Abstract: A process for fabricating a thin-film structure using a transparent substrate is disclosed. A first structure, such as a ring, is formed of a dielectric material on a conductive material layer. The conductive material is partially removed, such as within the center of the ring structure. A photoresist material pillar is formed to fill the center of the ring structure, protruding above the ring structure rim. Such structures are useful as mandrel structures in the forming of precision components, such as nozzle plates, mesh ink filter screens, and the like, for ink-jet pens.

Abstract: A method for registering printer dots in a printer having separate cartridges or print bars which create dots on paper moving therebeneath. Commands are generated to drive a paper carrier past the cartridges. Machine readable targets on the paper carrier are scanned and a processor uses signals generated by the targets for measuring the distance traveled by the carrier between detection of the first and second marks. The difference between the measured distance and the distance which yields ideal registration is used to delay (or advance) dot firing to improve registration. In another aspect, targets comprising slots oriented transverse to paper movement and at a 45.degree. angle relative to paper movement are photolithographically engraved in nozzle plates. The slots are scanned to produce information about misregistration along an axis in the direction of paper movement and along an axis transverse thereto.

Abstract: A defibrillator patient circuit including a capacitor having a two terminals; a first relay having a common terminal, and two contact terminals, where the first relay's common terminal is connected to the capacitor's first terminal; a charger circuit having two terminals, where the charger circuit's first terminal is connected to the first relay's first contact terminal and where the charger circuit's second terminal is connected to the capacitor's second terminal; a second relay having a common terminal, and two contact terminals, where the relay's second contact terminal is connected to the capacitor's second terminal; a first defibrillation contact connected to the second relay's common terminal; a second defibrillation contact connected to the first relay's second switch contact; and an inductor connected in series with the capacitor, the two relays, and the two defibrillation contacts.

Abstract: An ECG waveform calibration method combines ECG channel calibration pulses to form combined calibration pulses. The combined channel pulses are filtered to select valid combined pulses. The selected combined pulses are correlated to the corresponding channel calibration pulses to determine valid channel calibration pulses from which a correction scale factor is derived. A valid calibration pulse is determined where a correlation between a combined calibration pulse and a corresponding channel calibration pulse is greater than a predetermined correlation value. The valid channel calibration pulses are then characterized. A set of valid channel calibration pulses is selected for each channel based on the characterization to form an average calibration pulse. The average calibration pulse is used to determine a correction scale factor for each channel which is used to scale the actual channel ECG waveform data. The method also includes a step for adjusting the intra-channel skew.

Abstract: An ink fill slot can be precisely manufactured in a substrate utilizing photolithographic techniques with chemical etching, plasma etching, or a combination thereof. These methods may be used in conjunction with laser ablation, mechanical abrasion, or electromechanical machining to remove additional substrate material in desired areas. The ink fill slots are appropriately configured to provide the requisite volume of ink at increasingly higher frequency of operation of the printhead by means of an extended portion that results in a reduced shelf length and thus reduced fluid impedance imparted to the ink. The extended portion is precisely etched to controllably align it with other elements of the printhead.

Abstract: A defibrillator patient connection system is disclosed for automatically identifying to a defibrillator system the type of pads or paddles assembly connected to the system for conveying electrical energy to shock a patient. Each of the available pads or paddles assemblies is identified by a corresponding analog voltage level provided to the base unit through a corresponding cable assembly. The identification voltage is sensed by an A/D converter in the defibrillator base unit. The identification voltage is provided to the base unit on a charge-done signal line which otherwise is asserted by the base unit to controllably actuate a charge-done indicator light in an external paddles assembly. The disclosed methods and apparatus thus maintain a simple defibrillator/cable assembly interface and require no additional signal lines for implementing automatic identification.

Abstract: A folded cascode operational amplifier using an improved gain enhancement technique is described. The folded cascode includes an input section, a cascode current mirror section, and a cascode current section. A first fully-differential operational amplifier is coupled to the cascode current mirror section to provide improved gain enhancement thereto and a second fully-differential operational amplifier is coupled to the cascode current source section to provide improved gain enhancement thereto. The differential inputs of the first fully-differential operational amplifier are coupled to feedback nodes of the cascode current mirror section and the differential outputs of the first fully-differential operational amplifier are coupled to control nodes of the cascode current mirror section.

