Patents by Inventor Stephen A. Payne

Stephen A. Payne 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: 9441154
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a crystal includes at least one metal halide; and an activator dopant comprising ytterbium. In another general embodiment, a scintillator optic includes: at least one metal halide doped with a plurality of activators, the plurality of activators comprising: a first activator comprising europium, and a second activator comprising ytterbium. In yet another general embodiment, a method for manufacturing a crystal suitable for use in a scintillator includes mixing one or more salts with a source of at least one dopant activator comprising ytterbium; heating the mixture above a melting point of the salt(s); and cooling the heated mixture to a temperature below the melting point of the salts. Additional materials, systems, and methods are presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignees: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC, Fisk University
    Inventors: Stephen A. Payne, Nerine Cherepy, Christian Pedrini, Arnold Burger
  • Patent number: 9429663
    Abstract: A composition of matter includes an organic molecule having a composition different than stilbene. The organic molecule is embodied as a crystal, and exhibits: an optical response signature for neutrons; an optical response signature for gamma rays, and performance comparable to or superior to stilbene in terms of distinguishing neutrons from gamma rays. The optical response signature for neutrons is different than the optical response signature for gamma rays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
    Inventors: Stephen A. Payne, Wolfgang Stoeffl, Natalia P. Zaitseva, Nerine J. Cherepy, M. Leslie Carman
  • Publication number: 20160186052
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a scintillator material includes a polymer matrix; and a primary dye in the polymer matrix, the primary dye being a fluorescent dye, the primary dye being present in an amount of 5 wt % or more; wherein the scintillator material exhibits an optical response signature for neutrons that is different than an optical response signature for gamma rays. In another embodiment, a scintillator material includes a polymer matrix comprising at least one of: polyvinyl xylene (PVX); polyvinyl diphenyl; and polyvinyl tetrahydronaphthalene; and a primary dye in the polymer matrix, the primary dye being a fluorescent dye, the primary dye being present in an amount greater than 10 wt %. A total loading of dye in the scintillator material is sufficient to cause the scintillator material to exhibit a pulse-shape discrimination (PSD) figure of merit (FOM) of about at least 2.0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2016
    Publication date: June 30, 2016
    Inventors: Natalia P. Zaitseva, M Leslie Carman, Nerine Cherepy, Andrew M. Glenn, Sebastien Hamel, Stephen A. Payne, Benjamin L. Rupert
  • Patent number: 9337010
    Abstract: A fluorescent lamp includes a glass envelope; at least two electrodes connected to the glass envelope; mercury vapor and an inert gas within the glass envelope; and a phosphor within the glass envelope, wherein the phosphor blend includes aluminum nitride. The phosphor may be a wurtzite (hexagonal) crystalline structure Al(1-x)MxN phosphor, where M may be drawn from beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, zinc, scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, ytterbium, bismuth, manganese, silicon, germanium, tin, boron, or gallium is synthesized to include dopants to control its luminescence under ultraviolet excitation. The disclosed Al(1-x)MxN:Mn phosphor provides bright orange-red emission, comparable in efficiency and spectrum to that of the standard orange-red phosphor used in fluorescent lighting, Y2O3:Eu.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignees: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC, General Electric Company
    Inventors: Nerine J. Cherepy, Stephen A. Payne, Zachary M. Seeley, Alok M. Srivastava
  • Patent number: 9309456
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a scintillator material includes a polymer matrix; and a primary dye in the polymer matrix, the primary dye being a fluorescent dye, the primary dye being present in an amount of 5 wt % or more; wherein the scintillator material exhibits an optical response signature for neutrons that is different than an optical response signature for gamma rays. In another embodiment, a scintillator material includes a polymer matrix; and a primary dye in the polymer matrix, the primary dye being a fluorescent dye, the primary dye being present in an amount greater than 10 wt %.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
