Timothy S Mckay

US Patent:

59784440, Nov 2, 1999

Filed:

Dec 30, 1997

Appl. No.:

9/000880

Inventors:

Muzaffer Atac - Wheaton IL
Timothy McKay - Ann Arbor MI

Assignee:

The United States of America as represented by the United States
Department of Energy - Washington DC

International Classification:

G01N 2320
H05G 164

US Classification:

378 73

Abstract:

An apparatus and method for directly determining the crystalline structure of a protein crystal. The crystal is irradiated by a finely collimated x-ray beam. The interaction of the x-ray beam with the crystal produces scattered x-rays. These scattered x-rays are detected by means of a large area, thick CCD which is capable of measuring a significant number of scattered x-rays which impact its surface. The CCD is capable of detecting the position of impact of the scattered x-ray on the surface of the CCD and the quantity of scattered x-rays which impact the same cell or pixel. This data is then processed in real-time and the processed data is outputted to produce a image of the structure of the crystal. If this crystal is a protein the molecular structure of the protein can be determined from the data received.

US Patent:

57426597, Apr 21, 1998

Filed:

Aug 26, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/697536

Inventors:

Muzaffer Atac - Wheaton IL
Timothy A. McKay - Ann Arbor MI

Assignee:

Universities Research Assoc., Inc. - Washington DC

International Classification:

H05G 164

US Classification:

378 988

Abstract:

An imaging system is provided for direct detection of x-rays from an irradiated biological tissue. The imaging system includes an energy source for emitting x-rays toward the biological tissue and a charge coupled device (CCD) located immediately adjacent the biological tissue and arranged transverse to the direction of irradiation along which the x-rays travel. The CCD directly receives and detects the x-rays after passing through the biological tissue. The CCD is divided into a matrix of cells, each of which individually stores a count of x-rays directly detected by the cell. The imaging system further includes a pattern generator electrically coupled to the CCD for reading a count from each cell. A display device is provided for displaying an image representative of the count read by the pattern generator from the cells of the CCD.