Bio-rad Laboratories, Inc.

Engineering Services Inc.

Minister of National Defence of Her Majesty's Canadian Government

Virtek Vision International Inc.

Virtek Engineering Sciences Inc.

Nenad M Kircanski

Amir Sadri

Andrew A Goldenberg

Tal Rosenzweig

Neven Nikolic

Thanh-Vi Tran

Manja Kircanski

Daniel Y Chu

Paul J Patt

Kun Guo

Edmond Young

Zhiliang Xu

Alwin Wan

Gabriel Culinco

Milija Timotijevic

Pawel Kuzan

Jacek A Wiercienski

Carl Marlowe

Ziren Lu

Brian David Wilson

Daniel Konstantinou

Sasan Raghibizadeh

Prakash Naidu

Kevin Russell

Yogadish Das

Andrew Goldenberg

Ananth Seshan

Chin Zhou

Raymond Hui

A thermal management system that include an electronic circuit boards having at least two circuit boards with a space in between and further includes one or more air tubes or conduits. The electronic circuit board and air tubes are configured for drawing air into the space to facilitate cooling of the electronic circuit board concurrent with cooling of a heat sink of a heat pump connected with the electronic circuit board. The system can further include a partition to isolate airflow from the heat sink from airflow through the electronics circuit board, and can further include one or more interface components for maintaining isolation and control of air flow, improving air intake and/or supporting auxiliary components.

Thermal management for thermal cyclers using air tubes

A heat pump that includes a thermoelectric device(s) and a heat sink having a raised portion with a top surface for thermally coupling with a planar face of the thermoelectric device(s). The raised portion of the heat sink includes an outer periphery and a raised central region surrounded by a void region to provide more uniform thermal conductivity when clamped within an assembly. The raised central region is shaped in an any shape corresponding to a shape of uneven thermal conductivity due to clamping pressure applied to the heat sink. The void region can be substantially contiguous and entirely circumscribe the central raised region. The device can optionally include discrete supports formed of a less thermally-conductive material within the void region. The supports can be elastomeric, such as O-rings, and disposed within pockets defined within the void region.

Heat pump device and assembly

A method for efficiently manufacturing and fabricating microfluidic chips, where a base mold is formed to have positive-relief features used to cast an intermediary template chip with negative-relief features having dimensions of a scale in the micron range. The intermediary template chip is used to case a production mold, which is formed of a reinforced epoxy resin that, once hardened into a solid epoxy member, can withstand the structural pressures of a CNC machining system. The production mold can be refined by a CNC machining, where the refined production mold is then used to cast production chips to be used as microfluidic chips.

Epoxy mold making and micromilling for microfluidics

Microscale fluidic devices and components thereof having a fluid retention groove, as well as systems and methods related thereto. The fluid retention groove facilitates uniform bonding of microfluidic device components.

Microscale fluidic devices and components having a fluid retention groove

Systems, including apparatus and methods, for the microfluidic manipulation, dispensing, and/or sorting of particles, such as cells and/or beads.

On-demand particle dispensing system

Systems, including apparatus and methods, for the microfluidic manipulation, dispensing, and/or sorting of particles, such as cells and/or beads. The systems may include a shaped focusing chamber and/or a branched diverting mechanism.

Multidimensional hydrodynamic focusing chamber

A system for controlling an ultrasonic transducer utilizes an indication of the relative phase of the voltage on the transducer and the current passing through the transducer to control the relative phase to a value that has been preselected to correspond to resonance of an electromechanical system that includes the ultrasonic transducer. In one example application, the system includes a waveform generator that produces an oscillating signal, and the frequency of the oscillating signal is adjustable under control of the control processor. The control processor adjusts the frequency of the oscillating signal according to a proportional control law at least some of the time, and according to a proportional-integral control law at least some of the time. The control processor may also control the amplitude of the oscillation of the ultrasonic transducer.

System and method for ultrasonic transducer control

Methods and apparatus for precise positioning of an object using linear actuators based on linear stepper motors operating in microstepping or full step mode, a control algorithm based on compensation table, and a calibration apparatus for obtaining the compensation table.

