Anvik Corporation

M.o.e. Medical Devices LLC

Becton Dickinson and Company Limited

Sandia Corporation

Marc I Zemel

Kanti Jain

Nestor O Farmiga

Marc A Klosner

William C Sweatt

Gennady Friedman

Thomas J Dunn

Carl C Kling

Shyam Raghunandan

Robert S Sposili

Sivarama K Kuchibhotla

Leszek Wojcik

Carl Weisbecker

Teik-Meng Lee

The present disclosure provides a variety of systems and techniques for generating and applying plasmas and/or electric fields alone, or in combination with other therapies, to living tissue to treat different tissue conditions as well as other conditions, such as tumors, bacterial infections and the like while limiting electrical current generation within said tissue.

Electrode geometries and method for applying electric field treatment to parts of the body

Provided are a variety of systems, techniques and machine readable programs for using plasmas to treat different skin conditions as well as other conditions, such as tumors, bacterial infections and the like. Flexible treatment electrodes are provided to conform to anatomical surfaces that can be inflatable in some implementations to conform the surface of the flexible treatment electrodes to the anatomy being treated.

Plasma-assisted skin treatment

A system for visualizing needle entry into a body is presented. The system includes a needle for entering a body. The needle is coated with a radiation scattering coating on at least a portion of the needle. The system additionally includes a radiation visualization device which detects reflected radiation directed at a target body and enables medical personnel to view anatomical structures such as a blood vessel along with the inserted needle within a body.

System and method for visualizing needle entry into a body

An enhanced spatial light modulator (ESLM) array, a microelectronics patterning system and a projection display system using such an ESLM for heat-minimization and resolution enhancement during imaging, and the method for fabricating such an ESLM array. The ESLM array includes, in each individual pixel element, a small pixel mirror (reflective region) and a much larger pixel surround. Each pixel surround includes diffraction-grating regions and resolution-enhancement regions. During imaging, a selected pixel mirror reflects a selected-pixel beamlet into the capture angle of a projection lens, while the diffraction grating of the pixel surround redirects heat-producing unused radiation away from the projection lens. The resolution-enhancement regions of selected pixels provide phase shifts that increase effective modulation-transfer function in imaging. All of the non-selected pixel surrounds redirect all radiation energy away from the projection lens. All elements of the ESLM are fabricated by deposition, patterning, etching and other microelectronic process technologies.

Spatial light modulator features

Portable personal water purifier with a microdischarge array sealed with a radiation emitter, preferably Xel, slightly above atmospheric or water pressure in a closely-configured treatment chamber. Each array is a polyimide film separating a copper layer or mesh cathode surface from a conductor pattern of nickel anodes at UV pixel via sites, juxtaposed in effective purifying range of all the water. In a canteen embodiment, the array is presented as a divider in the water chamber, or at its sides. In a continuous-flow embodiment, the array is presented as a spiral flow-through packet between input and output connections axial to a cylindrical water jacket. Battery or plug power is provided, along with any desired input filter. Two microdischarge arrays are preferably sealed in a twin-pack about a set of stiffener rods, extending outward for re-assembly in sockets after cleaning. Other separation assurance devices are spiral and chain separators.

Fluid treatment apparatus

Spatial light modulator array with heat minimization and image enhancement features

An optimized illumination system that efficiently produces uniform illumination for exposure, photoablation, and laser crystallization systems. The illumination system includes a homogenizer that uniformizes and shapes a light beam, which is directed onto a mask by condenser optics. The illumination system recycles radiation by directing light reflected by the mask back into the illumination system, where an apertured mirror situated at the input end re-directs it back toward the mask. The relative areas of the mirror and aperture affect recycling efficiency and system throughput, so the system features a larger-diameter recycling segment enabling greater mirror-to-aperture area ratios. An added segment at the output end of the homogenizer matches the homogenizer diameter to the projection imaging system object field size. This standardizes the homogenizer and condenser lens integration, reducing the need for customized parts and thus reducing manufacturing time and expense.

