Abstract: Water flooding at the cathode of a fuel cell is a common problem in fuel cells. By integrating an electroosmotic (EO) pump to remove product water from the cathode area, fuel cell power can be increased. Integration of EO pumps transforms the designs of air channel and air breathing cathodes, reducing air pumping power loads and increasing oxidant transport. Hydration of gas streams, management of liquid reactants, and oxidant delivery can also be accomplished with integrated electroosmotic pumps. Electroosmotic pumps have no moving parts, can be integrated as a layer of the fuel cell, and scale with centimeter to micron scale fuel cells.

Abstract: A method of obtaining and using configuration information for communication devices in a P2P overlay for optimizing decision making based on locality is provided. An alpha-numeric hierarchical look-up procedure is provided that includes a general-to-specific search of a query having a result mapping of a location and purpose of the configuration information of the communication device. A registration procedure is provided for registering at least one resource, where the resource is found by the search on the overlay. The resource can be a communication device location, communication device information or the configuration information. The method provides calling an outside device from the overlay device and determining a gateway service provider that is most proximal to an area code or an exchange of the outside device by using the result mapping. An outside connection is established from the overlay device to the outside device, where a calling toll is minimized.

Abstract: A flexible dilute explosive device is provided that includes an explosive material, such as pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), combined with a non-reactive matrix material, such as light-weight polymer beads, and the combination is held in flexible packaging. The flexible packaging includes fabric, antistatic, evacuated and plastic housings. The flexible dilute explosive device can be applied to any contoured shape in the field. It has a total density that is typically between 5 to 10% greater than its explosive density and can be reliably detonated at lower explosive densities. By using different packaging methods, the flexible dilute explosive device can be made to have a fixed explosive density, or a field tailored explosive density using a variable volume housing. It can have a reduced explosive density by adding inert foam blocks to the combination, having an overall volumetric explosive density reduced to 2.5 lb/ft3 (0.04 g/cm3).

Abstract: A method of depositing oxide materials on a substrate is provided. A deposition chamber holds the substrate, where the substrate is at a specified temperature, and the chamber has a chamber pressure and wall temperature. A precursor molecule containing a cation material atom is provided to the chamber, where the precursor has a line temperature and a source temperature. An oxidant is provided to the chamber, where the oxidant has a source flow rate. Water is provided to the chamber, where the water has a source temperature. By alternating precursor pulses, the water and the oxidant are integrated with purges of the chamber to provide low contamination levels and high growth rates of oxide material on the substrate, where the pulses and the purge have durations and flow rates. A repeatable growth cycle includes pulsing the precursor, purging the chamber, pulsing the water, pulsing the oxidant, and purging the chamber.

Abstract: Improved optical alignment precision to a passive optical cavity is provided by including a combination of a weak focusing element and a translation plate in the input coupling optics. Adjustment of positions and angles of these optical elements, preferably after all other input optical elements are fixed in place, advantageously provides for high-precision optical alignment to the cavity, without requiring excessively tight fabrication tolerances. Fabrication tolerances are relaxed by making the optical power of the weak focusing element significantly less than the optical power of a strong focusing element in the input optics. The position and angles of the beam with respect to the cavity can be adjusted, as can the size of the beam at the cavity. Differential adjustment of the beam size in two orthogonal directions (e.g., tangential plane and sagittal plane) at the cavity can also be provided.

Abstract: Patterned laser treatment of the retina is provided. A visible alignment pattern having at least two separated spots is projected onto the retina. By triggering a laser subsystem, doses of laser energy are automatically provided to at least two treatment locations coincident with the alignment spots. All of the doses of laser energy may be delivered in less than about 1 second, which is a typical eye fixation time. A scanner can be used to sequentially move an alignment beam from spot to spot on the retina and to move a treatment laser beam from location to location on the retina.

Abstract: An electrical surge protection device (12) confers protection to an output node (13) from electrical surges on a data or power line (10) incident on an input node (11). A transistorized surge protection device (18) is located in a current path between the input node (11) and the output node (13) and is configured to assume an isolating state in response to an over-current therethrough. A voltage-triggered protective circuit comprising a diac (16) in series with a bi-directional zener diode (14) is connected between the output side of the transistorized surge protection device (18) and a surge sinking node (15). The voltage-triggered circuit assumes a low-impedance state in response to an electrical surge at output terminal 13. Consequently a surge current is passed through zener diode (14) and surge diac (16) to the surge sinking node. In response to the surge current the transistorized surge protection device (18) assumes a high impedance configuration thereby isolating output node (13) from input node (11).

