Patents by Inventor Paul Ruchhoeft

Paul Ruchhoeft 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: 8987688
    Abstract: Various embodiments disclose devices and methods for fabricating microporous particulate filters with regularly spaced pores wherein sheet membrane substrates are exposed to energetic particle radiation through a mask and the damaged regions removed in a suitable developer. The required depth of field is achieved by using energetic particles to minimize diffraction and an energetic particle source with suitably small diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: The University of Houston
    Inventors: John C. Wolfe, Paul Ruchhoeft
  • Publication number: 20130034498
    Abstract: Labels and methods of producing labels for use in clinical, analytical and pharmaceutical development assays are provided. Labels may comprise shape-encoded particles which may be coupled to ligands such as DNA, RNA and antibodies, where different shapes are used to identify which ligand(s) are present. Labels may also comprise reflectors, including retroreflectors and retroreflectors susceptible to analyte-dependent assembly for efficient homogeneous assays.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2012
    Publication date: February 7, 2013
    Inventors: Richard C. Willson, Paul Ruchhoeft
  • Publication number: 20120288852
    Abstract: A sensitive and specific method of detecting chemical species, viruses and microorganisms is presented to improve performance of molecular-recognition-based assays utilizing particles decorated with molecular recognition agents such as antibodies and DNA probes, and observing analyte-dependent changes in the response of the particles to forces such as magnetic or gravitational forces or Brownian thermal fluctuations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2011
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Inventors: Richard Willson, Paul Ruchhoeft
  • Patent number: 8030620
    Abstract: A method is provided for creating a plurality of substantially uniform nano-scale features in a substantially parallel manner in which an array of micro-lenses is positioned on a surface of a substrate, where each micro-lens includes a hole such that the bottom of the hole corresponds to a portion of the surface of the substrate. A flux of charged particles, e.g., a beam of positive ions of a selected element, is applied to the micro-lens array. The flux of charged particles is focused at selected focal points on the substrate surface at the bottoms of the holes of the micro-lens array. The substrate is tilted at one or more selected angles to displace the locations of the focal points across the substrate surface. By depositing material or etching the surface of the substrate, several substantially uniform nanometer sized features may be rapidly created in each hole on the surface of the substrate in a substantially parallel manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: University of Houston
    Inventors: Vincent M. Donnelly, Demetre J. Economou, Paul Ruchhoeft, Lin Xu, Sri Charan Vemula, Manish Kumar Jain
  • Patent number: 7960708
    Abstract: Various embodiments disclose devices and methods for fabricating microporous particulate filters with regularly space pores wherein sheet membrane substrates are exposed to energetic particle radiation through a mask and the damaged regions removed in a suitable developer. The required depth of field is achieved by using energetic particles to minimize diffraction and an energetic particle source with suitably small diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: University of Houston
    Inventors: John C. Wolfe, Paul Ruchhoeft
  • Patent number: 7883839
    Abstract: A method is provided for creating a plurality of substantially uniform nano-scale features in a substantially parallel manner in which an array of micro-lenses is positioned on a surface of a substrate, where each micro-lens includes a hole such that the bottom of the hole corresponds to a portion of the surface of the substrate. A flux of charged particles, e.g., a beam of positive ions of a selected element, is applied to the micro-lens array. The flux of charged particles is focused at selected focal points on the substrate surface at the bottoms of the holes of the micro-lens array. The substrate is tilted at one or more selected angles to displace the locations of the focal points across the substrate surface. By depositing material or etching the surface of the substrate, several substantially uniform nanometer sized features may be rapidly created in each hole on the surface of the substrate in a substantially parallel manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: University of Houston
    Inventors: Vincent M Donnelly, Demetre J. Economou, Paul Ruchhoeft, Lin Xu, Sri Charan Vemula, Manish Kumar Jain
  • Publication number: 20100210009
    Abstract: Labels and methods of producing labels for use in clinical, analytical and pharmaceutical development assays are provided. Labels may comprise shape-encoded particles which may be coupled to ligands such as DNA, RNA and antibodies, where different shapes are used to identify which ligand(s) are present. Labels may also comprise reflectors, including retroreflectors and retroreflectors susceptible to analyte-dependent assembly for efficient homogeneous assays.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2010
