Patents by Inventor Erik Thostenson

Erik Thostenson 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: 11999650
    Abstract: Processes for depositing functionalized nanoparticles upon a non-conductive substrate are disclosed herein. The processes may include the step of aerosolizing one or more particles into suspension within a gas, each of the one or more particles comprising functionalized nanoparticles having an electric charge. The processes may include the step the step of attracting the one or more particles onto a non-conductive substrate by a static electric charge opposite of the electric charge, wherein at least portions of the non-conductive substrate are having the static electric charge. The processes may include the step of depositing the functionalized nanoparticles onto the non-conductive substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Inventors: Erik Thostenson, Thomas Schumacher
  • Patent number: 11840798
    Abstract: A piezoresistive sensor featuring a fabric of woven or nonwoven fibers coated with carbon nanotubes can be integrated with footwear or clothing to serve as a pressure sensor that can monitor and/or analyze human activity during the course of the activities of daily living of the wearer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Inventors: Sagar Doshi, Kaleb Burch, Jill Higginson, Erik Thostenson, Amit Chaudhari
  • Publication number: 20230070364
    Abstract: Processes for depositing functionalized nanoparticles upon a non-conductive substrate are disclosed herein. The processes may include the step of aerosolizing one or more particles into suspension within a gas, each of the one or more particles comprising functionalized nanoparticles having an electric charge. The processes may include the step the step of attracting the one or more particles onto a non-conductive substrate by a static electric charge opposite of the electric charge, wherein at least portions of the non-conductive substrate are having the static electric charge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2022
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Inventors: ERIK THOSTENSON, THOMAS SCHUMACHER
  • Patent number: 11518710
    Abstract: In various aspects, the sensors include a substrate that is porous and non-conductive with nanoparticles deposited onto the substrate within pores of the substrate by an electrophoretic process to form a sensor element. The nanoparticles are electrically conductive. The sensor includes a detector in communication with the sensor element to measure a change in an electrical property of the sensor element. The change in the electrical property may result from alterations in quantum tunneling between nanoparticles within the sensor element, in various aspects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Inventors: Erik Thostenson, Thomas Schumacher
  • Publication number: 20210002816
    Abstract: A piezoresistive sensor featuring a fabric of woven or nonwoven fibers coated with carbon nanotubes can be integrated with footwear or clothing to serve as a pressure sensor that can monitor and/or analyze human activity during the course of the activities of daily living of the wearer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2020
    Publication date: January 7, 2021
    Inventors: Sagar Doshi, Kaleb Burch, Jill Higginson, Erik Thostenson, Amit Chaudhari
  • Publication number: 20200369564
    Abstract: In various aspects, the sensors include a substrate that is porous and non-conductive with nanoparticles deposited onto the substrate within pores of the substrate by an electrophoretic process to form a sensor element. The nanoparticles are electrically conductive. The sensor includes a detector in communication with the sensor element to measure a change in an electrical property of the sensor element. The change in the electrical property may result from alterations in quantum tunneling between nanoparticles within the sensor element, in various aspects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2020
    Publication date: November 26, 2020
    Inventors: Erik THOSTENSON, Thomas SCHUMACHER
  • Patent number: 10745320
    Abstract: In various aspects, the processes disclosed herein may include the steps of inducing an electric field about a non-conductive substrate, and depositing functionalized nanoparticles upon the non-conductive substrate by contacting a nanoparticle dispersion with the non-conductive substrate, the nanoparticle dispersion comprising functionalized nanoparticles having an electrical charge, the electric field drawing the functionalized nanoparticles to the non-conductive substrate. In various aspects, the related composition of matter disclosed herein comprise functionalized nanoparticles bonded to a surface of a non-conductive fiber, the surface of the non-conductive fiber comprising a sizing adhered to the surface of the non-conductive fiber. This Abstract is presented to meet requirements of 37 C.F.R. § 1.72(b) only. This Abstract is not intended to identify key elements of the processes, and related apparatus and compositions of matter disclosed herein or to delineate the scope thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: University of Delaware
