Archimedes Technology Group, Inc.

General Atomics, Inc.

General Atomic Company

Toyo Technologies, Inc.

Ga Technologies, Inc.

The United States of America As Represented by the United States

Archimedes Operating, LLC

Tihiro Ohkawa

Robert L Miller

Richard L Freeman

Sergei Putvinski

Stanley I Tsunoda

Robert R Goforth

Jack Chin

David A Hazlebeck

Lawrence D Woolf

Frederick H Elsner

Reagan W Moore

Hiroyuki Ikezi

Michael J Schaffer

Stephen F Agnew

Richard B Stephens

Albert J Lieber

Yuh-Ren Lin-Liu

Robert A Olstad

James R D'Aoust

Shiu-Chu Chiu

Peter A Politzer

Leigh Sevier

Charles C Baker

Vincent S Chan

John Gilleland

Ming Chu

A device for separating particles according to their respective masses includes a substantially cylindrical wall of inner radius, 'R', that surrounds a chamber and defines a longitudinal axis. A multi-species plasma having relatively cold ions is initiated at a first end of the chamber within a relatively small radius, 'r', from the longitudinal axis. A hollow cylinder having an outer radius, &#x201c;R&#x201d;, is positioned at the second end of the chamber and centered on the axis. Cross electric and magnetic fields (E&#xd7;B) are established in the chamber that are configured to send ions of relatively high mass on trajectories having a radial apogee, r, that is greater than the cylinder's outer radius (r&#x3e;R). After reaching apogee, these ions lose energy and strike the cylinder where they are collected. Low mass ions are placed on small radius helical trajectories and pass through the hollow cylinder.

Mass separator with controlled input

A band gap mass filter for separating particles of mass (M) from particles of mass (M) in a multi-species plasma includes a chamber defining an axis. Coils around the chamber generate an axially aligned magnetic field defined (B=B+Bsin &#x3c9;t), with an antenna generating the sinusoidal component (Bsin &#x3c9;t) to induce an azimuthal electric field (E) in the chamber. The resultant crossed electric and magnetic fields place particles Mon unconfined orbits for collection inside the chamber, and pass the particles Mthrough said chamber for separation from the particles M. Unconfined orbits for particles Mare determined according to an &#x3b1;-&#x3b2; plotwhere &#x3a9;is the cyclotron frequency for particles with mass/charge ratio M, and wherein &#x3a9;=B/M and &#x3a9;=B/M.

Band gap mass filter with induced azimuthal electric field

A device and method for pumping an electrolyte solution includes a conduit having a first end, a second end and a lumen for containing the electrolyte solution. An opening at each end of the conduit allows electrolyte solution to enter and exit the lumen of the conduit. The device further includes a ferroelectric member that is positioned along a portion of the conduit. The ferroelectric member is formed with a contact surface for interaction with the electrolyte solution. An electrode is positioned adjacent to the ferroelectric member to polarize the ferroelectric member and charge the contact surface. Driving electrodes are positioned to establish a potential difference in the electrolyte solution across the portion of the conduit containing the ferroelectric member.

Method for manipulating a solution using a ferroelectric electro-osmotic pump

A device for separating high mass to charge particles (M ) from low mass to charge particles (M ) in a plasma includes a cylindrical wall that surrounds a chamber and defines an axis. Rectangular shaped coils are mounted on the wall to establish a magnetic field, B , in the chamber that is aligned substantially perpendicular to the axis and which rotates about the axis. Circularly shaped coils are provided to generate a time-constant, axially aligned magnetic field, B , in the chamber. Passive, ring-shaped electrodes are positioned at the ends of the wall and connected to resistors which are then grounded. The rotating magnetic field, B , rotates the plasma in the axially aligned magnetic field, B , which in turn, induces a radially oriented electric field, E , in the chamber. The crossed fields (i.e. E &times;B ) cause the particles, M , to strike the wall while the particles, M , transit through the chamber.

