Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090068759 | REUSABLE DETECTION SURFACES AND METHODS OF USING SAME - The technology provided herein generally relates to reusable detection surfaces and methods for reusing a detection surface after using the detection surface in an assay for an analyte. | 03-12-2009 |
20090194181 | Fluidic System with Improved Flow Characteristics - The invention relates to a fluidic system that includes a body structure having a chamber disposed therein. The fluidic system includes at least one fluid input at a first end of the chamber and at least one fluid output at a second end of the chamber. The fluidic system also includes a sensor device (e.g., an acoustic device) having a surface defining a portion of a surface of the chamber. The fluidic system also includes a first surface at the first end of the chamber oriented at an oblique or arcuate (e.g., curved) angle relative to the surface of the sensor device to direct fluid through the chamber. | 08-06-2009 |
20090269248 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ANALYTE PROCESSING - A system for processing analytes in samples includes an instrument and a cartridge. The cartridge includes fluid inputs, input and output valve assemblies, processing devices, fluid reservoirs, and channels for carrying samples from the fluid inputs to the fluid reservoirs. The valve assemblies include valves adapted to form a sealed fluid chamber in response to force applied by a movable head assembly of the instrument. Each fluid reservoir is adapted to mate and align with an air displacement pump interface member. A valve assembly includes a recess wall surrounding a recess and a valve assembly wall surrounding both the recess and the recess wall. The recess wall and the valve assembly walls are adapted to mate with and seal against a flexible sheet covering the recess, the recess wall, and the valve assembly wall. The cartridge and instrument include complementary features for finely and coarsely aligning instrument assemblies with portions of the cartridge. | 10-29-2009 |
20100233031 | Method and Apparatus for Analyzing Bioprocess Fluids - Methods and apparatus for analyzing bioprocess fluids are provided. A plurality of particles coated with a plurality of capture agents having an affinity for one or more biological markers is combined with bioprocess fluid to form a plurality of analyte-particle complexes. The system also includes a transport arrangement for transporting the sample to a sensor surface, and optionally a magnetic field inducing structure constructed and arranged to establish a magnetic field at and adjacent to the sensor surface. The resonant sensor produces a signal corresponding to an amount of analyte-particle complexes that are bound to the sensor surface. | 09-16-2010 |
20140037504 | Electrically Responsive Device - In some aspects, an electrically responsive device can include a composite structure having spatially modulated structural properties that includes a substrate material having a surface and defining a plane; an electrically responsive material layer formed over at least a portion of the surface of the substrate material; an electrode material over portions of the electrically responsive material; and a stiffening material disposed along the electrode material, where the stiffening material has a thickness that varies and has regions of increased thickness that correspond with the regions of the composite structure along which the electrode material is disposed. The spatially modulated structural properties can include the regions of the composite structure along which the electrode material is disposed having the increased material stiffness, exclusive of the electrode material, relative to regions of the composite structure that do not include the electrode material. | 02-06-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090221918 | ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR - An electrical connector is described. In one implementation, the connector includes a female portion including one or more electrical contacts and a male portion including one or more electrical contacts. The female portion and the male portion each have a self-orientating geometry that allows the male portion to be mated with the female portion in any rotational position along 360 degrees of rotation. When mated, the electrical contacts of the female portion mate with corresponding one or more electrical contacts of the male portion to form one or more electrical connections between two electronic components. | 09-03-2009 |
20090275838 | SHIELDING FOR INTRAVASCULAR ULTRASOUND IMAGING SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF MAKING AND USING - A catheter assembly for an intravascular ultrasound system includes a catheter, an imaging core, and a shield-coupling capacitor. The catheter defines a lumen extending along a longitudinal length of the catheter. The imaging core is configured and arranged for inserting into the lumen. The imaging core includes a rotatable driveshaft, one or more transducers, one or more conductors, and a conductive shield. The one or more transducers are mounted to the rotatable driveshaft. The one or more conductors are coupled to the one or more transducers and extend along the driveshaft. The conductive shield is disposed around the one or more conductors. The shield-coupling capacitor is electrically coupled to the conductive shield and includes one or more rotating capacitors. The one or more rotating capacitors include one or more rotating plates and one or more stationary plates. The shield-coupling capacitor is configured and arranged for coupling to a system ground. | 11-05-2009 |
20120330160 | ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR - An electrical connector is described. In one implementation, the connector includes a female portion including one or more electrical contacts and a male portion including one or more electrical contacts. The female portion and the male portion each have a self-orientating geometry that allows the male portion to be mated with the female portion in any rotational position along 360 degrees of rotation. When mated, the electrical contacts of the female portion mate with corresponding one or more electrical contacts of the male portion to form one or more electrical connections between two electronic components. | 12-27-2012 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110087104 | INTRAVASCULAR ULTRASOUND SYSTEM FOR CO-REGISTERED IMAGING - An intravascular ultrasound imaging system comprises a catheter having an elongated body having a distal end and an imaging core arranged to be inserted into the elongated body. The imaging core is arranged to transmit ultrasonic energy pulses and to receive reflected ultrasonic energy pulses. The system further includes an imaging engine coupled to the imaging core and arranged to provide the imaging core with energy pulses to cause the imaging core to transmit the ultrasonic energy pulses. The energy pulses are arranged in repeated sequences and the energy pulses of each sequence have varying characteristics. The reflected pulses may be processed to provide a composite image of images resulting from each different characteristic. | 04-14-2011 |
