Abstract: Determination of a sensor device location in a sensor network is described. A system can include rotating optical beams having a known location. Detectors can be located with each of the rotating optical beams. The system can include a sensor device placeable as part of the sensor network. A reflector can be near the sensor device and can reflect at least two optical beams back to the detectors associated with each of the respective optical beams. A triangulation module can triangulate a position of the reflector, and thus the sensor, based on the reflected optical beams.

Abstract: A memristor with a channel region in thermal equilibrium with a containing region. The channel region has a variable concentration of mobile ions. The containing region, formed of stoichiometric crystalline material, contains and is in thermal equilibrium with the channel region.

Abstract: A memristor based on mixed-metal-valence compounds comprises: a first electrode; a second electrode; a layer of a mixed-metal-valence phase in physical contact with at least one layer of a fully oxidized phase. The mixed-metal-valence phase is essentially a condensed phase of dopants for the fully oxidized phase that drift into and out of the fully oxidized phase in response to an applied electric field. One of the first and second electrodes is in electrical contact with either the layer of the mixed-metal-valence phase or a layer of a fully oxidized phase and the other is in electrical contact with the layer (or other layer) of the fully oxidized phase. The memristor is prepared by forming in either order the layer of the mixed-metal-valence phase and the layer of the fully oxidized phase, one on the other. A reversible diode and an ON-switched diode are also provided. A method of operating the memristor is further provided.

Abstract: A hybrid circuit comprises a nitride-based transistor portion and a memristor portion. The transistor includes a source and a drain and a gate for controlling conductance of a channel region between the source and the drain. The memristor includes a first electrode and a second electrode separated by an active switching region. The source or drain of the transistor forms one of the electrodes of the memristor.

Abstract: A hierarchical on-chip memory (400) includes an area distributed CMOS layer (310) comprising input/output functionality and volatile memory and via array (325, 330), the area distributed CMOS layer (310) configured to selectively address the via array (325, 330). A crossbar memory (305) overlies the area distributed CMOS layer (310) and includes programmable crosspoint devices (315) which are uniquely accessed through the via array (325, 330). A method for utilizing hierarchical on-chip memory (400) includes storing frequently rewritten data in a volatile memory and storing data which is not frequently rewritten in a non-volatile memory (305), where the volatile memory is contained within an area distributed CMOS layer (310) and the non-volatile memory (305) is formed over and accessed through the area distributed CMOS layer (310).

Abstract: A memristor includes a first electrode formed of a first metal, a second electrode formed of a second material, wherein the second material comprises a different material from the first metal, and a switching layer positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode. The switching layer is formed of a composition of a first material comprising the first metal and a second nonmetal material, in which the switching layer is in direct contact with the first electrode and in which at least one conduction channel is configured to be formed in the switching layer from an interaction between the first metal and the second nonmetal material.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a forceps comprising an elongate body, a grip region at end of the elongate body, the grip region comprising a lever, a grasping assembly at the opposite end of the elongate body, the grasping assembly comprising a movable grasper and a trocar, and an actuating mechanism coupling the lever to the grasping assembly for effecting movement of the grasper relative to the elongate body. The present invention also relates to a kit of parts comprising a forceps of the invention and additional components. The invention further relates to a method of forming an anastomosis between two surfaces and a method of forming a stoma trephine in a subject using the kit of parts of the invention. The present invention also relates to the use of the forceps and the kit or parts of the invention in such methods.

Abstract: Shiftable memory employs ring registers to shift a contiguous subset of data words stored in the ring registers within the shiftable memory. A shiftable memory includes a memory having built-in word-level shifting capability. The memory includes a plurality of ring registers to store data words. A contiguous subset of data words is shiftable between sets of the ring registers of the plurality from a first location to a second location within the memory. The contiguous subset of data words has a size that is smaller than a total size of the memory. The memory shifts only data words stored inside the contiguous subset when the contiguous subset is shifted.

Abstract: A metal-insulator transition (MIT) latch includes a first electrode spaced apart from a second electrode and an MIT material disposed between said first and second electrodes. The MIT material comprises a negative differential resistance (NDR) characteristic that exhibits a discontinuous resistance change at a threshold voltage or threshold current. Either the first or second electrode is electrically connected to an electrical bias source regulated to set a resistance phase of the MIT material.

