Patents by Inventor Thomas A. Vaughan
Thomas A. Vaughan 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).
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Publication number: 20120279681Abstract: A district energy sharing system (DESS) comprises a thermal energy circuit which circulates and stores thermal energy in water, at least one client building thermally coupled to the circuit and which removes some thermal energy from the circuit (“thermal sink”) and/or deposits some thermal energy into the circuit (“thermal source”), and at least one thermal server plant that can be thermally coupled to external thermal sources and/or sinks (e.g. a geothermal ground source) and whose function is to maintain thermal balance within the DESS.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 16, 2010Publication date: November 8, 2012Applicant: DEC Design Mechanical Consultants Ltd.Inventors: William Thomas Vaughan, Erik Dean Lindquist
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Patent number: 8299681Abstract: Apparatus and method that includes providing a variable-parameter electrical component in a high-field environment and based on an electrical signal, automatically moving a movable portion of the electrical component in relation to another portion of the electrical component to vary at least one of its parameters. In some embodiments, the moving uses a mechanical movement device (e.g., a linear positioner, rotary motor, or pump). In some embodiments of the method, the electrical component has a variable inductance, capacitance, and/or resistance. Some embodiments include using a computer that controls the moving of the movable portion of the electrical component in order to vary an electrical parameter of the electrical component. Some embodiments include using a feedback signal to provide feedback control in order to adjust and/or maintain the electrical parameter.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2010Date of Patent: October 30, 2012Assignee: Life Services, LLCInventors: Carl J. Snyder, John Thomas Vaughan, Jr., Charles A. Lemaire
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Publication number: 20120242550Abstract: Apparatus and method that includes providing a variable-parameter electrical component in a high-field environment and based on an electrical signal, automatically moving a movable portion of the electrical component in relation to another portion of the electrical component to vary at least one of its parameters. In some embodiments, the moving uses a mechanical movement device (e.g., a linear positioner, rotary motor, or pump). In some embodiments of the method, the electrical component has a variable inductance, capacitance, and/or resistance. Some embodiments include using a computer that controls the moving of the movable portion of the electrical component in order to vary an electrical parameter of the electrical component. Some embodiments include using a feedback signal to provide feedback control in order to adjust and/or maintain the electrical parameter.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 8, 2010Publication date: September 27, 2012Inventors: Carl J. Snyder, John Thomas Vaughan, JR., Charles A. Lemaire
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Publication number: 20120223709Abstract: Apparatus and method that are more efficient and flexible, and obtain and connect high-power RF transmit signals (TX) to RF-coil devices in an MR machine or other devices and simultaneously receive signals (RX) and separate net receive signals NRX) of interest by subtracting or filtering to remove the subtractable portion of the transmit signal (STX) from the RX and preamplifying the NRX and signal processing the preamplified NRX. In some embodiments, signal processing further removes artifacts of the transmitted signal, e.g., by digitizing the NRX signal, storing the digitized NRX signal in a memory, and performing digital signal processing. In some embodiments, the present invention also includes pre-distorting the TX signals in order to be better able to identify and/or remove the remaining artifacts of the transmitted signal from the NRX signal. This solution also applies to other high-power RF-transmit-antennae signals.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2012Publication date: September 6, 2012Inventors: Scott M. Schillak, John Thomas Vaughan, JR., Charles A. Lemaire, Matthew T. Waks
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Patent number: 8217653Abstract: An RF coil system for magnetic resonance applications includes a multi-channel RF coil transceiver and a multi-channel RF coil. The RF coil system is structured for reconfiguration between a plurality of operational modes.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 2009Date of Patent: July 10, 2012Assignee: Regents of the University of MinnesotaInventor: J. Thomas Vaughan
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Patent number: 8193809Abstract: In one illustrative embodiment, a radio frequency (RF) coil is disclosed. The RF coil may include a plurality of transmission line elements, wherein at least one of the plurality of transmission line elements may have at least one dimension different than a dimension of another one of the plurality of transmission line elements. In some cases, each of the transmission line elements may include a signal line conductor and a ground plane conductor separated by a dielectric.Type: GrantFiled: May 2, 2008Date of Patent: June 5, 2012Assignee: Regents of the University of MinnesotaInventors: Can E. Akgun, Carl Snyder, Lance DelaBarre, Steen Moeller, Pierre-Francois Van de Moortele, John Thomas Vaughan, Kamil Ugurbil
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Patent number: 8170908Abstract: Apparatus and method for optimizing different amounts of output products derived from an initial biomass material. The method includes obtaining economic data of costs and availability of raw materials and resources, and prices that would be paid for output products derived, performing calculations to determine an optimum amount of each of the output products; and controlling processes that generate the output products. In some embodiments, the processes convert initial biomass materials into intermediate and output products, an economic engine that obtains economic data relating to costs of initial materials and prices that would be paid for output products derived from the raw materials, and performs calculations to determine an optimum amount of each of the output products, and valves that are controlled by the economic engine to route variable amounts of the initial biomass materials to the processes to obtain a mix of output products that provides an optimum profit.Type: GrantFiled: August 10, 2007Date of Patent: May 1, 2012Inventors: John Thomas Vaughan, Jr., William Charles Neely, Bruce J. Rader
