Stmicroelectronics S.r.l.

Biomerieux Sa

Giuseppe Emanuele Spoto

Salvatore Leonardi

Cristian Dall'Oglio

Roberta Giuffrida

Luigi Giuseppe Occhipinti

Salvatore Abbisso

Andrea Lazzara

Roberta Zito

Salvatore Coffa

Manuela La Rosa

Laurent Drazek

Crocifisso Marco Antonio Renna

Giuseppe Antonio Maria Nastasi

Marco Antonio Salanitri

Donata Rosaria Nicolosi

Stefania Calamia

Embodiment of a system for generating electric power with micro fuel cells comprising at least one first micro cell and at least one second micro cell, each micro cell having an anode and a cathode with a membrane being sandwich-wise interposed, the system comprising a spacer element having an annular element that surrounds a cavity, said spacer element being associated with said anode of said first micro cell and with said anode of said second micro cell to realize a common diffusion chamber for the fuel of said first micro cell a of said second micro cell.

System for generating electric power with micro fuel cells and corresponding process

A microfluidic device (-), comprising: a semiconductor body () having a first side () and a second side () opposite to one another, and housing, at the first side, a plurality of wells (), having a first depth; an inlet region () forming an entrance point for a fluid to be supplied to the wells; a main channel () fluidically connected to the inlet region, and having a second depth; and a plurality of secondary channels () fluidically connecting the main channel to a respective well, and having a third depth. The first depth is higher than the second depth, which in turn is higher than the third depth. According to an aspect, the microfluidic device further comprises a cover layer (), arranged above the first side of the semiconductor body, configured for sealing the wells and provided with at least a first valve hole () which extends through the cover layer and overlaps, at least partially, the secondary channels; and a flexible layer (), arranged above the cover layer and provided with at least a protrusion () extending through the first valve hole towards the semiconductor body and overlapping, at least partially, the secondary channels, the flexible layer being configured such that, when a pressure is applied on it, the protrusion contacts the semiconductor body and enters the secondary channels thus fluidically isolating the wells from one another.

Microfluidic PCR device

A microfluidic system through which a solution of at least an oxidable compound is fed to a feed manifold of an energy converting electrochemical device includes a flow connector. The flow connector includes a silicon platform having a bottom side and an opposing top side, and through holes extending therethough. The silicon platform includes first and second channels defined on the bottom side for communicating with the through holes. The second channel forms an inlet for the feed manifold of the energy converting electrochemical device when the bottom side of the silicon platform is coupled to a flat coupling area of the device. A micropump module is coupled to the top side of the silicon platform for communicating with the through holes in the first and second channels. First and second supply cartridges are coupled to the top side of the silicon platform for communicating with the through holes in the first channel.

Monocrystalline silicon flow connector and microfluidic system modularly built thereon for feeding a fuel solution to an energy converting device

A process for the production of hydrogen for micro fuel cells, comprises the successive steps of: continuously supplying a catalytic bed with an aqueous solution of sodium borohydride, the catalytic bed being made of at least one metal chosen among cobalt, nickel, platinum, ruthenium with obtainment of hydrogen and of a by-product comprising sodium metaborate, continuously recovering the hydrogen thus obtained and supplying, with said hydrogen as it is as obtained, a micro fuel cell which transforms hydrogen into electric energy. An apparatus provides continuous supply of hydrogen to a micro fuel cell. An integrated system structured for continuously producing and supplying hydrogen to a micro fuel cell and for converting the continuously supplied hydrogen into electric energy.

Process and corresponding apparatus for continuously producing gaseous hydrogen to be supplied to micro fuel cells and integrated system for producing electric energy

A device for producing energy for portable applications including at least one micro fuel cell and a microreactor, having a reaction chamber including a catalyst, for producing hydrogen gas to be fed to the micro fuel cell. The microreactor includes at least one substrate of a composite material for making printed circuits micromachined with printed circuit technology suitable for making the reaction chamber and having a semipermeable membrane on top of it. The substrate and the membrane are connected to the micro fuel cell to make a single body through a single pressure assembly step.

Micro fuel cell and corresponding microreactor, supplied with hydrogen, for producing electric energy

The invention is directed to a microdevice for containing electrically coupled cells while allowing their growth that allows the addition or removal of cells from their containment by providing an actuatable gate. When the gate is actuated, for example with electric current, the cells may be added or removed from their containment. The invention may be applied to a neurochip or any device for growing cells in a defined spatial arrangement.

Device for confining live neural cells cultivated on a chip of noninvasive neuroelectronic interfacing

Growing community of inventors

Trecastagni, Italy

Giuseppe Emanuele Spoto