    Inventors: Natalia P. Zaitseva, M Leslie Carman, Nerine Cherepy, Andrew M. Glenn, Sebastien Hamel, Stephen A. Payne, Benjamin L. Rupert
  • Publication number: 20160071718
    Abstract: A fluorescent lamp includes a glass envelope; at least two electrodes connected to the glass envelope; mercury vapor and an inert gas within the glass envelope; and a phosphor within the glass envelope, wherein the phosphor blend includes aluminum nitride. The phosphor may be a wurtzite (hexagonal) crystalline structure Al(1-x)MxN phosphor, where M may be drawn from beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, zinc, scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, ytterbium, bismuth, manganese, silicon, germanium, tin, boron, or gallium is synthesized to include dopants to control its luminescence under ultraviolet excitation. The disclosed Al(1-x)MxN:Mn phosphor provides bright orange-red emission, comparable in efficiency and spectrum to that of the standard orange-red phosphor used in fluorescent lighting, Y2O3:Eu.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2015
    Publication date: March 10, 2016
    Inventors: Nerine J. Cherepy, Stephen A. Payne, Zachary M. Seeley, Alok M. Srivastava
  • Patent number: 9274237
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a scintillator includes a scintillator material; a primary fluor, and a Li-containing compound, where the Li-containing compound is soluble in the primary fluor, and where the scintillator exhibits an optical response signature for thermal neutrons that is different than an optical response signature for fast neutrons and gamma rays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
    Inventors: Natalia P. Zaitseva, M. Leslie Carman, Michelle A. Faust, Andrew M. Glenn, H. Paul Martinez, Stephen A. Payne
  • Patent number: 9238773
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a transparent ceramic of sintered nanoparticles includes gadolinium lutetium oxide doped with europium having a chemical composition (Lu1-xGdx)2-YEuYO3, where X is any value within a range from about 0.05 to about 0.45 and Y is any value within a range from about 0.01 to about 0.2, and where the transparent ceramic exhibits a transparency characterized by a scatter coefficient of less than about 10%/cm. In another embodiment, a transparent ceramic scintillator of sintered nanoparticles, includes a body of sintered nanoparticles including gadolinium lutetium oxide doped with a rare earth activator (RE) having a chemical composition (Lu1-xGdx)2-YREYO3, where RE is selected from the group consisting of: Sm, Eu, Tb, and Dy, where the transparent ceramic exhibits a transparency characterized by a scatter coefficient of less than about 10%/cm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
    Inventors: Zachary Seeley, Nerine Cherepy, Joshua Kuntz, Stephen A. Payne
  • Patent number: 9000384
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a mixed ionic-electronic conductor (e.g. TlBr)-based radiation detector having halide-treated surfaces and associated methods of fabrication, which controls polarization of the mixed ionic-electronic MIEC material to improve stability and operational lifetime.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
    Inventors: Adam Conway, Patrick R. Beck, Robert T. Graff, Art Nelson, Rebecca J. Nikolic, Stephen A. Payne, Lars Voss, Hadong Kim
  • Publication number: 20150028217
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a scintillator includes a scintillator material; a primary fluor, and a Li-containing compound, where the Li-containing compound is soluble in the primary fluor, and where the scintillator exhibits an optical response signature for thermal neutrons that is different than an optical response signature for fast neutrons and gamma rays.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2014
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Applicant: Lawrence Livermore National Sercurity, LLC
    Inventors: Natalia P. Zaitseva, M. Leslie Carman, Michelle A. Faust, Andrew M. Glenn, H. Paul Martinez, Stephen A. Payne
  • Publication number: 20140361221
