Patents Examined by Rodney T. Frank
  • Patent number: 12044563
    Abstract: A system and method for sensing a process fluid is provided. The method includes: a) using a Coriolis meter (CM) having a flow tube to determine a CM mass flow value, a CM density value, and a drive gain signal; b) using a sensor array having a plurality of sensors configured to sense a characteristic of the process fluid that convects with the process fluid through the flow tube, and produce sensor signals representative of the process fluid characteristic convecting with the process fluid, and a sensor array processing unit in communication with the sensor array to determine a convective velocity of the process fluid; and c) reporting a first mass flow rate of the process fluid as measured by the CM or a second mass flow rate using the convective velocity and the CM density value based on the drive gain signal relative to a predetermined drive gain threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: Expro Meters, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel L. Gysling, Gabriel Dragnea
  • Patent number: 12044565
    Abstract: A device for total cross-section measurement of a mass flow rate of gas, liquid and solid in a multiphase flow includes a gamma-ray source, a gamma-ray detector, and a differential pressure type flowmeter. The differential pressure type flowmeter includes a throat section, and the gamma-ray source and the gamma-ray detector are respectively disposed at opposite positions on both sides of the throat section. The gamma-ray detector is an array including a plurality of detection units, and the gamma-ray source is configured to emit gamma rays covering the measurement cross-section of the throat section. The gamma-ray detector is configured to receive the gamma rays passing through the measurement cross-section of the throat section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: SEA PIONEERS TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Jige Chen
  • Patent number: 12031891
    Abstract: The method includes fixing the tissue sample with a first fixation solution immersing the tissue sample in a delipidation solution including a chaotropic agent configured to induce a swelling of the sample; staining the tissue sample; dehydrating the tissue sample in an organic dehydration solution, the dehydration solution configured to induce a shrinking of the sample; and immersing the fixed tissue sample in an organic clearing solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignee: HOFFMAN-LA ROCHE, INC.
    Inventors: Michael Dobosz, Joerg Mueller, Thomas Poeschinger
  • Patent number: 12025635
    Abstract: A pressure probe affixable in a scale three-dimensional model of direct environment, buildings, and other objects and having a plurality of orifices open in circumferential spaced apart relation on a probe side surface each connected through a dynamic pressure flow path to a plurality of pressure sensors each of which generates a pressure signal which varies based on change dynamic pressure at a corresponding one of the plurality of orifices which pressure signals can be analyzed to determine fluid flow direction and fluid flow speed of a fluid flow about the pressure probe affixed in the scale three-dimensional model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: CPP Incorporated
    Inventors: Yarrow J. Fewless, Roy O. Denoon, David Banks, John A. Summers
  • Patent number: 11987891
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a gas sensor. The gas sensor includes a substrate, a conductor layer over the substrate, wherein the conductor layer includes a conductive pattern including a plurality of openings, the openings being arranged in a repeating pattern, an insulating layer in the plurality of openings and over a top surface of the conductive pattern, wherein the conductive pattern is embedded in the insulating layer, and a gas sensing film over a portion of the insulating layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.
    Inventors: Ming-Ta Lei, Chia-Hua Chu, Hsin-Chih Chiang, Tung-Tsun Chen, Chun-Wen Cheng
  • Patent number: 11987962
    Abstract: A method of designing an optimized seawater pumping apparatus, using a computer in a system in which a seawater pumping apparatus including a pumping pipe and a well disposed to surround a lateral surface of a land-buried portion of the pumping pipe is installed to reduce seawater intrusion in a land in which an aquifer with a seawater-fresh water boundary surface is formed, includes applying an optimization algorithm to initial condition data of the aquifer to generate n decision variable sets of the seawater pumping apparatus, applying an underground water flow model to each of the n decision variable sets to generate n prediction results of change in the seawater-fresh water boundary surface, calculating a performance evaluation value of each of the n prediction results, and selecting a decision variable set having a maximum performance evaluation value, where n is an integer and equal to or greater than 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: DONG-A UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR INDUSTRY-ACADEMY COOPERATION
    Inventors: Namsik Park, Byunghee Nam
  • Patent number: 11976955
    Abstract: Disclosed are devices and methods for determining a fluid level of and the amount of fluid remaining in a container. A portable measuring device can include a housing, a sensor, and a measurement system. The sensor can be supported by the housing and can detect a fluid level of the container. The measurement system can be configured to receive information including a measurement of the container, to determine an amount of fluid in the container based on a measurement of the container and a detected fluid level of the container, and to output the amount of fluid in the container and geometric information of the container. A method can include supplying such a device, placing the device proximal to or in abutment with and moving the device along an outer surface of the container, providing a signal to a user, and outputting the amount of fluid in a container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Ecolab USA Inc.
