Patents by Inventor Anbo Wang

Anbo Wang 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).

  • Patent number: 8743365
    Abstract: An inspection probe for directly measuring a transmission spectrum of a solvent oil in a transformer includes a tube having a plurality of apertures spaced along a side of the tube to allow oil to pass therethrough, and first and second optical collimators disposed at opposing ends of the tube. The first and second collimators are aligned by the tube such that incident light is transmitted through the first collimator, the tube, and the second collimator to a spectrometer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University
    Inventors: Bo Dong, Anbo Wang, Jianmin Gong
  • Publication number: 20140013808
    Abstract: A random array of holes is created in an optical fiber by gas generated during fiber drawing. The gas forms bubbles which are drawn into long, microscopic holes. The gas is created by a gas generating material such as silicon nitride. Silicon nitride oxidizes to produce nitrogen oxides when heated. The gas generating material can alternatively be silicon carbide or other nitrides or carbides. The random holes can provide cladding for optical confinement when located around a fiber core. The random holes can also be present in the fiber core. The fibers can be made of silica. The present random hole fibers are particularly useful as pressure sensors since they experience a large wavelength dependant increase in optical loss when pressure or force is applied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2013
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Applicant: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc
    Inventors: Jeong I. KIM, Daniel KOMINSKY, Gary PICKRELL, Ahmad SAFAAI-JAZI, Roger STOLEN, Anbo WANG
  • Publication number: 20130223804
    Abstract: A random array of holes is created in an optical fiber by gas generated during fiber drawing. The gas forms bubbles which are drawn into long, microscopic holes. The gas is created by a gas generating material such as silicon nitride. Silicon nitride oxidizes to produce nitrogen oxides when heated. The gas generating material can alternatively be silicon carbide or other nitrides or carbides. The random holes can provide cladding for optical confinement when located around a fiber core. The random holes can also be present in the fiber core. The fibers can be made of silica. The present random hole fibers are particularly useful as pressure sensors since they experience a large wavelength dependant increase in optical loss when pressure or force is applied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2012
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeong I. KIM, Daniel KOMINSKY, Gary PICKRELL, Ahmad SAFAAI-JAZI, Roger H. STOLEN, Anbo WANG
  • Publication number: 20120300210
    Abstract: An inspection probe for directly measuring a transmission spectrum of a solvent oil in a transformer includes a tube having a plurality of apertures spaced along a side of the tube to allow oil to pass therethrough, and first and second optical collimators disposed at opposing ends of the tube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2012
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Applicant: ELECTRIC POWER RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC.
    Inventors: Bo Dong, Anbo Wang, Jianmin Gong
  • Patent number: 7762720
    Abstract: A method of coupling a silica fiber and a sapphire fiber includes providing a silica fiber having a doped core and a cladding layer, with the doped core having a prescribed diameter, providing a sapphire fiber having a diameter less than the doped core, placing an end of the sapphire fiber in close proximity to an end of the silica fiber, applying a heat source to the end of silica fiber and introducing the end of sapphire fiber into the heated doped core of the silica fiber to produce a coupling between the silica and sapphire fibers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Yizheng Zhu, Anbo Wang
  • Patent number: 7567742
    Abstract: A random array of holes is created in an optical fiber by gas generated during fiber drawing. The gas forms bubbles which are drawn into long, microscopic holes. The gas is created by a gas generating material such as silicon nitride. Silicon nitride oxidizes to produce nitrogen oxides when heated. The gas generating material can alternatively be silicon carbide or other nitrides or carbides. The random holes can provide cladding for optical confinement when located around a fiber core. The random holes can also be present in the fiber core. The fibers can be made of silica. The present random hole fibers are particularly useful as pressure sensors since they experience a large wavelength dependant increase in optical loss when pressure or force is applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2009
    Assignee: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary Pickrell, Daniel Kominsky, Roger Stolen, Jeong I. Kim, Anbo Wang, Ahmad Safaai-Jazi
  • Publication number: 20090056383
    Abstract: A random array of holes is created in an optical fiber by gas generated during fiber drawing. The gas forms bubbles which are drawn into long, microscopic holes. The gas is created by a gas generating material such as silicon nitride. Silicon nitride oxidizes to produce nitrogen oxides when heated. The gas generating material can alternatively be silicon carbide or other nitrides or carbides. The random holes can provide cladding for optical confinement when located around a fiber core. The random holes can also be present in the fiber core. The fibers can be made of silica. The present random hole fibers are particularly useful as pressure sensors since they experience a large wavelength dependant increase in optical loss when pressure or force is applied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2008
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Inventors: Gary Pickrell, Daniel Kominsky, Roger Stolen, Jeong I. Kim, Anbo Wang, Ahmad Safaai-Jazi
  • Patent number: 7495772
    Abstract: A fiber optic sensor includes at least two Fabry-Perot (FP cavities) defined by at least three partially reflecting surfaces which individually and together are capable of generating different interference spectra which are affected by temperature. One of the FP cavities is formed at an end of the sensor and includes a surface which is capable of supporting a thin film, the optical thickness of which is to be measured. The other FP cavity between the lead-in fiber and the first FP cavity thus does not include the film and can thus independently provide highly accurate temperature information for calibrating the optical length of the second FP cavity and compensation for temperature effects on measurement of the thin film supported thereon, preferably by subtraction of a calibrated temperature-dependent change in optical length of the second FP cavity from the measurement made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Yan Zhang, Kristie L. Cooper, Anbo Wang
