Abstract: A wearable ultrafiltration apparatus is provided. The apparatus can include a first ultrafilter for filtering a patient's blood along a first fluid path and a second ultrafilter for filtering the patient's blood along a second fluid path. The apparatus can also include a valve being positionable in a first position for directing the patient's blood along the first fluid path. The valve can also be positioned in a second position for directing the patient's blood along the second fluid path. When the valve is in the first position, blood can flow along the first fluid path and prevent blood from flowing along the second fluid path. When the valve is in the second position, blood can flow along the second fluid path and prevent blood from flowing along the first fluid path. When the valve is in the first position, the second ultrafilter can be idle and capable of being serviced or replaced and when the valve is in the second position, the first ultrafilter can be idle and capable of being serviced or replaced.

Abstract: A wearable ultrafiltration apparatus is provided. The apparatus can include a first ultrafilter for filtering a patient's blood along a first fluid path and a second ultrafilter for filtering the patient's blood along a second fluid path. The apparatus can also include a valve being positionable in a first position for directing the patient's blood along the first fluid path. The valve can also be positioned in a second position for directing the patient's blood along the second fluid path. When the valve is in the first position, blood can flow along the first fluid path and prevent blood from flowing along the second fluid path. When the valve is in the second position, blood can flow along the second fluid path and prevent blood from flowing along the first fluid path. When the valve is in the first position, the second ultrafilter can be idle and capable of being serviced or replaced and when the valve is in the second position, the first ultrafilter can be idle and capable of being serviced or replaced.

Abstract: A wearable ultrafiltration apparatus is provided. The apparatus can include a first ultrafilter for filtering a patient's blood along a first fluid path and a second ultrafilter for filtering the patient's blood along a second fluid path. The apparatus can also include a valve being positionable in a first position for directing the patient's blood along the first fluid path. The valve can also be positioned in a second position for directing the patient's blood along the second fluid path. When the valve is in the first position, blood can flow along the first fluid path and prevent blood from flowing along the second fluid path. When the valve is in the second position, blood can flow along the second fluid path and prevent blood from flowing along the first fluid path. When the valve is in the first position, the second ultrafilter can be idle and capable of being serviced or replaced and when the valve is in the second position, the first ultrafilter can be idle and capable of being serviced or replaced.

Abstract: A wearable ultrafiltration apparatus is provided. The apparatus can include a first dialyzer for filtering a patient's blood along a first fluid path and a second dialyzer for filtering the patient's blood along a second fluid path. The apparatus can also include a valve being positionable in a first position for directing the patient's blood along the first fluid path. The valve can also be positioned in a second position for directing the patient's blood along the second fluid path. When the valve is in the first position, blood can flow along the first fluid path and prevent blood from flowing along the second fluid path. When the valve is in the second position, blood can flow along the second fluid path and prevent blood from flowing along the first fluid path. When the valve is in the first position, the second dialyzer can be idle and capable of being serviced or replaced and when the valve is in the second position, the first dialyzer can be idle and capable of being serviced or replaced.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for fabricating or altering a microstructure use means for heating to facilitate a local chemical reaction that forms or alters the submicrostructure.

Abstract: Method of ablating the surface of a substrate including providing a dry substrate and an electrolyte source, ablating the surface of the dry substrate to at least partially remove a native oxide layer, and immersing the ablated dry substrate in the electrolyte source, in which the dry substrate is ablated prior to being introduced into the electrolyte source. Also provided is a method of ablating the surface of a substrate that includes providing a dry substrate and an electrolyte, depositing a portion of the electrolyte on the substrate at a thickness of less than 10 microns and ablating the surface of the substrate with the electrolyte applied thereon. System for use in the ablation of the surface of a substrate are also provided.

Abstract: Systems and methods for plating and/or etching of hard-to-plate metals are provided. The systems and methods are designed to overcome the deleterious effect of superficial coating or oxide layers that interfere with the plating or etching of certain metal substrates. The systems and methods involve in situ removal of coating materials from the surfaces of the metal substrates while the substrates are either submerged in plating or etching solutions, or are positioned in a proximate enclosure just prior to submersion in the plating or etching solutions. Further, the substrates can be in contact with a suitable patterning mask to obtain patterned oxide-free regions for plating or etching. This in situ removal of coating layers may be achieved by pulse heating or photoablation of the substrate and the inhibiting coating layers. Electrical energy or laser light energy may be used for this purpose. Additionally or alternatively, the coating materials may be removed by mechanical means.

Abstract: Systems and methods for in-situ annealing of metal layers as they are being plated on a substrate by action of a chemical solution are provided. The in-situ annealing, in conjunction with controlled slow growth rates, allows control of the structure of the plated metal layers. The systems and methods are used for maskless plating of the substrates.

Abstract: Methods and systems for monitoring electrolyte bath fluids are provided. The electrolyte bath fluids can be electroplating, electroless plating or etching solutions. The monitoring systems employ microfluidic devices, which have built in microfluidic channels and microfabricated thin-film electrodes. The devices are configured with fluid pumps to control the movement and mixing of test fluids through the microfluidic channels. The microfabricated thin-film electrodes are configured so that the plating or etching bath fluid composition can be characterized by electrochemical measurements. The monitoring methods and system provide faster measurement times, generate minimal waste, and occupy dramatically reduced physical space compared to conventional bath-monitor systems. The monitoring systems and method also provide low-cost system and methods for measuring or monitoring electroless plating bath rates.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for fabricating or altering a microstructure use means for heating to facilitate a local chemical reaction that forms or alters the submicrostructure.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for fabricating or altering a microstructure use means for heating to facilitate a local chemical reaction that forms or alters the submicrostructure.