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Publication number: 20120062230Abstract: Apparatus and method that includes amplifiers for transceiver antenna elements, and more specifically to power amplifying an RF (radio frequency) signal using a distributed power amplifier having electronic devices (such as field-effect transistors) that are thermally and/or mechanically connected to each one of a plurality of antenna elements (also called coil elements) to form a hybrid coil-amplifier (e.g., for use in a magnetic-resonance (MR) imaging or spectroscopy machine), and that is optionally adjusted from a remote location, optionally including remotely adjusting its gains, electrical resistances, inductances, and/or capacitances (which controls the magnitude, phase, frequency, spatial profile, and temporal profile of the RF signal)—and, in some embodiments, the components are compatible with, and function in, high fields (such as a magnetic field of up to and exceeding one tesla or even ten tesla or more and/or an electric field of many thousands of volts per meter).Type: ApplicationFiled: September 9, 2010Publication date: March 15, 2012Inventors: John Thomas Vaughan, JR., Charles A. Lemaire
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Publication number: 20120032678Abstract: A progressive series of five new coils is described. The first coil solves problems of transmit-field inefficiency and inhomogeneity for heart and body imaging, with a close-fitting, 16-channel TEM conformal array design with efficient shield-capacitance decoupling. The second coil progresses directly from the first with automatic tuning and matching, an innovation of huge importance for multi-channel transmit coils. The third coil combines the second, auto-tuned multi-channel transmitter with a 32-channel receiver for best transmit-efficiency, control, receive-sensitivity and parallel-imaging performance. The final two coils extend the innovative technology of the first three coils to multi-nuclear (31P-1H) designs to make practical human-cardiac imaging and spectroscopy possible for the first time at 7 T.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 5, 2011Publication date: February 9, 2012Inventors: John Thomas Vaughan, JR., Charles A. Lemaire
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Patent number: 8099458Abstract: A workgroup application with contextual clues. The workgroup application allows any one of multiple participants to provide input, such as commands to edit a document or speech. The effects of the input are presented to other participants in a workgroup session in conjunction with a participant indicator. As one example, each participant may control a cursor that is displayed on the display screens of workstations in a network hosting a workgroup application. Each cursor may be displayed in conjunction with a participant icon that follows the cursor on the display screens. Contextual clues may also be provided by modulating visual properties of the participant icons in response to activity level.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 2005Date of Patent: January 17, 2012Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: E. Russell Burtner, IV, Thomas Vaughan Gruver, Edward W. Yip
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Publication number: 20110312499Abstract: An RF coil adjacent an imaging region includes a plurality of conducting coil elements, with each conducting coil element including a proximal portion and a distal portion. The RF coil also includes a capacitance between the distal portions of the at least two conducting coil elements. A mutual coupling inductance between at least two conducting coil elements of the plurality of conducting coil elements is substantially cancelled by the capacitance between the distal portions of the at least two conducting coil elements.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 15, 2009Publication date: December 22, 2011Applicant: REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITIY OF MINNESOTAInventors: J. Thomas Vaughan, Jinfeng Tian
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Patent number: 7893693Abstract: An apparatus comprises a radio frequency magnetic field unit to generate a desired magnetic field. In one embodiment, the radio frequency magnetic field unit includes a first aperture that is substantially unobstructed and a second aperture contiguous to the first aperture. In an alternative embodiment, the radio frequency magnetic field unit includes a first side aperture, a second side aperture and one or more end apertures. In one embodiment of a method, a current element is removed from a radio frequency magnetic field unit to form a magnetic field unit having an aperture. In an alternative embodiment, two current elements located opposite from one another in a radio frequency magnetic field unit are removed to form a magnetic filed unit having a first side aperture and a second side aperture.Type: GrantFiled: May 1, 2006Date of Patent: February 22, 2011Assignee: Regents of the University of MinnesotaInventors: J. Thomas Vaughan, Gregor Adriany, Kamil Ugurbil
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Patent number: 7800368Abstract: A magnetic resonance system is disclosed. The system includes a transceiver having a multichannel receiver and a multichannel transmitter, where each channel of the transmitter is configured for independent selection of frequency, phase, time, space, and magnitude, and each channel of the receiver is configured for independent selection of space, time, frequency, phase and gain. The system also includes a magnetic resonance coil having a plurality of current elements, with each element coupled in one to one relation with a channel of the receiver and a channel of the transmitter. The system further includes a processor coupled to the transceiver, such that the processor is configured to execute instructions to control a current in each element and to perform a non-linear algorithm to shim the coil.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 2007Date of Patent: September 21, 2010Assignee: Regents of the University of MinnesotaInventors: J. Thomas Vaughan, Pierre-Francois Van de Moortele, Lance DelaBarre, Christopher C. Olson, Heather Orser, Anand Gopinath, Kamil Ugurbil, Carl Snyder, Gregor Adiany, Can E. Akgun, Jinfeng Tian, John Strupp, Peter M. Andersen, Xiaoping Wu
