Patents and Patent Applications from California Institute of Technology


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US20120131409 RATE-COMPATIBLE PROTOGRAPH LDPC CODE FAMILIES WITH LINEAR MINIMUM DISTANCE  
Digital communication coding methods are shown, which generate certain types of low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes built from protographs. A first method creates protographs having the linear...
US20120130569 SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SEA STATE PREDICTION AND AUTOMATED VESSEL NAVIGATION  
Systems and methods for sea state prediction and autonomous navigation in accordance with embodiments of the invention are disclosed. One embodiment of the invention includes a method of predicting...
US20120129719 Mechanically induced trapping of molecular interactions  
The invention provides devices and methods for surface patterning the substrate of a microfluidic device, and for detection and analysis of interactions between molecules by mechanically trapping a...
8183174 IR-doped ruthenium oxide catalyst for oxygen evolution  
A method for preparing a metal-doped ruthenium oxide material by heating a mixture of a doping metal and a source of ruthenium under an inert atmosphere. In some embodiments, the doping metal is in...
US20120123133 ORGANOMETALLIC RUTHENIUM COMPLEXES AND RELATED METHODS FOR THE PREPARATION OF TETRA-SUBSTITUTED AND OTHER HINDERED OLEFINS  
The invention relates to ruthenium alkylidene complexes having an N-heterocyclic carbene ligand comprising a 5-membered heterocyclic ring having a carbenic carbon atom and at least one nitrogen...
US20120120398 MICRO-CAVITY GAS AND VAPOR SENSORS AND DETECTION METHODS  
Micro-cavity gas or vapor sensors and gas or vapor detection methods. Optical energy is introduced into a resonant micro-cavity having a deformable coating such as a polymer. The coating swells or...
8179135 Low field electron paramagnetic resonance imaging with SQUID detection  
In one embodiment, a flux transformer with a gradiometer pickup coil is magnetically coupled to a SQUID, and a SQUID array amplifier comprising a plurality of SQUIDs, connected in series, is...
8178347 Gene regulatory networks and methods of interdiction for controlling the differentiation state of a cell  
The invention provides a method of modulating a regulatory state of a cell. The method consists of: (a) identifying a point of interdiction within a cis regulatory network specifying a genetic...
US20120117528 SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CIRCUIT LIFETIME EVALUATION  
Systems and methods for estimating the lifetime of an electrical system in accordance with embodiments of the invention are disclosed. One embodiment of the invention includes iteratively...
8175126 Arbitrary optical waveform generation utilizing optical phase-locked loops  
This invention relates to opto-electronic systems using semiconductor lasers driven by optical phase-locked loops that control the laser's optical phase and frequency. Feedback control provides a...
8174014 Apparatus and method of manufacture for depositing a composite anti-reflection layer on a silicon surface  
An apparatus and associated method are provided. A first silicon layer having at least one of an associated passivation layer and barrier is included. Also included is a composite anti-reflection...
8173359 Methods and apparatus and assays of bacterial spores  
A sample of unknown bacterial spores is added to a test strip. The sample of unknown bacterial spores is drawn to a first sample region on the test strip by capillary action. Species-specific...
8173001 Method and apparatus for analysis and sorting of polynucleotides based on size  
The invention relates to a microfabricated device and methods of using the device for analyzing and sorting polynucleotide molecules by size.
US20120107177 CLICK CHEMISTRY SURFACE FUNCTIONALIZATION FOR RESONANT MICRO-CAVITY SENSORS  
Micro-cavity resonant sensors have outer surfaces that are functionalized using click chemistry, e.g., involving a cycloaddition reaction of an alkyne functional group and an azide functional...
US20120105182 INTEGRATED 3-DIMENSIONAL ELECTROMAGNETIC ELEMENT ARRAYS  
Systems and methods for constructing integrated three dimensional electromagnetic element arrays using a bulk resonator are illustrated. In several embodiments, the integrated three dimensional...
US20120103478 HIGH ASPECT RATIO PARTS OF BULK METALLIC GLASS AND METHODS OF MANUFACTURING THEREOF  
Bulk metallic articles having a high-aspect ratio that are formed of bulk metallic glass, that are net-shaped and that are produced under process conditions that maximize the quality and integrity...
