| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20080196779 | VARIABLE STIFFNESS FLOW CONTROL VALVE - A flow control valve, comprising a flow controlling valve configured to deflect from a generally planar posture to an increasingly nonplanar posture responsive to a relative increase in pressure difference and flow across the valve element; and a support element including a support structure supporting the valve element in its undeflected state; at least a first contact surface recessed from the support structure and configured to engage the valve element only when the valve element is deflected; and a flow passage wherein an effective flow-through volume through the at least one opening and the flow passage decreases as deflection of the valve element increases. | 08-21-2008 |
| 20080203268 | ADJUSTMENT MECHANISM - A probe card assembly can comprise a support structure to which a plurality of probes can be directly or indirectly attached. The probes can be disposed to contact an electronic device to be tested. The probe card assembly can further comprise actuators, which can be configured to change selectively an attitude of the support structure with respect to a reference structure. The probe card assembly can also comprise a plurality of lockable compliant structures. While unlocked, the lockable compliant structures can allow the support structure to move with respect to the reference structure. While locked, however, the compliant structures can provide mechanical resistance to movement of the support structure with respect to the reference structure. | 08-28-2008 |
| 20080224491 | Workpiece Gripping Device - A gripper for use with a robot includes a support body for removably attaching the gripper to a moveable arm and a workpiece contact body having a groove extending along at least a portion of the contact body for engaging a curved outer edge of the workpiece. A coupling member connects the support body to the workpiece contact member and includes a flexure component that flexes to allow radial and/or tangential relative movement of the workpiece contact body with respect to the support body to diminish slippage between the workpiece and the contact body as the gripper engages the workpiece. | 09-18-2008 |
| 20080300507 | Biopsy Needle - A biopsy needle includes tissue capture elements within the needle lumen to help hold a tissue sample within the needle and maintain its integrity. According to one aspect, several flexible members form a structure that allows tissue to enter the lumen during advancement of the needle into tissue, and prevents the tissue sample from exiting the needle during retraction of the needle. The flexible members may, in some embodiments, include cutting edges configured to cut the tissue sample from the target tissue mass at the start of needle extraction. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20090014296 | Contact configurations for MEMS relays and MEMS switches and method for making same - Micro-electromechanical (MEMS) contact configuration is disclosed, comprising a static contact with at least one contact surface and a movable contact with at least one corresponding contact surface. Particularly flat contact surfaces and correspondingly low contact resistance can be achieved, if at least one contact surface plane is formed by a crystal plane of the wafer. Furthermore a method for manufacturing such a contact configuration is proposed, wherein the contact surfaces are obtained by wet anisotropic etching of a silicon wafer, if need be preceded by appropriate masking to expose the to be edged regions only, if need be followed by coating with an electrically conductive layer, e.g., a metal layer. | 01-15-2009 |
| 20090066352 | Making And Using Carbon Nanotube Probes - Columns comprising a plurality of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes can be configured as electromechanical contact structures or probes. The columns can be grown on a sacrificial substrate and transferred to a product substrate, or the columns can be grown on the product substrate. The columns can be treated to enhance mechanical properties such as stiffness, electrical properties such as electrical conductivity, and/or physical contact characteristics. The columns can be mechanically tuned to have predetermined spring properties. The columns can be used as electromechanical probes, for example, to contact and test electronic devices such as semiconductor dies, and the columns can make unique marks on terminals of the electronic devices. | 03-12-2009 |
| 20090158586 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ADJUSTING A MULTI-SUBSTRATE PROBE STRUCTURE - A probe card assembly comprises multiple probe substrates attached to a mounting assembly. Each probe substrate includes a set of probes, and together, the sets of probes on each probe substrate compose an array of probes for contacting a device to be tested. Adjustment mechanisms are configured to impart forces to each probe substrate to move individually each substrate with respect to the mounting assembly. The adjustment mechanisms may translate each probe substrate in an “x,” “y,” and/or “z” direction and may further rotate each probe substrate about any one or more of the forgoing directions. The adjustment mechanisms may further change a shape of one or more of the probe substrates. The probes can thus be aligned and/or planarized with respect to contacts on the device to be tested. | 06-25-2009 |