    Inventors: Ashish Agarwal, Brandon M. Davis, William Von Drasek, Divigar Lakshmanan
  • Patent number: 11946835
    Abstract: A gas monitoring and control system including a gas sampling chamber, sampling inlet and outlet valves, a pump and a controller. Sensors are disposed within the interior chamber that sense characteristics of a gas from a gas source and generate representative signals. The sampling inlet and outlet valves i) allow the gas into the gas sampling chamber while operating in a gas sampling state, and ii) allow ambient air into the gas sampling chamber while operating in a purge state. The pump i) causes the gas to flow through the gas sampling chamber while operating in the gas sampling state or ii) causes ambient air to flow through the gas sampling chamber while operating in the purge state. The controller causes the sampling inlet and outlet valves, and the pump to alternate operating in the gas sampling or purge state to selectively expose the sensors to the gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Chrintec, LLC
    Inventor: Gregory R. Chrin
  • Patent number: 11940309
    Abstract: An apparatus for use with a Coriolis meter is provided. The apparatus includes an array of strain-based sensors, a filtering module, and a processing unit. The sensor array is configured for sensing a meter flow tube. The array is configured for mounting on the flow tube. The sensors are configured to produce sensor signals representative of strain within the flow tube. The processing unit controls the sensor array to produce the sensor signals representative of the strain within the flow tube. The strain includes a first portion associated with the flow tube vibrating at a resonant frequency of the flow tube and a second portion associated with a fluid flow passing through the flow tube. The filtering module filters the sensor signals to remove a sensor signal portion representative of the strain associated with the flow tube vibrating at the resonant frequency of the flow tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: EXPRO METERS, INC.
    Inventor: Daniel L. Gysling
  • Patent number: 11933807
    Abstract: A measuring device for determining the density, the mass flow and/or the viscosity of a gas-charged liquid includes an oscillator, having a media-conducting measuring tube and two vibrational modes having media-density-dependent natural frequencies; an exciter for exciting the two vibrational modes; a vibrational sensor for detecting vibrations of the oscillator; and an operating and evaluating circuit to apply an excitation signal to the exciter, detect signals of the vibration sensor, determine current values of the natural frequencies of the two vibrational modes of the oscillator and fluctuations of the natural frequencies. The operating and evaluating circuit is designed to determine a first media state value, wherein the operating and evaluating circuit is furthermore designed to determine a second media state value which represents a gas charge of the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Endress+Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Hao Zhu, Michael Wiesmann
  • Patent number: 11928983
    Abstract: An artificial eye assembly (100) comprising: —an anterior layer (50) comprising an anterior cavity (52); —a flow constricting (40) layer comprising a first aperture (42), and wherein the first aperture (42) is in fluid communication with the anterior cavity (52); —a shaping layer (30) comprising a second aperture and a shaping structure (32), wherein the shaping structure (32) is located within, partially within, or outside of the second aperture, and wherein the shaping structure comprises (32) one or more webs (33), the webs (33) connecting the structure (32) to the rest of the shaping layer (30), and wherein the second aperture is in fluid communication with the first aperture (42); —a flow resistive layer (20) comprising pores, and wherein pores of the layer are in fluid communication with the second aperture; —a posterior layer (10) comprising a posterior cavity (12), and wherein the posterior cavity (12) is in fluid communication with pores of the flow resistive layer (20); —a fluid inlet (13) located i
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Optceutics Limited
    Inventors: Sahar Awwad, Yann Bouremel, Nkiruka Ibeanu, Stephen James Brocchini, Peng Tee Khaw
  • Patent number: 11913916
    Abstract: A liquid chromatography sample manager includes a thermal chamber, a sample platter mounted in the thermal chamber, and a needle drive including a base having a shaft configured to rotate about a vertical axis, the base attachable to an interior of a sample manager of a liquid chromatography system. The needle drive further includes a needle assembly attached to the base, the needle assembly including a sample needle, and a drive system attached to the base, the drive system including a sample needle motor configured to impart vertical movement of the sample needle. The liquid chromatography sample manager further includes a sample delivery system configured to transfer a first sample from a first sample vial carrier located in the sample platter into a chromatographic flow stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Waters Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Joshua A. Burnett, Rose Solow, David A. Simpson, Marc E. Lemelin
  • Patent number: 11906340
    Abstract: A separation assembly for the flow measurement of a gas flow and a liquid flow of a multiphase fluid includes separator with a housing and a separation element inside the housing. The separation element provides the fluid to rotate at high-speed causing strong centrifugal forces on the multiphase fluid. The housing has an inlet for a multiphase mixture and two outlets, one primarily for pre-separated gas and the second primarily for pre-separated liquid. These outlets lead to a regulator. The regulator is part of the separation assembly and includes at least two outlets, one for gas and one for liquid. The regulator ensures the proportional regulation and the final separation of gas and liquid phases over an entire flow rate to provide monophase liquid and gas at the outlets of the regulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: L'ATELIER DE MATOURNE S.A.S.
