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21 Oct 2002
The pick of this week's hottest patent applications in the world of photonics.
• Title: Device for decontaminating U-bends
Applicant: Solsys, France.
International application number: WO 02/081829
Using bleach and other chemicals to decontaminate pipes could become a thing of the past thanks to an idea being patented by Solsys of France. The invention consists of a flash lamp that is placed at the join between the U-bend and the discharge of a washbasin. The lamp emits pulses rich in light around 200 nm. The company claims these UV wavelengths kill micro-organisms and prevent potentially pathogenic biofilms seeping up into the washbasin.
• Title: Device for igniting a fuel-air mixture
Applicant: Jenbacher Aktiengesellschaft, Austria
International application number: WO 02/081904
An Austrian firm is attempting to patent an optical system for igniting a fuel-air mixture in a stationary gas engine. A master light source continuously delivers pulses into the combustion chamber. By themselves, these pulses are not sufficient to ignite the mixture. An optical transmission device can then be selectively triggered, which amplifies the master light pulses to an energy level sufficient for igniting the fuel-air mixture.
• Title: Twin light laser
Applicant: Nikolai Tankovitch, Alexei Lukashev and John Ross, US.
International application number: WO 02/080800
Three scientists have devised a so-called twin laser that emits at both 1079 nm and 1340 nm. Based on a Nd:YAP crystal, the patent describes optical components that can establish a desired wavelength (1079/1340) ratio varying from 0.1 to 10. Using a specially designed output coupler, the kit can also convert the output of an Nd:YAG laser into a twin laser beam.
• Title: Semiconductor laser with reduced temperature sensitivity
Applicatant: The Research Foundation of the State University of New York, US.
International application number: WO 02/082602
US researchers are trying to patent a scheme that reduces the temperature sensitivity of a quantum dot (QD) laser. Charge carriers, emitted from two quantum wells, are injected into the QD through barrier layers by a process known as resonant tunnel-injection. The scientists say each barrier layer is designed to have a low barrier height for carriers entering the QDs, and a high barrier height for carriers exiting the QDs. This reduces the current leaving the QD, which decreases the device's temperature sensitivity.
• Title: Sensor for detecting filth and/or humidity on the outer side of a glass pane
Applicant: Valeo Auto-Electric Wischer und Motoren, Germany
International application number: WO 02/081272
An optical sensor that determines if a vehicle windscreen is dirty or covered with rain drops is described in a patent application from the German firm Valeo. The sensor consists of several optical transmitters, at least one receiver and control circuitry for regulating the strength of the optical signals. In order to detect changes in the condition of the windscreen the sensor can store initial values before it starts operation and then measure any deviation.
Author
Jacqueline Hewett is news reporter on Optics.org and Opto & Laser Europe magazine.
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