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| 20080268643 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR POLISHING CONTROL - A CMP station can be closed loop controlled by using data obtained by an inline metrology station from a first polished wafer to affect the processing of subsequent polished wafers. The first wafer is polished and measured by the inline metrology station. The metrology station measures at various points the array dielectric thickness, field dielectric thickness, barrier residue thickness and metal residue thickness. The data is then inputted into an algorithm and polishing parameter outputs are calculated. The outputs are sent to the CMP station and used to supplement or replace the previous polishing parameters. Subsequent wafers are polished on the CMP station using the revised polishing parameters. | 10-30-2008 |
| 20100062684 | POLISHING SYSTEM WITH IN-LINE AND IN-SITU METROLOGY - A computer-implemented method for process control in chemical mechanical polishing in which an initial pre-polishing thickness of a substrate is measured at a metrology station, a parameter of an endpoint algorithm is determined from the initial thickness of the substrate, a substrates is polished at a polishing station, and polishing stops when an endpoint criterion is detected using the endpoint algorithm. | 03-11-2010 |
| 20110195528 | POLISHING SYSTEM WITH IN-LINE AND IN-SITU METROLOGY - A computer-implemented method for process control in chemical mechanical polishing in which an initial pre-polishing thickness of a substrate is measured at a metrology station, a parameter of an endpoint algorithm is determined from the initial thickness of the substrate, a substrates is polished at a polishing station, and polishing stops when an endpoint criterion is detected using the endpoint algorithm. | 08-11-2011 |
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| 20100025270 | BIOSENSOR CONTAINER - A biosensor container comprising a housing defining an internal glucose test strip compartment. The housing has an engagement portion for retaining a detachable means for storing data, and the means for storing data has data stored thereon specific to a batch of glucose test strips. At least one of the housing and the means for storing data includes at least one data reading element that is externally accessible when the means for storing data is retained by the engagement portion of the housing. The container includes various fail safe features to prevent mishandling and insure the user obtains the correct results. The housing includes means for connecting to the bG meter only when the means for storing data is retained by the housing. The housing further includes means for dispensing glucose test strips only when the housing is in either of an attached-to meter mode or a stand-alone mode. In the attached-to-meter mode the means for storing data is retained by the housing and the housing is connected to a bG meter. In the stand-alone mode the means for storing data is detached from the housing and the housing is not connected to the bG meter. | 02-04-2010 |
| 20100145230 | INTEGRATED LANCING TEST STRIP WITH RETRACTABLE LANCET - An integrated lancing test strip device includes a lancet configured to form an incision in tissue and a test strip coupled to the lancet for analyzing body fluid. A retention mechanism acts as a detent to hold the lancet in a static position relative to the test strip before forming the incision. The retention mechanism is configured to release the lancet for retracting the lancet relative to the test strip to reduce smearing of body fluid by the lancet during collection of the fluid with the test strip. In one form, the retention mechanism includes breakable tabs that are broken to release the lancet, and the lancet is retracted via translational movement. The retention mechanism in another form includes one or more dimples that release the lancet when the lancet is retracted via rotational motion. In a further form, the entire integrated device is rotated to collect fluid. | 06-10-2010 |
| 20110182785 | Flat Pop-Up Primary Container And Methods of Manufacturing And Utilization Thereof - A test strip container with a pop-up design which provides easy removal of test strips, and methods of manufacturing and utilization thereof are disclosed. The test strip container comprises a base, a lid, and an elevating platform which translates in a vertical direction upon opening of the test strip container. The test strips are arranged within the base such that they face radially inward and rest upon the elevating platform. Translation of the elevating platform causes the test strips resting upon the platform to translate upward in a perpendicular manner, such that they may be easily removed by test strip users. | 07-28-2011 |
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| 20110261005 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IMPROVING DYNAMIC RANGE OF A TOUCHSCREEN CONTROLLER - A touchscreen system for increasing the dynamic range of the system comprising a touchscreen coupled to an offset cancellation element and a capacitance measuring element. The offset cancellation element is configured to be dynamically changed in capacitance such that it offsets parasitic and sensor capacitances of the touchscreen sensors thereby leaving only touch event capacitance to be measured by the measuring element. The offset cancellation element is able to adjust to the initial unwanted capacitances of each sensor as well as dynamically adjust to changes in the unwanted capacitance due to the environment. In some embodiments, the offset cancellation element is a capacitance digital-to-analog converter that is controlled by a controller for offsetting the unwanted capacitance. As a result, the touchscreen system is able to utilize a small integrating capacitor thereby lowering cost and improving the dynamic range of the system. | 10-27-2011 |
