Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080283180 | METHODS OF MANUFACTURING MICRODEVICES IN LAMINATES, LEAD FRAMES, PACKAGES, AND PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARDS - Systems and methods for producing micromachined devices, including sensors, actuators, optics, fluidics, and mechanical assemblies, using manufacturing techniques of lead frames, substrates, microelectronic packages, printed circuit boards, flex circuits, and rigid-flex materials. Preferred embodiments comprise using methods from post-semiconductor manufacturing to produce three-dimensional and free-standing structures in non-semiconductor materials. The resulting devices may remain part of the substrate, board or lead frame which can then used as a substrate for further packaging electronic assembly operations. Alternatively, the devices may be used as final components that can be assembled within other devices. | 11-20-2008 |
20110163850 | MEMS Sensor Enabled RFID System and Method for Operating the Same - An apparatus provides environmental monitoring of an item and includes an RFID tag, and a passive switch for sensing an environmental parameter to which the item is subjected, and coupled to the RFID tag so that a measurement of the sensed environmental parameter can be stored, the RFID tag for providing remote readout of the sensed environmental parameter. A method provides environmental monitoring of an item and includes the steps of sensing an environmental parameter to which the item is subjected with activation of a passive switch, storing a measurement of the sensed environmental parameter upon the event of activation of the passive switch, and providing remote readout of the measurement of the sensed environmental parameter with an RFID tag. | 07-07-2011 |
20110223545 | USE OF PHOTOSENSITIZED EPON EPOXY RESIN 1002F FOR MEMS AND BIOMEMS APPLICATIONS - Systems and methods directed to the use 1002F to build microdevices and biomedical devices. Through the addition of a photosensitizing agent, Epon epoxy resin 1002F can be linked in the presence of UV light, making it useful as a photoresist or as a micropatternable structural material. One embodiment comprises combining 1002F monomer resin with a solvent and a photoinitiator, placing the monomer solution on a surface, exposing the monomer solution to UV light through a mask to initiate linking, and stripping the unlinked polymer away. In another embodiment, 3-D structures are built using two or more layers of sensitized monomer films, each having different sensitivity to light, and the use of a mask containing opaque and semi-opaque regions. | 09-15-2011 |
20120097636 | ACOUSTIC SUBSTRATE - A micromachined microphone or speaker embedded within, or positioned on top of, a substrate suitable for carrying microelectronic chips and components. The acoustic element converts sound energy into electrical energy which is then amplified by electronic components positioned on the surface of the substrate. Alternatively, the acoustic element may be driven by electronics to produce sound. The substrate can be used in standard microelectronic packaging applications. | 04-26-2012 |
20120103768 | Magnetically Actuated Micro-Electro-Mechanical Capacitor Switches in Laminate - Magnetically actuated micro-electro-mechanical capacitor switches in laminate are disclosed. According to one embodiment, an apparatus comprises a first layer comprising a coil and magnetic element, the magnetic element made from one of nickel and iron; a second layer comprising a flexible member, wherein a permanent magnet is attached to the flexible member; a conductive plate having an insulating dielectric coating, the conductive plate attached to one of the flexible member or a magnet; and a third layer comprising a transmission line and magnetic material, wherein the transmission line comprises one or more of a signal conductor and one or more ground conductors in near proximity. | 05-03-2012 |
20120275079 | FREQUENCY ADDRESSABLE MICROACTUATORS - Frequency addressable micro-actuators having one or more movable resonating elements actuators, such as cantilevers, can be forced into oscillation by, e.g., electromagnetic actuation. The movable structure is designed to latch at a certain amplitude using one of several latching techniques, such as a near-field magnetic field. In operation, the movable element is driven into resonance, producing a large amplitude, which results in the structure latching. Through resonance, a small force applied in a repeating manner can result in the latching of the actuator, an operation which would normally require a large force. If two or more units, each with different harmonic frequencies, are placed under the same influence, only the one with a harmonic response to the driving force will latch. A single influencing signal may be used to latch more than one device on demand by tuning the frequency to match the natural frequency of the device of interest. | 11-01-2012 |
