Patents by Inventor Laurent Duraffourg

Laurent Duraffourg 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: 10132957
    Abstract: Optomechanical device for actuating and/or detecting movement of a mechanical element, in particular for gravimetric detection. It includes a support with a mechanical element anchored to the support which is designed to move relative to the element, and a device for actuating and/or detecting movement or of variations in frequency of movement of the element. A portion of the device is arranged beneath at least part of the element, between the element and the support. The device includes a fixed optical device with at least one optical waveguide arranged beneath all or part of the element at a determined distance from the element, and which is designed to propagate at least one optical wave having a given wavelength designed to interact with the element. The optical waveguide is at a determined distance from the mechanical element so that the evanescent field of the optical waveguide interacts with the mechanical element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Sébastien Hentz, Laurent Duraffourg, Guillaume Jourdan
  • Publication number: 20180254175
    Abstract: A generator of an ion beam is provided, including an ionisation chamber provided with an inlet of a fluid to be ionised; a source of ionising particles configured to impact the fluid in an impact zone of the ionisation chamber so as to generate ions; and an extractor of ions generated in a direction of an outlet zone of the generator, the extractor including at least two electrodes, a first electrode referred to as input electrode laterally bordering the impact zone, and at least one second electrode referred to as intermediate electrode located in the impact zone, the at least two electrodes being configured to generate a voltage gradient in the impact zone, with the voltage gradient being configured to direct the generated ions to the outlet zone of the generator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2018
    Publication date: September 6, 2018
    Applicant: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Thomas ALAVA, Hadley VIDELIER, Frederic PROGENT, Laurent DURAFFOURG, Sebastien VIGNE
  • Patent number: 9945822
    Abstract: The invention relates to a measurement system including a network of nanoelectromechanical system (NEMS) resonators, characterized in that: each one of said resonators includes: an electrostatic activation device capable of generating a vibration of a beam exposed to said excitation signal, at least one piezoresistive stress gauge made of a doped semiconducting material, extending from the beam so as to detect a movement of said beam, the variation in the electrical resistance of said at least one gauge supplying an output signal; said network includes at least two groups of resonators, each group including at least two resonators having an identical empty resonance frequency, each group of resonators having an empty resonance frequency different from that of each other group; the resonators forming each group are connected in parallel; the groups of resonators forming said network are connected in parallel; said system includes a reading device designed to supply an excitation signal at the network input and
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Philippe Andreucci, Régis Barattin, Eric Colinet, Laurent Duraffourg, Pierre Puget
  • Patent number: 9891382
    Abstract: An optomechanical device with mechanical elements and optical filters for actuating and/or detecting movement of the elements, including a support, and on the support: an array of mechanical elements anchored to the support and configured to move with respect thereto, and an actuating and/or detection device actuating the elements and/or detecting movement of the elements or frequency variations of the movement. The actuating and/or detection device includes an array of optical filters. Each filter resonates at a particular wavelength and is coupled to one of the elements. The actuating and/or detecting device is positioned in vicinity of all or some of the elements, between the elements and the support. The optical filters are fixed with respect to the support and the mechanical elements and the optical filters are superimposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignees: Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives, California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Laurent Duraffourg, Sebastien Hentz, Mickael Lee Roukes
  • Patent number: 9746384
    Abstract: A heat flux sensor comprising at least one support, where at least one membrane is suspended relative to the support by at least four nanowires, where the membrane is made from at least one current-conducting material, and where the nanowires are made from a current-conducting material, with two nanowires connected to a current source to polarize the membrane between two terminals and a heater for heating the membrane, and where two nanowires are connected to a voltmeter to form measure the voltage at the terminals of the membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives
    Inventors: Jeremie Ruellan, Laurent Duraffourg
  • Patent number: 9733223
    Abstract: A concentration sensor for at least one given gas comprising at least one suspended structure (2) with respect to a support, said suspended structure (2) being of an electrically conductive material and said structure having a low heat response time, means for biasing said suspended element (2) and means (8) for measuring the variation of the electric voltage at the terminals of the suspended structure (2), the biasing means (6) being formed by an alternating current source the intensity of which heats the suspended structure (2) and the frequency of which gives rise to a phase shift between a signal of the biasing means and a signal measured by the measuring means, and means for determining a phase shift variation due to a gas concentration variation and means for determining the concentration variation of said gas from the phase variation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives
    Inventors: Jeremie Ruellan, Laurent Duraffourg
  • Patent number: 9709536
