Patents by Inventor Karim S. Karim

Karim S. Karim 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: 20170018588
    Abstract: The disclosure is directed at a method and apparatus for producing a detector element. The detector element includes first and second electrodes located on opposites sides of a semiconductor layer. The first and second electrodes are staggered with respect to each other in a plane perpendicular to the semiconductor layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2016
    Publication date: January 19, 2017
    Inventors: Karim S. KARIM, Sina GHANBARZADEH
  • Patent number: 9526466
    Abstract: There is provided a multi-layer flat panel detector comprising a first conversion layer, a second conversion layer, at least one printed circuit board for receiving signals generated by the first or second direct conversion layers, and a processor for processing the signals to produce an image being generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO
    Inventors: Karim S. Karim, Nicholas Allec
  • Patent number: 9269838
    Abstract: A high electric field radiation detector includes a first and second electrode, a radiation detector layer and a soft polvmer layer. The soft polvmer detector layer located below the radiation detector layer and in contact with at least the first electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Inventors: Karim S. Karim, Shiva Abbaszadeh
  • Publication number: 20140346631
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a high electric field radiation detector including a first electrode, a second electrode, a radiation detecting layer, and a soft polymer layer below the radiation detecting layer and in contact with at least the first electrode. The present disclosure provides a method of manufacturing a radiation detector including obtaining a first electrode, depositing a soft polymer layer on the first electrode, depositing a radiation detecting layer above the soft polymer layer, and depositing a second electrode above the amorphous material layer. The present disclosure also provides a method of manufacturing a radiation detector including obtaining a first electrode and a second electrode, depositing a soft polymer layer on the first electrode and the second electrode, and depositing a radiation detecting layer above the soft polymer layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2012
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Inventors: Karim S. KARIM, Shiva ABBASZADEH
  • Patent number: 8836069
    Abstract: A lateral Metal-Semiconductor-Metal (MSM) Photodetector (PD) is based on amorphous selenium (a-Se). It has low dark current, high photoconductive gain towards short wavelengths, and high speed of operation up to several KHz. From processing point of view, a lateral structure is more attractive due to ease of fabrication as well as compatibility with conventional thin-film transistor (TFT) processes. The lateral a-Se MSM PD therefore has potentials in a variety of optical sensing applications particularly in indirect X-ray imaging utilizing scintillators and ultraviolet (UV) imaging for life sciences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Inventors: Karim S. Karim, Kai Wang, Amirhossein Goldan
  • Publication number: 20120106698
    Abstract: There is provided a multi-layer flat panel detector comprising a first conversion layer, a second conversion layer, at least one printed circuit board for receiving signals generated by the first or second direct conversion layers, and a processor for processing the signals to produce an image being generated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2010
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Inventors: Karim S. Karim, Nicholas Allec
  • Patent number: 8129688
    Abstract: The invention is directed at a radiation detector which includes a grid electrode located within the detector to assist in the charge collection process. The grid electrode is preferably embedded within a semiconductor layer between two electrode layers, one of the electrode layers being a charge collecting electrode and the other being a common electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Inventors: Karim S. Karim, Amirhossein Goldan
  • Publication number: 20120038013
    Abstract: A lateral Metal-Semiconductor-Metal (MSM) Photodetector (PD) is based on amorphous selenium (a-Se). It has low dark current, high photoconductive gain towards short wavelengths, and high speed of operation up to several KHz. From processing point of view, a lateral structure is more attractive due to ease of fabrication as well as compatibility with conventional thin-film transistor (TFT) processes. The lateral a-Se MSM PD therefore has potentials in a variety of optical sensing applications particularly in indirect X-ray imaging utilizing scintillators and ultraviolet (UV) imaging for life sciences.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2010
    Publication date: February 16, 2012
    Inventors: Karim S. Karim, Kai Wang, Amirhossein Goldan
  • Patent number: 7995113
    Abstract: The present invention provides digital imaging architectures comprising detectors coupled to readout circuitry, wherein the readout circuitry is capable of providing large amplification to small, noise sensitive input signals to improve their noise immunity, as well as capable of providing a fast pixel readout time. The readout circuitry comprises an on-pixel amplification transistor as well as additional transistors used to read out the amplified signal and/or to reset the amplified output signal stored by a portion of the circuit prior to reading a subsequent signal. The present invention also provides readout circuitry that is capable of providing large amplification and thus additional noise immunity to the input signal from the detector by implementing another amplification stage within the readout circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Simon Fraser University
    Inventors: Karim S. Karim, Farhad Taghibakhsh, Mohammad Hadi Izadi
  • Patent number: 7791032
    Abstract: The present invention provides digital imaging architectures comprising detectors coupled to readout circuitry. The readout circuitry functions in particular modes, the use of which can depend on characteristics of the input signals transferred to the readout circuitry from the detectors, or can depend on the characteristics of the output signal required from the readout circuitry. When the input signal has a particular magnitude the readout circuitry can function in a first mode in which the input signal can be amplified to a measurable level, and when the input signal has another magnitude, the readout circuitry can function in an alternate mode in which the input signal can be read out with a different or no amplification. Thus, the present invention can provide a large dynamic range of detection that can amplify sensitive input signals from a detector as well as read larger signals with little or no amplification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Simon Fraser University
    Inventor: Karim S. Karim
  • Publication number: 20100181491
    Abstract: The disclosure is directed at a method of digital imaging comprising sensing photons on at least one pixel within a pixel array of a radiation detector; counting the photons using photon counting to produce a digital signal representative of the sensed photons; monitoring a photon flux associated with the sensed photons; and using photon integration to produce a digital signal representative of the sensed photons when the photon flux is higher than a predetermined photon flux.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2010
    Publication date: July 22, 2010
    Inventors: Karim S. KARIM, Amirhossein GOLDAN, Bahman HAJI-KHAMNEH
  • Patent number: 7573452
    Abstract: Integrated multiplexer/de-multiplexer for a pixel array is provided. A drive circuit having the de-multiplexer is provided to a gate line arranged for a pixel array. A pixel is selected using the drive circuit. A read circuit having the multiplexer is provided to a data line arranged for the pixel array. Data output from a pixel is read using the read circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: Ignis Innovation Inc.
