Abstract: According to embodiments of the present invention, an implantable device for detecting variation in fluid flow rate is provided. The implantable device includes: a substrate having an active element arrangement; a sensor arrangement having a first portion that is mechanically secured and a second portion that is freely deflectable, the sensor arrangement in electrical communication with the active element arrangement, wherein the active element arrangement is configured to detect changes in deformation of the sensor arrangement and produce an output in response to the detected changes; and at least one inductive element mechanically coupled to the substrate and in electrical communication with the active element arrangement, wherein the inductive element is adapted to power the active element arrangement through inductive coupling to an excitation source, and wherein the inductive element is adapted to transmit the output associated with the detected changes in the sensor.

Abstract: According to embodiments of the present invention, a micro-sensory tip for use in blood vessels is provided. The micro-sensory tip includes: a force transmission element; at least three force detecting sensors coupled to the force transmission element, each of the at least three force detecting sensors responsive to force applied on the force transmission element, wherein each of the at least three force detecting sensors produces an output representing at least one force component of a three-dimensional Cartesian co-ordinate system, of the force experienced by the force transmission element, such that the outputs of the at least three force detecting sensors can cover the space of the three-dimensional Cartesian co-ordinate system; and an active element arrangement coupled to the at least three force detecting sensors, the active element arrangement configured to process the output from the at least three force detecting sensors.

Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus for regulating the temperature of a chemical and/or biological sample and a method of using the same. The apparatus includes at least one temperature control module. The temperature control module includes a heater, a conductor of caloric, and a temperature sensor. The heater of the temperature control module is adapted to thermally communicate with a removable substrate, on which said chemical and/or biological sample is placed, via the conductor of caloric. The temperature sensor of the temperature control module is adapted to detect and control the temperature of the substrate via the conductor of caloric. The apparatus is designed such that the substrate is situated above said temperature control module to entirely cover said temperature control module.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of processing a biological and/or chemical sample. The method includes providing a fluid droplet, which includes an inner phase and an outer phase. The outer phase is immiscible with the inner phase, and the outer phase is surrounding the inner phase. The inner phase includes the biological and/or chemical sample. The fluid droplet furthermore comprises magnetically attractable matter. The method also includes providing at least one surface, which is of such a texture and such a wettability for the fluid of the inner phase of the fluid droplet, that the fluid droplet remains intact upon being contacted therewith. The method further includes disposing the fluid droplet onto the at least one surface. The method also includes performing a process on the biological and/or chemical sample in the fluid droplet.

Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus for regulating the temperature of a chemical and/or biological sample and a method of using the same. The apparatus includes at least one temperature control module. The temperature control module includes a heater, a conductor of caloric, and a temperature sensor. The heater of the temperature control module is adapted to thermally communicate with a removable substrate, on which said chemical and/or biological sample is placed, via the conductor of caloric. The temperature sensor of the temperature control module is adapted to detect and control the temperature of the substrate via the conductor of caloric. The apparatus is designed such that the substrate is situated above said temperature control module to entirely cover said temperature control module.

Abstract: A detection system is provided, the detection system comprising a light source that generates excitation light having a wavelength sufficient to excite a fluorophore in a sample; an excitation filter positioned along a first line along a path of the excitation light, the excitation filter transmitting the excitation light from the light source; a beam splitter positioned along the first line, the beam splitter reflecting the excitation light transmitted by the excitation filter along a second line toward a mirror positioned on one side of the beam splitter, and passing emitted light reflected along the second line; the mirror, positioned to reflect the excitation light from the beam splitter to the fluorophore in the sample along a third line, normal to both the first and second lines, wherein the mirror further reflects emitted light emitted along the third line, along the second line toward the beam splitter; an emission filter positioned along the second line, on a second side of the beam splitter; and a d

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to electronic devices and methods. In some cases, the invention provides a sensor device comprising a pair of interdigitated microelectrodes (60), coated with an electrically conducting polymer material (70). The microelectrodes (60) may be surrounded by a first electrode (22), a second electrode (40), and a hydrophobic wall (50).