Abstract: A bio-inspired device is provided designed to scale smooth vertical surfaces using anisotropic frictional materials. The device draws its inspiration from geckos and other climbing lizards and employs similar compliance and force control strategies to climb (or hang onto) smooth vertical surfaces including glass, tile and plastic panels. Foremost among the design features embodied in the device are multiple levels of compliance, at length scales ranging from centimeters to micrometers, to allow the device to conform to surfaces and maintain large real areas of contact so that adhesive forces can support it. Structures within the feet ensure even stress distributions over each toe and facilitate engagement and disengagement of the adhesive materials. A force control strategy works in conjunction with the anisotropic adhesive materials to obtain sufficient levels of friction and adhesion for climbing with low attachment and detachment forces.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for examining a sample with a broadband radiation while preserving a small spot and low wave front distortion. The apparatus has a broadband source for generating the broadband radiation and a first reflective optics that employ toroidal mirrors that are barrel or donut-shaped and may be placed in a crossed or parallel arrangement for producing a broadband test beam that is guided to the sample such that it is incident on it at a small spot. A sampling aperture is provided for filtering a certain center portion from the broadband test beam. A second reflective optics is provided for shaping a reflected response beam from the broadband radiation that is reflected from the spot. The response beam is delivered by second reflective optics to a detector for examination. The apparatus and method can be applied to improve wave front distortion in reflectance measurements and for performing transmittance measurements with chromatic distortion compensation.

Abstract: Apparatus for producing a serving of frozen confectionery product is characterized by a supply of liquid gas, a support for removably carrying a disposable container that holds a volume of unfrozen confectionery mix, and a holder for releasably holding a disposable agitator, such that the agitator extends into confectionery mix in the container. A valve controllably dispenses liquid gas into the confectionery mix in the container while relative motion is imparted to the container and agitator to agitate and admix the confectionery mix and liquid gas while the liquid gas mix evaporates to cool and freeze the confectionery mix, through a transfer of heat from the confectionery mix to the liquid gas and through the latent heat of evaporation of the liquid gas, to produce the frozen confectionery product.

Abstract: A computer-implemented project-based point system for professional services uses a database including a list of professional employees, a menu of project codes, and an assignment of a point value to each of the project codes. The method calculates total points earned by a professional by adding point values assigned to project codes of completed projects, which may be billable and/or non-billable projects. The calculated total points earned by the professional may be compared to a point requirement, whereby the performance of the professional may be evaluated. In addition, the method may calculate a total charge to a client for professional services by adding fixed fees assigned to project codes of completed billable projects.

Abstract: Improved optical characterization is provided by organizing the optical modeling calculations such that incident radiation parameters (e.g., wavelength) are varied in the outermost loop of any modeling run. By completing calculations for all combinations of structure parameters at one wavelength before moving to the next wavelength, calculation efficiency can be greatly improved. In particular, with this approach it is not necessary to cache (or re-compute) intermediate results pertaining to different wavelengths, in contrast to conventional approaches. Further improvements in efficiency can be obtained by organizing reflectance calculations such that for any layer Ll, stored intermediate results pertaining to layers below Ll can be used to calculate optical response as parameters for Ll and layers above Ll are varied.

Abstract: A simple, inexpensive and highly efficient fuel cell has boundary structures made of a photo-sensitive material in combination with selective patterning. Printed circuit board (PCB) fabrication techniques combine boundary structures with two and three dimensional electrical flow path. Photo-sensitive material and PCB fabrication techniques are alternately or combined utilized for making micro-channel structures or micro stitch structures for substantially reducing dead zones of the diffusion layer while keeping fluid flow resistance to a minimum. The fuel cell assembly is free of mechanical clamping elements. Adhesives that may be conductively contaminated and/or fiber-reinforced provide mechanical and eventual electrical connections, and sealing within the assembly. Mechanically supporting backing layers are pre-fabricated with a natural bend defined in combination with the backing layers' elasticity to eliminate massive support plates and assist the adhesive bonding.

