Patents by Inventor Robert R. Alfano

Robert R. Alfano 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: 20170082640
    Abstract: A label free single or multi-photon optical spectroscopy for measuring the differences between the levels of fluorophores from tryptophan, collagen, reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH). and flavins exist in brain samples from a of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and in normal (N) brain samples with label-free fluorescence spectroscopy. Relative quantities of these molecules are shown by the spectral profiles of the AD and N brain samples at excitation wavelengths 266 nm, 300 nm, and 400 nm. The emission spectral profile levels of tryptophan and flavin were much higher in AD samples, while collagen emission levels were slightly lower and NADH levels were much lower in AD samples. These results yield a new optical method for detection of biochemical differences in animals and humans for Alzheimer's disease.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2016
    Publication date: March 23, 2017
    Inventor: Robert R. Alfano
  • Publication number: 20170049327
    Abstract: A method to detect vibrations associated with biomolecules in tissues and cellsuses Resonance Raman (RR) spectroscopy to measure specific biomolecules in tissue and cells signals. The changes of RR lines of key molecules present to the chemical conformations and change due to disease such as cancer and heart disease. Biomolecules are collagen, flavins, tryptophan, NADH, NAD, etc. The laser beams excite RR of vibration associated with absorption of the key native molecules in tissue (Tryptophan, NADH, Flavins, Collagen, carotenoids, porphyrins and others. The margin assessment and RR images in 2D and 3D regions are found by RR signals using position scanners. The intensity and the numbers of molecule fingerprints indicate the prescence of and the degree of the changes of chemical conformations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2016
    Publication date: February 23, 2017
    Inventor: Robert R. Alfano
  • Publication number: 20170049328
    Abstract: Vulnerable plaque (VP) is the main cause of death from heart attacks. All currently available methods developed to diagnose VP lack sensitivity and or specificity and are still unable to identify VP. Our patent addresses the problem to diagnose VP in arteries. The teachings here disclose a vulnerable plaque optical analyzer (VPOA) and Imager (VOPAI) for monitoring arterial walls by measuring whether the fingerprint Raman spectrum of adipose (lipid) tissue using Resonance Raman (RR) and common Raman(R) signals of aortic intimal wall layer. The RR and R lines of lipid determine presentation of VP.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2016
    Publication date: February 23, 2017
    Inventors: Robert R. Alfano, Cheng-hui Liu, Vidyasagar Sriramoju
  • Publication number: 20170049326
    Abstract: Light at wavelengths in the near-infrared (NIR) region in the second NIR spectral window from 1,100 nm to 1,350 nm and a new spectral window from 1,600 nm to 1,870 nm, known as the third NIR optical window, and fourth at 2200 cm?1 are disclosed. Optical attenuation from thin tissue slices of normal and malignant breast and prostate tissue, and pig brain were measured in the spectral range from 400 nm to 2,500 nm. Optical images of chicken tissue overlying three black wires were also obtained using the second and third spectral windows. Due to a reduction in scattering and minimal absorption, longer attenuation and clearer images can be seen in the second, third and fourth NIR windows compared to the conventional first NIR window. The second and third spectral windows will have uses in microscope imaging arteries, bones, breast, cells, cracks, teeth, and blood due to less scattering of light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2016
    Publication date: February 23, 2017
    Inventor: Robert R. Alfano
  • Patent number: 9561077
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus are provided for producing SuperContinuum (SC) light for medical and biological applications is provided. Pulses are focused from a laser system into at least one of a pressurized cell and one or more fibers. A pump pulse is converted into the SC light at a specified rate of repetition. The SC light is applied at the specified rate of repetition to tissue for medical and biological applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Inventor: Robert R. Alfano
  • Patent number: 9414887
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus are provided for producing SuperContinuum (SC) light for medical and biological applications is provided. Pulses are focused from a laser system into at least one of a pressurized cell and one or more fibers. A pump pulse is converted into the SC light at a specified rate of repetition. The SC light is applied at the specified rate of repetition to tissue for medical and biological applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Inventor: Robert R. Alfano
  • Publication number: 20160128775
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus are provided for producing SuperContinuum (SC) light for medical and biological applications is provided. Pulses are focused from a laser system into at least one of a pressurized cell and one or more fibers. A pump pulse is converted into the SC light at a specified rate of repetition. The SC light is applied at the specified rate of repetition to tissue for medical and biological applications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2016
    Publication date: May 12, 2016
    Inventor: Robert R. Alfano
  • Patent number: 9322769
