Patents Examined by Robert Xu
  • Patent number: 9612192
    Abstract: A cuvette comprising a body having an upper part comprising an upper open top portion and upper walls forming four upper inner edges and an upper open bottom portion with a first substantially rectangular cross-section in a plane A-A; and a lower measurement chamber comprising a lower closed bottom portion and lower walls forming four lower inner edges and a lower open top portion with a second substantially rectangular cross-section in a plane B-B smaller than the first cross-section in the plane A-A. An abrupt transition zone is positioned between the plane A-A and the plane B-B comprising four transition inner edges connecting the four lower inner edges to the upper open bottom portion. At least in the plane B-B the lower inner edges comprise fillets having a first radius (R1). At least in the plane A-A the upper inner edges comprise fillets having a second radius (R2) being larger than (R1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Andreas Drechsler, Rijk Edwin Oosterbroek
  • Patent number: 9606061
    Abstract: A system and method for creating a buffer solution having a desired pH value is disclosed. The method uses two known buffer solutions, each with predetermined pH values, and determines a mathematical relationship which defines the amount of each known buffer solution needed to create the buffer solution with the desired pH. This method can then be used to create one or more denaturation graphs, which demonstrate the stability of a protein at a given pH level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Unchained Labs
    Inventors: Richard Brown, Burleigh Hutchins, Ernesto Freire
  • Patent number: 9598936
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for monitoring a hydrate decomposition area under different drilling and production processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: China University Of Petroleum (East China)
    Inventors: Yonghai Gao, Ye Chen, Baojiang Sun, Wenchao Sun, Hao Li
  • Patent number: 9599627
    Abstract: The invention features a method of monitoring a clotting process by measuring a signal characteristic of the NMR relaxation of water in a sample undergoing clotting to produce NMR relaxation data and determining from the NMR relaxation data a magnetic resonance parameter of water in the sample characteristic of the clots being formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: T2 Biosystems, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas J. Lowery, Jr., Vyacheslav Papkov, Walter W. Massefski, Jr., Rahul K. Dhanda, Edward C. Thayer
  • Patent number: 9594022
    Abstract: A chemical-analysis device integrated with a metallic-nanofinger device for chemical sensing. The chemical-analysis device includes a metallic-nanofinger device, and a platform. The metallic-nanofinger device includes a substrate, and a plurality of nanofingers coupled with the substrate. A nanofinger of the plurality includes a flexible column, and a metallic cap coupled to an apex of the flexible column. At least the nanofinger and a second nanofinger of the plurality of nanofingers are to self-arrange into a close-packed configuration with at least one analyte molecule. A morphology of the metallic cap is to generate a shifted plasmonic-resonance peak associated with amplified luminescence from the analyte molecule. A method for using, and a chemical-analysis apparatus including the chemical-analysis device are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Zhiyong Li, R. Stanley Williams
  • Patent number: 9594063
    Abstract: A homologous series of neutrally charged compounds having at least one functional group bearing a positive charge and at least one functional group bearing a negative charge are advantageous retention index standards for liquid chromatography, especially for liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) methods, more especially for LC-MS methods employing electrospray (ESI) or atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) ionization systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: National Research Council of Canada
    Inventor: Michael Arthur Quilliam
  • Patent number: 9588202
    Abstract: A method and system for providing an article of manufacture with increased longevity of hyperpolarized 1H signals (and other species) for NMR spectroscopy and MRI. The method involves providing a material including a molecular species susceptible of NMR spectroscopy, by providing parahydrogen (and other appropriate species) to disperse within the material/solvent to establish increased longevity of the NMR signals. The material can be in a solution with a surfactant and catalysts added to enhance the persistence of parahydrogen (or other species) in the form of enhanced solubility, microbubbles or micelles and resultant hydrogenation (or other species) of the material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: New York University
    Inventors: Joel A. Tang, Francesca Gruppi, Roman Fleysher, Daniel K. Sodickson, James W. Canary, Alexej Jerschow
  • Patent number: 9588091
    Abstract: The present invention provides methods for determining the presence of oxidizing salts. According to the current invention, analyte is collected on a swipe and subsequently heated to a temperature sufficient to release a detectible vapor phase component of the oxidizing salt. The vapor phase component passes reacts with a pH sensitive molecule. Reaction of the vapor phase product with the pH sensitive molecule produces a detectible change in response intensity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: FLIR DETECTION, INC.