Method and apparatus for precise positioning of an object with linear stepper motors

A positioning device includes a gantry robot and an elevator unit. The gantry robot includes a head assembly, a work-space spaced below the head assembly for receiving at least one tray and a device for moving the head assembly in the X, Y and Z directions. The gantry robot further includes a device for scanning the work-space. The elevator unit has a plurality of shelves arranged in a series one above another. Each shelf is adapted to receive at least one tray and the shelves are movable in the Z direction. A device for moving a tray between the elevator unit and the work-space is included. A control system for controlling the movement of the head assembly in the X, Y and Z direction, for controlling the movement of the shelves in the Z direction and for controlling the tray moving device is operably connected to the gantry robot and the elevator unit.

High precision vision guided positioning device

A high precision positioning device includes an end effector and a platen spaced therebelow for receiving a workpiece. One of the end effector and the platen is moveable in the X-Y plane. One of the end effector and the platen is moveable in the Z direction. The device includes senors for sensing the position of the end effector in the X, Y and Z directions relative to the platen. The apparatus includes a control system for controlling the movement of the end effector relative to the platen and adjusting the position of the end effector relative to the X. Y and Z position as sensed by the sensors. Preferably the platen is generally parallel to the X-Y plane and the Z direction is normal to the platen. Preferably the control system uses a position, velocity and acceleration control system for controlling the movement in the X and Y direction and an impedance control system for controlling the movement in the Z direction. The method of operating the high precision positioning device uses a host computer and an embedded computer. The method includes the steps of receiving and checking data; sending and decoding the checked data and determining when a move command appears; instructing a move command and determining set-point data for the move command; sending set-point data to regulator task module and sending data from the positional sensors to the regulator task module; determining the control parameters in the regulator task module and activating the motors to move the end effector.

High precision positioning device and method of operating same

Apparatus and method is provided for performing detailed mine detection over variable terrain. An articulated robotic scanner comprises an articulated arm mounted to any vehicle such as a robot. One or more mine detectors mounted at the end of the arm. The arm operates autonomously to repetitively sweep the mine detector in ever forward advancing side-to-side arcs over the terrain. The vehicle can operate autonomously or be tele-operated. The position of the mine detector is monitored and known with respect to a known coordinate system. Sensors measure their position relative to the ground and relative to known co-ordinates of the mine detector. A controller determines the relative position of the ground and the mine detector and dynamically adjusts the mine detector's position to maintain a constant separation over variable terrain without ever contacting the ground or objects thereon.

Cantilevered manipulator for autonomous non-contact scanning of natural surfaces for the deployment of landmine detectors

The present invention relates to an automated grading process and apparatus for grading an animal carcass. The process includes the steps of generating and receiving signals; determining the location of the ribs in the carcass therefrom; determining a predetermined reference point on the carcass; determining a probing location; and probing the carcass. As an example the predetermined reference point may be the first rib and the probe location may be between the third and fourth ribs. The present invention also includes a method for determining the location of the ribs and a method for determining the first rib. The apparatus includes a base, a clamping sub-system for positioning the carcass and a sensing-probing subsystem. The sensing-probing subsystem includes a signal generator and a signal receiver each directed at the clamped carcass; a method of determining the location of the ribs; a method of determining a predetermined reference point on the carcass; a method of determining a probing location; and a probe. The probe is attached to a robotic arm.

Automated meat grading method and apparatus

The present invention provides a reconfigurable modular drive joint that can be used as the basis for building and configuring robotic and automated systems as an interconnected network of individual nodes, with each node representing a single modular joint. Each modular joint can be quickly set up in either a roll, pitch or yaw configuration. A large number of different robot structures can be built using a small number of the modular joints in any of these three configurations. The modules are equipped with quick-connect mechanisms so that a new robot structure can be assembled in a few minutes. A robot or other automated system assembled from such modular joints is a true reconfigurable and modular system. The control system is decentralized. Each modular joint is provided with its own built-in control system and electronics. The modular joints each include a motor and associated sensors. An embedded control system including a power amplifier for the motor, a sensor interface, microprocessor, and communication circuitry are provided. The only external connections to each module is a communication bus between the modules and the host computer and a power supply bus.

Growing community of inventors

North York, Canada

Nenad M Kircanski