A drill bit having a bit body, at least one blade extending radially from the bit body, a plurality of blade cutting elements disposed on each blade, at least one journal extending downwardly and radially outward from a longitudinal axis of the drill bit, a roller cone or roller disc mounted rotatably to each journal, and a plurality of cutting elements disposed on each roller cone or roller disc, and methods for making the drill bit are disclosed.

A cutting element for a drill bit includes an outer support element and an inner rotatable cutting element, a portion of which is disposed in the outer support element, where the inner rotatable cutting element has a body with a non-planar cutting face.

A spacer fluid comprises a fluid and a viscosity agent. The viscosity agent is a mixture of at least two polyvinylalcohol compositions. A first polyvinylalcohol composition comprises polyvinylalcohols having a first degree of hydrolysis and a second polyvinylalcohol composition comprises polyvinylalcohols having a second degree of hydrolysis. The first and second degrees of hydrolysis are substantially different such that the rheology of the spacer fluid is stable during temperatures changes.

An adjustable bent drilling tool capable of changing in situ drilling direction to facilitate horizontal drilling. The drilling tool may be controlled from the surface and eliminates the need to bring the tool to the surface for reconfiguration. In one embodiment, the drilling tool utilizes a communications module to communicate with upstream sections of the tool. The communications module is connected to a programmable electronic control module which controls an electric motor. A hydraulic valve assembly follows the control module, which receives input signals and controls a pilot piston between two fixed points of a mid-assembly typically located adjacent to and downstream of the hydraulic valve assembly on the drill tool. A lower assembly is attached to the drill tool immediately following the mid-assembly, and provides both a safety release sub-assembly as well as a bendable sub-assembly which directs the adjustable drill tool to change drilling angle and direction.

Expandable apparatus for use in subterranean boreholes include at least one member configured to move between a retracted position and an extended position. A latching member disposed in the tubular body may selectively retain the at least one member in the retracted position. Methods of operating an expandable apparatus include securing at least one member of the expandable apparatus in a retracted position by engaging an inner wall of a tubular body with at least one latch member disposed in at least one aperture formed in a latch sleeve.

Expandable apparatus for use in subterranean boreholes include at least one member configured to move between a retracted position and an extended position. Components of the expandable apparatus may include at least one surface for removing debris proximate to the tubular body. Components of the expandable apparatus may be configured to enable the expandable apparatus to increase a diameter of a subterranean borehole by greater than twenty percent. Components of the expandable apparatus may be configured to restrict fluid flow to nozzle assemblies. The expandable apparatus may include a protect sleeve having a push sleeve disposed therein. Methods of operating an expandable apparatus may include removing debris with a surface of the expandable apparatus. Methods of operating an expandable apparatus may also include selectively flowing fluid to nozzle assemblies.

A rotary joint for use in directional control of a subterranean rotary steerable drilling apparatus. The rotary joint is formed by mated spherical-shaped sockets, each of which is connected with a hollow rod. By virtue of this arrangement, a continuous passageway is provided for fluid to flow through the rotary joint, which fluid may be used for cooling the rotary joint during operation of the rotary steerable drilling system.

A rotary drag bit has one or more fixed composite cutting structures formed from a plurality of discrete prefabricated cutters that abut each other along complementary side surfaces, the composite cutting structure being placed and oriented on the cutting face of the rotating body so that the composite cutting structure presents a cutting profile that does not expose any portion of the cutting face that is between or behind the composite cutting structure, with respect to the direction of travel of the composite cutting structure during boring, to the uncut earth formation as the body is rotated during boring.

A method for estimating an inclination and azimuth at a bottom of a borehole includes forming a last survey point including a last inclination and a last azimuth; receiving at a computing device bending moment and at least one of a bending toolface measurement and a near bit inclination measurement from one or more sensors in the borehole; and forming the estimate by comparing possible dogleg severity (DLS) values with the bending moment value.

