Patents by Inventor Brad Prucha

Brad Prucha 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: 20260022997
    Abstract: Sample preparation systems and methods for inline autodilution of fluid samples are described. A system embodiment includes, but is not limited to, a filter probe including a probe tube, a probe fluid line, and a filter having an array of through-holes to block particulates present in a fluid sample to provide a filtered sample; a probe valve; a nebulizer valve; a plurality of fluid lines including (i) a sample line and (ii) a dilution line; a pump system; and a controller configured to access sample information associated with the fluid sample to determine a dilution factor for the fluid sample, the controller configured to change the configuration of the probe valve or the nebulizer valve based on the dilution factor to direct, via action of the pump system, the filtered sample into the dilution line prior to the sample line for fluid samples having a dilution factor greater than one.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2025
    Publication date: January 22, 2026
    Inventors: Austin Schultz, Caleb Gilmore, Alejandro De Anda, Brad Prucha, Kevin Wiederin, Daniel R. Wiederin
  • Publication number: 20250334493
    Abstract: Sample preparation systems and methods for inline autodilution of fluid samples are described. A system embodiment includes, but is not limited to, a probe valve fluidically coupled with a sample probe to receive a fluid sample; a nebulizer valve; a plurality of fluid lines fluidically coupling the probe valve with the nebulizer valve and including (i) a sample line and (ii) a dilution line into which a sample to be diluted is directed; a pump system; and a controller configured to access sample information associated with the fluid sample to determine a dilution factor for the fluid sample, the controller configured to change the configuration of the probe valve or the nebulizer valve based on the dilution factor assigned to the fluid sample to direct the fluid sample into the dilution line prior to the sample line for fluid samples having a dilution factor greater than one.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2025
    Publication date: October 30, 2025
    Inventors: Austin Schultz, Caleb Gilmore, Alejandro De Anda, Brad Prucha, Kevin Wiederin, Daniel R. Wiederin
  • Publication number: 20250334494
    Abstract: Sample preparation systems and methods for inline autodilution of fluid samples are described. A system embodiment includes, but is not limited to, a filter probe including a probe tube, a probe fluid line, and a filter having an array of through-holes to block particulates present in a fluid sample to provide a filtered sample; a probe valve; a nebulizer valve; a plurality of fluid lines including (i) a sample line and (ii) a dilution line; a pump system; and a controller configured to access sample information associated with the fluid sample to determine a dilution factor for the fluid sample, the controller configured to change the configuration of the probe valve or the nebulizer valve based on the dilution factor to direct, via action of the pump system, the filtered sample into the dilution line prior to the sample line for fluid samples having a dilution factor greater than one.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2025
    Publication date: October 30, 2025
    Inventors: Austin Schultz, Caleb Gilmore, Alejandro De Anda, Brad Prucha, Kevin Wiederin, Daniel R. Wiederin
  • Publication number: 20250027579
    Abstract: Rotary valve systems with integrated sensors are described that facilitate stabilizing electrical connection from a valve actuator. A valve system includes a rotary valve comprising one or more ports configured to receive one or more fluids. The valve system further includes an actuator attached to the rotary valve, wherein the actuator comprises a power connection fed from electronics associated with the actuator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2024
    Publication date: January 23, 2025
    Inventors: Daniel R. Wiederin, Brad Prucha, Jeremiah Meints, Jonathan Hein
  • Patent number: 12025241
    Abstract: A valve system includes, but is not limited to, a rotary valve; an actuator coupled with the rotary valve, wherein the actuator comprises a power connection fed from electronics associated with the actuator or coupled to the actuator; an actuator cap coupled with the actuator, the actuator cap configured to allow the power connection to pass through; a valve collar configured to be attached to the actuator cap, wherein the valve collar comprises an electronic feedthrough passage for the power connection; a sensor housing adjacent to the rotary valve and configured to support one or more sensors; and a retainer portion coupled with the rotary valve, the retainer portion configured to couple with the actuator cap through mating of respective retainer pins and apertures to allow electrical connection between the power connector and the sensor connector while remaining fixed with respect to the valve collar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: Elemental Scientific, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel R. Wiederin, Brad Prucha, Jeremiah Meints, Jonathan Hein
  • Publication number: 20230125197
    Abstract: Rotary valve systems with integrated sensors are described that facilitate stabilizing electrical connection from a valve actuator. A valve system includes a rotary valve comprising one or more ports configured to receive one or more fluids. The valve system further includes an actuator attached to the rotary valve, wherein the actuator comprises a power connection fed from electronics associated with the actuator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2022
