Patents by Inventor Antonio Caiafa

Antonio Caiafa 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: 20170362571
    Abstract: Methods and systems for generating a tunable or customizable activated product composition are related. In certain embodiments, one or more of electric pulse parameters, flow rate, or sample container size are varied so as to generate the activated product composition. The activated product composition may be customized or optimized based for a particular patient or procedure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2017
    Publication date: December 21, 2017
    Inventors: Vasile Bogdan Neculaes, Juan Jose Becerra, Christine Angela Morton, Andrew Soliz Torres, Antonio Caiafa
  • Publication number: 20170314009
    Abstract: In accordance with the present disclosure, exposure of a sample to one or more electric pulses via capacitive coupling is described. In certain embodiments, the sample may be a biological sample to be treated or modified using the pulsed electric fields. In certain embodiments, the electric pulses may be delivered to a load using capacitive coupling. In other embodiments, the electric pulses may be bipolar pulses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2017
    Publication date: November 2, 2017
    Inventors: Antonio Caiafa, Vasile Bogdan Neculaes, Allen Lawrence Garner, Andrew Soliz Torres
  • Patent number: 9752120
    Abstract: Methods and systems for generating a tunable or customizable activated product composition are related. In certain embodiments, one or more of electric pulse parameters, flow rate, or sample container size are varied so as to generate the activated product composition. The activated product composition may be customized or optimized based for a particular patient or procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Vasile Bogdan Neculaes, Juan Jose Becerra, Christine Angela Morton, Andrew Soliz Torres, Antonio Caiafa
  • Patent number: 9708597
    Abstract: In accordance with the present disclosure, exposure of a sample to one or more electric pulses via capacitive coupling is described. In certain embodiments, the sample may be a biological sample to be treated or modified using the pulsed electric fields. In certain embodiments, the electric pulses may be delivered to a load using capacitive coupling. In other embodiments, the electric pulses may be bipolar pulses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Antonio Caiafa, Vasile Bogdan Neculaes, Allen Lawrence Garner, Andrew Soliz Torres
  • Publication number: 20170171954
    Abstract: A circuit assembly includes plural voltage control modules configured to be operably coupled in series to a connection and configured to control voltage delivered to an X-ray electrode. Each voltage module includes an on/off circuit portion, a balancing circuit portion, and a tuning circuit portion. The on/off circuit portion is configured to provide a voltage for activating or deactivating the X-ray electrode. The balancing circuit portion is coupled in parallel to the on/off circuit portion, and includes a capacitor and a resistor coupled in parallel. The tuning circuit portion is coupled in parallel to the balancing circuit portion and the on/off circuit portion, and is configured to adjust a voltage provided to the X-ray electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2016
    Publication date: June 15, 2017
    Inventors: ANTONIO CAIAFA, PHILIPPE ERNEST, DOMINIQUE POINCLOUX
  • Publication number: 20170170652
    Abstract: A circuit assembly and method use a breakover device that changes states in response to a change in electric energy in a helper circuit that supplies current from a power source to a powered system. The helper circuit includes an inductive element connected with the powered system. The breakover device is in a non-conducting state prior to a discharge event from the powered system to prevent the current from the power source from being conducted through the resistive element. The breakover device changes to a conducting state responsive to the powered system discharging current into the helper circuit. The breakover device conducts the current that is discharged from the powered system through the resistive element to reduce the electric energy in the helper circuit from the current that is discharged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2016
    Publication date: June 15, 2017
    Inventors: ANTONIO CAIAFA, Phillipe Ernest, Dominique Poincloux, Uwe Wiedmann, Denis Perrillat-Amee
  • Patent number: 9654102
    Abstract: A circuit breaking system includes a first branch including at least one solid-state snubber; a second branch coupled in parallel to the first branch and including a superconductor and a cryogenic contactor coupled in series; and a controller operatively coupled to the at least one solid-state snubber and the cryogenic contactor and programmed to, when a fault occurs in the load circuit, activate the at least one solid-state snubber for migrating flow of the electrical current from the second branch to the first branch, and, when the fault is cleared in the load circuit, activate the cryogenic contactor for migrating the flow of the electrical current from the first branch to the second branch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ruxi Wang, William James Premerlani, Antonio Caiafa, Yan Pan
