Patents Assigned to EMPA
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Patent number: 10548488Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: February 16, 2016Date of Patent: February 4, 2020Assignees: STBL Medical Research AG, EMPA Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and TechnologyInventors: Mark Melnykowycz, Frank Clemens
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Publication number: 20190329498Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: June 9, 2017Publication date: October 31, 2019Applicant: EMPA EIDGENÖSSISCHE MATERIALPRÜFUNGS- UND FORSCHUNGSANSTALTInventors: Kilian WASMER, Sergey SHEVCHIK, Farzad VAKILI FARAHANI, Georgios VIOLAKIS, Sébastien VAUCHER
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Patent number: 10396218Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 2, 2015Date of Patent: August 27, 2019Assignees: FLISOM AG, EMPAInventors: Patrick Reinhard, Benjamin Bissig, Stephan Buecheler, Ayodhya Nath Tiwari, Fabian Pianezzi
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Patent number: 10388260Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 28, 2016Date of Patent: August 20, 2019Assignee: EMPA Eidgenoessische Materiapruefungs- und ForschungsanstaltInventors: Francis Schwarze, Markus Heeb, Marjan Gilani, Sebastien Josset
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Patent number: 10366863Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 25, 2016Date of Patent: July 30, 2019Assignee: EMPA EIDGENÖSSISCHE MATERIALPRÜFUNGS-UND FORSCHUNGSANSTALTInventors: Davide Bleiner, Yunieski Arbelo-Pena
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Publication number: 20190219445Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: July 5, 2017Publication date: July 18, 2019Applicants: MICOS ENGINEERING GMBH, EMPA EIDGENÖSSISCHE MATERIALPRÜFUNGS- UND FORSCHUNGSANSTALTInventors: Mohammadreza MADI, Edoardo ALBERTI, Ivan SHORUBALKO
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Patent number: 10329378Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: February 9, 2015Date of Patent: June 25, 2019Assignees: 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
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Publication number: 20190130886Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: April 26, 2017Publication date: May 2, 2019Applicant: EMPA Eidgenössische Materialprüfungs- und ForschungsanstaltInventors: Tommaso DELPERO, ANDREA BERGAMINI
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Patent number: 10246887Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 14, 2015Date of Patent: April 2, 2019Assignees: RE-FER AG, EIDGENOESSISCHE MATERIALPRUEFUNGS-UND FORSCHUNGSANSTALT EMPAInventors: Masoud Motavalli, Benedikt Weber, Wookijn Lee, Rolf Broennimann, Christoph Czaderski, Christian Leinenbach, Julien Michels, Moslem Shahverdi
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Publication number: 20190092691Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: March 9, 2017Publication date: March 28, 2019Applicants: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd, EMPA, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and ResearchInventors: Henning LUEBBE, Roman KUBRIN, Gurdial BLUGAN, Jakob KUEBLER, Stewes BOURBAN, Arnaud ACTIS-DATTA
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Publication number: 20190088235Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 28, 2016Publication date: March 21, 2019Applicant: EMPA Eidgenoessische Materialpruefungs- und ForschungsanstaltInventors: Francis SCHWARZE, Markus HEEB, Marjan GILANI, Sebastien JOSSET
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Patent number: 10202495Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: March 15, 2017Date of Patent: February 12, 2019Assignees: SIKA TECHNOLOGY AG, EMPAInventors: Irene Schober, Michael Richter, Tobias Heck, Dagmara Jankowska
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Publication number: 20180356297Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: November 11, 2016Publication date: December 13, 2018Applicant: EMPA Eidgenössische Materialprüfungsund ForschungsanstaltInventor: Thijs DEFRAEYE
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Patent number: 10153387Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 13, 2017Date of Patent: December 11, 2018Assignees: FLISOM AG, EMPAInventors: Adrian Chirila, Stephan Buecheler, Fabian Pianezzi, Patrick Reinhard, Ayodhya Nath Tiwari
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Publication number: 20180350556Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: November 25, 2016Publication date: December 6, 2018Applicant: EMPA Eidgenössische Materialprüfungs- und ForschunsanstaltInventors: Davide BLEINER, Yunieski ARBELO-PENA
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Patent number: 10132029Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 18, 2014Date of Patent: November 20, 2018Assignees: SANITIZED AG, EMPA EIDGENOESSISCHE MATERIALPRUEFUNGS-UND FORSCHUNGSANSTALTInventors: Heinz Katzenmeier, Peter Stutte, Sabrina Schmidt-Emrich, Linda Thoeny-Meyer, Qun Ren Zulian
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Patent number: 10109761Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: May 21, 2015Date of Patent: October 23, 2018Assignees: FLISOM AG, EMPAInventors: Patrick Reinhard, Fabian Pianezzi, Benjamin Bissig, Stephan Buecheler, Ayodhya Nath Tiwari
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Publication number: 20180258232Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 5, 2014Publication date: September 13, 2018Applicant: EMPA Eidgenossische Materialprufungs- und ForschungsanstaltInventors: Sébastien JOSSET, Philippe TINGAUT, Tanja ZIMMERMANN
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Publication number: 20180257256Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: September 5, 2016Publication date: September 13, 2018Applicants: ETH Zurich, EMPA EIDGENOSSISCHE MATERIALPRUFUNGS- UND FORSCHUNGSANSTALTInventors: Ingo BURGERT, Etienne CABANE, Huizhang GUO
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Patent number: 10072212Abstract: 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 integerType: GrantFiled: March 16, 2015Date of Patent: September 11, 2018Assignee: EMPA Eidgenossische Materialprufungs-Und ForschungsanstaltInventors: Timea Stelzig, Lea Bommer, Sabyasachi Gaan, Aleksandra Buczko, Rudolf Hufenus, Giuseppino Fortunato, Benno Wüst, Pierluigi Barbadoro