Patents by Inventor Thomas J. Sands

Thomas J. Sands 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: 11970969
    Abstract: An exhaust device for a compressor bypass bleed system of a ducted fan engine includes a housing having an inlet end and an outlet end and defining a centerline axis from the inlet end to the outlet end, an inlet flow conditioner arranged at the inlet end, the inlet flow conditioner including a plurality of inlet openings for conducting a flow of compressed air therethrough into the housing, and an exit screen arranged at the outlet end of the housing. The exit screen includes a plurality of exit openings therethrough arranged at an acute angle with respect to the centerline axis so as to provide a flow of compressed air therethrough into a bypass flow passage at least partially in a same direction as a bypass airflow through the bypass flow passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Thomas L. Pugh, Mark E. Linz, Jarrod Paul Sands, John J. Rahaim
  • Patent number: 5079144
    Abstract: A test for microbial growth is carried out by culturing a microorgnism to be tested in a lliquid culture medium containing an enzymatically hydrolyzable fluorogenic substrate for a period of less than about 7 hours, measuring fluorescence of the culture medium resulting from hydrolysis of the fluorogenic substrate by growth of the microorganism, continuing culturing of the microorganism in the culture medium for an additional period, and measuring microorganism growth by a non-fluorescent method as a confirmatory test of growth determined from fluorescence. Preferably, the additional culture period is overnight and the non-fluorescent method is by visual inspection. The culture medium may be in the wall of a microtitre plate, and the culture medium can contain an antibiotic to test for sensitivity of a microorganism to the antibiotic or to test for minimum inhibitory concentration of the antibiotic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 7, 1992
    Assignee: Radiometer Corporate Development Ltd.
    Inventors: Anthony H. Carr, Robert A. Badley, Ian Jobling, Thomas J. Sands
  • Patent number: 5064756
    Abstract: A method of determining the susceptibility of microorganisms to an antimicrobial substance wherein the microorganisms are cultured in the presence of the antimicrobial substance, and growth or lack of growth is assessed by detecting a fluorescent product resulting from the enzymatic hydrolysis of a fluorogenic substrate. The fluorogenic substrates include 7-N-(aminoacyl)-7-amido-4-methylcoumarin, 7-N-(alanyl)-7-amido-4-methylcoumarin, or a combination of 7-N-(alanyl)-7-amido-4-methylcoumarin and 4-methyl umbelliferyl phosphate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 12, 1991
    Inventors: Anthony H. Carr, Robert A. Badley, Ian Jobling, Thomas J. Sands
  • Patent number: 4798788
    Abstract: A microbiological culture test process for detecting the presence of nitrate-reducing microorganisms in an inoculum sample, which comprises(a) culturing a microorganism to be tested in the presence of adequately nitrite-free nitrate, for a period sufficient to allow reduction of nitrate by any microorganism (if present) that has the capacity to reduce nitrate to nitrite, (e.g. 1-6 hours);(b) exposing the culture medium after culture to (diazotizing) acid conditions in the presence of an amino-containing fluorophor thereby to cause diazotization of the fluorophor to the extent of any nitrite present in the medium to form a diazonium derivative (or further reaction product thereof) which is substantially less fluorescent (or fluoresces at a substantially different wavelength) than said amino-containing fluorophor, and(c) assessing the fluorescence of the culture medium as treated by step (b), thereby to show a reduction in fluorescence in the presence of a nitrate-reducing microorganism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1989
    Inventor: Thomas J. Sands