Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100314108 | Dual-Function Nano-Sized Particles - Dual-function nano-sized particles or nanoparticles may be effective at fixating or reducing fines migration and they may facilitate identification of a particular zone in a well having more than one zone. In some embodiments the dual-function nanoparticles are tagged with a detectable material that is distinguishable from the composition of the primary nanoparticle component. In these embodiments, the taggant material rather than the primary component of the nanoparticles may be used to enable identification of a particular zone. The nanoparticles (with or without taggant) may be added to a treatment fluid containing carrier particles such as proppant. The treatment fluid is pumped downhole to one of the zones; each zone receiving its own unique or uniquely-tagged nanoparticles. Should one of the zones fail, the composition of the nanoparticles (or its taggant) produced on the carrier particles may be correlated to the zone from which it was received, and hence produced. | 12-16-2010 |
20110266058 | PDC Sensing Element Fabrication Process and Tool - A Polycrystalline Diamond Compact (PDC) cutter for a rotary drill bit is provided with an integrated sensor and circuitry for making measurements of a property of a fluid in the borehole and/or an operating condition of the drill bit. A method of manufacture of the PDC cutter and the rotary drill bit is discussed. | 11-03-2011 |
20120245058 | Graphene-Containing Fluids for Oil and Gas Exploration and Production - A base fluid may contain graphene nanoparticles where the base fluid may include an oil-based fluid, a water-based fluid, and combinations thereof. The oil-based fluid may be a brine-in-oil emulsion, or a water-in-oil emulsion, and the water-based fluid may be an oil-in-water emulsion, or an oil-in-brine emulsion; and combinations thereof. The addition of graphene nanoparticles to the base fluid may improve one or more properties of the fluid, which may include the flow assurance properties of the fluid, the fluid loss control properties of the fluid, the rheological properties of the fluid, the stability of the fluid, the lubricity of the fluid, the electrical properties of the fluid, the viscosity of the fluid, the thermal properties of the fluid, and combinations thereof. The fluid may be a drilling fluid, a completion fluid, a production fluid, and/or a servicing fluid. | 09-27-2012 |
20130134981 | CRYSTAL SENSOR MADE BY ION IMPLANTATION - Disclosed is a method for producing a crystal sensor. The method includes selecting a crystal configured to sense a property of interest. The method further includes implanting ions in the crystal using ion-implantation to produce a conductive region within the crystal where the conductive region is capable of providing a signal to sense the property of interest. Also disclosed is a method and apparatus for estimating a property of interest using the crystal sensor in a borehole penetrating the earth. | 05-30-2013 |
20130261030 | Fluids for use with High-frequency Downhole Tools - A fluid may contain nanoparticles and a base fluid where the base fluid may be a non-aqueous fluid. The base fluid may be, but is not limited to a drilling fluid, a completion fluid, a production fluid, and/or a stimulation fluid. The fluid may have at least one property, such as but not limited to a dielectric constant ranging from about 5 to about 10,000, an electrical conductivity ranging from about 1×10 | 10-03-2013 |
20140374267 | METHOD TO PRODUCE METAL MATRIX NANOCOMPOSITE - A method for coating a substrate includes disposing a deposition composition in a container. The deposition composition includes a plurality of nanosheets and a metal material. The method also includes disposing a substrate in the container, contacting the substrate with the deposition composition, applying a voltage to the substrate, electrodepositing, on the substrate, a coating that includes a metal from metal ions and the nanosheets in response to biasing the substrate at the first potential. | 12-25-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120216990 | Heat Removal in Drilling and Production Operations - Working fluids, such as drilling fluids, may remove heat from other fluids, tools, equipments and environments and transfer it to other locations by using reversible phase change elements. The heat removal occurs through the absorption of heat by one or more phase transitions or a sequence of phase transitions in the elements of the working fluid. For instance, heat is absorbed when the phase change portions of the reversible phase change elements change phase including, but not necessarily limited to, a change from solid to smectic liquid crystal, from solid to nematic liquid crystal, from smectic liquid crystal to isotropic liquid, from nematic liquid crystal to isotropic liquid, from solid to isotropic liquid, and sequences and combinations thereof. Heat is released when the phase change reverses. These phase changes are first-order transitions and are associated with a latent heat or enthalpy. | 08-30-2012 |
