Patents by Inventor Edward A. Richardson

Edward A. Richardson 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: 20210008509
    Abstract: An emulsification device with plenums to supply and extract fluids from a large number of emulsification junctions is disclosed herein. The plenums deliver fluid to and extract emulsifications from emulsification junctions and their related channels at nearly identical pressures. The emulsification junction and the related channels share nearly identical geometry. By providing nearly identical pressure and geometry of the features, the flow at each of the emulsification junctions is also nearly identical. This allows for the production of nearly identically sized droplets. The consistency of the dimensions of the emulsification areas contributes to consistent sized droplet formation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2020
    Publication date: January 14, 2021
    Inventor: Brian Edward Richardson
  • Publication number: 20200298143
    Abstract: Devices for the separation of components within a fluid are disclosed herein. The device typically includes layers of spacers and separation surfaces. The separation panels have channels with functionalized surfaces to attract and retain components within the fluid. The separation panels include a border (housing) to constrain the fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Inventor: Brian Edward Richardson
  • Publication number: 20200298156
    Abstract: Devices for the separation of components within a fluid are disclosed herein. The device includes a housing that typically includes at least one separation panel formed from multiple layers. The separation panels are formed with channels having functionalized surfaces to attract and retain selected components within the fluid. The separation panels include a physical boundary to contain the fluid flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2020
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Inventor: Brian Edward Richardson
  • Patent number: 10774717
    Abstract: Various structures for catalytic convertors are disclosed herein. The device includes an outer housing enclosing a catalytic core. The catalytic core can be formed in a myriad of ways. Flow paths through the core are constructed so that they are not straight-line paths from the inlet of the device to the outlet of the device. Zigzag conformations and stacked panel arrays are described that maximize the catalytic surface area in a given volume of housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: Imagine TF, LLC
    Inventor: Brian Edward Richardson
  • Patent number: 10758849
    Abstract: Three dimensional filter devices and devices are provided herein. An example substrate includes a primary inlet boundary and a primary outlet boundary, as well as a plurality of filter rows that include microstructure filter members that remove particulate matter from a fluid flowing across or through the substrate; the fluid entering through the inlet boundary and exiting through the outlet boundary. Each of the microstructure filter members includes a secondary inlet channel and a secondary outlet channel that couple to adjacent microstructure filter members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Imagine TF, LLC
    Inventor: Brian Edward Richardson
  • Patent number: 10730047
    Abstract: Micro-channel fluid filters and methods of use are provided herein. In one embodiment a fluid film may include a plurality of dividing walls extending from an upper surface of a film, the plurality of dividing walls forming a plurality of tapered inlet channels, a plurality of cross channels formed along a length of each of the plurality of dividing walls, an inlet channel for each of the plurality of tapered inlet channels, and an outlet channel for each of the plurality of tapered inlet channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Imagine TF, LLC
    Inventor: Brian Edward Richardson
  • Patent number: 10710018
    Abstract: Multiple staged filters are provided herein. A filter may include a plurality of panels that each include a filtering front surface and a flat back surface, the filtering front surface having a first row of vertically extending protrusions spaced apart from one another to form vertical channels, a second row of vertically extending protrusions spaced apart from one another to form vertical channels, and one or more rows of filtering protrusions, where the one or more rows are vertically spaced apart from one another and extending between the first and second rows of vertically extending protrusions. Further, each row of filtering protrusions may include filtering protrusions that are spaced from one another to form filter channels having a size that is configured to receive and retain objects of a given size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Imagine TF, LLC
    Inventor: Brian Edward Richardson
  • Publication number: 20200131967
    Abstract: Various structures for catalytic convertors are disclosed herein. The device includes an outer housing enclosing a catalytic core. The catalytic core can be formed in a myriad of ways. Flow paths through the core are constructed so that they are not straight-line paths from the inlet of the device to the outlet of the device. Pleated conformations and stacked core arrays are described that maximize the catalytic surface area in a given volume of housing. The application of the core to exhaust from diesel engines is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2019
    Publication date: April 30, 2020
    Inventor: Brian Edward Richardson
  • Publication number: 20200122063
    Abstract: This disclosure relates a fluid filter whose pores are created by raised structures on a base. The raised structures may be macro, micro and/or nanometer scale structures. The structures can be configured in myriad ways to control flow rate and extracted particle size of a filtering system. Typically a plurality of filter panels will be stacked to form a filtering unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2019
    Publication date: April 23, 2020
    Inventor: Brian Edward Richardson
  • Patent number: 10603647
    Abstract: Microstructure flow mixing devices are disclosed herein. An example device a first panel, a first plurality of raised features extending from a first surface of the first panel, a second plurality of raised features extending from the first surface of the first panel and a plurality of divider microstructures extending from the first surface of the first panel in line with and in between the first plurality of raised features and the second plurality of raised features. At least a portion of adjacent divider microstructures are spaced apart to form feed pathways or cross channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Imagine TF, LLC
    Inventor: Brian Edward Richardson
  • Patent number: 10589204