20130079642 | ULTRASOUND IMAGING SYSTEMS WITH BIAS CIRCUITRY AND METHODS OF MAKING AND USING - A medical imaging system includes an imaging device for inserting into a lumen of a catheter. The imaging device includes an ultrasound transducer and bias circuitry electrically coupled to the transducer for biasing the transducer. At least one communication line is coupled to both the ultrasound transducer and the bias circuitry and extends to a proximal end of the catheter. The at least one communication line transmits a transducer drive signal to the transducer and a charge signal to the bias circuitry. At least one inductive coupler is in communication with the at least one communication line. The transducer drive signal and the charge signal are both AC signals. The transducer drive signal has a transducer-drive-signal frequency and the charge signal has a charge-signal frequency that is different than the transducer-drive-signal frequency. | 03-28-2013 |
20130154779 | ROTARY TRANSFORMER - Described herein are rotary transformers for coupling signals between components that rotate relative to one another. In an exemplary embodiment, a rotary transformer comprises a rotary shaft, a first magnetic core on the rotary shaft, and a first winding wound around the first magnetic core. The rotary transformer farther comprises a hollow second magnetic core, and a second winding wound along the inner wall of the second magnetic core. During operation, the first winding on the rotary shaft rotates within the second winding with the magnetic cores magnetically coupling signals between the two windings. Also, the first and second windings are closely spaced to provide capacitive coupling between the windings that extends the frequency response of the transformer. In one embodiment, the windings comprises substantially flat conductors wound in the shape of the windings. In another embodiment, each of the windings comprises circular loops connected by jogs. | 06-20-2013 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100030393 | Apparatus Using Time-Based Electrical Characteristics to Identify an Electrical Appliance - Disclosed is an apparatus for analyzing the time-base electrical load characteristics of an electrical appliance on a micro-grid, in order to identify the type of the appliance and to monitor its utility usage and operational condition. The apparatus has a signal conditioner; a signature engine; an ID-engine; and a database. A system manager provides overall control of the apparatus, and external communications. The signal conditioner receives load character input signals from sensor, and generates a conditioned signal containing the load's electrical characteristics and sends the conditioned signal to the signature engine. The signature engine receives the conditioned signal and generates a signature signal based on the conditioned signal. The ID-engine takes the signature signal, analyzes it in view of a set of signature ID criteria stored in the database to identify the type of the attached electrical appliance, and then stores the identity in the database. The database can be utilized to identify the type of other appliances and to monitor their utility usage and operational condition. | 02-04-2010 |
20100145536 | Smart Electrical Wire-Devices and Premises Power Management System - Disclosed is power management system based on a “smart” wire-device installable in an electric power line (i.e., the “drop-grid” or “micro-grid”) at a premises, such as a business or residence. The “smart” wire-device includes a management node integrated into the form of a typical electrical power outlet, circuit breaker or switch as would be found in such a premises, and is installable in the power line in a manner similar to existing wire-device. The “smart” wire-device requires no special skill to install beyond that of an ordinary skilled electrician. The present wire-device is “smart” in that the node has a detector circuit that senses the electrical characteristic(s) of the power line at the point at which it is installed. The node's communications circuit signals what it detects to a spatially separated remote controller device, and receives instructions from one or more spatially separated remote controller devices. The node's control mechanism operates a remotely controllable maker/breaker means in response to the received instructions to alter the condition of the electrical power output of the wire-device. | 06-10-2010 |
20130006436 | Smart Electrical Drop Wire-Forms and Electrical Power Management System - Disclosed is a power management system utilizing “smart” wire-devices installable in the “drop-grid” or “micro-grid” at a premise, such as a business or residence. The “smart” wire-device includes a management node integrated into a typical electrical power outlet, circuit breaker or switch as would be found in such premises, and is installable in the power line in a manner similar to existing wire-devices. The “smart” wire-device requires no special skill to install The present wire-device is “smart” in that the node has a detector circuit that senses the electrical characteristic(s) of the power line at the point at which it is installed. The node's communication circuit communicates with one or more spatially separated remote controller devices. The node operates a remotely controllable maker/breaker means in response to received instructions to alter the condition of the electrical power output of the “smart” wire-device. | 01-03-2013 |
20130304268 | Electrical Energy Usage Monitoring System - Disclosed is a system and method having one or more networked modular sensors Nodes and a data processing/display for use to monitor and control electrical appliance loads at a premises. The modular sensor Nodes and the processing/display system detect, process, and manage real-time and historic electrical energy usage data for the premises, allowing the management of energy usage by a user of the system through manual and automated usage controls. The sensor Nodes are integrated into the standard form-factors (i.e., the standard physical configuration) of components typical of household and commercial electrical interfaces, such as circuit breakers, wall outlets, light switches, plug ends, power strips. The Nodes are configured in the standard form-factor of typical electrical interfaces to allow them to be substituted for the existing electrical interfaces and used with appliances or other load devices already existing or to be added at the premises. | 11-14-2013 |
20140330444 | Apparatus Using Time-Based Electrical Characteristics to Identify an Electrical Appliance - Disclosed is an apparatus for analyzing the time-base electrical load characteristics of an electrical appliance on a micro-grid to identify the type of the appliance, and to monitor its utility usage and condition. The apparatus has a signal conditioner; a signature engine; an ID engine; and a database. A system manager provides overall control of the apparatus, and external communications. The signal conditioner receives load character signals and generates a conditioned signal containing the load's electrical characteristics. The signature engine receives the conditioned signal and generates a signature signal based on the conditioned signal. The ID engine takes the signature signal, analyzes it in view of a set of signature ID criteria stored in the database to identify the type of the attached electrical appliance, and then stores the identity in the database. | 11-06-2014 |