Abstract: The invention provides a method of processing a biological and/or chemical sample. The method includes providing a fluid droplet, which includes an inner phase and an outer phase. The outer phase is immiscible with the inner phase, and the outer phase is surrounding the inner phase. The inner phase includes the biological and/or chemical sample. The fluid droplet furthermore comprises magnetically attractable matter. The method also includes providing at least one surface, which is of such a texture and such a wettability for the fluid of the inner phase of the fluid droplet, that the fluid droplet remains intact upon being contacted therewith. The method further includes disposing the fluid droplet onto the at least one surface. The method also includes performing a process on the biological and/or chemical sample in the fluid droplet.

Abstract: There is provided a method and/or system which allow on-chip preconditioning of complex real-world samples and/or handling of limited amounts of target material, and/or on-chip nucleic acid amplification process, using a free droplet containing magnetic attractable material. The nucleic acid amplification process comprises controlling the position of the magnetic attractable material and performing the nucleic acid amplification in a thermocycling droplet located onto at least one temperature zone. The low thermal masses of the herein described heaters/temperature sensors come along with fast temperature transitions within the corresponding temperature zones allowing impressing temperature gradients in at least one temperature zone between subsequent or within the same thermocycle(s). Additionally, the variable residence times of the droplet in a given temperature zone permit to customize the denaturation, annealing and/or extension times within the same or between different PCR runs.

Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus for regulating the temperature of a chemical and/or biological sample and a method of using the same. The apparatus includes at least one temperature control module. The temperature control module includes a heater, a conductor of caloric, and a temperature sensor. The heater of the temperature control module is adapted to thermally communicate with a removable substrate, on which said chemical and/or biological sample is placed, via the conductor of caloric. The temperature sensor of the temperature control module is adapted to detect and control the temperature of the substrate via the conductor of caloric. The apparatus is designed such that the substrate is situated above said temperature control module to entirely cover said temperature control module.

Abstract: One of the limitations to current usage of scanning thermal microscopes arises when one needs to obtain a thermal map of an electrically biased specimen. Current practice is for the conductive parts of the specimen to be passivated to prevent excessive current leakage between the tip and the conductive sample. The present invention eliminates the need for this by coating the probe's microtip with a layer of insulation that is also a good thermal conductor. Examples of both thermocouple and thermistor based probes are given along with processes for their manufacture.

Abstract: A method of forming a silicon nitride scanning torsion mirror which includes depositing a silicon nitride layer on a support substrate, etching the silicon nitride layer to form a mirror supported within the layer by integral torsion hinges and then selectively etching the substrate under the mirror to form a well.

Abstract: A silicon nitride scanning torsion mirror supported within a layer of silicon nitride by integral silicon nitride hinges. The layer is supported by a substrate which has a well beneath said mirror. A method of forming a silicon nitride scanning torsion mirror which includes depositing a silicon nitride layer on a support substrate etching the silicon nitride layer to form a mirror supported within the layer by integral torsion hinges and then selectively etching the substrate under the mirror to form a well.

Abstract: A magneto-optic recording system employing near-field optics which includes a read/write head having a pair of crossed tapered optical waveguides closely adjacent to the recording medium to provide light coupling between the tapered ends of the waveguides and the recording medium. The length of the waveguides being greater than one-half the wavelength of the light transmitted by the waveguides to transmit all light entering the waveguide to the tapered end and the width being a fraction of a wavelength of the light.

Abstract: A submicrometer photodiode probe with a sub-50 nanometer tip radius is used for optical surface characterization on a nanometer scale. The nanoprobe detects subwavelength optical intensity variations in the near field of an illuminated surface. The probe comprises a metal-semiconductor Schottky diode that is constructed at the end of a micromachined tip of a semiconductor wafer. A process is disclosed for micromachining the tip of the semiconductor wafer and then of creating a photodiode at the tip, with the photodiode having an optical aperture of a size less than 1000 nanometers.

Abstract: A magneto-optic recording system employing near-field optics which includes a read/write head having a stylus comprising a pair of crossed tapered prisms made of a material having a high index of refraction closely adjacent to the recording medium to provide light coupling between slits at the ends of the prisms and the recording medium. The length of the prism slits being greater than one-half the effective wavelength inside the material filling the prism of the light transmitted by the prisms to transmit all light entering the waveguide to the tapered end and the width being a fraction of a wavelength of the light.