Abstract: A vacuum oven with heat transfer fluid conduits. The oven of the invention generally includes a shell into which a removable rack may be placed. The rack has at least one plate which may be heated or cooled by a plate fluid conduit in contact with the plate and through which a heating or cooling fluid may be passed. Work pieces may be loaded in the rack, the rack placed in the shell, the shell sealed, and a vacuum drawn within the shell. The work pieces loaded on the rack are primarily heated and cooled by conductive and radiant heat transfer because of the limited amount of thermally conductive gases within the shell.

Abstract: In general, the present invention is directed toward improved heat transfer in vacuum ovens. The oven of the invention generally comprises a shell into which a removable rack may be placed. The rack has at least one plate which may be heated or cooled by a plate fluid conduit in contact with the plate and through which a heating or cooling fluid may be passed. Work pieces may be loaded in the rack, the rack placed in the shell, the shell sealed, and a vacuum drawn within the shell. The lack of atmosphere within the shell suggests that the work pieces loaded on the rack are primarily heated and cooled by conductive and radiant heat transfer. This method of cooling the work pieces while under a vacuum environment provides the advantage of faster cooling of the work pieces which results in higher utilization of the oven and shorter cycle times.

Abstract: A surgical apparatus has a body portion that includes a shaft terminating in a distal head or tip and a means for directing light radiation from the apparatus onto the lining of a body cavity for treating an ailment in a body cavity of a patient as for example a gastrointestinal ailment of a patient such as gastritis, gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer, gastric cancer, gastric lymphoma, ulcerative colitis, or Crohn's disease as well as for treating diseases of the circulatory system, urogenital systems and other body cavities. The method of use of the apparatus comprises inserting the shaft of the apparatus into a body cavity, e.g., stomach or colon, of the patient to place the distal tip of the shaft in the desired position. The body cavity of the patient is then irradiated with light radiation so as to kill or debilitate microorganisms lining the body cavity without serious destruction of the body tissue of the patient to thereby improve or alleviate one or more of the symptoms of the ailment.

Abstract: A system for burn-in testing of integrated circuits and semiconductors at the wafer level and apparatus and method utilizing the system. The cascading heat control system of the invention has connected first and second heat transfer circuits to regulate the temperature of and the environment around semiconductor wafers under test. A low temperature gas is circulated, as a heat transfer gas, through the cascading heat control system. The heat transfer gas serves as a heat transfer medium and provides a low dew point environment, or both a low dew point and low oxidation environment, within the system. At least one wafer chuck incorporating a heat exchanger, or a series of such wafer chucks, and containing a semiconductors for testing is connected to the cascading heat control system through the heat exchanger. In the apparatus, a burn-in oven, the wafer chuck or series of wafer chucks are contained within a chamber environment.

Abstract: A system for burn-in testing of integrated circuits and semiconductors at the wafer level and apparatus and method utilizing the system. The cascading heat control system of the invention has connected first and second heat transfer circuits to regulate the temperature of and the environment around semiconductor wafers under test. A low temperature gas is circulated, as a heat transfer gas, through the cascading heat control system. The heat transfer gas serves as a heat transfer medium and provides a low dew point environment, or both a low dew point and low oxidation environment, within the system. At least one wafer chuck incorporating a heat exchanger, or a series of such wafer chucks, and containing a semiconductors for testing is connected to the cascading heat control system through the heat exchanger. In the apparatus, a burn-in oven, the wafer chuck or series of wafer chucks are contained within a chamber environment.

