Abstract: A forming device is configured to form metal laminated sheet material into a tray-shaped case half while allowing the material to form pleats in the corners of the recess during the forming process while preventing formation of pleats along the flange. The device forms the flange so that excess material in the corners of the case halves is arranged in an undulating shape. As a result, the flange has a waved or ruffled configuration at each corner. Two such case halves are sealed together along the flange to form a reliably sealed package. A method of forming pouch cell is also described.

Abstract: An electrochemical cell includes a cell housing and an electrode assembly disposed in the cell housing. The electrode assembly includes an electrode pair that is arranged to form a winding having a polygonal spiral wound shape in which a radius of the corner portions of each turn of the winding is constant, regardless of the number of turns. In addition, a length of the linear portions of one turn of the winding is different than a length of the linear portions of another turn of the winding. Since each turn of the winding includes the corner portions having a desired radius, the volumetric efficiency of the electrode assembly including the winding within a cell housing is improved relative to some cells that use conventional windings. An apparatus and method of forming a polygonal spiral wound winding are disclosed.

Abstract: A forming device is configured to form metal laminated sheet material into a tray-shaped case half while allowing the material to form pleats in the corners of the recess during the forming process while preventing formation of pleats along the flange. The device forms the flange so that excess material in the corners of the case halves is arranged in an undulating shape. As a result, the flange has a waved or ruffled configuration at each corner. Two such case halves are sealed together along the flange to form a reliably sealed package. A method of forming pouch cell is also described.

Abstract: An electrochemical cell includes a housing, and an electrode assembly disposed in the housing. The electrode assembly comprises a positive electrode, a negative electrode and a separator disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The housing is formed of a first case half and a second case half. Each case half is formed of a metal foil laminate material and includes a wedge-shaped central recess that is surrounded by a flange. The flange of the first case half is joined to the flange of the second case half along a seal line that surrounds the respective central recesses. The central recesses cooperate to define an interior space of the housing that contains the electrode assembly, and the interior space has the shape of a rectangular prism. The seal line extends along a diagonal of a side of the rectangular prism. A method of forming the housing is described.

Abstract: An electrochemical pouch cell includes a pouch cell housing and an electrode assembly disposed in the housing. The housing is formed of a single blank that is progressively drawn to form first and second recesses in the sheet, where the first recess coincides with a portion of the second recess. The blank is then folded so that the recesses are aligned and open facing each other. The electrode assembly is disposed in the space defined within and between the recesses, and flange portions of the material surrounding the recesses are sealed together to form a sealed electrochemical cell in which one side of the cell is free of the flange. The progressive drawing process along with the configuration of the recesses allows the cell housing to have an increased depth relative to some conventional pouch cell housings.

Abstract: An electrochemical pouch cell includes a pouch cell housing and an electrode assembly disposed in the housing. The housing is formed of a single blank that is progressively drawn to form first and second recesses in the sheet, where the first recess coincides with a portion of the second recess. The blank is then folded so that the recesses are aligned and open facing each other. The electrode assembly is disposed in the space defined within and between the recesses, and flange portions of the material surrounding the recesses are sealed together to form a sealed electrochemical cell in which one side of the cell is free of the flange. The progressive drawing process along with the configuration of the recesses allows the cell housing to have an increased depth relative to some conventional pouch cell housings.

Abstract: An electrochemical cell includes a housing, and an electrode assembly disposed in the housing. The electrode assembly comprises a positive electrode, a negative electrode and a separator disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The housing is formed of a first case half and a second case half. Each case half is formed of a metal foil laminate material and includes a wedge-shaped central recess that is surrounded by a flange. The flange of the first case half is joined to the flange of the second case half along a seal line that surrounds the respective central recesses. The central recesses cooperate to define an interior space of the housing that contains the electrode assembly, and the interior space has the shape of a rectangular prism. The seal line extends along a diagonal of a side of the rectangular prism. A method of forming the housing is described.

Abstract: An electrochemical cell includes a cell housing and an electrode assembly disposed in the cell housing. The electrode assembly includes an electrode pair that is arranged to form a winding having a polygonal spiral wound shape in which a radius of the corner portions of each turn of the winding is constant, regardless of the number of turns. In addition, a length of the linear portions of one turn of the winding is different than a length of the linear portions of another turn of the winding. Since each turn of the winding includes the corner portions having a desired radius, the volumetric efficiency of the electrode assembly including the winding within a cell housing is improved relative to some cells that use conventional windings. An apparatus and method of forming a polygonal spiral wound winding are disclosed.

Abstract: An electrochemical cell includes a cell housing and an electrode assembly disposed in the cell housing. The electrode assembly includes an electrode pair that is arranged to form a winding having a polygonal spiral wound shape in which a radius of the corner portions of each turn of the winding is constant, regardless of the number of turns. In addition, a length of the linear portions of one turn of the winding is different than a length of the linear portions of another turn of the winding. Since each turn of the winding includes the corner portions having a desired radius, the volumetric efficiency of the electrode assembly including the winding within a cell housing is improved relative to some cells that use conventional windings. An apparatus and method of forming a polygonal spiral wound winding are disclosed.

