Abstract: In some embodiments, an electronic and digital building block system includes modular electronic building modules that can be electrically coupled together to create various different electronic devices. In addition to physical electronic modules, the system can include digital building blocks to further enhance and integrate the functions of an assembled bit-system that can be created/assembled by a user of the block electronic building system. The digital building blocks are not a physical module, but digital content or other software or cloud applications that can be represented as virtual digital blocks, and that can interface with the physical modules. The digital blocks can provide integration between the functionality of the physical building blocks and functionality of computer-based and/or web-based applications, programs and systems. The electronic and digital building block system can include a system program and a visualizer that can be viewed on the display of a computer device.

Abstract: A method for forming a diamond product. Diamond material is provided and a damage layer comprising sp2 bonded carbon is formed in the material. The presence of the damage layer defines a first diamond layer above and in contact with the damage layer and a second diamond layer below and in contact with the damage layer. The damage layer is electrochemically etched to separate it from the first layer, wherein the electrochemical etching is performed in a solution containing ions, the solution having an electrical conductivity of at least 500 ?S cm?1, and wherein the ions are capable of forming radicals during electrolysis. The diamond product is also described.

Abstract: A device for controlling battery operation includes a battery cell, a thermal cutoff, and a battery management system. The thermal cutoff is coupled in series between the battery cell and a system load of the device. The thermal cutoff has at least three terminals. A first terminal of the thermal cutoff is electrically-coupled to the battery cell and a second terminal of the thermal cutoff is electrically-coupled to the system load. The thermal cutoff includes a permanent failure mechanism having an open state and closed state wherein the closed state allows electrical communication between the first terminal and the second terminal. The battery management system is electrically-coupled to a third terminal of the thermal cutoff. The permanent failure mechanism permanently switches to the open state in response to an electrical signal from the battery management system.

Abstract: An electrochemical sensor comprising a boron doped diamond electrode formed of boron doped diamond material, an array of non-diamond carbon sites disposed on a sensing surface of the boron doped diamond electrode, electrochemically active non-diamond carbon surface groups bonded to the non-diamond carbon sites for generating a first redox peak at a first potential associated with dissolved oxygen and a second redox peak at a second potential which changes with pH, the first and second redox peaks being separated such that they do not overlap, an electrical controller configured to scan the boron doped diamond electrode over a potential range to generate at least said first redox peak, and a processor configured to give an electrochemical reading based on one or both of a position and an intensity of said first redox peak.

Abstract: An embodiment provides a device for measuring pH in an aqueous sample, including: a primary electrode comprising a boron doped diamond-based electrode and a primary carbon region comprising a pH sensitive sp2 carbon region, wherein the primary carbon region comprises a portion of the surface area of a face of the primary electrode; a secondary electrode comprising a boron doped diamond-based electrode and a secondary carbon region, wherein the secondary carbon region comprises a portion of the surface area of a face of the secondary electrode, the portion of the surface area of a face of the secondary electrode being less than the portion of the surface area of a face of the primary electrode; at least one reference electrode; at least one auxiliary electrode; and a memory storing instructions executable by a processor to identify a pH of an aqueous sample by measuring an electrical potential between the at least one reference electrode and at least one of: the primary electrode and the secondary electrode.

Abstract: A device for controlling battery operation includes a battery cell, a thermal cutoff, and a battery management system. The thermal cutoff is coupled in series between the battery cell and a system load of the device. The thermal cutoff has at least three terminals. A first terminal of the thermal cutoff is electrically-coupled to the battery cell and a second terminal of the thermal cutoff is electrically-coupled to the system load. The thermal cutoff includes a permanent failure mechanism having an open state and closed state wherein the closed state allows electrical communication between the first terminal and the second terminal. The battery management system is electrically-coupled to a third terminal of the thermal cutoff. The permanent failure mechanism permanently switches to the open state in response to an electrical signal from the battery management system.

Abstract: An electrochemical sensor comprising a boron doped diamond electrode formed of boron doped diamond material, an array of non-diamond carbon sites disposed on a sensing surface of the boron doped diamond electrode, electrochemically active non-diamond carbon surface groups bonded to the non-diamond carbon sites for generating a first redox peak at a first potential associated with dissolved oxygen and a second redox peak at a second potential which changes with pH, the first and second redox peaks being separated such that they do not overlap, an electrical controller configured to scan the boron doped diamond electrode over a potential range to generate at least said first redox peak, and a processor configured to give an electrochemical reading based on one or both of a position and an intensity of said first redox peak.