20120322694 | Electrically Conductive Oil-Base Fluids for Oil and Gas Applications - A base fluid may contain nanoparticles where the base fluid may include a non-aqueous fluid, an aqueous fluid, and combinations thereof. The fluid may have a resistivity range of from about 0.02 ohm-m to about 1,000,000 ohm-m. The non-aqueous fluid may be a brine-in-oil emulsion, or a water-in-oil emulsion; and the aqueous fluid may be an oil-in-water emulsion, or an oil-in-brine emulsion; and combinations thereof. The addition of nanoparticles to the base fluid may improve or increase the electrical conductivity and other electrical properties of the fluid. The fluid may be a drilling fluid, a completion fluid, a production fluid, and/or a stimulation fluid. | 12-20-2012 |
20130152824 | ELECTROLYTIC COMPOSITE MATERIALS - A composition comprising a metallic composition, an inorganic oxide-based polymer, and a solvent. A cure product of the metallic composition, inorganic oxide-based polymer, and solvent, the cure product having a network structure, are also disclosed. | 06-20-2013 |
20150218432 | HEAT REMOVAL IN DRILLING AND PRODUCTION OPERATIONS - Working fluids, such as drilling fluids, may remove heat from other fluids, tools, equipments and environments and transfer it to other locations by using reversible phase change elements. The heat removal occurs through the absorption of heat by one or more phase transitions or a sequence of phase transitions in the elements of the working fluid. For instance, heat is absorbed when the phase change portions of the reversible phase change elements change phase including, but not necessarily limited to, a change from solid to smectic liquid crystal, from solid to nematic liquid crystal, from smectic liquid crystal to isotropic liquid, from nematic liquid crystal to isotropic liquid, from solid to isotropic liquid, and sequences and combinations thereof. Heat is released when the phase change reverses. These phase changes are first-order transitions and are associated with a latent heat or enthalpy. | 08-06-2015 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100082076 | Method and means for connecting and controlling a large number of contacts for electrical cell stimulation in living organisms - An improved electrode for neural stimulation, including deep brain stimulation, cortical stimulation, muscle stimulation and other similar applications. The improvement of our invention over prior art consisting of the possibility of a larger number of electrode pads from where to originate the electrical stimulation, thereby offering the possibility of fine control of the location of the stimulating signal. Our invention discloses a system of address wires which controls switches and demultiplexers to select one of a plurality of wires and one of a plurality of electrode pads from where the electric stimulation starts, and latches that maintain some selected choices after the address buses go on to select other wires and other electrode tips. Our invention also discloses time delay lines which are used to keep the stimulating pulses for a pre-assigned time, after which the stimulating pulses stop until further instruction to start again. | 04-01-2010 |
20100182405 | Method for transferring images with incoherent randomly arranged fiber optical bundle and for displaying images with randomly arranged pixels - A method and means to use randomly arranged fibers assembled together in a bundle that is capable of conveying images from an inaccessible location to a more accessible, convenient or safe location for viewing. Allows for mixing fibers of different diameters. Random distribution of fibers decreases the packing fraction, offering in exchange easiness of manufacturing and decrease in production cost. System can be also used for display units, including computer monitors, home TV, movie theatres, public display announcement boards, as airport, trains stations, highway instructions and billboard advertising. As display units, random assembled fibers are organized at the display end at the display shape, usually rectangular, from where light is emitted towards the viewer. At the illuminating end, light enters the individual fibers from multicolored lasers or other light sources which are controlled by single or multiple video boards and computers. | 07-22-2010 |
20110276101 | Device and means to obstruct propagation of electromagnetic radiation in implanted body electrodes - A device to improve the safety of neuronal, heart, muscle and organ electrical stimulation devices during MRI scanning. The device consists of means to open and/or closing the circuit to the electrical stimulation device and to the battery pack, while, concomitantly, closing and/or opening another circuit to a dedicated path that dissipates the stored energy induced by the radiofrequency used in imaging MRI. | 11-10-2011 |
20120029590 | Method and means to adjust the positioning of stimulating neural and muscular electrode - A device for electrical stimulation of the brain, heart, and other neurons and muscles, capable of modifying the electrical activity of its environment in ways that are desirable for a better life style of a patient with brain, heart, or other problems. When used for brain stimulation, the device is able to superimpose an electrical current on the natural current that happens to occur, when the natural currents cause some undesirable effect, as in Parkinson's disease. When used for heart stimulation, the device is able to superimpose an electrical current on the natural current that happens to occur, originating at the sino-atrial node, which causes a healthy heart to pump blood to the lungs and to the body. The device offers an improvement over prior art of being capable of adjusting the position of the stimulating electrodes. | 02-02-2012 |
