Patents Examined by William F. Rauchholz
  • Patent number: 4763001
    Abstract: In an apparatus for generating an image of a scene, preferably an image of a heat image, the image is moved line by line across a row of detectors by means of a scanning mirror. The signals thus generated control light-emitting elements via amplifiers. The light-emitting elements are also disposed in a row, and their light is also guided via the scanning mirror. The scanning of the image is done bidirectionally, that is, during the forward pass and return pass of the scanning mirror. For correction of the resultant phase error, which is brought about by a delayed triggering of the light-emitting elements, an optical deflector element is provided which can assume two defined positions. The first position is associated with the forward pass of the scanning mirror and the second position is associated with its return pass and these positions are entirely independent of the location of the scanning lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 1986
    Date of Patent: August 9, 1988
    Assignee: Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung
    Inventors: Martin Poxleitner, Josef Wohlfrom, Kurt Otomanski
  • Patent number: 4760266
    Abstract: A device for the generation of thermal neutrons includes a gas-filled housing having a wall with inner surfaces and a neutron outlet opening, a spherical moderator housing disposed in the gas-filled housing, a transportable neutron source disposed in the spherical moderator housing, and cups formed of moderating material disposed between the moderator housing and the inner surface of the wall of the gas-filled housing, the cups being spaced at a given distance from the inner surface of the wall of the housing, from the moderator housing and from each other defining spaces between the cups, and the spaces between the cups defining openings directed toward the neutron outlet opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1986
    Date of Patent: July 26, 1988
    Assignee: Brown, Boveri Reaktor GmbH
    Inventor: Wolfgang Schulz
  • Patent number: 4755682
    Abstract: An ionization monitor measures extremely small currents using a resistor containing a beta emitter to generate ion-pairs which are collected as current when the device is used as a feedback resistor in an electrometer circuit. By varying the amount of beta emitter, the resistance of the resistor may be varied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1986
    Date of Patent: July 5, 1988
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventor: Edward T. Burgess
  • Patent number: 4754142
    Abstract: A gas detector (1) to detect a predetermined gas of interest within an air sample, the detector (1) comprising a sampling tube (12), an infra-red radiation source (13) located at one end of the tube (12), an infrared sensing means (17) located at the other end of the tube, an optical filter (16) appropriate to the gas of interest located in the infra-red radiation beam, either adjacent the infra-red source (13), or adjacent the infra-red sensing means (17), an air sample inlet located at or towards one end of the tube (12) and an air sample outlet located at or towards the other end of the tube (12), with the detector (1) capable of emitting an electrical signal or a changed electrical signal in accordance with whether the gas of interest is or is not detected, a pure, reference gas source (26-30) and valve means (31, 32) to control admission of the reference gas to the sampling tube (12) at prescribed intervals of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1986
    Date of Patent: June 28, 1988
    Assignee: Pitcraft Summit Limited
    Inventors: Alan J. Cooper, Ronald G. Coombes
  • Patent number: 4751391
    Abstract: An ionization chamber X-ray detector which minimizes the effects of leakage X-rays in systems where a collimator is employed to define resolution. The active collection volume of each detector element is reduced to the actual volume occupied by the negative ion cloud resulting from an incident X-ray beam for optimum response to desired radiation while minimizing response to leakage radiation by a combination of reducing the width of the collector electrodes with wider spaces in between the collector electrodes, and providing metallized guard electrodes between the collector electrodes. The guard electrodes serve to collect electrons freed by ionization between the collector electrodes resulting from "noise" X-rays, preventing these particular electrons from building up a space charge, or from reaching the actual collector electrodes. In addition, electric field distortions are minimized, with a consequent avoidance of adverse effects on detector response characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1986
    Date of Patent: June 14, 1988
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jeffrey W. Eberhard, David W. Oliver
  • Patent number: 4742227
    Abstract: A mobile type inspection apparatus for monitoring conditions in an environment or a facility containing radiation and a high temperature has a radiation dosage detector, a temperature detector, and a moisture detector disposed on a movable vehicle. Signals representing the monitored conditions are transmitted to a remote receiver which is included in a control system for operating the inspection apparatus and which has monitors for monitoring the conditions. Signals representing radiation dosage are supplied to a monitor and also to a comparison circuit for comparing radiation resistance limit data for the detectors which is stored in a memory with the detected data so as to generate a device exchange request when the accumulated radiation dosage exceeds the limit of any one of the devices. In a second embodiment, signals representing temperature and moisture are used for monitoring and also to calculate reaction acceleration and using time of the detectors to determine degree of deterioration thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1988
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toshio Takenaka
  • Patent number: 4742230
    Abstract: An X-ray image detecting apparatus having its X-ray receiving plane composed of a two-dimensional array of X-ray sensors and being devised so as to make the picturing of a detected X-ray image free from the brightness irregularity due to the sensitivity variations of the individual X-ray sensors. Each of the X-ray sensors is accompanied by a circuit means for converting the optical output of the X-ray sensor to an electric picture element signal inversely proportional to the sensitivity of the X-ray sensor, thereby enabling a detected X-ray image to be pictured without the brightness irregularity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1988
    Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
    Inventor: Motosada Kiri
  • Patent number: 4737636
    Abstract: Methods are disclosed herein for determining the point of entry of water cut into a cased well borehole. A well logging sonde is moved past a perforated interval in a cased well borehole. The borehole environment is irradiated with 14 MeV neutrons from a neutron source and measurement of movement of oxygen activated borehole fluid past two gamma ray detectors spaced from the neutron source is combined with the speed of movement of the logging sonde to derive a signal representative of the entry location and flow rate of the oxygen activated fluid. At least one borehole fluid sample is taken in the interval between the point of neutron irradiation and the detection of oxygen activation gamma rays to resolve any ambiguity in the total flow rate of borehole fluid in the interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 12, 1988
    Assignee: Halliburton Company
    Inventor: Harry D. Smith, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4734584
    Abstract: A near-infrared quantitative measurement instrument allows measurement in either reflectance or transmission modes depending upon a sample holder which is loaded in a sample chamber. The instrument has means for detecting in both the reflectance mode and the transmission mode, and the particular sample holder used determines in which mode the measurement is made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 29, 1988
    Assignee: Trebor Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert D. Rosenthal
  • Patent number: 4733083
    Abstract: A positron emission tomography camera having a plurality of scintillation crystal planes positioned side-by-side around a patient area to detect radiation therefrom and forming adjacent rows of crystals transverse to the planes. Each row of each plane has a plurality of crystals and a row of light detectors are positioned adjacent each row of crystals. A row of slanting light guides are positioned between the crystals and the coacting detectors. The light guides are equal in number to the crystals and have a first end adjacent to one crystal and a second end positioned adjacent the detectors. The second ends of the light guides are axially offset in the rows a different amount from each other for providing an identification to the detectors of which crystal detects radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 22, 1988
    Assignee: Clayton Foundation for Research
    Inventor: Wai-Hoi Wong
  • Patent number: 4727254
    Abstract: A microbend fiber optic sensor uses a dual wavelength to determine the effect of microbending without interference from unwanted signal fluctuations arising from component changes, for example. Periodic microbending losses in single mode, step index fiber optics depend critically upon the wavelength whereby a modulation wavelength can be chosen close to a reference wavelength so that both are affected equally by the unwanted fluctuations but only the modulation wavelength is affected by the microbending. The ratio of the two signals or a log of the ratio yields a value which responds only to the microbend induced signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1986
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1988
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Marek T. Wlodarczyk
  • Patent number: 4721857
    Abstract: A wide range radiation dose rate meter for civil defense use, including a iger-Mueller tube used in a continuous counting mode and for measuring dose rates from the natural background to about 30. rads/hr., with an ion chamber arranged to measure higher dose rates up to 10,000 rads/hr. The instrument has a sample and record capability in which the selected radiation detector will have its output connected to a selected storage capacitor for a precise interval of time determined by a timing circuit and the storage capacitor will accumulate and hold a voltage proportional to the dose rate, which can be read by means of an electrometer at a later time. The instrument has a self contained hand cranked power supply and all components are selected for long shelf life.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 26, 1988
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventor: Stanley Kronenberg
  • Patent number: 4710637
    Abstract: A pair of front and back intensifying screens is disclosed capable of providing a sharp imagewise exposure of a dual coated silver halide radiographic element to light when the screens are imagewise exposed to X radiation predominantly of an energy level below 40 keV. The front intensifying screen is comprised of a fluorescent layer having modulation transfer factors greater than those of reference curve A in FIG. 3 and capable of attenuating by 20 to 60 percent a reference X radiation exposure produced by a Mo target tube operated at 28 kVp with a three phase power supply, wherein the reference X radiation exposure passes through 0.03 mm of Mo and 4.5 cm of poly(methyl methacrylate) to reach the fluorescent layer mounted 25 cm from a Mo anode of the target tube and attenuation is measured 50 cm beyond the fluorescent layer. The back intensifying screen has modulation transfer factors greater than those of reference curve B in FIG.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1987
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: George W. Luckey, Bernard Roth, Kathleen E. Brendel, Margaret S. Den Dunne
  • Patent number: 4703179
    Abstract: a ratating sensor responsive to infrared or electro-optic radiation has a nearly hemispherical field of view. The sensor comprises a rotating platform (3) supporting a planar multidetector focal plane array (1). The array (1) has three or four sides. Two of the sides are straight lines. One or two sides are portions of conic sections. Individual detectors (2) within the array (1) can be continuous or discrete, and are organized into rows generally following the shape of the conic section(s). In either embodiment, time delay integration is performed row by row within the array (1) so as to equalize the sensitivity and resolution for each portion of the viewed scene. Several arrays (1) can be mounted within the carrier vehicle (8), mounted at different field angles. In this embodiment, the shape of the arrays (1) vary from a sector of a circle to rectangular.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1987
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1987
    Assignee: Ford Aerospace & Communications Corporation
    Inventor: Wesley D. Motooka