    Inventors: Arokia Nathan, Karim S. Karim, Nitin Mohan, Anil Kumar, Kapil Sakariya
  • Publication number: 20090184251
    Abstract: The invention is directed at a radiation detector which includes a grid electrode located within the detector to assist in the charge collection process. The grid electrode is preferably embedded within a semiconductor layer between two electrode layers, one of the electrode layers being a charge collecting electrode and the other being a common electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2009
    Publication date: July 23, 2009
    Inventors: Karim S. KARIM, Amirhossein GOLDAN
  • Publication number: 20080259182
    Abstract: The present invention provides digital imaging architectures comprising detectors coupled to readout circuitry, wherein the readout circuitry is capable of providing large amplification to small, noise sensitive input signals to improve their noise immunity, as well as capable of providing a fast pixel readout time. The readout circuitry comprises an on-pixel amplification transistor as well as additional transistors used to read out the amplified signal and/or to reset the amplified output signal stored by a portion of the circuit prior to reading a subsequent signal. The present invention also provides readout circuitry that is capable of providing large amplification and thus additional noise immunity to the input signal from the detector by implementing another amplification stage within the readout circuitry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2005
    Publication date: October 23, 2008
    Applicant: SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Karim S. Karim, Farhad Taghibakhsh, Mohammad Hadi Izadi
  • Patent number: 7248236
    Abstract: An organic light emitting diode (OLED) display includes at least one shield electrode between a cathode layer and an OLED drive circuit. The OLED drive circuit has at least one thin-film transistor (TFT), and the shield electrode is disposed to correspond to the thin-film transistor and closer to the cathode layer, covering an entire region between the source and drain of the thin-film transistor. The shield electrode is either grounded or tied to the gate of the thin-film transistor, to thereby minimize parasitic capacitances in the pixels of the display to enhance the display performance. The presented architecture enables high density drive circuit integration in amorphous silicon or other technologies, yet preserving a high display aperture ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: Ignis Innovation Inc.
    Inventors: Arokia Nathan, Peyman Servati, Karim S. Karim
  • Publication number: 20040135911
    Abstract: An active pixel sensor for digital imaging comprises a detector, a readout circuit, and a resistive load. The detector is integrated with the readout circuit and the readout circuit has a plurality of amorphous silicon based thin-film transistors (TFTs). The readout circuit is embedded under the detector to provide a high fill factor. A signal charge is accumulated on a pixel capacitance during an integration mode and is transferred to an external electronics for data acquisition via the readout circuit during a readout mode. An output current from the readout circuit is converted to a voltage through the resistive load. The resistive load may be a thin-film transistor operated in a saturation regime and having a width larger than a length in size. The active pixel sensor amplifies an on-pixel sensor input signal to improve a noise immunity of sensitive sensor input signals to external noise sources and its linearity together with a fast pixel readout time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2004
    Publication date: July 15, 2004
    Inventors: Arokia Nathan, Karim S. Karim
  • Publication number: 20040130516
    Abstract: An organic light emitting diode (OLED) display includes at least one shield electrode between a cathode layer and an OLED drive circuit. The OLED drive circuit has at least one thin-film transistor (TFT), and the shield electrode is disposed to correspond to the thin-film transistor and closer to the cathode layer, covering an entire region between the source and drain of the thin-film transistor. The shield electrode is either grounded or tied to the gate of the thin-film transistor, to thereby minimize parasitic capacitances in the pixels of the display to enhance the display performance. The presented architecture enables high density drive circuit integration in amorphous silicon or other technologies, yet preserving a high display aperture ratio.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2004
    Publication date: July 8, 2004
    Inventors: Arokia Nathan, Peyman Servati, Karim S. Karim