Abstract: A resistive memory device includes a stack comprising conductor layers and insulator layers, with the edges of the conductor layers and insulating layers exposed on the sides of the stack. An insulator is disposed on a first side of the stack to cover exposed edges of the conductor layers on the first side of the stack. A memory layer disposed over the stack and insulator, such that the memory layer is in electrical contact with edges of the conductor layers on a second side of the stack but is insulated from edges on the first side of the stack by the insulator. A conductive ribbon is disposed over the memory layer to form programmable memory elements where the conductive ribbon crosses edges of the conductor layers on the second side of the stack.

Abstract: A method to operate an integrated circuit includes operating a locally active memristive device in a locally reactive region of an operating domain where the device exhibits inductor-like behavior, such as a phase shift where a voltage across the device leads a current through the device.

Abstract: An electrically actuated switch comprises a first electrode, a second electrode, and an active region disposed therebetween. The active region comprises at least one primary active region comprising at least one material that can be doped or undoped to change its electrical conductivity, and a secondary active region comprising at least one material for providing a source/sink of ionic species that act as dopants for the primary active region(s). Methods of operating the switch are also provided.

Abstract: A configurable memristive device (300) for regulating an electrical signal includes a memristive matrix (350) containing a first dopant species; emitter (320), collector (310), and a base electrodes (330, 340) which are in contact with the memristive matrix (350); and a mobile dopant species contained within a central region (360) contiguous with the base electrodes (330, 340), the mobile dopant species moving within the memristive matrix (350) in response to a programming electrical field. A method of configuring and using a memristive device (300) includes: applying a programming electrical field across a memristive matrix (350) such that a mobile dopant species creates a central doped region (360) which bisects the memristive matrix (350); and applying a control voltage to the central doped region (360) to regulate current flow between an emitter electrode (320) and a collector electrode (310).

Abstract: Low energy memristors with engineered switching channel materials include: a first electrode; a second electrode; and a switching layer positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the switching layer includes a first phase comprising an insulating matrix in which is dispersed a second phase comprising an electrically conducting compound material for forming a switching channel.

Abstract: Implementing logic with memristors may include circuitry with at least three memristors and a bias resistor in a logic cell. One of the at least three memristors is an output memristor within the logic cell and the other memristors of the at least three memristors are input memristors. Each of the at least three memristors and the bias resistor are electrically connected to voltage sources wherein each voltage applied to each of the at least three memristors and the bias resistor and resistance states of the at least three memristors determine a resistance state of the output memristor.

Abstract: A memelectronic device may have a first and a second electrode spaced apart by a plurality of materials. A first material may have a memory characteristic exhibited by the first material maintaining a magnitude of an electrically controlled physical property after discontinuing an electrical stimulus on the first material. A second material may have an auxiliary characteristic.

Abstract: An electrically actuated switch comprises a first electrode, a second electrode, and an active region disposed therebetween. The active region comprises at least one primary active region comprising at least one material that can be doped or undoped to change its electrical conductivity, and a secondary active region comprising at least one material for providing a source/sink of ionic species that act as dopants for the primary active region(s). Methods of operating the switch are also provided.

Abstract: A hybrid circuit comprises a nitride-based transistor portion and a memristor portion. The transistor includes a source and a drain and a gate for controlling conductance of a channel region between the source and the drain. The memristor includes a first electrode and a second electrode separated by an active switching region. The source or drain of the transistor forms one of the electrodes of the memristor.

Abstract: A nitride-based memristor memristor includes: a first electrode comprising a first nitride material; a second electrode comprising a second nitride material; and active region positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode. The active region includes an electrically semiconducting or nominally insulating and weak ionic switching nitride phase. A method for fabricating the nitride-based memristor is also provided.

Abstract: A memcapacitor device (100) includes a first electrode (104) and a second electrode (106) and a memcapacitive matrix (102) interposed between the first electrode (104) and the second electrode (106). Mobile dopants (111) are contained within the memcapacitive matrix (102) and are repositioned within the memcapacitive matrix (102) by the application of a programming voltage (126) across the first electrode (104) and second electrode (106) to alter the capacitance of the memcapacitor (100). A method for utilizing a memcapacitive device (100) includes applying a programming voltage (126) across a memcapacitive matrix (102) such that mobile ions (111) contained within a memcapacitive matrix (102) are redistributed and alter a capacitance of the memcapacitive device (100), then removing the programming voltage (126) and applying a reading voltage to sense the capacitance of the memcapacitive device (100).