20120203299 | Method and means to address and make use of multiple electrodes for measurements and electrical stimulation in neurons and other cells including brain and heart - A cell stimulating and measuring device which contains a larger number of electrodes than used in current stimulators and measuring devices. The larger number of electrodes is possible with the implementation of an addressing system to choose one or a plurality of electrodes from a larger set of available electrodes to be active. Moreover, the digital address and control lines passing from the battery/control electronics unit, to the stimulator and measuring device which contains the electrodes, are sent in serial form, which decreases the space used by the wires that must be minimized in a device implanted in a living organism. The system can be used to send current to electrically stimulate cells, and to connect the same, or other electrodes to a measuring unit for data collection, which can be used either for clinical or for research use. | 08-09-2012 |
20120289823 | Animal and plant cell electric stimulator with randomized spatial distribution of electrodes for both current injection and for electric field shaping - An electric stimulator for heart, brain, organs and general cells with a random shape and position of electrodes which enhances its performance for breaking the symmetry. Two types of electrodes are introduced: type-1, or active electrodes are similar to prior art, while type-2, or passive electrodes have not been used in this context. Passive electrodes are electrically insulated, being unable to inject current in the surrounding medium, but they are capable of shaping the electric field, which has consequence on the path of the stimulating currents injected by type-1 electrodes. | 11-15-2012 |
20130072778 | Redundant connections to picafina probing device - A picafina device that is an electrode for measurement of neuron electrical activity where the number of measurement points is very large, and methods of selecting a subset of available measuring electrodes on the surface of the device. The device can keep the selection for a predetermined length of time, or for an indefinite length of time, both under control of the researcher or the neurosurgeon. Selecting a different measuring pad, or a combination of pads, is equivalent to making measurement at a different location or on a nearby neuron. Several parallel measurements can be made, in which case correlations can be made between the firing of different neurons. | 03-21-2013 |
20140012347 | System and method to obstruct propagation of electromagnetic radiation induced in implanted body electrodes - A device to improve the safety of neuronal, heart, muscle and organ electrical stimulation devices during MRI scanning. The device consists of means to disconnect the electrical stimulation device, the battery pack and controlling electronics from the connecting wires, while, concomitantly, introducing an extra network to dissipate the induced radio frequency energy with the objective of preventing the build-up of electric potential (usually called voltage in US) at the switch gap, with consequently destruction of the switch. | 01-09-2014 |
20140107451 | DBS and heart electrical stimulation and measurements with multiple electrodes - A picafina device for electrical stimulation and electrical measurements of neural and muscular cells, which is capable of electrical measurements of cells in the neighborhood of the picafina device and also of electrical stimulation at different voltages and current levels. | 04-17-2014 |
20140135607 | Multiple electrodes and connecting wires for neural and muscular stimulation and measurement device - A device to make multiple, simultaneous measurements of electrical activity on neural, muscular and other animal cells. The invention discloses multiple electrodes at fixed position on a supporting structure and multiple wires to connect the electrodes to one or more measuring devices. The electrodes are preferentially closed spaced, to allow for small spatial discrimination between measurement points. The electrodes and the wires are selected by binary addresses. The device is also capable of injecting electrical stimulation using electrodes not in use for measurements. An injected electrical stimulation at a first location may be created to measure the effect of a well-known event at another location or locations, near or far away. | 05-15-2014 |
20140222018 | Device and means for adjusting the position of DBS brain and other neural and muscular implants - A device, method and means to adjust the position of a picafina Deep Brain Stimulator (DBS). It is notoriously difficult to find the correct positioning of the picafina for best stimulating results, because it is not possible for the neurosurgeon to visually observe its position. We disclose a device, method and means to adjust the position of the picafina after it is inserted in the brain, for the best stimulating effect. | 08-07-2014 |
