Patents Examined by Taqi R Nasir
  • Patent number: 11933832
    Abstract: The invention provides a system for locating a fault in a conductor such, as a break in a buried wire. The system includes a first conductor portion and a second conductor portion separated from each other by the fault, the system including a field generator, having: a first connection connectable to the first conductor portion, a first signal generator configured to apply a first oscillating signal between the first connection and an earth, the first oscillating signal having a frequency of between 1 and 20 kHz, and a mobile detector for detecting an electric field produced by the application of the first oscillating signal to the first conductor portion, the detector including a capacitive sensor element, a signal processor to which the sensor element is connected and having an output, and a monitor receiving the output from the signal processor and providing a signal to an operator to indicate the position of the fault.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Teletech Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Malcolm Charles Basell, Sean Anthony Gallagher
  • Patent number: 11927651
    Abstract: A system for one-sided measuring a presence of magnetic particles in a probe volume comprises a one-sided coil assembly and a current controller, wherein the one-sided coil assembly is arranged around a central coil assembly axis for generating a rotating magnetic field distribution and comprises at least 3, preferably at least 4, circumferentially distributed coil assembly sectors, wherein the current controller is configured to generate a time varying current in each of said coil assembly sectors, said time varying current comprising a periodic modulation with a rotation frequency and phase shifted between adjacent coil assembly sectors to generate a magnetic field rotating in a plane perpendicular to the coil assembly axis, said magnetic field rotating with a rotation frequency associated with a frequency of said periodic modulation, and wherein the system is configured for measuring said presence of magnetic particles in said probe volume with said one-sided coil assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg
    Inventors: Patrick Vogel, Martin Rückert
  • Patent number: 11927652
    Abstract: A structure, a method, and an electronic device for multi-coil handheld magnetic particle imaging (MPI) are provided. The structure for multi-coil handheld MPI includes a processing device, a control device, an imager, a gradient and scanning module, an excitation and correction module, and a detection module, where the gradient and scanning module includes a first circular coil pair and a second circular coil pair; the excitation and correction module includes a circular excitation and correction coil; and the detection module includes a circular detection coil. The structure for multi-coil handheld MPI focuses the imaging region in a specific part, improving the MPI accuracy, and features small volume, simple structure, and low power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics
    Inventors: Jie Tian, Haoran Zhang, Bo Zhang, Yu An
  • Patent number: 11914011
    Abstract: A handheld MPI system and method based on field free line (FFL) rotation is provided. The handheld MPI system includes: a gradient module configured to construct a gradient field with an FFL; a cooling module configured to cool the gradient module; an excitation module configured to excite magnetic particles in a region of the FFL; a detection module configured to receive an excitation response signal of the magnetic particles and counteract an excitation signal directly induced by a reception coil; a rotation module configured to control the gradient module and the cooling module to rotate around an axis of an excitation coil; a control and signal processing module configured to control each module to operate as needed, and process a received magnetic particle induction signal; and an image reconstruction module configured to reconstruct a magnetic particle distribution into a two-dimensional image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics
    Inventors: Jie Tian, Bo Zhang, Haoran Zhang, Yu An
  • Patent number: 11899084
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging device may include a field generator for generating at least one magnetic gradient field. The field generator may include a first magnet and a second magnet confining an imaging volume of the magnetic resonance imaging device in two spatial directions. The first magnet and the second magnet may be arranged asymmetrically with respect to the imaging volume. The magnetic resonance imaging device may be used to perform a method for acquiring an image of a diagnostically relevant body region of a patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Mallett, Adrian Mark Thomas, Matthias Gebhardt, Stephan Biber, Andreas Krug, Stefan Popescu, Lars Lauer, Andreas Greiser
  • Patent number: 11894475
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a spin-qubit quantum magnetometer and radar apparatus, entirely implemented in silicon and with full electrical control. By default, each detection element of the silicon-based spin-qubit quantum magnetometer and radar apparatus with full electrical control of the invention is built around a Field Effect Transistor (FET) on silicon over insulator with a back-gate as well as two front gates, which can be adjacent to one another along the Drain-Source FET channel or alternatively placed across that same channel and facing each other as corner gates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Inventor: Pierre Gandolfo
  • Patent number: 11879950
    Abstract: Superconducting integrated circuits may advantageously employ superconducting resonators coupled to a microwave transmission line to efficiently address superconducting flux storage devices. In an XY-addressing scheme, a global flux bias may be applied to a number of superconducting flux storage devices via a low-frequency address line, and individual superconducting flux storage devices addressed via application of high-frequency pulses via resonators driven by the microwave transmission line. Frequency multiplexing can be employed to provide signals to two or more resonators. A low-frequency current bias may be combined with a high-frequency current in one or more superconducting resonators to provide Z-addressing. A low-frequency current bias may be combined with a high-frequency current in one or more superconducting resonators to eliminate a flux bias line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: D-WAVE SYSTEMS INC.
