Did You Know...
...that in 1800 ether was first used by partyers as a fun diversion? Sniffing the gas led to hilarious and raucous laughter as people watched each other become more and more intoxicated and silly. Several doctors independently realized the value ether would have to anesthetize surgery patients. Of those who claimed rights to the "discovery," none had a happy ending. One had a seizure and died defending his rights. Another spent his life in an asylum because he had been denied acclaim. A third became addicted to chloroform and, in a New York City jail, he soaked a cloth in the drug, severed an artery and bled to death.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7696668 | Solid state transport-based thermoelectric converter A solid state thermoelectric converter includes a thermally insulating separator layer, a semiconducting collector and an electron emitter. The electron emitter comprises a metal nanoparticle layer or plurality of metal nanocatalyst particles disposed on one side of... | 04/13/2010 |
| 7564161 | Self-powered crystal resonator A piezoelectric circuit has a base crystal with electroplated electrodes, at least one of which has a beta emitter such as Nickel 63 vacuum plated thereon to provide a self-powering capability. The size of the radioactive power source will be selected to enable the ... | 07/21/2009 |
| 7417356 | Power conversion circuitry One form of the invention is directed to an apparatus that comprises step-down circuitry to better match impedance between an input and an output that includes a number of stages each electrically coupled to another and each including a charge storage device. The ci... | 08/26/2008 |
| 7332880 | Particle beam accelerator The present invention provides a particle beam accelerator for accelerating charged particles along a traveling direction of the charged particles. The invention provides a particle beam accelerator, in which the charged particle beam deflected by spiral-shaped-defl... | 02/19/2008 |
| 6911711 | Micro-power source A micro-power generator, comprises an electrically insulating substrate; a semiconductor layer affixed to the substrate; electrodes affixed to the semiconductor layer for collecting electrical charges emitted by a radioisotope source; a radio-isotope source interpos... | 06/28/2005 |
| 6831221 | System and method for power generation A method for powering a vehicle comprises, in one embodiment, receiving infrared radiation emitted as heat from a roadway surface, and converting energy of the infrared radiation to a form of energy that is useful for providing power to the vehicle. In another embod... | 12/14/2004 |
| 6774532 | Self-powered microthermionic converter A self-powered microthermionic converter having an internal thermal power source integrated into the microthermionic converter. These converters can have high energy-conversion efficiencies over a range of operating temperatures. Microengineering techniques are used... | 08/10/2004 |
| 6753469 | Very high efficiency, miniaturized, long-lived alpha particle power source using diamond devices for extreme space environments A power source converts α-particle energy into electricity by coulomb collision in doped diamond films. Alpha particle decay from curium-244 creates electron-hole pairs by freeing electrons and holes inside the crystal lattice in N- and P-doped diamond films. Ohmic... | 06/22/2004 |
| 6700298 | Extremely-efficient, miniaturized, long-lived alpha-voltaic power source using liquid gallium A power source converts -particle energy to electricity for use in electrical systems. Liquid gallium or other liquid medium is subjected to -particle emissions. Electrons are freed by collision from neutral gallium atoms to provide gallium ... | 03/02/2004 |
| 5861701 | Charged-particle powered battery An improved high energy-density battery for producing continuous low-voltage electrical energy is powered by direct conversion of the kinetic energy of charged particles to electrical potentials. An improved battery comprises at least one primary energy s... | 01/19/1999 |
| 5825839 | Method and apparatus for converting radioactive materials to electrical energy A method and apparatus for converting radioactive energy into electrical energy is provided and includes a first radioisotope (24) emitting alpha particles and a second radioisotope (28) emitting beta particles. A first plate (16) is positioned proximate ... | 10/20/1998 |
| 5672928 | Stabilized in-vessel direct current source A method for stabilizing direct current generated by neutron activation of a plurality of interconnected ଲ-emitter (nuclear decay electron) cells, which are placed in a specific position in the out-of-core region of a light water nuclear reactor. Th... | 09/30/1997 |
| 5459366 | Gamma radiation field intensity meter A gamma radiation intensity meter measures dose rate of a radiation field. The gamma radiation intensity meter includes a tritium battery emitting beta rays generating a current which is essentially constant. Dose rate is correlated to an amount of moveme... | 10/17/1995 |
| 5280213 | Electric power cell energized by particle and electromagnetic radiation A power cell which converts ionizing radiation into electrical energy. The power cell includes a multi-layer composite source element which includes a charged particle emitter layer, first and second source dielectric layers, a source collector layer and ... | 01/18/1994 |
| 5235232 | Adjustable-output electrical energy source using light-emitting polymer A long-life, electrical energy source having an adjustable output is comprised of a light emitting phosphor activated by a radioisotope and coupled to a plurality of photovoltalic cells that have their outputs electrically connected together. The output p... | 08/10/1993 |
| 5122332 | Protecting organisms and the environment from harmful radiation by controlling such radiation and safely disposing of its energy A radiation gradient is utilized to transform harmful radiant energy into safer, more useful forms, thus collecting, controlling and consuming the energies of radiant emissions and protecting the environment and living organisms from them. More specifical... | 06/16/1992 |
| 5111099 | Apparatus and method for converting radioactive energy into electrical energy There is provided an apparatus and method for converting radioactive energy into electrical energy, with the apparatus including an outer radioactive protective shell and a radioactive fuel source located within that shell. In a preferred embodiment, thre... | 05/05/1992 |
| 4835433 | Apparatus for direct conversion of radioactive decay energy to electrical energy A nuclear battery in which the energy imparted to radioactive decay products during the spontaneous disintegrations of radioactive material is utilized to sustain and amplify the oscillations in a high-Q LC tank circuit is provided. The circuit inductance... | 05/30/1989 |
| 4178524 | Radioisotope photoelectric generator This disclosure is directed to a radioisotope photoelectric generator for producing electrical energy. The construction of the generator is similar to that of a well-known storage battery. The generator is composed of alternate layers of high-Z, (high ato... | 12/11/1979 |
| 3934162 | Miniaturized nuclear battery The present invention relates to a miniaturized nuclear battery, consisting of several in series connected cells, wherein each cell contains a support which acts as positive pole and which supports on one side a ଲ-emitter, above said emitter is a ra... | 01/20/1976 |
