Michael G Yost

Title: Michael G Yost: Innovator in Atmospheric Sensing Technologies

Introduction

Michael G Yost is a prominent inventor based in Mercer Island, WA (US). He has made significant contributions to the field of atmospheric sensing technologies, holding 2 patents that focus on innovative methods for quantifying atmospheric gases and mapping air contaminants.

Latest Patents

One of his latest patents is titled "Transmission quantification of open path FTIR spectra with temperature compensation." This invention presents a novel approach to quantifying the concentration of key atmospheric gases, such as water vapor and methane. It does not require a background spectrum and is immune to changes between background and absorbance spectra. By utilizing local minima and maxima in the transmission of a target gas, this method creates two spectral arrays based on a single beam input spectrum. One array represents less absorbing points, while the other represents more absorbing points. A concentration for a given gas is calculated by determining the reference concentration that creates a residual after division by a pure gas spectrum, forcing the two arrays to converge.

Another significant patent is "Mapping air contaminants using path-integrated optical remote sensing with a non-overlapping variable path length beam geometry." This invention utilizes Path Integrated Optical Remote Sensing (PI-ORS) instruments to provide Path Integrated Concentration (PIC) data corresponding to particulate concentrations in the scanned region. Unlike prior methods that require numerous intersecting beam paths, this invention can produce spatial concentration maps using considerably fewer optical beams. A non-overlapping radial beam geometry is employed to generate PIC data, which is then processed to create a spatial concentration map. The PIC data indicate the cumulative spatial concentration distribution of contaminants in the sampling region, and various reconstruction algorithms can be applied to estimate the cumulative distribution function of the contaminants.

Career Highlights

Michael G Yost is affiliated with the University of Washington, where he continues to advance research in atmospheric sensing technologies. His work has significantly impacted the field, providing innovative solutions for environmental monitoring.

Collaborations

He has collaborated with notable colleagues, including Ram Hashmonay and Robert S Crampton, contributing to the advancement of atmospheric science and technology.

Conclusion

Michael G Yost is a distinguished inventor whose work in atmospheric sensing technologies has led to innovative patents that enhance our understanding of environmental contaminants. His contributions continue to shape the field and provide valuable tools for monitoring atmospheric conditions.