Abstract: A substantially constant load impedance electrical heater has been provided. The heater is comprised of two sections, a first heater and a second heater. The first heater is continuously “on” to provide the bulk of the heat. A second heater is selectively engaged to provide slightly more heat to the medium, heating the medium to the desired temperature. The output temperature of the heated medium is maintained by controlling the duty cycle of the second heater. More drastic changes in temperature are accomplished by changing the power continuously dissipated by the first heater. The greatest heating control is obtained by defining the first and second heaters as subsets from a bank of selectable heater elements. A method of minimizing fluctuations in the loading of a high-wattage electrical device is also provided.

Abstract: An inflatable thermal blanket with a multilayer sheet and a method of use are disclosed for delivering thermally-controlled air to a person. The apparatus includes an inflatable structure formed from joining a first sheet and a second sheet. An inlet is provided into the inflatable structure for receiving thermally-controlled air. A multilayer sheet, made from a plurality of sheets releasably attached together, is attached to the second sheet. Means are provided for exhausting the thermally-controlled air from the inflatable thermal blanket. In the method of use, the inflatable thermal blanket is deployed in a first use and a source of thermally-controlled air is attached to the inflation port admitting thermally-controlled air into the inflatable structure and exhausting thermally-controlled air.

Abstract: Circuitry for a phase locked loop (PLL) includes a first frequency doubler; a first equalizer having an input coupled to an output of the first frequency doubler; a second frequency doubler having an input coupled to an output of the first equalizer; and a second equalizer having an input coupled to an output of the second frequency doubler and an output which is fed into the PLL. Each frequency doubler includes a first delay circuit having an input coupled to the input of the frequency doubler; and an XOR circuit having a first input coupled to an output of the delay circuit and a second input coupled to the input of the frequency doubler. The combination of the two frequency doublers in series quadruples the reference signal into the PLL, which allows the, PLL to have a smaller feedback divider ratio and a higher loop gain for reducing jitter. Advantageously, controls for the selection of the initial reference signal are provided.

Abstract: An intravenous (IV) fluid warming system with a removable heat exchanger includes a presence detector. The system is for warming an IV fluid before infusion into a body. The system includes a warming unit for warming the IV fluid and an inlet slot for receiving a heat exchanger, preferably embodied as a cassette . The heat exchanger is sized to fit into the inlet slot of the warming unit. The heat exchanger has a heat exchanger membrane with an internal fluid pathway that is in fluid communication with a fluid inlet port and a fluid outlet port. While the heat exchanger is in the warming unit, the IV fluid flows through the internal fluid pathway of the heat exchanger, warming the fluid. A heat exchanger presence detector is part of the warming system. The presence detector detects the presence of the heat exchanger when it is received in the warming unit. The presence detector enables the heating operation of the warming unit when the presence of the heat exchanger is sensed.

Abstract: A Heterojunction Bipolar Transistor (HBT) is provided where the SiGe base region is formed through selective deposition, after the formation of the base electrode layer and the emitter window. A sacrificial oxide layer is deposited between the collector and base electrode. The contact to the SiGe base is made at an extrinsic area, underneath the base electrode, after removal of the sacrificial oxide. The SiGe is covered with a temporary oxide layer during further processes, and this protective layer is removed immediately before the deposition of the emitter material. The selective deposition of the SiGe at a relatively late stage of the fabrication process helps insure that the film remains free of the stresses which can degrade electron mobility. A process of fabricating the above-described HBT device is also provided.

Abstract: Prevention or treatment of hypothermia in a person is afforded by an inflatable cover with a surface for expelling air from the cover. A heater/blower unit is connected to the cover to inflate the cover with warmed air and to maintain the temperature of warmed air expelled through the surface in a range of 85.2° F. to 117.7° F. The heater/blower unit may also maintain the temperature of warmed air provided to inflate the cover in a range of 113.3° F. to 121.3° F. The heater/blower unit may also maintain the temperature of warmed air under the surface in a range of 103.8° F. to 112.5° F. A pattern of apertures in the surface or vents in sides of the inflatable cover may be provided in order to circulate the warmed air to edges of the inflatable cover.