Illumination system optimized for throughput and manufacturability

Apparatus and method for patterned sequential lateral solidification of a substrate surface, avoiding the need for demagnification to avoid mask damage from fluence sufficient to overcome the threshold for sequential lateral solidification, while using the high throughput of a common stage presenting both 1:1 mask and substrate simultaneously for patterning. The radiation source provides imaging beam and non-imaging beam, each of fluence below the threshold of sequential lateral solidification, but with aggregate fluence above the threshold. The imaging beam path includes a relatively delicate 1:1 mask and 1:1 projection subsystem, with optical elements including a final fold mirror proximate to the substrate surface, put the below-threshold mask pattern on the substrate surface. The non-imaging beam bypasses the delicate elements of imaging beam path, passing through or around the final fold mirror, to impinge on the substrate surface at the same location. Where the radiation patterns of the masked imaging beam and non-imaging beam coincide, their aggregate fluence exceeds the threshold for sequential lateral solidification. The dual selection provides pattern without damage to delicate optical elements.

Dual-beam materials-processing system

Apparatus and method for side-by-side scanning of substrate panels to use a single-approach projection optical system to provide a patterned image on each of two substrate surfaces. More particularly, the system provides a technique for pattern scanning obverse and reverse surfaces, patterning one substrate surface, inverting the substrate panel and repositioning the substrate panel for patterning the opposite substrate surface. The inversion provides access to both surfaces of a substrate panel for pattern scanning by the same optics and the same precision x-y stage in quick succession. The system positions the same substrate panel inverted, or another substrate panel, as required, twice at one station or sequentially at first and second stations. The flipping mechanism may be a simple grabber/retractor with a rotatable wrist for substrate inverting; the stage selects the imaging station. Forwarders may be Inexpensive standard pick-and-place, slide-shuttle or carousel loader/unloader mechanisms.

Two-sided substrate imaging using single-approach projection optics

A dockable substrate chuck and demountable substrate frame, which can be placed atop the dockable substrate chuck, effectively extend the moving platform of an X-Y stage to access a larger substrate area. The system features a substrate chuck docking fixture. The dockable substrate chuck selectively grips or glides on a grip/glide plate on the stage. A bridge suspends the optics and Z-movable kinematic elements of a substrate chuck docking fixture. The docked dockable substrate chuck is fixed in space, in glide mode on a temporary air bearing. When the stage carriage reaches a new position with respect to the dockable substrate chuck, the substrate chuck docking fixture is turned off, and the puck of the dockable substrate chuck regains its grip on the grip/glide plate. The dockable substrate chuck is newly positioned on the stage, the demountable substrate frame is located with respect to the dockable substrate chuck, and the dockable substrate chuck vacuum grips the substrate for a high resolution scan.

Lithography system with variable area substrate tiling

A microlithography system, capable of performing high resolution imaging on large-area curved surfaces, based on projection lithography. The system utilizes a high-resolution lens to image a curved mask directly onto a curved substrate. The system uses a curved mask which is identical in shape to the curved substrate, in order to achieve a constant track length for conjugate object and image points, thereby maintaining focus over the full area of curved substrates having height variations that greatly exceed the depth-of-focus of the imaging lens. Magnification errors are controlled by continuous adjustments of the z-position of the projection lens during scanning, with the adjustments depending upon the topography of the curved mask and substrate. By performing the lithography using a step-and-scan seamless-patterning microlithography system, it is possible to pattern over large areas, greater than the field size of the lens. When the mask and substrate are mounted on a common scanning platform, the system operates with an inverted mask. The system also has provisions for making the appropriate curved projection masks, using a planar contact printing technique to pattern high-resolution features on a flexible film which is stretched over a curved mask blank and secured by a frame, with the option of using the system itself to replicate the curved mask onto an indeterminate number of curved fused-silica mask blanks, by projection printing.