A method and apparatus for detecting an object. A first optical signal having a first frequency is transmitted to a location on a surface of a ground. A second optical signal having a second frequency is transmitted to the location on the surface of the ground such that the first optical signal and the second optical signal overlap each other at the location on the surface of the ground. The overlap of the first optical signal and the second optical signal at the location generates a third optical signal having a difference frequency that is a difference between the first frequency and the second frequency. The third optical signal is configured to travel into the ground. A response to the third optical signal is detected. A determination is made as to whether an object is present in the ground using the response to the third optical signal.

Aspects of the disclosure provide techniques for detecting differences and/or changes in biological and non-biological material using infrared imaging. Aspects of the disclosure are useful for monitoring and evaluating synthetic scaffolds and engineered tissue and organs for tissue engineering and transplantation.

A THz frequency range antenna is provided which comprises: a semiconductor film (3) having a surface adapted to exhibit surface plasmons in the THz frequency range. The surface of the semiconductor film (3) is structured with an antenna structure (4) arranged to support localized surface plasmon resonances in the THz frequency range.

A tracking system for tracking an eye including a light source projecting light toward a display surface in a sequential pattern, one or more reflectors associated with an optical device, where the one or more reflectors reflect the pulses of light from the display source, one or more photo detectors, where the photo detectors detect reflected pulses of light from the light source, and a system that measures pulse timing relative to horizontal and vertical pattern to compute a gaze angle of the eye.

A radiation detector is disclosed that includes a scintillation crystal and a plurality of photodetectors positioned to detect low-energy scintillation photons generated within the scintillation crystal. The scintillation crystals are processed using subsurface laser engraving to generate point-like defects within the crystal to alter the path of the scintillation photons. In one embodiment, the defects define a plurality of boundaries within a monolithic crystal to delineate individual detector elements. In another embodiment, the defects define a depth-of-interaction boundary that varies longitudinally to vary the amount of light shared by neighboring portions of the crystal. In another embodiment the defects are evenly distributed to reduce the lateral spread of light from a scintillation event. Two or more of these different aspects may be combined in a single scintillation crystal. Additionally, or alternatively, similar SSLE defects may be produced in other light-guiding elements of the radiation detector.

A spatially-aware radiation probe system/method allowing for detection and correction of radiation readings based on the position and/or movement of a radiation detector is disclosed. The system incorporates a radiation detector combined with a spatially-aware sensor to permit detection of spatial context parameters associated with the radiation detector and/or object being probed. This spatial context information is then used by analysis software to modify the detected radiation values and/or instruct the radiation probe operator as to appropriate measurement activity to ensure accurate radiation measurements. The spatially-aware sensor may include but is not limited to: distance sensors to determine the distance between the radiation detector and the object being monitored; accelerometers integrated within the radiation detector to detect movement of the radiation detector; and/or axial orientation sensors to determine the axial orientation of the radiation detector.

A rugged scintillation crystal assembly includes several scintillator crystals, which are optically coupled to each other by resilient optical-coupling material such as silicone pads and/or grease. The scintillator crystals are configured to collectively emit optical signals. Such a stack may combine the advantages of both a long form-factor for the overall assembly with the ruggedness of the assembly's component short crystals.

A radiation detection apparatus according to an embodiment includes: a scintillator including a fluorescent material to convert radiation to visible radiation photon; a photon detection device array having a plurality of cells each of which includes a photon detection device to detect visible radiation photon emitted from a fluorescent material in the scintillator and convert the visible radiation photon to an electric signal; and a plurality of lenses provided on cells respectively in association with the cells to cause the visible radiation photon to be incident on the photon detection device in an associated cell.

A detector for detecting ionizing radiation comprises a scintillator 10 selected to emit light in response to incidence thereon of radiation to be detected, at least one detector 16 for detecting said emitted light, and at least one optical waveguide 12 for transmitting said emitted light to said detector 16. The optical waveguide typically comprises a flexible solid or hollow fiber that can be incorporated into a flexible mat or into a fiber-reinforced structure, so that the detector is integrated therewith.

