An electrohydrodynamic conduction liquid pumping system includes a vessel configured to contain a liquid or a liquid/vapor therein. This... Show moreAn electrohydrodynamic conduction liquid pumping system includes a vessel configured to contain a liquid or a liquid/vapor therein. This vessel can be of a elongate conduit configuration, an elongate channel configuration or a liquid enclosure configuration. At least a single pair of electrodes are disposed in a spaced apart relation to each other on the vessel and configured to be oriented in the liquid. A power supply is coupled to the electrodes and operable to generate electric fields in between the pair of electrodes, the electric forces inducing a net liquid movement relative to the vessel. Various electrode designs are embraced within the concept of this invention. Sponsorship: Illinois Institute of Technology United States Patent Show less
A method for detecting an image of an object by measuring the intensity at a plurality of positions of a transmitted beam of x-ray radiation... Show moreA method for detecting an image of an object by measuring the intensity at a plurality of positions of a transmitted beam of x-ray radiation emitted from the object as a function of angle within the transmitted beam. The intensity measurements of the transmitted beam are obtained by a crystal analyzer positioned at a plurality of angular positions. The plurality of intensity measurements are used to determine the angular intensity spectrum of the transmitted beam. One or more parameters, such as an attenuation property, a refraction property and a scatter property, can be obtained from the angular intensity spectrum and used to display an image of the object. Sponsorship: Illinois Institute of Technology United States Patent Show less
A method of electromagnetic heating in situ recovers liquid hydrocarbons from an earth formation containing viscous hydrocarbonaceous liquid... Show moreA method of electromagnetic heating in situ recovers liquid hydrocarbons from an earth formation containing viscous hydrocarbonaceous liquid and water in an inorganic matrix where the formation is substantially impermeable to fluids under native conditions. A block of the earth formation is substantially uniformly heated with electromagnetic power to a temperature at which the viscous hydrocarbonaceous liquid is relatively fluid and a portion of the water vaporizes to water vapor at a pressure sufficient to overcome the capillary pressure of the liquid in the matrix. Water vapor thereupon escaping from the block under such pressure is recovered with hydrocarbonaceous liquid driven thereby. The magnitude of the electromagnetic power is controlled to limit the current recovery ratio of water vapor to hydrocarbonaceous liquid below a predetermined limit assuring substantial recovery of the hydrocarbonaceous liquid prior to the driving off of substantially all the water. Sponsorship: IIT Research Institute United States Patent Show less
A tip on a catheter is bent to steer the distal end of the catheter by displacing a control fluid within an elongated fluid conduit to stretch... Show moreA tip on a catheter is bent to steer the distal end of the catheter by displacing a control fluid within an elongated fluid conduit to stretch one longitudinally extending side of the tip relative to an opposite longitudinally extending side of the tip. The stretched side bends about the shorter side with a radius of curvature larger than the radius of curvature for the shorter side of the tip. A longitudinal restraining means may be applied to the tip to assure that the tip always bends in the same direction with the fluid displacement. On the other hand, other catheters may be bent in several and predetermined directions by providing a plurality of discrete fluid control conduits and by establishing a fluid pressure differential in at least one of the conduits to cause its associated side to lengthen and bend relative to a portion of the tip associated with another control conduit. The catheter may be small in dimension, made inexpensively and restrained against expanding in diameter by a circumferential restraining means. Sponsorship: IIT Research Institute United States Patent Show less
This invention provides various biquinone and trimeric quinone derivatives. The invention also provides a method for synthesis of a multi... Show moreThis invention provides various biquinone and trimeric quinone derivatives. The invention also provides a method for synthesis of a multi-quinone compound including reacting a hydroxyquinone anion with a first quinone possessing a first directing group at a C-2 of the first quinone and a second directing group at a C-3 of the first quinone and obtaining a biquinone having one of the first and second directing groups at a C-3 of a first quinone monomer and a hydroxyl group at a C-3' of a second quinone monomer. The biquinone can be further reacted to obtain various biquinone derivatives or with a second hydroxyquinone anion to obtain trimeric quinone derivatives, including trimeric naphthoquinone derivatives. The biquinones and trimeric quinones of this invention demonstrate antiviral activity and can be used to treat viral infections, particularly HIV infections. Sponsorship: Illinois Institute of Technology United States Patent Show less
A method of electromagnetic heating in situ recovers liquid hydrocarbons from an oil shale formation containing kerogen in an inorganic matrix... Show moreA method of electromagnetic heating in situ recovers liquid hydrocarbons from an oil shale formation containing kerogen in an inorganic matrix where the formation is substantially impermeable to fluids under native conditions. A block of the oil shale formation is substantially uniformly heated in situ with electromagnetic power to a temperature of about 275.degree. C. where there is pyrolysis of a portion of the kerogen to gas and shale oil at a pressure sufficient to overcome the capillary pressure of the shale oil in the matrix, thereby providing substantial fluid permeability to the formation. The gas thereupon escaping from said block and the shale oil driven thereby are recovered, thereby further increasing the permeability of the formation. The magnitude of the electromagnetic power is controlled to raise the temperature of the block relatively slowly to increase the rate of pyrolysis of the kerogen as the permeability of the formation increases to produce gas at pressures above the necessary to overcome the capillary pressure and below that at which there is substantial escape of the gas bypassing shale oil within the formation rather than driving the oil before it. Sponsorship: IIT Research Institute United States Patent Show less