Greatbatch Ltd.

American Sigma, Inc.

Greatbach Ltd.

Donald F Kaiser

William G Hungerford

Dominick J Frustaci

William C Thiebolt

Jason T Hahl

John C Duggan

Gary L Randolph

Carl D Griffith

Anthony J Tavano

Donald L Miller

Dean Agostini

Ashish Shah

Gary Freitag

Paul T Hallifax

Kenneth Moceri

William D Dickinson

Gregory A Voss

Richard Wissenbach

Jeff Valery

Cheryl Sak

Michael R Blendowski

David W Lyndaker

Mark R Daniels

Douglas D Waild, Jr

Paul D Churchfield

John Liebe

Earl McCullough

Michael D Steen

An electrolytic capacitor comprising an anode comprised of cryogenically milled anode material is described. The cryogenic milling process prepares the active anode material for anode fabrication. The capacitor further comprises a casing of first and second casing members secured to each other to provide an enclosure. A feedthrough electrically insulated from the casing and from the casing and extending there from through a glass-to-metal seal, at least one anode electrically connected within the casing, a cathode, and an electrolyte. The cathode is of a cathode active material deposited on planar faces of the first and second casing members.

Cryogenic grinding of tantalum for use in capacitor manufacture

A current collector comprising a frame conductor formed as a closed undulating perimeter, and a conductive mesh formed within the frame conductor is described. The conductive mesh is comprised of a plurality of radial struts, each radial strut having a central end and an outer end. The radial struts emanate from a junction within the undulating perimeter with their outer ends connected to the undulating perimeter of the frame. The conductive mesh may include branch struts having proximal ends and distal ends, with the proximal ends connected to the radial struts. The distal ends of the branch struts may be connected to the undulating perimeter, or to adjacent radial struts. The current collector is used in an electrochemical cell, wherein a first electrode active material is contacted to at least one of first and second major sides of the current collector to provide a first electrode.

Electrode current collector with stress-relieving mesh structure

An electrochemical cell comprising a conductive casing housing an electrode assembly provided with a stack holder surrounding the electrode assembly is described. The stack holder is of a shape memory material that serves to maintain the anode and cathode in a face-to-face close physical proximity alignment throughout discharge. This is particularly important in later stages of cell life. As the cell discharges, anode active material is physically moved from the anode to intercalate with the cathode active material. As this mass transfer occurs, the cathode becomes physically larger and the anode smaller. This can lead to gaps forming between the anode and the cathode. However, the stack holder inhibits the formation of such gaps by maintaining a compressive force on the electrode assembly throughout cell discharge.

Insulator component design for maintaining electrode assembly compression in prismatic medical cells

An improved lid for closing the open end of a casing of an electrochemical energy storage device is described. The improved lid comprises a flat region having spaced apart upper and lower planar surfaces joined by a peripheral edge, an angled transition forming a boss protruding from the lower surface, and a bore extending through the boss to the upper surface. An electrical energy storage device is also described, which includes the improved lid secured to the open end of the casing container of the device.

Battery lid with integral thick boss surrounding a terminal hole

An electrochemical cell comprising a cathode of a powder material pressed into intimate contact with a rod-shaped current collector and an anode at least partially wrapped around the cathode is described. The cathode current collector is preferably provided with a plurality of offset flats offset with respect to each other. This helps prevent the cathode active material from sliding off of the rod-shaped current collector. The anode has spaced apart edges at opposite ends of its width that form a gap with the anode wrapped around the cathode. This helps in sliding the anode/cathode electrode assembly into a cylindrical tube comprising the cell casing. A preferred chemistry is a lithium/CFactivated with a nonaqueous electrolyte.

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The present invention broadly comprises a method and apparatus for testing electrochemical cells which is faster and more cost-effective than current testing methods. Accordingly, the invention provides a method for testing electrochemical cells, particularly batteries for medical applications, such as for implantable devices for pacemakers, defibrillators, etc., comprising the steps of: surrounding at least one electrochemical cell with a vacuum with a pressure range of 0 to 0.001 Torr and measuring energy emitted from the electrochemical cell.

