Patents by Inventor Lew Thomas

Lew Thomas 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).

  • Rotating slit aperture for scanning microscopy
    Patent number: 5351150
    Abstract: An improved aperture for a scanning microscope as is used to mask either or both of the incident light and reflected light includes a plurality of continuous curvilinear slits spaced evenly about a common origin, each of which approximates an Archimedes' spiral emanating from the origin centered on the aperture. There are two embodiments of the invention disclosed, both of which have a true Archimedes' spiral to define the inner edge of the continuous slit. In a first embodiment, the outer edge is defined as having a constant proportional circumferential aperture distance from the inner spiral. In the second embodiment, the outer edge is defined as another Archimedes' spiral having a constant offset of minimum distance from the inner spiral. However, the outer edges of the two embodiments essentially merge in a physical sense after only several of the inner revolutions of the continuous slit so that the continuous slit of either embodiment provides an image having uniform masking and uniform resolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 27, 1994
    Assignee: Washington University
    Inventors: Jeffrey W. Lichtman, Lew Thomas
  • Rotating slit aperture for scanning microscopy
    Patent number: 5101295
    Abstract: An improved aperture for a scanning microscope as is used to mask either or both of the incident light and reflected light includes a plurality of continuous curvilinear slits spaced evenly about a common origin, each of which approximates an Archimedes' spiral emanating from the origin centered on the aperture. There are two embodiments of the invention disclosed, both of which have a true Archimedes' spiral to define the inner edge of the continuous slit. In a first embodiment, the outer edge is defined as having a constant proportional circumferential aperture distance from the inner spiral. In the second embodiment, the outer edge is defined as another Archimedes' spiral having a constant offset of minimum distance from the inner spiral. However, the outer edges of the two embodiments essentially merge in a physical sense after only several of the inner revolutions of the continuous slit so that the continuous slit of either embodiment provides an image having uniform masking and uniform resolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1992
    Assignee: Washington University
    Inventors: Jeffrey W. Lichtman, Lew Thomas