Iit Research Institute

Uentech Corporation

Other

Interstitial, LLC

Pyrophase, Inc.

Ors Development Corporation

Gas Research Institute

Stericycle, Inc.

Eor International, Inc.

Allied Corporation

Uentech International Corporation

Jack E Bridges

Guggilam C Sresty

Allen Taflove

Thomas J Bajzek

Richard H Snow

James W Sharp

Harsh Dev

Vincent R Young

Homer L Spencer

Jeffrey S Held

Jeffery S Held

Susan Carol Hagness

Kenneth E Hofer

Joseph O Enk

George T Dubiel

Armin Hassanzadeh

Todd R Henry

Marvin J Frazier

Larry G Smith

Arthur Handelman

Milica Popovic

Richard Jambor

Guggliam C Sresty

Alan Sahakian

Robert J Sutkowski

Randall M Smith

Allen Taflov

Denis E Jones, Ii

An electric barrier to limit crossing of a border or perimeter. It consists of rows of vertical electrodes installed underground or above ground. It has two modes of operation. In an RF heating mode a generator powers electric fields to heat the ground in a pattern around the fence. A temperature may be reached which makes human occupation of tunnels untenable. Humans may also be subjected to RF radiation effects, especially if the frequency is tuned to a resonant frequency of tunnel cavities. Detection of a resonant frequency by suitable instrumentation may also indicate the presence of tunnels. In another mode occupants of a tunnel may be subjected to shock from an electric pulse, without heating, depending on small amounts of moisture to transmit the pulse through soil to the tunnel.

Electric defense field

A dipole antenna system emplaced in a subsurface formation is configured to produce radio frequency (RF) fields for recovery of thermally responsive constituents in a subsurface formation. Coaxially disposed inner and outer conductors connected at an earth surface to an RF power source form a transmission line carrying power from the earth surface to a dipole antenna proximate said formation. The inner conductor protrudes from the outer conductor at a junction forming one pole of the antenna. The system also includes at least one choke structure attached to the outer conductor at a distance at least &#xbc; wavelength above said junction, confining the RF fields such that the exposed portion of the outer conductor between the junction and the choke forms a second pole of the antenna. The dipole system is configured to confine a majority of said RF fields in a volume of said formation situated adjacent to the antenna. The antenna deposits heat into the formation around an oil well independent of the flow of oil carrying heat back into the well. Such heating provides several mechanisms to enhance the flow of oil into a well.

Stimulating production from oil wells using an RF dipole antenna

A system for heating at least a part of a subsurface hydro carbonaceous earth formation forms a borehole into or adjacent to the formation, places elongated coaxial inner and outer conductors into the borehole with the inner and outer conductors electrically connected to each other at a depth below the top of the formation, and connects an AC power source to at least the outer conductor to produce heat in at least one of the conductors. The AC output has a controlled frequency, and the outer conductor comprises a standard oil well component made of a ferromagnetic material that conducts current from the AC power source in only a surface region of the conductor due to the skin effect phenomenon. More heat is dissipated from portions of the conductor that is within the depth range of the formation than from other portions of the conductor.

Radio frequency technology heater for unconventional resources

A system for heating at least a part of a subsurface hydro carbonaceous earth formation forms a borehole into or adjacent to the formation, places elongated coaxial inner and outer conductors into the borehole with the inner and outer conductors electrically connected to each other at a depth below the top of the formation, and connects an AC power source to at least the outer conductor to produce heat in at least one of the conductors. The AC output has a controlled frequency, and the outer conductor comprises a standard oil well component made of a ferromagnetic material that conducts current from the AC power source in only a surface region of the conductor due to the skin effect phenomenon. More heat is dissipated from portions of the conductor that is within the depth range of the formation than from other portions of the conductor. The inner conductor may optionally be a standard tubular oil well component made of a ferromagnetic material that conducts current from the AC power source in only a surface region of the conductor due to the skin effect phenomenon.

A microwave breast cancer imaging method that includes an examination table that is both comfortable and reliable is provided that includes a support system and an orientation system such that breasts can remain in a fixed position to allow for scanning. A horizontal microwave and optically transparent scan plate forms part of the top of the examination table. The imprint of the breasts on the scan plate may be visually displayed to aid in the orienting of each breast such that all volumes within the breast are scanned. Microwave power is then scanned upward through the scan plate to develop a microwave response that is indicative of the presence of a lesion. After scanning, the visual imprint of the breast is recorded. As needed, microwave equipment can be included within a microwave shielded enclosure that also forms part of the scan table. Spurious leakage of microwave power may be further suppressed by use of microwave-absorbing materials, within the enclosure and, in the padding that covers the surface of the examination table and removable pads.

