Patents Examined by Mikhail Kornakov
  • Patent number: 11626291
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for the production of HF in an electron-beam generated plasma. A gas containing fluorine, hydrogen, and an inert gas such as argon, e.g., Ar/SF6/H2O or Ar/SF6/NH3 flows into a plasma treatment chamber to produce a low pressure gas in the chamber. An electron beam directed into the gas forms a plasma from the gas, with energy from the electron beam dissociating the F-containing molecules, which react with H-containing gas to produce HF in the plasma. Although the concentration of the gas phase HF in the plasma is a very small fraction of the total gas in the chamber, due to its highly reactive nature, the low concentration of HF produced by the method of the present invention is enough to modify the surfaces of materials, performing the same function as aqueous HF solutions to remove oxygen from an exposed material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: David R. Boris, Scott G. Walton
  • Patent number: 11617471
    Abstract: A novel cleaning container is disclosed for backflushing and hence clean an espresso machine. The container may include a body having a top, an opposing bottom, and an interior cavity for holding water, detergent, and/or other cleaning fluid. A piston is slidably disposed within the interior cavity between up and down positions, wherein the piston and an opening of the body at the top define a variable volume for cleaning the machine. A spring is seated firmly within the body underneath the piston for biasing the piston to the up position. A stopper disposed about the top of the piston limits the motion of the piston at the top of the body. One or more grooves within the body are in fluid communication with one or more outlets to permit fluid to exit the body during cleaning. The body may be transparent or translucent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Strategic Exits LLC
    Inventor: Douglas Weber
  • Patent number: 11612452
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to endoscope cleaning systems and methods. The endoscope cleaning system can include a pump housing that houses a peristaltic pump, an endoscope sheath fluidly connected to the pump housing, and a pump control communicatively coupled to the peristaltic pump. Upon activation of the pump control, the peristaltic pump can supply fluid to the endoscope sheath for cleaning an endoscope. Upon deactivation of the pump control, the peristaltic pump can remove residual fluid from the endoscope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Stryker Corporation
    Inventors: Theodore Leclere, Candice Pack
  • Patent number: 11607717
    Abstract: A cleaning apparatus for cleaning of medical machine components of machines such as CPAP machines, nebulizers, PEEP machines, and the like is disclosed herein. The cleaning apparatus comprises a container body. A carousel is configured for placement within the container body. The carousel comprises a support structure. The carousel further comprises a helical ramp attached to the support structure and extending helically from an operative top end of the support structure to an operative bottom end of the support structure along a periphery of the support structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Inventor: Jerome Wilson
  • Patent number: 11609491
    Abstract: A reflective mask cleaning apparatus according to an embodiment comprises a first supply section configured to supply a first solution containing at least one of an organic solvent and a surfactant to a ruthenium-containing capping layer provided in a reflective mask; and a second supply section configured to supply at least one of a reducing solution and an oxygen-free solution to the capping layer. A reflective mask cleaning apparatus according to an alternative embodiment comprises a third supply section configured to supply a plasma product produced from a reducing gas to a ruthenium-containing capping layer provided in a reflective mask; and a second supply section configured to supply at least one of a reducing solution and an oxygen-free solution to the capping layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: SHIBAURA MECHATRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daisuke Matsushima, Kensuke Demura, Masafumi Suzuki, Satoshi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 11605545
    Abstract: A wafer cleaning equipment includes a housing to be positioned adjacent to a wafer, a hollow region in the housing, a laser module that outputs a laser beam having a profile of the laser beam includes a first region having a first intensity and a second region having a second intensity greater than the first intensity, the laser beam being output into the hollow region, and a transparent window that covers an upper part of the hollow region and transmits the laser beam to be incident on an entirety of a lower surface of the wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hun Jae Jang, Seung Min Shin, Seok Hoon Kim, In Gi Kim, Tae-Hong Kim, Kun Tack Lee, Jinwoo Lee, Ji Hoon Cha, Yong Jun Choi
  • Patent number: 11594427
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus performs increasing a pressure within a processing vessel up to a processing pressure higher than a threshold pressure of a processing fluid by supplying the processing fluid into the processing vessel in which a substrate having thereon a liquid is accommodated; and supplying the processing fluid into the processing vessel and draining the processing fluid while maintaining the pressure within the processing vessel at a level allowing the processing fluid to be maintained in a supercritical state. The increasing of the pressure includes: increasing the pressure to a first pressure; and increasing the pressure to the processing pressure from the first pressure. A temperature of the substrate is controlled to a first temperature in the increasing of the pressure to the first pressure, and is controlled to a second temperature higher than the first temperature in the increasing of the pressure to the processing pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Toru Ihara, Gentaro Goshi, Masami Yamashita