A sensor includes a collector, an emitter and a base-region barrier formed as an inverted bipolar junction transistor having a base substrate forming a base electrode to activate the inverted bipolar junction transistor. A level surface is formed by the collector, the emitter and the base-region barrier opposite the base substrate such that when the level surface is exposed to charge, the charge is measured during operation of the bipolar junction transistor.

Method for identifying CVD diamond comprises (1) placing a clean diamond on a fixed platform; (2) illuminating the diamond with light having various wavelengths; (3) receiving reflected light from the diamond; (4) calculating a reflectance value at each wavelength based on a light intensity at each wavelength of the reflected light, generating a spectral reflectance curve; (5) determining whether the spectral reflectance curve has a sharp trough, then storing the diamond if the spectral reflectance curve thereof does not have the sharp trough, while selecting the diamond for a further identification if the spectral reflectance curve thereof has the sharp trough; and (6) determining whether the sharp trough of the diamond selected from the step (5) is at a wavelength between 227 nm and 233 nm, and identifying the diamond to be the CVD diamond if the sharp trough is at the wavelength between 227 nm and 233 nm.

A surface contamination monitoring system/method configured to correct the detected the radioactive net count rate (NCR) value of a whole-body surface contamination monitoring device based on monitored subject height and thickness is disclosed. The system includes a height detection means for determining the height of a monitored subject and a thickness detection means for determining the thickness of at least a portion of the monitored subject. The net count rate (NCR) is corrected based on the determined height and thickness of the monitored subject as applied to site calibration factor data and self-shielding factor data to produce a corrected net count rate (CNR). If the corrected net count rate (CNR) registers above a preset alarm threshold, the monitored subject is considered contaminated and an appropriate alarm is registered.

Controlling electromagnetic (‘EM’) radiation in a data center having a number EM sections, including: receiving, by an EM controller, a specification of preferred EM radiation characteristics for the data center; and setting, by the EM controller, a state of each EM section in accordance with the specification, where the state of each EM section may be one of: an absorption state in which the EM section absorbs EM radiation or a reflection state in which the EM section reflects EM radiation.

This invention relates to a two-dimensional detection system for neutron radiation comprising a means (1) for emitting a neutron beam (10), a support means (2) adapted for receiving a sample (3), a photoemission means (5) adapted for being activated by a neutron radiation, a cooled low light level charge-coupled detection device (7). The emission means (1) emits a monochromatic neutron beam (10). The system further comprises a filter means (4), the filter means (4) being located between the support means (2) and the photoemission means (5) and being adapted for trapping at least a substantial part of the monochromatic neutron beam transmitted (12) by the sample (3), and an amplification means (6) located upstream the charge-coupled detection device (7) and coupled with the charge-coupled detection device (7).

The present invention provides a blanking apparatus comprising a plurality of blankers configured to respectively blank a plurality of beams with respect to a target position on an object, and a driving device configured to drive the plurality of blankers, wherein the driving device includes a change device configured to change relation between a combination of beams of the plurality of beams, and a target dose.

A method of bunch length compression method for a free electron laser (FEL) that avoids parasitic compressions by 1) applying acceleration on the falling portion of the RF waveform, 2) compressing using a positive momentum compaction (R56>0), and 3) compensating for aberration by using nonlinear magnets in the compressor beam line.

In a pattern inspection of a semiconductor circuit, to specify a cause of a process defect, not only a distribution on and across wafer of the number of defects but also more detailed, that is, the fact that how many defects occurred where on the semiconductor pattern is needed to be specified in some cases. Accordingly, the present invention aims to provide an apparatus capable of easily specifying a cause of a process defect based upon a positional relationship of a distribution of defect occurrence frequency and a pattern. The apparatus includes: a charged particle beam optical system for detecting secondary charged particles by irradiating the charged particle beam to the sample; an image processing unit for, based upon a plurality of images to be inspected that are obtained by the secondary charged particles, obtaining an occurrence frequency of defect candidates for each of predetermined regions inside the detected image; and a display unit for displaying the distribution of the occurrence frequency of the defect candidates so that a positional relationship to the pattern is recognized.

