Patents Assigned to EMPA
  • Patent number: 10548488
    Abstract: The method for producing the strain gauge device (10) comprises a first stop of producing the band (12). The band (12) has flexibility at least in the measuring zone (36). Then a sensor (22) comprising at least one measuring strand (30) and changing electrical resistivity in dependence of the strain is produced and arranged on or in the band (12) without pre-tension. Afterwards the shape of the band (12) is changed into a retaining working shape and thereby the measuring strand (30) is stretched to an amount of pre-tension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignees: STBL Medical Research AG, EMPA Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology
    Inventors: Mark Melnykowycz, Frank Clemens
  • Publication number: 20190329498
    Abstract: Use of a sensor read out system with at least one fiber optical sensor, which is connected via at least one signal line to a processing unit as part of an additive manufacturing setup, for in situ and real time quality control of a running additive manufacturing process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2017
    Publication date: October 31, 2019
    Applicant: EMPA EIDGENÖSSISCHE MATERIALPRÜFUNGS- UND FORSCHUNGSANSTALT
    Inventors: Kilian WASMER, Sergey SHEVCHIK, Farzad VAKILI FARAHANI, Georgios VIOLAKIS, Sébastien VAUCHER
  • Patent number: 10396218
    Abstract: A method (200) for fabricating patterns on the surface of a layer of a device (100), the method comprising: providing at least one layer (130, 230); adding at least one alkali metal (235); controlling the temperature (2300) of the at least one layer, thereby forming a plurality of self-assembled, regularly spaced, parallel lines of alkali compound embossings (1300, 1305) at the surface of the layer. The method further comprises forming cavities (236, 1300) by dissolving the alkali compound embossings. The method (200) is advantageous for nanopatterning of devices (100) without using templates and for the production of high efficiency optoelectronic thin-film devices (100).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignees: FLISOM AG, EMPA
    Inventors: Patrick Reinhard, Benjamin Bissig, Stephan Buecheler, Ayodhya Nath Tiwari, Fabian Pianezzi
  • Patent number: 10388260
    Abstract: In a method for improving the acoustic properties of spruce resonance wood for musical instruments at least one resonance wood blank is subjected to a treatment with Physisporinus vitreus under controlled, sterile conditions. The previously sterilized resonance wood blank is immersed into a liquid medium enriched with fungus myecelium and kept therein in the dark for an exposure time and finally sterilized, wherein during the exposure time a temperature of 18 to 26° C. and a relative humidity of approximately 60 to approximately 80% are maintained. Due to the fact that the liquid medium contains nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) in an amount of 200 to 300 g per liter, a reproducible, uniform improvement of the acoustic properties of the resonance wood free from local defects is ensured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: EMPA Eidgenoessische Materiapruefungs- und Forschungsanstalt
    Inventors: Francis Schwarze, Markus Heeb, Marjan Gilani, Sebastien Josset
  • Patent number: 10366863
    Abstract: A detector supplement device for integration in a spectroscopy setup with the spectroscopy setup including a vacuum chamber, a light source, a sample irradiating a reflected photon beam and a charged particle beam in the same direction of propagation into a radiation detector which is able to detect ultrafast electric currents originating from charged particles. The detector supplement device includes a Rogowski coil placeable inside the vacuum chamber between the sample and radiation detector. The charged particle beam is guided through the hollow core of the Rogowski coil allowing synchronized measurements of electrical currents due to the charged particle beam correlated to the reflected photon beam, while irradiation of the reflected photon beam and the charged particle beam takes place in the same direction of propagation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: EMPA EIDGENÖSSISCHE MATERIALPRÜFUNGS-UND FORSCHUNGSANSTALT
    Inventors: Davide Bleiner, Yunieski Arbelo-Pena
  • Publication number: 20190219445
    Abstract: A waveguide spectrometer includes at least one substrate layer with at least one waveguide. Each waveguide extends from an inlet face proceeding partly through the substrate layer to a reflecting element. A multiplicity of photo detectors is arranged on a front side of the substrate layer, while the photo detectors are electrically connected to an electronic read out system. The spectrometer can be made lightweight and easier to produce by forming the waveguides as surface waveguides, each showing a longitudinal opening with a width to the front side of the substrate layer between the inlet face and the reflecting element. The photo detectors are in print distributed at the front side on top of the substrate layer at least partly overlapping the longitudinal opening along an overall length of sampled region and the electrical connection of the photo detectors with the electronic read out system is achieved by a multiplicity of printed electrical conductors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2017
    Publication date: July 18, 2019
    Applicants: MICOS ENGINEERING GMBH, EMPA EIDGENÖSSISCHE MATERIALPRÜFUNGS- UND FORSCHUNGSANSTALT
    Inventors: Mohammadreza MADI, Edoardo ALBERTI, Ivan SHORUBALKO
  • Patent number: 10329378
    Abstract: Provided are graphene nanoribbons with controlled zig-zag edge and cove edge configuration and methods for preparing such graphene nanoribbons. The nanoribbons are selected from the following formulae.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignees: BASF SE, EMPA-Eidgenoessische Materialpruefungs-und Forschungsanstalt, Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Wissenschaften e.V.
