Patents by Inventor Leonard J. Bond
Leonard J. Bond 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).
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Publication number: 20090038932Abstract: A system, method, and device are described for ultrasonic treatment of viscous fluids, including, e.g., crude oils that provide a variety of desired modifications. The invention includes a container having a circumvolving outer wall configured to allow passage of a quantity of a material within a passageway therein and ultrasonic transducers that attach to and circumvolve the outer wall of the container. The ultrasonic transducers transmit ultrasonic energy into material within the container at preselected frequencies thereby achieving desired effects.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 8, 2007Publication date: February 12, 2009Inventors: Kayte M. Denslow, Gerald J. Posakony, Leonard J. Bond, Aaron A. Diaz, Mikhail S. Alnajjar, James A. Franz
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Patent number: 7363817Abstract: Systems and techniques for detecting the presence of foreign material in food utilizing optical backlighting and/or ultrasonic inspection are presented. In optical backlighting, a substantially monochromatic light source optically backlights a food stream with source light having a wavelength between about 500 and 600 nm. An image of the food stream is captured and the presence of foreign material is determined when a portion of the detected image exceeds a predetermined threshold. The technique is especially suitable for the detection of bone in chicken meat, and the light source can be a planar array of green LEDs. In ultrasonic inspection, a process stream is interrogated with pulses of ultrasound and the presence of foreign material is determined based on the detected off-angle ultrasound scattering response.Type: GrantFiled: November 27, 2002Date of Patent: April 29, 2008Assignee: Battelle Memorial InstituteInventors: Leonard J. Bond, Aaron A. Diaz, Richard A. Pappas, Timothy L. Stewart, Albert Mendoza
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Patent number: 7191698Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for determining the doneness of food during a cooking process. Ultrasonic signal are passed through the food during cooking. The change in transmission characteristics of the ultrasonic signal during the cooking process is measured to determine the point at which the food has been cooked to the proper level. In one aspect, a heated fluid cooks the food, and the transmission characteristics along a fluid-only ultrasonic path provides a reference for comparison with the transmission characteristics for a food-fluid ultrasonic path.Type: GrantFiled: April 3, 2003Date of Patent: March 20, 2007Assignee: Battelle Memorial InstituteInventors: Leonard J. Bond, Aaron A. Diaz, Kayte M. Judd, Richard A. Pappas, William C. Cliff, David M. Pfund, Gerald P. Morgen
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Patent number: 7022505Abstract: The present invention is an apparatus for ultrasonically treating a liquid to generate a product. The apparatus is capable of treating a continuously-flowing, or intermittently-flowing, liquid along a line segment coincident with the flow path of the liquid. The apparatus has one or more ultrasonic transducers positioned asymmetrically about the line segment. The ultrasonic field encompasses the line segment and the ultrasonic energy may be concentrated along the line segment. Lysing treatments have been successfully achieved with efficiencies of greater than 99% using ultrasound at MHz frequencies without erosion or heating problems and without the need for chemical or mechanical pretreatment, or contrast agents. The present invention overcomes drawbacks of current ultrasonic treatments beyond lysing and opens up new sonochemical and sonophysical processing opportunities.Type: GrantFiled: October 10, 2002Date of Patent: April 4, 2006Assignee: Battelle Memorial InstituteInventors: Darrell P. Chandler, Gerald J. Posakony, Leonard J. Bond, Cynthia J. Bruckner-Lea
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Patent number: 6992771Abstract: Systems and techniques for detecting the presence of foreign material in food utilizing optical backlighting and/or ultrasonic inspection are presented. In optical backlighting, a substantially monochromatic light source optically backlights a food stream with source light having a wavelength between about 500 and 600 nm. An image of the food stream is captured and the presence of foreign material is determined when a portion of the detected image exceeds a predetermined threshold. The technique is especially suitable for the detection of bone in chicken meat, and the light source can be a planar array of green LEDs. In ultrasonic inspection, a process stream is interrogated with pulses of ultrasound and the presence of foreign material is determined based on the detected off-angle ultrasound scattering response.Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 2002Date of Patent: January 31, 2006Assignee: Battelle Memorial InstituteInventors: Leonard J. Bond, Aaron A. Diaz, Richard A. Pappas, Timothy Stewart, Albert Mendoza
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Publication number: 20040195231Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for determining the doneness of food during a cooking process. Ultrasonic signal are passed through the food during cooking. The change in transmission characteristics of the ultrasonic signal during the cooking process is measured to determine the point at which the food has been cooked to the proper level. In one aspect, a heated fluid cooks the food, and the transmission characteristics along a fluid-only ultrasonic path provides a reference for comparison with the transmission characteristics for a food-fluid ultrasonic path.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 3, 2003Publication date: October 7, 2004Inventors: Leonard J. Bond, Aaron A. Diaz, Kayte M. Judd, Richard A. Pappas, William C. Cliff, David M. Pfund, Gerald P. Morgen
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Patent number: 6786096Abstract: A system and technique for detecting the presence of foreign material is presented. An ultrasound transmitter interrogates the bulk material and an array of detectors receives the off angle ultrasound scattering response of the bulk material. The presence of foreign material is determined when the off angle scattering response exceeds a predetermined threshold. The technique is especially suitable for the detection of bone in meat.Type: GrantFiled: November 28, 2001Date of Patent: September 7, 2004Assignee: Battelle Memorial InstituteInventors: Leonard J. Bond, Aaron A. Diaz, Richard A. Pappas, Timothy Stewart