Abstract: Cooling devices are provided to reduce a person's temperature by evaporative, convective, and/or conductive cooling. One such device maximizes evaporative cooling by aiding the flow of air to the person and the removal of vapor-laden air from the person. An upper sheet and a base sheet are adhered to define numerous elongated, parallel, inflatable cooling chambers separated by flat connecting membranes. Ventilating cross-members interconnect the cooling chambers. Air enters the chambers through an inlet, exits the chambers toward the person through air permeable regions of the base sheet. Air heated by the person's body exits the device upward through evaporation openings in the connecting membranes. The foregoing device, or different variations thereof, may be modified for use in conductive cooling by adding an absorbent sheet beneath the base sheet, or substituting the absorbent sheet for the base sheet itself.

Abstract: A flip-chip transition interface structure is suitable for use in high speed applications that require low return losses. The transition interface includes a conductive signal element and two conductive reference elements formed on a flip-chip die substrate. A signal solder bump is located at a signal bond pad formed at an end of the conductive signal element, and a reference solder bump is located at each conductive reference element. The conductive elements are configured to form a substantially round cutout region surrounding the signal bond pad. The positions of the solder bumps on the respective conductive elements are selected in a manner that enhances the impedance matching of the transition interface structure.

Abstract: A variable frequency oscillator provides an output frequency that is adjustable by selectively combining different delay signals from separate signal paths. The present invention's oscillator includes first and second differential signal paths, each exhibiting a different time delay or “phase.” Each signal path includes a series coupling of multiple delay elements, where each delay element comprises a single differential amplifier transistor pair. Each signal path's delay is established by setting the biasing and geometry of the signal paths' differential amplifier transistor pairs. A combiner, separately coupled to each signal path, selectively combines signals from the paths to provide a representative output. This output is also fed back as input to both signal paths. As an example, the combiner may be provided by two non-nested differential amplifier transistor pairs.

Abstract: A technique for efficiently structuring a database takes advantage of redundancy in data point conditions to reduce the time associated with the insertion of data points into a database and to reduce the amount of required storage space. The technique is particularly suited for semiconductor characterization data having a large number of test data points collected under repeated test conditions. The data point conditions are analyzed to inventory the different unique conditions associated with the given set of data points. Each unique combination of conditions is assigned a variable array, and each variable array element identifies a specific condition. The data point values are linked to variable set handles that represent the different variable arrays. In this manner, the data points can be inserted into the database without having to store each data point value with all of the corresponding conditions. Rather, the data point values are stored along with their respective variable set handles.

Abstract: An inflatable convective thermal pad is adapted for use under a patient. The pad has a surface on a layer that receives the patient and that provides for the passage of air through the layer and the surface toward the patient. One or more drain openings or channels are provided in the layer for draining fluid from the layer.

Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus, and related method, for receiving and synchronizing parallel data transmitted over multiple serial data channels. The synchronization technique uses a channel lock FIFO buffer on each received serial data channel. The FIFO buffers are configured to tolerate a significant amount of jitter between channels and clock tree delay within the synchronization apparatus.

Abstract: A frequency sweep voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), with a selectable range of output frequencies is provided. The VCO includes a frequency range circuit to accept an input signal, differentially delay the signal, and selectably sum the delayed signals to provide signals in discrete frequency ranges. A frequency sweep circuit accepts the signal output from the frequency range circuit, differentially delays the signal, and sums the delayed signal in such a way as to modify the previously selected frequency range. A method for generating a signal from a frequency sweep VCO is also provided.

