Abstract: A microfluidic device for manipulating microdroplets is provided. It includes (a) a microfluidic space defined at least in part by juxtaposition of opposed containing walls and (b) disposed on or within at least one of the containing walls optoelectrowetting electrode locations arranged in a pathway characterised in that in at least one direction substantially parallel to that of the pathway a region of the microfluidic space continuously varies or may be caused to continuously vary in depth; for example by tapering or cantilevering a resilient part of one of the walls. The device and its associated method of use are suitable components for nucleic acid sequencers and biomedical analytical devices.

Abstract: Described herein is a technology for a wakeup pattern—data stream correlation by a detector to provide a trigger condition for a microcontroller in a wakeup receiver (WuRX). For example, the detector includes a data packet layer with a plurality of index registers that are updated through sampling of data streams. A sample clock is coupled to each of the plurality of index registers to independently activate each of the plurality of index registers. A shared comparator will then compare the updated plurality of index registers to corresponding shift registers that are initialized with rotating wakeup pattern bits. Based upon a number of matching results, the detector generates a triggering signal that facilitates a low-power operating mode to a high-power operating mode change.

Abstract: An inductively heatable aerosol-generating article for an inductively heating aerosol-generating device is provided, the article including: an aerosol-forming rod segment having a cylindrical shape with a constant outer cross-section including an elongate susceptor element and an aerosol-forming substrate surrounding the susceptor element so as to define the cylindrical shape of the rod segment, the susceptor element including at least one narrower portion at each extreme end of the susceptor element, and the narrower portion at each extreme end including a reduced transverse cross-section as compared to one or more portions of the susceptor element along a length extension of the susceptor element including a maximum transverse cross-section of the susceptor element.

Abstract: An aerosol-generating device is provided, including a housing defining a chamber having an open end configured for insertion of an aerosol-generating article into the chamber and a closed end disposed opposite the open end; a flat spiral inductor coil disposed at the closed end of the chamber; a susceptor element disposed within the chamber at the closed end; and a power supply and a controller connected to the flat spiral inductor coil and configured to provide an alternating electric current to the flat spiral inductor coil such that the flat spiral inductor coil is configured to generate an alternating magnetic field to inductively heat the susceptor element and thereby to heat at least a portion of an aerosol-generating article received within the chamber.

Abstract: Mapping is performed of chemostratigraphic signatures of hydrocarbon reservoirs in three dimensions. Up-scaled chemostratigraphic data from well cuttings and well cores are tied with high-resolution elastic wireline data at well locations in the reservoir. The wireline data is used to determine suitable seismic attributes for mapping the desired chemostratigraphic property, and are obtained by performing pre- and/or post-stack inversions. A multi-attribute template, derived from the well data, is developed to characterize the reservoir in terms of its chemostratigraphic properties. The seismic data is then inverted to map the chemostratigraphic signatures of reservoir in three dimensions.

Abstract: A method for electrical wiring of electronic components in switchgear construction, the method comprising the steps: a. providing a plurality of electronic components which are mounted on a shared workpiece, in particular on a mounting plate; b. wiring the electronic components according to a predetermined circuit diagram and in a predetermined order by at least one robot, wherein a cable sequence of pre-assembled cables is fed to the at least one robot and the cables are arranged in the predetermined order in the cable sequence; wherein the wiring comprises gripping a free cable end of the cable sequence by a multifunctional end effector of the robot, feeding the free cable end to an electrical connection of one of the electronic components by the multifunctional end effector, and detaching the cable from the cable sequence by a separation unit of the multifunctional end effector.

Abstract: An aerosol-generating system is provided, including: an aerosol-generating device, including a housing, a heating chamber defining a heating zone and being sized to receive at least a portion of an aerosol-forming substrate within the heating zone, an induction element disposed around, or adjacent to, the heating zone, a power supply, and a controller connected to the induction element and configured to provide an alternating electric current to the induction element to generate an alternating magnetic field within the heating zone, the induction element being configured to be controlled to sequentially provide a first alternating magnetic field having a first frequency for a first period of time followed by a second alternating magnetic field having a second frequency for a second period of time.

Abstract: An aerosol-generating device is provided, including a housing having a chamber; an induction coil disposed around at least a portion of the chamber; a heating compartment configured to receive an aerosol-generating article and being detachably insertable into the chamber of the housing, the heating compartment including a cavity configured to receive at least a portion of the aerosol-generating article; and a heating element arrangeable within the cavity of the heating compartment, the heating element extending into the cavity in a longitudinal direction of the cavity, and being configured to penetrate an aerosol-forming substrate in the aerosol-generating article and received in the cavity.

Abstract: An aerosol-generating device is provided, including a housing defining a chamber configured to receive at least a portion of an aerosol-generating article; an inductor coil disposed around at least a portion of the chamber; an elongate susceptor element configured for removable attachment to the housing within the chamber and projecting into the chamber when the element is removably attached to the housing; an aperture positioned on a side of the housing, the aperture and the element being configured for insertion of the element into the chamber through the aperture and configured for removal of the element from the chamber through the aperture; and a power supply and a controller connected to the coil and to provide an alternating electric current to the coil such that the coil generates an alternating magnetic field to heat the element and thereby heat at least a portion of the article received within the chamber.