| 20110261006 | SYSTEM FOR AND METHOD OF TRANSFERRING CHARGE TO CONVERT CAPACITANCE TO VOLTAGE FOR TOUCHSCREEN CONTROLLERS - A touchscreen controller system determines the actual locations of multiple simultaneous touches by eliminating mutual capacitance between adjacent rows and columns during self-capacitance measurements and selectively enabling mutual capacitance during mutual capacitance measurements. During the self-capacitance measurements, the controller system generates a set of candidate touch locations, which includes the locations of real and ghost touches. During the mutual capacitance measurements, only the locations in the candidate set are measured and, from these measurements, the actual touch locations are determined. By limiting the mutual capacitive measurements to only a small subset of the locations over the entire touch panel, real touch locations are determined on a linear order. Also, by using on-chip integration capacitors, embodiments of the invention are able to perform each measurement in a single cycle. | 10-27-2011 |
| 20110261007 | NOISE CANCELLATION TECHNIQUE FOR CAPACITIVE TOUCHSCREEN CONTROLLER USING DIFFERENTIAL SENSING - A differential sensing scheme provides a means for detecting one or more touch events on a touch sensitive device in the presence of incident noise. Instead of sensing one touch sensitive channel, such as a row, column, or single touch sensor, multiple touch sensitive channels are sampled at a time. By sampling two nearby channels simultaneously and doing the measurement differentially, noise common to both channels is cancelled. The differential sensing scheme is implemented using simple switch-capacitor AFE circuitry. The originally sensed data on each individual channel is recovered free of common-mode noise. The recovered sensed data is used to determine the presence of one or more touch events and if present the location of each touch event on the touch sensitive device. | 10-27-2011 |
| 20110261008 | USE OF RANDOM SAMPLING TECHNIQUE TO REDUCE FINGER-COUPLED NOISE - Random sampling techniques include techniques for reducing or eliminating errors in the output of capacitive sensor arrays such as touch panels. The channels of the touch panel are periodically sampled to determine the presence of one or more touch events. Each channel is individually sampled in a round robin fashion, referred to as a sampling cycle. During each sampling cycle, all channels are sampled once. Multiple sampling cycles are performed such that each channel is sampled multiple times. Random sampling techniques are used to sample each of the channels. One random sampling technique randomizes a starting channel in each sampling cycle. Another random sampling technique randomizes the selection of all channels in each sampling cycle. Yet another random sampling technique randomizes the sampling cycle delay period between each sampling cycle. Still another random sampling technique randomizes the channel delay period between sampling each channel. | 10-27-2011 |
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| 20090136113 | REDUCING FALSE POSITIVES IN COMPUTER-AIDED DETECTION - Methods, systems, and related computer program products for computer-aided detection (CAD) of anatomical abnormalities in digital (or digitized) x-ray mammograms are described. The inventive techniques are based on using a foundational CAD processing algorithm that is characterized by at least one of non-shift-invariance, non-rotational-invariance, and non-inversional-invariance. According to one preferred embodiment, a first x-ray mammogram image of a breast is received, and at least one altered version thereof is generated that differs therefrom by at least one of image shift, image rotation, and image inversion. The first x-ray mammogram image and each of the at least one altered versions thereof are individually processed using the foundational CAD algorithm to generate a respective plurality of individual CAD detection sets. The plurality of CAD detection sets are then compared to generate an overall CAD detection set. | 05-28-2009 |
| 20090234245 | NON-INVASIVE MONITORING OF INTRACRANIAL PRESSURE - Methods, systems, and related computer program products for are described for non-invasive detection of intracranial pressure (ICP) variations in an intracranial compartment of a patient. Optical radiation is propagated transcranially into the intracranial compartment, and optical radiation that has migrated through at least a portion of the intracranial compartment and back out of the cranium is detected. At least one signal representative of the detected optical radiation is processed to extract therefrom at least one component signal that varies in time according to at least one of an intrinsic physiological oscillation and an externally driven oscillation in the patient. Examples of suitable intrinsic physiological oscillations include intrinsic respiratory and cardiac oscillations. Examples of suitable externally driven oscillations include ventilated respiratory oscillations and externally mechanically induced oscillations. The extracted component signal is then processed to generate an output signal representative of the ICP variations in the intracranial compartment. | 09-17-2009 |
