantly reduced bremsstrauling scattering radiation attributed to gamma radiation that otherwise would strike a steel casing adjacent to the radiation detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 3, 1997
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Bobby E. Reed, Dan Y. Eng, Bryan A. Register, John H. Ballard, John C. Morgan
  • Patent number: 5636255
    Abstract: A method and system for correlating accuracy of computer tomography (CT) image resolution is described. Small radio-opaque markers having a diameter less than one slice width of a CT scan are embedded in the object, such as a bony skeletal member, to be measured, the object is then CT scanned so that the radio-opaque markers appear in at two slices of the scan. The markers are also physically located by detecting them with a sensor, such as a positioning pointer. Also described is one form of marker comprising a tantalum sphere mounted in a ceramic, preferably alumina, pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 3, 1997
    Assignee: Queen's University at Kingston
    Inventor: Randy E. Ellis
  • Patent number: 5635713
    Abstract: A method for analyzing chemical species and determining the molecular weight of a parent molecule. Multiply charged ions are produced from the parent molecule by adding adduct ions thereto. A mass analysis is conducted of the multiply charged ions to generate mass/charge data. The molecular weight is calculated by using a deconvolution procedure in which the adduct ion mass and the molecular weight of the parent molecule are both treated as unknowns. Alternatively, a modified deconvolution procedure in which the adduct ion mass is treated as a known value is used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 3, 1997
    Inventor: Michael J. Labowsky
  • Patent number: 5633500
    Abstract: A method of scatter correction for use with gamma cameras includes the steps of detecting and producing a first count value indicative of gamma radiation falling within a first energy range generally associated with a radionuclide photopeak. Gamma radiation falling within second and third energy ranges is also detected and a corresponding count produced. The second and third ranges are above and below the photopeak, respectively. The location of the second and third energy ranges is determined based on the energy resolution of the gamma camera such that a predetermined percentage of the radiation falling within the second and third ranges results from primary radiation. The second and third energy ranges may be located such that they are non-contiguous with the first energy range. Based on the count of radiation falling within the second and third ranges, the scatter radiation falling within the first energy range can be estimated, and the first count value corrected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 27, 1997
    Assignee: Picker International, Inc.
    Inventors: Hugh T. Morgan, Gary G. Jarkewicz, Piotr J. Maniawski, Stephen D. Miller
  • Patent number: 5633503
    Abstract: A particle analyzer includes a flow cell for enclosing a sample liquid containing particles in a sheathed flow to form a flat flow of the sample liquid; an exciting light source for emitting light for exciting fluorescence to irradiate the particle in the flat flow; a capturing device for capturing a fluorescent image of the particle when the particle reaches a predetermined position of the flat flow, the exciting light source and the capturing device being disposed so that a capturing optical axis of the capturing device is perpendicular to a surface of the flat flow and orthogonal to a light emitting optical axis of the exciting light source; and a shutter device for allowing the capturing device to receive the fluorescence from the particle for a predetermined period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 27, 1997
    Assignee: TOA Medical Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tokihiro Kosaka
  • Patent number: 5633509
    Abstract: Radiation images of a single object are formed respectively with radiation having different energy distributions, and image signals respectively representing the radiation images are obtained. An unsharp mask signal Lu corresponding to super-low frequency is calculated from one of the image signals or from an image signal, which represents the mean-level image of the radiation images and is calculated from the image signals. The values of parameters for a subtraction process are changed in accordance with the unsharp mask signal Lu. The image signal components of the image signals are subtracted from one another, which image signal components represent corresponding picture elements in the radiation images, with the value of each of the parameters being thus changed for different picture elements in each of the radiation images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 27, 1997
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hideya Takeo
  • Patent number: 5633501
    Abstract: An ionization chamber for use in a smoke detector includes first and second outer electrodes and a non-reflective center electrode. The non-reflective center electrode can be formed as a metal electrode having a non-reflective coating or as a non-reflective, conductive plastic elements. The ionization chamber can be incorporated into combination smoke detector which includes a photoelectric sensor. A non-reflective center electrode, associated with the ion-type sensor is symmetrically located in the detector and displaced from the photoelectric sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 27, 1997
    Assignee: Pittway Corporation
    Inventors: Peerouz Amleshi, Derrick J. Hesser
  • Patent number: 5631467
    Abstract: A novel reticulated array comprises islands of ceramic (e.g. BST 40) which are fabricated from novel materials using unique methods of patterning. A front side optical coating (e.g. transparent metal layer 44, transparent organic layer 46 and conductive metallic layer 48) is elevated above the substrate between the ceramic islands. This allows additional material (e.g. polyimide 38) between the optical coating and the substrate above the regions where cavities are to be etched. Etching of the cavities (72) is performed from the back side of the substrate without damaging the front side optical coating. Novel fabrication methods also provide for the convenient electrical and mechanical bonding of each of the massive number of ceramic islands to a signal processor substrate (e.g. Si 80) containing a massive array of sensing circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 20, 1997
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: James F. Belcher, Robert A. Owen
  • Patent number: 5629522
    Abstract: Apparatus for and method of increasing the effective integration time, and, hence, reducing the noise bandwidth of a photodetector. The current output of the photodetector is converted to a voltage signal in a low pass filter. The low pass filter is preferably implemented as a switched capacitor filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 13, 1997