    Inventors: Matthias Georg Schwab, Klaus Muellen, Xinliang Feng, Bo Yang, Tim Dumslaff, Roman Fasel, Pascal Ruffieux, Jia Liu, Jinming Cai, Carlos Sanchez-Sanchez, Junzhi Liu
  • Publication number: 20190130886
    Abstract: A unit cell of an artificial phononic crystal for building of an artificial phononic metamaterial, showing reduced mechanical vibrations in a defined frequency range with at least one band gap in the band structure dispersion relation of the unit cell. The unit cell includes at least one building block and at least one mechanical connection connected to the building block, showing reduced mechanical vibrations in a defined frequency range with tailored dispersion properties with at least one band gap is sought. This is accomplished by forming the building block as a toroid, with a central opening and a front surface from which a first multiplicity of struts, which are tiltable relatively to the principal direction, is extending from the front surface. More than one strut is inclined with respect to the principal direction so that a rotation of the toroid around the principal direction is possible.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2017
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Applicant: EMPA Eidgenössische Materialprüfungs- und Forschungsanstalt
    Inventors: Tommaso DELPERO, ANDREA BERGAMINI
  • Patent number: 10246887
    Abstract: The method includes a tension element, for example in the form of flat steel, that is placed on the structure or structural part and can be guided around a corner. The flat steel can also wrap as a band around the structure, in which the two ends of the flat steel are either connected to one another or are separately connected to the structure by the end anchors or intersect to produce a clamping connection. The flat steel contracts as a result of a subsequent active and controlled input of heat using a heating element and generates a permanent tensile stress and, correspondingly, a permanent prestress on the structure. The structure, as equipped, has at least one tension element as a shape memory alloy which extends along the outer side of the structure and is connected by one or more end anchors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignees: RE-FER AG, EIDGENOESSISCHE MATERIALPRUEFUNGS-UND FORSCHUNGSANSTALT EMPA
    Inventors: Masoud Motavalli, Benedikt Weber, Wookijn Lee, Rolf Broennimann, Christoph Czaderski, Christian Leinenbach, Julien Michels, Moslem Shahverdi
  • Publication number: 20190092691
    Abstract: A polycrystalline ceramic solely formed based on alumina, on chromium oxide and on magnesium oxide, where the polycrystalline ceramic contains between 0.8% and 1.2% of chromium oxide by total weight of the polycrystalline ceramic and between 0.03% and 0.09% of magnesium oxide by total weight of the polycrystalline ceramic, making it possible to obtain a red ceramic with a toughness (Kc) at least equal to 2.8 MPa·m1/2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Applicants: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd, EMPA, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research
    Inventors: Henning LUEBBE, Roman KUBRIN, Gurdial BLUGAN, Jakob KUEBLER, Stewes BOURBAN, Arnaud ACTIS-DATTA
  • Publication number: 20190088235
    Abstract: In a method for improving the acoustic properties of spruce resonance wood for musical instruments at least one resonance wood blank is subjected to a treatment with Physisporinus vitreus under controlled, sterile conditions. The previously sterilized resonance wood blank is immersed into a liquid medium enriched with fungus myecelium and kept therein in the dark for an exposure time and finally sterilized, wherein during the exposure time a temperature of 18 to 26° C. and a relative humidity of approximately 60 to approximately 80% are maintained. Due to the fact that the liquid medium contains nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) in an amount of 200 to 300 g per liter, a reproducible, uniform improvement of the acoustic properties of the resonance wood free from local defects is ensured.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2016
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Applicant: EMPA Eidgenoessische Materialpruefungs- und Forschungsanstalt
    Inventors: Francis SCHWARZE, Markus HEEB, Marjan GILANI, Sebastien JOSSET
  • Patent number: 10202495