20140222107 | System of redundant wires and connectors for picafina DBS and heart pacemaker electrical stimulating device implanted in animals including human animals - A system to increase the reliability of the electrical connections between the electrodes and the battery/controlling electronics of an electrical stimulating device as DBS (Deep Brain Stimulator), heart pacemakers and the like. We disclose a redundant male/female connector and/or a set of redundant wires to improve the reliability of the connections between the electrodes at a first location and the battery/controlling electronics at a second location. The redundant male/female connector serves as a backup for a potential loss of electrical continuity due to the adverse effect of body fluids, and the redundant wires serve as a backup for potential loss of electrical continuity due to repetitive muscle movement causing wire movement and stress. DBS connecting wires, that ran behind the ear down the neck of the patient, are subjected to repetitive stresses due to neck twisting and therefore at high risk of breaking. | 08-07-2014 |
20150124008 | Method and means to prevent the formation of visible lines and other image artifacts on illuminated displays - A method and a system to decrease the appearance of undesirable straight lines on a picture which are not part of the intended image, on announcement surfaces as street announcing boards, airport and train station announcers, street and indoors announcing boards, conference displays, TV and computer monitors and the like, which discloses a hexagonal module populated with individual pixels of light origination, the combination of many such hexagonal modules being able to substantially cover the desired surface. Within each module the light pixels are arranged in row-column, hexagonal close-packed or other industrially easy to produce order, yet breaking the display edge-to-edge row-column matrix arrangement used by previous display devices. The invention also discloses a hexagon shaped module which breaks the continuous seam line between adjoining square or rectangular blocks of light, and also discloses smaller variations within each hexagonal module, to further breaks the continuity of pixel light positioning from one haxagonal module to the next ones. | 05-07-2015 |
20150134022 | Cell electric stimulator with separate electrodes for electrical field shaping and for stimulation - An electric stimulator for heart, brain, organs and general cells with a possibly random shape and position of electrodes which enhances its performance for breaking the symmetry. Two types of electrodes are introduced: type-1, or active electrodes are similar to prior art, while type-2, or passive electrodes have not been used in this context. Passive electrodes are electrically insulated, being unable to inject current in the surrounding medium, but they are capable of shaping the electric field, which has consequence on the path of the stimulating currents injected by type-1 electrodes. The invention also discloses a supercapacitor-type passive electrode of type-2, which maximizes the stored charge on the electrode—therefore increasing the electric field magnitude created by it. | 05-14-2015 |
20150273206 | Method and means to adjust the positioning of stimulating neural and muscular electrode - An electric stimulator for brain, heart, skin and internal organs in animals and plants where the electrodes are distributed on a supporting structure. The supporting structure may be adapted for brain, heart, skin or other internal organs, as for DBS, heart pacemaker, TENS, etc. The invention discloses also a plurality of electrodes at the surface of the supporting structure, from which electrically stimulating currents can be injected into the organism. Moreover, turning off an electrode while turning on a neighboring electrode, has the effect of moving the stimulation within the body of the organism from one point to a neighboring point, with the same effect but with less spent energy than physically moving the whole electrode support. We call this electrode shifting. Rotational and translational electrode shifting are possible. | 10-01-2015 |
20150290464 | Method and means for connecting and telecontrolling a large number of electrodes for electrical cell stimulation in living organisms - A system for neural and muscular stimulation, including DBS, cortical and muscle stimulation, heart pacemakers and similar applications. The improvement of our invention over prior art consisting of the possibility of a larger number of electrode pads from where to originate the electrical stimulation for better control of the process. Our invention discloses a system of address wires which controls switches and demultiplexers to select one of a plurality of wires and one of a plurality of electrode pads from where the electric stimulation starts, and latches that maintain some selected choices after the address buses go on to select other wires and other electrode tips. Our invention also discloses time delay lines which are used to keep the stimulating pulses for a pre-assigned time. Finally, our invention discloses telecontrol to select the active electrodes. | 10-15-2015 |