Abstract: Charge transfer is provided to or from an electrically isolated test body by AC modulation of the photoelectric effect. More specifically, a reference body is disposed near the test body without physical contact between the reference and test bodies. Facing surfaces of the reference and test bodies are illuminated by optical radiation having a sufficiently short wavelength that charged particles are emitted from the reference and test bodies. An electrical bias is established between the reference body and the test body. Both the optical radiation and the electrical bias are modulated at the same frequency. A magnitude and direction of a charge transfer rate between the reference and test bodies is set by selecting a phase relation between the optical radiation and the electrical bias.

Abstract: The current invention provides methods of fabricating a capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) that includes oxidizing a substrate to form an oxide layer on a surface of the substrate having an oxidation-enabling material, depositing and patterning an oxidation-blocking layer to form a post region and a cavity region on the substrate surface and remove the oxidation-blocking layer and oxide layer at the post region. The invention further includes thermally oxidizing the substrate to grow one or more oxide posts from the post region, where the post defines the vertical critical dimension of the device, and bonding a membrane layer onto the post to form a membrane of the device. A maximum allowed second oxidation thickness t2 can be determined, that is partially based on a desired step height and a device size, and a first oxidation thickness t1 can be determined that is partially based on the determined thickness t2.

Abstract: A reduced crosstalk capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) array is provided. The CMUT array has at least two CMUT array elements deposited on a substrate, at least one CMUT cell in the array element, a separation region between adjacent CMUT array elements, and a membrane formed in the separation region. The membrane reduces crosstalk between adjacent array elements, where the crosstalk is a dispersive guided mode of an ultrasonic signal from the CMUT propagating in a fluid-solid interface of the CMUT array. Each cell has an insulation layer deposited to the substrate. A cell membrane layer is deposited to the insulation layer, where the cell membrane layer has a vacuum gap therein. The cells further have an electrode layer deposited to a portion of the membrane layer, and a passivation layer deposited to the electrode layer, the cell membrane layer and to the insulation layer.

Abstract: A wake vortex alleviator is provided. The wake vortex alleviator produces rapid variations in the position of vortices emanating from aerodynamic surfaces by using an active flap that moves span-wise back and forth along the outboard section of the surface. Rapidly moving the flap back and forth in a slot at an appropriate frequency will cause the vortex to oscillate, resulting in interaction between other vortices and subsequent destruction much earlier than it would occur naturally. The slot is positioned near the aerodynamic surface trailing edge and generally transverse to a chord line of the aerodynamic surface. The flap can be moved using a variety of actuators to position, translate and stow the flap. The oscillation frequency and position are guided by information feedback according variations in lift in the aerodynamic surface, such as wind gusts. The flaps can control yaw, roll and pitch of the aerodynamic surface.

Abstract: A one or two-dimensional capacitive micro-machined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) array with supporting frame is provided. The CMUT array has at least three array elements deposited on a conductive substrate. The invention also has at least one CMUT cell in the array element, a conductive top layer deposited to a top side of the element, and a conductive via disposed within the elements. The via is isolated from the conductive top layer and conducts with the substrate. There are at least two isolation trenches in the conductive substrate, and the trenches are disposed between adjacent vias to conductively isolating the vias. A substrate region between the trenches forms a mechanical support frame. At least one conductive electrode is deposited to a bottom surface of the conductive substrate, where the electrode conducts with the via. The support frame eliminates the need for a carrier wafer in the process steps.

Abstract: A method for detecting and identifying structures of interest such as colonic polyps or similar structures like lung nodules in volumetric (medical) images data is provided. The method includes obtaining a heat diffusion field (HDF) by applying a heat diffusion scheme to a volume of interest that includes structures. The obtained heat diffusion field is then used for identifying a structure of interest from the structures in the volume of interest using a geometrical analysis of the heat diffusion field. The heat diffusion scheme is, at least partly, governed by non-linear diffusion parameters. The identification includes two parts: (i) the computation of a spherical symmetry parameter, and (ii) the performance of a local analysis of the volume of interest and computation of a triangulization parameter.