  • Publication number: 20170022766
    Abstract: A switch assembly includes one or more solid state semiconductor switches configured to be disposed within a downhole pipe assembly. The one or more switches are configured to operate in a closed state to conduct electric current supplied by a power source disposed above a surface to pumps disposed beneath the surface to cause the pumps to extract a resource from beneath the surface via the pipe assembly. The one or more switches also are configured to operate in an open state to stop conducting the electric current from the power source to the pumps.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Publication date: January 26, 2017
    Inventors: Dong Dong, Antonio Caiafa, Mohammed Agamy, Ahmed Elasser, Philip Michael Cioffi
  • Publication number: 20160367632
    Abstract: Methods and systems for releasing growth factors are disclosed. In certain embodiments, a blood sample is exposed to a sequence of one or more electric pulses to trigger release of a growth factor in the sample. In certain embodiments, the growth factor release is not accompanied by clotting within the blood sample.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2016
    Publication date: December 22, 2016
    Inventors: Vasile Bogdan Neculaes, Andrew Soliz Torres, Antonio Caiafa, Brian Dun-Lan Lee, Allen Lawrence Garner
  • Publication number: 20160367633
    Abstract: Methods and systems for releasing growth factors are disclosed. In certain embodiments, a blood sample is exposed to a sequence of one or more electric pulses to trigger release of a growth factor in the sample. In certain embodiments, the growth factor release is not accompanied by clotting within the blood sample.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2016
    Publication date: December 22, 2016
    Inventors: VASILE BOGDAN NECULAES, ANDREW SOLIZ TORRES, ANTONIO CAIAFA, BRIAN DUN-LAN LEE, ALLEN LAWRENCE GARNER
  • Patent number: 9504135
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for magnetic control of an electron beam includes a control circuit having a first low voltage source and a second low voltage source. The control circuit also includes a first switching device coupled in series with the first low voltage source and configured to create a first current path with the first low voltage source when in a closed position and a second switching device coupled in series with the second low voltage source and configured to create a second current path with the second low voltage source when in a closed position. The control circuit further includes a capacitor coupled in parallel with an electron beam manipulation coil and positioned along the first and second current paths and a current source circuit electrically coupled to the electron beam manipulation coil and constructed to generate an offset current in the first and second current paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Antonio Caiafa, Maja Harfman Todorovic, Joseph Leclaire Reynolds
  • Publication number: 20160289664
    Abstract: Methods and systems for generating a tunable or customizable activated product composition are related. In certain embodiments, one or more of electric pulse parameters, flow rate, or sample container size are varied so as to generate the activated product composition. The activated product composition may be customized or optimized based for a particular patient or procedure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Inventors: Vasile Bogdan Neculaes, Juan Jose Becerra, Christine Angela Morton, Andrew Soliz Torres, Antonio Caiafa
  • Patent number: 9452199
    Abstract: Methods and systems for releasing growth factors are disclosed. In certain embodiments, a blood sample is exposed to a sequence of one or more electric pulses to trigger release of a growth factor in the sample. In certain embodiments, the growth factor release is not accompanied by clotting within the blood sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Vasile Bogdan Neculaes, Andrew Soliz Torres, Antonio Caiafa, Brian Duh-Lan Lee, Allen Lawrence Garner
  • Patent number: 9438120
    Abstract: A system includes a two-channel inverter for receiving a non-zero variable input voltage, first and second input channels each electrically coupled to the two-channel inverter, a transformer having a primary winding in electrical communication with the first and second input channels and secondary windings, and an active resonant circuit in electrical communication with the secondary windings for generating a switching output voltage at each of two different voltage levels. The active resonant circuit includes switching devices arranged in an anti-parallel configuration, a capacitor electrically coupled in series with the switching devices for receiving and storing energy during a first portion of a resonance cycle and for discharging the energy during a second portion of the resonance cycle, an inductor electrically coupled in series with the capacitor and the switching devices for transferring the energy to and from the capacitor during the resonance cycle, and an output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Antonio Caiafa, Philippe Ernest, Dominique Poincloux