    Abstract: A thermal flow sensor comprising at least one first element (2) suspended with respect to a support, said first suspended element (2) being of an electrically conductive material, first means (6) for biasing said suspended element (2) and first means (8) for measuring the variation of the electric voltage at the terminals of the suspended element (2), said first suspended element (2) being formed by a nanowire and said first biasing means (6) are formed by an alternating current source the intensity of which provides heating of the first suspended element (2) by Joule effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives
    Inventors: Jeremie Ruellan, Laurent Duraffourg, Julien Arcamone, Philippe Andreucci, Eric Colinet
  • Patent number: 9696285
    Abstract: The invention relates to a gas analysis system comprising, from upstream to downstream: a module (SEP) for separating at least a portion of the species contained in the gas to be analysed, comprising at least one microcapillary column (GC) for gas phase chromatography, and a time-of-flight mass spectrometer (TOFMS) coupled to said separation module, said spectrometer comprising a ion source (MS1, MS2) adapted to ionise at least a portion of said species and to emit a ion beam, and a free-flight zone (MS4) for said ions, said mass spectrometer (TOFMS) being arranged in the volume of at least one substrate and comprising a micro-reflectron (R) arranged between the source (MS1, MS2) and the free-flight zone (MS4), a wall (R1) of said micro-reflectron comprising a layer made from a resistive material designed to be polarised between at least two regions so as to create a continuous electrostatic field gradient in said reflectron.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignees: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES, Analytical Pixels Technology-Apix Technology
    Inventors: Laurent Duraffourg, Philippe Andreucci, Charles-Marie Tassetti, Eric Colinet, Pierre Puget, Joshua Whiting, Peter Thomas Stevens, Mélanie Petitjean
  • Publication number: 20170089944
    Abstract: A physical sensor comprising a substrate (4), a movable mass (8), said mass (8) being able to be moved by an external force, a first optical resonator (16.1), a light wave guide (18.1) for measurement and a light wave guide for detection, a rigid plate (10) which are able to modify the optical resonance frequency of said optical resonator (16.1) by moving closer and away the same, a lever arm (6) rotatably hinged to the substrate (4) by a pivot connection (12) and the mass (8) being movably integral with the transmitting means (6), the rigid plate (10) being disposed relative to the mass (8) and to the pivot connection (12) such that the lever arm (6) transmits to the rigid plate (10), in an amplified manner, the displacement of the mass (8).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2016
    Publication date: March 30, 2017
    Applicant: Commissariat A L'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives
    Inventor: Laurent DURAFFOURG
  • Patent number: 9599495
    Abstract: The invention relates to a thermal flow sensor comprising: a support, at least one element intended to be vibrated relative to the support, suspension means for said vibrating element relative to the vibrating element, means for heating the vibrating element, means for electrostatic excitation of the vibrating element so as to vibrate it at its resonance frequency, piezoelectric gauges for detecting the resonance frequency variation of the vibrating element, the gauges forming means for heating the vibrating element by Joule effect and the suspension means comprising two beams formed by nanowires so as to reduce the heat losses from the vibrating element toward the support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives
    Inventors: Laurent Duraffourg, Philippe Andreucci, Eric Colinet, Guillaume Jourdan, Julien Arcamone
  • Publication number: 20170059499
    Abstract: A heat flux sensor including at least one optical resonator suspended on a support, the optical resonator intended to be suspended in a gaseous environment, at least one first device intended to introduce a measurement light beam into the waveguide, at least one second collection device, intended to collect a detection light beam coming from the optical resonator and a device for heating of the optical resonator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2016
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Applicant: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives
    Inventor: Laurent DURAFFOURG
  • Patent number: 9470576
    Abstract: A measuring system including: at least two electromechanical resonators each having a resonant frequency varying around an offload resonant frequency according to a physical quantity to be measured; at least one reading device connected to inputs of the resonators and configured to supply an excitation signal on the inputs; and a memory in which is recorded, for each resonator, offload resonance information relating to the offload resonant frequency of the resonator. Each reading device is configured to determine the resonant frequency of one or more resonators selected for reading by configuring at least one element of the reading device using the offload resonance information stored for each selected resonator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'energie atomique et aux energies alternatives
    Inventors: Eric Colinet, Philippe Andreucci, Laurent Duraffourg, Sébastien Hentz
  • Publication number: 20160246000
    Abstract: An optomechanical device with mechanical elements and optical filters for actuating and/or detecting movement of the elements, including a support, and on the support: an array of mechanical elements anchored to the support and configured to move with respect thereto, and an actuating and/or detection device actuating the elements and/or detecting movement of the elements or frequency variations of the movement. The actuating and/or detection device includes an array of optical filters. Each filter resonates at a particular wavelength and is coupled to one of the elements. The actuating and/or detecting device is positioned in vicinity of all or some of the elements, between the elements and the support. The optical filters are fixed with respect to the support and the mechanical elements and the optical filters are superimposed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2014
    Publication date: August 25, 2016
    Applicants: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES, CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Laurent DURAFFOURG, Sebastien HENTZ, Mickael Lee ROUKES
  • Patent number: 9400218
