Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Advanced Functional Fabrics of America, Inc.

Lauren Cantley

Alexander Stolyarov

Jason R Cox

Richard Paul Kingsborough

Alan J Fenn

Kyle J Thompson

Jimmy Nguyen

John G Brisson

Michael Rein

Siva Yegnanarayanan

Shane M Tysk

Lalitha Parameswaran

Kristina McCarthy

Chia-Chun Chung

John D Cummings

Kristen Mulherin

Jacob Lazer Adams

Joshua Deisenhaus

Matthew Bernasconi

Michael Rickley

Described is a flexible thermally-drawn receive phased array antenna and antenna system and a process for making the same. The phased array antenna system includes a plurality of antenna elements and one or more low noise amplifiers (LNAs) encapsulated in a fiber such as flexible polyetherimide (PEI) fiber material. A DC bias for the LNAs and other components is provided by one or more electrically conducting wires disposed in proximity to the antenna elements and also encapsulated in the fiber. In embodiments, the antenna elements are provided as dipole antenna elements and the phased array antenna is provided as a flexible thermally-drawn linear dipole receive phased array antenna operable at UHF frequencies.

Fiber based RF phased-array antennas

Drawn polymer fibers have internal channels running, at least partially, through the length of the fibers. These fibers may be configured to for use as thermal isolators that can thermally isolate material at the central core of the fiber from the outside environment. In such instances, the channels may be used as insulating channels and/or a heating or cooling fluid can be pumped through the channels to maintain the temperature of the material at the inner core. As another application, the fibers may be used as recuperative, regenerative, parallel-flow, counter-flow, cross-flow or condenser/evaporator heat exchangers. In this case, the channels may be used to direct fluid flow. The fiber may allow for the exchange of heat between fluids in the channels.

Drawn polymer fibers for use in thermal applications

Methods of manufacturing multi-material fibers having one or more electrically-connectable devices disposed therein are described. In certain instances, the methods include the steps of: positioning the electrically-connectable device(s) within a corresponding pocket provided in a preform material; positioning a first electrical conductor longitudinally within a first conduit provided in the preform material; and drawing the multi-material fiber by causing the preform material to flow, such that the first electrical conductor extends within the multi-material fiber along a longitudinal axis thereof and makes an electrical contact with a first electrode located on each electrically-connectable device. A metallurgical bond may be formed between the first electrical conductor and the first electrode while drawing the multi-material fiber and/or, after drawing the multi-material fiber, the first electrical conductor may be located substantially along a neutral axis of the multi-material fiber.

Multi-material fibers and methods of manufacturing the same

Techniques are disclosed for a chemical sensor architecture based on a fabric-based spectrometer. An example apparatus implementing the techniques includes a portable spectrometer device including a first fabric layer and a second fabric layer coupled to the first fabric layer to form a pouch. The second fabric layer includes a fiber fabric spectrometer substrate comprising a fiber material including one or more electronic devices, wherein the pouch is configured to receive a colorimetric substrate and the fiber fabric spectrometer substrate is configured to measure reflectance of a colorimetric substrate disposed in the pouch.

Portable spectrometer for chemical sensing

Growing community of inventors

Cambridge, MA, United States of America

Lauren Cantley