  • Patent number: 11594399
    Abstract: A cleaning method removes a silicon oxide film by plasma from a member that is provided in a processing container of a plasma processing apparatus and having the silicon oxide film formed on its surface. The cleaning method includes: supplying a processing gas into the processing container; generating plasma of the processing gas that is supplied into the processing container; and applying bias power that draws ions in the plasma of the processing gas to the member. A ratio of a value of the bias power to a pressure in the processing container is 1.0 W/mTorr or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventor: Shinsuke Oka
  • Patent number: 11583154
    Abstract: An artificial intelligence (AI) cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a memory, a movement detect sensor, a driving unit configured to allow the AI cleaner to be moved, and a processor configured to control the movement sensor to sense a movement of the AI cleaner by a user and acquire a position to which the AI cleaner has moved while the AI cleaner operates at a first cleaning mode and control the driving unit to allow the AI cleaner to clean a priority cleaning area corresponding to the position at a second cleaning mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventor: Seungah Chae
  • Patent number: 11583899
    Abstract: A robotic arm can clean an end-of-arm tool using a cleaning station. The end-of-arm tool can be positioned at an introduction position with a portion of the end-of-arm tool in contact with a cleaning agent contained within the cleaning station. The end-of-arm tool can be positioned at a scrubbing position with the end-of-arm tool in contact with a cleaning surface. And the end-of-arm tool can be positioned at a drying position for drying of the end-of-arm tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Sucheta Roy, Steven Bradley Buhr, Vatsal Mehta, Roland J Menassa
  • Patent number: 11577287
    Abstract: Extended reach sluicer systems, devices, and methods for breaking up and retrieving chemical, radioactive, hazardous materials and/or other waste and/or other material from storage tanks with mechanical arms and nozzles to break up and transfer tank material. And this invention can work with tanks having high temperature or low temperature conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: AGI Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Alex G. Innes, Shon S. Simon
  • Patent number: 11578864
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of automatically cleaning boiler pipes. The provision of a pipe-cleaning tank on one side of a casing to store a cleaning solution therein and a tank supply valve in the pipe-cleaning tank allows the cleaning solution stored in the pipe-cleaning tank to automatically flow into a heat exchanger and various pipes inside the casing by means of only a simple operation of manipulating the tank supply valve, thereby making it easy to eliminate scale that has accumulated in the heat exchanger and the pipes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Inventor: Young-Hwan Choi
  • Patent number: 11578613
    Abstract: System for selectively contacting a cleaning composition with a surface of a turbine engine component is presented. The system includes a cleaning apparatus and a manifold assembly. The cleaning apparatus includes an upper portion and a lower portion defining a cleaning chamber configured to allow selective contact between the cleaning composition and a surface of the first portion of the turbine engine component. The upper portion includes a plurality of fill holes in fluid communication with the cleaning chamber, and the lower portion includes a plurality of drain holes in fluid communication with the cleaning chamber. The manifold assembly is configured to selectively circulate the cleaning composition from a reservoir to the cleaning chamber via the plurality of fill holes, and recirculate the cleaning composition from the cleaning chamber to the reservoir via the plurality of drain holes. Methods for selectively cleaning a turbine engine component is also presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Nicole Jessica Tibbetts, Andrew James Jenkins, Bernard Patrick Bewlay, Evan Jarrett Dolley, John Watt, Christopher Perrett, Vincent Gerard Lauria
  • Patent number: 11569085
    Abstract: The natural oxidation film of polysilicon, which is exposed at a side surface of a recess portion 83 provided in a substrate W, is removed and a thin film 84 of polysilicon is exposed at the side surface of the recess portion 83. Liquid IPA is brought into contact with the thin film 84 of polysilicon after the natural oxidation film of polysilicon is removed. Diluted ammonia water is supplied to the substrate W and the thin film 84 of polysilicon is etched after IPA comes into contact with the thin film 84 of polysilicon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Inventors: Taiki Hinode, Sadamu Fujii
  • Patent number: 11560696
    Abstract: A high pressure jetting system for use with a water supply system includes a recirculating unit to connect to an isolated section of the water supply system. The isolated section remains under water supply system pressure. The recirculating unit includes a filter unit and a pump unit capable of generating a circulating flow of water. A first pig launch and recovery apparatus couples a first hydrant to the recirculating unit and a second pig launch and recovery apparatus couples a second hydrant to the recirculating unit. A jetting unit including a jetting head is coupled to a jetting hose. The jetting unit enters the closed circuit through the second pig launch and recovery apparatus and travels within the isolated section. The jetting head emits a plurality of water jets to assist removal of material from an inner surface of the water mains and pipes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: NO-DES, Inc.
