Patents Examined by Stewart J. Levy
  • Patent number: 4888552
    Abstract: A method of acquiring data for use in providing magnetic resonance images (MRI) wherein prior to stabilization of the system, data is acquired using phase encoding gradient pulses far removed from zero. Immediately after system stabilization data proximate and equal to the zero value phase encoding gradient pulse is acquired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 19, 1989
    Assignee: Elscint Ltd.
    Inventors: Avihai Egozi, Saul Stokar
  • Patent number: 4887034
    Abstract: The detection of compounds containing both nuclei of a kind which exhibit nuclear magnetic resonance (nmr) and nuclei of a kind which exhibit nuclear quadrupole resonance (nqr), for example compounds containing both .sup.1 H and .sup.14 N nuclei, is carried out by subjecting a substance suspected of containing such a compound to a magnetic field and repetitively to three parallel activities A,H and B. Activity A comprises two similar rf pulse sequences P.sub.A and P.sub.B at the nmr frequency. Activity H is a temporary change in the value of the magnetic field, which may be a reduction to zero. Activity B is the application of additional rf signals. Activity H and/or activity B are different during each of the respective pulse sequences P.sub.A and P.sub.B. The activity B rf signals are at one or more frequencies selected so that in combination with the activity H in at least one of the pulse sequences the subsequent nmr signal is modified if such a compound is present.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1988
    Date of Patent: December 12, 1989
    Assignee: National Research Development Corporation
    Inventor: John A. S. Smith
  • Patent number: 4887038
    Abstract: Receiver coil for use with a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging (NMRI) instrument includes a flexible electrical conductor formed from a multiplicity of conductor strips connected in parallel and carried by a flexible insulator. The insulator is configured to be wrapped around an object to be imaged to form the conductor into a coil whose interior is substantially occupied by the object. Air vents may also be provided to improve the ventilation of air through the receiver coil in its wrapped configuration and to reduce any claustrophobic discomfort of a patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1988
    Date of Patent: December 12, 1989
    Assignee: Fonar Corporation
    Inventors: Jan Votruba, George R. Morris
  • Patent number: 4884449
    Abstract: An apparatus for detecting a failure in a bearing has an acoustic emission sensor which detects acoustic emission from the bearing and outputs signals indicative of power of the acoustic emission, a bandpass filter which passes only signals in the range of from 100 kHz to 500 kHz out of the signals received from the aforementioned sensor, and a comparator which compares each of the signals in the range of from 100 kHz to 500 kHz extracted by the bandpass filter with a predetermined threshold value and outputs event signals each of which expresses that the signal from the bandpass filter exceeds the threshold value. This apparatus also has a computer which receives the event signals from the comparator, determines time intervals in which the event signals occur, totals the number of event signals for respective timer intervals, and determines whether or not the number of totaled events exceeds a predetermined threshold value to determine a failure in the bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1988
    Date of Patent: December 5, 1989
    Assignees: Koyo Seiko Co., Ltd, Kawasaki Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeto Nishimoto, Yoshiki Fujimoto, Noriaki Inoue, Shunji Harada
  • Patent number: 4884458
    Abstract: The vortex shedding flowmeter comprises a vortex generating bluff body of an elongated shape disposed across a cross section of a flow passage, that includes a blunt leading edge and a planar trailing edge, which planar trailing edge has two sides shielded from the moving fluid by a planar shielding member enclosing at least two sides of the planar trailing edge wherein the two sides of the planar trailing edge are respectively exposed to the fluid pressure at the two sides of the bluff body by one or more pressure openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 1988
    Date of Patent: December 5, 1989
    Inventor: Hyok S. Lew
  • Patent number: 4884436
    Abstract: An automated tension infiltrometer including a soil contacting base to which is mounted a porous plate for interfacing the infiltrometer with the soil to be analyzed. A Marriotte column is positioned in the base so that its open bottom end abuts the porous plate. A bubble tower is also positioned in the base and has a bubbling tube operatively connected between its interior and interior of the Marriotte column. The bubble tower is adjustable to provide variable tension to the Marriotte column. First and second transducers are positioned at the upper and lower parts of the Marriotte column and continuously measure pressure changes at those positions while water from the column infiltrates into the soil. By correlating these measurements, improved precision in measuring water level is achieved, which in turn allows improved results regarding deriving soil characteristic information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1988
    Date of Patent: December 5, 1989
    Assignee: Iowa State University Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark D. Ankeny, Thomas C. Kaspar, Robert Horton, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4884448
    Abstract: A ultrasonic Doppler meter for measuring the speed of a moving body by measuring the phase shift due to the Doppler effect on received signals, comprising a transmitting/receiving unit transmitting ultrasonic bursts with a constant time interval towards the moving body and receiving reflected waves; a unit for measuring a phase difference vector representing a difference between phases of received signals corresponding to two successive transmitted pulses; a unit for calculating a difference between phase differences on the basis of two successive phase difference vectors stated above; and an accumulation unit for adding the difference between phase differences to a preceeding phase difference vector so as to obtain the speed of the moving object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 1988
    Date of Patent: December 5, 1989
    Assignee: Hitachi Medical Corporation