Abstract: An oven for magnetic annealing of magnetic media, along with methods for using the same. The oven has a vacuum chamber with vacuum port for loading and unloading magnetic media. The vacuum port is sealed by a vacuum seal or door adapted for movement between open and closed positions. A vacuum pump is connected to the chamber to provide a vacuum within the chamber. The oven includes a heat exchanger adapted to receive magnetic media and a heat transfer gas unit connected to the heat exchanger to form a closed, hermetically sealed heat transfer gas circuit for heating and cooling magnetic media loaded in the heat exchanger. A magnet located exterior to the vacuum chamber provides the magnetic field to magnetic media.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of heat-treating an oxygen-sensitive workpiece to minimize any oxidation of the workpiece, as well as an improved door seal specially suited for use with oxygen-sensitive products. In the method, an oven has an oven chamber and an outer housing, with an enclosure being defined therebetween. The workpiece is placed in the oven chamber and the chamber is sealed. Heated inert gas is circulated within the enclosure to heat the oven chamber and to hold it at a desired treatment temperature. The oven chamber is then cooled to a threshold temperature of the workpiece using inert gas. The chamber is then cooled further by circulating aerobic gas, preferably ambient air, within the enclosure. Another embodiment of the invention provides an oven with a housing forming an oven chamber, the oven chamber having a door opening in one of said walls.

Abstract: The invention provides an oven which can be used to rapidly heat and cool a workpiece. In one embodiment, the oven includes a first duct which defines an initial leg of an enclosed air flow path and which has an inner panel and a heat exchanger. This first duct has an inlet end and an outlet end, the inlet end of which is connected to a temperature-controlled air supply. The oven also includes a second duct which defines a final leg of the enclosed air flow path and which has an inner panel spaced from the first duct's inner panel to define an oven cavity. The oven also has a connecting conduit connecting the outlet end of the first duct to the second duct and which defines an intermediate leg of the enclosed air flow path. In a preferred embodiment, the first duct is the lower of the two ducts and includes a plurality of holes through at least the inner panel of the duct.

Abstract: A microbial barrier isolation system for enclosing and decontaminating equipment so that the equipment may be used in handling or otherwise contacting biologically-sensitive materials such as parenteral solutions and solids. The barrier system is formed with a lower cavity, an upper chamber separated from the inner cavity by filters, an air return conduit, means for supplying dry, heated air to heat the system and means for using steam and hydrogen peroxide to decontaminate the internal parts of the system. The decontamination process involves using dry air to heat the internal equipment of the system to reduce water condensation and then introducing saturated steam and peroxide at a positive pressure slightly above atmospheric pressure. The internal equipment, including all surfaces, is exposed to the steam and peroxide sterilant for a sufficient time to decontaminate the equipment and the system is cooled down with cool, sterile air.

Abstract: An apparatus for testing peroxide concentration in a gaseous sterilant. A preferred embodiment of the apparatus includes a condenser for condensing the gaseous sterilant into a liquid condensate; an aliquot collector of predetermined volume to receive the condensate; a reaction chamber containing a catalyst for dissociating the peroxide; and a pressure monitor for detecting pressure changes in the reaction chamber as a function of time. The pressure monitor of this apparatus is capable of detecting a threshold pressure and an upper pressure and it includes a timer to measure time change between detection of the threshold pressure and the upper pressure.

Abstract: An ultraviolet sterilization and decontamination system which is particularly useful in ultraviolet passthrough applications. The system includes a shell having a reflective inner surface and a barrier positioned within the shell and spaced inwardly of the inner surface of the shell, the barrier being formed of a material which will transmit at least about 70% of the desired wavelength of ultraviolet light. The space between the shell and the barrier defines a lamp cell for holding one or more ultraviolet lamps and the interior of the barrier defines a sterilization cell wherein items can be sterilized or decontaminated. The barrier is supported within the shell by supports and reflective endwalls substantially seal the lamp cell from the sterilization cell, as well as substantially sealing the sterilization cell and lamp cell from communication with the external environment.

Abstract: The present invention, in one embodiment, provides a testing apparatus for electronic components to monitor their behavior at elevated temperatures. The invention comprises a transport belt with at least one carrier attached to the transport belt, the carrier being capable of retaining an electronic component. The carriers are adapted to contact bus bars positioned adjacent the transport belt to electrically connect a component retained by the carrier to an electrical power supply. The apparatus includes means for ramping up the electrical power applied to the component from an initial low voltage to a second, testing voltage.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatically inserting and ejecting electrical connectors of electronic component test trays from electrical connectors in a panel of an environmental test chamber, e.g. an oven, at the beginning and end of a test period to facilitate loading and unloading the test trays. The electronic components are inserted into test trays so that electrical connections are made with test tray conductors which terminate at a test tray connector. The trays are loaded into the oven in an insertion cycle by manually sliding them onto lateral tray supports with the tray connector ends aligned with mating electrical connectors in the panel of the test oven. The insertion cycle of a track guided, carriage mounted, inserter/ejector mechanism is commenced wherein the mechanism is advanced from tray to tray to sequentially insert the tray connectors into the panel mounted connectors until all trays are inserted. The oven door is closed and the test is conducted.

