Abstract: An electrical conductor, such as a wire or catheter, which is coated circumferentially with a ferromagnetic material in a selected region, is fed from a high frequency alternating current source. The ferromagnetic material has a quick response in heating and cooling to the controllable power delivery. The ferromagnetic material can be used for separating tissue, coagulation, tissue destruction or achieving other desired tissue effects in numerous surgical procedures.

Abstract: An electrical conductor, such as a wire or catheter, which is coated circumferentially with a ferromagnetic material in a selected region, is fed from a high frequency alternating current source. The ferromagnetic material has a quick response in heating and cooling to the controllable power delivery. The ferromagnetic material can be used for separating tissue, coagulation, tissue destruction or achieving other desired tissue effects in numerous surgical procedures.

Abstract: An electrical conductor, such as a wire or catheter, which is coated circumferentially with a ferromagnetic material in a selected region, is fed from a high frequency alternating current source. The ferromagnetic material has a quick response in heating and cooling to the controllable power delivery. The ferromagnetic material can be used for separating tissue, coagulation, tissue destruction or achieving other desired tissue effects in numerous surgical procedures.

Abstract: An improved method of sensing strain allows measurements of stress, torque, vibration and other loads imposed on a body without physical contact between the body/sensor and the monitoring equipment. An induction loop is at least partially comprised of a magnetostrictive material with a non-linear current-voltage relationship. An excitation device such as a coil is used to induce an AC response in the sensor. The non-linear response to the induced current is received by a sensing device such as a sensing coil, and the output thereof is filtered. The excitation device and sensing device are located in operative proximity to the sensor, but need not be in contact therewith, allowing easy measurement in small spaces, under harsh conditions, or of moving bodies such as drive shafts. The non-linear response of the sensor induces easily detectable harmonics of the base frequency of excitation. These harmonics may advantageously be measured as well.

Abstract: A thermal control device for controlling the temperature of a craft/spacecraft is an electrostatic switch causing a large change in apparent emissivity. A flexible covering has a high emissivity and makes close contact with the surface of the spacecraft when electrostatically attracted thereto, when the covering is out of contact, the spacecraft surface emissivity controls radiation. The device can operate with moderate levels of DC voltages. Application of voltage results in high emissivity while removal of voltage allows a separator to move the covering out of contact and thus results in low emissivity.

Abstract: An improved method of sensing strain allows measurements of stress, torque, vibration and other loads imposed on a body without physical contact between the body/sensor and the monitoring equipment. An induction loop is at least partially comprised of a magnetostrictive material with a non-linear current-voltage relationship. An excitation device such as a coil is used to induce an AC response in the sensor. The non-linear response to the induced current is received by a sensing device such as a sensing coil, and the output thereof is filtered. The excitation device and sensing device are located in operative proximity to the sensor, but need not be in contact therewith, allowing easy measurement in small spaces, under harsh conditions, or of moving bodies such as drive shafts.

Abstract: A method of sensing strain in a material includes the steps of embedding in a material at least one wire formed of a conductive core and a magnetoelastic film coated around the conductive core and having a known level of saturation, interconnecting an input lead to one end portion of the wire and an output lead to another end portion of the wire, inputting an electrical current in the wire through the input lead so as to drive the magnetoelastic film of the wire to saturation such that the electrical impedance is sensitive to changes in strain in the material, and outputting an electrical signal from the output lead being proportional to a strain imposed on the material surrounding the wire.

Abstract: A thermal control device for controlling the temperature of a craft/spacecraft by means of an electrostatic switch to change the mode of heat transfer of the craft/spacecraft skin from conduction to radiation. The change is by means of a large change in apparent emissivity. The device can operate with moderate levels of DC voltages. Application of voltage results in high emissivity while removal of voltage results in low emissivity.

Abstract: A stable ohmic contact for thin films of p-type tellurium-containing II-VI semiconductors and photovoltaic devices incorporating such contacts. An ohmic contact according to the invention includes a contact-forming layer deposited on a p-type thin film of a tellurium-contacting II-VI semiconductor. Preferably, the contact-forming layer is copper having a thickness of about 2 nanometers. An isolation layer is deposited on the contact-forming to isolate subsequently deposited layers from the thin film. The isolation layer may be carbon or a thin layer of nickel. A connection layer for attaching an external electrical conductor is deposited on the isolation layer. The connection layer may be aluminum, chromium or a layer of copper, provided a copper layer is covered with one of silver, aluminum or a thin layer of nickel, preferably covered with aluminum.

Abstract: A two terminal, multiple cell photovoltaic device, each including materials having mutually imcompatible preparatory processes, is manufactured by separately forming the cells on substrates and adhering the cells with a light-transmissive, electrically conductive adhesive. Highly efficient photovoltaic devices including electrodeposited cells of cadmium sulfide and cadmium telluride can be combined with evaporated and condensed cells of cadmium sulfide and copper indium diselenide can be manufactured according to the invention.

Abstract: A large area, thin-film photovoltaic device 30 having a transparent front contact 32 is made more efficient by the use of a current collector grid 36. The current collector grid 36 is embedded in an optically transparent electrically conductive layer 34 and may extend partially into a substrate 32 or partially into a first semiconductor layer 38. The process for preparing such thin-film photovoltaic devices includes forming channels in the optically transparent electrically conductive layer 34 and depositing the current collector grid material in the channels. By this design, problems encountered in the deposition of thin-film semiconductor layers due to the presence of relatively large current collector grids are effectively eliminated.

Abstract: A stable front contact current collector grid 116 is provided for photovoltaic devices. The current collector grid 116 is disposed between two semiconductor layers, 118 and 119, each semiconductor layer having the same conductivity type. The photovoltaic device utilizes a substrate 112; an optically transparent electrically conductive layer 114; a first layer of semiconductor material 118; a front contact current collector grid 116; a second layer of semiconductor material 119 having the same conductivity type as the first semiconductor layer; a third layer of semiconductor material 120 having a conductivity type opposite from that of the first and second semiconductor layers; and an electrically conductive film 122 in contact with the third semiconductor layer.

Abstract: A solar cell structure is produced by a method comprising baking the solar cell, containing a gridded top layer of cuprous sulfide formed on a base of cadmium sulfide, for 20 minutes to 10 hours, to produce a copper doped CdS electrically insulating region in the cadmium sulfide base near the interface of the cuprous sulfide and the cadmium sulfide; removing the cuprous sulfide, and the copper doped CdS insulating region not covered by the grid, to provide a bare cadmium sulfide areas; and then forming a cuprous sulfide layer on the exposed areas not covered by the grid.

Abstract: An integrated array of solar cells, each cell having a positive and a negative electrode, is disclosed. A first grid comprising a plurality of non-intersecting electrically conductive members is affixed to an insulating substrate. Each single individual member of this grid forms the negative electrode of an individual cell of the array. Overlying and affixed to the negative electrodes and the surface of the substrate between these electrodes is a semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type. Isolated (i.e., non-touching or non-abutting) semiconductor regions of a second conductivity type form a plurality of PN junctions with the semiconductor layer. These P-N junctions are the active areas of the individual cells of the array. Each of the isolated semiconductor regions of the second conductivity type is solely coupled to an individual member of another grid whose members form the positive electrodes of the individual cells.

Abstract: An integrated array of solar cells is produced in continuous layers of photovoltaic junction forming semiconductor materials. Adjacent solar cells are sufficiently isolated by virtue of a relatively high resistivity in the semiconductor layers. The solar cells are connected in series by shorting the junction at selected points.