    Abstract: Three dimensional nanoparticle filters are provided herein. In one embodiment a filter device includes a base material, alternating layers of sacrificial material between layers of structural material being deposited onto the base material to create a layered base material, and filter sidewalls etched into the deposited alternating layers of the layered base material to remove the layers of sacrificial material between the layers of structural material to form filter slots in the filter sidewalls as well as create channels between the filter sidewalls, where a size of the filter slots is selectable based on a thickness of the layers of sacrificial material utilized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Imagine TF, LLC
    Inventor: Brian Edward Richardson
  • Publication number: 20200078710
    Abstract: A layered porous film with a fluidic path through orthogonally oriented ribbed layers of varying size and spacing for the filtering or separation of particles or compounds. Any number of additional layers and materials may be added to modify the flow characteristics through the film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2019
    Publication date: March 12, 2020
    Inventor: Brian Edward Richardson
  • Publication number: 20200039175
    Abstract: Absorbent microstructure panels are described herein. An example filter device includes a plurality of microstructure panels each having a front surface and a back surface, and a plurality of capillary ridges protruding from the front surface. The plurality of capillary ridges are each spaced apart from one another. The plurality of microstructure panels form an absorbent microstructure array by layering the plurality of microstructure panels together such that the plurality of capillary ridges of one microstructure panel contacts the back surface of an adjacent microstructure panel to create capillary tubes that draw fluid into the absorbent microstructure array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2019
    Publication date: February 6, 2020
    Inventor: Brian Edward Richardson
  • Patent number: 10479046
    Abstract: Absorbent microstructure panels are described herein. An example filter device includes a plurality of microstructure panels each having a front surface and a back surface, and a plurality of capillary ridges protruding from the front surface. The plurality of capillary ridges are each spaced apart from one another. The plurality of microstructure panels form an absorbent microstructure array by layering the plurality of microstructure panels together such that the plurality of capillary ridges of one microstructure panel contacts the back surface of an adjacent microstructure panel to create capillary tubes that draw fluid into the absorbent microstructure array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Imagine TF, LLC
    Inventor: Brian Edward Richardson
  • Publication number: 20190128168
    Abstract: Various structures for catalytic convertors are disclosed herein. The device includes an outer housing enclosing a catalytic core. The catalytic core can be formed in a myriad of ways. Flow paths through the core are constructed so that they are not straight-line paths from the inlet of the device to the outlet of the device. Zigzag conformations and stacked panel arrays are described that maximize the catalytic surface area in a given volume of housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2018
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Inventor: Brian Edward Richardson
  • Publication number: 20190046897
    Abstract: Microstructure separation filters are provided herein, as well as chromatography and other separation devices. An exemplary filter device includes a microstructure filter has a plurality of layers of alternating sacrificial and/or structural material which have been etched to create inlet channels and outlet channels. Adjacent ones of the inlet channels and the outlet channels are spaced apart from one another by cross channels that filter a fluid from the inlet channels to the outlet channels. The cross channels include filter features formed by etching away of a portion of the layers. The device also includes a housing configured to receive the microstructure filter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2018
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Inventor: Brian Edward Richardson
  • Patent number: 10124275
    Abstract: Microstructure separation filters are provided herein, as well as chromatography and other separation devices. An exemplary filter device includes a microstructure filter has a plurality of layers of alternating sacrificial and/or structural material which have been etched to create inlet channels and outlet channels. Adjacent ones of the inlet channels and the outlet channels are spaced apart from one another by cross channels that filter a fluid from the inlet channels to the outlet channels. The cross channels include filter features formed by etching away of a portion of the layers. The device also includes a housing configured to receive the microstructure filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: Imagine TF, LLC
    Inventor: Brian Edward Richardson
  • Patent number: 10118842
    Abstract: Deionizing fluid filter devices and methods of use are described herein. An example filter device comprises a plurality stacked panels that comprise filter structures. The filter structures comprise filter features that filter a fluid. The fluid is processed by the filter device such that filtered fluid is output as well as a concentrate of particulate matter extracted from the fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: Imagine TF, LLC
    Inventor: Brian Edward Richardson
  • Publication number: 20180250623
    Abstract: Multiple staged filters are provided herein. A filter may include a plurality of panels that each include a filtering front surface and a flat back surface, the filtering front surface having a first row of vertically extending protrusions spaced apart from one another to form vertical channels, a second row of vertically extending protrusions spaced apart from one another to form vertical channels, and one or more rows of filtering protrusions, where the one or more rows are vertically spaced apart from one another and extending between the first and second rows of vertically extending protrusions. Further, each row of filtering protrusions may include filtering protrusions that are spaced from one another to form filter channels having a size that is configured to receive and retain objects of a given size.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2018
    Publication date: September 6, 2018
    Inventor: Brian Edward Richardson
  • Patent number: 10022733
    Abstract: Microfluidic laminar flow nozzle apparatuses are described herein. An example apparatus includes a base having a sidewall that forms a lower plenum chamber, and a micro-fluidic nozzle panel disposed above the base to enclose the lower plenum chamber, the micro-fluidic nozzle panel including a plurality of micro-fluidic nozzles, each of the plurality of micro-fluidic nozzles having a fluid output orifice for outputting a fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: IMAGINE TF, LLC
    Inventor: Brian Edward Richardson