    Inventors: Toshio Ogawa, Hisashi Nishiyama, Kageyoshi Katakura, Shizuo Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 4884438
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining certain fluid flow parameters for naturally fractured media. Specifically provided is a method and apparatus to measure the flow rate, pressure drop, fracture aperture, fluid supply temperature and sample-loading force. A naturally fractured media core sample is obtained for testing and cut into a pair of core blocks having mating fractured forces. The fracture face of the core sample prepared in this manner, yields a more representative surface for flow study, eliminating the problem arising from the fact that most fractures cut across round core samples, resulting in an unnatural, elliptical surface for evaluation. A flow cell assembly is provided to receive the pair of core blocks and secure them during the measurement operation. The flow cell assembly permits adjustment of the fracture aperture to facilitate comprehensive evaluation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1988
    Date of Patent: December 5, 1989
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy A. Jones, Thomas J. Kaluza, Robert E. Roach
  • Patent number: 4884437
    Abstract: This invention is a new, novel method and apparatus for the measurement of fluid-fluid interfacial shear viscosities. The method and apparatus are simple in design and conducive to routine measurements. The viscosities are measured by observation of the unsteady state deformation of the interface after a slowly rotating cylindrical cell containing the sample is abruptly halted. The deformation is established with tracer particles located at the interface between the two fluids in the sample. Correlations show the relationship of the traversed angle of the particles to the interfacial shear viscosity, the viscosities and densities of the bulk phases, and the sample dimensions. The method is sufficiently sensitive to allow measurements of interfacial shear viscosities ranging from 0.001 to 5.0 surface poise depending on cell geometry and liquid viscosity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 1988
    Date of Patent: December 5, 1989
    Assignee: Louisiana State University
    Inventors: W. David Constant, Joanne M. Wolcott, Vivian J. Cambridge
  • Patent number: 4884457
    Abstract: The multi-phase petroleum stream monitor includes two densitometers which measure the density of the petroleum stream at two locations and provides corresponding signals. The temperature and the pressure of the petroleum stream are also measured and corresponding signals provided. Apparatus provides signals corresponding to the density of the liquid in the petroleum stream and to the density of the gas in the petroleum stream. The liquid flow rate and the gas flow rate of the petroleum stream are determined in accordance with the two sensed density signals, the temperature signal, the pressure signal, the liquid density signal and the gas density signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 5, 1989
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventor: Gregory J. Hatton
  • Patent number: 4884029
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance excitation pulse (50, 150, 250) is applied to excite resonance in selected dipoles in an examination region. A second radio frequency pulse (60, 160, 260) induces a primary echo which is phase encoded by a phase encode gradient (56, 156, 256) with a first phase encode angle. Optionally, an additional phase encode gradient (356) may be applied after the primary echo to remove the first phase encoding. A third radio frequency pulse (70, 170, 270) rotates the magnetization, typically 90.degree., to cause a stimulated echo (72, 172, 272) which is phase encoded in accordance with a second phase encode gradient (78, 178, 278). Optionally, another phase encode gradient pulse (378) may be applied after the stimulated echo to remove the second phase encoding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 1988
    Date of Patent: November 28, 1989
    Assignee: Picker International, Inc.
    Inventor: William Sattin
  • Patent number: 4882930
    Abstract: A melt indexer system for determining the melt index of a plastic by testing. The melt indexer system comprises a plurality of melt indexers, each of the melt indexers including a melt chamber into which a sample of plastic to be tested is placed, a heater for melting the sample to a predetermined temperature and a test piston for extruding the melted sample through a calibrated orifice of a removable die to determine the viscosity of the sample as a function of its temperature. A robot arm and a computer programmable to control the movement of the robot arm are provided. An infeed queue holds in predetermined order a plurality of containers containing samples to be tested and a bar code reader identifies each sample to be tested. A test computer associates a particular sample with a predetermined plan for testing the sample, records and processes the melt index test results. A vacuum sipper extracts a charge of the sample from the sample container and places it in the melt chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1988
    Date of Patent: November 28, 1989
    Assignee: Automatik Machinery Corporation
    Inventors: Gabor S. Nagy, Richard C. Akeson, Richard E. Sweenie, Mark E. Novak, Harry K. Malsch, Thomas J. Widule, Gustav L. P. Ding, Jared K. Jackson
  • Patent number: 4881409
    Abstract: A multi-point wall thickness gage (10) comprises a pad (16) of flexible magnetic material that includes an array of ultrasonic transducers (13) and a multi-point ultrasonic transmitter and receiver (25) to which each transducer (13) is attached. The magnetic pad (16) is attachable to the wall of a ferro-magnetic object (19), and serves to hold the array or matrix of ultrasonic transducers (13) against the wall of the object. The specific region of the object wall being inspected is marked off (17), and the magnetic pad (16) is periodically applied over this region (17). The output of the transducers (13) is used to detect whether any wall thinning is occurring over the particular area of the object covered by the magnetic pad (16), and if so, the particular pattern of thinning within the area. Trend monitoring is simplified since exact relocation of the transducers (13) for periodic measurements is more readily accomplished.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1988
    Date of Patent: November 21, 1989