8170316 Tomographic imaging with a stripe-like shaped sensor  
Tomographic imaging using an imaging sensor that has a stripe-like shape is disclosed where a stripe sensor is mechanically scanned over a sample at different angles. For a single stripe detector...
8169621 3-dimensional imaging by acoustic warping and defocusing  
The present invention relates to a system for three-dimensional (3-D) acoustic imaging of a scattering structure using information from a two-dimensional (2-D) image. The system uses a...
8167961 Thermochemical synthesis of fuels for storing thermal energy  
The present invention provides a method for storing thermal energy, such as solar energy, as a fuel, by heating a reactive oxide substrate to a first temperature, such that the reactive oxide...
US20120098950 SCANNING PROJECTIVE LENSLESS MICROSCOPE SYSTEM  
A scanning projective lensless microscope device comprises a specimen surface, a scanning illumination source with a light element, a light detector outside the specimen surface, and a processor....
US20120098645 REMOTELY POWERED RECONFIGURABLE RECEIVER FOR EXTREME SENSING PLATFORMS  
Unmanned space programs are currently used to enable scientists to explore and research the furthest reaches of outer space. Systems and methods for low power communication devices in accordance...
US20120098594 DISPERSION-ENGINEERED TRAVELING WAVE KINETIC INDUCTANCE PARAMETRIC AMPLIFIER  
A traveling wave kinetic inductance parametric amplifier comprises a superconducting transmission line and a dispersion control element. The transmission line can include periodic variations of its...
US20120098162 RAPID HOT PRESSING USING AN INDUCTIVE HEATER  
A rapid hot press (RHP) method and system in which heat is supplied by RF induction to rapidly consolidate a material is described. Use of RF induction heating enables rapid heating and...
US20120097906 HEAVILY DOPED PbSe WITH HIGH THERMOELECTRIC PERFORMANCE  
The present invention discloses heavily doped PbSe with high thermoelectric performance. Thermoelectric property measurements disclosed herein indicated that PbSe is high zT material for...
8164816 Stabilizing optical resonators  
Techniques and devices that stabilize optical resonators.
8164663 Analog bus driver and multiplexer  
For a source-follower signal chain, the ohmic drop in the selection switch causes unacceptable voltage offset, non-linearity, and reduced small signal gain. For an op amp signal chain, the required...
US20120096234 INFORMATION REPRESENTATION AND CODING FOR NONVOLATILE MEMORIES  
A memory device having a plurality of cells, each of which stores a value, where the values of the cells are mapped to discrete levels and the discrete levels represent data, is programmed by...
US20120091858 PARYLENE-C AS A PIEZOELECTRIC MATERIAL AND METHOD TO MAKE IT  
A parylene C polymer that is electrically poled such that it is piezoelectric is presented. Methods for manufacturing the piezoelectric parylene C polymer with an optimal piezoelectric coefficient...
US20120091404 ZINTL PHASES FOR THERMOELECTRIC APPLICATIONS  
The inventors demonstrate herein that various Zintl compounds can be useful as thermoelectric materials for a variety of applications. Specifically, the utility of Ca3AlSb3, Ca5Al2Sb6, Ca5In2Sb6,...
US20120091374 MICROFABRICATED ELASTOMERIC VALVE AND PUMP SYSTEMS  
A method of fabricating an elastomeric structure, comprising: forming a first elastomeric layer on top of a first micromachined mold, the first micromachined mold having a first raised protrusion...
US20120091235 HANDHELD LOW PRESSURE MECHANICAL CELL LYSIS DEVICE WITH SINGLE CELL RESOLUTION  
Apparatus and methods for mechanical cell lysis with single cell resolution which requires very low applied pressure. The device can be handheld, simple to operate, requires no external power...
US20120090656 SELF-TUNING OF CARRIER CONCENTRATION FOR HIGH THERMOELECTRIC PERFORMANCE  
The inventors demonstrate herein that homogeneous Ag-doped PbTe/Ag2Te composites exhibit high thermoelectric performance (˜50% over La-doped composites) associated with an inherent temperature ...
8158595 Modular aptamer-regulated ribozymes  
An extensible RNA-based framework for engineering ligand-controlled gene regulatory systems, called ribozyme switches, that exhibit tunable regulation, design modularity, and target specificity is...