  • Publication number: 20160105018
    Abstract: A circuit breaking system includes a first branch including at least one solid-state snubber; a second branch coupled in parallel to the first branch and including a superconductor and a cryogenic contactor coupled in series; and a controller operatively coupled to the at least one solid-state snubber and the cryogenic contactor and programmed to, when a fault occurs in the load circuit, activate the at least one solid-state snubber for migrating flow of the electrical current from the second branch to the first branch, and, when the fault is cleared in the load circuit, activate the cryogenic contactor for migrating the flow of the electrical current from the first branch to the second branch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2014
    Publication date: April 14, 2016
    Inventors: Ruxi Wang, William James Premerlani, Antonio Caiafa, Yan Pan
  • Patent number: 9253864
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods to control an electron beam of an x-ray tube are provided. One apparatus includes at least one of (i) a first switching unit having a voltage source and a pair of switches connected in series and configured to switch between open and closed positions to change an output voltage to engage or bypass the voltage source or (ii) a second switching unit connected to a voltage source and having a first pair of switches connected in series and a second pair of switches connected in series, wherein the first and second pair of switches are connected in parallel, and wherein the first and second pairs of switches are configured to switch between open and closed position to change an output voltage generated from the voltage source. The first and second switching units are connected in series and a third switching unit provided that is amplitude controllable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Antonio Caiafa, Uwe Wiedmann, Philippe Ernest, Georges William Baptiste, Dominique Poincloux, Yan Jiang
  • Patent number: 9238808
    Abstract: A pulse generation system for applying electric pulses across a load includes a first plurality of energy storage modules connected in series on a positive chain and configured to apply a positive potential to the load and a second plurality of energy storage modules connected in series on a negative chain and configured to apply a negative potential to the load. Each energy storage module of the positive chain and the negative chain includes a rectifier and a storage element, and at least one control element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Antonio Caiafa, Vasile Bogdan Neculaes, Andrew Soliz Torres, Allen Lawrence Garner
  • Publication number: 20150330195
    Abstract: Power systems and methods are disclosed herein. The systems and methods use a switching system coupled with a power source and subterranean pumps for pumping a resource from beneath a surface of earth. A first capacitor is between a first switching device and a first transformer, and stores electric energy received from the first transformer to activate the first switching device. A bias capacitor is between the first capacitor and the first switching device, and receives a bias voltage via a second transformer. The bias capacitor applies the bias voltage to the first switching device to prevent the first switching device from activating unless a combination of the voltage received by the first switching device via the first transformer and the bias voltage is at least as large as the activation voltage of the first switching device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Inventors: Dong Dong, Antonio Caiafa, Mohammed Agamy, Ahmed Elasser
  • Patent number: 9160325
    Abstract: Various of the disclosed embodiments contemplate systems and methods in an X-ray imaging system, such as a CT system, facilitating more crisp switching between high and low voltages at an X-ray tube. Certain embodiments circuits which store and discharge energy to improve voltage rise and fall times. These circuits may mitigate the effects of losses, hysteresis cycles, and leakage currents. More controlled voltage rise and fall times may improve X-ray emission and detection synchronization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Antonio Caiafa
  • Patent number: 9153409
    Abstract: Issues related to maintaining the size of a focal spot on the target material of an X-ray source are addressed by linking the currents used in a magnetic focusing system employed in the X-ray source. The size of the focal spot on the target is less sensitive to current changes applied to the magnetic focusing system due to this linkage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Uwe Wiedmann, Antonio Caiafa, Dominique Poincloux