    Abstract: A bolometer including: at least one electromechanical microsystem or nanosystem, the microsystem or nanosystem including a support and a mobile mass hung from beams above the support, the mobile mass forming an absorber of optical flux; actuation electrodes configured to set the mobile mass in vibration and arranged laterally relative to the mobile mass; and detection electrodes to detect variation in vibration frequency of the mobile mass arranged laterally relative to the mobile mass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives
    Inventors: Laurent Duraffourg, Philippe Andreucci
  • Patent number: 9382108
    Abstract: A device including: a nanowire that includes a first conductive region, and a second region, wherein the second region is an insulator material, the second region does not occupy an entire thickness of the nanowire, and the nanowire is configured so that a current is able to circulate in the nanowire from one end of the nanowire to another end of the nanowire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE
    Inventors: Laurent Duraffourg, Philippe Andreucci, Thomas Ernst, Sebastien Hentz
  • Patent number: 9331606
    Abstract: A device with a suspended beam and piezoresistive means of detecting displacement of the beam and a method of manufacturing the device are disclosed. The device comprises a support, a suspended beam, moving parallel to the plane of the support, and means of detecting displacement, comprising at least two piezoresistive strain gauges that are not in line with each other. The beam is suspended through detection means. The two gauges are located on two opposite lateral faces of the beam respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'energie atomique et aux energies alternatives
    Inventors: Sebastien Hentz, Philippe Andreucci, Eric Colinet, Laurent Duraffourg, Sebastien Labarthe
  • Publication number: 20150308990
    Abstract: A gas analysis system includes a fluidic channel for flow of a gas to be analyzed, a detector in the channel and adapted for measuring interactions of the gas with the detector, the detector including a resonator of the electromechanical nanosystem (NEMS) type and a heating system for heating a part of the detector, an actuation device for vibrationally actuating the resonator according to an excitation signal applied to an input of the detector, a detection device adapted for providing an output electric signal representative of the vibrations of the resonator, a read-out device connected to an input of the detector and configured for simultaneously measuring, from the output signal of the detector, the change in resonance frequency and the change in amplitude of the vibrations at the resonance frequency of the resonator, and a processing device configured for determining from the changes a fluidic characteristic of the gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2014
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Applicants: California Institute of Technology, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, Apix Analytics
    Inventors: Philippe Andreucci, Eric Colinet, Laurent Duraffourg, Edward Myers, Mélanie Petitjean, Mickael Lee Roukes, Joshua Whiting
  • Publication number: 20150300999
    Abstract: The invention relates to a measurement system including a network of nanoelectromechanical system (NEMS) resonators, characterized in that: each one of said resonators includes: an electrostatic activation device capable of generating a vibration of a beam exposed to said excitation signal, at least one piezoresistive stress gauge made of a doped semiconducting material, extending from the beam so as to detect a movement of said beam, the variation in the electrical resistance of said at least one gauge supplying an output signal; said network includes at least two groups of resonators, each group including at least two resonators having an identical empty resonance frequency, each group of resonators having an empty resonance frequency different from that of each other group; the resonators forming each group are connected in parallel; the groups of resonators forming said network are connected in parallel; said system includes a reading device designed to supply an excitation signal at the network input and
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2013
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Applicants: Commissariat A L'Energie Atomique Et Aux Energies Alternatives, Apix Analytics
    Inventors: Philippe Andreucci, Régis Barattin, Eric Colinet, Laurent Duraffourg, Pierre Puget
  • Publication number: 20150247828
    Abstract: A thermal flow sensor comprising at least one first element (2) suspended with respect to a support, said first suspended element (2) being of an electrically conductive material, first means (6) for biasing said suspended element (2) and first means (8) for measuring the variation of the electric voltage at the terminals of the suspended element (2), said first suspended element (2) being formed by a nanowire and said first biasing means (6) are formed by an alternating current source the intensity of which provides heating of the first suspended element (2) by Joule effect.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2013
    Publication date: September 3, 2015
    Applicant: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Jeremie Ruellan, Laurent Duraffourg, Julien Arcamone, Philippe Andreucci, Eric Colinet
  • Publication number: 20150226713
    Abstract: A concentration sensor for at least one given gas comprising at least one suspended structure (2) with respect to a support, said suspended structure (2) being of an electrically conductive material and said structure having a low heat response time, means for biasing said suspended element (2) and means (8) for measuring the variation of the electric voltage at the terminals of the suspended structure (2), the biasing means (6) being formed by an alternating current source the intensity of which heats the suspended structure (2) and the frequency of which gives rise to a phase shift between a signal of the biasing means and a signal measured by the measuring means, and means for determining a phase shift variation due to a gas concentration variation and means for determining the concentration variation of said gas from the phase variation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2015
    Publication date: August 13, 2015
    Applicant: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENE ALT
    Inventors: Jeremie RUELLAN, Laurent DURAFFOURG