Abstract: An osmotic power generator comprising an active membrane supported in a housing, at least a first chamber portion disposed on a first side of the active membrane for receiving a first electrolyte liquid and a second chamber portion disposed on a second side of the active membrane for receiving a second electrolyte liquid, a generator circuit comprising at least a first electrode electrically coupled to said first chamber, and at least a second electrode electrically coupled to said second chamber, the first and second electrodes configured to be connected together through a generator load receiving electrical power generated by a difference in potential and an ionic current between the first and second electrodes.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the preparation of a coating comprising at least one coating layer on a substrate, the method comprising the steps of a. providing monomers of the type R—(N)x-(L)m-(C?C)n-(L?)o-(N?)y—R?, wherein R is a head moiety, R? is a tail moiety, (C?C)n is an oligoyne moiety, L and L? are linker moieties, N and N? independently are branched or unbranched optionally substituted C1-C25 alkyl moieties optionally containing 1 to 5 heteroatoms, x, m, o, and y are independently 0 or 1, n is 4 to 12, and wherein the head moiety allows for an interaction with the surface of the substrate; b. bringing the monomers into contact with the substrate wherein the interaction of the head moieties of the monomers with the surface of the substrate induces at least a part of the monomers to align in a defined manner thereby forming a film on the surface and bringing the oligoyne moieties of the monomers into close contact with each other; c.

Abstract: A biosensor includes a source element; a drain element; a semiconductor channel element between the source element and the drain element for forming an electrically conductive channel with adjustable conductivity between the source and drain elements; a first gate element configured to be electrically biased to set a given operational regime of the sensor with given electrical conductivity of the channel; and a second gate element, physically separate from the first gate element, configured to contact a solution comprising analytes allowed to interact with a gate contact surface of the second gate element to generate a surface potential change dependent on the concentration of the analytes in the solution. The channel element is substantially fully depleted allowing the first and second gate elements to be electrostatically coupled such that the surface potential change at the second gate element is configured to modify the electrical conductivity of the channel.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for an artificial neural network to confirm the recognition of handwritten characters produced by a user. The method comprising: training the artificial neural network with a training data set comprising a first set of characters; collecting handwritten characters of a second set of characters produced by the user; and analysing the collected characters of the second set of characters by using the artificial neural network to obtain a first set of probability values comprising character specific probability values for the collected characters, each character specific probability value indicating the probability that the collected character has been correctly interpreted. The analysis considers at least the manner how the collected characters are handwritten and the appearance of the collected characters to obtain the character specific probability values. The invention also relates to a corresponding data processing apparatus.

Abstract: A medical fluid drainage system which may be advantageously used to actively absorb excess fluid from an interstitium in a living host and to transport it from an inlet member 1 in a non edematous body part out of an outlet member 4 via pumps (5, 6, 7) built in series, such as a distal area with functional lymphatic vessels, or directly in a lymphatic vessel, or directly in a blood vessel.

Abstract: The present invention relates to polymeric structures, in the form of flat membrane-like surfaces or micro- nanostruc-tures such as capsules, characterized in that it comprises a substantially two-dimensional layer of covalently-bonded monomers of R-substituted metal or metalloid oxides. Said polymeric structures in most embodiments have a crystal architecture with a hexagonal lattice, but the nature of the covalent bonds present therein impart a bending flexibility that make the polymeric structures behave as a “soft” crystal. Methods of producing such structures, composition comprising thereof and method of using thereof are also included within the present disclosure.

Abstract: The present invention relates to functionalized hydrogel networks grafted with at least one moiety for use in numerous fields, from cosmetics to surgery and medicine.

Abstract: Various blends of polymers are disclosed, comprising oligopeptide functionalised polymers such as polyisobutylene and polystyrene. Mono-functionalised and di-functionalised polymers (each containing 0 to 5 peptide units beyond its terminal amide group) may be blended with each other and/or with non-functionalised polymers to produce blended compositions. Such compositions are of use, for example, in vibrations dampers. Certain blends also exhibit self-healing properties.

Abstract: A method for marking a product (1) with a photoluminescent mark, said mark comprising a photoluminescent portion (10) which is transparent under normal light conditions and revealed by photoluminescence under UV illumination, said mark further comprising a non photoluminescent portion (9) which is transparent under normal light conditions as well as under UV illumination, said method comprising: deposing on said product a stack, said stack comprising alternatively layers (2, 4), such as AlN, with a thickness of less than 1 micron and layers (3) of a second material, such as GaN, with a thickness of less than 10 nm; raising the transparency of said non photoluminescent portion (10) with a deposition of transparent material (6) or incorporation of ions into said non photoluminescent portions.