Abstract: A configurable circuit for driving an integrated circuit output pad includes two differently-sized arrays of p-channel FETs and two arrays of differently-sized n-channel FETs for driving the pad. A circuit designer selects different ones of the FETs to produce a desired level of n-channel and p-channel drive at the pad. The nonselected p-channel FETs are maintained in a disabled condition by tieing them off to one side of a p-channel FET which is also connected to a n-type island in a substrate in which the circuit is formed. Electrostatic charge is drained from the gates of the disabled FETs through the n-type island when power is not applied to the integrated circuit thereby preventing failure of leakage tests. The nonselected n-channel FETs are similarly tied to one side of an n-channel FET which in turn is tied to a p-type island to achieve the same purpose for the n-channel FETs.

Abstract: Selected portions of the orifice plate surfaces are formed to have wetting and non-wetting surface characteristics for minimizing the accumulation of residual ink on the outer surface of the plate and for enhancing the flow of supply ink to the orifices of the plate.

Abstract: Wet cockle is minimized in aqueous-based, thermal ink-jet inks by adding to the ink at least one water-soluble substance, such as a solvent or salt, having a molecular weight of less than 200 grams/mole in an amount sufficient to reduce the mole fraction of water to a maximum value of about 0.5. Addition of the substance reduces wet paper cockle to a value that is less than the distance between the thermal ink-jet pen and the paper, thereby preventing a crash condition between the paper and the pen.

Abstract: The position encoder system requires no keyboard surface area and includes a retractable and extendable handle that is stored inside the computer when not in use. The handle is extended for use near the computer keyboard. The movement of the handle is sensed by a high resolution sensing system that consumes relatively little power.

Abstract: A method for controlling color bleed in multi-color thermal inkjet printing systems. Color bleed involves the migration of coloring agents between adjacent zones in a multi-color printed image on a substrate. To control color bleed between any two ink compositions in a multi-ink system, at least one of the ink compositions will contain a precipitating agent (e.g. a multi-valent metal salt). The precipitating agent is designed to react with the coloring agent in the other ink composition of concern. As a result, when the two ink compositions come in contact, a precipitate is formed from the coloring agent in the other ink composition which prevents migration thereof and color bleed problems. This technique is applicable to printing systems containing two or more ink compositions, and enables distinct multi-color images to be produced without the problems normally caused by color bleed.

Abstract: A poly-p-xylylene coating has been found to demonstrate superior properties as a thermal ink-jet adhesive material in combination with resistor assemblies employed in thermal ink-jet printheads. This material evidences better adhesion for securing the orifice plate to the barrier material used to form the ink firing chambers within the printhead and superior corrosion resistance to thermal ink-jet inks, compared to other coating materials.

Abstract: A multi-layer structure, typically semiconductor device, is etched according to a process of the present invention, and meets the above-described existing needs by focusing on the post-etch treatment of the damaged, etched semiconductor device formed thereby. This post-etch treatment is accomplished by exposing the damaged silicon to a forming-gas downstream plasma which results in substantially increased oxide regrowth and significantly higher level of gate oxide quality. In conducting the process of the subject invention from about 1% up to about 15% by volume of H.sub.2, and from about 85 up to about 99% by volume of N.sub.2 are preferably employed as the post etching forming-gas plasma.

Abstract: An ECG recorder and playback unit which includes software-implemented digital signal processing filters which include a method for generating a heart rate variability (HRV) and late potential measurements. The HRV method includes playing back the ECG data on the playback unit and a defining a reference point, usually corresponding to the R-wave peak, on each output ECG signal. An initial period is determined between the reference points. The period is then adjusted so as to align the reference points of the output ECG signals. The amount by which the ECG signals are adjusted is determined by computing a phase difference at a predetermined reference frequency and dividing the phase difference by the reference frequency to produce a period difference. The period is then adjusted by the period difference by adding the period difference to the measured period. The adjusted period is then used to compute the HRV measurement using statistical techniques.

Abstract: A multiple section card case for storing computer cards, such as PCMCIA cards. The multiple section card case includes a top piece, a bottom piece, and a plurality of intermediate pieces interchangeably coupled to each other. When coupled together, the top, bottom, and intermediate pieces form a plurality of card storage sections that may be independently accessed. Each case section may be opened or closed by rotating adjacent pieces forming the section away from or toward each other. Case sections may be removed or added by decoupling an intermediate piece and then adding or removing intermediate pieces.

Abstract: The handle is arranged to be expanded from a compact, collapsed configuration, into an expanded configuration for comfortable manipulation by the user. Upon completion of the use of the handle, the handle is collapsed to the compact configuration for stowage in the computer.

Abstract: A thermal printer is provided with a free floating print head and a sliding top supporting a platen roller. The platen roller is engageable with the print head such that a biased uniform force is applied to the print head. The sliding top is movable between a print ready position and a paper loading position. A wide gap is provided between the platen roller and the print head which in the paper loading position, allowing for easy paper loading without need for threading.