    Publication date: April 27, 2023
    Inventors: Daniel R. Wiederin, Brad Prucha, Jeremiah Meints, Jonathan Hein
  • Patent number: 11519521
    Abstract: Rotary valve systems with integrated sensors are described that facilitate stabilizing electrical connection from a valve actuator. A valve system embodiment includes, but is not limited to, a multi-port rotary valve; an actuator attached to the multi-port rotary valve, wherein the actuator comprises a power connection fed from electronics associated with the actuator; an actuator cap attached to the actuator, the actuator cap configured to allow the power connection to pass through; a valve collar with an integrated press-on connector, wherein the valve collar comprises an electronic feedthrough passage for the power connection; and a retainer portion comprising two retainer pins, wherein the two retainer pins are configured to mate with apertures on the actuator cap, the retainer portion configured to allow electrical connection between the power connector and a sensor connector when the two retainer pins fit within the two apertures on the actuator cap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Elemental Scientific, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel R. Wiederin, Brad Prucha, Jeremiah Meints, Jonathan Hein
  • Patent number: 11249057
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described to provide speciation of silicon species present in a remote sample for analysis. A method embodiment includes, but is not limited to, receiving a fluid sample containing inorganic silicon in the presence of bound silicon from a remote sampling system via a fluid transfer line; transferring the fluid sample to an inline chromatographic separation system; separating the inorganic silicon from the bound silicon via the inline chromatographic separation system; transferring the separated inorganic silicon and bound silicon to a silicon detector in fluid communication with the inline chromatographic separation system; and determining an amount of one or more of the inorganic silicon or the bound silicon in the fluid sample via the silicon detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: ELEMENTAL SCIENTIFIC, INC.
    Inventors: Jacob Unnerstall, Patrick Sullivan, Daniel R. Wiederin, Brad Prucha, Charles Derrick Quarles, Jr., Jae Seok Lee
  • Publication number: 20210262991
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described to provide speciation of silicon species present in a remote sample for analysis. A method embodiment includes, but is not limited to, receiving a fluid sample containing inorganic silicon in the presence of bound silicon from a remote sampling system via a fluid transfer line; transferring the fluid sample to an inline chromatographic separation system; separating the inorganic silicon from the bound silicon via the inline chromatographic separation system; transferring the separated inorganic silicon and bound silicon to a silicon detector in fluid communication with the inline chromatographic separation system; and determining an amount of one or more of the inorganic silicon or the bound silicon in the fluid sample via the silicon detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2021
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Inventors: Jacob Unnerstall, Patrick Sullivan, Daniel R. Wiederin, Brad Prucha, Charles Derrick Quaries, JR., Jae Seok Lee
  • Patent number: 10921295
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described to provide speciation of silicon species present in a remote sample for analysis. A method embodiment includes, but is not limited to, receiving a fluid sample containing inorganic silicon in the presence of bound silicon from a remote sampling system via a fluid transfer line; transferring the fluid sample to an inline chromatographic separation system; separating the inorganic silicon from the bound silicon via the inline chromatographic separation system; transferring the separated inorganic silicon and bound silicon to a silicon detector in fluid communication with the inline chromatographic separation system; and determining an amount of one or more of the inorganic silicon or the bound silicon in the fluid sample via the silicon detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: ELEMENTAL SCIENTIFIC, INC.
    Inventors: Jacob Unnerstall, Patrick Sullivan, Daniel R. Wiederin, Brad Prucha, C. Derrick Quarles, Jr., Jae Seok Lee
  • Publication number: 20190079061
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described to provide speciation of silicon species present in a remote sample for analysis. A method embodiment includes, but is not limited to, receiving a fluid sample containing inorganic silicon in the presence of bound silicon from a remote sampling system via a fluid transfer line; transferring the fluid sample to an inline chromatographic separation system; separating the inorganic silicon from the bound silicon via the inline chromatographic separation system; transferring the separated inorganic silicon and bound silicon to a silicon detector in fluid communication with the inline chromatographic separation system; and determining an amount of one or more of the inorganic silicon or the bound silicon in the fluid sample via the silicon detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2018
    Publication date: March 14, 2019
    Inventors: Jacob Unnerstall, Patrick Sullivan, Daniel R. Wiederin, Brad Prucha, C. Derrick Quarles, JR., Jae Seok Lee