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:
Apr. 19, 2011
Filed:
Jun. 12, 2002
Kirk S. Schanze, Gainesville, FL (US);
John R. Reynolds, Gainesville, FL (US);
James M. Boncella, Gainesville, FL (US);
Paul H. Holloway, Gainesville, FL (US);
Benjamin Scott Harrison, Cantonment, FL (US);
Tim Foley, Gainesville, FL (US);
Sriram Ramakrishnan, Bangalore, IN;
Kirk S. Schanze, Gainesville, FL (US);
John R. Reynolds, Gainesville, FL (US);
James M. Boncella, Gainesville, FL (US);
Paul H. Holloway, Gainesville, FL (US);
Benjamin Scott Harrison, Cantonment, FL (US);
Tim Foley, Gainesville, FL (US);
Sriram Ramakrishnan, Bangalore, IN;
University of Florida Research Foundation, Inc., Gainesville, FL (US);
Abstract
The subject invention pertains to a method, apparatus, and composition of matter for producing near-infrared (near-IR) radiation. The subject invention can incorporate a polymer and a metal-containing compound, wherein the metal-containing compound can incorporate a metal-ligand complex, wherein when the metal-ligand complex becomes excited, energy is transferred from the ligand to the metal, wherein, the energy transferred to the metal by sensitization is emitted as near-infrared radiation. In a specific embodiment, the subject invention relates to a composition of matter having a luminescent polymer and a metal containing compound where the metal containing compound incorporates a metal-ligand complex such that the absorption spectrum of the metal-ligand complex at least partially overlaps with the emission spectrum of the luminescent polymer. As the absorption spectrum of the metal-ligand complex at least partially overlaps with the emission spectrum of the luminescent polymer, when the luminescent polymer becomes electronically excited energy can be transferred from the luminescent polymer to the metal-ligand complex. At least a portion of the energy transferred from the luminescent polymer to the metal-ligand complex can then be emitted by the metal-ligand complex as near-infrared radiation. The subject invention can incorporate polymers which are conjugated or non-conjugated and luminescent or non-luminescent. In a specific embodiment, conjugated polymers which are luminescent can be utilized.