[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 117 (Friday, June 17, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35425-35426]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-15084]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Notice of Intent to Grant Partially Exclusive License of the 
United States Patent Application No. 12/365,698, ``Reusable Sample 
Holding Device Permitting Ready Loading of Very Small Wet Samples,'' 
Filed Feb 4, 2009

AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DOD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with 37 CFR 404.7(a) (1) (i), announcement is 
made of a prospective partially exclusive license of the following U.S. 
Patent Application 12/365,698 Filed February 04, 2009 (published on 
Aug. 5, 2010 with Pub. No. US 2010/0193398 A1) to Hummingbird 
Scientific, Inc for achieving commercial sales of a reusable sample 
holding device permitting ready loading of very small wet samples for 
use with high resolution imaging systems of various types, to include 
those requiring a vacuum environment.

DATES: Written objections must be filed not later than 15 days 
following publication of this announcement.

ADDRESSES: United States Army Engineer Research and Development Center, 
Attn: CEERD-OT (Ms. Bea Shahin), 2902 Newmark Drive, Champaign, IL 
6182-1076.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Bea Shahin (217) 373-7234, FAX 
(217) 373-7210, e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This patent application claims a reusable 
sample-holding device for readily loading very small wet samples for 
observation of the samples by microscopic equipment, in particular in a 
vacuum environment. Embodiments may be used with a scanning electron 
microscope (SEM), a transmission electron microscope (TEM), an X-ray 
microscope, optical microscope, and the like. For observation of the 
sample, embodiments provide a thin-membrane window etched in the center 
of each of two silicon wafers abutting to contain the sample in a small 
uniform gap formed between the windows. This gap may be adjusted by 
employing spacers. Alternatively, the thickness of a film established 
by the fluid in which the sample is incorporated determines the gap 
without need of a spacer. To optimize resolution each window may have a 
thickness on the order of 50 nm and the gap may be on the order of 50 
nm.


[[Page 35426]]


    Dated: June 14, 2011.
 David B. Olson,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
[FR Doc. 2011-15084 Filed 6-16-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720-58-P