# US 8,891,184 B2 · Method and apparatus for optically-enhanced cooling > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,891,184 B2 - Document ID: US8891184B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 10/442,381 - Filed: 2003-05-21 - Published: 2004-11-25 - Granted: 2014-11-18 - Earliest claimed: 2003-05-21 - Assignees: TechElan, LLC - Applicants: Ilya Feygin - Inventors: Ilya Feygin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8891184B2 ## CPC - G02B 13/14: for use with infrared or ultraviolet radiation ({G02B13/008, } G02B13/16 take precedence) - G01J 5/08: Optical arrangements - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - G01J: MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY (light sources F21, H01J, H01K, H05B; investigating properties of materials by optical means G01N) ## Abstract The illustrative embodiment of the present invention is an apparatus and method that is capable of non-contact cooling of a hot body by optically-enhanced radiation. An apparatus in accordance with the illustrative embodiment includes a cold body and an optical system. The optical system couples the cold body to a hot body for the transmission of infrared radiation. Once optically coupled, heat will flow, at an enhanced rate, from the hot body to the cold body, as dictated by thermodynamics, thereby cooling the hot body. In some embodiment, the temperature of the cold body is held substantially constant. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: thermally coupling a hot body and a cold body by forming an optical pathway therebetween; and forming the optical pathway: (i) by providing an optical system having at least one physical adaptation that enables the optical system to support transmission of infrared radiation and to enhance the transmission of infrared radiation relative to an amount of infrared radiation that would otherwise be transmitted in the absence of the optical system; and (ii) arranging the optical system so that the hot body is at a first focal point of the optical system and the cold body is at a second focal point of the optical system. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 and further wherein the physical adaptation comprises the use in the optical system of a material selected from the group consisting of materials that are substantially transparent to infrared radiation, materials that reflect infrared radiation, and materials that support propagation of infrared radiation. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 and further comprising holding a temperature of the cold body substantially constant. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the hot body is selected from the group consisting of heat-generating electronic components, a vapor in a vessel, a crystal, and an animal cell. ### Claim 5 A method comprising: providing a relatively cooler region having a first temperature; optically coupling a relatively warmer region, having a second temperature and which is disposed at a focal point of a lens or mirror of a free-space optical system, to said relatively cooler region; and actively cooling the relatively cooler region so that the second temperature decreases more than the first temperature increases as a consequence of said coupling. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5 wherein the relatively cooler region is at a second focal point of the free space optical system. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5 wherein the hot body is selected from the group consisting of heat-generating electronic components, a vapor in a vessel, a crystal, and an animal cell. ### Claim 8 A method comprising: providing a relatively cooler region having a first temperature; optically coupling a relatively warmer region having a second temperature to said relatively cooler region by coupling radiated infrared radiation from the relatively warmer region into a waveguide of a guided optical system; and actively cooling the relatively cooler region so that the second temperature decreases more than the first temperature increases as a consequence of said coupling. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 wherein optically coupling comprises arranging the waveguide so that it delivers infrared radiation to said relatively cooler region. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 wherein the hot body is selected from the group consisting of heat-generating electronic components, a vapor in a vessel, a crystal, and an animal cell. ### Claim 11 A method comprising: providing a relatively cooler region having a first temperature; optically coupling a relatively warmer region having a second temperature to said relatively cooler region by arranging a combination free-space and guided optical system so that the relatively warmer region is at a focal point of a lens or mirror of the combination free-space and guided optical system; and actively cooling the relatively cooler region so that the second temperature decreases more than the first temperature increases as a consequence of said coupling. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein the hot body is selected from the group consisting of heat-generating electronic components, a vapor in a vessel, a crystal, and an animal cell. ### Claim 13 A method comprising: providing a relatively cooler region having a first temperature; optically coupling, by positioning a waveguide at a focal point of a lens or mirror in a combination free-space and guided optical system, a relatively warmer region having a second temperature to said relatively cooler region; and actively cooling the relatively cooler region so that the second temperature decreases more than the first temperature increases as a consequence of said coupling. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the hot body is selected from the group consisting of heat-generating electronic components, a vapor in a vessel, a crystal, and an animal cell. ### Claim 15 A method comprising: providing a relatively cooler region having a first temperature; optically coupling a relatively warmer region having a second temperature to said relatively cooler region by delivering infrared radiation from a waveguide of a guided optical system to said relatively cooler region; and actively cooling the relatively cooler region so that the second temperature decreases more than the first temperature increases as a consequence of said coupling. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 wherein the hot body is selected from the group consisting of heat-generating electronic components, a vapor in a vessel, a crystal, and an animal cell. ### Claim 17 A method comprising: optically coupling a hot body and a cold body via an optical system, wherein: (i) the hot body is sited at a first focal point of the optical system; (ii) the cold body is sited at a second focal point of the optical system; (iii) the first focal point and the second focal point are physically remote from one another; and (iv) the operation of optically coupling results in the transmission of more energy at infrared wavelengths between the hot body and the cold body than when they are not optically coupled, thereby increasing the extent to which the hot body is cooled; and maintaining a temperature of the cold body substantially constant so that the temperature of the hot body decreases more than the temperature of the cold body increases. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17 wherein the hot body is selected from the group consisting of heat-generating electronic components, a vapor in a vessel, a crystal, and an animal cell.