Abstract: An apparatus and method for temporarily sealing holes in printed circuit boards are disclosed. The apparatus comprises two major assemblies: a heater block assembly and a vacuum table assembly. The heater block assembly employs a temperature controlled, insulated heater block having a surrounding, movable vacuum collar. A flexible, thermally conductive vacuum skin is mounted on the movable vacuum collar and forms a vacuum chamber in cooperation with a movable vacuum table having a flat, thermally conductive porous plate whose upper surface is parallel to the vacuum table surface. A cooling block in contact with the thermally conductive porous plate cools the porous plate. A sandwich comprising a porous release sheet, the printed circuit board, a thermodeformable material and a thermally conductive cover sheet are positioned on the cooled porous plate. The vacuum table and sandwich are moved together so that the table forms a sealing relation with the flexible, thermally conductive vacuum skin.

Abstract: A method for temporarily sealing holes in a printed circuit board laminate during processing is disclosed. A sheet of deformable material is placed on one side of the PCB and then deformed so that the material extends into each hole to form a protectively sealing plug therein. Thereafter, the other side of the PCB is coated with a suitable resist for subsequent processing. The resist can be either photo-imagable or non-photo-imagable, such as silk screening inks, lacquers and varnishes. After conventional processing of the resist coated PCB, the deformed sheet material that forms the protectively sealing plugs is removed from the PCB. In the preferred embodiment, deformation of the sheet material is accomplished by thermally deforming a thermodeformable sheet material with a pressure differential applied across the thickness of the sheet material.

Abstract: A collapsible triangulated tension support structure having a generally H-shaped planar configuration. Two vertical members are connected to a horizontal compression member and flexible diagonally crossed tension members extend from one vertical member to the other below the compression member. An upper tension member is connected to both vertical members at points located above the horizontal compression member so that tensioning of the upper tensioning member spreads apart the portions of the vertical members located below the horizontal compression member thereby putting the diagonally crossed tension members under tension. Alternatively, tension can be applied to one or both of the diagonally crossed tension members so that the portions of the vertical members located above the horizontal compression member are spread apart. Other tensioning configurations also are disclosed.

Abstract: A magnetic tape drive emulator provides interface compatibility between a computer system having an industry standard tape drive interface and a peripheral image acquisition processing system. The emulator receives signals that are normally applied to a magnetic tape drive system and converts them into data signals which are formatted for general access by the image acquisition processing system. In addition, the magnetic tape drive emulator converts signals generated by the peripheral processing system into data signals which are formatted for access by the computer system through the standard tape drive interface.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing thin film silicon solar cells by the deposition of successive passivation and silicon layers in a vacuum of low 10.sup.-4 to high 10.sup.-5 torr is disclosed. The method utilizes three principal sources: a semiconductor, gaseous ion and dopant. Evaporation at low vacuum is achieved by heating solid silicon indirectly in a crucible of refractory material or directly in a crucible of conductive material. Alternatively, the solid silicon can be heated indirectly with rf power. The gaseous plasma and dopant(s) are provided from suitable sources. The result is the deposition of semiconductor material and dopant in the presence of a gaseous plasma at low vacuum. The plasma eliminates contamination from the low vacuum.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for temporarily sealing holes in printed circuit boards are disclosed. The apparatus comprises two major assemblies: a heater block assembly and a vacuum table assembly. The heater block assembly employs a temperature controlled, insulated heater block having a surrounding, movable vacuum collar. A flexible thermally conductive vacuum skin is mounted on the movable vacuum collar and forms a vacuum chamber in cooperation with a movable vacuum table having a flat, porous plate whose upper surface is parallel to the vacuum table surface. A sandwich comprising a porous release sheet, the printed circuit board, a thermodeformable material and a thermally conductive cover sheet is positioned on the vacuum table flat, porous plate. Thereafter, the vacuum table and sandwich are moved together so that the table forms a sealing relation with the flexible, thermally conductive vacuum skin.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are presented here which extend previous concepts of my patents and papers involving the in-vivo calibration of a telemetric pressure sensor by utilizing variations of positive and negative applied pressures on the skin which overlies the sensor. The sensor has a diaphragm means which, on one side, senses bodily pressure to be measured and, on the other side, senses the pressure under the skin. By pressing or pulling on the skin with positive and negative pressure applied to the outside of the skin, a zero point calibration of the device is achieved, and also a full calibration curve of the device, meaning its diaphragm means movement versus differential pressure across it, can be determined. A design for negative pressure application is also revealed.

Abstract: A method for producing scaleable contour data that is capable of providing: (1) bit-map font data at any resolution and at any point size and, (2) grid aligned contours for output to contour driven devices such as, pen plotters and numerically controlled machines, is disclosed. The method "stretches" and "compresses" character contours to bring specified contour points ("Skeletal Points") into proper alignment with the "bit-map grid". The mathematical basis for the method is one of (1) breaking the character contour into segments (between a pair of Skeletal Points), (2) offsetting all coordinates in the segment to bring the first Skeletal Point to align with the grid, and finally, (3) linear scaling of the segment with a scale factor which brings the second Skeletal Point to align with the grid.

Abstract: A differential pressure sensing device is fully implanted in the body of a patient to monitor internal pressure such as intracranial pressure. A movable element in the sensor communicates with the internal pressure of the body to be measured on one side and the atmospheric pressure on the other, the latter communicated through the intact skin and a nearly coplanar membrane. The movable element's differential pressure dependent displacement changes a physical characteristic of the sensor, such as the resonant frequency of a tuned L-C circuit, and the change is detected external to the body by a radiating detector system, such as a frequency swept radio frequency oscillator, by which the internal pressure is read out.