    Inventors: Loren J. Swenson, Emile M. Hoskinson, Mark H. Volkmann, Andrew J. Berkley, George E. G. Sterling, Jed D. Whittaker
  • Patent number: 11874343
    Abstract: A gradiometer includes a at least one magnet attached to a beam. The magnet moves in response to a magnetic force. A sensing element is configured to measure movement or deflection of the beam or magnet. The gradiometer is configured to determine a gradient of a magnetic field acting on the first magnet based on movement of the magnet. The gradiometer can further measure higher order gradients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Trustees of Boston University
    Inventors: Joshua Javor, David Bishop, David Campbell, Matthias Imboden
  • Patent number: 11874315
    Abstract: A method for testing a device for monitoring an item of equipment of a motor vehicle. The method includes controlling a driver with a microcontroller in order that the driver performs at least one diagnosis, detecting an electrical fault of the monitoring device, positioning a switch connecting the driver and the circuit board in its open position, controlling the driver with the microcontroller in order that the driver reiterates the at least one diagnosis, and, in the event of the electrical fault being detected again, locating the electrical fault on the driver or, in the event of absence of detection of the electrical fault, locating the electrical fault outside the driver and in particular on the circuit board or between the driver and the circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Inventors: Cédric Benaben, Sébastien Raget
  • Patent number: 11874235
    Abstract: A detection device and method based on an S-shaped microwave transmission line are provided. The detection device includes a metal housing, where the metal housing includes a sensor chamber communicating with an external environment and a circuit board chamber sealed off from the external environment; the sensor chamber includes at least one detection transmission line therein as an external S-shaped microwave transmission line; if there are multiple detection transmission lines, the multiple detection transmission lines are connected in series from end to end to form the external S-shaped microwave transmission line; the circuit board chamber includes an internal S-shaped microwave transmission line therein; and a head end of the external S-shaped microwave transmission line and a head end of the internal S-shaped microwave transmission line serve as microwave signal input terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Inventor: Min Meng
  • Patent number: 11846687
    Abstract: A method of determining a gradient of a magnetic field, includes the steps of: biasing a first/second magnetic sensor with a first/second biasing signal; measuring and amplifying a first/second magnetic sensor signal; measuring a temperature and/or a stress difference; adjusting at least one of: the second biasing signal, the second amplifier gain, the amplified and digitized second sensor value using a predefined function f(T) or f(T, ??) or f(??) of the measured temperature and/or the measured differential stress before determining a difference between the first/second signal/value derived from the first/second sensor signal. A magnetic sensor device is configured for performing this method, as well as a current sensor device, and a position sensor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: MELEXIS TECHNOLOGIES SA
    Inventors: Nicolas Dupre, Yves Bidaux
  • Patent number: 11846690
    Abstract: Multi-dimensional spectra associated with a specimen are reconstructed using lower dimensional spectra as constraints. For example, a two-dimensional spectrum associated with diffusivity and spin-lattice relaxation time is obtained using one-dimensional spectra associated with diffusivity and spin-lattice relaxation time, respectively, as constraints. Data for a full two dimensional spectrum are not acquired, leading to significantly reduced data acquisition times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services
    Inventors: Peter J. Basser, Dan H. Benjamini
  • Patent number: 11841378
    Abstract: A rotation rate sensor, including at least: one oscillating mass, deflectable in a drive direction and in a detection direction oriented perpendicularly to the drive direction; one drive circuit for prompting a defined oscillatory movement of the oscillating mass in the drive direction; one circuit for detecting a measuring signal, which corresponds to the deflection of the oscillating mass in the detection direction; and one read-out circuit for reading out and pre-processing the measuring signal. The read-out circuit includes a demodulator, with which a useful signal and a quadrature signal are extractable from the measuring signal. The read-out circuit includes a sigma-delta A/D converter. An offset voltage is feedable to the sigma-delta A/D converter, which is selected in such a way that tonal artifacts in the frequency spectrum of the digitized useful signal are shifted into a frequency range outside of the bandwidths of the useful signal to be expected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Luca Valli, Andrea Visconti, Francesco Diazzi
  • Patent number: 11835609
    Abstract: Imaging methods for assessing the macromolecular content, such as myelin, are of great interest for understanding brain tissue microstructure, and have shown potentials in diagnosing and prognosing demyelinating diseases. for example. Magnetization transfer (MT) is a MRI contrast mechanism that enables detection of macromolecules. Previously, the MT effect has been analyzed by a semi-quantitative method termed magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) or by a quantitative magnetization transfer (qMT) method. However, because MTR does not have enough sensitivity and specificity to myelin, and qMT takes a very long scan time, their translation into clinical scenarios has been limited. This disclosure describes a MT data analysis metric using double saturation pulse offsets and powers (dopMTR).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Vanderbilt University
    Inventor: ZhongLiang Zu
  • Patent number: 11821972
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to techniques for synchronizing a rotational eccentric mass of a gravitational transducer used for a magnetic resonance elastography acquisition with a corresponding magnetic resonance elastography scan carried out by a magnetic resonance imaging system, wherein the rotation of the eccentric mass is driven by a shaft. The method includes starting the rotation of the eccentric mass at a set vibration frequency and the magnetic resonance elastography scan at a set acquisition frequency; determining the rotational position of the shaft; defining the rotational position as first reference position; calculating further reference positions. At the start time of each subsequent acquisition period, determining the current rotational position of the shaft; comparing the determined current rotational position with the theoretically expected reference position and decreasing or increasing the rotational speed of the rotational eccentric mass based on the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GmbH
    Inventors: Omar Darwish, Radhouene Neji, Ahmed M. Gharib, Ralph Sinkus
  • Patent number: 11815501
    Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide methods and apparatus for closed-loop control of a system using one or more electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) sensors located on-site. With such EPR sensors, a change can be applied to the system, the EPR sensors can measure the effect(s) of the change, and then adjustments can be made in real-time. This feedback process may be repeated continuously to control the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: MICROSILICON, INC.