    Abstract: The present invention relates to water-soluble modified lignins preparable by enzymatic reaction of at least one water-insoluble lignin with at least one organic compound which possesses at least one group selected from primary or secondary amino group, hydroxyl group and phenyl group and has an average molecular weight in the range from 75 to 2500 g/mol. The water-soluble modified lignins are preparable under mild conditions in a simple process. They can be used as dispersants for mineral binder compositions, where they act as plasticizers and in so doing prolong the setting time to much less of an extent than the water-insoluble lignins used in their preparation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignees: SIKA TECHNOLOGY AG, EMPA
    Inventors: Irene Schober, Michael Richter, Tobias Heck, Dagmara Jankowska
  • Publication number: 20180356297
    Abstract: An artificial produce includes a housing with at least one shell. At least one data logger for temperature measurement is placed in an area of a core of the housing and a pulp simulant is integrated at least partly in the housing of the artificial produce to show optimized simulation of thermal behavior of real produce. The form and outer surface of the at least one shell replicate the form and surface texture of the real produce simulated. The at least one shell forms at least one fluidtight chamber accessible from the outside by at least one opening which are closable with plugs. The at least one chamber is filled with the pulp simulant in the form of a gel-like filling composition comprising a water-carbohydrate mixture and a gelling agent showing similar thermal conductivity, density, heat capacity and freezing point as the pulp of the produce to be simulated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2016
    Publication date: December 13, 2018
    Applicant: EMPA Eidgenössische Materialprüfungsund Forschungsanstalt
    Inventor: Thijs DEFRAEYE
  • Patent number: 10153387
    Abstract: A method (200) and deposition zone apparatus (300) for fabricating thin-film optoelectronic devices (100), the method comprising: providing a potassium-nondiffusing substrate (110), forming a back-contact layer (120); forming at least one absorber layer (130) made of an ABC chalcogenide material, adding at least two different alkali metals, and forming at least one front-contact layer (150) wherein one of said at least two different alkali metals is potassium and where, following forming said front-contact layer, in the interval of layers (470) from back-contact layer (120), exclusive, to front-contact layer (150), inclusive, the comprised amounts resulting from adding at least two different alkali metals are, for potassium, in the range of 500 to 10000 ppm and, for the other of said at least two different alkali metals, in the range of 5 to 2000 ppm and at most ½ and at least 1/2000 of the comprised amount of potassium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignees: FLISOM AG, EMPA
    Inventors: Adrian Chirila, Stephan Buecheler, Fabian Pianezzi, Patrick Reinhard, Ayodhya Nath Tiwari
  • Publication number: 20180350556
    Abstract: A detector supplement device for integration in a spectroscopy setup with the spectroscopy setup including a vacuum chamber, a light source, a sample irradiating a reflected photon beam and a charged particle beam in the same direction of propagation into a radiation detector which is able to detect ultrafast electric currents originating from charged particles. The detector supplement device includes a Rogowski coil placeable inside the vacuum chamber between the sample and radiation detector. The charged particle beam is guided through the hollow core of the Rogowski coil allowing synchronized measurements of electrical currents due to the charged particle beam correlated to the reflected photon beam, while irradiation of the reflected photon beam and the charged particle beam takes place in the same direction of propagation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2016
    Publication date: December 6, 2018
    Applicant: EMPA Eidgenössische Materialprüfungs- und Forschunsanstalt
    Inventors: Davide BLEINER, Yunieski ARBELO-PENA
  • Patent number: 10132029