A sample support structure with integrated support features and methods of making and using the reinforced membrane. The sample support structures are useful for supporting samples for analysis using microscopic techniques, such as electron microscopy, optical microscopy, x-ray microscopy, UV-VIS spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques.

Disclosed is a scintillator panel provided with on a support a phosphor layer comprising columnar crystals and a protective layer sequentially in this order, wherein degraded areas on lateral surfaces of columnar crystals at an end of the phosphor layer and produced by a cutting treatment account for not less than 0% and not more than 40% of an area of all of the side surfaces of the columnar crystals. A production method of the scintillator panel is also disclosed.

There is provided a cassette having: a flexible accommodating body that accommodates an accumulative fluorescent sheet in a light shielded state; an entrance/exit portion that is provided at one end portion of the flexible accommodating body, and through which the accumulative fluorescent sheet can be inserted and removed into and from the flexible accommodating body due to mounting to a radiographic image reading device; and opening/closing means for opening the flexible accommodating body such that a push-out member, that pushes the accumulative fluorescent sheet out toward the entrance/exit portion, can be inserted, or closing the flexible accommodating body in a light shielded state.

One embodiment relates to an apparatus for electron beam lithography which includes a linear array of reflection electron beam lithography columns and a rotary stage. Each column is separately controllable to write a portion of a lithographic pattern onto a substrate. The rotary stage is configured to hold multiple substrates and to be rotated under the linear array of reflection electron beam lithography columns. Another embodiment relates to a method of electron beam lithography which includes simultaneously rotating and linearly translating a stage holding a plurality of wafers, and writing a lithography pattern using a linear array of reflection electron beam lithography columns over the stage. Each said column traverses a spiral path over the stage as the stage is rotated and linearly translated. Other embodiments, aspects and feature are also disclosed.

A chamber used in an extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus that generates extreme ultraviolet light by irradiating a target material with a laser beam may include a chamber receptacle, a heat shield that is disposed within the chamber receptacle between a predetermined region where the target material turns into plasma and the chamber receptacle and that is configured to absorb heat produced at the predetermined region when the target material turns into plasma, and a support portion configured to attach the heat shield to the chamber receptacle, and further, the support portion may include an absorbing portion configured to absorb stress produced in the heat shield deforming due to the heat, by expanding/contracting in response to the thermal deformation of the heat shield.

Apparatus for performing electron radiation therapy on a breast cancer patient preferably includes an intraoperative electron radiation therapy machine, an intraoperative electron radiation therapy collimator tube connected to the intraoperative electron radiation therapy machine, and a plurality of filters made of a material having substantially the same density as human breast tissue for placement between the machine and the patient to change the energy of a monoenergetic beam after the beam has left the machine, allowing a filter to be chosen to reduce the energy traveling through the tube to a desired amount of energy to treat the patient. A method of controlling the amount of energy to reach a breast cancer patient undergoing electron radiation therapy includes selecting a filter made of a material having substantially the same density as human tissue and placing the filter between an intraoperative electron radiation therapy machine and a breast cancer patient to change the energy of a monoenergetic beam after it has left the machine, the filter being chosen to reduce the energy traveling from the machine to a desired amount of energy to treat the patient.

The invention relates to a thermal conduction element (20) for a package for transporting and/or storing radioactive materials, comprising: an internal part (30) intended to be in contact with a lateral body (14) of the package;an external part (34) intended to form a portion of an external envelope (24) of said package, holding radiological protection means (22);an intermediate part (32) arranged between the internal and external parts,the internal, external and intermediate parts being produced from copper and one of the alloys thereof. According to the invention, the external part (34) is equipped, at each of its two opposite ends, with an area (36) for connection by welding to another thermal conduction element (20), each connection area (36) being produced from steel.

