[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 233 (Thursday, December 4, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64207-64208]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-31781]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology


Notice of Prospective Grant of Exclusive Patent Licenses

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Commerce.

SUMMARY: this is a notice in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 209(c)(1) and 37 
CFR 404.7(a)(1)(i) that the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology (``NIST''), U.S. Department of Commerce, is contemplating 
the grant of field of use co-exclusive and exclusive licenses to the 
Government's interest, in the United States, to practice the inventions 
embodied in the following U.S. Patent and U.S. Patent Applications:
    (1) U.S. Patent No. 5,634,718; issued June 3, 1997; titled 
``Particle Calorimeter with Normal Metal Base Layer,'' NIST Docket No. 
94-005; the availability of the invention for licensing was published 
in the Federal Register, Vol. 60, No. 55 (March 22, 1995);
    (2) U.S. Patent Application No. 08/702,133; filed August 26, 1996; 
titled ``Superconducting Transition-Edge Sensor;'' NIST Docket No. 96-
033; the availability of the invention for licensing was published in 
the Federal Register, Vol. 62, No. 89 (May 8, 1997);
    (3) U.S. Patent Application No. 08/811,939; filed March 5, 1997; 
titled ``Microcalorimeter X-ray Detectors with X-ray Lens;'' NIST 
Docket No. 96-034; the availability of the invention for licensing was 
published in the Federal Register, Vol. 62, No. 203 (October 21, 1997); 
and
    (4) U.S. Patent Application No. 08/900,982; filed July 25, 1997; 
titled ``Mechanical Support for a Two Pill Adiabatic Demagnetization 
Refrigerator,'' NIST Docket No. 96-035; the availability of the 
invention for licensing was published in the Federal Register, Vol. 62, 
No. 203 (October 21, 1997).
    The grant of field of use co-exclusive licenses to invention (1) 
above is contemplated to both Quantum Design, Inc., having a placer of 
business in San Diego, California, and to Noran Instruments, Inc., 
having a place of business in Middleton, Wisconsin. The grant of field 
of use exclusive licenses to inventions (2), (3), and (4) above is 
contemplated to Noran Instruments, Inc., having a place of business in 
Middleton, Wisconsin.
    The prospective co-exclusive and exclusive licenses may be granted 
unless, within sixty days from the date of this published Notice, NIST 
receives written evidence and argument which establish that the grant 
of the licenses would not be consistent with the requirements of 35 
U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR 404.7.

DATES: Comments must be received in writing no later than February 2, 
1998.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the Prospective Grants must be submitted to: 
Ernest Graf, National Institute of

[[Page 64208]]

Standards and Technology, Industrial Partnerships Program, Building 
820, Room 213, Gaithersburg, MD 20899.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ernest Graf, National Institute of 
Standards and Technology, Industrial Partnerships Program, Building 
820, Room 213, Gaithersburg, MD 20899.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The prospective co-exclusive and exclusive 
licenses will be royalty-bearing and will comply with the terms and 
conditions of 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR 404.7. The prospective co-
exclusive and exclusive licenses may be granted unless, within sixty 
days from the date of this published Notice, NIST receives written 
evidence and argument which establish that the grant of the licenses 
would not be consistent with the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 
CFR 404.7.
    (1) US Patent No. 5,634,718 describes the use of a normal metal 
absorber in a microcalorimeter, which gives significant advantages in 
increased detector speed and uniformity. Claims in the patent include 
use of a normal metal absorber in measuring energy events with 
particles or photons other than x-rays, construction using a thermally 
insulating membrane, normal metal superconductor (NS) contacts for 
thermal isolation, normal metal insulator superconductor (NIS) tunnel 
junctions, superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) readout, 
ridge structures for fast heat diffusion, multiple temperature sensors 
for position readout and greater uniformity, and electronic heat pulses 
for calibration.
    (2) US Patent Application 08/702,133 describes a reliable and 
manufacturable method of producing a superconducting film with a 
transition temperature that is tunable and in the range of interest 
(from approximately 50 to 300 mK). The superconducting components to 
the bilayers are Al and Ti. Al-based bilayers are readily 
manufacturable, produce reproducible transition temperatures, and can 
be readily incorporated with microfabrication technology.
    (3) U.S. Patent Application No. 08/811,939 describes the combined 
use of polycapillary optics with microcalorimeter detectors. The 
invention enables present-day microcalorimeter spectrometers with areas 
under 0.1 mm<SUP>2</SUP> to have collection solid angles that are large 
enough for many practical applications. Although the construction of 
larger area detectors without capillary optics may be possible in the 
future, the use of x-ray optics has fundamental advantages because they 
enable the use of small detectors, which consequently have faster count 
rates and higher resolution.
    (4) U.S. Patent Application No. 08/900,982 describes a practical 
implementation of dual Kevlar <SUP>TM</SUP> string mechanical supports 
that are needed in a two pill refrigerator. The invention makes the 
supports easier to manufacture, assemble, and maintain in the field.
    NIST may enter into a Cooperative Research and Development 
Agreement (``CRADA'') to perform further research on the inventions for 
purposes of commercialization. NIST anticipates that such a CRADA will 
be conducted on a cost recovery basis. NIST may grant the licensee an 
option to negotiate for royalty-free exclusive licenses to any jointly 
owned inventions which arise from the CRADA as well as an option to 
negotiate for exclusive royalty-bearing licenses for NIST employee 
inventions which arise from the CRADA.
    Copies of the patent and patent applications may be obtained from 
NIST at the foregoing address.

    Dated: November 25, 1997.
Elaine Bunten-Mines,
Director, Program Office.
[FR Doc. 97-31781 Filed 12-3-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-M