Plasma mass filter with inductive rotational drive

A material separator includes a chamber and electrode(s) to create a radially oriented electric field in the chamber. Coils are provided to generate a magnetic field in the chamber. The separator further includes a launcher to propagate a high-frequency electromagnetic wave into the chamber to convert the material into a multi-species plasma. With the crossed electric and magnetic fields, low mass ions in the multi-species plasma are placed on small orbit trajectories and exit through the end of the chamber while high mass ions are placed on large orbit trajectories for capture at the wall of the chamber.

High frequency wave heated plasma mass filter

An apparatus for removing selected metal ions from a plasma includes a plasma chamber and at least one silica substrate mounted inside the chamber. More specifically, the substrate is exposed in the chamber so that when metal ions from the plasma contact the substrate they diffuse into the substrate to create a liquified layer. A receptacle is also provided to receive the liquid from the layer as it flows from the substrate.

Liquid substrate collector

An isotope separator includes a cylindrical chamber having first and second ends, and a length &ldquo;L.&rdquo; Inside the chamber, an E&times;B field is applied to produce plasma rotation. The energy in the plasma rotation is chosen to be much higher than the electron temperature which is clamped by radiation. As the plasma then transits the chamber through the length &ldquo;L&rdquo;, the electrons cool the thermal temperature of the isotope ions while maintaining the rotation. Under these conditions, the minority and majority isotopes become substantially separated from each other before they exit the chamber. To achieve this result, E&times;B is determined using mathematically derived expressions and, in compliance with these parameters, the length &ldquo;L&rdquo; of the chamber is determined so that the plasma residence time in the chamber, &tgr; , will be greater than the cooling time, &tgr; (&tgr; >&tgr; ) necessary to affect isotope separation.

Isotope separator

A high throughput plasma mass filter includes a substantially cylindrical shaped plasma chamber with structures for generating a magnetic field (B) that is crossed with an electric field (E) in the chamber (E&times;B). An injector introduces into the chamber a multi-species plasma having ions of different mass to charge ratios. To obtain high throughput (&Ggr;), the initial density of this multi-species plasma is considerably greater than a collisional density wherein there is a probability of &ldquo;one&rdquo; that an ion collision will occur within a single rotation of the ion under the influence of E&times;B. The length of the chamber is chosen to insure heavy ions can make their way to the wall before transiting the device.

High throughput plasma mass filter

A device and method for selectively establishing predetermined orbits, relative to an axis, for ions of a first mass/charge ratio (m ), requires crossing an electric field with a substantially uniform magnetic field (E&times;B). The magnetic field is oriented along the axis and the electric field has both a d.c. voltage component (&nabla;&PHgr; ) and an a.c. voltage component (&nabla;&PHgr; ). In operation, voltage &PHgr; is fixed to place the ions m on confined orbits around the axis when &PHgr; is zero. On the other hand, when &PHgr; is tuned to a predetermined value, the ions m are ejected away from the axis. With E&times;B established in a chamber, the ions m will pass through the chamber when on confined orbits (&PHgr; &equals;0), and they will be ejected into the wall of the chamber when on unconfined orbits (&PHgr; &equals;predetermined value).

Band gap plasma mass filter

An electro-osmotic pump, for transporting aqueous solutions in micro-fluidics, has a tubular-shaped pumping section which includes a pump tube that is connected in fluid communication with an extension tube. A thread of silica fibers is positioned in the lumen of the pump tube, and an aqueous solution that will interact with the thread is introduced into the pump tube lumen to charge the aqueous solution. In operation, a voltage potential is selectively applied between the pump tube and the extension tube to establish a ground-potential-ground electric field along the pumping section. This creates a force on the charged aqueous solution that moves it through the pump tube and, consequently, also moves fluid through the extension tube. Various embodiments of the electro-osmotic pump are envisioned, including the serial connection of several pumping sections, for use as valves, switches or pumps.