Abstract: A tethered spacecraft has a first endmass and a second endmass with a telescoping stacer spring and a tether arranged between the endmasses. The spring is coiled around a center rod and initially contained within a housing, the spring being biased to push the first endmass away from the second endmass. The spring housing is affixed to the first endmass, a first end of the spring being affixed to the spring housing, and tether are affixed to spring at one end and to the second endmass at the other end. A pretensioned loop holds the endmasses abuttingly together, and a burnwire release mechanism cuts the loop to deploy the spring. Upon deployment, the spring extends to its full length to form a cylindrical boom, and the endmasses continue to move outward along the spring centerline until stopped by the tether.

Abstract: An electrochemical cell includes a cell housing and an electrode assembly disposed in the cell housing. The electrode assembly includes an electrode pair that is arranged to form a winding having a polygonal spiral wound shape in which a radius of the corner portions of each turn of the winding is constant, regardless of the number of turns. In addition, a length of the linear portions of one turn of the winding is different than a length of the linear portions of another turn of the winding. Since each turn of the winding includes the corner portions having a desired radius, the volumetric efficiency of the electrode assembly including the winding within a cell housing is improved relative to some cells that use conventional windings. An apparatus and method of forming a polygonal spiral wound winding are disclosed.

Abstract: An electrochemical cell includes a housing, and an electrode assembly disposed in the housing. The electrode assembly comprises a positive electrode, a negative electrode and a separator disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The housing is formed of a first case half and a second case half. Each case half is formed of a metal foil laminate material and includes a wedge-shaped central recess that is surrounded by a flange. The flange of the first case half is joined to the flange of the second case half along a seal line that surrounds the respective central recesses. The central recesses cooperate to define an interior space of the housing that contains the electrode assembly, and the interior space has the shape of a rectangular prism. The seal line extends along a diagonal of a side of the rectangular prism. A method of forming the housing is described.

Abstract: An electrochemical cell includes a cell housing and an electrode assembly disposed in the cell housing. The electrode assembly includes an electrode pair that is arranged to form a winding having a polygonal spiral wound shape in which a radius of the corner portions of each turn of the winding is constant, regardless of the number of turns. In addition, a length of the linear portions of one turn of the winding is different than a length of the linear portions of another turn of the winding. Since each turn of the winding includes the corner portions having a desired radius, the volumetric efficiency of the electrode assembly including the winding within a cell housing is improved relative to some cells that use conventional windings. An apparatus and method of forming a polygonal spiral wound winding are disclosed.

Abstract: A tethered spacecraft has a first endmass and a second endmass with a telescoping stacer spring and a tether arranged between the endmasses. The spring is coiled around a center rod and initially contained within a housing, the spring being biased to push the first endmass away from the second endmass. The spring housing is affixed to the first endmass, a first end of the spring being affixed to the spring housing, and tether are affixed to spring at one end and to the second endmass at the other end. A pretensioned loop holds the endmasses abuttingly together, and a burnwire release mechanism cuts the loop to deploy the spring. Upon deployment, the spring extends to its full length to form a cylindrical boom, and the endmasses continue to move outward along the spring centerline until stopped by the tether.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide to apparatuses and media used in drug elution studies and methods for making and using them. One embodiment of the invention is a drug elution method that can be used for in-vitro studies of a matrix impregnated with a compound such as a drug blended polymer matrix. Such methods and materials can be used for example to assess and control the manufacturing process variability of drug eluting implantable devices such as cardiac leads.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide to apparatuses and media used in drug elution studies and methods for making and using them. One embodiment of the invention is a drug elution method that can be used for in-vitro studies of a matrix impregnated with a compound such as a drug blended polymer matrix. Such methods and materials can be used for example to assess and control the manufacturing process variability of drug eluting implantable devices such as cardiac leads.

Abstract: The present invention is based on the encoding of sequential data or sequences in a novel manner that permits efficient storage and processing of sequential data, as well as methods for searching sequences or databases of sequences. The methods and systems of the current invention may be adapted broadly to various fields of application and to a variety of sequences types. For example, the current invention has broad application including to the fields of bioinformatics, molecular biology, pharmacogenomics, phonetic sequences, lexicographic sequences, signal analysis, game playing, law enforcement, biometrics, medical diagnosis, equipment maintenance and micro-array data analysis.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide to apparatuses and media used in drug elution studies and methods for making and using them. Such methods and materials can be used for example to assess and control the manufacturing process variability of drug eluting implantable devices such as cardiac leads. One embodiment of the invention is a drug elution method that can be used for in-vitro studies of a matrix impregnated with a compound such as a drug blended polymer matrix. A related embodiment of the invention is an apparatus that is used for example to facilitate the practice of the above-noted methods by inhibiting the evaporation of dissolution media from the vessels in which elution is observed.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide to apparatuses and media used in drug elution studies and methods for making and using them. One embodiment of the invention is a drug elution method that can be used for in-vitro studies of a matrix impregnated with a compound such as a drug blended polymer matrix. Such methods and materials can be used for example to assess and control the manufacturing process variability of drug eluting implantable devices such as cardiac leads.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide to apparatuses and media used in drug elution studies and methods for making and using them. One embodiment of the invention is a drug elution method that can be used for in-vitro studies of a matrix impregnated with a compound such as a drug blended polymer matrix. Such methods and materials can be used for example to assess and control the manufacturing process variability of drug eluting implantable devices such as cardiac leads.