Patents by Inventor Albert Litherland

Albert Litherland has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20070018114
    Abstract: The present invention comprehends a compact and economical apparatus for producing high intensities of a wide variety of wanted positive and negative molecular and atomic ion beams that have been previously impossible to previously produce at useful intensities. In addition, the invention provides a substantial rejection of companion background ions that are frequently simultaneously emitted with the wanted ions. The principle underlying the present invention is resonance ionization-transfer where energy differences between resonant and non-resonant processes are exploited to enhance or attenuate particular charge-changing processes. This new source technique is relevant to the fields of Accelerator Mass Spectroscopy; Molecular Ion Implantation; Generation of Directed Neutral Beams; and Production of Electrons required for Ion Beam Neutralization within magnetic fields.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2005
    Publication date: January 25, 2007
    Inventors: Kenneth Purser, Albert Litherland, Norman Turner
  • Publication number: 20060113464
    Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for separation of rare stable or radioactive isotopes from their atomic or molecular isobars in mass spectrometry (MS). In the present invention, the approach taken to removing atomic isobars utilizes a high transmission device for decelerating ions in combination with low energy reactions, such as ion-molecule reactions or near resonant electron transfer, in RF ion guides. The isobar is selectively depleted by electron transfer or other reactions between negative ions and gaseous targets in pressurized RF ion guides at low energies. The energy is controlled in such a way as to prevent reaction of the ion of interest while inducing reactions with the undesired isobar interference. The technique is of particular relevance to accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) for which it allows substantial reductions in the necessary terminal voltage. The effect is to allow reductions in the size and cost of AMS installations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2005
    Publication date: June 1, 2006
    Inventors: Albert Litherland, Jonathan Doupe, William Kieser, Xiao-Lei Zhao, Gholamreza Javahery, Lisa Cousins, Ilia Tomski, Charles Jolliffe