Abstract: A system and method for collecting hot coal tar gases emanating from a coal containing pyrolytic kiln are described. The hot coal tar gases, comprising a variety of different hydrocarbons as well as inorganic gases arising from the kiln thermal processing are transferred by diffusion and forced convection to a thermal duct in which the temperature is controlled to be maintained at a temperature below that of the kiln. The gaseous hydrocarbon with the highest condensation temperature is the first to liquefy. Additional useful hydrocarbons liquefy as the temperature of the gas continues to cool from the kiln temperature of ˜5000 C to one approaching the minimum duct temperature, ˜175° C. After a number of desirable hydrocarbons present in the coal tar gas have liquefied, the liquid contents are collected, either separately or as a combination of liquid hydrocarbons.

Abstract: The invention describes a unique and novel pyrolysis kiln for separating water vapor from a carbonaceous feedstock early in the pyrolysis process. The kiln structure includes two fans, one located near the proximal end of the kiln, the other near the kiln's distal end. Both fans create a local decrease in pressure at the respective ends with a dead zone in the intermediate region between the two ends of the kiln. At the proximal end, low temperature volatiles are removed, especially water vapor, and directed to a waste water cleanup station. Early removal of the water vapor makes the remaining pyrolysis process substantially more efficient. At the distal end, the high temperature hydrocarbons and other impurities are removed in a conventional manner and directed to a hot gas cleanup unit.

Abstract: Method of ablating the surface of a substrate including providing a dry substrate and an electrolyte source, ablating the surface of the dry substrate to at least partially remove a native oxide layer, and immersing the ablated dry substrate in the electrolyte source, in which the dry substrate is ablated prior to being introduced into the electrolyte source. Also provided is a method of ablating the surface of a substrate that includes providing a dry substrate and an electrolyte, depositing a portion of the electrolyte on the substrate at a thickness of less than 10 microns and ablating the surface of the substrate with the electrolyte applied thereon. System for use in the ablation of the surface of a substrate are also provided.

Abstract: The disclosed subject matter provides systems and methods for etching and/or metal plating of substrate materials. An exemplary method in accordance with the disclosed subject matter for metal-plating or etching a substrate includes submerging portions of the substrate in a first bath of chemical solution, performing in-situ laser ablation of the substrate to achieve an immersion plated pattern with a first cation, plating-up the immersion plated pattern with the first cation in the first bath, and plating-up the immersion plated pattern with a second cation in a second bath. The same or another exemplary method can utilize a reel-to-reel system. The plating-up can begin after patterning by immersion plating is complete. Further, a single plating pattern can be used to define a pattern and the same bath can be used to plate the immersion pattern, thereby achieving a uniform thickness of the pattern.

Abstract: The invention provides protection to wireless portable transponders from unauthorized interrogation by employing a mechanical means for disabling reception by or from the antenna of the transponder. Transponders include RFID tags that are attached to items that a persons may purchase or carry. Such transponders generally have means for receiving and storing electronic and other information, commonly in binary form using memories as in electronic circuits, etc. The invention is designed to provide privacy of electronic information. The tags can be protected from receiving or providing unauthorized or unwanted information. The invention provides the mechanical means that permit the owner to decide when reception/interrogation of personal or other information is not desired by employing the provided mechanical disable control means.

Abstract: Systems and methods for in-situ annealing of metal layers as they are being plated on a substrate by action of a chemical solution are provided. The in-situ annealing, in conjunction with controlled slow growth rates, allows control of the structure of the plated metal layers. The systems and methods are used for maskless plating of the substrates.

Abstract: Systems and methods for protecting radio frequency identification cards from unauthorized interrogation are provided herein. In some embodiments, the system includes a card having a first card portion, second card portion, and a spacer located between the first card portion and second card portion, each of the first and second card portions having an inner surface and an outer surface. A logic and memory chip is affixed to the inner surface of first card portion. An antenna is connected to the chip. The antenna has a gap that cause the antenna to be electrically discontinuous thereby making the chip inactive to interrogation. A spring-like member that has an electrically conducting portion is positioned in proximity to the gap in the antenna. The spring-like member can be selectively moved substantially across the gap to complete an antenna circuit and make the chip susceptible to interrogation.

Abstract: The present invention provides a substrate having thereon a patterned small molecule organic semiconductor layer. The present invention also provides a method and a system for producing a substrate having thereon a patterned small molecule organic semiconductor layer. The substrate having thereon a patterned small molecule organic semiconductor layer is produced by exposing a donor substrate having thereon a small molecule organic semiconductor layer to energy to cause the thermal transfer of a small organic molecule onto an acceptor substrate.

Abstract: Methods and systems for monitoring electrolyte bath fluids are provided. The electrolyte bath fluids can be electroplating, electroless plating or etching solutions. The monitoring systems employ microfluidic devices, which have built in microfluidic channels and microfabricated thin-film electrodes. The devices are configured with fluid pumps to control the movement and mixing of test fluids through the microfluidic channels. The microfabricated thin-film electrodes are configured so that the plating or etching bath fluid composition can be characterized by electrochemical measurements. The monitoring methods and system provide faster measurement times, generate minimal waste, and occupy dramatically reduced physical space compared to conventional bath-monitor systems. The monitoring systems and method also provide low-cost system and methods for measuring or monitoring electroless plating bath rates.