Abstract: Method of designing a refractive surface, comprising providing a refractive object having a refractive surface with an initial geometry, determining a refraction of incident illumination through the refractive surface with the initial geometry to create a source irradiance ES distribution on a receiver; and determining a shape of the refractive surface of the refractive object such that a resulting irradiance distribution on the receiver matches a desired target irradiance ET provided by a user.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a compound of formula (I) based on a structure including functionalized spirofluorene and fused aromatics or non-aromatic rings with at least one heteroatom, and used as hole transporting material in a optoelectronic and/or photoelectrochemical device.

Abstract: A method of making an array having discrete volumes of cell culture micro-environments possessing different properties influencing the behavior of encapsulated cells, in particular proliferation, colony-formation, differentiation, migration, or combinations thereof.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a pulse wave image reconstruction method to be used for example in ultrasound imaging. The proposed method is based on an image measurement model and its adjoint operator. The proposed method introduces matrix-free formulations of the measurement model and its adjoint operator. The proposed method has the advantage that the reconstructed image has a very high quality and that it can be reconstructed quickly.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a A device for puncturing an object, in particular a bodily vein, comprising: a body defining an inner cavity with at least one opening and a perforating needle extending in the cavity and being movable in the cavity between a resting position and an active position where the needle extends at least partially through the opening outside the cavity, and actuating means arranged to move the needle between the resting and active positions. The actuating means comprises a tuneable multistable driving mechanism comprising at least a multistable element having a determined switching load, the multistable element being fixedly arranged between the needle and an inner wall of the cavity, and an actuator for transmitting energy to move the needle between the resting and active positions when the energy reaches the switching load.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods of treating various disorders associated with mitochondrial dysfunction, including but not limited to metabolic disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, chronic inflammatory diseases, and diseases of aging.

Abstract: An ocular drainage system is provided for treating diseases that produce elevated intraocular pressures, such as glaucoma, wherein the system includes an implantable device and an external control unit, the implantable device includes a non-invasively adjustable valve featuring at least one deformable tube and a disk rotatably mounted within a housing, such that rotation of the disk using the external control unit causes the disk to apply a selected amount of compression to the deformable tube, thereby adjusting the fluidic resistance of the deformable tube and regulating the intraocular pressure.

Abstract: A thermal water purification system and a related method including distilling units consecutively flowed through by raw feed liquid, each having a boiling liquid section and a vapor section, and including a heat exchanger cavity adapted to transfer thermal energy to the raw feed liquid before entering the boiling liquid section of a first distilling unit. Heat exchanger tubes in fluidic communication with the heat exchanger cavity extend through the boiling liquid section of the first distilling unit to transfer thermal energy from a medium in the tubes to cause the raw feed liquid to boil. Preheating tubes extend through the vapor section of each distilling unit to heat the raw feed liquid before entering the boiling sections using thermal energy from vapor condensing against external surfaces of the preheating tubes, which produces the distillate liquid that flows through a discharge port and a conduit supplying a storage tank.

Abstract: The method for drawing a fiber with a textured surface comprises the following steps: —forming of a preform from which the fiber is to be drawn with a textured surface; —addition of an outer layer to the textured preform to preserve the shape of the texture of the preform surface during the drawing operation; —drawing of a fiber from the preform, whereby the fiber keeps the formed texture of the preform surface and —removing the additional outer layer to leave the original surface textured fiber exposed. The obtained fiber can be used as a mold to form a textured hollow channel in another material, as a surface coating and as a pressure detector.

Abstract: A method produces a device adapted to be implanted into the human body for purposes such as neural stimulation, sensing or the like. The method includes: providing a stretchable layer or membrane of an insulating material; forming on the layer or membrane at least one stretchable conductive path; depositing at least one small bolus of a soft and conductive paste or material onto pre-defined areas or portions of the at least one conductive path, and inserting a first end portion of a conductive element 71 into the at least one bolus of soft conductive paste or material. A second end portion of the conductive element opposite to the first end portion is not inserted into the at least one bolus.

Abstract: The present invention concerns an electromagnetic actuator for a haptic display.