Atomic force microscope system using selective active damping
Granted: July 1, 2014
Patent Number:
8769710
An atomic force microscope (AFM) system comprises a cantilever arm attached to a probe tip. The system controls a height of the cantilever arm to press the probe tip against a sample and then separate the probe tip from the sample, to detect a disturbance of the cantilever arm after the separation of the probe tip from the surface, and to engage active damping of the cantilever arm to suppress the disturbance.
MRI short coils
Granted: July 1, 2014
Patent Number:
8766636
According to one aspect, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner includes a short birdcage (e.g. millipede) distributed-capacitance radio-frequency (RF) coil formed from one or more patterned planar conductive foils. The transverse extent (e.g. diameter) of the coil is at least a factor of 3, for example about a factor of 10, larger than the longitudinal (z-axis) extent of the coil. Flux-return gaps may be provided between the sample measurement volume defined by the coil and RF…
Drift stabilization of magnetically tunable filter by temperature regulation and mechanical isolation of elctromagnet coil
Granted: June 24, 2014
Patent Number:
8760236
An electromagnet structure comprises a magnetic shell having a cavity, a magnetic pole located within the cavity and having a magnetic gap for focusing a magnetic field on a magnetically tunable filter, a conductive coil located within the cavity of the magnetic shell and forming multiple turns around the magnetic pole, and a heater located within the cavity of the magnetic shell and configured to maintain the conductive coil at a substantially constant temperature when the magnetically…
Fitting coupler for planar fluid conduit
Granted: June 24, 2014
Patent Number:
8758609
A fitting coupler is provided configured for coupling a planar fluid conduit and a fluidic device. The fluidic device comprises a cavity, a device conduit, and a mouth where the device conduit opens into the cavity. A contact pressure element is configured for sealingly pressing the planar fluid conduit to the mouth, so that a conduit opening of the planar fluid conduit opens into the mouth.
PCI-E compatible chassis having multi-host capability
Granted: June 17, 2014
Patent Number:
8756360
A peripheral component interconnect express (PCI-E) compatible chassis comprises a plurality of peripheral slots each configured to receive a peripheral module, a system slot configured to receive a first upstream host to control at least one of the peripheral modules and a reconfigurable switch fabric configured to allow at least one of the peripheral modules to receive a second upstream host to control other peripheral modules independent of the first upstream host.
System for characterizing mixer or converter response
Granted: June 3, 2014
Patent Number:
8744370
A network analyzer comprises: a signal source configured to supply an input signal to a device, wherein the device is configured to generate a phase reference signal; a receiver configured to receive the phase reference signal from the device and to measure a phase response of the device according to the phase reference signal; and a calibration component configured to compare the measured phase response of the device with an actual phase response of the device to identify a tracking…
Calibrating an optical downconverter
Granted: June 3, 2014
Patent Number:
8744277
An apparatus calibrates an optical downconverter configured to receive an optical input signal at a signal input and an optical reference signal at a reference input, and to provide at multiple output nodes characterizing signals for characterizing the optical input signal. The downconverter includes receivers having corresponding optical inputs and respectively providing the characterizing signals at the output nodes, and multiple optical signal paths connected between one of the signal…
Three-frequency phase digitizing system and method of three-phase digitizing an interferometer signal using the same
Granted: June 3, 2014
Patent Number:
8742960
A phase digitizing system includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), multiple phase accumulators and a processing device. The ADC generates sample segments of digital signal waveform samples based on an analog composite input signal received in a measurement channel, the composite input signal includes a first signal having a first frequency F1 and a second signal imported from a reference channel having a second frequency F2. The processing device is coupled to the phase…
Plasma generation device with split-ring resonator and electrode extensions
Granted: May 27, 2014
Patent Number:
8736174
A plasma generation device includes: a substrate having a first surface and a second surface; a stripline resonant ring disposed on the first surface of the substrate, and defining a discharge gap; a pair of electrode extensions connected to the stripline resonant ring at the discharge gap; a ground plane disposed on the second surface of the substrate; a gas flow element configured to flow gas between at least one of: (1) the discharge gap, and (2) the pair of electrode extensions; and…
Reducing metastability in analog to digital conversion
Granted: May 27, 2014
Patent Number:
8736479
A system for performing analog-to-digital conversion comprises a sampling unit that generates multiple digital samples from an analog input signal at each recurrence of a periodic interval, and a processing unit that combines the digital samples to produce a digital output signal. In certain embodiments, the sampling unit comprises multiple analog-to-digital converters arranged in parallel, and the processing unit comprises a digital signal processor that detects outliers in the digital…
System and method for feature alignment
Granted: May 20, 2014
Patent Number:
8728309
