Patents by Inventor Vi-Hoa Tran

Vi-Hoa Tran 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: 9798020
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for performing cathode calibration in a detector assembly. In one embodiment, a method comprises adjusting a cathode bias of a detector based on a total number of events occurring in the detector during a time period while maintaining an anode bias at a desired value, the events corresponding to photon energy detected by the detector. In this way, an automated cathode calibration procedure may be applied to calibrate the detector assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Chang Lyong Kim, William Todd Peterson, Vi-Hoa Tran, Sean Michael Bacon
  • Publication number: 20170052266
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for performing cathode calibration in a detector assembly. In one embodiment, a method comprises adjusting a cathode bias of a detector based on a total number of events occurring in the detector during a time period while maintaining an anode bias at a desired value, the events corresponding to photon energy detected by the detector. In this way, an automated cathode calibration procedure may be applied to calibrate the detector assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2015
    Publication date: February 23, 2017
    Inventors: Chang Lyong Kim, William Todd Peterson, Vi-Hoa Tran, Sean Michael Bacon
  • Patent number: 9271694
    Abstract: An imaging system includes a first silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) comprising an array of microcells. Each microcell is an avalanche photodiode (APD) operated in a Geiger mode, a first area of the first SiPM, comprising at least one of the microcells, is electrically isolated from all other microcells, and a signal from the first area, resulting from at least one photon pulse, is used to determine a gain of the first SiPM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Chang L. Kim, David L. McDaniel, Vi-Hoa Tran
  • Publication number: 20150168567
    Abstract: An imaging system includes a first silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) comprising an array of microcells. Each microcell is an avalanche photodiode (APD) operated in a Geiger mode, a first area of the first SiPM, comprising at least one of the microcells, is electrically isolated from all other microcells, and a signal from the first area, resulting from at least one photon pulse, is used to determine a gain of the first SiPM.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2013
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Chang L. Kim, David L. McDaniel, Vi-Hoa Tran
  • Patent number: 8907290
    Abstract: A method for gain calibration of a gamma ray detector includes measuring signals generated by one or more light sensors of a gamma ray detector, generating one or more derived curves using the measured signals as a function of bias voltage and identifying a transition point in the one or more derived curves. The method also includes determining a breakdown voltage of the one or more light sensors using the identified transition point and setting a bias of the one or more light sensors based on the determined breakdown voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Chang Lyong Kim, David Leo McDaniel, James Lindgren Malaney, William Todd Peterson, Vi-Hoa Tran, Ashwin Ashok Wagadarikar
  • Publication number: 20130327932
    Abstract: Methods and systems for gain calibration of a gamma ray detector are provided. One method includes measuring signals generated by one or more light sensors of a gamma ray detector, generating one or more derived curves using the measured signals as a function of bias voltage and identifying a transition point in the one or more derived curves. The method also includes determining a breakdown voltage of the one or more light sensors using the identified transition point and setting a bias of the one or more light sensors based on the determined breakdown voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2012
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Chang Lyong Kim, David Leo McDaniel, James Lindgren Malaney, William Todd Peterson, Vi-Hoa Tran, Ashwin Ashok Wagadarikar
  • Patent number: 7332722
    Abstract: A method for calibrating multi-headed high sensitivity and high spatial resolution dynamic imaging systems, especially those useful in the acquisition of tomographic images of small animals. The method of the present invention comprises: simultaneously calibrating two or more detectors to the same coordinate system; and functionally correcting for unwanted detector movement due to gantry flexing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: Jefferson Science Associates, LLC
    Inventors: Vi-Hoa Tran, Steven Richard Meikle, Mark Frederick Smith