[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 146 (Friday, July 28, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 46435]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-19087]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology


Notice of Government Owned Inventions Available for Licensing

SUMMARY: The inventions listed below are owned in whole or in part by 
the U.S. Government, as represented by the Department of Commerce. The 
Department of Commerce's ownership interest in the inventions is 
available for licensing in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 207 and 37 CFR 
part 404 to achieve expeditious commercialization of results of 
Federally funded research and development.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Technical and licensing information on 
these inventions may be obtained by writing to: National Institute of 
Standards and Technology, Office of Technology Partnerships, Building 
820, Room 213, Gaithersburg, MD 20899; Fax 301-869-2751. Any request 
for information should include the NIST Docket No. and Title for the 
relevant invention as indicated below.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NIST may enter into a Cooperative Research 
and Development Agreement (``CRADA'') with the licensee to perform 
further research on the inventions for purposes of commercialization. 
The inventions available for licensing are:

NIST Docket Number: 99-018US

    Title: Humidity Chamber For Scanning Stylus Atomic Force Microscope 
With Cantilever Tracking.
    Abstract: The present invention provides a novel humidity chamber 
suitable for use with an atomic force microscope (AFM).The humidity 
chamber of the present invention employs an intricate geometrical 
design which can accommodate a scanned-stylus AFM with an optical 
lever. This geometrical design allows the invention to enclose one or 
more of the AFM scanner, tip assembly, optical lever detection system, 
sample and an optical microscope objective lens, without degrading the 
ability to operate the AFM or the related systems. The invention is 
comprised of two major pieces: a chamber within which the AFM scanning 
head assembly is placed, and an integrated sample platform and spring-
loaded base-plate that allows samples to be loaded and unloaded without 
removal of the chamber from the AFM scanning head assembly. The sample 
platform, which extends up from the base-plate and is inserted into the 
chamber and the bottom portion of the sample platform to secure the 
sample platform and base-plate. The spring-loaded base allows the z-
directional motors of the AFM to be used to position the sample just 
below the probe prior to scanning, while at the same time providing an 
essentially air-tight fit between the chamber and the AFM scanning 
head. An embodiment of the present invention is suitable for use with 
one or both of a means for sensing relative humidity and a means for 
controlling relative humidity.

NIST Docket Number: 99-021US

    Title: A Rotating-Wheel Refreshable Braille Reader.
    Abstract: This invention would produce computer-refreshable Braille 
text for tactile reading by the blind and visually impaired, thus 
improving accessibility to computer services such as electronic books, 
e-mail and other network access, and general computer use. Cost and 
mechanical reliability are the two main impediments to widespread use 
of refreshable Braille devices. This device utilizes a rotating-wheel 
and is designed to be mechanically simpler than existing refreshable 
Braille devices, while providing much of their functionality as well as 
additional features. It is believed that this design will allow for 
greatly lowered cost and improved reliability in comparison to existing 
systems. It is believed that this device can be implemented in such a 
way as to provide refreshable Braille text to the user at a ``typical'' 
reading rate of 125 words per minute, and also at a ``high'' reading 
rate of 250 words per minute.

NIST Docket Number: 97-038US

    Title: Micron-Scale Differential Scanning Calorimeter On A Chip.
    Abstract: A differential scanning microcalorimeter produced on a 
silicon chip enables microscopic scanning calorimetry measurements of 
small samples and thin films. The chip may be fabricated using standard 
CMOS processes. The microcalorimeter includes a reference zone and a 
sample zone. The reference and sample zones may be at opposite ends of 
a suspended platform or may reside on separate platforms. An integrated 
polysilicon heater provides heat to each zone. A thermopile consisting 
of a succession of thermocouple junctions generates a voltage 
representing the temperature difference between the reference and 
sample zones. Temperature differences between the zones provide 
information about the chemical reactions and phase transitions that 
occur in a sample placed in the sample zone.

    Dated: July 21, 2000.
Karen H. Brown,
Deputy Director.
[FR Doc. 00-19087 Filed 7-27-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-M