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for finishing fibers and/or fabrics, the intention being to reduce the adhesion of microorganisms, especially of bacteria and/or yeasts, to the fibers and/or fabrics. The method involves applying a composition ZS comprising selected hydrophilic silane derivatives to the fibers and/or fabrics. The invention further relates to a method for the quantitative determination of the adhesion of microorganisms to fibers and/or fabrics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignees: SANITIZED AG, EMPA EIDGENOESSISCHE MATERIALPRUEFUNGS-UND FORSCHUNGSANSTALT
    Inventors: Heinz Katzenmeier, Peter Stutte, Sabrina Schmidt-Emrich, Linda Thoeny-Meyer, Qun Ren Zulian
  • Patent number: 10109761
    Abstract: A method (200) for fabricating thin-film optoelectronic devices (100), the method comprising: providing a substrate (110), forming a back-contact layer (120); forming at least one absorber layer (130) made of an ABC chalcogenide material, adding at least one alkali metal (235), and forming at least one cavity (236, 610, 612, 613) at the surface of the absorber layer wherein forming of said at least one cavity is by dissolving away from said surface of the absorber layer at least one crystal aggregate comprising at least one alkali crystal comprising at least one alkali metal. The method (200) is advantageous for more environmentally-friendly production of photovoltaic devices (100) on flexible substrates with high photovoltaic conversion efficiency and faster production rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignees: FLISOM AG, EMPA
    Inventors: Patrick Reinhard, Fabian Pianezzi, Benjamin Bissig, Stephan Buecheler, Ayodhya Nath Tiwari
  • Publication number: 20180258232
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing hydrophilic biopolymers, particularly hydrophilic cellulosic material, particularly cellulose nanofibers like micro- or nanofibrillated cellulose, as described in claim 1; to novel materials comprising hydrophilic biopolymers and to the use of such hydrophilic biopolymers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2014
    Publication date: September 13, 2018
    Applicant: EMPA Eidgenossische Materialprufungs- und Forschungsanstalt
    Inventors: Sébastien JOSSET, Philippe TINGAUT, Tanja ZIMMERMANN
  • Publication number: 20180257256
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for treatment of wood material. In a first treatment step comprises the provision of a solution comprising zinc oxide or titanium(IV) isopropoxide and immersion of the wood material into the solution. After drying of the wood material a second treatment step is following in case of the first solution comprising zinc oxide. The second treatment step comprises the provision of a solution comprising a zinc compound and immersion of the wood material from the first treatment step into the solution followed by drying of the wood material. In a second aspect the invention relates to a wood material characterized by the visibility of the natural appearance of the surface and at least one other property relating to UV resistance, weathering resistance, mechanical resistance or hydrophobic properties.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2016
    Publication date: September 13, 2018
    Applicants: ETH Zurich, EMPA EIDGENOSSISCHE MATERIALPRUFUNGS- UND FORSCHUNGSANSTALT
    Inventors: Ingo BURGERT, Etienne CABANE, Huizhang GUO
  • Patent number: 10072212
    Abstract: The invention relates to novel and improved halogen-free flame retardant compounds having the structure of Formula (I): wherein: R1 and R2 are independently hydrogen, C1-C6 alkyl, —P(O)(OR3)2, —P(O)OR3R4, or —P(O)R32, wherein R3 and R4 are independently C1-C4 alkyl, C6-C12 aryl, C7-C15 aralkyl or C7-C15 alkaryl; or R1 and R2 taken together form an unsaturated cyclic ring, which is optionally substituted by an alkyl group; each k is independently an integer from 1 to 2; each X is independently oxygen (O) or sulphur (S); v is 0 or 1; each Y is independently C1-C4 alkylene, C6 arylene, C7-C15 aralkylene, C7-C15 alkarylene, oxygen (O), nitrogen (NR), wherein R is H or C1-C4 alkyl; n is 0, 1 or 2 with the proviso that n is 1 when Y is oxygen (O) or nitrogen (NR); each Z is independently C1-C4 alkylene, C6 arylene, C7-C15 aralkylene or C7-C15 is alkarylene; m is independently 0, 1 or 2; with the proviso that when Y is oxygen (O) or nitrogen (N), m cannot be 0; each Q is independently C1-C4 alkylene; t is an integer
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: EMPA Eidgenossische Materialprufungs-Und Forschungsanstalt
    Inventors: Timea Stelzig, Lea Bommer, Sabyasachi Gaan, Aleksandra Buczko, Rudolf Hufenus, Giuseppino Fortunato, Benno Wüst, Pierluigi Barbadoro