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventor: David H. Roarty
  • Patent number: 4881406
    Abstract: A first temperature sensor is carried by the drill pipe on a radially extensible arm for positioning the sensor at or near the face of the well bore for measuring the true temperature of the face. A second temperature sensor at an intermediate position on the arm measures the temperature of the drilling fluid near the location of the first sensor. The first sensor takes a plurality of readings over a predetermined period of time to detect changes in surface temperature. Both sensors transmit their measurements to a microprocessor, which employs the laws of multidimensional and transient heat transfer by conduction to calculate the true formation temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 1988
    Date of Patent: November 21, 1989
    Inventor: Glenn E. Coury
  • Patent number: 4881407
    Abstract: The bobbin (21) of the heating resistor (1) is made by zirconia or glass fiber. On the surface of the bobbin, a platinum film (31) or a platinum wire (23) are formed. At both ends of the heating resistor, the heating resistor is supported by a pair of supporting conductors (25).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 21, 1989
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Automotive Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoru Tashahashi, Hiroastu Tokuda, Izumi Watanabe, Yutaka Nishimura
  • Patent number: 4879909
    Abstract: A flowmeter measuring rate of fluid flow comprises a vortex generator of an elongated bluff body disposed generally perpendicular to the flow direction and a vortex detector of an elongated planar member disposed generally parallel to and downstream of the vortex generator on a plane generally parallel to the flow direction, wherein the vortex sensor is fixedly secured to the wall of flow passage at one extremity and coupled to the force receiving member of an impulse detector at the other extremity. The volume flow is determined from the frequencies of vortex shedding and the mass flow is determined from the amplitude of alternating lift forces on the vortex detector exerted by the vortices, which are obtained by processing and analyzing the electric signals from the impulse detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 14, 1989
    Inventor: Hyok S. Lew
  • Patent number: 4881033
    Abstract: A multi-echo magnetic resonance imaging sequence is implemented such that a radio frequency receiver (34) receives magnetic resonance signals during each of a plurality of magnetic resonance echoes. The resonance data received during each echo are digitized and the resultant echo data are stored in a corresponding echo memory (40, 42). The locations of the data within the memories are brought into registration (52) such that corresponding data in each memory is disposed at the same memory address. Because data from later echoes tends to be weaker or at a lower magnitude, the magnitude of the data stored in each memory is normalized (60). The phase of the data in each memory is brought into coordination by a zero order phase correction (70). A high pass filter (84) and a complementary low pass filter (86) separate complementary portions of the data from the memories. The separated portions are combined into a single synthesizied data set for storage in memory (82).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 14, 1989
    Assignee: Picker International, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth S. Denison, G. Neil Holland, Gordon D. DeMeester
  • Patent number: 4879900
    Abstract: A formation tester is set forth. The device utilizes a snorkel extending from the formation tester to obtain a pressure test and collect samples from a formation of interest. The apparatus includes multiple sample storage containers, thereby cooperating with an equalizing valve to selectively isolate the snorkel from fluid and fluid pressures in the well. A control valve system in a hydraulic circuit operate backup shoes and a snorkel seal until testing is over to assure sealing against well fluid invasion in unconsolidated formation. A speed up sequence for both the backup piston and cylinder arrangement as well as the pad setting piston and snorkel arrangement is illustrated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 1988
    Date of Patent: November 14, 1989
    Assignee: Halliburton Logging Services, Inc.
    Inventor: Gregory N. Gilbert
  • Patent number: 4881035
    Abstract: Magnetic structural arrangement of an installation for nuclear magnetic resonance tomography with superconducting background field coils and normally conducting gradient coils. The magnetic structural arrangement contains superconducting coils cooled by a cryogenic medium for generating a homogeneous magnetic background field, normally conducting coils within the inner space bounded by the background field coils for developing magnetic field gradients, and at least one cooled radiation shield of an electrically and thermally conducting material which is disposed between the gradient coils and the background field coils. In such a structural arrangement the danger exists that eddy currents set up in the radiation shield distort the gradient fields and/or these gradient fields generate undesired heat in the region of the background field coils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1988
    Date of Patent: November 14, 1989
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Horst Siebold
  • Patent number: 4879917
    Abstract: A dissolution rate analyzer for determining the solubility of pharmaceutical products. It automatically loads, mixes, and samples the test product; then cleans and dries the test vessel before repeating the process. The analyzer has a plurality of vessels with agitator blades. Each blade has a series of channels and is attached to a hollow shaft which is rotatable and vertically displaceable. The channels in the blades are connected by the hollow shaft with sources of fluid and air. By pumping liquid and air out the channels in the blades, and simultaneously rotating the agitator and moving it up and down, the vessel thoroughly cleans itself. The cleaning liquid is drained off through a valve in the bottom of the test vessel. A magazine connected to a dispenser loads the next sample, fluid is added, and the mixture is agitated before analysis of the next sample begins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1988
    Date of Patent: November 14, 1989
    Inventors: Heinz Eppelmann, Franz Fahler