Abstract: A dosimetry apparatus includes at least one sensor in a housing, a cover configured to permit compression waves to pass through, the cover is seated over the at least one sensor, and a dosimetry processing device with a memory. The dosimetry processing device is coupled to the at least one sensor in the housing. The dosimetry processing device is configured to execute programmed instructions stored in the memory comprising: obtaining readings from the at least one sensor; storing the readings with a time and date stamp when obtained; conducting an analysis based on the obtained readings; and outputting at least one of the stored readings or the conducted analysis.

Abstract: A dosimetry apparatus includes at least one sensor in a housing, a cover configured to permit compression waves to pass through, the cover is seated over the at least one sensor, and a dosimetry processing device with a memory. The dosimetry processing device is coupled to the at least one sensor in the housing. The dosimetry processing device is configured to execute programmed instructions stored in the memory comprising: obtaining readings from the at least one sensor; storing the readings with a time and date stamp when obtained; conducting an analysis based on the obtained readings; and outputting at least one of the stored readings or the conducted analysis.

Abstract: A cleaning station for a vertical nozzle plate of an ink jet printer includes a cylindrical cleaning roller that has an outer surface, and has a substantially vertical central axis and a substantially vertical rotational axis. The roller is spaced from the nozzle plate to form a cleaning cavity between the roller and the nozzle plate. The roller has a top end above the nozzle plate and a bottom end below the nozzle plate. A drive element is connected to the roller to rotate the roller about its rotation axis. A fluid outlet near the top of the roller directs cleaning fluid onto the outer surface of the roller, and into the cleaning cavity between the roller and the nozzle plate. A fluid reservoir stores cleaning fluid, and a fluid conduit conducts cleaning fluid from the fluid reservoir to the fluid outlet.

Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus having a cleaning station that cleans the orifice plate with a cleaning liquid. The cleaning liquid includes a hydrophobic additive that has a strong affinity for the orifice plate material and which coats the orifice plate to form a protective coating. If a portion of the protective coating is removed, that portion will be repaired by the additive.

Abstract: A cleaning station for a vertical nozzle plate of an ink jet printer includes a cylindrical cleaning roller that has an outer surface, and has a substantially vertical central axis and a substantially vertical rotational axis. The roller is spaced from the nozzle plate to form a cleaning cavity between the roller and the nozzle plate. The roller has a top end above the nozzle plate and a bottom end below the nozzle plate. A drive element is connected to the roller to rotate the roller about its rotation axis. A fluid outlet near the top of the roller directs cleaning fluid onto the outer surface of the roller, and into the cleaning cavity between the roller and the nozzle plate. A fluid reservoir stores cleaning fluid, and a fluid conduit conducts cleaning fluid from the fluid reservoir to the fluid outlet.

Abstract: Cleaning apparatus for cleaning debris from orifices in an ink jet printhead nozzle plate includes a structure defining a cleaning cavity between two horizontally contacting rollers where cleaning liquid is loaded, agitated, and dynamically sealed in the cavity trough the rotation of the rollers. A relative movement is also provided between the nozzle plate and the cleaning structure so that the nozzle plate can be positioned above the cleaning cavity with the rotating rollers. The nozzle plate is spaced a small distance from the flow of the cleaning liquid that the cleaning fluid fills this small distance. The flow causes the cleaning fluid to engage the nozzle plate and remove debris from the nozzle plate and orifice nozzles. After the cleaning cycle has ended the cleaning fluid is discarded.

Abstract: A method for microfluidic printing comprising pumping and mixing colored inks which comprise a mixture of colorants, fluids, and gel-forming or gel-initiating ingredients to form ink pixels and to transfer such ink pixels to a receiver transferring position; and transferring the ink pixels to a reflective receiver which contains gel-forming or gel-initiating ingredients so that the ingredients in the transferred ink pixels and in the receiver react to form a gel and the viscosity of the transferred ink rapidly increases to limit the flow of ink pixels whereby such ink pixels are fixed to the receiver and overprinting of colors is minimized.

Abstract: A cleaning fluid for use with an inkjet printer having orifices for ejecting ink, the surface of the orifices at the ejection point being formed by a predetermined material includes a liquid for cleaning the orifice surface; and an additive in the liquid having a strong affinity for the material which forms the orifice surface and coats such surface to form a protective coating of such additive so that if a portion of the protective coating is removed, such portion will be repaired by the additive material.

Abstract: An ink jet receiver which provides variable dot sizes, comprising a substrate, an ink-receiving layer disposed over the substrate, and a removable ink delivery layer which, in response to a droplet of ink, absorbs a portion of the ink and delivers another portion of the ink to the ink receiving layer so that a dot is formed in the ink-receiving layer.

Abstract: An ink jet printer having an ink jet head and defining a structure having a device including a structure defining a plurality of orifices for ejecting ink droplets includes defining an ink cleaning cavity spaced from the printing position for receiving cleaning fluid; a roller disposed in the cleaning cavity and partially submerged in the cleaning fluid and spaced from the structure is rotated so that the fluid coats the roller and is carried by surface tension around the roller; and the structure is brought into proximity with the cleaning roller so that the orifices are cleaned by the cleaning fluid carried on the roller and delivered through the cleaning cavity to the structure.