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a crystal includes at least one metal halide; and an activator dopant comprising ytterbium. In another general embodiment, a scintillator optic includes: at least one metal halide doped with a plurality of activators, the plurality of activators comprising: a first activator comprising europium, and a second activator comprising ytterbium. In yet another general embodiment, a method for manufacturing a crystal suitable for use in a scintillator includes mixing one or more salts with a source of at least one dopant activator comprising ytterbium; heating the mixture above a melting point of the salt(s); and cooling the heated mixture to a temperature below the melting point of the salts. Additional materials, systems, and methods are presented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2014
    Publication date: December 11, 2014
    Applicants: FISK UNIVERSITY, Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
    Inventors: Stephen A. Payne, Nerine Cherepy, Christian Pedrini, Arnold Burger
  • Publication number: 20140291532
    Abstract: A composition of matter includes an organic molecule having a composition different than stilbene. The organic molecule is embodied as a crystal, and exhibits: an optical response signature for neutrons; an optical response signature for gamma rays, and performance comparable to or superior to stilbene in terms of distinguishing neutrons from gamma rays. The optical response signature for neutrons is different than the optical response signature for gamma rays.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
    Inventors: Stephen A. Payne, Wolfgang Stoeffl, Natalia P. Zaitseva, Nerine J. Cherepy, M. Leslie Carman
  • Patent number: 8835865
    Abstract: A mixed organic crystal according to one embodiment includes a single mixed crystal having two compounds with different bandgap energies, the organic crystal having a physical property of exhibiting a signal response signature for neutrons from a radioactive source, wherein the signal response signature does not include a significantly-delayed luminescence characteristic of neutrons interacting with the organic crystal relative to a luminescence characteristic of gamma rays interacting with the organic crystal. According to one embodiment, an organic crystal includes bibenzyl and stilbene or a stilbene derivative, the organic crystal having a physical property of exhibiting a signal response signature for neutrons from a radioactive source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC.
    Inventors: Natalia P. Zaitseva, M Leslie Carman, Andrew M. Glenn, Sebastien Hamel, Robert Hatarik, Stephen A. Payne, Wolfgang Stoeffl
  • Publication number: 20140201062
    Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide systems and methods for managing a loan application. In one embodiment, a method is disclosed that may include identifying one or more unfulfilled conditions associated with a loan application of a customer and sending, to a customer device, a request for a loan application document based on the identified one or more unfulfilled conditions. The method may also include receiving, from the customer device, a responsive loan application document. The method may also include identifying a document type for the responsive loan application document and confirming that the responsive loan application document is a valid document. Finally, the method may also include sending loan application status information to the customer device based on the confirmation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2013
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Applicant: CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mitchell H. Ruebush, Stephen Payne
  • Patent number: 8735843
    Abstract: A material according to one embodiment exhibits an optical response signature for neutrons that is different than an optical response signature for gamma rays, said material exhibiting performance comparable to or superior to stilbene in terms of distinguishing neutrons from gamma rays, wherein the material is not stilbene, the material comprising a molecule selected from a group consisting of: two or more benzene rings, one or more benzene rings with a carboxylic acid group, one or more benzene rings with at least one double bound adjacent to said benzene ring, and one or more benzene rings for which at least one atom in the benzene ring is not carbon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC.
