Patents Examined by Tarifur Chowdhury
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Patent number: 9766179Abstract: Provided herein is an apparatus, including an optical characterization device; a photon detector array configured to sequentially receive a first set of photons scattered from surface features of an article and a second set of photons scattered from surface features of the article and subsequently processed by the optical characterization device; and a chemical characterization means for chemically characterizing the surface features of the article, wherein the chemical characterization means is configured for processing the first set of photons received by the photon detector array and the second set of photons received by the photon detector array.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2016Date of Patent: September 19, 2017Assignee: Seagate Technology LLCInventors: Joachim Walter Ahner, Samuel Kah Hean Wong, Maissarath Nassirou, Henry Luis Lott, David M. Tung, Florin Zavaliche, Stephen Keith McLaurin
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Patent number: 9759552Abstract: A method and system described for sensing a displacement by receiving and propagating a laser light signal with an etched waveguide that is configured to enable an evanescent optical field above the waveguide surface. A movable perturber can be positioned so the perturber interacts with the evanescent optical field above the waveguide surface. An optical phase shift can be induced in the waveguide when the movable perturber is displaced in the evanescent optical field, and the optical phase shift can be measured with an optical readout circuit.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2016Date of Patent: September 12, 2017Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventors: Marcel W. Pruessner, Todd H. Stievater, William S. Rabinovich
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Patent number: 9757817Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system are provided to monitor and characterize the dynamics of a phase change region (PCR) created during laser welding, specifically keyhole welding, and other material modification processes, using low-coherence interferometry. By directing a measurement beam to multiple locations within and overlapping with the PCR, the system, apparatus, and method are used to determine, in real time, spatial and temporal characteristics of the weld such as keyhole depth, length, width, shape and whether the keyhole is unstable, closes or collapses. This information is important in determining the quality and material properties of a completed finished weld. It can also be used with feedback to modify the material modification process in real time.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2014Date of Patent: September 12, 2017Assignee: Queen's University at KingstonInventor: Paul J. L. Webster
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Patent number: 9759651Abstract: A sensor and analyzer for measuring an analyte in a liquid sample are disclosed. The sensor includes a substrate with a reservoir disposed therein. The reservoir may include a top surface and a bottom surface, at least one transparent portion forming at least a part of the bottom surface of the reservoir, and a reflector disposed on the upper surface of the reservoir at a location opposite the at least one transparent portion. The analyzer may include a support surface, an aperture extending through the support surface, a light source disposed below the support surface and oriented so that at least a portion of the light emitted from the light source passes through the aperture, and a detector configured to measure an intensity of light received at the detector.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2015Date of Patent: September 12, 2017Assignee: Magellan Diagnostics, Inc.Inventors: Norman F. Sheppard, Jr., Gary Conrad Jensen
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Patent number: 9759545Abstract: A luminous flux including laser light of different wavelengths outgoing from a light source unit is split into two luminous fluxes, the first luminous flux is focused on a sample with an objective lens, and the second luminous flux functions as reference light without radiating it onto the sample. Signal light reflected from the sample and the reference light are multiplexed by a polarized beam splitter and are made to interfere on four photodetectors out of phase in a photodetection unit. A signal processing unit acquires the optical axis distribution of an object in the sample by using the outputs of the plural photodetectors for every input wavelength, acquiring a detection signal and calculating the ratio of intensities of the detection signals at the different input wavelengths for every position in the sample.Type: GrantFiled: November 19, 2013Date of Patent: September 12, 2017Assignee: HITACHI-LG DATA STORAGE, INC.Inventors: Masaki Mukoh, Kentaro Osawa, Tatsuro Ide
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Patent number: 9759907Abstract: An optical device with a light source and a detector is provided. A digital micromirror device positioned between the detector and the light source may deflect light beams projected from the light source. An aperture in front of the detector may block an incoming light beam from the detector when the incoming light beam is incident on the detector outside of a passable incident range and including an aperture opening configured to pass the incoming light beam to the detector when the incoming light beam is incident on the detector within a passable incident range. The digital micromirror device may rotate between a first position causing the light beam to pass through the aperture opening and a second position causing the light beam to be blocked by the aperture. The optical device may be configured to operate as a shutter, chopper, modulator and/or deflector.Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 2016Date of Patent: September 12, 2017Assignee: THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AS REPRESENTED BY THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATIONInventor: Paul M. Danehy