In a system and method for feature alignment in chromatographic systems, the system runs a first sample through a first separation column. The system determines a first set of features for the first sample run. The system runs a second sample through a second separation column and detects a second set of features for the second sample run. The system estimates a systematic shift in features between the first sample run through the first separation column and the second sample run through…
Transient level data acquisition and peak correction for time-of-flight mass spectrometry
Granted: May 13, 2014
Patent Number:
8723108
Methods, apparatus and systems for acquiring spectrometric data from analyte ions implement transient-level data acquisition and peak correction in a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Transient spectra including analyte peaks and reference mass peaks are recorded, from which a set of averaged peak centroids of the reference masses is generated. The peaks of reference masses in each transient spectrum are compared to the averaged peak centroids. From this comparison, an appropriate…
Downconversion of comb spectrum
Granted: May 6, 2014
Patent Number:
8718590
A downconverter mixes a first comb spectrum with a local oscillator signal to generate a second comb spectrum in a lower frequency range. The first comb spectrum comprises frequency components separated from each other according to a frequency spacing interval, and the LO signal has a frequency offset relative to the first comb spectrum, where the frequency offset is a rational fraction of the frequency spacing interval. The second comb spectrum comprises lower and upper sideband…
Drifting two-dimensional separation with adaption of second dimension gradient to actual first dimension condition
Granted: May 6, 2014
Patent Number:
8716025
A control device for a sample separation apparatus, the sample separation apparatus including a first separation unit and a second separation unit downstream of the first separation unit and supplied with the fluidic sample after treatment by the first separation unit. A control device is configured for controlling the first separation unit to execute a primary separation sequence within a time interval for separating the fluidic sample into fractions, and for controlling the second…
Restricted line of sight design for inlet liner
Granted: May 6, 2014
Patent Number:
8713989
An inlet liner is provided for use in an inlet assembly of a chromatograph system. The inlet liner has an elongate tube that extends along a longitudinal axis and defines a bore that extends along the longitudinal axis and has an inner bore surface. At least one projection extends from the inner bore surface into the bore. Chromatograph systems are provided including the exemplary inlet liner(s). Methods are also provided for analyzing a sample containing a matrix in a chromatograph…
Phase noise extraction apparatus and technique
Granted: April 29, 2014
Patent Number:
8711992
A phase noise extraction apparatus and technique that extracts phase noise induced by a component of a transmitter from a radio frequency (RF) signal and attenuates noise induced from other sources. The RF signal is digitized, modulation is removed, and the carrier is suppressed to provide a noise signal including the phase noise and the noise induced from the other sources. A complementary autocorrelation operation is applied to the noise signal to attenuate the noise from the other…
Method for modeling a device and generating test for that device
Granted: April 22, 2014
Patent Number:
8707113
A method for operating a data processing system to generate a test for a device under test (DUT) is disclosed. The method utilizes a model of the DUT that includes a plurality of blocks connected by wires and a set of control inputs. Each block includes a plurality of ports, each port being either active or inactive. Each block is also characterized by a set of constraints that limit which ports are active. The active ports of at least one of the blocks are constrained by one of the…
Polar-modified bonded phase materials for chromatographic separations
Granted: April 22, 2014
Patent Number:
8702988
Novel compositions are disclosed for use as a stationary phase in chromatography comprising an inorganic substrate that is modified with at least one silane having the formula R1?-Q?-(CH2)?SiR2?X3-?. In a preferred embodiment, the inorganic substrate is silica gel and is modified with at least two silanes. Methods of preparation and use in chromatographic applications are disclosed. The novel compositions provide superior chromatographic performance, reduced silanol activity, enhanced…
Chromatography cartridge and method for manufacturing a chromatography cartridge
Granted: April 15, 2014
Patent Number:
8696910
A chromatography cartridge and method of manufacturing same. A chromatography cartridge of the present invention can include a tubular housing having an open end and an inner surface, and a plug. The plug can be positioned within the open end of the tubular housing and can have an outer circumferential surface, a substantial portion of the outer circumferential surface being fused to the inner surface of the tubular housing. A method for manufacturing a chromatography cartridge can…
Frequency generator including direct digital synthesizer and signal processor including the same
Granted: April 15, 2014
Patent Number:
8699985
A signal processor includes a frequency generator that employs a direct digital synthesizer (DDS) to generate a first local oscillator (LO) signal with a variable first LO frequency. The signal processor also includes an oscillator generating a second LO signal having a second LO frequency. The DDS employs programmable frequency control word and a sampling clock signal having a variable sampling clock frequency that is derived from the second LO frequency, to generate a DDS output signal…
