Abstract: Disclosed is an external cavity diode laser system that includes a dispersion unit; a gain element producing coherent light incident upon the dispersion unit; and the dispersion unit dispersing the incident coherent light into dispersed light, the dispersed light comprising a reflected diffraction beam and at least one of angularly-separated source spontaneous emission or angularly-separated amplified spontaneous emission; a guiding dispersion unit that guides the dispersed light diffracted upon it from the dispersion unit while maintaining an angular separation between the reflected diffraction beam and at least one of angularly-separated source spontaneous emission or angularly-separated amplified spontaneous emission; and a physical filtering device that physically filters the reflected diffraction beam from the spatially separated at least one of angularly-separated source spontaneous emission or angularly-separated amplified spontaneous emission guided to the physical filtering device by the guiding unit

Abstract: A system for selecting functions based on a finger feature includes a finger features database storing finger feature and corresponding functions. The system further includes a finger feature sensor, an identification engine and a response engine. The sensor measures a finger feature. The identification engine matches the finger feature with stored features. The response engine then identifies a function in the table corresponding to a matched finger feature. The response engine can then forward an instruction corresponding to the identified function to a device for execution.

Abstract: A phototherapy garment contains a flexible backing material, a transparent liner, and a flexible printed circuit sheet containing surface-mounted light-emitting diodes (LEDs) positioned between the backing material and the liner. An infant is placed inside the garment so that the LEDs illuminate a large portion of the infant's skin for phototherapy. The LEDs preferably emit high-intensity blue light, suitable for treatment of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia or Crigler-Najjar syndrome. The LEDs are arranged in a densely packed array facing the liner and emit uniform, high intensity light. A power supply, which may be portable, supplies adjustable power to the LEDs, preferably pulsed with a duty cycle of approximately 10%, and preferably to overdrive the LEDs to maximize light output. A two-way communications device incorporated into the garment allows a physician or computer to control the garment remotely and gather relevant information periodically or continuously.

Abstract: The present invention provides biplanar, symmetrical electromagnets for providing a homogeneous magnetic field. The magnets have coils disposed in two parallel planes. The coils in the two planes are identical. The radii and Ampere-turns of the coils are selected so that a magnetic field between the planes is homogeneous. One preferred embodiment has 6 coils, with 3 coils in each plane. Other embodiments have 8, 10, 10, 12, or more coils. The method of making the coils begins with an equation for the spherical harmonic coefficients describing the fields from a coil as a function of radius, position and Ampere-turns. For a magnet with K coils, the first K−1 even spherical harmonic coefficients are set equal or close to zero (the odd coefficients are zero due to symmetry of the magnet). This produces a set of equations that, when solved, provides the radii, positions, and Ampere-turns of the K coils. The method can be used to design a biplanar, symmetrical electromagnet with any even number of coils.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for monitoring a modifying-process taking place in a thin-film sample and thereby characterizing the sample thus modified, wherein the modifying-process is performed for purpose of improving physical properties of the sample. The present invention further provides a monitoring tool for characterizing various thin-film processes. Advantages of the method of the present invention are manifest in its non-intrusive nature, fast (or real-time) response, robust sensitivity, and versatility in a variety of thin-film processes. Another inherent advantage of the present invention is that an assortment of the “n&k” parameters can be obtained by using only measurement tool, in contrast to two (or more) simultaneous measurement tools used in the prior art.

Abstract: A method for reducing the required number of channels needed to serve distributed communication traffic from a centralized capacity resource. The crucial aspect of the system under consideration is that the capacity needs vary as a function of time. Specially, a cellular communication system is described in which the basestations are centrally located and RF channels are diverted, by means of an RF switch, to remotely located cells. The number of traffic channels allocated to each cell is a time dependent offered traffic in the cells and the total number of available channels.

Abstract: An epoxy-amine composition includes an epoxy resin, an amine curative and a latent catalyst. The latent catalyst does not cause the instant acceleration of the reaction between epoxides and amines. In the presence of radiation, the latent catalyst generates an active catalyst that accelerates/initiates the cure process of the epoxy-amine composition.

Abstract: A novel method and device for separating light of differing wavelengths (wavelength demultiplexing) uses a very simple and compact multilayer dielectric structure having high angular dispersion at certain wavelengths and angles of incidence. The structure is composed of alternating layers of dielectric materials of different refractive indices, and is designed to operate just outside the main reflection region rather than within the main reflection region. In this region just outside the main reflection region there is strong group velocity dispersion, causing different wavelengths of light to travel at different angles through the dielectric stack. As a consequence, different wavelength components of a polychromatic beam are separated as they pass through the device.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical dispersion compensator with relatively small size and low insertion loss comprising a Fabry-Perot etalon and a dual-fiber collimator having a dual-fiber pigtail and a GRIN lens. The dual-fiber pigtail has an input fiber and an output fiber. An optical signal is coupled into the input fiber and then collimated by the GRIN lens into a collimated incident beam that is incident on the Fabry-Perot etalon with an incident angle. The collimated incident beam is reflected back by the Fabry-Perot etalon into a collimated reflected beam that is collected by the GRIN lens and coupled into the output fiber. By adjusting the separation between the input fiber and the output fiber of the dual-fiber pigtail, the collimated incident beam will change its incident angle and reflected angle. By tuning this angle, the group delay pattern of the output optical signal through the output fiber will shift along with wavelength, therefore dispersion compensation can be achieved.