    Inventors: Ton Leenhoven, Goncalo Gil Vieira Amaro
  • Patent number: 11906339
    Abstract: The invention relates to a Coriolis measuring transducer of a Coriolis measuring device comprising: at least one measuring tube; at least one exciter; at least two sensors; wherein at least one exciter or at least one sensor has a coil device and a magnet device, wherein the magnet device has a holder and at least a first magnet group and at least a second magnet group, wherein the holder has a body with a body length axis and a first end and a second end wherein the first end has an end surface, wherein the body has three recesses, wherein a central recess is separated, in each case, from an outer recess by, in each case, an intermediate wall, wherein each intermediate wall has an opening, and wherein the first magnet group is arranged in a first opening, and wherein the second magnet group is arranged in a second opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Endress+Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Benjamin Schwenter, Marc Werner, Claude Hollinger, Gebhard Gschwend
  • Patent number: 11899476
    Abstract: A gas flow measuring method is provided. A first pressure of a gas in a first and a second flow path is measured. A gas is supplied to the first and the second flow paths by repeating gas supply and stop of the gas supply, and a gas supply time is measured. A second pressure and a temperature of the gas in the first and the second flow path is measured, a third pressure of the gas in the second flow path is measured after the gas is exhausted from the second flow path, and a fourth pressure of the gas in the first and the second flow path is measured. The gas flow supplied to the first and the second flow path is calculated based on the first to fourth pressures and the temperature, and corrected based on a theoretical gas supply time and a calculated average time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Risako Matsuda, Shinichiro Hayasaka, Manabu Oie, Keita Shouji
  • Patent number: 11885186
    Abstract: A drilling fluid inhibition evaluation device includes a main test member, a temperature control pressurization system, a gas source, a circulation heating system, a confining pressure pump, a central control system, a computer, an ultrasonic detector and a safety valve electrically connected through pipelines, respectively, the main test member and the temperature control pressurization system sequentially connected with the gas source; the present disclosure can pre-pressurize experimental fluid and then inject the fluid into a dilatometer, so as to prevent the fluid from generating obvious changes of phase states, eliminate pressure setting errors caused by a saturated vapor pressure of the fluid, improve accuracy of evaluation results, inspect a real expansion state of the sample and simultaneously monitor structural change characteristics of a rock sample in real time through reflection conditions of sound waves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignees: Southwest Petroleum University, CHENGDU KANGPUSHEN PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CO., LTD
    Inventors: Xiangchen Li, Yousheng Chen, Fan Zhang
  • Patent number: 11879875
    Abstract: A liquid chromatography sample manager includes a sampling mechanism; a sample platter mounted in the sampling mechanism, the sample platter configured to rotate about a first vertical axis; a needle arm mounted within the sampling mechanism, the needle arm configured to rotate about a second vertical axis; and a sample delivery system in fluidic communication with solvent delivery system, the sample delivery system including a sample needle attached to the needle arm, the sample delivery system configured to transfer a first sample from a first sample vial carrier located in the sample platter into a chromatographic flow stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: WATERS TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joshua A. Burnett, Rose Solow, David A. Simpson, Marc E. Lemelin
  • Patent number: 11874267
    Abstract: A system for testing properties of a sample, the system including a test cell. The test cell includes a cell casing having a first end piece, a second end piece, and at least one wall extending between the first end piece and the second end piece. The cell casing defines a pressure boundary enclosing an interior region of the cell. The test cell further includes a sample chamber, a first reservoir, and a second reservoir disposed within the pressure boundary. The sample chamber defines an interior region. The first reservoir fluidly connects to the interior region of the sample chamber. The second reservoir fluidly connects to the interior region of the sample chamber. The test cell also has a piston assembly having a piston fluid chamber and a piston with a stem extending into the piston fluid chamber. The piston partially defines the sample chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventor: Mustafa Hakimuddin
  • Patent number: 11866916
    Abstract: A fluid supply monitoring system includes a fluid sensor configured to identify a flow rate of a fluid through a supply line. The system comprises a valve configured to control the flow rate through the supply line and a pressure sensor configured to detect a fluid pressure. A controller is configured to receive the flow rate data and identify fluid consumption from the supply line based on the flow rate. The controller is further configured to compare the fluid consumption of a usage event to one of a time limit and a volume limit. In response to the fluid consumption exceeding the time limit or the volume limit, the controller controls the valve to a closed position and identifies a potential fluid leak. With the valve in the closed position, the controller processes a verification procedure that identifies whether the potential fluid leak is an actual fluid leak.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: NIBCO INC.
    Inventor: Christopher William Mason
  • Patent number: 11857977
    Abstract: A fixing clamp for a microfluidic chip includes a set of sub-clamps arranged to be spaced apart on left and right. Each of the sub-clamps includes an upper plate body with a first passage, the first passage having a first outer interface and a first chip docking port, and the first chip docking port being located on a lower surface of the upper plate body and at one end of the upper plate body facing the other sub-clamp; a lower plate body with a second passage, the second passage having a second outer interface and a second chip docking port, and the second chip docking port being located on an upper surface of the lower plate body and at one end of the lower plate body facing the other sub-clamp; and a spacing adjusting mechanism connecting the upper plate body and the lower plate body together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Tsinghua University
    Inventors: Moran Wang, Wenhai Lei