  • Patent number: 7444838
    Abstract: A random array of holes is created in an optical fiber by gas generated during fiber drawing. The gas forms bubbles which are drawn into long, microscopic holes. The gas is created by a gas generating material such as silicon nitride. Silicon nitride oxidizes to produce nitrogen oxides when heated. The gas generating material can alternatively be silicon carbide or other nitrides or carbides. The random holes can provide cladding for optical confinement when located around a fiber core. The random holes can also be present in the fiber core. The fibers can be made of silica. The present random hole fibers are particularly useful as pressure sensors since they experience a large wavelength dependant increase in optical loss when pressure or force is applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary Pickrell, Daniel Kominsky, Roger Stolen, Jeong I. Kim, Anbo Wang, Ahmad Safaai-Jazi
  • Publication number: 20080056657
    Abstract: A random array of holes is created in an optical fiber by gas generated during fiber drawing. The gas forms bubbles which are drawn into long, microscopic holes. The gas is created by a gas generating material such as silicon nitride. Silicon nitride oxidizes to produce nitrogen oxides when heated. The gas generating material can alternatively be silicon carbide or other nitrides or carbides. The random holes can provide cladding for optical confinement when located around a fiber core. The random holes can also be present in the fiber core. The fibers can be made of silica. The present random hole fibers are particularly useful as pressure sensors since they experience a large wavelength dependant increase in optical loss when pressure or force is applied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Publication date: March 6, 2008
    Inventors: Gary Pickrell, Daniel Kominsky, Roger Stoleh, Jeong Kim, Anbo Wang, Ahmad Safaai-Jazi
  • Patent number: 7308162
    Abstract: An intrinsic Fabry-Perot optical sensor includes a thin film sandwiched between two fiber ends. When light is launched into the fiber, two reflections are generated at the two fiber/thin film interfaces due to a difference in refractive indices between the fibers and the film, giving rise to the sensor output. In another embodiment, a portion of the cladding of a fiber is removed, creating two parallel surfaces. Part of the evanescent fields of light propagating in the fiber is reflected at each of the surfaces, giving rise to the sensor output. In a third embodiment, the refractive index of a small portion of a fiber is changed through exposure to a laser beam or other radiation. Interference between reflections at the ends of the small portion give rise to the sensor output. Multiple sensors along a single fiber are multiplexed using an optical time domain reflectometry method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
    Inventor: Anbo Wang
  • Publication number: 20070147738
    Abstract: A fiber-optic sensor includes a Fabry-Perot cavity, the length of which may be altered by deposition of a material of interest that may be deposited or captured on an end surface thereof. The sensor may also be tapered near the end surface to a tip diameter in the range of a few micrometers or a few micrometers by a variety of techniques which may be used singly or in combination. A tapered probe of such dimensions is of minimal intrusiveness in biological observations and can be used to probe sub-micron sized cells in vivo. By developing a multi-layer self-assembled film to immobilize a capture material such as a DNA sequence complementary to a DNA sequence of interest or other organic material such as proteins, antigens and/or antibodies materials of interest may be preferentially captured and immediately detected by alteration of spectral response of the fiber-optic sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2006
    Publication date: June 28, 2007
    Inventors: Xingwei Wang, Juncheng Xu, Zhuang Wang, Anbo Wang
  • Publication number: 20070115480
    Abstract: A fiber optic sensor includes at least two Fabry-Perot (FP cavities) defined by at least three partially reflecting surfaces which individually and together are capable of generating different interference spectra which are affected by temperature. One of the FP cavities is formed at an end of the sensor and includes a surface which is capable of supporting a thin film, the optical thickness of which is to be measured. The other FP cavity between the lead-in fiber and the first FP cavity thus does not include the film and can thus independently provide highly accurate temperature information for calibrating the optical length of the second FP cavity and compensation for temperature effects on measurement of the thin film supported thereon, preferably by subtraction of a calibrated temperature-dependent change in optical length of the second FP cavity from the measurement made.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2006
    Publication date: May 24, 2007
    Inventors: Yan Zhang, Kristie Cooper, Anbo Wang
  • Patent number: 7173713
    Abstract: A diaphragm optic sensor comprises a ferrule including a bore having an optical fiber disposed therein and a diaphragm attached to the ferrule, the diaphragm being spaced apart from the ferrule to form a Fabry-Perot cavity. The cavity is formed by creating a pit in the ferrule or in the diaphragm. The components of the sensor are preferably welded together, preferably by laser welding. In some embodiments, the entire ferrule is bonded to the fiber along the entire length of the fiber within the ferrule; in other embodiments, only a portion of the ferrule is welded to the fiber. A partial vacuum is preferably formed in the pit. A small piece of optical fiber with a coefficient of thermal expansion chosen to compensate for mismatches between the main fiber and ferrule may be spliced to the end of the fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Juncheng Xu, Anbo Wang
  • Publication number: 20060291768
    Abstract: A optical fiber sensor for measuring temperature and/or pressure employs temporally created long period gratings. The gratings may be produced by a periodic change in the refractive index of the fiber along the fiber longitudinal axis caused by periodically spaced compressive and/or expansive forces or by spaced-apart unbalanced forces that cause periodic fiber micro-bending. Pressure and temperature are determined by measuring changes in both the wavelength at which light is coupled from a mode guided by a core to a different mode and an amount of such coupling. The gratings are created intrinsically and extrinsically. Single and multiple core fibers are used.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2006
    Publication date: December 28, 2006
    Applicant: VIRGINIA TECH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES, INC.