Abstract: A disk drive having an arm assembly equipped with a primary actuator such as a VCM and a mode-canceling actuator such as a PZT mounted at a location selected in such a way that the strain in the mode-canceling actuator is in phase with sway deformations of the primary actuator produced by the vibrational modes of the arm assembly. The primary actuator is driven to exert a primary force, f ⋁ pm , on the arm assembly while the secondary driver ensures that the mode-canceling actuator applies a mode-canceling force, f ⋁ m ⁢   ⁢ c , on arm assembly such that the gain and phase of one or more vibrational modes are canceled.

Abstract: Mass produced organic I.C. chip package designed to permanently package chips are used as MLO space transformers of a probe apparatus having buckling beam probes. The chip carriers have a solder mask layer with holes exposing trace areas from which interface structures are electrochemically grown. Dependent on the amount of grown metal, the interface structure is formed either as a stud bump protruding from the hole or as a flange overlapping the hole and supporting itself on the layer surface surrounding the hole. The structure's contacting surface may be planed for an area contact with the probe end of a buckling beam.

Abstract: A self-sufficient electronic device to retract and park a voice coil actuator in a resistive parking position in,hard disk drives whose kinetic energy obtained from the rotating disk stack is not sufficient to be utilized as an energy source for the power-off retract and parking of the actuator. The invention uses electric energy stored in one or more capacitors to perform the necessary tasks. An initial electrical pulse is imposed on the actuator to propel the actuator towards a resistive parking ramp. In the event the actuator bounces off a crash stop barrier a bounce detector recognizes a polarity change of a reactive voice coil voltage and gives a signal for a secondary energy pulse to return the bouncing actuator to the resistive parking position. The simple logical concept of the device conserves space and energy making it suitable for miniature hard disk drives.

Abstract: A method of eliciting analgesia in a human subject by Transcranial Electrical Stimulation (TCES) is provided. Electrodes are secured to the skin of the subject's head and used to apply an electrical current to the electrodes. The current includes a direct current combined with rectangular current pulses (alternating current) delivered at a frequency of between 30 and 65 Hz. The frequency at which the pulses are delivered is periodically changed to a different value within the 30-65 Hz range. The total current supplied, a sum of the DC component and a Mean Absolute Deviation (MAD) of the current pulses, preferably has a value between 0.2 and 20 mA. The method is used during surgery and the post-operative procedure, and may also be used to treat a wide variety of neurological and other conditions.

Abstract: An optical displacement sensor is provided for optically measuring the static and dynamic displacement of one or more reflectors that can be integrated in electronics and optics applications. The sensor includes an optically transparent substrate and a reflective grating deposited on the substrate. A light source provides optical illumination on the reflector through the substrate and the reflective grating. The reflector is positioned over the substrate and over the reflective grating. Furthermore, one or more photo-detectors are included to monitor reflected and diffracted light from the reflector and the reflective grating. The position of the reflector can be adjusted by applying at least one DC voltage. An AC signal could be added to at least one DC bias voltage for calibration of the sensor. The present invention also includes an array of reflectors as well as a transmission grating to deflect the optical illumination to the array of reflectors.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for separating a light of a first wavelength &lgr;1 from a second wavelength &lgr;2, where &lgr;1<&lgr;2, in a waveguide such as an optical fiber is described. The apparatus includes a core surrounded by a depressed cladding, which itself is surrounded by a secondary cladding. The core cross-section, the depressed cladding cross-section, the secondary cladding cross-section, and the refractive indices of the core, the depressed cladding and the secondary cladding are selected to produce a fundamental mode cutoff wavelength &lgr;c such that &lgr;1&lgr;c<&lgr;2, and produce a high loss at the secondary wavelength &lgr;2. The apparatus can be used as a filter, an amplifier, a laser, or in a nonlinear optical switch.

Abstract: A disk drive array system using a vacuum pump to reduce the disk drive internal pressures and/or a helium circulator to fill and circulate helium in a disk drive array to reduce vibrations, reduce power consumption, and increase cooling (when helium is used). The disk drive array system is also configured such that individual disk drives can be removed from the disk drive array without affecting the internal pressures of the remaining disk drives in the array.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for calculating estimated risk of serious gastrointestinal (GI) hospitalization of a patient taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs includes the steps of obtaining patient values of a plurality of predictive factors, calculating an estimated risk from the patient values, and displaying the estimated risk, preferably on a monitor. The predictive factors may be age, global health status, proportion of time taking prednisone, occurrence of a previous GI side effect, and occurrence of a previous GI hospitalization. Preferably, the estimated risk is calculated from a Cox proportional hazard model, derived from a database of arthritis patients, using either continuous or categorical variables. The continuous model applies a standard Cox model to the predictive factors. The categorical model divides each predictive factor into categories, and assigns a point value to each predictive factor.

Abstract: A trapezoidal shaped silicon slider is described in the present invention. The slider has a first parallel surface larger than a second parallel surface, thereby generating a built-in positive pitch with respect to a recording medium when the slider is incorporated into a hard disk drive. The slider further includes round edges at the first parallel surface, longitudinal holes within its body, non-planar slanted side surfaces, and a rounded leading edge. The silicon, trapezoidal slider is fabricated using a deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) technique.

Abstract: A multi-frequency pilot beacon adapted to a CDMA system using at least two different carrier frequencies, F1 and F2, for supplying PN sequences at these frequencies. The pilot beacon has a pseudorandom noise generator for supplying a pseudorandom noise sequence PN and a frequency conversion mechanism for converting the PN sequence to a first pilot beacon centered at the first CDMA carrier F1 and a second pilot beacon centered at the second CDMA carrier F2. The multi-frequency pilot beacon can be provided at a base station of a given cell to transmit the pilot beacons within that cell and the base station antenna can be used for transmitting the pilot beacons in this embodiment. Alternatively, multi-frequency pilot beacons can be provided wherever necessary within the CDMA system.