Abstract: An apparatus for acoustically detecting the location of a distal end of a tube relative to a body conduit into which the tube is being inserted is provided. The apparatus including a speaker positioned to generate a sound pulse in the tube and a sensor for detecting a sound pulse in the tube at a distal position relative to the speaker, and for generating a signal corresponding to the detected sound pulse.

Abstract: A wearable sensor patch including a generally cylindrical base having a bore, and a skin contact surface having an adhesive thereon; a piston-like part positioned within the bore; at least one microprobe positioned on the piston-like part; a retention spring; wherein the piston-like part is movable within the bore of the base between (1) a first position in which the at least one microprobe is positioned within the bore, and (2) a second position in which the at least one microprobe protrudes past the skin contact surface, and wherein the retention spring and the piston-like part are configured to cooperate such that the retention spring retains the piston-like part in either the first position or the second position

Abstract: A sensor includes a working electrode in contact with an analyte solution; an amplifier including: a source terminal; a drain terminal; a back gate terminal; and nanowires, each nanowire electrically connecting the source terminal to the drain terminal; and an insulator having a first side and a second side. The working electrode is positioned to the first side of the insulator. The source terminal, the drain terminal, and the nanowires are positioned to the second side of the insulator. The insulator prevents direct electrical contact between the working electrode, the analyte solution and either the source terminal, the drain terminal, or the nanowires. The working electrode is configured such that, when a chemical species is present in the analyte solution, a variation in an electrical field at a location of the nanowires is induced, inducing a corresponding variation in an electrical current between the source terminal and the drain terminal.

Abstract: A sensing system includes a microprobe, the microprobe including: a layered structure including: a sensing unit comprising a sensor including a working electrode, wherein the sensing unit has a first perimeter when viewed along a layering direction, includes a first material having a first toughness, and including a first side and a second side; a deformable layer configured to deform under stress and positioned on the first side of the sensing unit; a ductile layer positioned on the deformable layer opposite the sensing unit and having a second perimeter when viewed along the layering direction, the first perimeter being within the second perimeter, the ductile layer including a second material having a second toughness greater than the first toughness; a sensor-interface layer positioned on the second side of the sensing unit; and an encapsulant partially encapsulating the layered structure and mechanically isolating the layered structure from a surrounding environment.

Abstract: A sensor includes a working electrode in contact with an analyte solution; an amplifier including: a source terminal; a drain terminal; a back gate terminal; and nanowires, each nanowire electrically connecting the source terminal to the drain terminal; and an insulator having a first side and a second side. The working electrode is positioned to the first side of the insulator. The source terminal, the drain terminal, and the nanowires are positioned to the second side of the insulator. The insulator prevents direct electrical contact between the working electrode, the analyte solution and either the source terminal, the drain terminal, or the nanowires. The working electrode is configured such that, when a chemical species is present in the analyte solution, a variation in an electrical field at a location of the nanowires is induced, inducing a corresponding variation in an electrical current between the source terminal and the drain terminal.

Abstract: A sensor includes a working electrode in contact with an analyte solution; an amplifier including: a source terminal; a drain terminal; a back gate terminal; and nanowires, each nanowire electrically connecting the source terminal to the drain terminal; and an insulator having a first side and a second side. The working electrode is positioned to the first side of the insulator. The source terminal, the drain terminal, and the nanowires are positioned to the second side of the insulator. The insulator prevents direct electrical contact between the working electrode, the analyte solution and either the source terminal, the drain terminal, or the nanowires. The working electrode is configured such that, when a chemical species is present in the analyte solution, a variation in an electrical field at a location of the nanowires is induced, inducing a corresponding variation in an electrical current between the source terminal and the drain terminal.

Abstract: A sensor system is disclosed. The system comprises: a solid substrate having a front side and a back side, a sensing assembly formed on the front side and being configured to provide electrochemical sensing, a plurality of electrical contacts, formed on the back side and being in electrical communication with the sensing assembly via a plurality of interconnects passing through the substrate and extending at least from the front side to the back side, and a mounting member configured for mounting the back side onto a tip of a movable device.

Abstract: An outer container of a bicycle transport container is adapted to transport a pre-assembled bicycle in it. The bicycle frame is already connected to the rear wheel, the fork and the stem. The front wheel, the handlebar and the saddle are connected to the frame and respectively the fork via fixing elements.

Abstract: A point-of-care seed stranding device for automating assembly of brachytherapy seed strands for implantation in patients. The device includes a number of features to reduce the potential for mistakes by the user, as well as to reduce the potential for damaging the radioactive seeds during the stranding process. Tactile feedback may be provided to prevent exertion of too much force in the packing step of the stranding process, as well as to indicate that the seed and/or strand cartridges are empty and need to be replaced. The device may also include a mechanism for holding seeds or spacers in place to allow automated packing of seeds or spacers having corresponding geometries. The device may also be provided with a seed counter which can be employed to preset the number of seeds in a strand and which disables the device from dispensing or packing additional seeds once the preset number of seeds has been packed into the strand.

Abstract: A sensor system is disclosed. The system comprises: a solid substrate having a front side and a back side, a sensing assembly formed on the front side and being configured to provide electrochemical sensing, a plurality of electrical contacts, formed on the back side and being in electrical communication with the sensing assembly via a plurality of interconnects passing through the substrate and extending at least from the front side to the back side, and a mounting member configured for mounting the back side onto a tip of a movable device.