    Inventor: Chris Eric Wilkinson
  • Patent number: 11555296
    Abstract: A high pressure jetting system includes a recirculating unit connected to an isolated section of a water supply system which remains under system pressure. The recirculating unit includes a filter unit and a pump unit generating a circulating flow of water. A first pig launch and recovery apparatus couples a first hydrant to the recirculating unit and a second pig launch and recovery apparatus couples a second hydrant to the recirculating unit. A camera unit including a camera and drogue chute enters through the first apparatus and travels in a flushing flow direction to the second apparatus. The drogue chute is then removed from the camera. The camera then couples to a jetting unit having a jetting head and hose and re-enters through the second apparatus. The jetting unit emits a plurality of water jets to move in a counter-current flow direction and remove material from the water mains.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: NO-DES, Inc.
    Inventor: Chris Eric Wilkinson
  • Patent number: 11555414
    Abstract: A device cleans a core engine of a jet engine. The device has: a nozzle installation which is configured for introducing a cleaning medium into the core engine; a connector configured to connect the device in a rotationally fixed manner to a shaft of a fan of the jet engine; and a line connection configured to supply the cleaning medium, which is connected to the nozzle installation by a rotary coupling. The nozzle installation comprises nozzles, comprising at least one flat jet nozzle, and at least one full cone nozzle or hollow cone nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: LUFTHANSA TECHNIK AG
    Inventors: Dirk Deja, Christian Lutz, Sina Glasse
  • Patent number: 11557493
    Abstract: A substrate cleaning apparatus, includes a vaporizer configured to generate water vapor, a first heating part configured to heat a nitrogen gas to a first temperature, a second heating part configured to heat the nitrogen gas to a second temperature, wherein the second temperature is higher than the first temperature, and at least one cleaning chamber connected to the vaporizer, the first heating part, and the second heating part, wherein the at least one cleaning chamber is configured so that at least one substrate is exposed to the water vapor, the nitrogen gas having the first temperature, or the nitrogen gas having the second temperature under an atmospheric pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Toshimitsu Sakai, Keiko Hada
  • Patent number: 11554392
    Abstract: A dust hood, useful for use in the compressed air and vacuum cleaning of a dusty apparatus placed therein, which is in the form of a flexible bag having a portion of its front face transparent with that front face also containing holes for a hose supplying compressed air and a hose supplying vacuum, respectively, for such cleaning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: CoilPod LLC
    Inventor: Jacob F Steinmann
  • Patent number: 11541433
    Abstract: Containing device for a treatment machine for loose products, provided internally with a treatment compartment that has at least an open side for loading the loose products to be treated, and for unloading the loose products that have been treated; the containing device comprises at least a first loading door for the loose products to be treated, positioned on a first portion of said open side and associated with at least a respective opening and closing unit, and at least a second unloading door for the loose products that have been treated, positioned on a second portion of said open side and associated with at least a respective opening and closing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: ICOS PHARMA S.P.A.
    Inventors: Ivone Capovilla, Ottorino Casonato, Fabio Zardini