A coupling and various methods of use of the coupling. In one embodiment a coupling is provided for use with an appliance operated by a power supply, which coupling allows mounting/dismounting of the appliance without electrical isolation from the supply, said coupling comprising: a) a mounting member having a first encapsulated transformer element and suitable controls connectable to the power supply, said member being suitable for fixing to a structure; and b) a holder member engageable with said mounting member and suitable for holding or for connecting thereto an appliance, said holder member including a second encapsulated transformer element able to conduct power to an appliance.

A system for measuring properties of a surface under test with surface waves includes a surface wave network including a dielectric substrate, a reactive grid of a plurality of metallic patches on a first surface of the dielectric substrate, a plurality of electronic nodes on the first surface of the dielectric substrate, and a ground plane on a second surface of the dielectric substrate permeable to RF fields of the surface waves, and a controller configured for causing a respective one of the electronic nodes to transmit at least one surface wave and configured for collecting data for signals received by at least one other of the plurality of electronic nodes.

Examples of the present invention include apparatus and methods for monitoring aging of an item. A solid-state structure is located within, adjacent to, or otherwise proximate the item, the solid-state structure including nanostructures. The electrical resistance and/or magnetization of the solid-state structure is determined to determine the degree of aging of the item. In representative examples, the solid-state structure includes nanostructures of a metal, such as a ferromagnetic metal, within a non-magnetic matrix, such as a semimetal, semiconductor, or insulator.

Systems and methods are disclosed herein to a radiation safety system comprising radiation emitting medical equipment; a radiation safety system controller connected to the radiation emitting medical equipment through a first communication means configured to determine a number of people within a radiation room housing the radiation emitting medical equipment and prevent the radiation emitting medical equipment from performing radiation emitting functions if the radiation safety system controller determines that more people than a maximum allowed number of people are presently in the radiation room; and a scanner connected to the radiation safety controller through a second communication means configured to detect people in the radiation room and communicate to the radiation safety system controller that a person has been detected.

A camera array, an imaging device and/or a method for capturing image that employ a plurality of imagers fabricated on a substrate is provided. Each imager includes a plurality of pixels. The plurality of imagers include a first imager having a first imaging characteristics and a second imager having a second imaging characteristics. The images generated by the plurality of imagers are processed to obtain an enhanced image compared to images captured by the imagers. Each imager may be associated with an optical element fabricated using a wafer level optics (WLO) technology.

A tunable laser source that includes multiple gain elements and uses a spatial light modulator in an external cavity to produce spectrally tunable output is claimed. Several designs of the external cavity are described, targeting different performance characteristics and different manufacturing costs for the device. Compared to existing devices, the tunable laser source produces high output power, wide tuning range, fast tuning rate, and high spectral resolution.

An approach is disclosed for acquiring multi-sector computed tomography scan data. The approach includes activating an X-ray source during heartbeats of a patient to acquire projection data over a limited angular range for each heartbeat. The projection data acquired over the different is combined. An image having good temporal resolution is reconstructed using the combined projection data.

The invention relates to a device (10; 10a;10b; 10c; 50) for checking pharmaceutical products (1), in particular hard gelatin capsules, by means of at least one radiation source (30; 60) preferably embodied as an X-ray source, and a conveying device which conveys the products (1) in a clocked manner in a radiation area (31) of the radiation source (30; 60). The radiation emitted by the radiation source (30; 60) penetrating the products (1) preferably perpendicular to the longitudinal axes thereof (2), and the radiation is captured on the side of the products (1) opposite the radiation source (30) by means of at least one sensor element (35) which is coupled to an evaluation device (36). The invention is characterized in that the conveyor device is embodied as a conveyor wheel (15; 15a; 51) which can rotate in a stepped manner about an axis (12; 52), and the products (1) are arranged, while being conveyed in the radiation area (31), in receiving areas (28; 37; 56) of the conveyor wheel (15; 5a; 51).