Abstract: An angular rate sensor device is presented. The sensor device comprises a disk-shaped structure having a proof mass region and a flexible portion. The disk-like structure is coupled to a substrate in a manner enabling a wave type precession motion such that during the wave type precession motion each material point of the proof mass performs elliptic motion.

Abstract: A point-of-care seed stranding device for automating assembly of brachytherapy seed strands for implantation in patients. The device includes a number of features to reduce the potential for mistakes by the user, as well as to reduce the potential for damaging the radioactive seeds during the stranding process. Tactile feedback may be provided to prevent exertion of too much force in the packing step of the stranding process, as well as to indicate that the seed and/or strand cartridges are empty and need to be replaced. The device may also include a mechanism for holding seeds or spacers in place to allow automated packing of seeds or spacers having corresponding geometries. The device may also be provided with a seed counter which can be employed to preset the number of seeds in a strand and which disables the device from dispensing or packing additional seeds once the preset number of seeds has been packed into the strand.

Abstract: An angular rate sensor device is presented. The sensor device comprises a disk-shaped structure having a proof mass region and a flexible portion. The disk-like structure is coupled to a substrate in a manner enabling a wave type precession motion such that during the wave type precession motion each material point of the proof mass performs elliptic motion.

Abstract: An economical process for in vivo production of the pigment astaxanthin, and particularly a process for enhancing astaxanthin content of cultures of microorganisms of genus Phaffia, the process comprising culturing a microorganism of genus Phaffia in a nutrient medium containing an antibiotic, a cytochrome B inhibitor, or a terpenoid synthetic pathway inhibitor, cultivating surviving pigment enhanced microorganisms, and harvesting the yeast.

Abstract: A point-of-care seed stranding device for automating assembly of brachytherapy seed strands for implantation in patients. The device includes a number of features to reduce the potential for mistakes by the user, as well as to reduce the potential for damaging the radioactive seeds during the stranding process. Tactile feedback may be provided to prevent exertion of too much force in the packing step of the stranding process, as well as to indicate that the seed and/or strand cartridges are empty and need to be replaced. The device may also include a mechanism for holding seeds or spacers in place to allow automated packing of seeds or spacers having corresponding geometries. The device may also be provided with a seed counter which can be employed to preset the number of seeds in a strand and which disables the device from dispensing or packing additional seeds once the preset number of seeds has been packed into the strand.

Abstract: A MEMS apparatus for scanning an optical beam comprises a mirror operative to perform a rotational motion to a maximum rotation angle around a mirror rotation axis, and a bouncing mechanism operative to provide a bouncing event and to reverse the rotational motion. The bouncing event provides the mirror with a piecewise linear response to actuation by intrinsically nonlinear electrostatic forces. The bouncing mechanism includes an element chosen to impart an overall nonlinear stiffness to the system and is selected from the group of elements consisting of a bouncer and a pre-curved nonlinear stiffness element.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are provided for controlling link status changes across multiple independent control modules. The apparatus includes a copy services module configured to control multiple link adapters, each configured to establish multiple communication links between a source and a target storage device. The adapter transmits a link status change notification to the copy services module and starts a timer upon transmitting the link status change notification. The copy services module simultaneously processes link status change notifications from a plurality of communication links. The system includes a communications network and a plurality of storage devices having the above described apparatus.

Abstract: A MEMS apparatus for scanning an optical beam comprises a mirror operative to perform a rotational motion to a maximum rotation angle around a mirror rotation axis, and a bouncing mechanism operative to provide a bouncing event and to reverse the rotational motion. The bouncing event provides the mirror with a piecewise linear response to actuation by intrinsically nonlinear electrostatic forces. The bouncing mechanism includes an element chosen to impart an overall nonlinear stiffness to the system and is selected from the group of elements consisting of a bouncer and a pre-curved nonlinear stiffness element.

Abstract: A MEMS variable optical attenuator (VOA) comprises at least one semitransparent refraction-mode shutter having a wedge shape and operative to attenuate an optical beam transmitted from a first optical fiber to a second optical fiber using refraction of the beam, and an actuator operative to position the shutter in the path of the beam. Optionally, the VOA further comprises a locking mechanism for locking the shutter after actuation, and at least one damper connected to the shutter for shortening the VOA switching time. The actuator may include in various embodiments a folding suspension with straight or curved springs, some springs interacting electrostatically with one or more side electrodes to provide an essentially linear dependence of shutter movement on actuation voltage.

Abstract: A method and system of transaction card fraud mitigation utilizes location based services provided by a card holder's wireless carrier for verification of whether or not a transaction with the card holder's transaction card is fraudulent. For example, when factors indicative of a likelihood of a fraudulent transaction with the card holder's transaction card are present, the card processing system requests the card holder's wireless carrier to return the location information of the card holder's mobile phone, which is typically on the person of the subscriber. When the location of the subscriber's mobile phone is returned and determined to be at or near the location from which the transaction is being attempted with the transaction card, the card processing system has a reasonable degree of confidence that the particular transaction is or is not fraudulent and allows the transaction to proceed. Otherwise, the transaction is denied.