Abstract: An electronic aerosol-generating device includes a housing extending between first and second ends along a longitudinal axis. The second end of the housing defines a cavity for receiving a consumable containing an aerosol generating substrate. The device further includes a heating component comprising a heating element extending along the longitudinal axis within the cavity and configured to penetrate into the aerosol generating substrate when the consumable is inserted into the cavity. The heating element comprises a material having a Curie temperature of less than 500° C. The device also includes an inductor comprising an inductor coil positioned to transfer magnetic energy to the heating element. The inductor is configured to induce eddy currents and/or hysteresis losses in the heating element. The device further includes a power supply operably connected to the inductor and control electronics operably connected to the power supply and configured to control heating of the heating element.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a multi-layer susceptor assembly for inductively heating an aerosol-forming substrate which comprises at least a first layer and a second layer intimately coupled to the first layer. The first layer comprises a first susceptor material. The second layer comprises a second susceptor material having a Curie temperature lower than 500° C. The susceptor assembly further comprises a third layer intimately coupled to the second layer which comprises a specific stress-compensating material and a specific layer thickness such that after a processing of the multi-layer susceptor assembly the third layer exerts a tensile or compressive stress onto the second layer at least in a compensation temperature range for counteracting a compressive or tensile stress exerted by the first layer onto the second layer.

Abstract: Process for making an electrode active material for a lithium ion battery, said process comprising the following steps: (a) Contacting a mixture of (A) a precursor of a mixed oxide according to general formula Li1+xTM1?xO2, wherein TM is a combination of two or more transition metals selected from Mn, Co and Ni, optionally in combination with at least one more metal selected from Ba, Al, Ti, Zr, W, Fe, Cr, K, Mo, Nb, Mg, Na and V, and x is in the range of from zero to 0.2, and (B) at least one lithium compound, with (C) Br2, I2, or at least one compound selected from carbon perhalides selected from the bromides and iodides, and interhalogen compounds comprising bromine or iodine, and (b) Subjecting said mixture to heat treatment at a temperature in the range of from 700 to 1000° C.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a multi-layer susceptor assembly for inductively heating an aerosol-forming substrate which comprises at least a first layer and a second layer intimately coupled to the first layer. The first layer comprises a first susceptor material. The second layer comprises a second susceptor material having a Curie temperature lower than 500° C. The susceptor assembly further comprises a third layer intimately coupled to the second layer. The third layer comprises a specific stress-compensating material and specific layer thickness for compensating differences in thermal expansion occurring in the multi-layer susceptor assembly after a processing of the assembly such that at least in a compensation temperature range an overall thermal deformation of the susceptor assembly is essentially limited to in-plane deformations.

Abstract: A device for damaging weed is provided, the device having a working tool, which is designed to damage the weed; a classification unit, which has positional data of the weed and/or which is designed to detect weeds; a localization unit, which is designed to ascertain a relative position between the working tool and the weed; and a manipulator unit, which is designed to correspondingly position the working tool as a function of the ascertained relative position.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a susceptor assembly (1) for inductively heating an aerosol-forming substrate and to a method for producing such an assembly. The susceptor assembly comprises a first susceptor (10) and a second susceptor (20). A Curie temperature of the second susceptor is lower than 500° C. At least a portion of an outer surface of the second susceptor comprises an anti-corrosion covering (30) and at least a portion of an outer surface of the first susceptor is exposed. The invention further relates to aerosol-generating article comprising an aerosol-forming substrate and a susceptor assembly.

Abstract: Combined MRI and radiotherapy installations require complex Faraday cage structure that encloses the room, the MRI magnets, and the patient volume, but excludes the linear accelerator path and its supply cabling. A problem with this is that the MRI magnets tend to vibrate when in use, and if physically connected to a rigid structure then the vibrations will be passed to that structure also. To alleviate this, we propose that the Faraday cage be made of a mix of prefabricated conductive sections and flexible sections of a conductive sheet. The flexible conductive sheet can be copper or aluminium, in the form of a foil or mesh.

Abstract: A device for damaging weeds, having a movably arranged plunger, which has a plunger end for applying pressure to a weed to damage the weed mechanically, and to an active-substance dispensing unit, which is configured to dispense an active substance onto the plunger end of the plunger to damage chemically the mechanically damaged weed.

Abstract: Mapping is performed of chemostratigraphic signatures of hydrocarbon reservoirs in three dimensions. Up-scaled chemostratigraphic data from well cuttings and well cores are tied with high-resolution elastic wireline data at well locations in the reservoir. The wireline data is used to determine suitable seismic attributes for mapping the desired chemostratigraphic property, and are obtained by performing pre- and/or post-stack inversions. A multi-attribute template, derived from the well data, is developed to characterize the reservoir in terms of its chemostratigraphic properties. The seismic data is then inverted to map the chemostratigraphic signatures of reservoir in three dimensions.

Abstract: Combined MRI and radiotherapy installations require complex Faraday cage structure that encloses the room, the MRI magnets, and the patient volume, but excludes the linear accelerator path and its supply cabling. A problem with this is that the MRI magnets tend to vibrate when in use, and if physically connected to a rigid structure then the vibrations will be passed to that structure also. To alleviate this, we propose that the Faraday cage be made of a mix of prefabricated conductive sections and flexible sections of a conductive sheet. The flexible conductive sheet can be copper or aluminium, in the form of a foil or mesh.

Abstract: A device for damaging weeds, the device having a pressure-conveyance unit, which is designed to convey a fluid under pressure, and a fluid-dispensing unit, which is fluidically connected to the pressure-conveyance unit and is furthermore developed to dispense the pressurized fluid to the weed in order to damage the weed, the fluid-dispensing unit including at least one valve that has a piezo-actuator or an electroactive polymer actuator or a magnetoresistive actuator.