A method and apparatus for acquiring data from a mass spectrometer and its transmission to a computer system including a data acquisition engine, a network interface and a throughput optimization module which includes a ring buffer and a protocol stack. A compression engine may be provided between the acquisition engine and the ring buffer. The ring buffer is configured as a number of segments containing portions of memory matching the size of data words from the acquisition engine. When a segment is full of data corresponding to the words, or is partially full and has received data containing an end of scan marker, the number of words in the segment is written into a header word in the segment and the data in that segment are moved to the protocol stack. Subsequent data is received by the next segment in the buffer.

The present invention relates to a method of mass spectrometry, an apparatus adapted to perform the method and a mass spectrometer. More particularly, but not exclusively, the present invention relates to a method of mass spectrometry comprising the step of associating parent and fragmentation ions from a sample by measuring the parent and fragmentation ions from two or more different areas of the sample and identifying changes in the number of parent ions between the areas in the sample, and corresponding changes in the number of fragmentation ions between the two areas.

An apparatus comprises a plasma flood gun for neutralizing a positive charge buildup on a semiconductor wafer during a process of ion implantation using an ion beam. The plasma flood gun comprises more than two arc chambers, wherein each arc chamber is configured to generate and release electrons into the ion beam in a respective zone adjacent to the semiconductor wafer.

An airflow-organization testing method for a clean room and a system using the same method are disclosed. The airflow-organization testing method for a clean room uses a thermal imaging device to detect a sample gas-flow formed by a sample gas in the clean room, and the sample gas has a temperature difference from ambient air. The airflow-organization testing system for a clean room includes a sample gas supplier and a thermal imaging device, and the thermal imaging device can continuously detect a spatial position of the sample gas and display it on a display, thereby improving detection precision and expanding detection range.

A detection apparatus configured to detect soft X-ray radiation, includes a conversion unit and a circuit unit disposed on a semiconductor substrate. The conversion unit has a plurality of conversion elements that convert the soft X-ray radiation incident on the semiconductor substrate into electric charge. The circuit unit has an amplifier transistor that amplifies and outputs a signal supplied from the conversion unit. A shielding unit is disposed above the circuit unit. The shielding unit blocks the soft X-ray radiation incident on the circuit unit. Preferably, the soft X-ray shielding coefficient of a material that forms the shielding unit is higher than the soft X-ray shielding coefficient of each of aluminum and copper. Alternatively, a material that forms the shielding unit has an atomic number higher than or equal to 70.

Provided is an A/D converter including an input terminal, a reference signal line for supplying a reference signal which changes temporally, a comparator, a correction capacitor connected to an inverting input terminal of the comparator; and an output circuit which outputs digital data corresponding to an analog signal input to the input terminal. In a first state in which a total voltage of a first analog signal and an offset voltage of the comparator is held in the correction capacitor, a second analog signal input to the input terminal is supplied to a non-inverting input terminal of the comparator, and the second analog signal or the total voltage is changed using the reference signal, thereby outputting, from the output circuit, digital data.

Mass spectrometers and methods for measuring information about samples using mass spectrometry are disclosed.

It is an object to provide a photoelectric conversion device whose power consumption and a mounting area are reduced and yield is improved and further to provide a photoelectric conversion device whose number of manufacturing processes and manufacturing cost are reduced. A photoelectric conversion device includes a photoelectric conversion element for outputting photocurrent corresponding to illuminance, and a resistor changing resistance corresponding to illuminance. In the photoelectric conversion device, one terminal of the photoelectric conversion element and one terminal of the resistor are electrically connected in series; the other terminal of the photoelectric conversion element is connected to a high power supply potential; the other terminal of the resistor is connected to a low power supply potential; and a light intensity adjusting unit is provided on a light reception surface side of the photoelectric conversion element or the resistor to adjust illuminance.

Image sensors and methods of operating the same. An image sensor includes a pixel array including a plurality of pixels. Each of the plurality of pixels includes a photo sensor, the voltage-current characteristics of which vary according to energy of incident light, and that generates a sense current determined by the energy of the incident light; a reset unit that is activated to generate a reference current, according to a reset signal for resetting at least one of the plurality of pixels; and a conversion unit that converts the sense current and the reference current into a sense voltage and a reference voltage, respectively.