20120279845 | Use of Micro-Structured Plate for Controlling Capacitance of Mechanical Capacitor Switches - Micro capacitive switches and methods of manufacturing micro capacitive switches at variable nominal capacitance value using micro-structures on the contact plates of the same dimension. In a preferred embodiment, a separately manufactured contact plate can be mounted to a movable magnet in order to be actuated to “on” and “off” state of the capacitive switch. Depending on the contact plate's surface condition, variable contact capacitance at “on” state can be precisely specified by geometrical properties of the micro-structures on the surface, such as the density, size and depth. | 11-08-2012 |
20120308062 | DIRECT DRIVE MICRO HEARING DEVICE - A device and methods are provided for a hearing device. In one embodiment, a hearing device includes a microphone to receive sound, an interactive tip and actuator. The actuator can include an actuator element and preload force element to place the interactive tip in contact with a portion of an ear. The hearing device includes circuitry coupled to the microphone and actuator, the circuitry configured to process sound received by the microphone and drive the actuator based on processed sound, wherein the actuator drives the interactive tip relative to a portion of the ear based on one or more signals received from the circuitry. | 12-06-2012 |
20130023438 | MAGNETIC RECOVERY METHOD OF MAGNETICALLY RESPONSIVE HIGH-ASPECT RATIO PHOTORESIST MICROSTRUCTURES - Systems and methods that facilitate magnetic collection and/or manipulation of individual micropallets are provided. The embodiments provided herein are directed to a new method for collecting micropallets once released from a substrate. It is accomplished by endowing the micropallets with magnetic properties by incorporating ferromagnetic or superparamagnetic nanoparticles into the photoresist material or otherwise incorporating magnetically responsive material into the micropallet structure. The magnetic particles, which posses magnetic qualities, e.g., ferromagnetism, ferrimagnetism, paramagnetism, and are composed of iron, nickel, and/or other magnetic materials, are mixed into the bulk photoresist prior to its use in the fabrication of microstructures. Also covered are other methods of incorporating magnetically-attractable material into the micropallet structure, such as plating of the micropallets with a material that is magnetically responsive, such as nickel. Additionally, the embodiments provided include a “collection probe” that is used to collect the released magnetic micropallets. | 01-24-2013 |
20130060166 | DEVICE AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING HAND REHABILITATION AND ASSESSMENT OF HAND FUNCTION - The various embodiments provided herein are generally directed to a method, system, and/or device for providing rehabilitation and assessing function from a portion of the human body. In one embodiment, there is disclosed a method, system, and/or device for providing rehabilitation and assessing of hand function using an audio interface. The audio interface may be a music-based interface and device may include a monitor unit, such as a hand monitoring unit, for providing data of a movement to a computing device, such as a microcontroller. The computing device may output data to a music-based interface. | 03-07-2013 |
20140125458 | MEMS Sensor Enabled RFID System and Method for Operating the Same - A method for providing environmental monitoring of an item with an electronic system includes the steps of operating the electronic system in a deep-sleep mode at a minimal level of power consumption by disabling operation of nonessential portions of the electronic system; activating the electronic system at a monitoring rate to sense an environmental parameter to which the item is subjected; sensing a value of the environmental parameter to which the item is subjected; comparing the sensed environmental parameter with the value of the environmental parameter just previously sensed to derive a rate of change of the environmental parameter; adjusting the monitoring rate to track the rate of change of the environmental parameter; storing the value of the sensed environmental parameter; and returning the electronic system to the deep-sleep mode. | 05-08-2014 |
20140243244 | MICRO-BUBBLE PLATE FOR PATTERNING BIOLOGICAL AND NON-BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS - Systems and methods are provided for patterning biological and non-biological material at specific sites on a plate, as well as growing three dimensional structures. Preferred embodiments comprise a plate with regions that will trap gas, usually in the form of bubbles, when the plate is submerged in liquid. Other embodiment of the present invention include a method for placing materials on the plate at pre-determined locations through the use of trapped gas to prevent materials from collecting at unwanted regions. The plate has great utility for plating cells and tissues at specific sites, such as on an array. The disclosed method can also be used to coat the surface of a plate with coatings at specific locations for patterned coating applications and to build up materials to produce three dimensional structures, including micromechanical structures—where the structures may be formed from living or non-living material, tissue or non-tissue, organic or inorganic, and the like. | 08-28-2014 |