Abstract: A microfluidic printing apparatus includes at least one ink reservoir; a structure defining a plurality of chambers arranged so that the chambers form an array with each chamber being arranged to form an ink pixel; a plurality of microchannels connecting the reservoir to a chamber and a plurality of microfluidic pumps each being associated with a single microchannel for supplying ink from an ink reservoir through a microchannel for delivery to a particular chamber. The apparatus detects the ink fluid level in the chambers and for producing a signal, and controls the microfluidic pumps for delivering the correct amount of ink delivered into each chamber and responsive to the ink level signal for causing the pumps to terminate the delivery of ink.

Abstract: A cleaning fluid for use with an inkjet printer having orifices for injecting ink, the surface of the orifices at the injection point being formed by a predetermined material includes a liquid for cleaning the surface of the orifices, such liquid including a di or trihydroxysilane which acts as a biocide, surfactant, and humectant.

Abstract: Apparatus for color printing on a re-inkable belt, the re-inkable belt being moveable along an endless path and trained about a transport roller and including an ink transfer layer where an ink can be transferred to a moveable receiver and the moveable receiver moves into ink transfer relationship with the re-inkable belt at a nip position for transferring ink imagewise from the re-inkable belt to the receiver. The depleted ink is replenished and the re-inkable belt is arranged so that ink will be diffused into the ink transfer surface, and tension is adjustedly applied at two spaced locations to the transport roller and including two spaced steering actuators which, when actuated, apply tension to opposite positions on the transport roller, a sensor for determining the position of the re-inkable belt, and a computer coupled to the sensor for selectively actuating the steering actuators so as to apply tension to the transport roller which compensates for lateral distortion of the re-inkable belt.

Abstract: A method for microfluidic printing continuous tone color pixels on a reflective receiver by using cyan, magenta, and yellow inks including supplying a fourth, colorless ink along with the cyan, magenta, and yellow inks needed for color printing; pumping the inks through capillary microchannels by microfluidic pumps; mixing the correct amount of colorless ink with the cyan, magenta, or yellow inks to produce both the correct hue and tone scale for each colored pixel; and transferring the colored pixels of mixed ink to the reflective receiver to form colored pixels on the receiver.

Abstract: A method of transferring colorant from a moving colorant donor element with reduced donor element usage includes providing at least one radiation transfer head for applying radiation to the moving colorant donor element; positioning a receiver relative to the radiation transfer head to provide a gap therebetween; and moving the receiver relative to the radiation transfer head through the gap so that it has a velocity different than that of the moving colorant donor element, whereby colorant is transferred from the moving colorant donor element in response to applied radiation from the radiation transfer head.

Abstract: A display apparatus responsive to an image file for displaying a plurality of pixels including a plurality of ink display chambers; ink channels for delivering melted inks to each ink display chamber; and first heater elements for melting solid ink which is to be delivered through the ink channels to the display chambers. The apparatus further includes second heater elements for melting solid ink in the display channels after an image has been displayed; and a computer for controlling the first heater elements for causing solid ink melted by the first heater elements to be delivered to the display chambers where it solidifies to form a display of an image and for controlling the second heater elements for melting solid ink in the chambers to discard ink in the display chambers whereby the display apparatus is conditioned to form a new display image.

Abstract: A microfluidic printing apparatus includes plurality of ink reservoirs containing cyan, magenta, and yellow inks, respectively and a plurality of ink mixing chambers each for applying a dot of mixed ink to a receiver and a plurality of microchannels connecting each of the reservoirs to a mixing chamber. The apparatus further includes a plurality of microfluidic pumps each being associated with a single microchannel for supplying a particular ink into a particular mixing chamber and microvalves associated with each channel and moveable between two positions for blocking and permitting the flow of ink from the associated microchannel into its associated mixing chamber to regulate the ink flow into the ink mixing chambers, and controlling the microfluidic pumps and microvalves for causing the correct amount of colored ink to be conveyed into each mixing chamber.

Abstract: An ink for use in an inkjet printer having nozzles for ejecting ink droplets includes a colorant, a hydroxysilane having at least two hydroxy groups, and a liquid carrier for the colorant and the silane.

Abstract: A microfluidic printing apparatus comprising at least one ink reservoir; a structure defining a plurality of chambers arranged so that the chambers form an array with each chamber being arranged to form an ink pixel; a plurality of microchannels connecting the reservoir to a chamber; and a plurality of microfluidic pumps each being associated with a single microchannel for supplying ink from an ink reservoir through a microchannel for delivery to a particular chamber. The apparatus provides relative movement between the microchannels and the structure so that the arrays can be effective in two positions; a blocking position for preventing the flow of ink from the microchannel to the chamber, and a printing position for aligning the chambers with the microchannels for permitting the flow of ink from microchannels into associated chambers to regulate the ink flow into the chambers.

Abstract: A microfluidic printing apparatus responsive to an image file for printing a plurality of pixels on a display is disclosed. The apparatus includes a plurality of ink delivery chambers; ink channels for delivering ink to each ink delivery chamber; and heater elements associated with particular delivery chambers and effective for causing the transfer of heat to inks in such chambers for regulating ink flow from the ink delivery chambers to the display. The apparatus further includes a circuit for controlling the heater elements for regulating the ink flow in response to the code values of the image file.