Patents by Inventor Christopher Lacey
Christopher Lacey 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: 20240076372Abstract: The invention provides methods for manufacturing optimized CAR T cell therapies and uses thereof. Specifically, the invention provides parameters that can be measured, e.g., evaluated, to manufacture CAR T cell therapies with optimized properties. The invention further provides methods of use in connection with said optimized CAR T cells.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 6, 2023Publication date: March 7, 2024Inventors: Christopher Loren Nobles, Frederic Dixon Bushman, Joseph A. Fraietta, Simon Lacey, Jan J. Melenhorst, Carl H. June
-
Publication number: 20060126476Abstract: An apparatus and a method for measuring very small separations between a transparent or semi-transparent first body and a second body, wherein one or more light sources produce light that is split into two distinct paths. One path is directed through the first body at two locations, one where it reflects from the interface at the separation to be measured, and another where the second body does not affect the reflection. The second path is directed at a frequency shifter, which shifts the frequency of the light. The two paths are recombined and interfereometric variations of intensity, substantially at the frequency of the shifter, are detected. The difference in phase between the measurement and reference areas with the second body not present is subtracted from the difference in phase between the measurement and reference areas with the second body present. The difference in differences yields the phase change that occurs when the second body is introduced.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 13, 2004Publication date: June 15, 2006Inventor: Christopher Lacey
-
Patent number: 6184667Abstract: A DC/DC converter for use in a wide variety of electronic applications to convert higher level unregulated DC signals to lower lever regulated DC signals. The converter overcomes traditional converter problems such as inefficiencies, high cost and signal noise using a switching regulator circuit. The switching regulator circuit has a switching means (6) for switching the unregulated DC signal received, a current sense amplifier (4) for modulating the switching means, a hysteresis generator (10) for modulating the current sense amplifier and an output circuit for controlling delivery of a regulated DC signal to a converter output. The switching means is formed to deliver a substantially constant signal to the current sense amplifier using modulation.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 2000Date of Patent: February 6, 2001Inventor: James Christopher Lacey
-
Patent number: 5808736Abstract: A calibration medium that is used to calibrate a flying height tester which measures the gap of an air bearing formed between a magnetic recording head and a substrate. The medium contains a first ridge and a second ridge that extend from an underlying substrate. The ridges may be coated with a reflective material. A flying height tester can be calibrated by measuring light reflected from each ridge. The ridges have varying thicknesses so that the calibration medium will produce multiple data points.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 1996Date of Patent: September 15, 1998Assignee: Phase Metrics, Inc.Inventors: Kenneth H. Womack, Carlos A. Duran, Christopher A. Lacey
-
Patent number: 5805284Abstract: An efficient method and apparatus for taking the data needed for a glide test; the data includes measuring flying height of a slider over a regular rotating disk and measuring piezoelectric contact with the disk. An optical system provides a beam of light. To measure the flying height, part of the beam of light is reflected from a surface of the transparent slider. Another portion of the beam is reflected from the surface of a rotating disk. The two beams are transferred through an optical system and imaged onto a CCD camera which converts the separation of intensity maxima or intensity minima into information regarding the air gap separating the slider and the disk. A piezoelectric sensor on the slider measures slider contact with the disk. A processor combines data from the piezoelectric sensor with data from the CCD camera to measure disk asperities.Type: GrantFiled: February 7, 1997Date of Patent: September 8, 1998Assignee: Phase Metrics, Inc.Inventor: Christopher A. Lacey
-
Patent number: 5793480Abstract: An apparatus and method for measuring the space between a transparent member such as a substrate, and reflective member such as a slider. The apparatus includes a first optical system which detects a first light beam that is reflected from the substrate and the slider. The reflected light is separated into four separate beams. The intensities of the beams are detected and utilized to determine a first stokes parameter, a second stokes parameter, a third stokes parameter and a fourth stokes parameter of the reflected light. The stokes parameters are used to compute the real index of refraction n, extinction coefficient k and the thickness of the space. The four stokes parameters account for any depolarized light that is reflected from the slider. The first optical system may have a photodetector which detects an image of the slider. The image provides multiple data points that can be used to calculate n, k and the thickness of the air gap without a retract routine.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 1996Date of Patent: August 11, 1998Assignee: Phase Metrics, Inc.Inventors: Christopher A. Lacey, Kenneth H. Womack, Carlos Duran, Ed Ross, Semyon Nodelman
-
Patent number: 5777740Abstract: An apparatus and method for measuring the topographic profile of a reflective member having an index of refraction. The apparatus comprises a first optical system that reflects a light beam from the reflective member and detects the reflected light beam. A second optical system directs the light beam to interfere with the reflected light beam and detects the resulting interference pattern. A processor coupled to the first optical system and the second optical system computes the index of refraction of the reflective member from the detected reflected light beam and provides the topographic profile of the reflective member from the index of refraction and the interference pattern.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 1997Date of Patent: July 7, 1998Assignee: Phase MetricsInventors: Christopher A. Lacey, Kenneth H. Womack
-
Patent number: 5696653Abstract: A tooling fixture that holds a head gimbal assembly (HGA) of a hard disk drive within a piece of test equipment. The tooling fixture includes a plurality of pads that extend from a top surface of a chimney. The HGA has a slider that is mounted to a flexure arm. The flexure arm extends from a base plate of the HGA. The base plate has a swage mount that is inserted into a corresponding aperture of the chimney when an operator loads an HGA into the tester. The pads of the chimney support the base plate and the HGA. The base plate is typically clamped onto the chimney by a spring biased clamp. The HGA is moved adjacent to a rotating disk of the tester. The pads provide a reliable contact surface that improves the repeatability of the HGA positioning which in turn can improve the tester.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 1996Date of Patent: December 9, 1997Assignee: Phase MetricsInventor: Christopher A. Lacey