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Patent number: 9759544Abstract: A method for reducing motion artifacts in optical coherence tomography (OCT) angiography images is disclosed. The method is applied to the intensity or complex OCT data prior to applying the motion contrast analysis and involves determining sub-pixel level shifts between at least two B-scans repeated approximately at the same location and applying the sub-pixel level shifts to the B-scans to be able to correct for motion and accurately determine motion contrast signal. A preferred embodiment includes the use of 2D cross correlations to register a series of B-scans in both the axial (z-) and lateral (x-) dimensions and a convolution approach to achieve sub-pixel level frame registration.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 2015Date of Patent: September 12, 2017Assignees: Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc., University of Washington through its Center for CommercializationInventors: Lin An, Ruikang Wang, Utkarsh Sharma
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Patent number: 9757040Abstract: A wearable device for use with a smart phone or tablet includes a measurement device having a plurality of LEDs generating a near-infrared input optical beam that measures physiological parameters. The measurement device includes lenses configured to receive and to deliver the input beam to skin which reflects the beam. The measurement device includes a reflective surface configured to receive and redirect the light from the skin, and a receiver configured to receive the reflected beam. The light source is configured to increase a signal-to-noise ratio of the input beam reflected from the skin by increasing the light intensity from the LEDs and modulation of the LEDs. The measurement device is configured to generate an output signal representing a non-invasive measurement on blood contained within the skin. The wearable device is configured to wirelessly communicate with the smart phone or tablet which receives and processes the output signal.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2016Date of Patent: September 12, 2017Assignee: Omni Medsci, Inc.Inventor: Mohammed N. Islam
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Patent number: 9752975Abstract: Determining cleanliness of a sample by providing a continuous flow of clean air into a chamber through a HEPA filter, taking a reference reading of particle counts while the chamber is empty, introducing the sample into the chamber and taking a first reading of a particle count received from all sides of the sample in the chamber to determine loose particles in a particle size range of 0.1 microns up to 5 microns associated with the sample.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2016Date of Patent: September 5, 2017Assignee: PERSYS TECHNOLOGY LTD.Inventors: Leo Mendelovici, Gideon Drimer, Yitzhak Vanek
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Patent number: 9752872Abstract: An alignment adjusting device is provided for an optical focal plane assembly, wherein the optical focal plane assembly has a detector with a detector plane and is adapted to be mounted to an optics assembly having an optical focal plane. The alignment adjusting device is adapted for allowing an alignment of the detector plane representing an image area and the optical focal plane. The alignment adjusting device includes a detector support for receiving the detector; a plurality of members, wherein a first member of the plurality of the members is connected to the detector support and a second member is connected to a flange that is adapted to be connected to the optics assembly. The first member, the second member and the remaining number of the members are pairwise moveable connected to each other by a number of springs and/or supporting elements.Type: GrantFiled: May 7, 2015Date of Patent: September 5, 2017Assignee: Airbus DS GmbHInventors: Daniel Philipp Sausen, Juergen Hinger, Peter Weimer
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Patent number: 9752865Abstract: Methods and systems for measuring a distance include measuring a first interference pattern between a lens and a target surface using a light source at a first wavelength. A second interference pattern is measured between the lens and the target surface using a light source at a second wavelength, different from the first wavelength. An absolute measurement of a distance between the lens and the target surface is determined based on the first interference pattern and the second interference pattern.Type: GrantFiled: April 7, 2016Date of Patent: September 5, 2017Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Richard A. Haight, James B. Hannon, Rudolf M. Tromp
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Patent number: 9753021Abstract: The invention concerns the field of biomolecule formulation screening and stability testing. It concerns a method for the evaluation of the colloidal stability of liquid biopolymer solutions. The present invention describes a method for determining the stability of a liquid pharmaceutical composition comprising: a) providing a liquid pharmaceutical composition in a container, b) shaking said container on a shaker, whereby the shaker performs an oloid movement, c) determining the stability of said liquid pharmaceutical composition.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2013Date of Patent: September 5, 2017Assignee: Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbHInventors: Patrick Garidel, Thomas Hennes, Torsten Schultz-Fademrecht
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Patent number: 9753049Abstract: A light beam or other electromagnetic medium is emitted, guided, and received, all within a unitary system frame. The beam retains its characteristics regardless of position or motion of the frame in which it propagates. The beam retains its position in space relative to the detection of motion of the frame. Because the frame and the beam emitted within it are in the same frame of reference, characteristics of their motion are compared to determine parameters including system velocity and planetary velocity which is useful in navigation. Position, orientation, displacement, velocity of an object in motion, and changes in these parameters relative to previous values thereof, are derived from information provided within and directly by the motion of the unitary system itself.Type: GrantFiled: September 5, 2014Date of Patent: September 5, 2017Assignee: NON-INERTIAL TECHNOLOGY, LLCInventor: Val Parker
