Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100313935 | PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULES AND METHODS FOR MANUFACTURING PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULES HAVING TANDEM SEMICONDUCTOR LAYER STACKS - A monolithically-integrated photovoltaic module is provided. The module includes an insulating substrate and a lower electrode above the substrate. The method also includes a lower stack of microcrystalline silicon layers above the lower electrode, an upper stack of amorphous silicon layers above the lower stack, and an upper electrode above the upper stack. The upper and lower stacks of silicon layers have different energy band gaps. The module also includes a built-in bypass diode vertically extending in the upper and lower stacks of silicon layers from the lower electrode to the upper electrode. The built-in bypass diode includes portions of the lower and upper stacks that have a greater crystalline portion than a remainder of the lower and upper stacks. | 12-16-2010 |
20100313942 | PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULE HAVING MULTIPLE SEMICONDUCTOR LAYER STACKS - A method of manufacturing a photovoltaic module is provided. The method includes providing an electrically insulating substrate and a lower electrode, depositing a lower stack of silicon layers above the lower electrode, and depositing an upper stack of silicon layers above the lower stack. The lower and upper stacks include N-I-P junctions. The lower stack has an energy band gap of at least 1.60 eV while the upper stack has an energy band gap of at least 1.80 eV. The method also includes providing an upper electrode above the upper stack. The lower and upper stacks convert incident light into an electric potential between the upper and lower electrodes with the lower and upper stacks converting different portions of the light into the electric potential based on wavelengths of the light. | 12-16-2010 |
20100313952 | PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULES AND METHODS OF MANUFACTURING PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULES HAVING MULTIPLE SEMICONDUCTOR LAYER STACKS - A monolithically-integrated photovoltaic module is provided. The module includes an electrically insulating substrate, a lower stack of microcrystalline silicon layers above the substrate, a middle stack of amorphous silicon layers above the lower stack, an upper stack of amorphous silicon layers above the middle stack, and a light transmissive cover layer above the upper stack. An energy band gap of each of the lower, middle and upper stacks differs from one another such that a different spectrum of incident light is absorbed by each of the lower, middle and upper stacks. | 12-16-2010 |
20120006391 | PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULE HAVING AN ELECTRODE DIFFUSION LAYER - A photovoltaic module that converts incident light received through a light transmissive cover sheet into a voltage is provided. The photovoltaic module includes a substrate, conductive upper and lower layers between the substrate and the cover sheet, and a semiconductor layer stack between the conductive upper and lower layers. The conductive lower layer includes an electrode diffusion layer between a lower electrode and a conductive light transmissive layer. The electrode diffusion layer restricts diffusion of the lower electrode of the conductive lower layer into the conductive light transmissive layer during deposition of the semiconductor layer stack. The incident light is converted by the semiconductor layer stack into the voltage potential between the conductive upper and lower layers. | 01-12-2012 |
20130014800 | PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICE AND METHOD FOR SCRIBING A PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICEAANM Stephens; JasonAACI Mountain ViewAAST CAAACO USAAGP Stephens; Jason Mountain View CA USAANM Girotra; KunalAACI Mountain ViewAAST CAAACO USAAGP Girotra; Kunal Mountain View CA USAANM Hussen; GuleidAACI Mountain ViewAAST CAAACO USAAGP Hussen; Guleid Mountain View CA US - A photovoltaic device includes first and second photovoltaic cells, with each of the first and second photovoltaic cells having a substrate, a lower electrode disposed above the substrate along a deposition axis and that includes a conductive light transmissive layer, one or more semiconductor layers disposed above the substrate along the deposition axis, and an upper electrode disposed above the one or more semiconductor layers along the deposition axis. The semiconductor layers convert incident light into an electric current. The first and second photovoltaic cells are separated by first and second separation gaps. The first separation gap extend along the deposition axis through the lower electrode from the substrate and the second separation gap extends from a deposition surface of the light transmissive layer of the lower electrode and through a remainder of the lower electrode and the one or more semiconductor layers along the deposition axis. | 01-17-2013 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090299367 | Surgical Instrument and Method - A surgical instrument includes an elongated body having a distal end, a proximal end, and a bore extending between the distal and proximal ends, a pair of jaws for severing vessel mounted on the distal end of the body, wherein at least one of the jaws has an electrically conductive material, and a handle coupled to the proximal end of the elongated body, wherein in a first mode of operation, the electrically conductive material is for receiving energy from a DC source, and in a second mode of operation, the electrically conductive material is for receiving energy from a RF source. | 12-03-2009 |
