Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US8228501?dq=5579430
Timestamp: 2016-12-10 21:51:57
Document Index: 405914921

Matched Legal Cases: ['§119', 'Application No. 60', 'Application No. 60', 'Application No. 60', 'Application No. 2', 'Application No. 2519612', 'Application No. 2519624', 'Application No. 2006', 'Application No. 2006', 'Application No. 2006', 'Application No. 10', 'Application No. 10', 'Application No. 10', 'Application No. 10', 'Application No. 10', 'application No. 2', 'Application No. 2006', 'Application No. 2006']

Patent US8228501 - Method and apparatus for detecting embedded material within an interaction ... - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inPatentsA system and method processes a structure comprising embedded material. The system includes a laser adapted to generate light and to irradiate an interaction region of the structure. The system further includes an optical system adapted to receive light from the interaction region and to generate a detection...http://www.google.com/patents/US8228501?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US8228501 - Method and apparatus for detecting embedded material within an interaction region of a structureAdvanced Patent SearchTry the new Google Patents, with machine-classified Google Scholar results, and Japanese and South Korean patents.Publication numberUS8228501 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 12/957,197Publication dateJul 24, 2012Filing dateNov 30, 2010Priority dateMar 18, 2003Fee statusLapsedAlso published asCA2519632A1, CA2519632C, EP1610921A2, US7286223, US7289206, US7492453, US7864315, US7880877, US8094303, US20040182998, US20040182999, US20080067331, US20090021731, US20090284739, US20110102789, US20110266262, WO2004083794A2, WO2004083794A3Publication number12957197, 957197, US 8228501 B2, US 8228501B2, US-B2-8228501, US8228501 B2, US8228501B2InventorsPaul E. Denney, Jay R. Eastman, Ta-Chieh HuangOriginal AssigneeLoma Linda University Medical CenterExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (124), Non-Patent Citations (26), Referenced by (7), Classifications (30), Legal Events (4) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetMethod and apparatus for detecting embedded material within an interaction region of a structure
US 8228501 B2Abstract
an optical system for drilling a hole in the structure using the laser light, thereby exposing previously-unexposed embedded material within the interaction region;
an analyzer adapted to receive light from the interaction region, the analyzer adapted for analysis of the light from the interaction region for indications of exposure of the embedded material to air during the irradiation;
wherein the detection system is adapted to avoid damaging the irradiated embedded material upon detecting the exposure of the embedded material.
2. The detection system of claim 1, wherein the analyzer comprises:
an optical grating adapted to separate the light received from the interaction region into a spectrum of wavelengths; and
an optical fiber connected to the analyzer;
an input slit in the analyzer adapted to receive light from the optical fiber, the input slit having a width selected to provide sufficient light transmittance and sufficient resolution, wherein the optical grating is adapted to receive light from the input slit; and
4. The detection system of claim 1, wherein the structure comprises an inhabitable structure comprising concrete and the embedded material comprises rebar.
5. The detection system of claim 4, wherein the analyzer is adapted to analyze light having wavelengths of approximately 592 nanometers for indications of rebar within the interaction region.
6. The detection system of claim 4, wherein the analyzer is adapted to analyze light having wavelengths of approximately 588.5 nanometers and approximately 593 nanometers by calculating a ratio of twice the intensity of light at 592 nanometers divided by the sum of the intensities at 588.5 nanometers and at 593 nanometers.
8. The detection system of claim 1, further comprising at least one neutral density filter adapted to reduce the light received by the analyzer.
9. The detection system of claim 1, further comprising a lens, wherein the lens is coaxial with laser light impinging on the interaction region.
10. The detection system of claim 1, further comprising a lens, wherein the lens is off-axis with laser light impinging on the interaction region.
means for analyzing light received from the interaction region, the analyzing means adapted for analysis of the light from the interaction region for indications of exposure of the embedded material to air during the irradiation of the interaction region;
wherein the detection system is adapted to avoid damaging the irradiated embedded material upon receiving a signal from the analyzing means.
12. A method of detecting an embedded object within a laser- irradiated interaction region of a structure comprising the embedded object, the method comprising:
analyzing light received from the interaction region for indications of exposure of the embedded object to air within the interaction region, and
selectively adjusting the irradiation of the interaction region in response to the indications, thereby avoiding substantially damaging the embedded object;
wherein the embedded object comprises a reinforcing member of the structure embedded within concrete.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the reinforcing member comprises rebar.
14. The method of claim 12, further comprising collecting light from the interaction during irradiation with a lens, and separating the collected light using an analyzer.