    Abstract: A method detects the degree of spoilage of food by exposing a food sample to an excitation wave having a first wavelength of about 340 nm or about 380 nm, wherein the excitation wave has a bandwidth of 40 nm or less. The excitation wave is permitted to interact with the food sample and return emission spectra. A detector detects the emission spectra. A predetermined threshold value is established which defines when a food sample is or is not spoiled. The emission spectra is analyzed at a second wavelength of about 400 nm, about 450 nm or about 530 nm to provide a test or measured value of the emission spectra indicative of the degree of spoilage of the food sample. Whether or not a food sample is spoiled beyond the predetermined threshold is determined by comparing the measured value to the predetermined threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Inventors: Robert R. Alfano, Yang Pu, Wubao Wang
  • Publication number: 20150320319
    Abstract: A rectal near infrared (NIR) scanning polarization imaging system uses NIR Photonic Prostatoscopy Analyzer (NIRPPA) for prostate cancer detection using light. The NIRPPA consists of a portable rectal NIR scanning polarization imaging unit and an optical fiber-based rectal probe capable of recording sets of 2D images of a prostate through rectum at different wavelengths and depths and obtaining a three dimensional (3D) image of the prostate and 3D locations of abnormal tissue inside the prostate. Diode lasers/light emission diodes (LEDs) with selected emitting wavelengths are used in the NIR spectral range from 650 nm to 2,400 nm corresponding to the four tissue optical windows (#I, 650 nm-950 nm; #II, 1,100 nm-1,350 nm; #III, 1,600 nm-1,870 nm; and #IV, 2,100 nm-2,300 nm). The fingerprint absorptions of water (H2O), Oxyhemoglobin (HbO2) and deoxyhemoglobin (Hb) in the prostate are used as native biomarkers for prostate cancer detection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2015
    Publication date: November 12, 2015
    Inventors: ROBERT R. ALFANO, Wubao Wang, Yang Pu, Yury Budansky, Laura Sordillo, Guichen Tang, James Eastham
  • Publication number: 20150077302
    Abstract: A compact random media size antenna employing random magnetic and dielectrics nm to mm range size particles in polymer hosts is used to transfer E & M oscillations in 1 kHz to 900 Mhz range using a 1 cm to 1 meter length antenna. This is achieved by using small size particles and a random mean path length of E & M wavefront travel in and about a core tube of effective length matching Leff=L2/2ltr, equivalent to ?/2 for transmitting and receiving E & M radiation, where L is the physical size of the antenna, ltris the transport scattering random walk length between particles and ? is the frequency wavelength.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2014
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Inventor: Robert R. Alfano
  • Publication number: 20150072376
    Abstract: Tryptophan is used as the key native marker in cells to determine the level of aggressiveness of cancer cell lines using the native fluorescence spectroscopy. A ratio R of the fluorescence from tryptophan at 340 nm to that from the NADH at 440-460 nm is demonstrated to be associated with aggressiveness of the cancer cells. The higher the ratio R, the more aggressive the tumor towards metastasis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2014
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Inventor: Robert R. Alfano
  • Patent number: 8974444
    Abstract: A method for welding tissue wounds in an animal. The method comprises joining edges of a tissue wound and irradiating the tissue wound and tissue surrounding the tissue wound with a pulsed laser. The pulsed laser has a laser wavelength in a range of an absorption band of water, elastin and/or collagen in the tissue wound and tissue surrounding the tissue wound. The pulsed laser has a pulse width of not more than picoseconds in order of magnitude to heat tissue surrounding the tissue wound and facilitate bonding of native tissue protein present in the tissue surrounding the tissue wound to achieve tissue repair. The laser wavelength is in a range of between about 800 nm to about 2,700 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Inventors: Robert R. Alfano, Vidyasagar Sriramoju
  • Patent number: 8965217
    Abstract: A method of superimposing N optical transmission modes for collective transmission along a multimode optical fiber is provided where each of the N optical signals comprises N distinct superimposed transmission modes (M1, M2, . . . ) and a portion of each of the N propagating optical signals is sampled at a receiving end of the data transmission network. N2?1 distinct measurement conditions are derived from a transmission matrix T and a special unitary matrix group SU(N) corresponding to the superimposed transmission modes (M1, M2, . . . ) at the receiving end of the data transmission network and N2?1 measurements are extracted from the sampled signals. The extracted N2?1 measurements are used to solve a matrix equation corresponding to the generated SU(N) matrices and the output matrix transposed and used to generating principal state launch conditions from the eigenvectors of the transposed output matrix to form a principal state in each of the N optical signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignees: Corning Incorporated, The Research Foundation of CUNY of behalf of the City College of New York
    Inventors: Daniel A. Nolan, Giovanni Milione, Robert R. Alfano
  • Publication number: 20140371582
    Abstract: A method is provided for deep tissue imaging using multi-photon excitation of a fluorescent agent. The fluorescent agent is irradiated with an ultrafast laser to produce an excited singlet state (Sn) which subsequently undergoes non-radiative relaxation to a first singlet state (S1). The S1 state undergoes fluorescence to the ground state S0 to produce an emission wavelength. Both the excitation and emission wavelengths are within the near infrared optical window, thereby permitting deep tissue penetration for both the incoming and outgoing signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2014
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Inventors: Robert R. Alfano, Yang Pu, Lingyan Shi, Sebastião Pratavieira
  • Publication number: 20140300891