Fiber filled electro-osmotic pump

A device for separating high-mass ions (having cyclotron frequency &OHgr; ) from low-mass ions (having cyclotron frequency &OHgr; ) in a plasma includes a chamber. Coils are provided to generate a substantially uniform magnetic field in the chamber. An antenna is provided to launch a left-hand elliptically polarized electromagnetic wave into the chamber along the stationary magnetic field that is evanescent in the multi-species plasma. Importantly, the E vector of the elliptically polarized electromagnetic wave rotates at a frequency, &ohgr;, where &OHgr; <&ohgr;<&OHgr; . Ponderomotive forces are generated by the electromagnetic wave that cause the low-mass ions to move toward the antenna while causing the high-mass ions to move away from the antenna.

Plasma mass separator using ponderomotive forces

A plasma mass filter having features to prevent plasma loss through one end of the filter and thereby increase energy efficiency includes a cylindrical wave guide to surround a plasma. Coil(s) and electrode(s) are provided to establish crossed electric and magnetic fields within the wave guide to separate plasma ions according to their mass. A circularly polarized electromagnetic wave having specific characteristics is launched through a first end of the wave guide and into the plasma to generate ponderomotive forces on the plasma particles via photon reflection. These forces cause the plasma particles to move towards the second end of the wave guide and thus prevent plasma loss through the first end of the wave guide. This structure allows feed plasma to be continuously introduced into the first end of the wave guide for separation therein. A resonance cavity is provided to redirect the reflected photons back into the plasma.

Ponderomotive force plug for a plasma mass filter

A plasma mass filter for separating low-mass particles from high-mass particles in a multi-species plasma includes a substantially cylindrically shaped barrier surrounding a chamber and defining a longitudinal axis. Helically shaped coils are mounted on the barrier to establish a magnetic field in the chamber. Conducting rings are provided to establish a radially directed electric field in the chamber. The plasma is injected into the chamber for interaction with the electric and magnetic fields, placing the high-mass particles onto trajectories rotating about a guiding center that travels within a surface having a hyperbolic shape. The low-mass particles are placed onto trajectories rotating about a guiding center that travels within a surface having an elliptical shape. The fields create an axial force directing the particles away from the injection point. As such, the high-mass particles strike the inner wall of the barrier, while the low-mass particles transit through the chamber.

Helically symmetric plasma mass filter

In accordance with the present invention, a method for imaging a malignancy in a patient, in situ, requires feeding the patient a nutrient that is enriched with carbon 13 ( C). This feeding step can be accomplished either orally or intravenously, and can last for approximately 24 hours. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) techniques are then used on the patient with rf energy that is tuned to the nuclear resonance of C. An image of selected tissue in the patient is thereby created, and this image is thereafter evaluated for any concentrations of C that will delineate a malignancy. If present, the malignancy can then be treated. A subsequent (feeding)/(MRI imaging) procedure may be performed. The image that is created in this subsequent procedure can then be compared with the image that was created in the first procedure to determine the efficacy of the treatment, or to determine a growth rate for the malignancy.

Method for imaging malignant tumors using carbon 13 with MRI

A stochastic cyclotron ion filter for separating ions in a multi-species plasma according to mass uses an electrical field (E) crossed with a magnetic field (B). In particular, the electric field is stochastically generated by an amplified noise source with a band pass filter that passes only frequencies in an interval between &ohgr; and &ohgr; . The filter also includes a cylindrical chamber for receiving the multi-species plasma, and coils are used to generate the magnetic field inside the chamber. In operation, the stochastically generated electric field resonates with particles in the plasma that have a cyclotron frequency &OHgr; in the frequency interval (&ohgr; <&OHgr;<&ohgr; ). In one embodiment, an electrode is mounted at one end of the chamber, and the electrode is connected with the amplifier to establish the electrical field in the chamber. In another embodiment, an electromagnetic coil is mounted on the chamber and is connected with the amplifier to induce the electrical field in the chamber. For both embodiments, particles having resonant cyclotron frequencies &OHgr; in the frequency interval (&ohgr; <&OHgr;<&ohgr; ) are accelerated into larger orbital paths than other particles in the plasma and, thereby, are separated for collection.

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La Jolla, CA, United States of America

Tihiro Ohkawa