Abstract: An apparatus provides precise steering of inkjet droplets to a substrate by use of multipole arrangement with electrodes on a resistive plate. There may be droplet detection based on charge sensing. A hexagonal spiral deposition pattern on a target substrate allows fast uniform printing covering a nearly circular hexagonal area. There may be six electrodes arranged to form a cubic enclosure, and injected droplets may be merged within the enclosure, and their charge controlled by merging of source droplets of differing charges to provide a net charge for biasing onward steering.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a diaphragm for a pressure sensor, the diaphragm comprising a hybrid sol-gel film. The invention also extends to a process for the manufacture of said diaphragm for a pressure sensor and to a pressure sensor comprising said diaphragm.

Abstract: A temperature sensor (1) has a pressure sensor (10), the distal end of which is inserted in a sealed chamber (2) filled with a liquid. The pressure sensor has a light guide (4), a cavity (14) at a distal end of the light guide, a diaphragm (11) forming a wall of the cavity and being configured to deflect with applied pressure, and a detector to detect changes in light reflection due to deflection of the diaphragm. The liquid (3) which changes volume in response to temperature changes and this volume change is sufficient to change the pressure applied on the diaphragm (11), and the a interrogation system processes pressure data and/or light reflection data to generate an output indicating temperature of the fluid in the chamber.

Abstract: A temperature sensor (1) has a pressure sensor (10), the distal end of which is inserted in a sealed chamber (2) filled with a liquid. The pressure sensor has a light guide (4), a cavity (14) at a distal end of the light guide, a diaphragm (11) forming a wall of the cavity and being configured to deflect with applied pressure, and a detector to detect changes in light reflection due to deflection of the diaphragm. The liquid (3) which changes volume in response to temperature changes and this volume change is sufficient to change the pressure applied on the diaphragm (11), and the a interrogation system processes pressure data and/or light reflection data to generate an output indicating temperature of the fluid in the chamber.

Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing droplets comprises a dispensing tip (2, 190, 210) with an orifice (4) having a cross sectional area in the range of 0.00002 mm2 to 0.03 mm2. An actuator assembly (13-15, 50, 80) comprising an actuator element engages with and disengage from the tip and, when engaged, couples acoustic energy to liquid in the tip to expel the liquid through the orifice as a droplet. The actuator assembly includes one or more piezo elements, which may be in the form of piezo stacks. In some embodiments, the actuator assembly comprises a plurality of jaws (51, 52, 61) adapted to move to engage with the dispensing tip for dispensing. This allows side loading of the tip (180) followed by movement of the actuator assembly (153) to engage the tip (180).

Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing droplets comprises a dispensing tip with an orifice having a cross sectional area in the range of 0.00002 mm2 to 0.03 mm2. An actuator assembly comprising an actuator element engages with and disengage from the tip and, when engaged, couples acoustic energy to liquid in the tip to expel the liquid through the orifice as a droplet. The actuator assembly includes one or more piezo elements, which may be in the form of piezo stacks. In some embodiments, the actuator assembly comprises a plurality of jaws adapted to move to engage with the dispensing tip for dispensing. This allows side loading of the tip followed by movement of the actuator assembly to engage the tip.

Abstract: A sensor (1) has a light conductor (2) having a grating (FBG), a cavity (5), and a transparent cavity end wall (4), a light emitter for directing light through the conductor, and a light detector for detecting reflected light, and a processor. The processor is adapted to analyse light reflected due to the grating (FBG, 6) to determine an indication of temperature, light reflected from the end (7) of the cavity (5) to determine an indication of pressure, and also light reflected from the outer surface (8) of the cavity wall (4) to determine an indication of refractive index of a medium outside said cavity wall. The processor may use one output to compensate another, for example pressure and temperature may be used to compensate for variation in refractive index.

Abstract: A pressure sensor (10 for medical applications comprises a silica optical fiber extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometric (EFPI) pressure sensor (2) and an in-fiber Bragg grating (FBG, 3). The cavity of the EFPI pressure sensor (2) is formed by the end face of the FBG (3), a glass capillary (5) and a glass diaphragm (6). The glass diaphragm (6) is secured in place by a fusion splice (7) and the glass capillary (5) by a fusion splice (8). As illustrated, incident light is directed into the FBG 3 and there are reflections in the EFPI pressure sensor (2). Applied pressure causes a deflection of the glass diaphragm (6) and hence modulation of the EFPI sensor (2) cavity. The FBG (3) is used as a reference sensor to eliminate temperature cross-sensitivity of the EFPI pressure sensor (2). The EFPI cavity was fabricated using a 200 ?m silica glass fiber, a 133/220 ?m (inner/outer diameter) silica glass capillary and a standard telecommunication FBG.

Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing droplets comprises a dispensing tip with an orifice having a cross sectional area in the range of 0.00002 mm2 to 0.03 mm2. An actuator assembly comprising an actuator element engages with and disengage from the tip and, when engaged, couples acoustic energy to liquid in the tip to expel the liquid through the orifice as a droplet. The actuator assembly includes one or more piezo elements, which may be in the form of piezo stacks. In some embodiments, the actuator assembly comprises a plurality of jaws adapted to move to engage with the dispensing tip for dispensing. This allows side loading of the tip followed by movement of the actuator assembly to engage the tip.

Abstract: A pressure sensor (10 for medical applications comprises a silica optical fiber extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometric (EFPI) pressure sensor (2) and an in-fiber Bragg grating (FBG, 3). The cavity of the EFPI pressure sensor (2) is formed by the end face of the FBG (3), a glass capillary (5) and a glass diaphragm (6). The glass diaphragm (6) is secured in place by a fusion splice (7) and the glass capillary (5) by a fusion splice (8). As illustrated, incident light is directed into the FBG 3 and there are reflections in the EFPI pressure sensor (2). Applied pressure causes a deflection of the glass diaphragm (6) and hence modulation of the EFPI sensor (2) cavity. The FBG (3) is used as a reference sensor to eliminate temperature cross-sensitivity of the EFPI pressure sensor (2). The EFPI cavity was fabricated using a 200 ?m silica glass fiber, a 133/220 ?m (inner/outer diameter) silica glass capillary and a standard telecommunication FBG.