    Abstract: A method detects the degree of spoilage of food by exposing a food sample to an excitation wave having a first wavelength of about 340 nm or about 380 nm, wherein the excitation wave has a bandwidth of 40 nm or less. The excitation wave is permitted to interact with the food sample and return emission spectra. A detector detects the emission spectra. A predetermined threshold value is established which defines when a food sample is or is not spoiled. The emission spectra is analyzed at a second wavelength of about 400 nm, about 450 nm or about 530 nm to provide a test or measured value of the emission spectra indicative of the degree of spoilage of the food sample. Whether or not a food sample is spoiled beyond the predetermined threshold is determined by comparing the measured value to the predetermined threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2014
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Inventors: ROBERT R. ALFANO, Yang Pu, Wubao Wang
  • Publication number: 20140161439
    Abstract: A method of superimposing N optical transmission modes for collective transmission along a multimode optical fiber is provided where each of the N optical signals comprises N distinct superimposed transmission modes (M1, M2, . . . ) and a portion of each of the N propagating optical signals is sampled at a receiving end of the data transmission network. N2?1 distinct measurement conditions are derived from a transmission matrix T and a special unitary matrix group SU(N) corresponding to the superimposed transmission modes (M1, M2, . . . ) at the receiving end of the data transmission network and N2?1 measurements are extracted from the sampled signals. The extracted N2?1 measurements are used to solve a matrix equation corresponding to the generated SU(N) matrices and the output matrix transposed and used to generating principal state launch conditions from the eigenvectors of the transposed output matrix to form a principal state in each of the N optical signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Applicants: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Daniel A. Nolan, Giovanni Milione, Robert R. Alfano
  • Publication number: 20130245616
    Abstract: A method for welding tissue wounds in an animal. The method comprises joining edges of a tissue wound and irradiating the tissue wound and tissue surrounding the tissue wound with a pulsed laser. The pulsed laser has a laser wavelength in a range of an absorption band of water, elastin and/or collagen in the tissue wound and tissue surrounding the tissue wound. The pulsed laser has a pulse width of not more than picoseconds in order of magnitude to heat tissue surrounding the tissue wound and facilitate bonding of native tissue protein present in the tissue surrounding the tissue wound to achieve tissue repair. The laser wavelength is in a range of between about 800 nm to about 2,700 nm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2011
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Robert R. Alfano, Vidyasagar Sriramoju
  • Patent number: 8518445
    Abstract: The present invention teaches how to change the skin color perception, mainly the facial color from red, blue or yellow to white appearance, using quantum and optical principles. By selecting the right size and material of particles compounded in cosmetic preparations and applying the preparations to the skin, the scattering and/or emission from micro- and nanoparticles can provide a complementary color or in proximity to that complementary color of the skin color. The mixture of the color provided by the particles and the reflected color from the skin will whiten the skin or make inconspicuous of the hyperchromic portion of the skin. The invention can also be used for other applications in which the particles can be applied to a surface or blended into a material, such as, for example, automobile paint, house paint, glass color and nail polish.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Research Foundation of the City University of New York
    Inventors: Robert R. Alfano, Xiaohui Ni, Manuel Zevallos
  • Publication number: 20130177273
    Abstract: A multicore optical component and corresponding methods of converting a linearly or circularly polarized Gaussian beam of light into a radially or azimuthally polarized beam of light are provided. The multicore optical component comprises a plurality of birefringent, polarization maintaining elliptical cores. The elliptical cores collectively define an azimuthally varying distribution of major axes where the orientation of the major axis of a given elliptical core is given by ?=(180/N)*n+? where n is the core number and ? is any angle greater than 0°.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2011
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Applicants: Research Foundation of CUNY on behalf of City College, Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Robert R. Alfano, Michael Etienne, Giovanni Milione, Daniel Aloysius Nolan, Henry Sztul, Ji Wang
  • Publication number: 20130167595
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a glass composition including a host glass, a 3p component having a concentration of about 5 mole percent to about 10 mole percent, and at least one of a 6p component having a concentration of about 1 mole percent to about 5 mole percent and a 5p component having a concentration of about 1 mole percent to about 5 mole percent, is provided. The method includes heating the host glass to a first predetermined temperature for a first period of time; mixing a powder including the 3p component and the at least one of the 5p component and the 6p component with the heated host glass into a glass/powder mixture; heating the glass/powder mixture to a second predetermined temperature for a second period of time; and cooling, after heating, the glass/powder mixture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2013
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Inventors: Robert R. ALFANO, Alexel Bykov, Mikhail Sharonov