Abstract: A boron doped synthetic diamond material which has the following characteristics: a solvent window meeting one or both of the following criteria as measured by sweeping a potential of the boron doped synthetic diamond material with respect to a saturated calomel reference electrode in a solution containing only deionized water and 0.1M KNO3 as a supporting electrolyte at pH 6: the solvent window extends over a potential range of at least 4.1 V wherein end points of the potential range for the solvent window are defined when anodic and cathodic current density measured at the boron doped synthetic diamond material reaches 38 mA cm?2; and the solvent window extends over a potential range of at least 3.3 V wherein end points of the potential range for the solvent window are defined when anodic and cathodic current density measured at the boron doped synthetic diamond material reaches 0.

Abstract: A sensor comprising: a first electrode formed of an electrically conductive material and configured to be located in contact which a solution to be analysed; a second electrode configured to be in electrical contact with the solution to be analysed; an electrical controller configured to apply a potential difference between the first and second electrodes to electro-deposit chemical species from the solution onto the first electrode, and an x-ray fluorescence spectrometer configured to perform an x-ray fluorescence spectroscopic analysis technique on the electro-deposited chemical species, the x-ray fluorescence spectrometer comprising an x-ray source configured to direct an x-ray excitation beam to the electro-deposited chemical species on the first electrode and an x-ray detector configured to receive x-rays emitted from the electro-deposited chemical species and generate spectroscopic data about the chemical species electro-deposited on the first electrode, wherein the sensor is configured such that in use

Abstract: an x-ray fluorescence spectrometer (52); and a sample holder (2) for the x-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer (52), wherein the sample holder (2) comprises: an electrically conductive synthetic diamond electrode (4) providing a front surface (6) on which chemical species can be electro-deposited from a solution (48) comprising the chemical species; an ohmic contact (8) disposed on a rear surface of the electrically conductive synthetic diamond electrode (4); and an electrical connector (10) which is connected to the ohmic contact (8), and wherein the x-ray fluorescence spectrometer (52) comprises: an XRF sample stage (58) configured to receive the sample holder (2); an x-ray source (54) configured to apply an x-ray excitation beam to the chemical species electro-deposited on the electrically conductive synthetic diamond electrode (4) when the sample holder (2) is mounted to the XRF sample stage (58); an x-ray detector (60) configured to receive x-rays emitted from the chemical species electro-deposited on t

Abstract: An electrochemical sensor comprising: a reference electrode (4) formed of an electrically conductive synthetic doped diamond material and configured to be located in electrical contact with a solution (8) to be analysed; a sensing electrode (2) formed of an electrically conductive synthetic doped diamond material and configured to be located in contact with the solution (8) to be analysed; an electrical controller (10) configured to conduct stripping voltammetric measurements by applying a voltage to the sensing electrode (2), to change the applied voltage relative to the reference electrode (4), and to measure an electric current flowing through the sensing electrode (2) thereby generating voltammetry data; and a calibration system configured to provide an in-situ calibration for providing a reference point in the voltammetric data since the potential of the diamond reference electrode is non fixed and floating.

Abstract: A method of analyzing chemical species in a solution, the method comprising: providing an electrochemical deposition apparatus comprising a first electrode (2) formed of an electrically conductive diamond material and a second electrode (4); locating the first electrode in contact with a solution (8) to be analyzed and the second electrode in electrical contact with the solution to be analyzed; applying a potential difference between the first and second electrodes (2, 4) such that current flows between the first and second electrodes through the solution to be analyzed and chemical species are electro-deposited from the solution onto the first electrode; applying a spectroscopic analysis technique to the electro-deposited chemical species (M1, M2, M3) on the first electrode to generate spectroscopic data about the electro-deposited chemical species on the first electrode; and using the spectroscopic data to determine the type of chemical species electro-deposited on the first electrode.