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Publication number: 20030098409Abstract: Systems and techniques for detecting the presence of foreign material in food utilizing optical backlighting and/or ultrasonic inspection are presented. In optical backlighting, a substantially monochromatic light source optically backlights a food stream with source light having a wavelength between about 500 and 600 nm. An image of the food stream is captured and the presence of foreign material is determined when a portion of the detected image exceeds a predetermined threshold. The technique is especially suitable for the detection of bone in chicken meat, and the light source can be a planar array of green LEDs. In ultrasonic inspection, a process stream is interrogated with pulses of ultrasound and the presence of foreign material is determined based on the detected off-angle ultrasound scattering response.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 27, 2002Publication date: May 29, 2003Inventors: Leonard J. Bond, Aaron A. Diaz, Richard A. Pappas, Timothy Stewart, Albert Mendoza
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Publication number: 20030098796Abstract: A system and technique for detecting the presence of foreign material is presented. An ultrasound transmitter interrogates the bulk material and an array of detectors receives the off angle ultrasound scattering response of the bulk material. The presence of foreign material is determined when the off angle scattering response exceeds a predetermined threshold. The technique is especially suitable for the detection of bone in meat.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 28, 2001Publication date: May 29, 2003Inventors: Leonard J. Bond, Aaron A. Diaz, Richard A. Pappas, Timothy Stewart
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Publication number: 20030049810Abstract: The present invention is an apparatus and method for ultrasonically treating a liquid to generate a product. The apparatus is capable of treating a continuously-flowing, or intermittently-flowing, liquid along a line segment coincident with the flow path of the liquid. The apparatus has one or more ultrasonic transducers positioned asymmetrically about the line segment. The ultrasonic field encompasses the line segment and the ultrasonic energy may be concentrated along the line segment. Lysing treatments have been successfully achieved with efficiencies of greater than 99% using ultrasound at MHz frequencies without erosion or heating problems and without the need for chemical or mechanical pretreatment, or contrast agents. The present invention overcomes drawbacks of current ultrasonic treatments beyond lysing and opens up new sonochemical and sonophysical processing opportunities.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 10, 2002Publication date: March 13, 2003Inventors: Darrell P. Chandler, Gerald J. Posakony, Leonard J. Bond, Cynthia J. Bruckner-Lea
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Patent number: 6506584Abstract: The present invention is an apparatus and method for ultrasonically treating a liquid to generate a product. The apparatus is capable of treating a continuously-flowing, or intermittently-flowing, liquid along a line segment coincident with the flow path of the liquid. The apparatus has one or more ultrasonic transducers positioned asymmetrically about the line segment. The ultrasonic field encompasses the line segment and the ultrasonic energy may be concentrated along the line segment. Lysing treatments have been successfully achieved with efficiencies of greater than 99% using ultrasound at MHz frequencies without erosion or heating problems and without the need for chemical or mechanical pretreatment, or contrast agents. The present invention overcomes drawbacks of current ultrasonic treatments beyond lysing and opens up new sonochemical and sonophysical processing opportunities.Type: GrantFiled: April 28, 2000Date of Patent: January 14, 2003Assignee: Battelle Memorial InstituteInventors: Darrell P. Chandler, Gerald J. Posakony, Leonard J. Bond, Cynthia J. Bruckner-Lea
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Patent number: 6161435Abstract: The fouling state of a polymeric membrane within the high pressure housing of a spiral wound or a hollow fiber membrane module is determined. An ultra sonic transducer positioned with its emitting face in physical engagement with the outer surface of the housing is pulse energized by a pulser/receiver device. A membrane echo signal is detected by a receiver of the pulser/receiver device. A reference echo signal indicative of a fouled or an unfouled state of the membrane is compared to the echo signal to determine the membrane fouling state. The echo to reference comparing step can be based upon comparing amplitude domain signals, comparing time-domain signals, comparing combinations of amplitude domain and time-domain signals, and comparing transformations of amplitude domain and time-domain signals.Type: GrantFiled: July 21, 1999Date of Patent: December 19, 2000Assignee: University Technology CorporationInventors: Leonard J. Bond, Guo Yong Chai, Alan Richard Greenberg, William Bernard Krantz
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Patent number: 6105430Abstract: An acoustic travel time tomography system enables determining of physical properties of a dam, or a like concrete mass. The system includes a plurality of acoustic sensors, positioned on the dam at a plurality of spaced sensor locations which are known relative to each other, for producing output data responsive to the detection thereby of acoustic waves generated in the dam. An impact source produces an impact at an impact location which is known relative to the sensor locations so as to generate acoustic waves in the dam for detection by the sensors. A data processing unit acquires output data from the sensors produced responsive to acoustic waves generated by the impact source and analyzes this output data, together with data related to the relative locations of the sensors and the impact source, to determine physical properties of the dam.Type: GrantFiled: July 2, 1998Date of Patent: August 22, 2000Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the InteriorInventors: William F. Kepler, Leonard J. Bond