15. The method of claim 12, further comprising analyzing light having wavelengths of approximately 592 nanometers.
16. The method of claim 12, further comprising analyzing a spectrum of the light received from the interaction region, the spectrum defined by an upper cutoff wavelength of approximately 582 nanometers and a lower cutoff wavelength of approximately 600 nanometers. Description
This application is a continuation from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/352,123, filed Jan. 12, 2009, incorporated in its entirety by reference herein, which is a continuation from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/861,184, filed Sep. 25, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,492,453 incorporated in its entirety by reference herein, which is a continuation from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/803,267, filed Mar. 18, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,289,206, incorporated in its entirety by reference herein, which is a continuation-in-part from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/691,444, filed Oct. 22, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,286,223 incorporated in its entirety by reference herein, which claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/456,043, filed Mar. 18, 2003, to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/471,057, filed May 16, 2003, and to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/496,460, filed Aug. 20, 2003, each of which is incorporated in its entirety by reference herein.
For purposes of summarizing the present invention, certain aspects, advantages and novel features of the present invention have been described herein above. It is to be understood, however, that not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the present invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that khieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein.
The collimated laser light of certain embodiments is then transmitted through the laser head 200 via other optical elements within the laser head 200. In certain embodiments, the distal portion 232 comprises a generally straight first tube through which laser light propagates to the angle portion 234, and the proximal portion 236 comprises a generally straight second tube through which the laser light from the angle portion 234 propagates. In certain embodiments, the distal portion 232 contains a lens 233, and the angle portion 234 contains a minor 235 which directs the light through the proximal portion 236 and the containment plenum 240 onto the structure. In other embodiments, other devices (e.g., a prism) can be used in the angle portion 234 to direct the light through the proximal portion 236 and the containment plenum 240 onto the structure.
In certain embodiments, one or more of the optical elements 220 within the laser head 200 (e.g., lens 212, lens 233, mirror 235, mirror 235′) are water-cooled or air-cooled. Cooling water can be supplied by a heat exchanger located near the laser head 200 and dedicated to providing sufficient water flow to the laser head 200. In certain such embodiments, the conduits for the cooling water for each of the optical elements 220 can be connected in series so that the cooling water flows sequentially in proximity to the optical elements 220. In other embodiments, the conduits are connected in parallel so that separate portions of the cooling water flow in proximity to the various optical elements 220. Exemplary heat exchangers include, but are not limited to a Miller Coolmate™ 4,available from Miller Electric Manufacturing Co. of Appleton, Wis. The flow rate of the cooling water is preferably at least approximately 0.5 gallons per minute.
The primary posts 718 are coupled to the spreader member 716 and are substantially parallel to one another. Each of the primary posts 718 is adapted to be coupled to one of the ground-based support connectors 118 a of the interface mounting devices 114. The primary posts 718 can each be coupled to the spreader member 716 at various positions so that they are aligned with the ground-based support connectors 118 a.Each primary post 718 is also coupled to, and is substantially perpendicular to, an auxiliary post 720. In such embodiments, rather than having the primary posts 718 coupled to the ground-based support connectors 118 a,the auxiliary posts 720 can be coupled to the ground-based support connectors 118 a,thereby effectively rotating the support structure 710 by 90 degrees relative to the anchoring mechanism 110. Such embodiments advantageously provide adjustability for processing various configurations of structures and to permit alternative configurations best suited for particular applications.
In certain embodiments, as schematically illustrated in FIG. 14A, the suspension-based support system 800 comprises a winch 810, a primary cable 812, and a pair of secondary cables 814. The winch 810 is positioned on the roof or other portion of a structure to be processed. The winch 810 is coupled to the primary cable 812, which is coupled to the secondary cables 814. The secondary cables 814 are each coupled to a suspension-based support connector 118 b of the interface mounting device 114 of the anchoring mechanism 110. FIG. 14B schematically illustrates one embodiment of the apparatus having the suspension-based support connectors 118 b.The apparatus 50 can then be lowered or raised by utilizing the winch 810 to shorten or lengthen the working length of the primary cable 814. In alternative embodiments, the ground-based support connectors 118 a can be configured to serve also as the suspension-based support connectors 118 b. LMS: Simplified Anchoring Mechanism
As schematically illustrated by FIG. 21C, in still other embodiments, the connector 1114 comprises at least one rod 1118 and the coupler 1250 of the laser head 1200 comprises at least one collar 1119. In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 21C, the coupler 1114 comprises two rods 1118 a, 1118 b and the laser head coupler 1250 comprises two collars 1119 a,1119 b. Each collar 1119 is releasably coupled to the corresponding rod 1118 such that the laser head 1200 can be adjustably positioned at various locations along the length of the rod 1118. In certain such embodiments, the collar 1119 can be adjustably rotated with respect to the rod 1118 to allow the laser head 1200 to be rotated about the rod 1118. For example, in the embodiment schematically illustrated by FIG. 21C, one collar 1119 a can be detached from its corresponding rod 1118 a, and the other collar 1119 b can be rotated about its corresponding rod 1118 b. Such embodiments provide the capability to rotate the laser head 1200 away from its drilling position so that visual inspection can be made of the hole being drilled. Once visual inspection has been made, the laser head 1200 can then be replaced back into the drilling position by rotating the laser head 1200 back and recoupling the collar 1119 a to its corresponding rod 1118 a. In certain embodiments, the handle 1116 is adapted to facilitate transporting and positioning the anchoring mechanism 1110 at a desired location. Other configurations of the handle 1116 besides that schematically illustrated by FIGS. 21A-21D are compatible with other embodiments described herein.
