Patents by Inventor Stephanie A. McElhaney

Stephanie A. McElhaney 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: 6471888
    Abstract: Simultaneous measurement of neutron flux and temperature is provided by a single sensor which includes a phosphor mixture having two principal constituents. The first constituent is a neutron sensitive Li6F and the second is a rare-earth activated Y2O3 thermophosphor. The mixture is coated on the end of a fiber optic, while the opposite end of the fiber optic is coupled to a light detector. The detected light scintillations are quantified for neutron flux determination, and the decay is measured for temperature determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLC
    Inventors: John T. Mihalczo, Marc L. Simpson, Stephanie A. McElhaney
  • Patent number: 5352040
    Abstract: Simultaneous measurement of neutron flux and temperature is provided by a single sensor which includes a phosphor mixture having two principal constituents. The first constituent is a neutron sensitive 6LiF and the second is a rare-earth activated Y203 thermophosphor. The mixture is coated on the end of a fiber optic, while the opposite end of the fiber optic is coupled to a light detector. The detected light scintillations are quantified for neutron flux determination, and the decay is measured for temperature determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 4, 1994
    Assignee: Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: John T. Mihalczo, Marc L. Simpson, Stephanie A. McElhaney
  • Patent number: 5332906
    Abstract: A scintillator assembly for use in conjunction with a photomultiplier or the like in the detection of alpha radiation utilizes a substrate or transparent yttrium aluminum garnet and a relatively thin film of cerium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet coated upon the substrate. The film material is applied to the substrate in a sputtering process, and the applied film and substrate are annealed to effect crystallization of the film upon the substrate. The resultant assembly provides relatively high energy resolution during use in a detection instrument and is sufficiently rugged for use in field environments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 26, 1994
    Assignee: Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert J. Lauf, Stephanie A. McElhaney, John B. Bates
  • Patent number: 5317158
    Abstract: The invention is a unitary alpha, beta, and gamma scintillation detector and system for sensing the presence of alpha, beta, and gamma radiations selectively or simultaneously. The scintillators are mounted in a light-tight housing provided with an entrance window for admitting alpha, beta, and gamma radiation and excluding ambient light from the housing. Light pulses from each scintillator have different decay constants that are converted by a photosensitive device into corresponding differently shaped electrical pulses. A pulse discrimination system identifies the electrical pulses by their respective pulse shapes which are determined by decay time. The identified electrical pulses are counted in separate channel analyzers to indicate the respective levels of sensed alpha, beta, and gamma radiations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1994
    Assignee: Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephanie A. McElhaney, Marion M. Chiles
  • Patent number: 5149971
    Abstract: A scintillator assembly for use in the detection of alpha radiation includes a body of optically-transparent epoxy and an amount of phosphor particles embedded within the body adjacent one surface thereof. When making the body, the phosphor particles are mixed with the epoxy when in an uncured condition and permitted to settle to the bottom surface of a mold within which the epoxy/phosphor mixture is contained. When the mixture subsequently cures to form a hardened body, the one surface of the body which cured against the bottom surface of the mold is coated with a thin layer of opaque material for preventing ambient light form entering the body through the one surface. The layer of opaque material is thereafter coated with a layer of protective material to provide the assembly with a damage-resistant entrance window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1992
    Assignee: Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephanie A. McElhaney, Martin L. Bauer, Marion M. Chiles