-
Patent number: 5671048Abstract: A slider is mounted to a rotary drive mechanism. The slider is loaded, i.e., moved toward and positioned near a disk surface, by rotary movement of the rotary drive mechanism in a first rotary direction. Similarly, the slider is unloaded, i.e., moved away from the disk surface, by rotary movement of the rotary drive mechanism in a second rotary direction which is the reverse direction of the first rotary direction.Type: GrantFiled: May 17, 1995Date of Patent: September 23, 1997Assignee: Phase MetricsInventor: Christopher Lacey
-
Patent number: 5638178Abstract: An apparatus and method for measuring the space between a transparent member such as a disk, and reflective member such as a slider, by detecting a change of polarization of a reflected light beam. The apparatus includes a light source that emits a light beam. The light beam is circularly polarized and directed onto the disk and reflected off of the interface between the disk and the slider. The reflected light beam is split into four separately polarized beams by a beam splitter/polarizer assembly. The four light beams have varying intensities that are measured by photodetectors. Stokes parameters are computed from electrical signals that are generated by the photodetectors. The Stokes parameters correlate to the change in polarization of the reflected light beam. Ellipsometric parameters delta and psi are computed from the Stokes parameters.Type: GrantFiled: September 1, 1995Date of Patent: June 10, 1997Assignee: Phase MetricsInventors: Christopher A. Lacey, Kenneth H. Womack
-
Patent number: 5486924Abstract: Light is focused on an interface between a transparent probe and a surface to be analyzed. The probe is lowered onto the surface using a computer-controlled actuator. Light reflected from the surface of the probe which is closest to the surface and the surface itself recombines, producing interference effects from the spacing between the probe and the surface over a 2-dimensional area. Since the shape of the probe in known beforehand, the profile of the surface can be readily calculated from the 2-dimensional measurement of the spacing between the probe and the surface. This surface profile indicates the roughness of the surface. The surface hardness and other surface properties can be measured by pressing the probe onto the surface. The contact load between the probe and the surface is detected by a load cell. The force with which the probe is being pressed onto the surface is measured using the load cell.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 1993Date of Patent: January 23, 1996Assignee: Phase MetricsInventor: Christopher Lacey
-
Patent number: 5457534Abstract: The apparatus and method for measuring a small spacing down to contact uses an interferometric fringe intensity calibration to calibrate maximum and minimum intensity of two or more monochromatic or quasi-monochromatic interference patterns caused by a spacing between two articles, one of which is transparent. The intensity calibration is done by measuring maximum and minimum fringe intensity of each color while altering the spacing by at least 1/4 of the wavelength of the light or other electromagnetic radiation being used. The calibration by changing spacing allows the fringe order to be calculated for each wavelength of the radiation being used. This calibration procedure allows the maximum and minimum intensity of the radiation to be known, as well as the fringe order of the interference patterns to be calculated. With the maximum and minimum intensities and the fringe orders known, the spacing is readily calculated from interferometric theory.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 1993Date of Patent: October 10, 1995Assignee: Phase MetricsInventors: Christopher Lacey, Edward W. Ross
-
Patent number: 5280340Abstract: The apparatus and method for measuring a small spacing down to contact uses an interferometric fringe intensity calibration to calibrate maximum and minimum intensity of two or more monochromatic or quasi-monochromatic interference patterns caused by a spacing between two articles, one of which is transparent. The intensity calibration is done by measuring maximum and minimum fringe intensity of each color while altering the spacing by at least 1/4 of the wavelength of the light or other electromagnetic radiation being used. The calibration by changing spacing allows the fringe order to be calculated for each wavelength of the radiation being used. This calibration procedure allows the maximum and minimum intensity of the radiation to be known, as well as the fringe order of the interference patterns to be calculated. With the maximum and minimum intensities and the fringe orders known, the spacing is readily calculated from interferometric theory.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 1991Date of Patent: January 18, 1994Assignee: Phase MetricsInventor: Christopher Lacey
-
Patent number: 4888657Abstract: To obtain the correct tape wrap angle at the head in a cassette loaded recorder, tape guiding support "outriggers" integral with the head assembly are provided. The outriggers are located on either side of the active portion of the head structure to guide the tape and to establish the tape/head wrap angle independent of the exact locations of the cassette guides. Slots separate the active head structure from each of the outriggers, presenting an edge at each side of the head to skive any air film adherent to the moving tape as it approaches the head's transducer. Additionally, the entire head and outrigger structure is fabricated from the same or mechanically similar materials and has an overall constant area profile contour which wears at a uniform rate due to tape abrasion.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 1988Date of Patent: December 19, 1989Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Christopher A. Lacey, George W. Brock
-
Patent number: 4875129Abstract: In a recorder having two inline heads, such as a record head followed by a reproduce head, it is necessary to insure adequate tape wrap angle at the transducing element of each head. Because the tape is spanned between the two inline heads, the tape leaves the apex of one head at a zero wrap angle and arrives at the apex of the second head with a zero wrap angle. The invention provides outriggers on each head assembly which guide the tape, and teaches placing each transducing element off the apex of its head assembly to maintain adequate wrap angles at the transducing elements of each inline head. The outriggers are provided with slots which skive entrapped air to prevent tape "flying" with attendant loss of contact with the transducing elements. The contours of the outriggers and the lands on which the transducing elements of each head assembly are located form constant area profiles to provide constant wear characteristics for the head assemblies.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 1988Date of Patent: October 17, 1989Assignee: Eastman Kodak Co.Inventors: John M. Favrou, Christopher A. Lacey, George W. Brock