| 20090230962 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IN-SITU MEASUREMENT OF SOOT BY ELECTRONSPIN RESONANCE ( ESR) SPECTROMETRY - An instrument and method using electron spin resonance spectrometry for measuring the concentration of airborne soot particles, and the like, that includes continuously passing a sample of exhaust gas through a resonating RF microwave cavity resonator during the application therethrough of a uniform slowly varying uniform magnetic field that is rapidly modulated and measuring the resulting phase modulation or amplitude modulation thereof to derive an electron spin resonance signal that directly senses the concentration of carbon free radicals produced as a result of inefficient combustion of hydrocarbons during operation of the vehicle or boiler. A further invention is the use of this signal for feedback control of the engine or boiler operating parameters to minimize or substantially eliminate particulate matter emissions. | 09-17-2009 |
| 20100000080 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MANAGING THERMALLY INDUCED MOTION OF A PROBE CARD ASSEMBLY - A probe card assembly can include a probe head assembly having probes for contacting an electronic device to be tested. The probe head assembly can be electrically connected to a wiring substrate and mechanically attached to a stiffener plate. The wiring substrate can provide electrical connections to a testing apparatus, and the stiffener plate can provide structure for attaching the probe card assembly to the testing apparatus. The stiffener plate can have a greater mechanical strength than the wiring substrate and can be less susceptible to thermally induced movement than the wiring substrate. The wiring substrate may be attached to the stiffener plate at a central location of the wiring substrate. Space may be provided at other locations where the wiring substrate is attached to the stiffener plate so that the wiring substrate can expand and contract with respect to the stiffener plate. | 01-07-2010 |
| 20100124758 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DETECTING GLYCOL - A method and apparatus are provided for detecting contaminants, such as ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol, in various materials, including household products, and medicines. The contaminants can be detected using enzyme assays that produce measurable changes in light absorption and/or light fluorescence. | 05-20-2010 |
| 20100217299 | SURGICAL REMOVAL OF INTERNAL TISSUE - Methods and devices are provided for macerating and removing tissue. In general, a maceration device is provided that can be distally advanced into a body in a minimally invasive surgical procedure and positioned proximate to tissue desirable for removal from the body. The maceration device can include an elongate shaft having a cutting element positioned on the shaft's side (i.e., not located on a distal tip of the elongate shaft). The cutting element can rotate to macerate tissue. When being introduced to the body, an elongate axis of the elongate shaft and a longitudinal axis of the cutting element can be substantially parallel to each other. When the cutting element rotates, the elongate axis of the elongate shaft and longitudinal axis of the cutting element can not be parallel during at least a portion of the cutting element's rotation. | 08-26-2010 |
| 20110067398 | CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER SYSTEM - Systems and methods for concentrating and storing solar energy are provided. A solar energy receiver for use with the systems and methods may include a container for holding a solar absorption material, such as a phase change material, and a cooled cover disposed above the container for condensing and collecting vaporized phase change material collected along an underside of the cover. | 03-24-2011 |
| 20110067690 | CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER SYSTEM RECEIVER - Systems and methods for concentrating and storing solar energy are provided. A solar energy receiver for use with the systems and methods may include a container for holding a solar absorption material, such as a phase change material, and a cooled cover disposed above the container for condensing and collecting vaporized phase change material collected along an underside of the cover. | 03-24-2011 |
| 20110156734 | TEST SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR TESTING ELECTRONIC DEVICES - Devices under test (DUTs) can be tested in a test system that includes an aligner and test cells. A DUT can be moved into and clamped in an aligned position on a carrier in the aligner. In the align position, electrically conductive terminals of the DUT can be in a predetermined position with respect to carrier alignment features of the carrier. The DUT/carrier combination can then be moved from the aligner into one of the test cells, where alignment features of the carrier are mechanically coupled with alignment features of a contactor in the test cell. The mechanical coupling automatically aligns terminals of the DUT with probes of the contactor. The probes thus contact and make electrical connections with the terminals of the DUT. The DUT is then tested. The aligner and each of the test cells can be separate and independent devices so that a DUT can be aligned in the aligner while other DUTs, having previously been aligned to a carrier in the aligner, are tested in a test cell. | 06-30-2011 |