Projection lithography on curved substrates

Apparatus and method for side-by-side scanning of a substrate to use a single-approach projection optical system to provide a patterned image on each of two surfaces of a substrate panel, and more particularly a technique for pattern scanning a first surface, reverse, of the substrate panel at a reverse patterning station, flipping the substrate panel over and repositioning the substrate panel at the same or another location for patterning the opposite surface, obverse. This provides access to a second surface of the substrate panel for pattern scanning, and positions another substrate panel at the first station. The flipping mechanism may be a simple grabber/retractor with a rotatable wrist for substrate inverting. The forwarder may be a simple shuttle mechanism. Inexpensive standard pick-and-place loader/unloader mechanisms may be used for loading and unloading. To reduce the number of substrate handling mechanisms, however, it may be economical for individual robots to perform multiple substrate panel handling tasks. Substrate forwarding on the stage carriage may be by pick-and-place mechanisms, slide/shuttle mechanisms or carousel.

In making thermoset and photo-set polymer-matrix composite parts, curing is the key process step that transforms the molecular structure of the composite material, stabilizing it in the desired shape. This curing system applies carefully controlled ultraviolet (UV) radiation dosages, appropriately distributed over the entire surface of the composite part, thereby rapidly curing the material while enabling direct monitoring and control of the curing energy. Previous photo-curing methods have applied generalized radiation to a part with conventional UV lamps. We provide great benefits in cure depth, speed and process control by precisely controlling all parameters of UV dosage, by computed control, by markings on the part, or by dynamic feedback control from embedded sensors or non-contact sensors. This system can apply greater radiation dose to areas of increased quantities of resin, such as support ribs, and lesser radiation dose to areas of decreased quantities of resin. This method can be enhanced by using differing resins which respond to differing wavelengths, and also by controlled changes of radiation field size or duration. This curing system also enables temporary joining of parts by sufficient partial or controlled-area photo-setting, which may also be integrated with lay-up or winding operations. As a result, these partially cured parts can be handled safely through later stages of the manufacturing process, such as final photo-setting or baking operation in an oven or autoclave.

Ultraviolet-based, large-area scanning system for photothermal

This single-actuator-and-cam, remotely adjustable, exterior vehicle rear-view mirror provides the driver with glare-free viewing toward the rear of the vehicle, by switching between a high-reflectivity position and a low-reflectivity position at the same view adjustment. The exterior rear-view mirrors are repositioned with only a single motor working with a rotary cam to scan all possible mirror positions. The single-motor mechanism increases the reliability of the mirror system. The single motor accomplishes both the directional alignment and the day/night reflectivity adjustment of the mirror by use of a cam which has positions for all predicted view positions, with two reflectivity positions for each view. This invention works equally well with flat wedge mirrors and wide-angle convex wedge mirrors. Since each position is unique, each directional/reflectivity position can be assigned a set of digital coordinates which can be stored for each vehicle driver and each glare condition, for an initial setting which can be easily, or even automatically, adjusted for changes as the driver desires. Customizing features include manual and vehicle driver identification controlled override, start-up reset, and glare threshold setting.

Remotely adjustable, anti-glare vehicle mirror system with single-motor

In the manufacturing of flexible, large-area electronic modules such as flat-panel displays (FPDs), the high cost and low yields of currently available patterning equipment represent a significant barrier to cost-effective production. This invention provides a projection imaging system that can pattern very large, flexible substrates at very high exposure speeds with almost any desired image resolution. The master pattern to be imprinted on the substrate is contained on a mask which, similar to the substrate, is made of a flexible material The mask and substrate are scanned by rollers through the object and the image field, respectively, of a 1:1 projection lens. All of the rollers are driven by identical drive systems linked to a common motor; therefore, the scanning of the mask and substrate is perfectly synchronized. Both the mask and the substrate, along with their rollers, are mounted on a linear translation stage. The translation stage scans continuously at a velocity which is chosen such that, for every complete rotation of the mask and substrate, the linear stage will move by the effective scan width. The entire substrate is patterned using one continuous helical scan. Suitable overlap between complementary intensity profiles produced by a hexagonal illumination configuration ensures seamless joining of the scans. The use of rollers significantly enhances the throughput and effectively reduces the payload and footprint of the scanning stage leading to substantial system cost savings.

Growing community of inventors

Bedminster, NJ, United States of America

Marc I Zemel