    Inventors: Stephen A. Payne, Wolfgang Stoeffl, Natalia P. Zaitseva, Nerine J. Cherepy, M. Leslie Carman
  • Publication number: 20140027646
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a scintillator material includes a polymer matrix; and a primary dye in the polymer matrix, the primary dye being a fluorescent dye, the primary dye being present in an amount of 5 wt % or more; wherein the scintillator material exhibits an optical response signature for neutrons that is different than an optical response signature for gamma rays. In another embodiment, a scintillator material includes a polymer matrix; and a primary dye in the polymer matrix, the primary dye being a fluorescent dye, the primary dye being present in an amount greater than 10 wt %.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2012
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Applicant: LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL SECURITY, LLC
    Inventors: Natalia P. Zaitseva, M Leslie Carman, Nerine Cherepy, Andrew M. Glenn, Sebastien Hamel, Stephen A. Payne, Benjamin L. Rupert
  • Publication number: 20130299702
    Abstract: A scintillator material according to one embodiment includes a polymer matrix; a primary dye in the polymer matrix, the primary dye being a fluorescent dye, the primary dye being present in an amount of 3 wt % or more; and at least one component in the polymer matrix, the component being selected from a group consisting of B, Li, Gd, a B-containing compound, a Li-containing compound and a Gd-containing compound, wherein the scintillator material exhibits an optical response signature for thermal neutrons that is different than an optical response signature for fast neutrons and gamma rays. A system according to one embodiment includes a scintillator material as disclosed herein and a photodetector for detecting the response of the material to fast neutron, thermal neutron and gamma ray irradiation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2012
    Publication date: November 14, 2013
    Applicant: LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL SECURITY, LLC
    Inventors: Natalia P. Zaitseva, M Leslie Carman, Michelle A. Faust, Andrew M. Glenn, H. Paul Martinez, Iwona A. Pawelczak, Stephen A. Payne, Keith E. Lewis
  • Patent number: 8580149
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a material comprises a crystal comprising strontium iodide providing at least 50,000 photons per MeV. A scintillator radiation detector according to another embodiment includes a scintillator optic comprising europium-doped strontium iodide providing at least 50,000 photons per MeV. A scintillator radiation detector in yet another embodiment includes a scintillator optic comprising SrI2 and BaI2, wherein a ratio of SrI2 to BaI2 is in a range of between 0:1 A method for manufacturing a crystal suitable for use in a scintillator includes mixing strontium iodide-containing crystals with a source of Eu2+, heating the mixture above a melting point of the strontium iodide-containing crystals, and cooling the heated mixture near the seed crystal for growing a crystal. Additional materials, systems, and methods are presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignees: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC, Fisk University
    Inventors: Stephen A. Payne, Nerine J. Cherepy, Giulia E. Hull, Alexander D. Drobshoff, Arnold Burger
  • Patent number: 8461546
    Abstract: One embodiment includes a material exhibiting an optical response signature for neutrons that is different than an optical response signature for gamma rays, said material exhibiting performance comparable to or superior to stilbene in terms of distinguishing neutrons from gamma rays, wherein the material is not stilbene. Another embodiment includes a substantially pure crystal exhibiting an optical response signature for neutrons that is different than an optical response signature for gamma rays, the substantially pure crystal comprising a material selected from a group consisting of: 1-1-4-4-tetraphenyl-1-3-butadiene; 2-fluorobiphenyl-4-carboxylic acid; 4-biphenylcarboxylic acid; 9-10-diphenylanthracene; 9-phenylanthracene; 1-3-5-triphenylbenzene; m-terphenyl; bis-MSB; p-terphenyl; diphenylacetylene; 2-5-diphenyoxazole; 4-benzylbiphenyl; biphenyl; 4-methoxybiphenyl; n-phenylanthranilic acid; and 1-4-diphenyl-1-3-butadiene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
    Inventors: Stephen A. Payne, Wolfgang Stoeffl, Natalia P. Zaitseva, Nerine J. Cherepy, M. Leslie Carman
  • Patent number: 8461535
    Abstract: A transparent ceramic according to one embodiment includes a rare earth garnet comprising AhBiCjO12, where h is 3±10%, i is 2±10%, and j is 3±10%. A includes a rare earth element or a mixture of rare earth elements, B includes at least one of aluminum, gallium and scandium, and C includes at least one of aluminum, gallium and scandium, where A is at a dodecahedral site of the garnet, B is at an octahedral site of the garnet, and C is at a tetrahedral site of the garnet. In one embodiment, the rare earth garment has scintillation properties. A radiation detector in one embodiment includes a transparent ceramic as described above and a photo detector optically coupled to the rare earth garnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
    Inventors: Joshua D. Kuntz, Nerine J. Cherepy, Jeffery J. Roberts, Stephen A. Payne