    Inventors: Laura Beth Wald, Gregory Charles Frye-Mason
  • Patent number: 9581585
    Abstract: A breath acetone meter is provided. The blood glucose meter includes a receiver comprising a first polymer and a second plurality of layers arranged in an alternating arrangement. The receiver is configured to receive a breath sample from a user. The first plurality of layers and second plurality of layers being configured to interact in response to the level of acetone in the breath sample. The breath acetone meter further including a light source arranged to emit a light onto the receiver. A sensor is arranged to receive the light and output a voltage in response to receiving the light, wherein the voltage is proportional to an amount of acetone in the breath sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: WESTERN NEW ENGLAND UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Ronny Priefer, Michael J. Rust
  • Patent number: 9583320
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the quantitative determination of a chemical substance S from a sample using a mass spectrometer having at least one detector. In line with the invention, a sample which may contain the substance S of interest, or a conversion product of the sample, is analyzed in the mass spectrometer. For the analysis the mass spectrometer is alternately set at least for masses SM1, SM2, so that each of the masses is detected multiple times and all of said masses are detected by the same detector. The masses SM1 and SM2 are fictitious neighboring masses for a mass CM of the substance S with a particular isotope content. The quantity of the mass CM is ascertained by means of calculation from the measured values for the masses SM1, SM2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Thermo Fisher Scientific (Bremen) GmbH
    Inventor: Dirk Krumwiede
  • Patent number: 9562861
    Abstract: A challenge in using recycled material in the papermaking process is the presence of hydrophobic organics with adhesive properties commonly known as “stickies.” Hydrophobic agglomerates can result in spots or defects in the final paper product or deposit on papermaking equipment resulting in poor runnability and downtime. Technologies for monitoring and controlling microstickies exist. However, a need exists for a technique to rapidly determine the size and content of macrostickies (diameter>100 microns) in recycled pulp process streams. The present invention is a device and method to perform real-time macrostickies and/or any visible hydrophobic particle analysis in an aqueous medium. Using the present invention, furnish quality can be monitored and treatment performance can be monitored and controlled. The technique is based on fluorescence image analysis to identify and count sticky particles as well as measure their size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: Nalco Company
    Inventors: William A. Von Drasek, Brett Brotherson, Sergey M. Shevchenko, Michael J. Murcia
  • Patent number: 9555414
    Abstract: The present invention provides a rack for holding sample vials comprising: (i) a solid base; (ii) an upwardly extending wall around the perimeter of said base; (iii) a plurality of means for supporting a plurality of vials, each means for supporting one vial; and (iv) a means for draining liquid from said rack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: EURO-CELTIQUE S.A.
    Inventors: Ross Oliver Beecroft, Victoria Louise Goff, Sarah Jane Karim, Nicholas Brian Milne
  • Patent number: 9518928
    Abstract: The invention is related to an optode for determining chemical parameters of a sample wherein the optode consists of a polymer matrix consisting of sulfonated polyether ether ketone (SPEEK) in which a sensor dye is immobilized or more than one sensor dye is immobilized, wherein at least one of the immobilized sensor dyes is pH-sensitive. In addition, the present invention also concerns a method for determining the pH of a sample in which the invention-related optode is used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: UNIVERSITAET POTSDAM
    Inventors: Doerte Steinbrueck, Elmar Schmaelzlin, Hans-Gerd Loehmannsroeben
  • Patent number: 9511365
    Abstract: A sensor comprises a sensor housing, having a channel; a porous substrate, in the channel; an analysis chemistry reagent, on the porous substrate; and a nozzle, in fluid connection with the channel. The porous substrate fills a cross section of the channel, and the cross-sectional area of the channel at the porous substrate is greater than the cross-sectional area at the nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: ANDalyze, Inc.
