The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 26, 2003
Filed:
Jul. 29, 1999
Otward Maria Mueller, Ballston Lake, NY (US);
Other;
Abstract
Commercially available diode lasers are operated immersed in liquid nitrogen (LN2, 77 K), in another cryo-fluid, or are cryo-cooled (77 K-250 K) by conduction in all high-power (>0.1 W) applications. The result is higher output power per diode chip area, higher conversion efficiency, lower cost per watt of laser power, longer lifetime, higher reliability, smaller thermal gradients inside the laser chip and therefore better thermal management due to the higher thermal conductivity of the semiconductor and substrate material. The cryo-diode lasers are driven by cryogenically cooled and integrated power electronics ciruitry using Cryo-MOSFETs or Cryo-CMOS ICs. Applications of the Cryo-Diode Laser/Cryo-Driver assembly include generation of hyperpolarized He-3 or Xe-129 gases for inert gas magnetic resonance imaging of the airways in human beings, metal and materials working and processing with laser tools, “pumping” solid-state lasers and many others. In high-power laser applications, the invention makes use of the “load shedding” capability of liquid nitrogen. The Cryo-Diode Laser/Cryo-Driver assembly can also be supplied with cooling fluid from an LN2 distribution system provided by a HTS cable. MLI is used for energy storage in laser pulse power applications.