    Inventors: Omar Kulbrandstad, Aydin Babakhani, Manuel Godoy, John Lovell
  • Patent number: 11802756
    Abstract: A transducer for measuring the thickness of ice in a body of water includes a transducer body, at least one ice presence sensor for measuring the presence of ice at a point beyond a boundary layer between the transducer body and the body of water, a flotation element, a controller, and a display assembly. The transducer body includes waterproof membrane sealed orifices positioned on the transducer body for one or more ice presence sensors. A tether point attaches an anchor to keep the transducer at a fixed location in the water body. The ice presence sensor includes a sense probe passing through the waterproof membrane, a sense probe seal, a drive rod, a switch, and an actuator. The display includes one or more visible elements to indicate ice thickness at the transducer location. The ice thickness is inferred by the collective indications at the one or more ice presence sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Inventor: Steven R. Weeres
  • Patent number: 11796608
    Abstract: The inventive concepts provide a magnetic property measurement apparatus capable of quickly measuring a magnetic property of a subject without a decrease in a measurement speed that might occur due to an electromagnet. In addition, the inventive concepts provide a magnetic property measurement apparatus capable of monitoring a magnetization distribution of a memory device as an image and integrating images by using a TDI camera, thereby being capable of performing highly sensitive measurement and not having to capture images for a long time. The magnetic property measurement apparatus includes: a magnetic field generation unit configured to generate a magnetic field which is constant with time and varies with relative position; a mobile unit configured to move a subject to be measured in the magnetic field; and a measurement unit configured to measure a magnetic property of the subject moving in the magnetic field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Harutaka Sekiya, Shinji Ueyama, Tomoki Onishi
  • Patent number: 11796613
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides techniques for using opto-isolator circuitry to control switching circuitry configured to be coupled to a radio-frequency (RF) coil of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system. In some embodiments, opto-isolator circuitry described herein may be configured to galvanically isolate switch controllers of the MRI system from the switching circuitry and/or provide feedback across an isolation barrier. Some embodiments provide an apparatus including switching circuitry configured to be coupled to an RF coil of an MRI system and a drive circuit that includes opto-isolator circuitry configured to control the switching circuitry. Some embodiments provide an MRI system that includes an RF coil configured to, when operated, transmit and/or receive RF signals to and/or from a field of view of the MRI system, switching circuitry coupled to the RF coil, and a drive circuit that includes opto-isolator circuitry configured to control the switching circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Hyperfine Operations, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Twieg
  • Patent number: 11789100
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a T/R switch. The T/R switch includes a double sided microstripline based hybrid couplers with a top side and a bottom side each including two concentric microstripline based hybrid couplers. Each of the two concentric microstripline based hybrid couplers includes an inner microstripline based hybrid coupler and an outer microstripline based hybrid coupler. The inner microstripline based hybrid coupler forms an inner loop of the two concentric microstripline based hybrid couplers and the outer microstripline based hybrid coupler forms an outer loop. In a transmission mode, the inner microstripline based hybrid coupler and the outer microstripline based hybrid coupler at the top side of the dual-tuned T/R switch are activated. In a receiving mode the inner microstripline based hybrid coupler and the outer microstripline based hybrid coupler at the top side and at the bottom side of the dual-tuned T/R switch are activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University
    Inventors: Ashraf Abuelhaija, Gameel Saleh Mohammed Saleh