    Inventors: Debapriya Mazumdar, David G. Kellner
  • Patent number: 9506649
    Abstract: Example methods and apparatus to control combustion process systems are disclosed. An example method includes monitoring an actual flow of fuel into a combustion process, calculating a relative heat release value corresponding to the fuel in the combustion process, and determining a fuel demand for the combustion process based on the relative heat release value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: FISHER-ROSEMOUNT SYSTEMS, INC
    Inventors: John Duncan Rennie, Scott Rusheon Pettigrew, Barbara Kerr Hamilton, Andrea Nicole Bishop
  • Patent number: 9500607
    Abstract: A mass spectrometer is disclosed comprising a glow discharge device within the initial vacuum chamber of the mass spectrometer. The glow discharge device may comprise a tubular electrode located within an isolation valve, which is provided in the vacuum chamber. Reagent vapor may be provided through the tubular electrode, which is then subsequently ionized by the glow discharge. The resulting reagent ions may be used for Electron Transfer Dissociation of analyte ions generated by an atmospheric pressure ion source. Other embodiments are contemplated wherein the ions generated by the glow discharge device may be used to reduce the charge state of analyte ions by Proton Transfer Reaction or may act as lock mass or reference ions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: MICROMASS UK LIMITED
    Inventors: Jeffery Mark Brown, Martin Raymond Green, Steven Derek Pringle
  • Patent number: 9500623
    Abstract: The invention generally relates to methods and devices for synchronization of ion generation with cycling of a discontinuous atmospheric interface. In certain embodiments, the invention provides a system for analyzing a sample that includes a mass spectrometry probe that generates sample ions, a discontinuous atmospheric interface, and a mass analyzer, in which the system is configured such that ion formation is synchronized with cycling of the discontinuous atmospheric interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: Purdue Research Foundation
    Inventors: Robert Graham Cooks, Jason Duncan, Guangming Huang, Guangtao Li, Xin Yan, Ewa Sokol, Xin Li
  • Patent number: 9493386
    Abstract: A method for supplying reaction gases in which at least a material to be oxidized and a gas containing molecular oxygen are mixed and the resultant mixture is supplied to a catalytic gas-phase oxidation reactor, characterized in that, a feed rate of the material to be oxidized and a feed rate of the gas containing molecular oxygen are adjusted so that when a composition of a gas at the inlet of the catalytic gas-phase oxidation reactor is changed from a composition A point [the concentration of the material to be oxidized: R(a), and the concentration of oxygen: O(a)] represented by plotting a concentration of the material to be oxidized and a concentration of oxygen in the gas at said inlet to a composition B point [R(b) and O(b)] [the composition A point and the composition B point are compositions outside an explosion range, and R(a)?R(b) and O(a)?O(b)], compositions on the way of the change from the composition A point to the composition B point fall outside the explosion range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI RAYON CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Kabu, Yoshimasa Ando, Yoshiyuki Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 9487408
    Abstract: The invention provides a method of inhibiting the accumulation of DSP scale in the liquor circuit of Bayer process equipment. The method includes adding one or more particular silane based small molecules to the liquor fluid circuit. These scale inhibitors reduce DSP scale formation and thereby increase fluid throughput, increase the amount of time Bayer process equipment can be operational and reduce the need for expensive and dangerous acid washes of Bayer process equipment. As a result, the invention provides a significant reduction in the total cost of operating a Bayer process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: Nalco Company
    Inventors: Everett C. Phillips, Timothy La, Kailas B. Sawant
  • Patent number: 9490109
    Abstract: A method to determine the model-of-composition of a vacuum resid in which the resid is separated into fractions including the DAO fraction which is then separated into chemical classes including saturates, aromatics, sulfides and polars by a combination of soft ionization methods. The results of the ionization analysis are reconciled with other analysis such as bulk analysis, then consolidated to generate the modeol-of composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: EXXONMOBIL RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING COMPANY
    Inventors: Kuangnan Qian, Kathleen E Edwards, Anthony S. Mennito, Roland B. Saeger