    Assignee: Martin Marietta Corporation
    Inventors: Robert J. Martin, Kirk Reiff, Mark West, Gregory L. Milne, Kevin Brown
  • Patent number: 5623144
    Abstract: A mass spectrometer and a mass spectrometry method having a high ion selection efficiency are provided. The mass spectrometer comprises an ion trap, a sample introducing device, an electron gun, a detector, a power supply for applying voltage to the ion trap, a control device for controlling the power supply and the electron gun, a mass analyzing device for performing mass spectrometry based on a detected signal of the detector. Using an auxiliary power supply, direction of an auxiliary electric field generated between end cap electrodes is made to point only toward the detector. In this occasion, by setting the cycle of the auxiliary voltage near the oscillation cycle of interest ion species in the axial direction, the interest ion species are synchronized with the auxiliary electric field to be certainly unstabilized in the detector side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 22, 1997
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyomi Yoshinari, Yoichi Ose, Yoshiaki Kato
  • Patent number: 5621213
    Abstract: A stack gas monitor system has an optimized gas flow portion which is permanently installed in a fossil fuel burning facility, and to which a spectrophotometric portion can be readily coupled for real-time determination in the system of a concentration of a first gas having a characteristic absorption spectrum and which is selectably introducible as a measured amount into a stack gas stream. A sample of the stack gas stream is flowing through the gas flow portion, with at least one gas of the sample stream having an absorption spectrum extending within an ultraviolet range of wavelengths of radiation and having absorbance values within this range which are higher than absorbance values of the first gas. The system can be purged and can be calibrated with the first gas. Stack gas blank data are obtained in the absence of the first gas. Composite gas data are provided upon introduction of the first gas into the stack gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 15, 1997
    Assignee: Novitron International Inc.
    Inventor: Yoav Barshad
  • Patent number: 5614716
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for measuring the amplitude of radiation emitted by an object and compensating for the effects of ambient temperature fluctuations. A radiation sensor is provided receiving radiation from the object and converting it into an alternating current sensor output signal. A thermal sensor detects an ambient temperature proximately to the radiation sensor and generates an alternating current compensation signal having an amplitude proportional to the ambient temperature. A summing amplifier coupled to the radiation sensor and the thermal sensor combines the sensor output signal from the radiation sensor and the compensation signal from said thermal sensor to form an alternating current output signal. The amplitude of the alternating current output signal is proportional to the amplitude of radiation emitted by the object and excludes the effect on the instrument by the ambient temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 25, 1997
    Assignee: Infratemp, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert E. Rupert, Norman C. Anderson
  • Patent number: 5612551
    Abstract: An epitaxial structure and method of manufacture for a single heterojunction bipolar transistor capable of being utilized in high-speed and high-power applications. Preferably, the epitaxial structure comprises an N-type collector made from InP, a P-type base made from InP, and an N-type emitter made from a semiconductor material of approximately 39 mole percent AlP and approximately 61 mole percent Sb.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 18, 1997
    Assignee: Hughes Electronics
    Inventors: Takyiu Liu, Chanh Nguyen, Mehran Matloubian
  • Patent number: 5612988
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for measuring the momentum transfer spectrum of X-ray quanta elastically scattered in an examination zone, comprising an X-ray source and a detector device with a plurality of detector elements, one of which serves to measure a reference radiation beam. Attractive results are obtained in that between the examination zone and the X-ray source there is arranged at least one scatter member which scatters the X-rays emitted by the X-ray source, the reference radiation beam being formed from the part of the scattered radiation which reaches the reference detector element rectilinearly through the examination zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 18, 1997
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventor: Gerhard Martens
  • Patent number: 5610398
    Abstract: A system and method for determining the presence of multiple vapor gases in a refrigerant sample. An infrared light source illuminates a refrigerant sample located in a test area between the light source and a plurality of infrared detectors. Each of the infrared detectors is sensitive to a different predetermined wavelength range of infrared light, with each of the detectors outputting a separate electrical signal corresponding to the infrared light received in its respective wavelength range. A processor then reads the output electrical signals and determines whether the electrical output signals correspond to a particular refrigerant and displays the result of the determination on a display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 11, 1997
    Assignee: Neutronics, Inc.
    Inventors: J. Douglas Anderson, Stephen A. Morgan, Chuck W. Montague, Richard J. Nyce
  • Patent number: 5608215
    Abstract: Apparatus for determining the density of underground formations surrounding a borehole, such as a wireline logging tool or a logging-while-drilling tool, includes a high energy neutron source for irradiating the formations from within the borehole and a detector which detects gamma rays in the borehole resulting from the irradiation of the formations with high energy neutrons. The detected gamma rays are analyzed to determine the density of the formations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 4, 1997
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Michael L. Evans
  • Patent number: 5608219
    Abstract: A device for detecting at least one gas with an absorption band in the infrared range. The device includes a cell containing a gas mixture to be tested, an infrared radiation source, a power supply circuit for the source, an infrared radiation sensor and a signal processing line connected to the output of the sensor. The cell is compact and the radiation source and the radiation sensor are held in direct contact with the gas mixture therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 4, 1997
    Assignee: Saphir
    Inventor: Cecile Aucremanne