    Inventor: Erik Thostenson
  • Publication number: 20200180264
    Abstract: A carbon nanotube-based sensor comprises a fabric, and a plurality of carbon nanotubes coated on the fabric. The plurality of carbon nanotubes form a network in a plane of the fabric. At least two tap points are coupled to the plurality of carbon nanotubes coated on the fabric. A first of the plurality of tap points is separated from a second of the plurality of tap points, where the first and second tap points have a resistance there between. Application of a force on the fabric, from outside the plane of the fabric, causes a change in the resistance between the first and second tap points.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2018
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Applicant: University of Delaware
    Inventors: Erik Thostenson, Sagar Doshi, Hongbo Dai, Hao Liu
  • Publication number: 20180002226
    Abstract: In various aspects, the processes disclosed herein may include the steps of inducing an electric field about a non-conductive substrate, and depositing functionalized nanoparticles upon the non-conductive substrate by contacting a nanoparticle dispersion with the non-conductive substrate, the nanoparticle dispersion comprising functionalized nanoparticles having an electrical charge, the electric field drawing the functionalized nanoparticles to the non-conductive substrate. In various aspects, the related composition of matter disclosed herein comprise functionalized nanoparticles bonded to a surface of a non-conductive fiber, the surface of the non-conductive fiber comprising a sizing adhered to the surface of the non-conductive fiber. This Abstract is presented to meet requirements of 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b) only. This Abstract is not intended to identify key elements of the processes, and related apparatus and compositions of matter disclosed herein or to delineate the scope thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2017
    Publication date: January 4, 2018
    Applicant: University of Delaware
    Inventor: ERIK THOSTENSON
  • Patent number: 9776916
    Abstract: In various aspects, the processes disclosed herein may include the steps of inducing an electric field about a non-conductive substrate, and depositing functionalized nanoparticles upon the non conductive substrate by contacting a nanoparticle dispersion with the non-conductive substrate, the nanoparticle dispersion comprising functionalized nanoparticles having an electrical charge, the electric field drawing the functionalized nanoparticles to the non-conductive substrate. In various aspects, the related composition of matter disclosed herein comprise functionalized nanoparticles bonded to a surface of a non-conductive fiber, the surface of the non-conductive fiber comprising a sizing adhered to the surface of the non-conductive fiber. This Abstract is presented to meet requirements of 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b) only. This Abstract is not intended to identify key elements of the processes, and related apparatus and compositions of matter disclosed herein or to delineate the scope thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE
    Inventor: Erik Thostenson
  • Publication number: 20150211142
    Abstract: In various aspects, the processes disclosed herein may include the steps of inducing an electric field about a non-conductive substrate, and depositing functionalized nanoparticles upon the non conductive substrate by contacting a nanoparticle dispersion with the non-conductive substrate, the nanoparticle dispersion comprising functionalized nanoparticles having an electrical charge, the electric field drawing the functionalized nanoparticles to the non-conductive substrate. In various aspects, the related composition of matter disclosed herein comprise functionalized nanoparticles bonded to a surface of a non-conductive fiber, the surface of the non-conductive fiber comprising a sizing adhered to the surface of the non-conductive fiber. This Abstract is presented to meet requirements of 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b) only. This Abstract is not intended to identify key elements of the processes, and related apparatus and compositions of matter disclosed herein or to delineate the scope thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2015
    Publication date: July 30, 2015
    Applicant: UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE
    Inventor: ERIK THOSTENSON
  • Publication number: 20070176319
    Abstract: Carbon nanotubes can be uniformly dispersed in a polymer and subsequently fabricated in macroscopic nanotube/polymer ribbons having nanotubes aligned in a primary direction. The technique is readily scalable and could be applied to the fabrication of larger-scale structural/functional materials and devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2004
    Publication date: August 2, 2007
    Applicant: UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE
    Inventors: Erik Thostenson, Tsu-Wei Chou