Apparatus and method for diagnosing breast cancer including examination table

The vast North American oil shale and tar sand deposits offer the potential to make USA energy independent. However, if these deposits were produced by the existing combustion processes, substantial CO2 emissions would be injected in to air. To avoid this green house gas problem and yet produce liquid fuels, an electro-thermal energy storage system that may be wind-powered is described. It stores the unpredictable, intermittent (e.g., wind) electrical energy over long periods as thermal energy in fossil hydrocarbon deposits. Because the thermal diffusion time is very slow in such deposits, the thermal energy is effectively trapped in a defined section of a hydrocarbon deposit. This allows time for the thermal energy to convert hydrocarbons into gaseous and liquid fuels. It can also use a portion of the fuel to regenerate electrical power into the electrical grid of higher energy content than was initially stored. In addition, the method can increase the reliability of the grid and provide a load leveling function.

Electro thermal in situ energy storage for intermittent energy sources to recover fuel from hydro carbonaceous earth formations

A non-invasive method to detect vascularization associated with one or more malignant tumors in living tissue of a living organism, where dielectric properties of the vascularization are different than dielectric properties of normal living tissue. In one embodiment, a non-ionizing input wave within a wide band frequency range is generated, and the input wave is applied to a field excitation antenna to illuminate a discrete volume within the living tissue of the living organism and to develop scattered power returns from the discrete volume. A receiving antenna then collects at least a portion of the scattered power returns. The scattered power returns are detected and then applied to a signal processor to develop a segregated signal, which is then processed in order to identify the vascularization associated with one or more malignant tumors.

Microwave discrimination between malignant and benign breast tumors

An electrical heating method and apparatus for minerals wells having a metallic fluid admission section located adjacent a hydrocarbonaceous reservoir of a heterogeneous reservoir that has at least two longitudinally spaced producing intervals having different thermal heat transfer characteristic. The method includes providing a downhole electrically energized heater having at least two independently controlled heating elements spaced longitudinally apart from each other. At least one of the heating elements is positioned near a first of the producing intervals adjacent the fluid admission section. The second of the heating elements is positioned near a second of the producing intervals adjacent the fluid admission section. Electrical energy is supplied to each of the heating elements to increase the temperature of the producing interval near each of the heating elements where the temperature is measured adjacent each of the heating elements and the quantity of electrical power supplied to each of the heating elements is controlled in accordance with the thermal transfer characteristic of each of the producing intervals to realize a specific temperature need near each of the heating elements. The apparatus includes a downhole electrically energized heater having at least two independently controlled heater elements. Electrical conductors conduct a source of electrical energy located above the ground near the top of the well to the heater elements to independently supply energy to each of the heater elements. A temperature sensor is provided for each of the heater elements to measure the temperature adjacent each of the elements and a control is provided for varying the quantity of electrical energy to supply to each of the heater elements in accordance with a specific temperature near each of the heater elements.

Optimum oil-well casing heating

A microwave antenna for use in a system for detecting an incipient tumor in living tissue such as that of a human breast in accordance with differences in relative dielectric characteristics. In the system a generator produces a non-ionizing electromagnetic input wave of preselected frequency, usually exceeding three gigahertz, and that input wave is used to irradiate a discrete volume in the living tissue with a non-ionizing electromagnetic wave. The illumination location is shifted in a predetermined scanning pattern. Scattered signal returns from the living tissue are collected and processed to segregate skin tissue scatter and to develop a segregated backscatter or return wave signal; that segregated signal, in turn, is employed to detect any anomaly indicative of the presence of a tumor or other abnormality in the scanned living tissue. The present invention is directed to a composite Maltese Cross or bow-tie antenna construction employed to irradiate the living tissue and to collect backscatter or other scatter returns.

Microwave antenna for cancer detection system

Ion exchange resins contaminated with a radioactive component are treated by exposing the contaminated ion exchange resins to a bound radio frequency electric field for uniformly heating them to drive off water. The dried ion exchange resins are then uniformly heated by a transversely uniform bound radio frequency electric field to a second higher temperature which chemically inactivates the functional groups of the ion exchange resins to destroy their hydrophilic property and convert them to a stabilized product for long-term safe storage.