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Patent number: 9746321Abstract: Methods are provided for determining the position of a substrate. The edge diffraction model suitable for the proposed measurement apparatus was mathematically derived, and the effect of the parameters associated with the edge diffraction was investigated. In addition, the fundamental limits are discussed about the linearity and resolution of the sensor by estimating the effects of edge roughness and sharpness of the knife edge on the knife edge diffraction of an incident wave based on Kirchhoff approximation.Type: GrantFiled: February 11, 2016Date of Patent: August 29, 2017Assignee: University of South CarolinaInventors: Joshua Tarbutton, Chabum Lee
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Patent number: 9746316Abstract: A substrate is tested with an interferometer in-line in a roll-to-roll processing operation to detect defects and exclude them from further processing. A tilt is introduced in the illumination path of the interferometer to allow detection of best fringes in a selected measurement field of view (FOV) that is smaller than the camera FOV in the direction transverse to the fringes. At each acquisition frame, the measurement FOV is shifted to track the best-fringe position within the camera field of view based on irradiance acquired at the previous step. As a result, the system is able to accommodate substrate flutter and roller runout and maintain focus on the substrate that allows precise identification of defects and their isolation for subsequent processing.Type: GrantFiled: February 21, 2016Date of Patent: August 29, 2017Assignee: 4D TECHNOLOGY CORPORATIONInventors: Brad Kimbrough, Erik Novak
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Patent number: 9746409Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining cleanliness of a sample is provided. The method includes taking a first reading of particles count of a sample placed into a chamber. The method further includes directing a stream of air over the sample, and taking a second reading of particles count of the sample. The method further includes calculating a difference between the first reading and the second reading, and determining a cleanliness of the sample based upon the difference. The method further includes option of taking an additional reading while a stream of ionized air is directed towards the sample. The method further includes trapping the impurities particles released from the sample by applying a vacuum through the filter, and analyzing the trapped particles to determine nature and chemical composition of the impurities particles.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2013Date of Patent: August 29, 2017Assignee: PERSYS TECHNOLOGY LTD.Inventors: Yitzhak Vanek, Leo Mendelovici, Gideon Drimer
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Patent number: 9746311Abstract: A method for optically scanning and measuring a scene by a laser scanner includes generating multiple scans; tracking scanner positions with a position-tracking device for the multiple scans and providing tracked scanner positions in response; registering sequentially scans selected from the multiple scans into clusters using registration points or targets and confirming registration of the scans into the clusters according to specified quality criteria being fulfilled; selecting scans from the clusters and forming pairs of scans; forming an intersection of the selected pairs and comparing a size of the intersection with a threshold value obtained based at least in part on the tracked scanner positions; and attempting to register the pairs of scans if the size of the intersection exceeds the threshold value and accepting the registered pairs of scans if the registration is successful.Type: GrantFiled: November 8, 2016Date of Patent: August 29, 2017Assignee: FARO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Inventors: Sebastian Bartmann, Helmut Kramer, Daniel Pompe, Michael Schanz
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Patent number: 9746430Abstract: An optical inspecting apparatus includes a first light source, a beam splitter, a first lens, a first light detector, and pinhole plates. The first light source emits a first light beam. The beam splitter transmits or reflects the first light beam. The first lens provides the first light beam to transmit through a transparent substrate of a photomask and forms a first focusing spot on a first surface of the transparent substrate or a top surface of a photomask pattern formed on the transparent substrate. The first light detector detects a first reflection light beam generated by reflecting the first light beam from the first surface of the transparent substrate or the top surface of the photomask pattern. The pinhole plates are disposed in front of the first light detector to filter noise in the reflection light beam.Type: GrantFiled: August 11, 2015Date of Patent: August 29, 2017Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.Inventors: Tae-Joong Kim, Young-Kyu Park, Ki-Jung Son, Byeong-Hwan Jeon, Chang-Hoon Choi
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Patent number: 9739702Abstract: Metrology methods, systems and targets are provided, which implement a side by side paradigm. Adjacent cells with periodic structures are used to extract the overlay error, e.g., by introducing controllable phase shifts or image shifts which enable algorithmic computation of the overlay. The periodic structures are designed to exhibit a rotational symmetry to support the computation and reduce errors.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 2014Date of Patent: August 22, 2017Assignee: KLA-Tencor CorporationInventors: Barak Bringoltz, Daniel Kandel, Yoel Feler, Noam Sapiens, Irina Paykin, Alexander Svizher, Meir Aloni, Guy Ben Dov, Hadar Shalmoni, Vladimir Levinski
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Patent number: 9739592Abstract: A multiple beam path laser optical system using a multiple beam reflector. The multiple beam path laser optical system includes a light source part to generate a laser beam to be irradiated to a specimen, the multiple beam reflector to split a laser beam incident thereto from the light source part and to provide a plurality of optical paths, a main beam splitter to irradiate the laser beam split by the multiple beam reflector to the specimen, a transducer to excite the specimen for signal detection of the laser beam irradiated to the specimen, and a control part to analyze an interference pattern of a laser beam reflected from the specimen and recombined in the main beam splitter.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2015Date of Patent: August 22, 2017Assignee: Foundation for Research and Business, Seoul National University of Science and TechnologyInventors: Ik-Keun Park, Hae-Sung Park, Tae-Sung Park, Dong-Ryul Kwak