Abstract: An apparatus an method are disclosed for dividing a two-dimensional matrix of pixels into at least first and second areas. For each pixel, it is determined in which the area the pixel is located. Then, the pixels in the first area are processed according to a first processing/compression scheme, and the pixels in the second area are processed according to a second processing/compression scheme. A data bit stream is generated which represents the processed/compressed pixels and their associated areas, and the data bit stream can be stored or transmitted in lieu of the entire matrix of pixels. If desired, the pixels in the first area can be processed less frequently than the pixels in the second area, and the areas themselves can be established in response to the frequency of variations in the pixel values.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for forming a template cell on the input/output (I/O) surface of an integrated circuit (IC). The first metal layer of the cell includes a plurality of parallel bus lines extending from one edge of the cell to the other. A second underlying metal layer includes bus lines extending in an orthogonal direction to the first layer lines. A signal routing layer underlies the second metal layer, with a routing channel located around the edges of the cell, and ESD and output buffer circuits placed inside of the routing channel. The bus lines of the first and second metal layers, and the routing channel of the signal routing layer, have connection areas so that connections are formed by abutting the cells. Each cell also includes a flip-chip solder pad overlying the first metal layer that can be connected by a via to either the first or second metal layer.

Abstract: An apparatus for supporting a human or animal body, while selectively cooling weight-bearing areas of the body in order to prevent or reduce damage from ischemia includes a cooling layer that is partitioned into a plurality of zones, and a surface disposed over the cooling layer to support the body. Each zone of the cooling layer is disposed for cooling a respective portion of the surface. Means are provided to selectively operate one or more zones of the plurality of the zones to cool a portion of the surface that receives pressure from a weight-bearing surface of the body being supported.

Abstract: One or two shield structures is provided for a read head wherein each shield structure has a heat sink layer for dissipating heat from the read sensor and a ferromagnetic layer for shielding signal fields from a rotating magnetic disk other than the signal field being detected by the read head. In a preferred embodiment the heat sink layer employs a gold (Au) film between first and second tantalum (Ta) films and the ferromagnetic layer employs an iron nitride (FeN) film and a nickel iron cobalt (NiFeCo) film. The ferromagnetic layer is located between the heat sink layer and the read sensor. Iron nitride (FeN) has a high magnetization so that it can be relatively thin and yet provide necessary shielding of the read sensor and the nickel iron cobalt (NiFeCo) film as a high uniaxial anisotropy (HK) which ensures that the magnetic moment of the ferromagnetic layer returns to its original position parallel to the air bearing surface of the read head after being rotated by an external magnetic field.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for maintaining coherence between shared data stored within a plurality of memory devices, each memory device residing in a different node within a tightly coupled multiprocessor system. Each node includes a "local coherence unit" and an associated processor. A cache unit is associated with each memory/processor pair. Each local coherence unit maintains a table which indicates whether the most current copy of data stored within the node resides in the local memory, in the local cache, or in a non-local cache. The present invention includes a "global coherence" unit coupled to each node via the logical interconnect. The global coherence unit includes a interconnect monitoring device and a global coherence table. When data which resides within the memory of a first node is transferred to a second node, the interconnect monitoring device updates the global coherence table to indicate that the data is being shared.

Abstract: A client-server distributed computer processing system provides staged byte range locking with three levels of lock complexity and contention. When locking activity for a data object involves a plurality of clients, locking is managed centrally in the server operating environment. When only a single client is involved in requesting a lock on a data object such as a data file or portion of a data file, the requesting client can be permitted to manage the locking locally in the requesting client operating environment. Client-managed locking involves two stages of locking complexity on an object-by-object basis. The first stage of client locking involves only a log of current lock activity and handles relatively simple locking. When locking becomes more complex, the client locking is migrated to a second local locking stage, where more complex data structures can support lock fragmentations that affect various portions of the data object, such as partially overlapped byte ranges.

Abstract: A computer system automatically senses characteristics of diverse peripheral devices connected to a common communications port, and automatically maximizes the communications speed with the devices. Coupled in daisy chain fashion to the communications port, all peripheral devices receive every signal issued from the controller port, each device responding only to signals addressed to that device or signals addressed to a universal address. The controller first receives an identifier from peripheral devices attached to the controller port. The controller then interprets the received identifiers to determine a maximum communications speed for each device. Next, the controller and the attached peripheral devices are configured to communicate at the maximum communications speed of the slowest device. This guarantees that all messages sent by the controller are compatible with all peripheral devices.