Fast microcalorimetry for electrochemical cells

Ultrasonic transducer

An apparatus for calculating fluid flow in a channel including a very low profile probe which detects fluid depth in the channel; a mechanism for measuring average fluid velocity in the channel; a mechanism for correcting the detected fluid depth based upon the measured average fluid velocity to account for drawdown; and a mechanism for calculating average flow rate based upon the average fluid velocity measurement and the corrected fluid depth value. The probe has a height to width ratio of less than 0.52.

Fluid flow measurement correcting system and methods of constructing and utilizing same

A multi-function fluid flow monitoring apparatus capable of measuring fluid flow-related variables of fluid in a channel on the basis of signals from any one or more of a plurality of different types of flow sensors. Such different types of flow sensors may include, for example, a bubbler-type pressure sensor, a submerged pressure transducer, an ultrasonic transducer, and/or a velocity sensor forming part of an area-velocity sensor system, each of which sensors may be selectively connected to the apparatus as needed to accommodate various monitoring conditions. The apparatus is further capable of monitoring various conditions of fluid in the channel, such as pH level, ORP, temperature, solution conductivity, dissolved oxygen, and the like. In addition, the apparatus may be selectively linked with one of a variety of external devices, such as an automatic sampling apparatus, a rain gauge, or a pump, so as to selectively initiate desired actions by such external device(s) or to otherwise operably cooperate with such external device(s). The multi-function apparatus comprises an integral operating unit provided in a unitary case. The integral operating unit includes a computer control system including a microprocessor, program memory, and data memory. External connectors are provided for selective connection to one or more different flow sensors, fluid condition sensors, and/or external devices. Signals from the flow sensor(s) and/or fluid condition sensor(s) are received and processed by the computer control system, as are signals from, and/or operations by, external devices linked to the apparatus. The apparatus further includes a display screen, controlled by the computer control system, which selectively displays data in either text or graphics formats. Data including flow-related data, fluid condition data, as well as data from external devices, may be transferred from the data memory of the apparatus to an external computer, printer, or the like by use of a hand-held data transfer unit or a modem integrally provided in the apparatus.

Multi-function flow monitoring apparatus with multiple flow sensor

A fiber optic system and method in which the transmission of light through a fiber optic core of a fiber optic element is stabilized and optimized by eliminating the destabilizing effect of light independently propagated along the clad of the fiber optic element. The propagation of light along the clad may be essentially eliminated by a field stop member disposed between a light-receiving end of the fiber optic element and an LED light source, whereby light from the LED is entirely shielded from the clad. The field stop member is particularly effective when used in a fiber optic sensor, wherein the effect of clad light on transmission of light through the core is particularly destabilizing. Alternative structures for mitigating or eliminating the destabilizing effect of clad light are also provided in the form of alterations of the clad structure, or by providing a clad light stop diaphragm at the light-emitting end of the fiber optic element. Also provided is an aperture stop member, which may or may not be integrally formed with the field stop member, to optimize light propagation along the core by focusing light from an LED onto the light-receiving end of the core.

Fiber optic system and method

An automatic fluid sampling and monitoring apparatus provided as a unitary structure, and capable of collecting fluid samples at selected intervals, monitoring the level of a condition of the fluid at selected intervals, and collecting and storing sampling and fluid condition data for later retrieval. Sampling operations may be controlled on the basis of time and/or levels of a fluid condition being monitored. Where the apparatus also incorporates an internal flow measuring assembly, or is connected with an external flow meter, sampling operations may also be controlled on the basis of flow rate. The apparatus includes a self-contained microprocessor for automatically controlling sampling operations, calculating fluid condition levels on the basis of signals from a sensor, and storing data relating to sample collection and the fluid condition. Stored data can be called up on a display of the apparatus, or transferred via a portable transfer unit to an external output device, such as a printer, for producing a hard copy of the data.

Automatic fluid sampling and monitoring apparatus and method

An automatic liquid sampling and flow measuring apparatus provided as a unitary structure within a case, and capable of collecting liquid samples at selected intervals, measuring flow rate through a channel at selected intervals, and collecting and storing sampling and flow rate data for later retrieval. The apparatus is provided with its own self-contained microprocessor for automatically controlling sampling operations, calculating flow rate on the basis of signals from a sensor, and storing data relating to sample collection and flow rate measurement. The stored data can be called up on a display of the apparatus, or can be transferred via a portable transfer unit to an external output device, such as a printer capable of producing a hard copy of the data.

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Clarence Center, NY, United States of America

Donald F Kaiser