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Inventors: Richard C. Willson, Paul Ruchhoeft
  • Publication number: 20100147693
    Abstract: Various embodiments disclose devices and methods for fabricating microporous particulate filters with regularly spaced pores wherein sheet membrane substrates are exposed to energetic particle radiation through a mask and the damaged regions removed in a suitable developer. The required depth of field is achieved by using energetic particles to minimize diffraction and an energetic particle source with suitably small diameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2008
    Publication date: June 17, 2010
    Applicant: The University of Houston
    Inventors: John C. Wolfe, Paul Ruchhoeft
  • Publication number: 20100132887
    Abstract: A method is provided for creating a plurality of substantially uniform nano-scale features in a substantially parallel manner in which an array of micro-lenses is positioned on a surface of a substrate, where each micro-lens includes a hole such that the bottom of the hole corresponds to a portion of the surface of the substrate. A flux of charged particles, e.g., a beam of positive ions of a selected element, is applied to the micro-lens array. The flux of charged particles is focused at selected focal points on the substrate surface at the bottoms of the holes of the micro-lens array. The substrate is tilted at one or more selected angles to displace the locations of the focal points across the substrate surface. By depositing material or etching the surface of the substrate, several substantially uniform nanometer sized features may be rapidly created in each hole on the surface of the substrate in a substantially parallel manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2009
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Applicant: University of Houston
    Inventors: Vincent Donnelly, Demetre Economou, Paul Ruchhoeft, Lin Xu, Sri Vemula, Manish Jain
  • Patent number: 7727775
    Abstract: Labels and methods of producing labels for use in clinical, analytical and pharmaceutical development assays are provided. Labels may comprise shape-encoded particles which may be coupled to ligands such as DNA, RNA and antibodies, where different shapes are used to identify which ligand(s) are present. Labels may also comprise reflectors, including retroreflectors and retroreflectors susceptible to analyte-dependent assembly for efficient homogeneous assays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Inventors: Richard C. Willson, Paul Ruchhoeft
  • Publication number: 20090283215
    Abstract: A method is provided for creating a plurality of substantially uniform nano-scale features in a substantially parallel manner in which an array of micro-lenses is positioned on a surface of a substrate, where each micro-lens includes a hole such that the bottom of the hole corresponds to a portion of the surface of the substrate. A flux of charged particles, e.g., a beam of positive ions of a selected element, is applied to the micro-lens array. The flux of charged particles is focused at selected focal points on the substrate surface at the bottoms of the holes of the micro-lens array. The substrate is tilted at one or more selected angles to displace the locations of the focal points across the substrate surface. By depositing material or etching the surface of the substrate, several substantially uniform nanometer sized features may be rapidly created in each hole on the surface of the substrate in a substantially parallel manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2009
    Publication date: November 19, 2009
    Applicant: University of Houston
    Inventors: Vincent M. Donnelly, Demetre J. Economou, Paul Ruchhoeft, Lin Xu, Sri Charan Vemula, Manish Kumar Jain
  • Publication number: 20090073400
    Abstract: Various embodiments disclose devices and methods for fabricating microporous particulate filters with regularly space pores wherein sheet membrane substrates are exposed to energetic particle radiation through a mask and the damaged regions removed in a suitable developer. The required depth of field is achieved by using energetic particles to minimize diffraction and an energetic particle source with suitably small diameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2007
    Publication date: March 19, 2009
    Inventors: John C. Wolfe, Paul Ruchhoeft
  • Patent number: 7504619
    Abstract: An energetic neutral particle lithographic apparatus is disclosed for replicating sub-micron and nanoscale patterns including a source producing a beam of energetic neutral particles, comprising atoms or molecules, by charge transfer scattering of energetic ions from the molecules of a gas, a mask member having open stencil windows in a supporting membrane, an energetic neutral particle protective layer on the membrane, and a reproduction member consisting of an energetic neutral particle-sensitive layer between a substrate and the mask for absorbing energetic neutral particles in a pattern created by the mask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Assignee: The University of Houston System
    Inventors: John C. Wolfe, Paul Ruchhoeft
  • Publication number: 20090042137