20110015645 | TYMPANIC MEMBRANE PRESSURE EQUALIZATION TUBE DELIVERY SYSTEM - Systems and methods are provided for automatically forming an incision in a tympanic membrane of an ear and placing a tympanic membrane pressure equalization tube into the incision. The systems include a housing with a shaft extending therefrom. A mechanism is disposed within the housing. A distal end of the shaft is placed against a tympanic membrane, and the mechanism is triggered to causes the tympanic membrane to be automatically incised and dilated and a tympanic membrane pressure equalization tube to be placed in the dilated incision. | 01-20-2011 |
20110288369 | SURGICAL INSTRUMENT AND METHOD - An actuator for use in a surgical instrument, the actuator includes an upper portion configured to be actuated by one or more fingers, wherein the upper portion has an upper distal portion for operating the surgical instrument in a first mode of operation, and an upper proximal portion for operating the surgical instrument in a second mode of operation, and wherein the upper distal portion and the upper proximal portion have different respective tactile configurations for informing the user of the first and second modes of operation, respectively. | 11-24-2011 |
20130190678 | PERSONALIZABLE SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ANESTHETIZING THE TYMPANIC MEMBRANE - Systems and methods are provided for anesthetizing a tympanic membrane of an ear. The systems are personalizable to ensure proper anesthetizing solution administration. The systems and methods may also be useful for administering a solution to the ear canal of a human patient and for maintaining the solution therein. | 07-25-2013 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100030131 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ANESTHETIZING EAR TISSUE - A system and method for use in iontophoretic anesthesia of a tympanic membrane are disclosed. The system generally includes an earplug and an electrode device. The earplug includes at least one sealing member for sealing the earplug in an ear canal. The method involves using the system on a human or animal subject. | 02-04-2010 |
20100198135 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ANESTHETIZING EAR TISSUE - A system and method for use in iontophoretic anesthesia of a tympanic membrane are disclosed. The system generally includes an earplug and an electrode device. The earplug includes at least one sealing member for sealing the earplug in an ear canal. The sealing member includes microholes which vent fluid above a certain pressure threshold. A headset may connect the earplug to a second earplug. The method involves using the system on a human or animal subject. | 08-05-2010 |
20100217296 | Silent Effusion Removal - A method is disclosed for clearing effusion from an ear. The method may include applying liquid to an ear canal, which is proximal to a perforated tympanic membrane, which is proximal to a middle ear containing effusion, applying an ear device to seal and pressurize the liquid inside the ear canal, the ear device regulating the amount of pressure inside the ear canal, and inducing a Eustachian tube, which is distal to the middle ear, to open, which causes the fluid to displace the effusion into the Eustachian tube. | 08-26-2010 |
20130197426 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ANESTHETIZING EAR TISSUE - A system and method for use in iontophoretic anesthesia of a tympanic membrane are disclosed. The system generally includes an earplug and an electrode device. The earplug includes at least one sealing member for sealing the earplug in an ear canal. The method involves using the system on a human or animal subject. | 08-01-2013 |
20140276352 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING IONTOPHORESIS AT TYMPANIC MEMBRANE - Various systems and methods provide iontophoretic delivery of anesthesia at a patient's tympanic membrane. Some implementations provide channel switching enabling a single current sink to pull current through two electrodes in an alternating fashion based on clock pulses. The iontophoretic delivery of anesthesia may be driven by an AC modulated current. Some implementations provide for continuous flow of fresh iontophoresis fluid to the ear canal during iontophoresis. The fluid flows from a source reservoir into the cavity between the tympanic membrane and a plug, and then drains out of the cavity to a reservoir. An iontophoresis system may also detect capacitance between an anode electrode and an auxiliary electrode in a patient's ear canal, watching for reduced capacitance to indicate presence of a bubble in the iontophoresis fluid. | 09-18-2014 |
20140276906 | FEATURES TO IMPROVE AND SENSE TYMPANIC MEMBRANE APPOSITION BY TYMPANOSTOMY TUBE DELIVERY INSTRUMENT - A tympanostomy tube delivery device comprises a shaft assembly, a pressure equalization tube, and a sensor. The shaft assembly comprises a cannula and a pusher operable to translate relative to the cannula. The pressure equalization tube is positioned within the shaft assembly. The pusher is operable to drive the pressure equalization tube out of the shaft assembly. The sensor is operable to detect a physical parameter associated with engagement between the distal end of the shaft assembly and a tympanic membrane. A controller may activate a feedback device to inform an operator that the distal end of the shaft assembly has achieved suitable apposition with the tympanic membrane, based on information from the sensor. | 09-18-2014 |
20150068539 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ANESTHETIZING EAR TISSUE - A system and method for use in iontophoretic anesthesia of a tympanic membrane are disclosed. The system generally includes an earplug and an electrode device. The earplug includes at least one sealing member for sealing the earplug in an ear canal. The sealing member includes microholes which vent fluid above a certain pressure threshold. A headset may connect the earplug to a second earplug. The method involves using the system on a human or animal subject. | 03-12-2015 |