FIG. 17E shows a “CUT SETUP/OPERATION SCREEN” display which provides information regarding the straight cutting operation of the apparatus 50 in which the laser head 200 makes a straight cut to a desired depth in the surface of the structure to be processed. The straight cut is preferably along one of the axes of the apparatus 50. A “Cut Status” field provides information regarding the status of the cut operation and corresponding instructions to the user. The starting position of the laser head 200 along the first-axis position system 130 and the second-axis position system 150 are provided in the “System Status” field. A “Cut Parameters” field provides information regarding various parameters associated with the cutting, including, but not limited to, the speed of motion of the laser head 200, the length of the cut to be made, and the LBU program number. The parameters can be changed as described above. The buttons 574 f,574 g labeled “Long Axis” and “Short Axis” are used to select either the first axis or the second axis respectively as the axis of motion of the laser head 200. The buttons 574 labeled “Auto/Dry Run,” “Cycle Start,” “Cycle Stop,” “Machine Reset,” and “Next” operate as described above.
A “Surface Keying Status” field provides information regarding the status of the surface keying operation and corresponding instructions to the user. The starting position of the laser head 200 along the first-axis position system 130 and the second-axis position system 150 are provided in the “System Status” field. A “Surface Keying Parameters” field provides information regarding various parameters associated with the cutting, including, but not limited to, the speed of motion of the laser head 200, the length of the key to be made along the first axis and along the second axis, the offset length that the apparatus 50 will increment between movement along the first axis and the second axis, and the LBU program number. The parameters can be changed as described above. The buttons 574 f,574 g labeled “Long Axis” and “Short Axis” are used to select either the first axis or the second axis respectively as the axis of motion of the laser head 200. The buttons 574 labeled “Auto/Dry Run,” “Cycle Start,” “Cycle Stop,” “Machine Reset,” and “Next” operate as described above.
In certain embodiments, the spectrometer 630 monitors the intensity at a specific wavelength and the intensities on both sides of this wavelength. The spectrometer 630 of certain embodiments also monitors the reduction of the intensities resulting from the increased depth of the hole being drilled. FIG. 19 shows an exemplary graph of the light spectrum detected upon irradiating concrete with laser light and the light spectrum detected upon irradiating an embedded rebar. The spectrum from concrete shows an emission peak at a wavelength of approximately 592 nanometers. The spectrum from rebar does not have this emission peak, but instead shows an absorption dip at approximately the same wavelength. Thus, the emission spectrum at about 592 nanometers can be used to provide a real-time indication of whether an embedded rebar is being cut by the laser light. For example, in certain embodiments in which the detector 600 assumes that either a valley or a peak exists in the spectrum at 592 nanometers, by sampling the emission spectrum at about 588.5 nanometers, 592 nanometers, and 593 nanometers, and calculating the ratio: (2>I592)/(I593+I588.5), the detector 600 can determine whether the emission spectrum has a dip corresponding to concrete or a peak corresponding to embedded rebar. Other spectroscopic data can be used in other embodiments.
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of a structureUS8924395Oct 6, 2011Dec 30, 2014Planet Data SolutionsSystem and method for indexing electronic discovery dataUS9289852Jul 20, 2013Mar 22, 2016Bystronic Laser AgLaser processing machine, laser cutting machine, and method for adjusting a focused laser beamUS9296067Jul 26, 2013Mar 29, 2016Bystronic Laser AgLaser processing machine, in particular laser cutting machine, and method for centering a laser beam, in particular a focused laser beamUS20060144834 *Feb 28, 2006Jul 6, 2006Denney Paul EContainment plenum for laser irradiation and removal of material from a surface of a structureUS20060196861 *Apr 10, 2006Sep 7, 2006Denney Paul EManipulation apparatus for system that removes material from a surface of a structureUS20080240178 *May 6, 2008Oct 2, 2008Loma Linda University Medical CenterMethod and apparatus for material processing* Cited by examinerClassifications U.S. Classification356/318International ClassificationB23K26/16, B23K26/12, G01J3/30, B23K26/03Cooperative ClassificationB23K26/142, B23K26/128, B23K26/16, G01J3/0218, G01J3/0291, B23K26/034, B23K26/03, B23K26/043, G01J3/02, G01J3/28, B23K26/123, B23K26/032, B23K26/12European ClassificationB23K26/12D, B23K26/03, B23K26/14A, B23K26/04A4, G01J3/02, B23K26/16, B23K26/12, B23K26/03B, G01J3/28, B23K26/03D, G01J3/02R, G01J3/02B5Legal EventsDateCodeEventDescriptionDec 18, 2012CCCertificate of correctionMar 4, 2016REMIMaintenance fee reminder mailedJul 24, 2016LAPSLapse for failure to pay maintenance feesSep 13, 2016FPExpired due to failure to pay maintenance feeEffective date: 20160724RotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services