8150356 Split analog/digital polynomial nonlinear term generator with reduced number of analog-to-digital converters  
A polynomial nonlinear term generator is configured to receive an RF signal. An analog cubic term generator generates an analog cubic term signal and an analog square term generator generates an...
US20120077692 MULTIPLEX Q-PCR ARRAYS  
This invention provides methods and systems for measuring the concentration of multiple nucleic acid sequences in a sample. The nucleic acid sequences in the sample are simultaneously amplified,...
US20120077228 OVEREXPRESSION OF AMINOACYL-tRNA SYNTHETASES FOR EFFICIENT PRODUCTION OF ENGINEERED PROTEINS CONTAINING AMINO ACID ANALOGUES  
Methods for producing modified polypeptides containing amino acid analogues are disclosed. The invention further provides purified dihydrofolate reductase polypeptides, produced by the methods of...
US20120077052 MULTILAYERED CELLULAR METALLIC GLASS STRUCTURES  
Multi-layered cellular metallic glass structures and methods of preparing the same are provided. In one embodiment, the cellular metallic glass structure includes at least one patterned metallic...
US20120073710 TOUGH IRON-BASED BULK METALLIC GLASS ALLOYS  
A family of iron-based, phosphor-containing bulk metallic glasses having excellent processability and toughness, methods for forming such alloys, and processes for manufacturing articles therefrom...
8144052 Multi-pixel high-resolution three-dimensional imaging radar  
A three-dimensional imaging radar operating at high frequency e.g., 670 GHz radar using low phase-noise synthesizers and a fast chirper to generate a frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW)...
8143788 Compact high current rare-earth emitter hollow cathode for hall effect thrusters  
An apparatus and method for achieving an efficient central cathode in a Hall effect thruster is disclosed. A hollow insert disposed inside the end of a hollow conductive cathode comprises a...
8141573 Microfluidic valve having free-floating member and method of fabrication  
Micro check valves having a free-floating member for controlling flow of fluid in microfluidic and biomedical applications and methods of fabrication. A micro check valve includes a valve seat, a...
US20120070817 ACOUSTIC-ASSISTED ITERATIVE WAVE FORM OPTIMIZATION FOR DEEP TISSUE FOCUSING  
A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for irradiating one or more targets within a sample with electromagnetic (EM) radiation. One or more targets within the sample are controllably...
US20120070462 Targeted Gene Delivery to Dendritic Cells  
Methods and compositions are provided for delivery of a polynucleotide encoding a gene of interest, typically an antigen, to a dendritic cell (DC). The virus envelope comprises a DC-SIGN specific...
US20120070071 SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR AUTOMATED WATER DETECTION USING VISIBLE SENSORS  
Systems and methods are disclosed that include automated machine vision that can utilize images of scenes captured by a 3D imaging system configured to image light within the visible light spectrum...
US20120067551 THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE USING SUPERCRITICAL FLUIDS  
A thermal energy storage system is described employing latent heat storage of a supercritical fluid instead of typical phase change materials. Two fundamental thermodynamic concepts are invoked....
8139650 Fast noise reduction in digital images and video  
Presented are embodiments for nonlocal mean filtering that provide a robust and efficient method for reducing noise in digital images and video frames. These embodiments build on a separable...
8137626 Fluorescence detector, filter device and related methods  
Microfluidic assay detectors and microfluidic assay detection methods are disclosed. A microfluidic chip is coupled to a light emitting device, emission filters and excitation filters. Excited...
US20120065883 GPS/INS SENSOR FUSION USING GPS WIND UP MODEL  
A method of stabilizing an inertial navigation system (INS), includes the steps of: receiving data from an inertial navigation system; and receiving a finite number of carrier phase observables...
US20120065277 MICROFLUIDIC CHEMOSTAT  
A chemostat is described that includes a growth chamber having a plurality of compartments. Each of the compartments may be fluidly isolated from the rest of the growth chamber by one or more...
US20120065245 REGULATION OF HEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELL FUNCTIONS THROUGH MICRORNAS  
The present disclosure relates to regulation of functions of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) by delivering of miRNAs, including miR-125b, miR-126, and miR-155, to HSCs. For example, in some...