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Patent number: 7710117Abstract: A current unit having two or more current paths allows control of magnitude, phase, time, frequency and position of each of element in a radio frequency coil. For each current element, the current can be adjusted as to a phase angle, frequency and magnitude. Multiple current paths of a current unit can be used for targeting multiple spatial domains or strategic combinations of the fields generated/detected by combination of elements for targeting a single domain in magnitude, phase, time, space and frequency.Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 2007Date of Patent: May 4, 2010Assignee: Regents of the University of MinnesotaInventors: J. Thomas Vaughan, Gregor Adriany, Carl Snyder, Can E. Akgun, Jinfeng Tian, Kamil Ugurbil, Pierre-Francois Van de Moortele, Steen Moeller
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Patent number: 7659719Abstract: An magnetic resonance apparatus in embodiments of the invention may include one or more of the following features: (a) a coil having at least two sections, (b) the at least two sections having a resonant circuit, (c) the at least two sections being reactively coupled or decoupled, (d) the at least two sections being separable, (e) the coil having openings allowing a subject to see or hear and to be accessed through the coil, (f) a cushioned head restraint, and (g) a subject input/output device providing visual data to the subject, the input/output device being selected from the group consisting of mirrors, prisms, video monitors, LCD devices, and optical motion trackers.Type: GrantFiled: November 24, 2006Date of Patent: February 9, 2010Assignee: MR Instruments, Inc.Inventors: John Thomas Vaughan, Mark A Watson, Kenneth M Bradshaw, Matthew T Waks, Joshua J Holwell
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Patent number: 7633293Abstract: Technology for controlling non-uniformity in the B1 field includes selecting the phase, magnitude, frequency, time, or spatial relationship among various elements of a multi-channel excitation coil in order to control the radio frequency (RF) power emanating from the coil antenna elements. Non-uniformity can be used to steer a constructively interfering B1 field node to spatially correlate with an anatomic region of interest. A convex (quadratically constrained quadratic problem) formulation of the B1 localization problem can be used to select parameters for exciting the coil. Localization can be used in simulated Finite Difference Time Domain B1 field human head distributions and human head phantom measurement.Type: GrantFiled: May 3, 2007Date of Patent: December 15, 2009Assignee: Regents of the University of MinnesotaInventors: Christopher C. Olson, J. Thomas Vaughan, Anand Gopinath
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Patent number: 7598739Abstract: A plurality of linear current elements are configured about a specimen to be imaged. A current in each current element is controlled independent of a current in other current elements to select a gradient and to provide radio frequency shimming. Each current element is driven by a separate channel of a transmitter and connected to a separate channel of a multi-channel receiver. The impedance, and therefore, the current, in each current element is controlled mechanically or electrically.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2003Date of Patent: October 6, 2009Assignee: Regents of the University of MinnesotaInventors: John Thomas Vaughan, Jr., Kamil Ugurbil, Gregor Adriany
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Publication number: 20090237077Abstract: An RF coil system for magnetic resonance applications includes a multi-channel RF coil transceiver and a multi-channel RF coil. The RF coil system is structured for reconfiguration between a plurality of operational modes.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 20, 2009Publication date: September 24, 2009Applicant: REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTAInventor: J. Thomas Vaughan
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Publication number: 20090133205Abstract: A back scrubbing device for mounting on a wall which includes a base, a platform, a hinged frame and a latching means for securing a scrubbing material on the platform within the frame. The device consists of a layered base and a hinged frame. A platform is attached to the external surface of the base. Within the hinged frame are frame elements which are generally centered over the platform. Along one edge of the hinged frame are hinges which connect the hinged frame to the base. Along the opposite edge is a securing mechanism, preferably a latch.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 29, 2008Publication date: May 28, 2009Inventors: Thomas A. VAUGHAN, Robert W. Strauch, SR., Marie A. Strauch
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Publication number: 20090115417Abstract: In one illustrative embodiment, a radio frequency (RF) coil is disclosed. The RF coil may include a plurality of transmission line elements, wherein at least one of the plurality of transmission line elements may have at least one dimension different than a dimension of another one of the plurality of transmission line elements. In some cases, each of the transmission line elements may include a signal line conductor and a ground plane conductor separated by a dielectric.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 2, 2008Publication date: May 7, 2009Applicant: Regents of the University of MinnesotaInventors: Can E. Akgun, Carl Snyder, Lance DelaBarre, Steen Moeller, Pierre-Francois Van de Moortele, John Thomas Vaughan, Kamil Ugurbil