Abstract: A boron doped synthetic diamond material which has the following characteristics: a solvent window meeting one or both of the following criteria as measured by sweeping a potential of the boron doped synthetic diamond material with respect to a saturated calomel reference electrode in a solution containing only deionised water and 0.1 M KNO3 as a supporting electrolyte at pH 6: the solvent window extends over a potential range of at least 4.1 V wherein end points of the potential range for the solvent window are defined when anodic and cathodic current density measured at the boron doped synthetic diamond material reaches 38 mA cm?2; and the solvent window extends over a potential range of at least 3.3 V wherein end points of the potential range for the solvent window are defined when anodic and cathodic current density measured at the boron doped synthetic diamond material reaches 0.

Abstract: An electrochemical sensor comprising: a reference electrode (4) formed of an electrically conductive synthetic doped diamond material and configured to be located in electrical contact with a solution (8) to be analysed; a sensing electrode (2) formed of an electrically conductive synthetic doped diamond material and configured to be located in contact with the solution (8) to be analysed; an electrical controller (10) configured to conduct stripping voltammetric measurements by applying a voltage to the sensing electrode (2), to change the applied voltage relative to the reference electrode (4), and to measure an electric current flowing through the sensing electrode (2) thereby generating voltammetry data; and a calibration system configured to provide an in-situ calibration for providing a reference point in the voltammetric data since the potential of the diamond reference electrode is non fixed and floating.

Abstract: A method of analysing chemical species in a solution, the method comprising: providing an electrochemical deposition apparatus comprising a first electrode (2) formed of an electrically conductive diamond material and a second electrode (4); locating the first electrode in contact with a solution (8) to be analysed and the second electrode in electrical contact with the solution to be analysed; applying a potential difference between the first and second electrodes (2, 4) such that current flows between the first and second electrodes through the solution to be analysed and chemical species are electro-deposited from the solution onto the first electrode; applying a spectroscopic analysis technique to the electro-deposited chemical species (M1, M2, M3) on the first electrode to generate spectroscopic data about the electro-deposited chemical species on the first electrode; and using the spectroscopic data to determine the type of chemical species electro-deposited on the first electrode.

Abstract: A diamond based electrochemical band sensor comprising: a diamond body; and a plurality of boron doped diamond band electrodes disposed within the diamond body, wherein at least a portion of each of the plurality of boron doped diamond band electrodes is doped with boron to a level suitable to achieve metallic conduction, the boron doped diamond electrodes being spaced apart by non-conductive intrinsic layers of diamond, wherein the diamond body comprises a front sensing surface with the plurality of boron doped diamond band electrodes being exposed at said sensing surface and extending in an elongate manner across said surface, and wherein each boron doped diamond electrode has a length/width ratio of at least 10 at the front sensing surface.

Abstract: A process for the microencapsulation of phase transitional paraffin compounds is described. Polypropylene glycols with the average molecule weight over 400 were used as the surface tension modifiers for emulsifying the paraffin compounds. Polyisocyanates capable of being dissolved in the phase change materials were employed to promote the deposition of melamine, partially methylolated melamine and the precondensate of melamine-formaldehyde onto the hydrophobic droplets for the microencapsulation. The prepared emulsion of microencapsulated phase change materials was successfully coated on textile fabrics and the coated products showed improved thermal regulation function.

Abstract: Shape-memory polymer is a new kind of material utilizing shape memorizing mechanism of elastomer of polyurethane family. These materials exhibit novel properties such as sensing (thermal), actuaton, high damping, adaptive responses, super-elasticity capability and air permeability. Recently, they are used and applied to finish textiles and garments. Although there are some characterization methods for shape memory polymers, there is currently no characterization method to evaluate the effects of shape memory fabrics. This invention provides a method to determine the shape memory coefficient of fabrics. The fabric is first deformed from the original state to a deformed state and then subjected to a switch temperature. Different parameters are measured at the original state before and after the fabric is subjected to the switch temperature to determine the shape memory coefficient.

Abstract: A method for encoding elements of an electronic design generates a flattened hierarchy of a parameterized cell of the electronic design, selects common and unique parameters of each element in the parameterized cell, and generates a physical design quantization characteristic value from the selected common and unique parameters.

Abstract: Visual thermal functional textile clothing designs are created using a programmed computer and advanced computing techniques. The computer is supplied with information from a number of databases relating to human body properties and relating to textile material characteristics. The method is used to generate functional designs that are visually displayed for use by a textile designer or engineer.