    Abstract: The present inventors have developed an accurate method for forming a plurality of images on a substrate. The present method provides an improved pattern replication technique that provides submicron resolution, for example 20 nm or less, especially 10 nm or less. The method may involve moving a structured beam of energetic radiation across a target substrate. The motion of an image of the template mask on the substrate is achieved by tilting a mask and substrate assembly relative to the axis of the incident beam. The technique does not require high precision motion of the template mask relative to the target substrate. The energetic radiation may comprise energetic particles. The technique is insensitive to particle energy and can be applied to uncharged, neutral particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2008
    Publication date: February 12, 2009
    Applicant: University of Houston
    Inventors: John C. Wolfe, Barry Craver, Paul Ruchhoeft
  • Publication number: 20070131646
    Abstract: A method is provided for creating a plurality of substantially uniform nano-scale features in a substantially parallel manner in which an array of micro-lenses is positioned on a surface of a substrate, where each micro-lens includes a hole such that the bottom of the hole corresponds to a portion of the surface of the substrate. A flux of charged particles, e.g., a beam of positive ions of a selected element, is applied to the micro-lens array. The flux of charged particles is focused at selected focal points on the substrate surface at the bottoms of the holes of the micro-lens array. The substrate is tilted at one or more selected angles to displace the locations of the focal points across the substrate surface. By depositing material or etching the surface of the substrate, several substantially uniform nanometer sized features may be rapidly created in each hole on the surface of the substrate in a substantially parallel manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2006
    Publication date: June 14, 2007
    Applicant: University of Houston
    Inventors: Vincent Donnelly, Demetre Economou, Paul Ruchhoeft, Lin Xu, Sri Vemula, Manish Jain
  • Publication number: 20060124865
    Abstract: An energetic neutral particle lithographic apparatus is disclosed for replicating sub-micron and nanoscale patterns including a source producing a beam of energetic neutral particles, comprising atoms or molecules, by charge transfer scattering of energetic ions from the molecules of a gas, a mask member having open stencil windows in a supporting membrane, an energetic neutral particle protective layer on the membrane, and a reproduction member consisting of an energetic neutral particle-sensitive layer between a substrate and the mask for absorbing energetic neutral particles in a pattern created by the mask.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2003
    Publication date: June 15, 2006
    Inventors: John Wolfe, Paul Ruchhoeft
  • Publication number: 20060088946
    Abstract: Labels and methods of producing labels for use in clinical, analytical and pharmaceutical development assays are provided. Labels may comprise shape-encoded particles which may be coupled to ligands such as DNA, RNA and antibodies, where different shapes are used to identify which ligand(s) are present. Labels may also comprise reflectors, including retroreflectors and retroreflectors susceptible to analyte-dependent assembly for efficient homogeneous assays.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2005
    Publication date: April 27, 2006
    Inventors: Richard Willson, Paul Ruchhoeft
  • Patent number: 6624429
    Abstract: For producing an exposure pattern on a curved, in particular concave substrate field of a substrate which comprises a layer of resist material sensitive to exposure to an energetic radiation, in a pattern transfer system a wide, substantially parallel beam of said energetic radiation is produced, and by means of said beam a planar mask having a structure pattern, namely, a set of transparent windows to form a structured beam, is illuminated and the structure pattern is imaged onto the substrate by means of the structured beam, producing a pattern image, namely, a spatial distribution of irradiation over the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2003
    Assignee: University of Houston
    Inventors: John Charles Wolfe, Paul Ruchhoeft
  • Patent number: 6372391
    Abstract: For lithographic patterning a plurality of identical structures (24) onto a target substrate (14), a template mask (13) is produced which bears a template structure pattern comprising a plurality of identical template structures each consisting of a set of at least one structure element (C) of circular shape. Starting from a primary mask (11) bearing a primary structure pattern consisting of at least one structure element having a circular shape, the production of the template mask is done in at least one lithographic mask structuring step (b, c) wherein in each mask structuring step by means of a broad beam (31) of energetic radiation the mask is illuminated and a structure pattern on the mask (11,12) is imaged onto an intermediate substrate (12a,13a); in these mask structuring steps the pattern image imaged from the structure pattern is moved over the intermediate substrate to a number of different locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2002
    Assignee: The University of Houston
    Inventors: John Charles Wolfe, Paul Ruchhoeft