Abstract: A method for fitting to an individual and supporting and positioning the individual's anatomy. A plurality of independently adjustable support modules adapted to support a specific portion of an individual's anatomy in three dimensions are clamped to a chassis in order to position the support module in space. The support module can be fitted to the individual's anatomy either before or after clamping of the support module to the chassis. Thereafter, the clamped support module is loosened on the chassis to reposition the support module in space through rotational and/or translational movement in at least one plane with respect to the chassis in order to produce desired changes in positioning of the specific portion of the individual's anatomy. Once the position has been attained, the support module is re-clamped to the chassis to maintain the support module in its new spacial position.

Abstract: A method for measuring the freezing point of a liquid utilizing non-adiabatic thermodynamics for the chilling chamber. The temperature of the chilling chamber in which the measurement is made is actively altered to reduce net heat flow from the sample portion of the liquid being measured at least during nucleation of the sample portion. By actively altering the chilling-chamber temperature, the thermodynamics of the sample itself more nearly approach a true adiabatic condition during nucleation. Preferably, the freezing-point measurement is made in the sample-handling or pick-up device itself.

Abstract: A differential pressure sensing device is fully implanted in the body of a patient to monitor internal pressure such as intracranial pressure. A movable element in the sensor communicates on one side with the internal pressure to be measured and on the other side with an external pressure which is applied by an external pressurizer-control system and which is communicated to the sensor through the intact skin. An imbalance of the two opposing pressures causes a displacement of the movable element which changes a physical characteristic of the sensor, such as the resonant frequency of a tuned L-C circuit. This change is detected outside the body by an external detection system, such as a frequency swept radio frequency oscillator. The external pressure is varied until the external detector senses that the pressures are balanced on the movable element, at which point the external pressure equals the internal pressure, and the former is measured and read out.

Abstract: A screw-type device that can be screwed into a hole in the skull for measuring subarachnoid fluid pressure in the head. The screw-type device has an elongated body with a threaded distal end, and an adjustable depth stop means which can be moved along the distal end of the device and clamped to the body of the device to control the amount of penetration of the distal end into the skull. By this means, the exact placement of the distal tip of the device to the inner table of the skull can be achieved for any skull thickness. A through-opening in the body of the device and connection means at the proximal end enables subarachnoid fluid pressures to be measured by external apparatus. The adjustable depth stop provided added advantages of stability, safety, accuracy, universality and convenience.

Abstract: For electronic devices such as solar cells, the substrate is an integral part of the device. The present invention employs metallic glass as the substrate for semiconductor devices. The metallic glass substrate is both morphologically amorphous and electrically conductive. The use of such a substrate permits a morphologically amorphous semiconductor material to be deposited on a morphologically amorphous and electrically conductive substrate. The metallic glass substrate can also be used in other forms of semiconductor devices whose morphological nature does not affect the device processing and the device performance. Thus, either morphologically amorphous or crystalline semiconductor materials can be deposited on the metallic glass substrate to form electronic devices.

Abstract: An adjustable and collapsible triangulated tension support structure having a generally H-shaped planar configuration. Two vertical members are connected to a horizontal compression member and flexible diagonally crossed tension members extend from one vertical member to the other below the compression member. An adjustable tension member is connected to both vertical members at points located above the horizontal compression member so that tensioning of the adjustable tensioning member spreads apart the portion of the vertical member located below the horizontal compression member thereby putting the diagonally crossed tensioning member under tension. At least one horizontal shelf bracket is connected to and extends outwardly from the upper portion of each vertical member to define a supporting surface for electronic apparatus. The structure can be collapsed for transportation by moving the vertical members together in an adjacent configuration.

Abstract: A localizer system is described which enables determination of the coordinates of a target located inside the human body and visualized on a tomographic scan image for essentially any arbitrary scan plane through the body. It involves a means of fixing a frame in a known relationship to the body and placing the localizer system in a fixed position relative to the frame. There is an axial axis defined for the localizer, and there are both parallel and transverse (perpendicular) rod elements as well as diagonal rod elements on the localizer. These appear as spot images on the scan plane image and are sufficient in number and location to enable accurate calculation of a target image on the scan and determination of the target coordinates in space relative to the localizer. This applies to plane scan cuts which are substantially parallel or perpendicular to the localizer axis.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for retensioning the development length of strands of an elongated prestressed concrete member is provided in which the ends of the strands are exposed, a metallic plate having tapered holes therein is placed over the ends of the strands, retaining wedges are inserted into the tapered holes of the plate to grip the ends of the strands, and a predetermined amount of tension is applied to the strand and maintained in the strand by the retaining wedges. A jack is provided to apply the tension to the strand. The prestressed concrete members such as piling, may be spliced together by using the apparatus on adjoining ends of piling.

Abstract: An optical encoder interface and method provides encoder position information and performs error checking on each revolution of the encoder. Error checking is achieved by ascertaining that the correct number of encoder counts are obtained for every revolution of the encoder.

Abstract: An improvement in design of an implantable telemetric differential pressure sensing device enabling thinner, more compact, and simplified construction for the device; increased pressure sensitivity and range of measurement; and a wider class of applications for such pressure sensing devices in diagnostic medicine and clinical monitoring. The implanted device includes a thin, planar, closed, conductive loop which moves with a flexible diaphragm, the diaphragm moving upon changes in the difference of two bodily pressures on its opposite sides. The position of the conductive loop relative to a resonant circuit fixed in the device determines the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit. The resonant frequency is detected telemetrically outside the body, and its value is used to determine the difference in the two bodily pressures.

Abstract: The method and apparatus are presented which allow for CT guided biopsies of the body. The method is based on the finding of a reference point on the patient's body that exactly correlates to a point on the CT scan. This is accomplished by means of a localization device placed on the patient's skin which can be identified in cross section on the CT scan. Measurements of the localization device on CT scan can then be correlated to the device on the patient.