Abstract: A material treatment oven having a housing defining an elongated generally vertical oven cavity having open ends for material to enter and exit. The oven is further characterized by having both convective and radiant heat transfer within the oven cavity.

Abstract: A material heating oven for sterilizing items for use in a sterile environment or the like comprising a hot air supply device having a filter, a cool air supply device having a filter, an oven cavity separate from the hot air supply and cool air supply devices, and a dampering system for selectively drawing air from the hot air supply and cool air supply devices to regulate the temperature of the oven cavity. Both the hot air supply and cool air supply devices include independent air recirculation loops for maintaining substantially constant temperature airstreams from which selected quantities of air are exchanged with the oven cavity. The nearly constant temperature airstreams prevent the filters in the devices from being thermally stressed which may cause them to shed particles to the clean environment. An electrically controlled temperature control system is used to regulate the temperature of the airstream flowing through the hot air supply and cool air supply devices.

Abstract: The invention relates to a continuous material heating oven ideally suited for sterilizing and depyrogenating materials for introduction to a sterile environment. The oven includes a cool air supply means which is self-deprogenating eliminating the need for manual sterilization. A volumetric airflow control means is included with the cool air supply means for substantially linearly cooling materials to reduce breakage. Control means is provided by the system for maintaining the sterile environment at a greater positive pressure than its adjacent environments to protect the sterile environment from contamination.

Abstract: A conveyor for transporting articles to or from a clean room or from one place to another within a clean room. The conveyor has housings extending along either side of the path of conveyor travel. Extending between the housings are conveying members, usually metal rods, elongated perpendicularly to the path of conveyor travel. Each housing is slotted so that the ends of the conveying members may extend therethrough. Within each housing are rollers journaled to the ends of the conveying members and a track. The track receives and guides the rollers. Extending along and in air communication with each housing is a plenum, and between each housing and its plenum is an air restriction sheet that restricts the flow of air. The conveyor also includes a blower for drawing a partial vacuum within each plenum thus drawing a lesser vacuum in the housing. Each housing, plenum, air restriction sheet, and blower are arranged so that a pressure differential is created between the housing and plenum.

Abstract: A product testing system comprises a housing with at least one opening therein, the housing having an internal, environmentally controlled chamber. Products to be tested are mounted to a product carrier. The latter is carried, in turn, by a product carrier transfer assembly. By means of the vehicle and transfer assembly, the product carrier may be oriented to be received within the housing opening with the products exposed to the environmentally controlled internal housing chamber. In one embodiment, the vehicle traverses a path adjacent one or more housings, and the product carrier transfer assembly rotates, elevates and laterally moves the product carrier to position it in an opening in the housing.

Abstract: A fiber treatment oven is disclosed in which hot gas is flowed parallel to and between fiber pathways within the oven to reduce deflection and breakage of fibers and to reduce end-to-end temperature variations in the oven. Hot gas is emitted centrally of the oven and flows toward ends of the oven. Preferably, an additional, generally tubular stream of hot gas is emitted centrally of the oven and generally surrounds and envelopes the fiber pathways to reduce side-to-side temperature variations.

Abstract: A gas analyzer calibration apparatus. The apparatus operably connects between a monitored gaseous environment and a gas analyzer. The apparatus includes a vacuum pump for drawing test gases from the monitored environment through the apparatus and through the analyzer. A fluidic gate selectively allows or impedes the flow of test gases to the analyzer and provides calibration gases to the analyzer at the analyzer's demand rate, and may be heated to prevent the condensation of hot test gases flowing therethrough. The fluidic gate will pass both span calibration gases and zero calibration gases, as desired. A vacuum breaker provides atmospheric gases for use as a zero calibration gas.