US Patent Issued to Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Nov. 25 for "Rate of penetration/depth monitor for a borehole formed with millimeter-wave beam" (Massachusetts Inventor)

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Nov. 25 -- United States Patent no. 12,480,400, issued on Nov. 25, was assigned to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, Mass.).

"Rate of penetration/depth monitor for a borehole formed with millimeter-wave beam" was invented by Paul P. Woskov (Bedford, Mass.).

According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "Apparatus and methods are described for drilling deep boreholes with millimeter-wave radiation in earthen materials to access deep resources such as geothermal heat. Borehole depth and temperature at the bottom of the borehole can be monitored with probe signals and/or radiative emission from the bottom of the borehole."

The patent was filed on Oct. 18, 2022, under Application ...