    Inventor: Anbo WANG
  • Patent number: 7138621
    Abstract: A optical fiber sensor for measuring temperature and/or pressure employs temporally created long period gratings. The gratings may be produced by a periodic change in the refractive index of the fiber along the fiber longitudinal axis caused by periodically spaced compressive and/or expansive forces or by spaced-apart unbalanced forces that cause periodic fiber micro-bending. Pressure and temperature are determined by measuring changes in both the wavelength at which light is coupled from a mode guided by a core to a different mode and an amount of such coupling. The gratings are created intrinsically and extrinsically. Single and multiple core fibers are used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2006
    Assignee: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
    Inventor: Anbo Wang
  • Patent number: 7054011
    Abstract: A fiber optic sensor has a hollow tube bonded to the endface of an optical fiber, and a diaphragm bonded to the hollow tube. The fiber endface and diaphragm comprise an etalon cavity. The length of the etalon cavity changes when applied pressure or acceleration flexes the diaphragm. The entire structure can be made of fused silica. The fiber, tube, and diaphragm can be bonded with a fusion splice. The present sensor is particularly well suited for measuring pressure or acceleration in high temperature, high pressure and corrosive environments (e.g., oil well downholes and jet engines). The present sensors are also suitable for use in biological and medical applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2006
    Assignee: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Yizheng Zhu, Xingwei Wang, Juncheng Xu, Anbo Wang
  • Patent number: 7045767
    Abstract: A flow rate fiber optic transducer is made self-compensating for both temperature and pressure by using preferably well-matched integral Fabry-Perot sensors symmetrically located around a cantilever-like structure. Common mode rejection signal processing of the outputs allows substantially all effects of both temperature and pressure to be compensated. Additionally, the integral sensors can individually be made insensitive to temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Assignee: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Wei Peng, Bing Qi, Anbo Wang
  • Publication number: 20050231728
    Abstract: A linear interferometric sensor system in which the light output from the interferometric sensor is optically bandpass filtered before conversion to an electrical signal by an adjustable diffraction grating and the center wavelength of the adjustable diffraction grating is controlled by a feedback circuit responsive to the steady state component of the electrical signal corresponding to the filtered sensor return. The adjustable may comprise a diffraction grating a diffraction grating mounted on a motor driven rotary stage. The invention is particularly useful in self calibrating interferometric/intensity-based sensor configuration, but is also applicable in a wide variety of linear interferometric sensor configurations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2004
    Publication date: October 20, 2005
    Inventors: Anbo Wang, Bing Yu
  • Publication number: 20050195403
    Abstract: A diaphragm optic sensor comprises a ferrule including a bore having an optical fiber disposed therein and a diaphragm attached to the ferrule, the diaphragm being spaced apart from the ferrule to form a Fabry-Perot cavity. The cavity is formed by creating a pit in the ferrule or in the diaphragm. The components of the sensor are preferably welded together, preferably by laser welding. In some embodiments, the entire ferrule is bonded to the fiber along the entire length of the fiber within the ferrule; in other embodiments, only a portion of the ferrule is welded to the fiber. A partial vacuum is preferably formed in the pit. A small piece of optical fiber with a coefficient of thermal expansion chosen to compensate for mismatches between the main fiber and ferrule may be spliced to the end of the fiber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2004
    Publication date: September 8, 2005
    Inventors: Juncheng Xu, Anbo Wang