Abstract: Various methods and devices are provided for allowing multiple surgical instruments to be inserted into sealing elements of a single surgical access device. The sealing elements can be movable along predefined pathways within the device to allow surgical instruments inserted through the sealing elements to be moved laterally, rotationally, angularly, and vertically relative to a central longitudinal axis of the device for ease of manipulation within a patient's body while maintaining insufflation.

Abstract: A particle-beam column comprising a needle-type ions source such as a liquid metal ion source, one or more round lenses, and a plurality of interleaved quadrupole lenses, by means of which the chromatic aberration of the column may be reduced or entirely compensated. Also an ion-beam column comprising a liquid alloy ion source, interleaved quadrupole lenses, and a Wien velocity filter, whereby a focused beam of ions of a single atomic number may be produced. Such columns produce a more finely focused beam than columns based only on electrostatic lenses, and allow increased lens apertures and larger beam currents.

Abstract: The process of achromatic deflection by substantially uniform, crossed electric and magnetic fields with certain magnitudes. When the magnetic force is opposite to the electric force and twice as large, deflection is independent of particle velocity. An achromatic deflector produced by proper excitation of the poles of an achromatic quadrupole lens by means of suitable power supplies, without additional parts within the lens. An achromatic quadrupole lens having no yoke and only four electrodes, suitable for deflections varying at high frequency.

Abstract: A high voltage particle accelerator and an energy analyzer fed back to the accelerator, in which the beam of extremely small diameter from a particle source of the field-emission or field-ionization type and the energy analyzer function to produce precisely defined high voltages; use of such an accelerator and focusing lenses to produce a microbeam with reduced chromatic aberration; and production of a microbeam by use of such an accelerator and focusing lenses of the achromatic quadrupole type, further compensated for aperture aberration.

Abstract: A scanning ion microscope is described in which the prior arts of scanning microscopy and achromatic quadrupole lens design as perfected for electrons are utilized for massive high-energy positive ions. Because the DeBroglie wavelength of the massive ions is smaller than the wavelength of electrons, diffraction in the objective lens is reduced. In principle resolution better than one Angstrom can be achieved. Because of the copious production of X-rays and Auger electrons in the specimen by such ions, specimens of atomic dimensions can be examined with a minimum of radiation damage by the ions. The specifically new, novel, and useful feature of this invention is the use of properly focused high-energy heavy-ion beams and the detection of single atomic events in the specimen, which together enable much greater sensitivity and resolution than attainable by other means.

Abstract: A scanning ion microscope is described in which the prior arts of scanning microscopy and achromatic quadrupole lens design as perfected for electrons are utilized for massive high-energy positive ions. Because the DeBroglie wavelength of the massive ions is smaller than the wavelength of electrons, diffraction in the objective lens is reduced. In principle resolution better than one Angstrom can be achieved. Because of the copious production of X-rays and Auger electrons in the specimen by such ions, specimens of atomic dimensions can be examined with a minimum of radiation damage by the ions. The specifically new, novel, and useful feature of this invention is the use of properly focused high-energy heavy-ion beams and the detection of single atomic events in the specimen, which together enable much greater sensitivity and resolution than attainable by other means.

Abstract: The invention is a memory for use in computing machines, in which the presence of a stored bit of information in a substrate is detected by a scanned ion beam of high brightness focused to a very small diameter. Bits of 4000 Angstrom dimension may be written in times as short as 100 nanoseconds by means of ion beams, and read out in times shorter than one nanosecond. A memory with such a bit size having a capacity of 10.sup.8 bits occupies 4 .times. 4 mm.sup.2 of substrate surface. By detecting the charge of high-energy ions transmitted through a thin substrate, bits smaller than 1000 Angstroms in dimension may be detected with good signal-to-noise ratio in less than 1 nanosecond.

Abstract: The piston of a pneumatic cylinder is reciprocated with a controllable dwell time at each end of its stroke, under the control of a digital fluidic circuit which responds to the termination of exhaust flow at the end of each piston stroke to initiate the reverse piston stroke. The air for driving the piston is supplied alternately to opposite ends of the piston through respective cylinder ports, by way of a corresponding pair of pilot valves which are controlled by the fluidic circuit so that one or the other of the pilot valves may supply driving air to the piston at any time.