Method for treating radioactive waste

A method and system for detecting an incipient tumor in living tissue such as that of a human breast in accordance with differences in relative dielectric characteristics. A generator produces a non-ionizing electromagnetic input wave of preselected frequency, usually exceeding three gigahertz, and that input wave is used to irradiate the living tissue, being effectively focused into a minute, discrete volume within the tissue to develop a non-ionizing electromagnetic wave at that position. The illumination location is shifted over a portion of the living tissue in a predetermined scanning pattern. Backscatter signal returns from the living tissue are collected to develop a backscatter return signal wave. The backscatter wave is processed to segregate skin tissue backscatter to develop a segregated backscatter wave signal; that segregated signal, in turn, is employed to detect any anomaly, caused by differences in relative dielectric characteristics, that is indicative of the presence of a tumor or other abnormality in the scanned living tissue.

Microwave method and system to detect and locate cancers in heterogenous

A method for detecting an incipient tumor in living tissue such as that of a human breast in accordance with differences in relative dielectric characteristics. A generator produces a non-ionizing electromagnetic input wave of preselected frequency, usually exceeding three gigahertz, and that input wave is used to illuminate the living tissue, being effectively focused into a small, discrete volume within the tissue to develop a non-ionizing electromagnetic wave at that position. The illumination location is moved over a portion of the living tissue in a predetermined scanning pattern. Scattered signal returns collected from the living tissue are collected to develop a scatter return signal. The scatter return signal is employed to detect any anomaly, caused by differences in relative dielectric characteristics, that maybe indicative of the presence of a tumor in the scanned living tissue.

Breast cancer detection, imaging and screening by electromagnetic

An electrical heating system for enhancing production from an oil well, particularly an oil well of the kind commonly known as a horizontal well, the well including an initial well bore extending downwardly from the surface of the earth through one or more overburden formations and communicating with a producing well bore extending from the initial well bore into at least one oil producing formation. The producing well bore may or may not be truly horizontal The heating system includes an electrode array comprising a plurality of at least three tubular, electrically conductive heating electrodes extending through the producing well bore. Each electrode has a given length, usually two to three meters, and a smaller diameter D. The sum of the electrode lengths is substantially less than the length of the producing well bore. The electrodes are spaced from each other by isolation sections; the length of an isolation section is much greater than the electrode diameter D. The heating system further includes an electrical power delivery apparatus for energizing the electrodes with A.C. power, but with a phase displacement of at least 90.degree..

Iterated electrodes for oil wells

A control for an electrical heating system that enhances production from an oil well, particularly a horizontal oil well; the well includes an initial well bore extending downwardly from the surface of the earth through one or more overburden formations and into communication with a producing well bore that extends or deviates outwardly from the initial well bore into an oil producing formation. The heating system includes an array of short, electrically conductive heating electrodes extending longitudinally through the producing well bore. The heating system further includes apparatus for electrically energizing electrodes that are close to each other with A.C. power; the A.C. power supplied to electrodes near each other has a phase displacement of at least 90.degree., usually 120.degree. or 180.degree., between electrodes. The control Includes plural power switches, each connected to at least one heating electrode; each power switch is conductive only up to a predetermined limit (usually a temperature limit). In one embodiment, each power switch includes a sensor responsive to the operating condition of its heating electrode. Another embodiment employs a telemeter circuit to actuate the power switches with sensors that are separate from the power switches.

Selective excitation of heating electrodes for oil wells

Low-flux-leakage cables and cable terminations for an A.C. electrical heating system that heats a fluid reservoir around a mineral fluid well, usually an oil well; the system utilizes A.C. electrical heating power in a range of 25 to 1000 Hz. The well has a borehole extending down through overburden formations and through a subterranean fluid reservoir; the well includes an electrically conductive upper casing in the overburden, an electrically conductive heating electrode located in the reservoir, and an electrically insulating casing between the upper casing and the heating electrode. The cable extends down through the upper casing and is connected to the heating electrode to supply electrical power to the electrode. The power cable has two or three electrical conductors which are electrically isolated from each other, enclosed within a steel sheath. The conductors are electrically terminated within a zone that immediately surrounds the heating electrode and adjacent formations; there is a net vertical current of approximately zero in the conductors so that eddy current and skin effect losses in the steel sheath are minimized. For a two-conductor cable, one conductor is connected to the well casing and the other is connected to the electrode.

Growing community of inventors

Park Ridge, IL, United States of America

Jack E Bridges